OKE-OGUN Calls Bayo Adelabu for Governor, 2019

It was a bright atmosphere yesterday in Saki as OKE-OGUN PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE (OOPA): An alliance for all sons and daughters of Oke-Ogun indigenes as they gather to call Oloye Bayo Adelabu Penkelemesi, the grandson of Adegoke Adelabu, to run for Governor come 2019.
The event which took place at Saki-Parapo City Hall, Saki OKE-OGUN on Satuday 21st of April 2018 was attended by numerous indigenes and residents of Oke-Ogun cut across all towns in the zones which include Saki, Iseyin, Igboho, Kishi, Tede, Gbopa, Ago Amodu, Sepeteri, Ipapo, Ofiki, Olaka etc.

Speaking at the event, Hon Moradesa Sunday described Bayo Adelabu as the most qualified person to paddle the affairs of Oyo State after Governor Abiola Ajimobi. He described Adelabu as a brilliant man blessed with a lot of experiences referencing to his engagements in both private and public sectors. He cited numerous economic and infrastructural developments Adelabu has brought to Oyo State and therefore urged people of Oke-Ogun to support him come 2019.

In his own remark, Michael Ogunsola who hails from Saki-West Local Government and also the President of Federation of Oyo State Students' Union (FOSSU) at The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic attested that Adelabu is a lover of education at all levels. Ogunsola buttressed that Adelabu, through his foundation (BAF), recently disbursed over #20 million bursary and scholarships to Oyo State indigenes across notable institutions in Nigeria where Oke-Ogun indigenes benefitted bountifully.

In his own attestation, Mr Isiaka Jaba commended OOPA for the programme as he described calling Adelabu for the state number one seat as putting a round peg in a round hole. He made it known that, despite not currently holding any political office, Adelabu provided a standard borehole for the people of Saki-Toro which permanently solved water problem in that locality where he (Jaba) comes from at Saki West local government, he also made mention of his many projects and programs aimed at improving the lives of the physically challenged people in the Oke-Ogun zones.

Several other attestation and appraisal were delivered at the event by various groups and individuals from the zone where they all declared their support for Adelabu and urged him to adhere to the call without hesitation for the betterment of Oke-Ogun and Oyo state at large. They even went as far as vowing to pay for his nomination form whenever the day arises for him to purchase the governorship candidature form.

The events came to a ceremonious end after so many other outpour of their profound gratitude towards Oloye Adebayo Adelabu and the continued emphasis on the imperatives of the call to serve his fatherland. They concluded that Oloye Adebayo Adelabu through his organization; Bayo Adelabu Foundation had done so much for their people, that he is very highly deserving and merit the role of the chief orchestra in moving Oyo State to its rightful destination as the nation's pacesetter and it is only proper for them to push all their weights behind him.

Also at the event were:
*Alhaji Hammed Ayila
*Alhaji Balake Alawiye
*Chief Mayor Balogun
*Mr T. O. Adetoro
*Alhaja Khuburat Adijat
*Mrs Bimpe Abe
*Mr Dodomi Ishola
etc.

Bayo Adelabu Gives #20m Bursary and Scholarship to Oyo State Students

It was an educative, entertaining and cash rewarding event at Bayo Adelabu Foundation Hall, Jericho, Ibadan on April 1, 2018 where a large crowd gathered to witness the  ground storming event. Many cynics and Thomases would be forgiven for thinking it was an April Fools prank event because many doubted the possibility of dolling such humongous amount of money to such a large crowd within a day. Quite unbelievably it was a reality and now a thing of the past.

The Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland himself, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, was on hand to make possible this huge task of bursary disbursement to over 800 pupils of various institutions. He exercised so much aura, and complete control of the event which marvelled the onlookers.

A man of sincere philanthropy, conscious of the need of his people, the bravery to avoid keeping them waiting a minute longer and within the short period of arrangement, he made the program a reality. It was Eli Broad who commented that 'Charity is just writing cheques and not being engaged. Philanthropy, to me, is being engaged, not only with your resources but getting people and yourself really involved and doing things that haven't been done before'. He was indeed a man of the people and of his words.

The Essay competition stole the headlines for the brilliant participants and the high level of intellectual prowess displayed by all the competitors. The root cause plummeting our economy, associated challenges and unbiased remarks were unlocked, the rots in the system were exclusively elaborated upon and the pragmatic approach to providing lasting solutions were ably pontificated. The essay itself served as a basis for careful research and analysis bothering on inclusive governance in the whole of Oyo state, titled: Achieving Inclusive Development through Government Policy, Programs and Institutions. Quite enlightening, you will remark. Jamiu Idowu, a 500 level student of the Great Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, went home with the star prize of #100,000 while the second and third prizes went to Asudemade Habeebullah and Adeniran Mutolyb Adekola who are both students of the University of Ibadan and they both went home with #75,000 and #50,000 respectively.

There was also the scholarship awards of #50,000 each given out to10 indigenous first class students of Oyo State and you can bet, there was joy and admirations written all over the faces of the recipients.

The event was then capped with beautiful musical performances, motivational talk and talent showcase within the students present. Oyo state have never seen anything like this, many philanthropists anticipate this class act but they are merely mouth actions as they never witness the light of the day.

On behalf of Oyo state students, we therefore express our sincere gratitude to Oloye Adebayo Adelabu for his profound gesture towards the students of the state and like Jonas Salk expressed that 'the reward for work weldone is the opportunity to do more' and we'll certainly do so to offer him the big opportunity in Oyo State come 2019.

OAU Student Wins Bayo Adelabu Essay Competition

It was an educative, entertaining and cash rewarding event at Bayo Adelabu Foundation Hall, Jericho, Ibadan on April 1, 2018 where a large crowd gathered to witness the  ground storming event. Many cynics and Thomases would be forgiven for thinking it was an April Fools prank event because many doubted the possibility of dolling such humongous amount of money to such a large crowd within a day. Quite unbelievably it was a reality and now a thing of the past.

The Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland himself, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, was on hand to make possible this huge task of bursary disbursement to over 800 pupils of various institutions. He exercised so much aura, and complete control of the event which marvelled the onlookers.

A man of sincere philanthropy, conscious of the need of his people, the bravery to avoid keeping them waiting a minute longer and within the short period of arrangement, he made the program a reality. It was Eli Broad who commented that 'Charity is just writing cheques and not being engaged. Philanthropy, to me, is being engaged, not only with your resources but getting people and yourself really involved and doing things that haven't been done before'. He was indeed a man of the people and of his words.

The Essay competition stole the headlines for the brilliant participants and the high level of intellectual prowess displayed by all the competitors. The root cause plummeting our economy, associated challenges and unbiased remarks were unlocked, the rots in the system were exclusively elaborated upon and the pragmatic approach to providing lasting solutions were ably pontificated. The essay itself served as a basis for careful research and analysis bothering on inclusive governance in the whole of Oyo state, titled: Achieving Inclusive Development through Government Policy, Programs and Institutions. Quite enlightening, you will remark. Jamiu Idowu, a 500 level student of the Great Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, went home with the star prize of #100,000 while the second and third prizes went to Asudemade Habeebullah and Adeniran Mutolyb Adekola who are both students of the University of Ibadan and they both went home with #75,000 and #50,000 respectively.

There was also the scholarship awards of #50,000 each given out to10 indigenous first class students of Oyo State and you can bet, there was joy and admirations written all over the faces of the recipients.

The event was then capped with beautiful musical performances, motivational talk and talent showcase within the students present. Oyo state have never seen anything like this, many philanthropists anticipate this class act but they are merely mouth actions as they never witness the light of the day.

On behalf of Oyo state students, we therefore express our sincere gratitude to Oloye Adebayo Adelabu for his profound gesture towards the students of the state and like Jonas Salk expressed that 'the reward for work weldone is the opportunity to do more' and we'll certainly do so to offer him the big opportunity in Oyo State come 2019.

Download 'Son of Distephano' by Qaniola (SOD)

Home boy Qaniola is dropping it like it's hot with his hood and club banger episode 'Son of Distephano', the Legendary Real Madrid footballer. It speaks about the street and what he has up his sleeves for the hood. He's definitely full of talent and has more to offer the music industry. You need to listen to the track and I'm certain you'll love it, every moment of it.

Download Here

Getting New or Older? - By Awelewa Stanley

The answer lies in the Upgrade Paradox: Version 2 is always both older and newer than Version 1.

In past times, before regular upgrades, a product or a person would simply get older. Each year, whether you liked it or not, you’d age by another year.

Today, with regular upgrades, the latest version of Adidas or Apple or Adele is newer than last year’s, even though the brand is older. “Our children are our elders in universe time.” ~ Buckminster Fuller

When we think in earth time, we thing of things getting older. When we think in universe time, we thing of things getting more advanced. Bucky meant that as our children are born into a universe more advanced than the one we were born into, they are already advanced versions of ourselves.

In today's fast changing times, the beauty is that you can continue to upgrade yourself to become newer each year.

We live with a body that we can maintain, and a mind that we can upgrade. For your 2017 upgrade:

What are the best parts you choose to keep?
Which are the parts you choose to take out?
Which are the parts you choose to add?

Upgrading yourself is a conscious choice - which automatically leads to a newer you. By upgrading yourself, the 2017 version of you is newer and more advanced than the 2016 version of you.
And the opposite is also true. By failing to upgrade yourself, you’re simply choosing to step in to a new year and a new universe equipped with the old version of you, built for another time.

So if you haven’t already undergone a full system upgrade for the year ahead, do it now! Become the wise child of your past self. “We turn not older with years but newer every day.” ~Emily Dickinson

Credit: Roger James Hamilton

The Man who will be our Next Governor: The Philosophical Lens. Part 1 - By Isiaka Kehinde

 Competence should be qualification for authority. The ruler should be he who has peculiar ability to fulfill that function. - Plato.

Incidentally, those people whose names crest the list of aspirants for the governorship position under PDP in Oyo state are all familiar to me like duck to water. They are all my brothers and leaders. And truth be told,  this is one time that my emotional intelligence can not suffice to narrow down my selective disposition. However,  I need no crystal ball to know that not all of them have what it takes to lead the state out of its present statis position, hence, their best, saying some of them, may not be good enough. I kid you not, if we fail in our search, we are all going to be victims. 

It may not be as clear as bright day devoid of wild south wind to point out who the next governor will be, let's leave that to Providence. However, it is rational to identify those who can only end their aspiration inside the comfort of their living  rooms. The saying by Eugone Wares that "fortune favours who dares" does not apply in politics. It is a matter of self-interest to some people. Can you blame them? Self interest, as Eric Beinhocker, the author of "Origin of wealth" says, "is every individual's inalienable right". Thank God that in democracy, self interest not backed by people's nod, is a forlorn hope . 

Foremost, we need to jettison sentiments and put on our thinking caps and in the words of President Trump "think big, dream bigger". As he aptly said "we would no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action. The time for empty talk is over".

We, to get the desired result, must act like platonic realists, who don't just accept anything that has not proved itself or that was merely thrust upon them. To them, the truth of  the statement of the form of  XYZ  can hold only, if we can prove X, prove Y, and prove Z. 

A state is a reflection of the nature of  individuals that it is made of. We don't demand just a prince that is so anointed by a larger than life authority-speaking, political "king". We need a prince who is shrewd enough to have his own mind working full blast unaided. That's the moral  of opening this piece with that memorable quote by Plato.

On the other hand, We demand a level playing field, for the aspirants to show us what they have up their sleeves. As the great Boethius captures it "do not look for violets in purple meadows when fields are blasted by winter winds". The ground must be flat without any banana peels.

We need a man who is only in politics to find his passion who has what in theology of existentialism is called "a deep and abiding commitment of the heart". The era of settling for what is available instead of what is desirable is gone for good, using   Ike Odimegu's voice .

We need a man who is a master of himself, who is not burdened by fears and desires.  As a sage says, "ravenous greed would devour everything and then discover other wants"  .

Integrity matters in our operations.  Without integrity, nothing else matters says Allan Simpson. A leader who in moral value judgement stands like a rock should Top our preference.

The final word and most germane - is he a man of the people? Here, we should place people's interests above party. This is the theory of common perspective. Elections, according to Abraham Lincoln belong to the people. It is their decision. 

What matters are marketability, reliability  and sellability value of whoever ultimately clinch party ticket. People, (the silent majority) not only party leaders determine  elections. Do you have anyone in mind?  Please argue with facts and not friction.

On a final note, Thomas Leslie Jones says that "equation of truth when in the context of communication amongst minds is very complex". The points in this piece represent my personal opinion without being sophistical. If you disagree, you are entitled to form your own opinion.

Watch out for part 2.
Enjoy your weekend folks.

Senator Ladoja in Ethical Dilemma by Alh Isiaka Kehinde

"You must have it in mind that anyone else involved in your decision has a right of their own" - Immanuel Kant.

When I read the passionate appeal made by Engr Seyi Makinde to Senator Ladoja not to exit PDP,  the first thing that crossed my mind was Bernard Joinet,  who said "of all three basic elements of democracy: Liberty, Equality and Dialogue, the most supreme is dialogue". Because, no one can clap with one hand,  I think, OYO State PDP stakeholders should never dream of going for destructionist approach of smothering a party they struggled to rebuild. My take - Senator Ladoja should still hang around so that the party will not hang itself. 

When Senator Markafi led caretaker committee waved it's olive branch to the leaders of PDP who had jumped ship to come back, some people felt, it was a mere contraption of an insipid calm sea which invites sailors to a voyage only to terrify them in the middle of the sail. Has recent unfolding events in PDP not proved those cynics right?

Arguably, before Senator Ladoja would ever conceived the idea of leaving PDP, he must have ruminated over it and found it to be a deep seated pain which he could no longer bear. Every moral being at one time or the other finds himself in this situation of choosing between devil and a deep blue sea. In philosophy, this is called "ethical dilemma".

In the present situation, it is best for Senator lLadoja to take a decision that can gratify his interest, rather, he should consider "common good". He should learn wisdom in the words of utilitarian philosophers that "the moral worth of an action is measured by its usefulness to the generality of the people. He should also read the 33 strategies of war to know that,  "in a battle, your enemies will relish your failures, therefore, use that as a pressure to fight harder". In this case, we all know those lurking around to 'mock" Baba Ladoja should PDP fails to wrestle power from the incumbent.

With the gravitas of his position in the party as a reinforcing element, the high Chief should know that any action he takes can only be ethically right if it does not violates the rights of others. Has he bothered to sample opinions of cross section of his followers if they are willing to move out of PDP? Here again, I will refer our esteemed Osi Olubadan to borrow the counsel of Mark Twain "when you are on the side of the majority, always pause and reflect before you take any action."

At this defining moment, Senator Ladoja should call all the governorship aspirants together in a room and allow them to do a SWOT analysis of themselves to know where they can be properly situated. It will be ludicrous to give ticket to whoever can't win even his immediate constituency. More so, we can only have one person to occupy One seat, no matter how covetous the seat is.

If this attempt ends in a fiasco, he should give room for an open, credible and acceptable primaries where the aspirants will flaunt the cards. In their sleeves and  only he who gets the majority nod grabs the ticket. 
By so doing, he would have been that "great star" in the words of Nietzsche.

Any other step aside the foregoing will be flat out wrong. My candid opinion. God bless you sir.

Hope Alive for 100 Victimised Women in Ibadan

By: Initiative Against Gender Discrimination and Female Abuse

Help us keep hope alive, project to empower 100 victimised women (victim of domestic violence and single mothers) in Ibadan to be self-reliant, Ibadan is the largest ancient city in Nigeria, had been the centre of administration of the old western region since the days of the British colonial rule, women shoulder 2/3 of the world's problem and that's why we are giving our nurturing supports to the victimised women to be mentored by experts in diverse fields such as: fashion designing and hair making

Challenge

Ibadan is the largest ancient city in Nigeria, had been the centre of administration of the old western region since the days of the British colonial rule, most of the victims of domestic violence are those that are lacking in vocational training and capacity building if not educated and also early marriage and sexual education are the cause of these problem. Findings have shown that 2/3 of the women in this community, they shoulder the responsibilities of their kids after leaving their abuser.

Solution

Solution hope alive, a project to empower 100 victimised women (victim of domestic violence and single mothers) in ibadan, Nigeria, to be self reliant. Helping victims of circumstances with poor or no orientation about choices they have in the diversification created by life's opportunities i e they would be mentored and trained by experts in diverse fields, vocational training such as hair making, fashion designing, craft/design, ICT, etc.

Long-Term Impact

This project will bring the women out of the stagnation caused by abuse for both young and old, this also gives an idea to prolonged economic advancement for the community by pruning unemployment rate in the city by half as each of the participants will train another over 200 and will help the community in capacity building to achieve sustainable development and to end Domestic Violence in our society. This will also help to them to take care of their kids and well being without any fear.

Resources

http:/​/​www.inagfa.org

BAYO ADELABU FOUNDATION: ESSAY COMPETITION

Bayo Adelabu through his blossoming NGO, Bayo Adelabu Foundation, BAF has announced the call for entries for the 2018 edition of its annual Essay competition. The winners of the competition will be announced and awarded at the Bayo Adelabu Easter Party with Students of Tertiary Instititutions which is  scheduled to hold at Bayo Adelabu Foundation's House, Jericho Area, lbadan on Sunday, 01 April 2019.

The essay competition which is organised exclusively for students of Oyo State origin is part of Bayo Adelabu Foundation's Educational initiative to promote reading culture and encourage socio-political awareness and intellectual development amongst students of public higher institutions in Oyo State, Nigeria.

The founder of  BAF, Adebayo Adelabu 'Penkelemesi', who announced the call for entries said the Essay Competition will provide an opportunity for the progressive students across the institutions in Oyo state to contribute their quota, and also to  offer a workable model to revamp and sustain the current transformation going on in Oyo state. This will also enhance sustainable development, accountability and inclusiveness in all facets of governance through strong policy, institutions and programs.

Strong Policy, programs and Institutions are factors that need to be looked into in achieving inclusive development pointed out above for the benefits of common man and society as a whole.

The topic for the essay is:

*'ACHIEVING INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GOVERNMENT POLICY, PROGRAMS AND INSTITUTIONS'.*

It should be an essay of about 500-700 words, with 1.5 line space of about 12fonts of Time News Roman.

It should clearly and concisely enumerate the problems limiting overall development in Oyo State, reasons why the few economic breakthrough is not reaching the common man, identifying the possible way out of this dilemma, using the government, businesses and individuals as the basis of analysis.

*ELIGIBILITY: OPEN ONLY TO STUDENTS OF PUBLIC HIGHER INSTITUTIONS.*

*Deadline: 22nd March, 2018*

All entries should be sent by email to: essaybaf@gmail.com

For Enquiries: 08022042254, 08038237429

JCI Oluyole: Oyo Clean-Up Campaign

JCI Oluyole, Let's Do it! Nigeria, Oyo Military and others unite efforts for Oyo Cleanup Project

This landmark event is coming up on Saturday, February 24th, 2018; Oyo, Nigeria

JCI Oluyole Statement reads:

"2018 is the year of the biggest civic action in the World. On 15th of September 2018; millions of volunteers around the globe will come together and clean up millions of tons of trash – it is the World Cleanup Day 2018. For the first time, Nigeria will be a part of this global movement by joining over 150 other countries and 20 million citizens around the globe to organize a national cleanup in all the 36 states of the Federation on a single day.

One thing that Oyo State was known for from time immemorial was its dirty state, due to its poor refuse management. The refuse was so overwhelming that the ancient city was labeled one of the dirtiest in Nigeria and Africa. Anywhere one turned to, expressways, major roads, feeder roads, residential areas were overrun with notorious heaps of refuse. It was so bad that the first thing to be noted by strangers on entering the city even at the major motor parks in tollgate, Iwo Road, and Ojoo were annoying stinking refuse.

As a build up to the World Cleanup Day; JCI Oluyole will organize a pilot cleanup exercise on February 24th, 2018 in Oyo State - an inland state in the south-western Nigeria. The cleanup exercise would be carried out in collaboration with Let's Do it! Nigeria (LDIN); Oyo state solid waste Management Agency; Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp; Civil -Military Relationship department of the Nigeria Army Force Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ojo Ibadan.

According to the 2018 JCI Oluyole President, Kodaolu Oluwasola Abiodun,
“We are approaching the raining season and there is a need to sensitize people on the dangers improper wastes management can cause in the country; starting from the outbreak of diseases to the incessant flooding as a result of blocked drainages experienced in some part of the country. JCI Oluyole will advocate for proper waste management in the state; that will focus on discouraging littering and preach more about recycling.”

The project is scheduled to commence by 6:30am on February 24th, 2018 and the starting point is from Oja Oba, Ibadan. 

World Cleanup Day is a wakeup call for everyone in the whole world. It is an opportunity to showcase how young people can take action towards making our environment better.”

This  CLEAN UP exercise tagged "Let’s Do it Campaign, Let’s Do It! Is not only about cleaning up waste, We as JCI Oluyole members intend to unite and Partner with other Civic, Private and government Organizations  as well as the media in our community to raise awareness and Implement true change to achieve a clean and healthy Society and to greater extent a  clean and healthy Nigeria, The fact is, waste has a nasty little habit of not staying in one place, as trash begins to decompose, harmful chemicals and toxins begin to leak. First, into the soil, then spread into water and air-the very two important things we all depend on for a healthy life, Drinking dirty waters, Spreading diseases, red flag air pollution days…these are all related in some ways to the waste we produce and we fail to properly dispose, The amount of waste that has been wrongly and awkwardly disposed around our market Places and on some of our Road median in Ibadan calls for the immediate actions of concerned citizens in the society like members of the Junior Chamber International Oluyole




For more information about the campaign, kindly visit: www.worldcleanupday.org and www.letsdoitworld.org

My Re-endorsement of Bayo Adelabu Penkelemesi Oyo 2019 Project

Many might observe that recently I have soft pedalled on the chant for a youthful regime through Adebayo Adelabu, the grandson of the renowned Ibadan politician and great nationalist, Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi, this is not because there has been a change of mind but to critically reevaluate our position and possibly a rethink of base of flight. This has been ongoing for a while, I have given it a deeper than usual thought, I have absorbed the prospect of other aspirants and weighed the chances of them performing better, I have juxtaposed their noble intent and novel aspiration with the salient need of the people of our dear state and found them no where close to Bayo Adelabu Penkelemesi.

In these periods of careful diagnosis, I have come across many views and opinions, posts and comments ventilating their presentation of support for their revered choice for Oyo 2019. Many have made a brave attempt to sell their candidates philanthropic gestures while a host of others would rather attempt to force down your throat their prejudice argument for their candidate hence adumbrating the true essence of democracy. However, none have successfully been able to streamline their preferred candidate's antecedents with respect to how they will benefit their social environment and in the process aerate their economic blueprint, record of financial dexterity and management of previous offices along with their record of successes in their field of profession.

It far supersedes the usual chant praises of a glorified master on physical mode basis or via social media but exemplifying the true character adorned to deliver on re-engineering the anomalies in our porous system, alleviating poverty and subsequently elevating the standard of living of the people of Oyo state.

These are by no way an end in itself but a mean to an end and it is noteworthy to mention that the aforementioned modalities can also be carefully researched and broadcasted through the media as suggested by any fool planning to be in government but exhibiting the traits and innate creed to carry out these functions requires just more than the usual rhetorics. The desire to channel our bountiful state resources to a rapid socioeconomic growth deserves to be handed to the right hand and none other is most capable than Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland, the grandson of Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi, the scion of the Adelabu dynasty. #TeamPenkelemesi #Oyo2019

IPOB Alleged Threat to Kill Buhari (Video)

The Indigenous People of Biafra were reportedly said to have released a video where they have come out directly and threatened to kill the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

The president who is presently on a two day work visit to the Igbolands, is said to be at Abakaliki in Ebonyi state as at filing this report.

The IPOB members who were carefully masked and disguised in the video threatened the president and alleged further on his visit as mockery to the dead and they vowed that he'll not leave their land alive.

Below is the video

https://youtu.be/duUrr13QII8

Conspiracy Theory Against Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi

Reuben Abati back in 2008 remarked on the deliberate conspiracy plot to obliterate Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemesi from history

"The deliberate attempt to forget Adelabu and erase his value is part of the collateral damage of the politics of acrimony that dominated Yorubaland for more than 50 years, and a national culture of selective remembrance".
"But recently" he continued "there have been attempts to revive the memory of this forgotten nationalist".

But this theory of historical intrigue seems to be continual and largely transferred on the subject only, but then fate chose with a dissipated lot when he selected between him and his direct counterpart. But his character and style was a envy of many. No doubt he was the brightest. He wore the dermis and garb of the common man, he empathized every impoverished woes and pains.

His thoughts on education still echoes in this present age in his master piece "Africa in Ebullition and Selected Speeches". He propounded a massive System of Education for the Masses that should be likened to the European countries despite constraints forbidding. He was a staunch proponent for a compulsory and free primary education from the age of five, he also believed it will free us from the scandalous spectacle of child labour.
How then will these invaluable efforts be gravely undermined in our study of history today, how can we proclaim publicly that this person antagonised a campaign for the stable foundation of education in the south west of Nigeria. A man who advocated for at least 50% of schools to be built in the rural areas. It's contradictory isn't it? He was a man of honour, a true nationalist and men of honour do not stand against their own words or what they stand for. I strongly believe he could not have utter those comments, grossly misconstrued, misrepresentation or misinterpretation.

He had vision, a distinct preference and respect for teachers where he proposed a higher percentage bonus over a similar man with equal qualifications but practicing other jobs and this is plainly because he valued the time, devotion and lifestyle of teachers. His audible decibel of resolute and eloquent rhetorics largely swayed at the hem of the low and penurious is an unflinching emblem of his pugnacity and support for the common man.

No legacy is so rich as honesty. William Shakespeare

Even 9ice Got it Wrong

In relation to the song by the Gongo Aso crooner, 9ice whose song has once again cooked a parlance to revitalize his street credibility with the popular Yoruba proverb 'olé lo b'òmóje, kin sa ti lowo' (money by fire by force creed except for stealing/theft) phrase in his living things track, which many classify as the new scam anthem (yahoo anthem).

Contrary to his perceived perception and the conventional outdated believe that stealing is the only crime any person can commit that may permanently defile the reputation culled overtime, the Nigerian concept has rebranded the whole ethical narrative where stealing conventionally tarnishes one's image completely in the past. This I must say is very unlikely in this present state, where criminals become the godfathers, role models and our pacesetters in the political arena.

It is simply what the world has metamorphosed into, we don some level of unquantifiable regard for looters and glorified criminals who have milked dry our national resources, yet we choose to believe we are ploughing the safe route for national redemption. Quite unlikely.

Sadly that's the modern day society we now dwell, where even stealing and corrupting is canonized across the galleries. More recently, a notorious kidnapper, Evans, garnered many sympathetic messages across the social media probably due to his kind gestures across his immediate society and people at large, but notwithstanding it's all a case of rallying facts to suit sentiments.

It is a shame how this aptly define the society we now find ourselves and Mr Abolore Adigun Ajifolajifaola aka 9ice should be told that stealing and corrupting are the new peak in the society. The people will continue to think very highly of criminals so long they don't get caught. Nigeria; a nation that has sailed into a complete Ethical drift. But I'll say they should remember the popular police saying that: if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10211414214824099&id=1624093905

Obafemi Awolowo Speaks: Still Settling The Records Straight!

Obafemi Awolowo speaks:

Still Setting The Records Straight!

CIVIL WAR

Moderator: Yes Mr…….Mr. Oparadike.

Question: Chief Awolowo, your stand on the civil war, however unpopular it may have been to the Biafran people…Your stand on the civil war, however unpopular it may have been to the Biafrans or Ibo people, helped to shorten the war. Today, you’re being cast as the sole enemy of the Ibo people because of that stand, by among others, some of the people who as members of the federal military government at that time, were party to that decision and are today, in some cases, inheritors of power in one Nigeria which that decision of yours helped to save. How do you feel being cast in this role, and what steps are you taking to endear yourself once again to that large chunk of Nigerians who feels embittered.

Awolowo: As far as I know, the Ibo masses are friendly to me, towards me. In fact, whenever I visit Iboland, either Anambra or Imo, and there’s no campaigning for elections on, the Ibo people receive me warmly and affectionately. But there are some elements in Iboland who believe that they can maintain their popularity only by denigrating me, and so they keep on telling lies against me. Ojukwu is one of them. I don’t want to mention the names of the others because they are still redeemable, but ….Ojukwu is irredeemable so I mention his name, and my attitude to these lies is one of indifference, I must confess to you.
I’ve learnt to rely completely on the providence and vindication of Almighty God in some of these things. I’ve tried to explain myself in the past, but these liars persist. Ojukwu had only recently told the same lie against me. What’s the point in correcting lies when people are determined to persist in telling lies against you, what’s the point. I know that someday the Ibos, the masses of the Ibo people will realize who their friends are, and who their real enemies are. And the day that happens woe betide those enemies. The Ibos will deal with them very roughly, very roughly.
That has happened in my life. I have a nickname now, if you see my letterhead you’ll find something on top, you’ll find a fish done on the letterhead. Some people put Lion on theirs, some people put Tiger, but mine is Fish. And Fish represents my zodiac sign, those of you who read the stars and so on in the newspapers; you’ll find out that there’s a zodiac sign known as pieces, in Latin pieces mean Fish.

So I put pieces on top, that’s my zodiac sign being born on the 6th of March,….er well, the year doesn’t matter, it’s the day that matter. And then on top of it I write Eebudola. All of you know the meaning of that. You know I don’t want to tell a long story but………………Awolowo school, omo Awolowo, the…… started in Urobo land, in mid-west in those days. They were ridiculing my schools, I was building schools –brick and cement, to dpc level, block to dpc level and mud thereafter. And so the big shots in the place..”ah what kind of school is this? is this Awolowo school? Useless school” and when they saw the children..”ah this Awolowo children, they can’t read and write, Awolowo children” that’s how it started, with ridicule, and it became blessing, and now they say “Awolowo children, they are good people” no more ridicule about it, that’s how it started, so the Eebu becomes honor, the abuse became honor.

And so when I look back to all my life, treasonable felony, jail, all the abuses that were heaped on me, to Coker Inquiry, all sorts, and I see what has happened to the people who led, who led all these denigration campaign, where are they today? Those that are alive are what I call Homo Mortuus- dead living, oku eniyan, that’s what they are, those that their lives have gone.

So when I look back, I come to the conclusion that all these abuses which have been heaped on me all my life for doing nothing, for doing good, they have become honor, and so Eebudola is one of my nicknames. So I’ve cultivated an attitude of indifference, I’ve done no evil to the Ibos.
During the war I saw to it that the revenue which was due to the Iboland- South Eastern states they call it, at that time..East Central State, I kept it, I saved the money for them. And when they ….was liberated I handed over the money to them- millions. If I’d decided to do so, I could have kept the money away from them and then when they took over I saw to it that subvention was given to them at the rate of 990,000 pounds every month. I didn’t go to the executive council to ask for support, or for approval because I knew if I went to the Executive Council at that time the subvention would not be approved because there were more enemies in the Executive Council for the Ibos than friends. And since I wasn’t going to take a percentage from what I was going to give them, and I knew I was doing what was right, I wanted the state to survive, I kept on giving the subvention – 990,000 almost a million, every month, and I did that for other states of course- South eastern state, North central state, Kwara and so on.

But I did that for the Ibos, and when the war was over, I saw to it that the ACB got three and a half million pounds to start with. This was distributed  immediately and I gave another sum of money. The attitude of the experts, officials at the time of the ACB was that ACB should be closed down, and I held the view you couldn’t close the ACB down because that is the bank that gives finance to the Ibo traders, and if you close it down they’ll find it difficult to revive or to survive. So it was given. I did the same thing for the Cooperative Bank of Eastern Nigeria, to rehabilitate all these places, and I saw to it as commissioner for finance that no obstacle was placed in the way of the ministry of economic planning in planning for rehabilitation of the war affected areas.

TWENTY POUNDS POLICY

That’s what I did, and the case of the money they said was not given back to them, you know during the war all the pounds were looted, they printed Biafran currency notes, which they circulated, at the close of the war some people wanted their Biafran notes to be exchanged for them. Of course I couldn’t do that, if I did that the whole country would be bankrupt. We didn’t know about Biafran notes and we didn’t know on what basis they have printed them, so we refused the Biafran note, but I laid down the principle that all those who had savings in the banks on the eve of the declaration of the Biafran war or Biafra, will get their money back if they could satisfy us that they had the savings there, or the money there. Unfortunately, all the banks’s books had been burnt, and many of the people who had savings there didn’t have their saving books or their last statement of account, so a panel had to be set up.

I didn’t take part in setting up the panel, it was done by the Central bank and the pertinent officials of the ministry of finance, to look into the matter, and they went carefully into the matter, they took some months to do so, and then make some recommendation which I approved. Go to the archives, all I did was approve, I didn’t write anything more than that, I don’t even remember the name of any of them who took part. So I did everything in this world to assist our Ibo brothers and sisters during and after the war.

And anyone who goes back to look at my broadcast in August 1967, which dealt with post-war reconstruction would see what I said there.

STARVATION POLICY

Then, but above all, the ending of the war itself that I’m accused of, accused of starving the Ibos, I did nothing of the sort. You know, shortly after the liberation of these places, Calabar, Enugu and Port Harcourt, I decided to pay a visit. There are certain things which I knew which you don’t know, which I don’t want to say here now, when I write my reminisces in the future I will do so. Some of the soldiers were not truthful with us, they didn’t tell us correct stories and so on.

I wanted to be there and see things for myself, bear in mind that Gowon himself did not go there at that time, it was after the war was over that he dorn himself up in various military dresses- Air force dress, Army dress and so on, and went to the war torn areas. But I went and some people tried to frighten me out of my goal by saying that Adekunle was my enemy and he was going to see to it that I never return from the place, so I went.

But when I went what did I see? I saw the kwashiorkor victims. If you see a kwashiorkor victim you’ll never like war to be waged. Terrible sight, in Enugu, in Port Harcourt, not many in Calabar, but mainly in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Then I enquired what happened to the food we are sending to the civilians. We were sending food through the Red Cross, and CARITAS to them, but what happen was that the vehicles carrying the food were always ambushed by the soldiers. That’s what I discovered, and the food would then be taken to the soldiers to feed them, and so they were able to continue to fight. And I said that was a very dangerous policy, we didn’t intend the food for soldiers. But who will go behind the line to stop the soldiers from ambushing the vehicles that were carrying the food? And as long as soldiers were fed, the war will continue, and who’ll continue to suffer? and those who didn’t go to the place to see things as I did, you remember that all the big guns, all the soldiers in the Biafran army looked all well fed after the war, its only the mass of the people that suffered kwashiorkor.
You won’t hear of a single lawyer, a single doctor, a single architect, who suffered from kwashiorkor? None of their children either, so they waylaid the foods, they ambush the vehicles and took the foods to their friends and to their collaborators and to their children and the masses were suffering. So I decided to stop sending the food there. In the process the civilians would suffer, but the soldiers will suffer most.

CHANGE OF CURRENCY

And it is on record that Ojukwu admitted that two things defeated him in this war, that’s as at the day he left Biafra. He said one, the change of currency, he said that was the first thing that defeated him, and we did that to prevent Ojukwu taking the money which his soldiers has stolen from our Central bank for sale abroad to buy arms. We discovered he looted our Central bank in Benin, he looted the one in Port Harcourt, looted the one in Calabar and he was taking the currency notes abroad to sell to earn foreign exchange to buy arms.

So I decided to change the currency, and for your benefit, it can now be told the whole world, only Gowon knew the day before, the day before the change took place. I decided, only three of us knew before then- Isong now governor of Cross River, Attah and myself. It was a closely guarded secret, if any commissioner at the time say that he knew about it, he’s only boosting his own ego. Because once you tell someone, he’ll tell another person. So we refused to tell them and we changed the currency notes. So Ojukwu said the change in currency defeated him, and starvation of his soldiers also defeated him.

These were the two things that defeated Ojukwu. And, he reminds me, when you saw Ojukwu’s picture after the war, did he look like someone who’s not well fed? But he has been taking the food which we send to civilians, and so we stopped the food.

ABANDONED PROPERTY

And then finally, I saw to it that the houses owned by the Ibos in Lagos and on this side, were kept for them. I had an estate agent friend who told me that one of them collected half a million pounds rent which has been kept for him. All his rent were collected, but since we didn’t seize their houses, he came back and collected half a million pounds.

So that is the position. I’m a friend of the Ibos and the mass of the Ibos are my friends, but there are certain elements who want to continue to deceive the Ibos by telling lies against me, and one day, they’ll discover and then that day will be terrible for those who have been telling the lies.

SOURCE: Nigeria Village Square.

Speech Delivered By The Deputy Governor of CBN, Mr Adebayo Adelabu

SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR OPERATIONS, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA, MR ADEBAYO ADELABU ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMISSIONING  OF THE CBN 2013 INTERVENTION PROJECTS AT OYO STATE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, IBADAN OYO STATE
PROTOCOLS

I am most delighted to be here this morning on the historic event of the commissioning of the completed CBN 2013 intervention projects, the Construction of a Library, Classrooms and Offices for the Oyo State Technical University Ibadan, Oyo State.

There is no gainsaying the fact that education is a bedrock for development and lifting people out of poverty. Nigeria is experiencing an acute shortage of high quality and world class educational institutions. For instance, the highest ranked university in Nigeria, according to The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2017, placed University of Ibadan (UI) as 801 out of the 980 universities surveyed worldwide. It is instructive to note that UI, although it came first in Nigeria in the Rankings, was ranked behind a number of South African universities.

Perhaps this is why there has been a surge in the number of Nigerian students going abroad to seek for quality education. This however has implications for the demand for foreign exchange and supply of qualified personnel to support the productive capacity of the country. We are all witnesses to what a combination of a high foreign exchange demand and low productive capacity can do to a country. There is no way we can separate these problems from the core mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria. This is why we cannot all continue to fold our arms.

Our primary mandate at the Central Bank of Nigeria includes maintenance of price and exchange rate stability, functional and stable financial system, effective payment system and credible currency. At the heart of all these is achieving economic growth and development in collaboration with the Fiscal Policy authority. This behooves on us the responsibility for development financing through regular intervention in the critical sectors of the economy of which education is one, to bridge the manpower and infrastructural deficits accumulated over time.

It is against this background that the Central Bank of Nigeria commenced its intervention programmes in the education sector. It is worthy of note that Oyo State University is one of the seven Tertiary Institutions in 2013 which benefited from the intervention programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria as part of the Banks development function and the need for capacity building for the achievement of Vision 20, 2020 of the Federal Government. The intervention becomes more apt, especially, at this time of the rise in digital knowledge economy.

Having recognized Ibadan and Oyo state in general as a socio-political and educational head quarter of the South Western region, given its past role in the south west regional development and potential role it can still play in the general economic integration of the South West region, the state in the past three years has benefited from various intervention projects of the Central Bank of Nigeria. These include:

1. Building infrastructure for the University of Ibadan Center of Excellence for post graduate studies in Economics, Finance and Banking which cost about N10Billion .
2. Post Graduate Hostel building at the University of Ibadan which cost about N5billion.
3. Total Re-development of Classroom and Office infrastructures at the Bishop Philips Academy Secondary School, Iwo road Ibadan.
4. Establishment of the South West Regional Entrepreneur Development Center (EDC) in Oyo state at Samonda, Ibadan with quarterly financial support from the CBN for the running of the center.
5. Building of Lecture Rooms, Offices and State of the Art E-Library for the new Oyo State Technical University (which we are commissioning today).

In addition, there are a few other proposed intervention projects already listed for the state and at advance stage of approval to be executed over the next three years. These include:

1. Development of Lecture Rooms and Hostel facilities for the Polytechnic of Ibadan to cost about N3.5bilion.
2. Total Renovation and Building of New classrooms, Library and Technical and Science Laboratories for Lagelu Grammer School to cost about N500million.
3. Building of a Cancer Center or Modern Diagnostic Center for the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

In line with the Public Procurement Act, the contract for the Construction of the buildings was awarded in 2013 to Messrs Harrison George Nigeria Limited.

The projects for commissioning today which is located on the main campus of the institution involved the Construction of the following;

1. A fully furnished Library and E-Library complex.
2. A fully furnished Administrative and Classroom Block.

The project was completed in December, 2016 and handed over to the beneficiaries on the 20th April, 2017.

Though the project had its temporary setbacks, the Project Management Team comprising the Bank’s Project Implementation Office and the Consultants together with the contractor were able to complete the project, which is what made it possible for commissioning today.

It is therefore heartwarming that today, the beneficiaries including staff and students of the University will begin to make use of the buildings and derive the full benefits for which the project was intended.

I want to take this opportunity to express the hope that the University Management will adopt the necessary maintenance culture to keep the buildings and equipment in pristine condition so that the buildings and equipment will be available for use for many more years to come.

It is clear that Government cannot fund Education alone. The private sector equally has very important roles to play. Tertiary institutions are supposed to be the drivers of Research and Innovation relevant to Industry and Commerce. Research success will in turn attract funding. There are no limits to what heights are attainable with Creativity, Innovation and Hard Work. This intervention project is in fulfillment of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s commitment to developing capacity in tertiary institutions in the Country to bring about the desired change in our socio-economic fabric.

Finally, I wish to congratulate the State Governor and his team, the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, the Staff and Students of the University and the entire people of Oyo State on this occasion and to convey the best wishes of the Governor and Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria to the State Governor and Management of the University.

Thank you.

Adebayo Adekola Adelabu FCA, FCIB
Deputy Governor, Operations
Central Bank of Nigeria

Destiny and the 2019 Succession Rat Race in the Pace-setter State

Chief Adeniji Akintola SAN , Alhaji Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, Senator Abiola Ajimobi , Destiny and the 2019 Succession Rat Race in the Pace-setter State

I am compellingly constrained to put my thoughts to papers on the raging and indecent exchanges of abusive words and vulgar languages , fitted only for motor parks touts that have been trending on the internet and the social media network by two of my respected Seniors and Benefactors, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN who is the Asiwaju of Ido and Alhaji Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, the present Honourable Minister for Communications in Nigeria.

I am sufficiently very close to both of them and the duo always regarded me as their "good and loyal boy and foot soldier ".
While Asiwaju Adeniyi Akintola is my reverred "Egbon" and kinsman as we are both "shons of the soil", but I must state clearly that I am not an Ibadan irredentist like the learned Chief ; Alhaji Shittu and I are bound together only by professional and Islamic ties. However, while the latter is an Islamic fundamentalist, I am just a nominal and or a liberal Moslem who is even faithfully married and "committed" to a very devout Christian spouse.

It is pertinent for me to state that both the learned Silk and the learned Sheikh are some of the greatest admirers of my Principal , mentor and role model, Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu Esq., SAN , the vintage Aketi ,who is the incumbent Governor of Ondo State. In actual fact, it was through Aketi that I became closer to both reverred Senior Counsel especially during the the impeachment saga of Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. Both of them would attest to the fact that I was fully and actively involved in all the cases as an obedient and loyal  junior to them from inception of the cases till the end together with my friend and brother, Sunday Aborisade Esq. a.k.a. " Orisa / Boris or the Learned Life Bencher"

I must add that it was the witty and savvy Aketi in his usual characteristic self who nicknamed the 2 gladiators as "Sai Niyi" and " Ya Shittu" respectively during the Ladoja's impeachment cases and most especially the locus classicuss case of INAKOJU & ORS v. Hon. Adeolu Adeleke & Ors ( now popularly known as Senator Rashidi Ladoja's impeachment case.

Please permit me to state that I have been deliberately consistent in mentioning Chief Akintola's name before that of Alhaji Shittu because of the established tradition of our noble legal profession which is  greatly premised on Seniority at the Bar.
While Alhaji Shittu was called to the Bar in 1979 , Chief Akintola was called called to the Bar in 1986 but he had progressed to take Silk and became a member of the prestigious inner Bar in 2003 , thus becoming , by human providential efforts, the re-odered Senior of Alhaji Shittu who still remains a member of the outer bar till date.

Posterity had records and accounts of the great roles played by both of them in the build-up events to the impeachment of Senator Ladoja as the Governor of Oyo State and also their conducts in the prosecution of the cases up to the Supreme Court where we eventually got justice for Senator Ladoja . May the good Lord accord them and all other counsel in the matters (including myself)their due and deserved rewards for all their actions and inactions in the case. Amen.

Unknown to many, it was Aketi who put a mobile phone call to Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN who was then the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State at that material time in my very presence to plead and persuade the then Governor of Lagos State, the iconic Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and come to the aid and rescue of Senator Ladoja who was then fastly being swept off by the impeachment tide set in motion by Alhaji Lamido Adedibu ( now late) with the active support of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and with the active connivance and collussion of the leadership of Oyo State Judiciary.

What eventually saved Senator Ladoja was that phone call that afternoon by Aketi in his law office to Professor Osinbajo, the then HAG, Lagos State in my very presence and Aketi said, " Oj, please close that door" and after which I complied he started the telephone conversation as follows, " Jebby, you people should be interested in the unsavoury development in Oyo State where some touts and thugs were camped together at a private hotel and proceeded to impeach a duly elected Governor in a wanton and brazen manner. Please talk to your Governor to arrest the tide and reverse the aberrations for posterity sake and in the overall interest of our nascent democracy. " Aketi put the phone on speaker since it was just the 2 of us that were in his office that afternoon.  The learned Professor replied , " Aketi, what exactly do you want us to do moreso that Ladoja and his troublers are all members of the PDP while we were in the opposing party"

Aketi pleaded with him and said, " if you assist Senator Ladoja, I can assure you that he would forever appreciate you and join your party well ahead of the 2007 general elections. " The HAG was satisfied and asked Aketi to proceed with the strategies he has in mind. Aketi opined , " We should retain all the counsel already in the  matter which majorly included the cerebral Mallam Yussuff O. Ali, SAN Chief Akintola SAN, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, S.S.Akinyele Esq., and M.O.Adebayo Esq., BUT it is extremely important that we bring on board immediately the following leading Counsel, the reputable Chief Wole Okanipekun SAN, Kola Awodehin Esq. SAN , Professor Taiwo Osipitan SAN,the respected Femi Falana Esq., and the immaculate Dele Adesina Esq., ( as both of them were at that time).

I have distressed this far to underscore a very important point which is very germane to the exchanges of letters by both Chief Akintola and Alhaji Shittu in that till date and except as being just stated by me here for the very first time, neither Aketi nor Professor Yemi Osinbajo has ever come out in the public to claim authorities for constituting that great and bright consortium of lawyers unlike what would have been the case with some lesser mortals who would have selfishly arrogated such to themselves and flaunt same unnecessarily to score some cheap and pedestrian political gains, even after earning their fees.

Let me also add and state that Aketi did not suggest himself as member of the Legal Consortium, rather it was the learned  Professor who said that , "Aketi, I ruled and ordered that you must be there for effective and efficient co-ordination". And Aketi also complied.

The needless and unnecessary letters being exchanged by a former junior counsel and his erstwhile Principal could have been totally avoided if both of them are true and faithful students of " Yoruba Ayanmo" or " Destiny" . What will be will be without much ado as it is only the Almighty God that ordain and install a king or leader as He wishes. You plan, we plan but Allah(swt) is the best of planners.

The outburst which to me is undeservedly needless and the guttural response by an aide who consistently  illiterately uninformed referred to his boss as "Barr. Shittu which is unethically against the manner of addressing Counsel who should be simply referred to as Alhaji Adebayo A. Shittu or as Adebayo A. Shittu Esq., both unscrupulous letters or  interview or releases or whatever they may be are mere "show off" especially the first letter to curry political favours and sympathies ahead of the APC Governorship primaries of Oyo State for the 2019 elections.

I make bold to say and am very proud to assert that none of the 2 gladiators here can claim to be as sufficiently close as me to the Governor of Too State, Senator Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi. Whatever facts , figures and data they may be brandishing and flaunting around now, like many other aspirants to succeed Senator Ajimobi in 2019, are not only false assumptions or over-estimation of themselves and or their imaginary contrivance to deceive the gullible and unsuspecting party  members and the public.

I am a core SENACO person and a disciple of Ajumose politics of Ajimobi, I know him too well that he doesn't suffer fools gladly and eschew psychopantic  and dogmatic behaviours and tendencies. He may, most unlikely, ignore such people but he is never taken in or deceived by such.

Ajimobi doesn't need any attack dog to ward off any pest or strayed meddlesome interlopers as he is in himself an " Oyo mesi"and would therefore not engaged any rabble rouser or stormy pretrels to do so on his behalf. In actual fact, he always admonished us not to bring down the bar of intellectual discourse in the state to the hitherto pedestrian level because according to him , "if you choose to fight with the pig, you will end up being dragged in the mud of pigstu which is the pig's natural habitat. And men, for crying out aloud , we are too refined, civil and decent for that kind of amala politics".

I would refrain myself fro giving the details of the N8M financial request solicited by Alhaji Shittu from Senator Ajimobi to offset his house rent in Abuja shortly after he was  nominated as Minister by PMB. Alhaji appealed to the Governor to cover his nakedness as he had no money to get a house in Abuja and also that he has no serviceable vehicle prior to his appointment.

Some persons whom he co-opted to achieve the easier grant and release of the fund are- Professor Abdul-Rasheed Aderinoye, Alhaji Akintunde Yunuss, and Mr. Oyaremi. When the Governor gave him the bail-out, the Minister, Professor Aderinoye and Alhaji Yunuss told me about it and asked me to please help them to appreciate the Governor for the prompt and kind gesture/ bailout and I did just that.

The reference to the money by the Minister and his Aide as " Greek gift" is mostly uncharitable and unfortunate. Ditto for the Aide's feeble and lame duck excuse that the money was thus diverted and use for  the publication of some  NCC books. The Minister and his Aide can tell that cock and bull story to the marines as same is not only untenable but a mere afterthought ingeniously devised by the Minister to pocket and keep the other rent money of N8m which he also collected from my esteemed Learned Senior, Benefactor, Pious  Quintessential Gentleman and a consummate Bar Man, Ahmed Raji Esq., SAN whom the Minister had also, cleverly ,obtained another N8m from for the same and one only house rent.

If the Minister perceived the money to be Greek Gift, why did he fail to return it to the owner instead of insulting our intelligence here by telling us that he gave directive that the money be used for NCC project.  It is a notorious fact that NCC is one of the most buoyant federal government Commission. " No be NCC, Na NNPC". What an allocutus?
I must add that Alhaji Shittu has,  long before his appointment as a Minister being a beneficiary of Senator Ajimobi's largesse and bail out fund for various needs including domestic upkeep and vehicle maintenance.

I was even privy to the fact that it was Senator Abiola Ajimobi who paid for Alhaji Shittu's nomination form for CPC Gubernatorial candidate in the 2011 election.

Having put all these issues in proper perspectives,  it is very vain , mischievous and gross display of ungratefulness on the part of my respected and brilliant Egbon, Adeniyi Akintola's SAN to knowingly deny and failed to acknowledge his watershed which historically is the Crescent Chambers of Alhaji Bayo Shittu. There must be some modicum of honours , even among thieves.  Also, Sir , your first salvo fired at Alhaji Bayo Shittu is,  to say the least, unprovoked and unwarranted. The man under whom you cut your teeth in the Legal profession deserves an unreserved apology from you Sir.

Alhaji Bayo Shittu, you also owe the Governor , Senator Abiola Ajimobi , first and foremost a great debt of gratitude, which must be followed up immediately with an unreserved apology and please use the grace of this holy month of Ramadan to seek for Allah's forgiveness for you have unknowingly offended Allah through your ungrateful disposition to the Governor.

Alhaji Kunle Sanni of NACOMYO fame once told me and I verily much believe him that your facade of Islamic  fundamentalism notwithstanding, that the only distinguishing feature between your good self and my humble self is that you don't drink alcohol  while I do, but that we both do all other things together and have them in common. I had since 30th  December , 2016 also abstained totally from alcoholic drinks. Let's pray to Allah in this Ramadan month to take off that other thing too from us so that we can be better Moslems.

On who will become the Governor of Too State in 2019, only God the ultimate Decider and Finsher of human affairs aha do that for us in Oyo State just like he did the unprecedented Second term victory for us in 2015 by ceremoniously broken both the myth and the jinx that surrounded it.
The Most High God who is the Alpha and Omega is still there  and we trust and believe in Him to again do the best for us in Oyo State in 2019 and we are very sure and assured that He shall do it again. It is done deal case of prayers already answered and who even knows whether tonight is the Ramadan's Night of Majesty.

Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo Esq., is the Immediate Past Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State.

Oyo State Appoints OAU Don, Prof Salami as Tech-U Pioneer VC

Oyo State Government has appointed Professor Ayobami Salami, a former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at the Obafemi Awolowo University, as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Technical University, Ibadan.

Mr. Olalekan Alli, the Secretary to the State Government made this announcement in a statement on Monday, he said, "Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the appointment of Prof. Salami with immediate effect for a term of five years".

According to the Statement, Prof. Salami was until his appointment, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Director, Institute of Ecology and Environmental studies at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

He described the new Tech-U VC as a widely travelled scholar and internationally-sought after environmental consultant with previous teaching and research experience in University of the Gambia, The Gambia; University of Dar es Sallam, Tanzania and International  Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, Enschede, The Netherlands.

Alli also explained that Tech-U, a newly licensed tertiary institution situated in an industrial hub of the state Free Trade Zone designed to accommodate 175 manufacturing concerns, was an initiative of the Oyo State Government to train students on practical experience of their scholastic activities, adding that the University is founded on the principle of unique innovation, research collaboration, exceptional service, integrity, excellence and the uplifting of human conditions.

According to him, Tech-U is committed to the efficient and responsible use of science, technology, engineering and innovation in solving societal problems, while maintaining a culture of entrepreneurship anchored on quality programmes that are responsive and financially suitable, adding that the University is expected to commence full academic activities in September 2017.

“The University’s mission is to cultivate a cadre of technical professionals, with requisite entrepreneurial skills, capable of creating jobs and employment. This will be done by imparting sound theoretical knowledge and practical skills in various trades and disciplines to students. The focus is to provide the training and learning environments that will produce exceptional graduates who are socially-conscious and technically-competent,” Mr. Alli stated.