The Nation Newspaper

Tag: anniversary

  • Seaman Schnapps fetes guests at Oba of Benin’s anniversary

    Seaman Schnapps fetes guests at Oba of Benin’s anniversary

    Hundreds of guests at the palace of Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II, for his one year anniversary were feted by Grand Oak Limited, marketer of prayer drink, Seaman Schnapps.

    The guests were excited as they were given different blends of the alcoholic drink.

    As part of its contribution to a successful celebration, cartons of Seaman Schnapps were also donated to the palace.

    Some of the guests and visitors to Edo State asked questions about how to identify fake from the original of the drink.

    The company’s Area Sales Manager for Midwest Region Mr. Davidson Aligbe said the firm opted to celebrate the Benin monarch’s anniversary to promote Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage.

    Aligbe noted that Seaman Schnapps, as a prominent drink for prayers among elders, associated with royal fathers across the country among whom the Benin monarch was rated high.

    He said: “Our presence on this occasion validates the brand’s outstanding status as a leading cultural drink and conveyor of unending blessings.”

    “You can see the excitement all over. People come to our stand to get more of the drink. It is a feeling of excitement. This celebration has been a great one. Seaman Schnapps, as the number one prayer drink, will always be on the ground to support such event.

    “A lot the people had experience of the great taste of Seaman Schnapps. This is like a reawakening that the drink they love is still the brand. They have said they will introduced it to the interior to gain wider acceptability.”

    Chief Wellington Aghahowa, the Uyiobaifo of Benin Kingdom, said Seaman Schnapps had always identified with the Benin monarch and the kingdom during important festivals.

    Chief Osagie Utetenegiabe, the Obadagbonyi of Benin, noted that the presence of the Seaman brand showed the importance distillers of the brand attached to Benin culture.

  • Anniversary thoughts

    Yesterday October 1, marked the 57th anniversary of Nigeria as an independent country. On that day, the Nigerian state was founded. With the foundation of the new state, the expectation was that nation building which involves the construction of a common sense of national consciousness and identity would follow.

    This is more so given that the emerging Nigerian state was an amalgam of disparate ethnic, religious and linguistic nationalities. This background threw up the urgent task of inculcating and imbuing in the federating groups, a common bond that is supportive of co-habitation so that the task of national development and progress can be collectively pursued.

    With this heterogeneity, very conscious and concerted measures needed to be called to action to wield the various peoples together and stave off the disruptive influences of unbridled competition and suspicion among the groups on the one hand and the central authority on the other. Taking into confidence the sensibilities of the disparate groups was a more profitable way for national development to progress unhindered.

    But the political elite soon found themselves entangled in a web of bitter competition for supremacy which took ethnic and religious coloration. This was followed by a military coup, counter coup and a three-year civil war.  The cycle of military dictatorship continued only to be punctured with a brief civilian rule that saw Alhaji Shehu Shagari as the president. With the sacking of his government by the same military expeditors, the dictatorship of the military continued unfettered until 1999 when a new civilian government headed by Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in.

    It is worthy of note that all the years the military held sway could be aptly tagged as stages in the foundation of the Nigerian state. One thing central to this period in the history is the predominance of military influence or force in its institutionalization. This period is largely concerned with the establishment of institutions, structures and paraphernalia of government. All have no choice than to obey the command of the military. It allows no space for either dissent or alternative persuasions. And in such arrangement hallmarked by arbitrariness, command and control, it would be foolhardy to expect the sensibilities and overall interests of the constituents to find reasonable expression and accommodation.

    The military finally exited governance after 28 years in the political saddle. But that was after they had done a lot of damage; initiating several measures in several fronts with very profound implications for the organization of this unity in diversity. They created states and local governments at will without any objective criteria. They bequeathed a constitution to the democratically elected government without taking inputs from the very people over whom the constitution is meant to govern. They handed over a federal arrangement that is to all intents and purposes a unitary system; concentrating enormous powers on the central authority.

    Not unexpectedly, the arbitrariness of the military in decreeing forms and structures and a constitution for the federation, has since been the greatest source of friction, threatening the very foundation of the country. These systemic defects elicited agitations across the country for a federal arrangement that is fair and equitable to the constituents. There are agitations for whittling down the awesome powers of the central authority so as to stave off the bitter competition for power at that level.  Calls have also been made for more powers and revenue to the states and local government to facilitate development.

    The unbridled corruption and looting spree that hallmark governance on these shores are inexorably linked to the omnipresence and omnipotence of the federal arm which literally controls life and death. These calls have come in the forms of restructuring, true federalism, resource control and devolution of powers. Central to all these is the desideratum of some form of constitutional re-engineering such that would devolve more powers to the federating units and lessen their overdependence on the central authority for hand-outs.

    It is also envisaged with devolution, undue competition for power and its disruptive effects on national progress and stability would be stymied. There have been calls for a return to the arrangement we had with the 1960 and 1963 constitutions during which period the regions made substantial progress based on their competences and comparative advantages.

    That was the period the country had a semblance of a federal structure where the federal government bequeathed more powers to the regions. All these were substantially altered with the advent of the military. But with the return to civil rule in 1999, agitations for a more equitable federal structure resonated. Obasanjo responded by empanelling a constitutional conference. The conference did its work but its recommendations were thrown overboard for fear of his using it as a springboard for his infamous third term game plan.

    Jonathan who took over from Yar’Adua faced similar agitations and came up with the national constitutional conference. The conference concluded its deliberations and made far-reaching recommendations that would aid the country overcome some of the debilitating challenges that stultify national progress and development. They could not be implemented before he lost power.

    But the agitations peaked since Buhari took over, threatening the very foundation on which the country was erected. It has manifested in the various agitations for self-determination- IPOB, MASSOB, Yoruba Liberation Command, Niger Delta Republic, Arewa Youths and Middle Belt. Central to all these, is the perceived inability of extant federal order to provide the enabling ground for the constituents to approximate their full potentials.

    The federal arrangement has to be tinkered with to get the right mix that will unleash the creative energies of the people for even development and self-actualization.  As national leader of the ruling APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu succinctly captured: “it would be better to restructure things to attain the correct balance between our collective purposes on the one hand and our separate grassroots realities on the other”.

    Restructuring envisions a new order that will task and drive productivity in the different regions of the country rather than the old fashioned dependence on revenue sharing that encourages indolence and laziness. The attraction lies in its capacity to shift and focus attention to new wealth creation areas, promote productivity and competition in the bid of the federating units’ struggle for survival. Overall, it will convey development faster to the constituent units.

    Despite being the way forward, restructuring has not been well received by a section of the north ostensibly on suspicion that it may deny them some of the advantages they currently enjoy. Some have raised fears that it will lead to dismembering of the country even as others have sought to disparage the idea hiding under definitional issues. Yet, the issues to restructuring are unambiguous and very compelling.

    At 57, we ought to have stabilized our governance framework such that the task of nation building can commence. It is a sad commentary that we are still contending with such things as the form of structures to adopt, issues that are usually thrashed out during the foundation of states. It is also a huge embarrassment that primordial cleavages are still in very stiff competition with the central authority for the loyalty of the citizens. It is a mark of collective failure in nation building that October 1 appealed to a group of northern youth as a veritable timeline to quit sections of the country from the north and confiscate their property. It is a veritable statement of our progress in national integration.

    It is not enough to rehash the unity, indivisibility and non-negotiability of the country. Neither can the reliance on force to achieve these suffice. The solution lies in constructing the right mix between our collective aspirations and diverse interests of the constituents. Buhari has a chance to write his name in the sands of history or make a hero of his successor as the new momentum can only be delayed. Its alternative could be disastrous.

  • On the eve of 57th anniversary

    BY the time confrontations between members of Indigenous People of Biafra or IPOB and the military were reported on September 10,  11 and 12 in parts of Abia State, Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary was just over two weeks away. That is not what a country should be grappling with on the eve of such a momentous event. You would expect, at least in speeches and other gestures, a semblance of unity, an evaluation of the country’s journey, an appraisal of its accomplishments, and an assessment of its challenges with a view to addressing them. You expect a country on the eve of its independence anniversary to celebrate the moment and look forward to the future with hope, but that is not the lot of Nigeria at the moment.

    Two weeks back, there was a lot more to worry about beyond confrontations between the secessionist group and security personnel. There was a report of  vehicles being stopped in Abia and commuters asked whether they were northerners or not. Violence was also reported in Rivers State featuring IPOB members and Hausa residents. In no time there was tension in places far afield such as Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and Niger states, whose governors moved quickly to calm nerves. In Jos, the Plateau State capital, where a clash reportedly claimed two lives, Governor Simon Lalong declared a curfew, threatening to invoke the powers at his disposal to enforce peace, and warning community leaders to do the right thing.

    It was a forgettable week in which IPOB agitations came to a head. Many of its members were reported killed in a clash with military personnel in an operation codenamed Python Dance II. That was not all. The military put a terror label on the organisation, while the governments of the five Southeast states, regarded by IPOB as Biafra heartland, also proscribed the group. Nnamdi Kanu, its leader, has since disappeared.

    The only good thing about the week was the peace moves by governors of northern states, as well as similar efforts by their Southeast counterparts. The northern governors visited the Southeast and Southsouth to reassure their kin there of their safety.

    Proscribing the secessionist group in the Southeast will remain a knotty issue, with IPOB itself calling the region’s governors slaves of the North, and some others insinuating that the governors are essentially insensitive to the plight of their own people. But if you are a governor in any of the states, or if you witnessed the civil war, you would appreciate why they took the action they did. With fake news and exaggerations common in the social media it probably would have taken a few more ugly developments for the entire country to go up in flames had the state governors not intervened.

    It would have been foolish, ugly and unfair had an Igbo-Hausa war broken out. As Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha pointed out, IPOD’s secessionist agitations do not have the backing of majority of the Igbo, who are known, not altogether for their own good, to have more hefty investments elsewhere than in their homeland.

    Then consider why IPOB wants Biafra. There is a perception that the Muhammadu Buhari administration marginalises the Igbo, and that the president himself has essentially shut the region out of his government. While it is difficult to argue forcefully in defence of the administration, it is pertinent to point out that the Igbo have had little to be happy about long before President Muhammadu Buhari took office two years ago. If Southeast roads are horrible and there is hardly any federal government’s presence in the region, surely, that ugly situation predates the Buhari administration. What were the tangible gains of Ndigbo during the years of President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan? How many federal roads were paved, or major industries sited in the Southeast? It is probable that Dr Jonathan’s defeat in the 2015 polls and the perception that President Muhammadu Buhari is anti-Igbo helped to inspire IPOB.

    That said, the point has been made and reinforced here that the tragic outcome of the IPOB clash with the military amounts to killing a fly with the sledgehammer. The federal government and its security institutions will do well to learn to manage crisis better. Yes, IPOB has been reported to have now formed something of a security arm, a dangerous development, it must be said, but how much threat did they really pose before the clash in which they were clearly vanquished? Arresting and prosecuting lawbreakers is a good way to go in a democratic setting.

    As for Mr Kanu, his disappearance has thrown the spanner in the works. His court trial has been stalled. Were he around, and despite the court case, one way to tackle the agitation he leads is to keep talking to him and his group and addressing their misgivings, whether real or imagined.

    Nigeria is said to be swimming out of recession waters, and gradually pulling out of the clouds of inflation. There are also reports that huge amounts of money that used to end up in the vaults of thieves are now being declared, but how can the nation celebrate anything when on the eve of its 57th independence anniversary it is caught up in secessionist trouble?

  • Church marks 150th anniversary with exhibition

    Church marks 150th anniversary with exhibition

    The 150-year-old Cathedral Church of  St. Jude, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, last week opened a photo exhibition titled: Faces, Structures and Moments, as part of activities marking the church’s anniversary, Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports.

    Archival photographs dating back to over a century formed the core of collections on display at the Young Men Christian Union Hall (YMCU), Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Ebute Meta, Lagos.

    The exhibition tagged: Faces, structures and moments, which opened last Tuesday, featured a wide range of photographs that captured, among others, some faces, structures and moments in the 150-year-old history of the church, established following the settlement of Christian refuges from Abeokuta.

    Leading the collection are photographs of the church’s early leaders (14 of the 18 vicars of the church). They included Rev J. S. Williams (1895-1901), Rev. Canon James Pearse (1901-1938), Rev T.O. Dedeke (1939-1955), Venerable A. A. Efunkoya (1961-1964) and Rev Canon J. S. Adeniyi (1967-1970).

    Also on display are historic photographs, showing different stages and moments in the life of the YMCU, dating back to when the union was nine years till date. Examples of such photographs are YMCU @9 in 1950, YMCU @45 in 1986 and YMCU @65 in 2006. Photographs of major events such as readers’ procession in the 90s and Osinbajos and YMCU members, Ikenne, in 1965/1966 are also on display.

    Other photographs showing the transformation of the structures include the old vicarage, Tejuoso chapel, Bethany house and the tree shaded hall. The exhibition, which will remain open for two weeks, kick-started the church’s process of rebuilding its memories and records.

    The 150th Anniversary Committee Vice Chairman, Mr Lanre Idowu, said one of the objectives of the exhibition is to enable the church start the process of rebuilding its memories and archives, noting that much of important records such as photographs have been lost to poor records keeping and handling. He said it would also rekindle parishioners’ interest in keeping record in order to assist the church to ‘digitally archive them and return the original to the owners’.

    On how the church was able to source its exhibits, Idowu said: “We appealed to parishioners to share with us these images we are showing. We also looked into church records, but we had lost a lot of these photographs. Part of what this exhibition will do for us is to begin to restore our records, hoping we can build on it. This will also rekindle parishioners’ interest in keeping their records in order to digitally archive them and return the original to the owners.

    “The church has no fewer than 18 vicars. And photographs of 14 out of the 18 past vicars are on display at the exhibition. But two parishioners have promised to provide two of the four photographs of the vicars. The photographs of the first two are, however, still missing, which are Rev. Faulkner and Rev John White. There are still some exhibits to be added, which were not ready at the time of curating this exhibition. Some of the exhibits will be part of a book that is in the works.”

    According to Idowu, the collection on display has been faithful to the exhibition theme: Faces, structures and moments. This, he said, explained an aspect of the anniversary as the church  would re-enact the struggle. He disclosed that there would be a dance drama presentation, which will tell the exodus of the expelled Christian refugees following a clash between them and traditionalists in Abeokuta.

    “That exodus will be presented in a dance format. A lot has happened in the life of the church. A book is in the works on the church and this celebration gives us the opportunity to continue to dig for more facts about the church. St. Jude Church is the first church to be established on Lagos Mainland,” he added.

    The exhibition was declared open by Ambassador Ebun Olu Taiwo and attended by guests, who included Bishop Emeritus Diocese of Mbaise, Rt Revd Bright J. E Ogu; Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland Rt Revd Akinpelu Johnson, and Dean, Cathedral Church of St. Jude, Venerable Feyi Ojelabi

  • Youth fellowship marks 30th anniversary

    Youth fellowship marks 30th anniversary

    It was a day of honour for District Chairman and General Leader, C&S Movement Church Surulere District, Special Apostle Prophet, Dr.  Sunday Funsho Korode as the Youth Fellowship of the church rolled out the drums to celebrate his life and time as a man of God.

    The event tagged: God In My Life series  held penultimate Sunday at the church headquarters in Lagos was the 30th Youth Fellowship anniversary and second year investiture anniversary of the leadership of Prophet Korode.

    In his lecture, Dr. Korode who drew inferences from the Holy Bible(John 15v5), urged the youth to run away from quick wealth syndrome, adding that as a pathfinder of growth and value orientation, ‘’without God you cannot achieve anything’’. Life in God, he said, is a source of joy.

    “Be a change you want to be in life, brand yourself differently from others. Always acknowledge God in all that you do in life, let excellence be your watch-word.An inspired and visionary leader, both spirit filled and materially, live exemplary and transformational life,” he added.

    On sex education, Korode stated that each family should engage and be open to their children on the danger of sex. ”In our fourth year of our marriage, it is not about us, but it is all about Jesus,” he recalled.

    Continuing, he said: “I am the Vine ye are the branches.He that abideth in me, and I in him,the same brought forth much fruits,for without me ye cannot do nothing.”

    According to him, ‘’the difference now is where you are now and where you ought to be. As a scholar we understand there is life in God. If God needs you, you can never run away from him.’’

    Deputy Shepherd, Youth Fellowship of the church, Most Senior, Apostle Kehinde Showemimo said  the idea to have a God in my life series received its inspiration from the scripture and was conceived,packaged and birthed by the leadership of the  youth fellowship.

    He said: “The aim and objects is simple–to create a forum and platform primarily for our youths, but not excluding our adults, to receive first-hand mentorship and to spotlight the impact of God’s benevolent and amazing grace in the lives of distinguished persons who would be role models to all whose faith are in him through Christ Jesus.

    ‘’In the past, we have had two episodes of this evangelical series, which featured our  dear  late father, Special Apostle Prophet G.O. Fakeye and also our mother, Special  Prophet Lara Oyeyemi.

    “We are fortunate and highly honoured to have as our guest speaker,a man of  many caps, today’s celebration is one important way to showcase the Special Apostle  Prophet Dr Sunday Funsho Korode.”

    Korode is an alumnus of the University of Lagos.He is a member several professional bodies. He is a professional banker, seasoned Human Resource Management expert, who is currently the chairman Board of Governors College of Divinity of the church. He has authored three publications: C& S Legacies, Where Do you Fellowship and Believers’ Heritage and Availing Prayers.

  • Net TV celebrates Fela’s 20th anniversary

    Net TV celebrates Fela’s 20th anniversary

    Entertainment news platform, Net TV celebrated late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti popularly known as Abami Eda who died 20 years ago.

    A statement from the outfit describes Fela as a musical genius who had been a cultural icon since the early 70’s when he created the Afrobeat genre. 20 years ago, the world was shocked by the news that one of Africa’s most iconic figures Fela Anikulapo Kuti had passed away.

    “As a musician, he was unequalled. His music was a delightful fusion of classical music, highlife and traditional African music. The result was a sound like no other and Fela’s fame was global.

    “Fela’s music describes the life of the average Nigerian who is constantly suffering, but smiling through the pain, believing in the rewards that await them in the afterlife due to the teachings of religious leaders, who themselves live the most lavish lives, enjoying the so-called earthly pleasures. He warns people to open their eyes to this injustice and stop being blind followers of religion,” the statement reads.

    In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Legend’s death, Thenetng compiled a series of video tours of the Kalakuta republic, the place where the legend lived until his death.

  • Noble Sisters’ Fellowship holds fifth anniversary celebrations

    Noble Sisters’ Fellowship (NSF) of St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church will hold its fifth anniversary celebration tomorrow from 10am at the church’s auditorium in Surulere, Lagos.

    NSF is the women’s wing of Deliverance and Healing Ministry Nigeria and international.

    According to the programme’s coordinator Sister Ogochukwu Ekejiuba, guest speaker Mrs Hilda Nwanekwu and other anointed women of God are expected to minister at the event.

    The programme will feature messages on healing deliverance, intercessory prayer, women empowerment drama, D.H.U Zonal Sisters’ performances among others.

    NSF was established on May 10, 2012 by Evangelist Frank Anunibe.

  • NGO holds anniversary at National Theatre

    A non-governmental organisation Rhesus Solution Initiative (RSI) will tomorrow present a stage play on Rhesus factor to mark its 10th anniversary.
    The play entitled Bite the Myth, is to be presented in a Theatre for Development (TFD) style at the Cinema Hall One of the National Theatre, Iganmu.
    RSI President/ Initiator Mrs Olufunmilayo Banire said this at a briefing in Lagos to mark RSI 10th anniversary.
    Mrs Banire said the event will be chaired by a professor of Haematology and a former Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Professor Aba Sagoe.
    According to her, the theme of this year’s event Every Life Counts was chosen to emphasise that no matter how low the prevalence of the rhesus negative status may be, every effort must be made to save every life.
    She said Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service Dr Modupe Olaiya, will deliver the anniversary lecture on Preventing Rhesus disease; an achievable contribution to the reduction of the high rate of infant mortality.
    She said: “Also, we would be having awards for individuals and corporate organisations that have supported us immensely from inception till date. As side attractions, we will be having free blood group and rhesus test, free HIV screening, free blood sugar and cholesterol test and Voluntary blood donation.”

    “Our target audience for the event includes health workers (Nurses, laboratory scientists and community health workers), representatives from National and International Health Agencies, Non-Governmental organizations, community birth attendants, teachers from secondary schools, Rhesus negative women and the general public.”

  • Grandeur as monarch marks coronation anniversary

    Grandeur as monarch marks coronation anniversary

    Ilawe-Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti Southwest Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was agog for the fifth coronation anniversary of the Alawe, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that the presence of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, added colour to the event. 

    All roads led to Ilawe-Ekiti, one of the major towns in Ekiti State as the residents celebrated their monarch, the Alawe, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi, who marked his fifth coronation anniversary.

    He was crowned the Alawe and received his staff of office on April 27, 2012 from the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and succeeded the late Oba Adeyemi Ademileka.

    Before ascending the throne, Oba Alabi was a career diplomat who served in many Nigerian embassies and high commissions in many parts of the world.

    Since his enthronement, the community had witnessed social, economic and infrastructural development with the monarch using his local and international connections to attract development to his kingdom.

    The week-long activities featured football competition and free medical mission in which over 500 residents of Ilawe were treated of their ailments free. The medical mission was personally sponsored by the Oba.

    A massive crowd thronged the sports field of Corpus Christi College, Ilawe; venue of the coronation anniversary, with the rich cultural heritage of the town on display.

    A long queue of cars parked along Ilawe Road because the owners could not find parking space inside the Corpus Christi College. It was an indication to passers-by that something unique was going on in the town.

    Security agents had a hectic time controlling the surging crowd that trooped to the venue from within and outside the town.

    Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) who was the Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee was on top of his game to ensure that things went on smoothly.

    Some eminent personalities who witnessed the event included the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Asiwaju Oyedeji Olajubu, who was chairman

    of the day; traditional rulers, politicians and community leaders.

    The event featured cultural dances by various groups in the community. Chiefs, women, youths and non-indigenes resident in Ilawe paid homage to their king.

    It was also an occasion for those who are indigenous to the town to take stock of the development of the town and also envisage better things to offer their homeland.

    The Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, advocated unity in Yoruba land to facilitate the development of communities, towns and states in the region.

    He said traditional rulers should play pivotal role in the development of their communities by using their positions to attract social and economic development to their domains.

    Oba Ogunwusi, who spoke in his capacity as the royal father of the day, emphasised that unity and peace are needed for sustainable development. He urged the Yoruba to co-operate with their monarchs in order to realise the dream.

    He said: “I want to appeal to all Yoruba wherever they are to be united and I want them to always embrace peace because nothing can be achieved in an atmosphere of crisis.

    “We need peace to ensure development and when we join hands together, we are going to achieve many things. It shall be well with us in Yoruba land and it shall be well with us in Nigeria.”

    Two natives of the town, popular musician, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz and a medical doctor, Lamide Orekunrin, were honoured with Award of Excellence.

    A Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) was among the personalities who bagged chieftaincy titles at the coronation anniversary. Adedipe was honoured with the title of Otunba Gbaweluyi.

    Others who received chieftaincy titles included Prof. Idowu Odeyemi (Atunluse), his wife, Prof. Sola Odeyemi (Yeye Atunluse), Engr. Akin Abereowo (Otun Bobasua), his wife, Modupe (Yeye Bobasua), Captain Jacob Ajao (Fiwagboye), Mrs Aduke Asaolu (Iyalaje) and Mr. Ndubuisi Okemini (Kajewolu).

    The Alawe, Oba Alabi paid tributes to his predecessors for their heroism which made Ilawe to be a reputable town that was jealously defended from invaders.

    The incident, according to Oba Alabi, occurred in 1925 during the reign of Oba Afinbiokin who fought back colonial overlords who wanted to turn Ilawe people to slaves in their homeland.

    According to him, Oba Afinbiokin was sent on compulsory exile by the colonial warlords that year and he remained there till his death four year later To Oba Alabi, that tragedy was Oba Afinbiokin’s legacy as a freedom fighter for the Ilawe people and a sterling contribution to the emancipation/liberation struggle for the people. He also paid tribute to another Alawe, Oba Adefolalu.

    He also recalled an incident in which some people burnt down his house in the town in 1995 while he was out of the country on a diplomatic service as a result of the revelation by the Ifa divination that he would be an Alawe in the future.

    Oba Alabi explained: “It happened on April 28, 1995, and was a most unfortunate. I just returned from Cameroun where I was serving on foreign mission then. It was my first big money and my wife had planned to use the money to build a nice house along Igede-Ilawe Road instead of squandering it on frivolities.

    “You know there is always this phobia for royalty. We wanted to be removed from such acrimony. In fact, I refused to use any of the lands belonging to our royal family. I was not even around from the beginning of the contraction till its completion.

    “I only came around when the house was completed, but the house had become the talk of the town. It was a small but classic structure.

    But then, just three months after its completion, some people razed the building down.

    “The incident gave me and my family serious trauma and was a major setback for me. My family and I had to relocate to Abuja after the incident. I had all my things in that house when it was razed.

    “A lot of investigations went into the incident and it was discovered that it had much to do with what I would become later in the future. Some people had found out through Ifa that the owner of the house would one day sit on the throne of the Alawe and were angry with that.”

    Speaking further about what distinguishes Ilawe among other communities in Ekiti, Oba Alabi said, apart from the town’s rich cultivation of huge and nutritious bananas; there are traditional

    festivals that have great significance for the survival of the people of the town.

    Of the several festivals usually organised by the people to celebrate their deities, Ajagbo, Orinlase and Olofin are most significant.

    Ajagbo Festival, according to Oba Alabi reveals secrets of people who have perpetrated evil deeds and thus helps the community to checkmate activities of such wicked people.

    The royal father said: “With Orinlase, a deity that protects the people of Ilawe from robbers, no robber or thief that intrudes into Ilawe would escape from the town without being caught, especially if he kills a native of the community.”

    Speaking on the Olosin Festival, Oba Alabi said: “It is the most unifying festival of the town. It is the Oba’s festival, celebrated every June, July and August of the year, according to what time it falls in the calendar.

    “The Oba, during the festival, is expected to come to the public, dance round certain culturally significant spots in the town, changing his regalia. In the past, it used to be for seven times, now

    we have reduced this to only three times.

    “ It is such an elaborate ceremony that many people are invited and masquerades display in various ways.”

    Oba Alabi expressed delight at the achievements recorded during his reign, even as he also highlighted some of the challenges the community experiences.

    He said: “We have recorded several achievements in the past five years. We are getting more united as we have been navigating through disputes, some of which predated my ascension to the throne, and we are settling them. Several of our sons and daughters have excelled in their careers. We are proud of them.

    “In terms of physical developments, we can see the contraction of modern and beautiful edifice and structure springing up at every nook and cranny of the town. Some of these include the Lakeview Resort along Igbara-Odo Road, Provincial Headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, along Igede Road and the Federal Government College along Ikere Road.

    “We now have internet facilities courtesy of my efforts on ascension to the throne, and our Youth Empowerment Fund which I instituted has seen some of our indigent young scholars through their education.

    “We equally have better school facilities as recorded by the administration of former Governor Fayemi and the incumbent Governor Fayose is building a dual carriage way as part of the township roads.

    “We also have given the palace a new, more befitting modern outlook by rebuilding it to taste. We wish to appeal to Governor Fayose not to forget the promise to construct the Ilawe-Ikere Road which is very dear to us.”

  • Buhari: girls’ release second anniversary gift to Nigerians

    Buhari: girls’ release second anniversary gift to Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday received the newly rescued 82 Chibok girls at his official residence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Buhari, who received the girls behind closed doors,  described their release as a pleasant second anniversary gift to Nigerians.

    The two white Nigerian Army buses conveying the girls arrived at the President’s residence gate around 7:06 p.m

    The buses were with window blinds that made it impossible to see the faces of the girls. Minister of Women Affairs Aisha Alhassan arrived with the girls.

    State House correspondents were not allowed to have access to the venue.

    Only Nigeria Television Authority (NTA)  cameraman and the President’s personal photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, were allowed in .

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said the media was not barred but the restriction was an attempt “to control the narrative”.

    According to him, only NTA, VON and FRCN were allowed into the venue.

    Buhari expressed delight over the release of the girls and reassured Nigerians, especially relatives and friends of the determination of his administration to secure freedom for the remaining girls and other Nigerians still under the insurgents captivity.

    “I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom. On behalf of all Nigerians, I will like to share my joy with you, your parents, your relatives, friends and the Government of Borno State on regaining your freedom.

    “Let me reassure Nigerians, especially relatives and friends of the remaining girls that the Federal Government will spare no effort to see that they and all other Nigerians who have been abducted safely regain their freedom.’’

    He said  the Presidency would  supervise the performance of those entrusted with their welfare.

    He said: “No human being should go through this kind of ordeal.’’

    The President directed security agencies and state governments to continue to provide special protection to educational institutions in remote areas.

    According to him, the Federal Government is resolutely determined to safeguard the security of all Nigerians at all times.