The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ado-Ekiti

  • When the gowns came to town

    When the gowns came to town

    For two days, women from various sectors of life gathered in Ekiti to deliberate on issues of women health and safety. Hannah Ojo who was in Ekiti reports

    ALL our religious and local traditions promote a belief in the sanctity of life. Let us all continue to protect and care for each other. Let us all rise and demand for a safer world for women and girls. Any act that diminishes one woman diminishes the rest of us.” Speaking with a vibrancy that commandeered the attention of the participants, the first lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, set the pace for discourse at this year’s Ekiti State gender summit which was held at Ado-Ekiti recently.

    It was an occasion when the gowns came to town as participants ranged from various walks of life such as civil servants, market women, teachers, wives of traditional rulers and female stake holders in the state. Also, the various persons who facilitated each aspect of the programme, professionals in their own standing, engaged wits and native intelligence to carry everyone along, both the learned and unlearned. Themed Gender Equality, women’s health and safety: towards a healthy, violence-free society, the summit was organised by Ekiti State’s ministry of women affairs, social development and gender empowerment in conjunction with the Ekiti Development Foundation. True to the words of Mrs. Fola Ricie-Adewusi, the state’s commissioner for women affairs and social development, the event proved to the billing of a platform for rich discussions and cross pollination of ideas on the critical issues of gender equality, women’s health and safety.

    Dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, who stood in for the governor and herself, the convener of the summit, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, wives of the governor of Osun State, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola and Kwara State governor, Deaconess Omolewa Abdul Fatha Ahmed, DG of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Ms. Onyeka Onwenu, amongst other personalities within and outside the state. Also present were representatives of non-governmental organisations, representative of the minister for women affairs, delegates from the 16 local government areas in Ekiti State, members of the academia, resource persons drawn from within and outside Ekiti State and donor partners.

    Delivering the key note address, Prof Oluyemisi Obilade, the Vice-Chancellor of the Tai Solarin University of Education, proved her mettle as an academician of no mean stature. Taking the topic, “Safe-guarding our tomorrow, ensuring quality of life: addressing women’s health within the context of culturally condoned gender-based violence,” she gave an in depth illustration, portraying the pitiable state of the plights of women who have to live with a battered psyche in an environment where violence is fuelled by a dominant sense of patriarchy. According to her, “gender-based violence is not only a violation of women’s human rights but has moved into the realm of a major public health problem which can result into a wide range of physical, mental, sexual and reproductive, and maternal health problems.” Citing real life examples of rape victims from Nigeria and beyond, the don stressed the point that women, irrespective of their age, can become victims of violence, especially rape. She buttressed this by serving a reminder of an incident in Ekiti where a 45-year-old man raped a woman of 75. Proffering solutions, she offered the way forward: “the way forward requires fresh vision, fresh passion, fresh determination and action. We must shed our willingness to confront the root cause of many of the factors negatively impacting the health of our women. We must address our predisposition to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause.”

    The elegant stallion, Onyeka Onwenu, did not fail to dazzle when she gave an address in her capacity as the DG of the NCWD. Sharing her experience during a round table discussion anchored by ace broadcaster Chief ‘Ronke Okusanya, Ms Onwenu admitted that the problem of women’s health and empowerment is huge. She, however, advised women to look into their sphere of influence to start making impact. She further stated that it is only a woman who is empowered economically that will not succumb to violence in the home out of fear to stand out on her own. She also hinted on the viability of the entertainment industry to drive home the message of a violence-free society for women.

    As expected of a gathering of women, the summit went emotional at some moments when some of the participants would wear sad and forlorn face during some presentations. One of such was when Mrs. Ebun Anozie of C.O.P.E. Initiative gave a presentation on cancer. It was an emotional account, especially when people had to stand up in remembrance of the late deputy governor of Ekiti, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, who succumbed to the disease. Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola, also gave a first-hand account of her experience as a victim of rape at the age of 16 and domestic violence even in pregnancy and after child birth during her first marriage.

    From Dr. Boladale Mapayi whose talk on ‘harmful traditional practices and implications for women’s health’ stressed that women should not keep silent in the face of violence to Princess Kathy Emiko’s presentation which scored a point for women to take ownership of their health through a healthy lifestyle amongst talks on areas such as budgeting for woman’s health, impact of the environment, economic empowerment, there is no gainsaying the fact that the conference served as an optimal means towards cleaning the Augean stable that the issue of violence has come to be in this part of the world.

    Cementing the assertion of Erelu Fayemi that the summit, already in its third series, does not fall into categories of forums where deliberations are made without results, the governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, signed the equal opportunities bill into law on Tuesday. From all indications, one can say that the issue of gender in Ekiti has taken the centre stage in the administration of the state.

  • Erio-Ekiti: Living under fear of truck accidents

    Erio-Ekiti: Living under fear of truck accidents

    The trucks are a part of everyday life but their operations have continued to threaten normal life in Erio-Ekiti and other parts of Ekiti State, writes Sulaiman Salawudeen

    Erio-Ekiti, about 30 kilometres from Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, has become a place where the fear of moving trucks is the beginning of wisdom for many residents of the town, particularly those whose habitations and businesses verge the main road.

    The residents of the town, which lies between Efon/Itawure and Aramoko, have been having months, even years of sleepless nights and restless days because of their encounters with trucks which daily send them either scampering off the frontages of their houses or force them into involuntary support exercises in rescue operations for victims of fresh accidents aided or caused by the trucks.

    Reportedly, no week passes without fresh tales of a truck which has fallen off its path, spilling its explosive contents, or another which has entered the gorge on either sides of the hilly highway with its massive bulk of luggage. On such occasions, the traveller would notice the officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) or the State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA) struggling to rescue lives and ensure the free flow of traffic.

    The accidents have been attributed to two problems: one is the apparently uncontrollable recalcitrance of the truck drivers who drive with impunity and some sort of condemnable abandon which often lands them in avoidable accidents, either with other trucks or cars and buses.

    Another concerns Erio which has a particular hilly portion on the federal single lane highway, just about a tenth of a kilometre in length at a bend sharp enough to force any unwary or unsuspecting driver into a jolting skid off the road and into a gorge deep down the sideways which is deep enough to contain about a 100 of such trucks.

    Although other categories of vehicles are not spared around the portion, the major victims have remained the trucks which makes it mandatory for their drivers to exhibit utmost caution and patience on the road, virtues which most of them lack.

    At the time of filing this report, no less than 10 of such ill-fated trucks are lying in mangled states at various spots around the bend almost adjacent to Edu High School, hampering the free flow of traffic and potentially aiding other accidents. One is lying on its back with the 16 tyres looking heavenwards; another is showing the rear wheels while the fore had gone into the bush.

    The worry, however, is not only the recalcitrance of the truck drivers, but the apparent distance of concerned authorities, specifically the Federal Government Agency, from a road which, despite and amidst the odds, has remained the choice for motorists coming into the state either from the Ilesa/Osun State axis or the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) or going out of the state. The road’s main attraction, especially for the goods-laden trucks, is its offer of a shorter route to their destinations.

    Despite the situation painted, authorities seem to have kept a distance which makes the situation all the more painful, leaving the residents, travellers and other road users to lament a fate which has continued to claim lives and properties.

    Ade, a resident of the town, said: “The situation has become so bad that while trying to rescue one, another truck is falling. Factually, there cannot be less than three such encounters in a week. Come here any day, you must see a truck having some problems.”

    Recounting his experience, Adams, a driver whose truck met the unwanted fate, said the terrain was the main problem: “This road is not good. I was not speeding too much at all. I am always careful. But, today, the truck simply went the way it wanted to go. I applied the break, it did not stop.”

    While not opposing Adamu, another driver, Kole, who stopped by to make some adjustments, lamented: “The problem has always been the recklessness of our people (other drivers). We must be careful of the speed we maintain while on this road or even anywhere and anytime. Many times, the way our people drive is the cause of accidents.”

    A fruit/yam seller around the bend, Mrs. Odekunle Rhoda, who lamented the daily encounters with trucks, said some of the drivers (of the trucks) don’t speed too much when they are coming or going.

    For Mrs. Odekunle, who has a make-shift kiosk beside the road, the experience is an uneasy one as she has to be watchful to know if an oncoming truck is driving towards her or approaching the spot of her wares.

    She said: “I watch them (the trucks) every minute. Their sound is different from that of a smaller vehicle. Once it comes out like that from that bend, I keep watching the tyres to see if the thing is coming towards me. You cannot take your eyes off them at all. You must keep guard.

    “This is, however, not an easy task for me; but since I am not ready to leave this place, I have to endure and be watchful. Last year, a man called London, an Isobo person, who had stayed a long time in this town, and another man called Baba Seun died in a tanker inferno just after Edu High School here. The wife of the Isobo man is up there selling bean cakes,” she said.

    A resident, Alfaa Shuaib Sanusi, said it is impossible to stop the trucks from plying the road, as it belongs to every Nigerian. He added that it is only the Federal Government that must urgently finish the construction of another road — New Iyin Road — which is not far from the road in question.

    Sanusi said: “The Federal Government must be more serious about the New Iyin Road. Finishing that road remains the only way to stop the carnage and unrest which typify daily life here. Those trucks must pass through Aramoko to Ijero on their way to Abuja or Obajana in Kogi State. The only solution is for government to ensure that that road is completed.

    Another male resident who declined to mention his name made further clarifications: “The new road actually comes from Ado Ekiti at a place commonly referred to as New Iyin Road, passing through Igede and Aramoko, Erio, and ending somewhere at a place called Ita Ido. The contractor handling that road then was Elsan Nigeria Ltd owned by a man from Imesi Ekiti.

    “I cannot say if the road is single carriage or double but I am sure they have done all the earthwork. That road which although has not been tarred has, however, been inaugurated which is why they call it New Iyin Road,” he said.

    He added that Erio does not have the monopoly of vehicle-unfriendly spots, noting that “between Ado-Ekiti and Efon Alaaye-Ekiti, there are about 15 dangerous spots so accidents must occur due to the nature of the road which is narrow, winding with sharp bends; it also hilly with deep portions on either sides.”

    “At Akannasan sharp bend alone, about 25 trucks can sink into that hollow. Even cars and motorcycles are not spared. There was a chicken seller who normally moves about selling day-old chicks. One day, about four/five years ago, he lost control and fell into the Akannasan ditch. Three or four months later when the chickens developed, they came out and people started tracing their source before they saw the man’s decomposing body.

    “There are other dangerous spots. From Akannasan, you come to a Bamboo spot before Aramoko; Ajaye Junction between Igede and Aramoko; then Orisumbare junction where a truck wasted eight people recently. After that is the Ilaho sharp bend. Again, in Aramoko, Sabo Area is very deadly as well; Isasa sharp bend; Rajud Hotel bend; Bovas bend; Reservoir bend which is between Aramoko and Erio. All these bends are sharp and dangerous.

    “Also, AK Filling Station bend; then Obarabara bend before you come to the father of them all, Eriwe bend in Erio here. This is where at least three trucks must encounter one problem or the other weekly. After Eriwe is Temidire Junction which is adjacent to Edu High School.

    “Can you believe that sometimes when accidents occur at Eriwe bend, our people in the community would gather and create a link to the abandoned New Iyin Road which would then free the stranded motorists. We have completed that many times. So, when that new road is done, especially if it is a dual carriageway, only those vehicles which need to do something in Erio here like the passenger buses and cars would pass through here,” he said.

    Although Erio does not have a monarch, the Regent, Princess Adejoke Ojo-Ajetomobi, who spoke with The Nation, said: “Here in this town, we do not believe in any strange powers apart from God. Some people may say that portions of our road need to be appeased. It is a lie. It is government we will continue to appeal to for the remedy which is the completion of a new road close to us. I have been to the new road. The place is now very bushy.”

    Are the traditional rulers looking into the situation collectively? The Chairman, Ekiti State Traditional Council of Obas who is the monarch of Itaji-Ekiti, Oba Idowu Adamo Babalola, said the Council was considering making representations to the state government.

    According to him, “the situation has been a source of worry to the entire state, adding that it is not only in Erio but even in Ido-Ekiti, Oye Ekiti and other towns on the major roads where trucks have been making life unsafe for our people. It is sure if they dualise the roads we will have less of such harrowing experiences as we have now.

    “We will continue to appeal to concerned agencies of government to assist us. There is nowhere else we can go. They must make vehicular operations safe on the roads for our people to be safe,” Oba Adamo said.

    Making further clarifications, the Special Adviser on Roads in Ekiti, Hon. Adunmo Sunday, said the state government had been in talks with the Federal Government over the new road, noting that “ it is embarrassing that out of 16 such roads which belong to the Federal Government, the only one they are attending to (Erio) which is just about 39 kilometres long is a colonial road, with bends and hilly.

    “That road is worse than dangerous. Characterised by one day two accidents, it has become for the state a major headache. We are seriously appealing to the Federal Government on that road. That is the only road in Ekiti that they are doing out of 16,” Adunmo said.

    He added: “Today, Ekiti attends to other federal roads, including Ado-Iworoko, Ifaki-Ido, Aramoko-Ijero, Ado-Ikere up to Ondo boundary. Even, Basiri-Iyin road and Ojumoshe-Old Garage up to Ijigbo dual carriage way were all done by the state government.

    “The New Iyin Road which should have reduced the burden on the state has been abandoned by the Federal Government for decades. In respect of that road and some others, we have written a letter to the Federal Government, attaching the Bill of Engineering Measurements and Evaluation (BEME) and other necessary documents.

    “While talks are going on in respect of a total of N10.5 billion owed the state by the Federal Government on all the roads mentioned, it has been decided that early next year, if the Federal Government still fails to make desirable moves regarding the Erio road, the state will still take it over again”, the SA, Roads said.

    He however has a better prescription for resting what he described as “the age long issues over abandonment of roads by the Federal Government”. According to Adunmo, theFederal Government should hands off roads which lie within states and let states themselves attend to such.

    He said: “We have been saying it is most unnecessary and sheer dissipation of needless attention for the Federal Government to be constructing roads for states. Why? Why not make the funds available for the states to construct their own roads themselves? It is all part of the debates about fiscal federalism. Why must the Federal Government in Abuja be the one to pave roads for citizens across the 36 states and the FCT. This is a fundamental error and unless the Federsl Government hands of such things, infrastructure, especially roads will remain as it is.”

  • Driving forces in skill acquisition

    Driving forces in skill acquisition

    WITH unemployment rate skyrocketing, graduates are aspiring to keep up the pace of being self-employed and so the need to acquire skill becomes very relevant.

    The National Bureau of Statistics estimates that Nigeria’s population grew by 3.2 percent in 2011, from 159.3 million people in 2010 to 164.4 million in 2011. With the youth making up 60percent of the Nigerian population, the unemployment rate has drastically moved at an upscale from 21.1 percent in 2010 to 23.9percent currently. Graduates are, therefore, making alternative choices and diving into various skill acquisitions such as bead making, fashion design, hair making, catering with specialisation in cocktail drinks, small chops, baking, and other areas.

    “As an undergraduate, I never thought I would end up acquiring a skill,” said Tolulope Abidele. “I’d always wanted to be a lawyer but I guess I wasn’t brilliant enough so I ended up with a degree in Guidance and Counselling. Although I spent five years in the university, burnt late night candles, visited night classes, skipped meals for the early morning lectures, I thought it was all I could do to secure a job after graduation, unfortunately life as a graduate has not been milk and honey,” she lamented.

    Abidele, now a fashion designer, has a shop of her own and with all smiles expresses her joy at being able to cater for her younger ones. Adesokan Adebola’s story is no different from Abidele’s, a graduate of Linguistics from the University of Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University. Adebola is now a make-up artist, going to institutions within her reach to sell cosmetics to students and also get them to have facial scrub at discounted amount. When interviewed, Adebola explained that she just couldn’t stay in a place being jobless, as an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. “After I completed the one-year mandatory national youth service corps, the situation went from bad to worse on my return home when after six months I was unable to get a job. Luckily for me, I had saved enough money during my service year, which was what I used to enroll for the training.”

    The stories of Abidele and Adebola symbolise an average Nigerian graduate, who, like brother Paul, kept the faith and won the race through various higher institutions, with the hope of being gainfully employed after graduation. However, the reverse becomes the case.

    Emeka, a graduate of Chemical Engineering from a university of technology in the eastern part of Nigeria, decided to become a welder. His father was a welder and had trained him through school but according to him, “I didn’t want to get my hands dirty, I decided to search for a job. I got one but I was paid stipends. Three months after I got the job I kept thinking how long I would survive on such stipend when even my father earned more than myself on a daily basis. I decided it was time for me to acquire a skill and not just any one, I chose welding.”

    The various reasons for graduates picking up skills have been impacted greatly by unemployment, while a majority concluded that they couldn’t stand being idle and doing nothing; some felt rather than working for an individual who would only use you and lay you off at will, with no job security, they would choose to either learn a trade or acquire a skill.

    A majority of the graduates who acquired skills had never been interested in skill acquisition but they have all testified to be better at their various fields and happy they acquired the skill. To be economically self-reliant, Nigeria must diversify her economy as well as encourage the youth to embrace self-employment.

    Numerous factors contribute to most graduate acquiring skills. Parents, friends, relatives, neighbours etc are driving forces in the skill acquisition trend for graduates, employed and unemployed. Parents encourage their children immediately after their youth service to either get a job or get a skill. Gaining a good job has proved to be a huge tale of the who-knows-who menace, while learning a skill becomes the better alternative.

    Salewa on the other hand said she’d been into trading as an undergraduate. “I sell clothes, mostly Ankara, but immediately I learnt about wire-works (bead making) being trendy, I decided to learn how to make beads.” Fancifully, she shows you one of her works and says, “One of this goes for as much as five thousand naira but it depends on your clientele and their financial capacity. You are able to get back your capital and your profit which is enough to make another bead.”

    Has she ever applied for a job? She replied: “I haven’t and with the way people are turned down at interviews I can’t cope. I’m satisfied with what I have currently and will keep learning a new trade or skill.”

    With skill acquisition being the main trend for graduates who have tried to be gainfully employed in the corporate world but to no avail, government should embrace the youth acquisition initiative and create more vocational centres, sponsor workshops and trainings in order to experience its role in the community and country alike. Elimination of joblessness, reduction of poverty and hunger are areas that government needs to give more attention. This would help to eradicate crimes which are mostly perpetrated by youths.

  • Four arraigned for ‘rape’ in Ado-Ekiti

    •Man, 20, held for ‘defiling’ minor

    Four men were yesterday arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court for alleged rape.

    Ogundola Dayo 24; Akomolafe Gbenga, 27; Ayeni Oluwaseun, 29; and Seye Banjo, 24, allegedly committed the crime on October 13 at Moshood road in Ikere-Ekiti.

    The police prosecutor, Sgt. Caleb Leranmo, told the court that Dayo aided the other suspects to gang-rape a girl, which led to her being hospitalised.

    The accused pleaded not guilty and their counsel, Chris Omokhafe, prayed the court to grant them bail.

    Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye granted them N100,000 bail each, with one surety in like sum, who must be a civil servant.

    The case was adjourned till November 15.

    In Ile-Ife, Osun State, a 20-year-old man, Feyi Olatunji, has been arrested by the police for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.

    Police spokesperson Folashade Odoro said the girl, a virgin, was running an errand for her guardian in Ogo Oluwa area when Olatunji lured her into his mother’s shop and raped her.

    The incident occurred on October 12.

    Odoro said Olatunji later forced the victim into his brother’s shop and locked her up until the following day, when he was arrested.

    She said the suspect would be arraigned soon.

     

  • NFF C’ttee lifts ban on Ado-Ekiti Stadium

    NFF C’ttee lifts ban on Ado-Ekiti Stadium

    The Emergency Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Sunday lifted the ban placed on the Ado-Ekiti Township Stadium after its meeting in Abuja.

    A statement signed by the Media Officer of the NFF, Ademola Olajire, said the decision to lift the ban followed a special appeal by the Ekiti State Football Association and other stakeholders in the state.

    The Disciplinary Committee of the NFF had placed a ban on the stadium following disturbances during a Nigeria National League (NNL) match between Fountain FC of Ekiti and Prime of Osogbo.

    The statement said the decision was taken in the interest of football and the teeming youths of Ekiti State who should not be denied access to the playing facility due to no fault of theirs.

    It said the NFF president, Aminu Maigari, Vice-President, Mike Umeh, and five members of the Executive Committee were present at the meeting where the decision was taken.

    The statement said that the decision was in line with Article 41 of the NFF statutes.

    According to the statutes, an emergency committee shall deal with all matters requiring immediate settlement between two meetings of the Executive Committee.

    The committee shall consist of the President of NFF and five members chosen from the Executive Committee for a period of two years.

    The statement also said that the committee had dissolved the Forum of Zonal Coordinators.

    It quoted the Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Emeka Inyama, as saying that the dissolution was with immediate effect, adding that it would be reconstituted soon.

  • Christ’s school  ado-ekiti  at 80

    Christ’s school  ado-ekiti  at 80

    In a particular year at the University of Ibadan, Christ’s School accounted for 8 out of the ten University Scholars

    As all roads lead to Ado-Ekiti this weekend for everybody  that ever had anything to do with our truly remarkable school- Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, which we call The School: alumni, parents, spouses, family  and the lot, it is all glory to God that He inspired some of His anointed men to plant and water what has turned out to be a truly phenomenal institution molding men and women of intellect,  not only in Ekiti, its location and primary catchment area, but all over Nigeria. Today, hundreds of Christ’s-School products are professors in all areas of study; from the Humanities to Medicine, to the professions, even to Aerospace science and are spread all over the world doing what they know best to do – banishing ignorance and expanding the frontiers of knowledge just as thousands of its alumni, as medical doctors, engineers, teachers, administrators, etc are providing various services to humanity both at home here in Nigeria and overseas. Amongst our alumni are two of the earliest winners of the Nigerian Merit award, just as The School has produced university Vice-Chancellors and state governors – military and civilian.   Or need I say that two of Nigeria’s most celebrated professors of Neurosurgery, the late Professor Kayode Osuntokun and Professor Adelola  Adeloye cut their teeth in The School? The Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi is, for instance, a distinguished alumnus of The School just like his deputy, Professor Dupe Adelabu and the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Ganiyu Owolabi. Such is the sheer profundity of Christ’s School that a whole page of this newspaper will be infinitely inadequate to tell its story.

    Our School is so unique that not a few has  accused us of acting like a cult because whenever or wherever we ex-students  meet, irrespective of age and when exactly you  attended The School, you immediately become like uterine brothers and sisters.

    This was precisely the objective of the founding fathers.

     Archdeacon Henry Dallimore who founded The School in 1933 was clear in his mind as to what sort of education he intended and what manner of character he wanted foster among the students from the very beginning. ‘The total impact of the education to be given,’ wrote Professor Olofinboba and co in THE BUILDER, ‘was to make the individual a useful person to himself and his community’. For this reason, initial subjects taught in The School included the following outside the normal academic subjects: Tailoring, Brick-making, Plastering, Building, Carpentry for boys and Weaving and Knitting for girls. Agriculture and Cattle keeping were added in 1945, thus by many decades before, Christ’s School was already doing what today’s 6-3-3-4 and all its other newer variants had been grappling with for decades. Above all, however, the founders wanted to nurture the ‘total man’, whose entire life will be rooted in and around Christ. To amply demonstrate this, everything about the school revolved around Christ: the name, the motto, Christus Victor, just as the first two letters of the word ‘Christ’ is inscribed in Greek.

    But if Apollo (Archdeacon Dallimore) planted The School, our Paul, who watered and nurtured it to world renown is the Rev Canon Leslie Donald Mason, C.B.E, O.O.N, M.A, Dip.Th, Dip Ed, whose children we all are since he never was married. To all Christ’s School students, Canon Mason was Principal, father, counsellor, benefactor, friend, teacher, all. He ensured you never dropped out of  The School for financial reasons. He indeed paid the fees of many a student.  He knew all the students by their first names and could identify thousands by their voices.

    For a very long time, he was our doctor and dispenser as he converted one of the rooms in his hilltop house to a dispensary. A strict disciplinarian, all the same, Canon Mason was a man of simple taste and life style and so was able to handsomely impart in the students respect, simplicity, humility, honesty, loving kindness and diligence. It should therefore not be a surprise that wherever you find an old student of Christ’s School, you are face to face with a complete gentleman/lady who is ever willing to lend a helping hand, whatever the circumstances.

    In appreciation of all that Canon Mason did for us at The School, a book: The Reverend Canon Leslie Donald Mason (1908-1989): THE BUILDER, was written in his honour by the alumni association under the lead of the late Professor M.O.Olofinboba.

    He was succeeded in 1967 by Chief R.A. Ogunlade, another truly remarkable man of God who also gave his all. Indeed, he made Biology easier for us than eating very ripe banana. He was such a gifted and exprienced teacher.  An old student of The School himself, Chief Ogunlade ensured there was not the slightest diminution of all the good standards Canon Mason with whom he had worked very well had laid down. One of his key achievements was the seemingly effortless manner in which he successfully achieved the tasking merger of the Ekiti Anglican Girls’ Secondary School which was founded in 1955 by the Anglican Church, with Christ’s School; a thoroughly daunting  assignment.

    Christ’s School had been founded in 1933 as Ekiti Central School, taking students into classes V and VI and took in students from within and outside Ekiti. It moved to its present AGIDIMO HILLS site in 1936 and it was there, on a visit by the Governor-General of Nigeria in that year, that he named The School, CHRIST’S SCHOOL.

    Christ’s School has, however, also had unsavoury stories to tell. For a very long time you would think it was taboo for an old student of The School to be appointed the Principal. It was even rumoured at that time teachers of some specific subjects, like Mathematics, were being deliberately denied the school. This time, therefore, coincided with that period when a series of individuals for whom our culture, history and practices meant nothing, or principals who were, in fact, jealous of its popularity were appointed as principals over it. This was mostly during the military era but there can be no denying the fact that some principals in the same period did their very best for The School. A good example of the latter is Chief R.F Fasoranti who gave impeccable service to The School that he is still fondly remembered till today.

    Christ’s School will always remain a pace setter and its products exemplars. In a particular year at the University of Ibadan, Christ’s School accounted for 8 out of the ten University Scholars, chosen solely on performance at the entry point examination. Today, there is hardly a university of note without some of its professors being ex-students of The School. In Medicine in particular, where it must have close to a hundred professors, if not more, Christ’s School continues to make terrific impact even in the UK, and the U.S.A, just as it has produced men and women in the professions and in the Episcopacy, especially the Anglican Communion where it has produced many Bishops.

    The 80th Anniversary, which is a mammoth home-coming for ex-students from every nook and cranny of Nigeria and the Diaspora, kicked off to a wonderful Thanksgiving service in many churches locally, and abroad on Sunday, 23 June, 2013. In my church, at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral, Oba Akinjobi Road, Ikeja, Lagos where the Lagos branch had its own thanksgiving, it was a wonderful sight-seeing  the entire congregation, not only joining us to mellifluously sing The School song, CHRIST IS OUR CORNER STONE,  but for most, who must certainly be aware and appreciative of the huge impact Christ’s School has made and continues to make, to  actually join us at the altar for the blessings.

    Friday, 28 June, 2013 will equally be awesome as the one and only, Sir Christopher Kolade, himself an old student and former Nigerian Envoy at the Court of St James’, London, takes to the rostrum to give the anniversary lecture. Saturday will be unique as we spend the day with the students and the evening, is already billed as an evening of fun at the evergreen Quadrangle where I had last been in my final year which is exactly 50 years ago this year. On Sunday, we shall return again to church to thank our Lord Jesus Christ for all He has done for us individually and collectively and, very importantly, for The School.

    All these will then come to a befitting end with The School Prayer:

    Grant O Lord

    That Christ’s School may continue

    To be a Christian School

    Not in name only

    But in deed and in truth

    For the sake of Christ

    Whose name we bear

    Amen.

  • World Environment Day Celebration, in Ado-Ekiti

    World Environment Day Celebration, in Ado-Ekiti

  • Fayemi lights up Ado-Ekiti

    “Imole a tun tan l’Ekiti o, imole a tun tan l’Ekiti o, imole Oluwa,atupa Eledumare, imole a tun tan l’Ekiti o.”

    Translated, the song means: “The light will shine again in Ekiti, the light will shine in Ekiti, the light of God; the lamp of the Almighty, the light will shine in Ekiti again.”

    That was the campaign song of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State when he was seeking the nomination of his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the votes of the electorate as the candidate of his party.

    A visit to Ado-Ekiti; the state capital, especially in the night, reveals that the light has started shining in the state.

    Until recently, many residents of Ado-Ekiti were always eager to return home as early as possible before nightfall.

    This was because of the uncertainty and insecurity that were the features of the darkness that used to envelop all parts of the city in the night, which sent residents early to their homes and beds.

    The thick darkness that ruled Ado-Ekiti nightlife then was exploited by men of the underworld who disappeared into thin air after unleashing terror on their victims.

    Taxi drivers and commercial motorcycle operators in the city closed for business early because of the low patronage occasioned by the situation.

    But the story has changed completely with the installation of modern and sophisticated streetlights at strategic locations in the capital city.

    The new streetlights have become the talking point in Ado-Ekiti and other parts of the state as both residents and visitors are impressed by the aesthetic value which the Fayemi administration has added to the state capital.

    The streetlights, otherwise known in local parlance as “Ina Fayemi” which literally means “Fayemi’s light,” brought excitement to areas like Adebayo, Basiri, Fajuyi, Okesa, Ojumose, Okeyinmi, Old Garage, Mugbagba, Ijigbo, Ajilosun, Omolayo and Ajebamidele.

    “Ina Fayemi” has conferred a new status on Ado-Ekiti as a modern state capital and befitting of its pedigree as one of the fastest growing cities in Nigeria.

    The development has given a boost to the nightlife of the city as fun seekers cash in on the brightness of the light to have swell time in various relaxation spots in the city.

    Roadside traders, food vendors, pub operators are showering prayers on Governor Fayemi for giving a boost to their businesses and economic empowerment with the new streetlights.

    The streetlights have also helped in curbing the activities of criminals who, hitherto, hid under the cover of darkness to carry out their nefarious activities.

    Some dark spots in the city which served as operational bases for the undesirable elements have given way as commuters are no longer afraid of being mugged because “there is more hiding place.”

    The streetlights were switched on for the first time in December last year ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Visitors have continually showered encomiums on the government for the feat.

    Fajuyi and Adebayo areas of Ado-Ekiti were the first neighbourhoods to enjoy the streetlights.

    The state government awarded the contract in April, 2012 to replace the much-criticised solar-powered streetlights installed by the previous administration which did not provide light for the city.

    In awarding the contract, government believed that the project would further complement its urban renewal initiative aimed at making Ado-Ekiti a modern capital city and change the face of other major towns in the state.

    Unable to hide their joy at the splendour of the streetlights, residents are full of praises for Fayemi for beautifying Ado-Ekiti and other towns.

    A commercial motorcycle operator, Ikechukwu Momah, said the streetlights have turned around Ado-Ekiti, even as he said the streetlights have made the city attractive to residents and visitors alike.

    Momah said: “I have been in Ado-Ekiti for the past five years and we have not seen something like this in the past. The brightness of the light will make you forget that time has been far spent because you now find more people outside.

    “This will even make you feel that it is still day time. Many drivers and motorcyclists now put off their headlights because the light is so bright to illuminate the roads.

    “I give kudos to the government of the day. They should keep it up. I pray that the Almighty God will give the governor the strength to continue because I have not seen this type of light in Ado-Ekiti before.

    “He is fulfilling the promises he made during campaigns and everybody is seeing it. Although some people are trying to distract him from this good work, he is doing, they will not succeed in Jesus’ name.”

    Alaarin Ajasin, a taxi driver, said the streetlights installed by the Fayemi government has boosted his business and given him opportunity to work till later part of the day.

    His words: “Before now, I used to close from work around 7pm because of the darkness that we used to experience at the time. But the story has changed.

    “I now go home around 10pm because the light we now enjoy in the night has extended my closing time to enable me to maximise profits by carrying more passengers.

    “I so much love these streetlights. We have never seen such in Ekiti State and it has turned Ado-Ekiti to a beautiful state capital.”

    Another resident, Gbenga Ojo, lauded Governor Fayemi for lighting up the Ado-Ekiti skyline with the streetlights.

    He explained that those who had visited the city a long time ago will be surprised next time they come around. He urged the governor not to relent in executing more people-oriented projects.

    A student, Gbadebo Akinwande said Governor Fayemi has achieved within two years what his predecessors failed to achieve during their full tenures, even as he commended the governor for establishing key projects in other communities.

    Akinwande said: “What I can say about this wonderful project is that God bless Ekiti State, God bless Ekiti people and God bless Governor Fayemi.

    “The man is doing a wonderful job and we must commend him for that. Look at the environment and you can see the radiance and brightness.

    “All he has done for us, let him continue to do them. We have seen many governors in this state. We knew what they did. But this man’s record in two years has surpassed them all.

    “We have seen what he is doing not only in Ado-Ekiti but in other towns and communities with projects that are transforming the lives of the ordinary people of the state.”

    Another Ado-Ekiti resident, Sunday Ajayi, said the transformation going on in Ekiti State would be rewarded by voters at the 2014 governorship election.

    Ajayi said: “This is the first time Ekiti people enjoying real dividends of democracy from a government that really cares about the people.

    “You can see the solid roads constructed in all the nook and cranny of the state and these streetlights are wonders we least expect.

    “We are now in the night and it is just like it’s still midday. The light has started shining in Ekiti and this is the light of joy. This man (Fayemi) will spend eight years in office. Nothing can change it.”

     

     

  • Flood sweeps away three children in Ado-Ekiti

    Flood sweeps away three children in Ado-Ekiti

    •Illegal structures must go in two weeks, says Fayemi

    Three children have been swept away by flood in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

    The flood was caused by six hours of rainfall, which began around 8pm on Sunday night.

    Properties were also destroyed by the flood.

    The worse-hit areas were Adebayo, Iworoko road, Dallimore, Okesa, Nova Road, Ureje, Omisanjana, Ajilosun, Peace Estate and Omirin.

    A seven-year-old boy, Olamide Ayeni, was among the victims. The identities of the others are yet to be known.

    Speaking with reporters at their home at No. 45, Dallimore Street, Olamide’s uncle, Simeon, said: “Olamide and his 15-year-old sister, Faith, were out running an errand for their mother when the rain started. They said they waited somewhere for it to subside before heading back home.

    “Faith said she held her brother’s hand as they made their way home, but Olamide missed his step and fell into the culvert.

    “She ran home to report what happened and people in the vicinity tried to rescue him. We alerted the Fire Service and its officials joined in the search for him. Up till now (about 1pm yesterday), we have not found his body.”

    Mrs. Funmilayo Obayemi, an engine oil dealer, said: “All the cartons of oil in my shop are soaked with water. I am trying to move them to my house, but the problem is that customers will not want to buy the ones affected by the flood because they are dirty.”

    Mrs. Dupe Idowu, who sells food stuff on the Adebayo-Iworoko road, said: “I am a 62-year-old widow. My husband died seven years ago and left me with seven children. Four of them are in the university. It is this shop that sustains us. Now, everything is about going. The flood has dug up the foundation of the shop. It may collapse any time.

    “I urge the government to assist me. I have no one to turn to. All the food items I am selling, including rice, gari and beans, are gone. Even the yams are soaked.”

    Parts of a students’ hostel, the Mount Zion Hostel, have collapsed.

    The owner of the hostel, Chief Kolawole Faleye, said: “The hostel was built in 1981 and has been accommodating students consistently. Now, it is not just flooded, it has collapsed.

    “Four students narrowly escaped death when the walls of their rooms fell. The flood pulled down the fence and took over the rooms, destroying the belongings of about 40 students.”

    Some of the students said: “We do not know where to begin now. Our textbooks, certificates, food items and electronics are all gone.”

    The General Manager of Crownbiz Hotel, Mr. Oteruku Sunday, said: “The hotel is soaked with water and many things have been destroyed. It may take months to resume business.”

    The proprietor of the Hotel, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, said: “The flooding was caused by the bridge that was built by the contractors handling the Ado-Iworoko road. The bridge is too small to accommodate the volume of flood coming from the School of Nursing area. The drainage channel was also blocked at some spots, which hindered free flow of water. I urge the state government to reconstruct the bridge to the standard of the Elemi Bridge.”

    Governor Kayode Fayemi inspected the flooded areas and channelisation work.

    He said buildings blocking the waterways would be demolished within two weeks.

    Fayemi decried the violation of town planning laws by many landlords, saying the government would sanction offenders.

    He said: “A lot of the houses that have been caught in harm’s way as a result of flooding were built on flood plains and do not have development control approval. There is also the problem of enforcement on the side of the government. It is the duty of the government to enforce the law. “Even on an approved plan, there must be a setback. There must be certain metres between your house and the road. That law was not obeyed in many of the places I visited today, which include Olorunda, Nova Road, Peace Avenue in Afao road and Oke-Ila.”

    Fayemi said the government would make amends by building larger drains.

    He said: “We will make sure adequate room is provided for drains, so that water can flow into wider channels. We will dredge the channels and ensure that water flows properly. Anyone who has built on a waterway or in a place that will not allow water to flow seamlessly should be ready to hear from me. I have instructed the Ministry of Urban Planning and Lands to demolish those houses within two weeks.”

    The governor was accompanied on the inspection by the Chief of Staff, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu; Commissioner for Lands and Housing Elder Remi Olorunleke; Commissioner for Special Duties Wole Apalara-Adewunmi; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Roads Sunday Adunmo and officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

     

  • Olayinka to be buried in Ado-Ekiti

    Olayinka to be buried in Ado-Ekiti

    The remains of the late Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, will be buried in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on April 26.

    The late Mrs. Olayinka is an indigene of Ado-Ekiti.

    The deputy governor died of cancer on April 6 at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos. She was 52.

    The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo, told reporters yesterday that the week-long funeral activities will begin on Monday with a service of songs at De-Haven in Lagos.

    The commissioner said the decision to bury Mrs. Olayinka in Ado-Ekiti was “reached after a series of meetings with various stakeholders in the matter”.

    He said the stakeholders include the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe; the Ewi-in-Council and the deceased’s family.

    Activities lined up for the funeral include a parliamentary session, an executive session, a candle-light procession, a service of songs, a commendation service and a vigil, among others.

    Ekundayo said: “There is a committee in place to organise her funeral. It will decide where the deputy governor’s remains would be interred in the state capital.”