Author: oduduwanews

The Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, has disclosed that a total of 103 health facilities across the State were sealed in the year 2020 for non-compliance with regulatory standards.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Abiola Idowu, who disclosed this on Friday during a virtual meeting with the staff of the Agency, however, stated that some of the facilities had been reopened having corrected the infractions and pledged to abide by the set standards.

“The facilities were shut down for infractions ranging from quackery, operating beyond schedule, lack of qualified medical personnel to non-registration of facilities and lack of basic equipment. Although, many of the facilities were reopened because they have corrected the infractions but a few others will remain sealed until they do the right thing”, she stated.

While emphasising the commitment of the State Government to sustaining the fight against quackery and unprofessional conduct in the system, Dr. Idowu observed that the recent validation of the five-year strategic plan for the Agency will go a long way in improving the quality of healthcare delivery to Lagosians, through efficient and effective monitoring of health facilities in the State.

The Executive Secretary urged members of Staff to redouble their efforts in ensuring quality service delivery to customers and the public, revealing that the Agency has already deployed the use of the Health Facility Inspection Tool, Health FIT, to enhance effective and efficient inspection and monitoring of health facilities in the State.

Idowu warned that the State government will not tolerate any form of illegal health practices and urged all facility operators to abide strictly by the set standards to avoid sanction.

She also advised new facilities to register with the Agency before starting operations to protect the health of the people, adding that existing registered operators should ensure prompt renewal of their certificates to avoid penalties.

The HEFAMAA boss urged the public to continue supporting the government in its fight against quackery and illegal operation of health facilities by reporting people behind such acts to the Agency to safeguard the health and well-being of the citizens.

She reaffirmed the commitment of the Agency in supporting the vision of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the residents.

Professor Wole Soyinka has said the conflict between herders and farmers across the country can degenerate into a civil war.

In a chat with BBC Pidgin, the , Nobel laureate commended the moves to resolve the situation, adding that there is need to prevent further violence.

He criticised the government’s handling of the situation and accused some security operatives of taking sides.

“My fear is that it could degenerate into violence that ends up in—I hate to use the word—a civil war unless we take action. I’m glad that governors are already dialoguing with groups like Miyetti Allah (cattle breeders).”

“I’m also glad that they’re already discussing agreeing to obey the rules and that other groups are already liaising. I think we need to ensure they reach a consensus that will be fair to all parties.

“We’re struggling against an enemy that believes in acting the way they please. They believe they have immunity or that nothing can happen to them. That is why, in my own state, you find a soldier taking the side of an enemy.

“They actually escort killers, rapists, raiders while flogging the victims. That wouldn’t happen if the people are conscious of the nature of their enemy and are encouraged to collaborate with the security forces.”

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, has warned against the growing false security alarms in the form of fake audio and video posts on social media,declaring that residents of the state should ignore such contents.

The governor’s aide warned against raising false alarms on the security situation in Ibarapaland and parts of Oke-Ogun, adding that security agencies will readily deal with anyone seeking to cause ethnic tension.
Adisa, in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday, said: “The penchant of certain individuals, groups and faceless bodies to take to social media and raise unfounded alarm just to cause panic among the people of Oyo State is becoming a cause for concern.”

He equally warned purveyors of such fake information to desist before they plunge the state into crises with unforeseeable consequences, stating that the after-effects of the fake videos, false alarms and fake news would be grave.

He added that some unscrupulous elements seeking to cause crisis in Oyo State through false social media audio and video releases, as well as sponsored fake news in a section of the media, are behind the plot.
According to him, such persons and groups are intimidated by the level of successes recorded in the one and a half year administration of Governor Makinde and believe that they can only gain attention by causing fear and apprehension among the populace.

Adisa particularly mentioned that some viral social media video and audio messages in which false and inciting claims were made about Ayete, Igangan, and other parts of the state have been on the rise in recent weeks.
He said that some of such unfounded and baseless posts include the claim that Amotekun Corps killed some Fulani herdsmen, which amounts to a hoax; the claim that an imaginary 200 houses were razed by hoodlums in Labiran, Ibadan, which the Police vehemently denied; and the claims that the insecurity situation in Ibarapa has escalated, which is outright falsehood.
The statement recalled how the Department of State Security (DSS) had recently released an intelligence report that some people were planning to cause religious and ethnic crises in Oyo and some states.

The statement added that it appeared that there is a plot by some elements, especially politicians, to cause religious and ethnic crisis in Oyo State with a view to derailing the state government, warning, however, that such people must realise that the state is bigger than any individual and that its interest and peace should always be placed above any primordial, personal or political interests.
The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to a grand plot to precipitate unrest in Oyo State through the use of fake news in the social media. This plot seeks to promote false alarms, misinformation and sponsored fake news through audio, video and Facebook messages and it is with a view to making the state ungovernable.

“As a government, the contents of some of these audio and video releases have been investigated and mostly found to be outright falsehood, baseless claims and products of hate speech, targeted only at discrediting the government and inciting the people.
“As a proactive government, the Makinde-led administration has risen to the occasion on the issue of insecurity and we are already winning the war against criminality, with several measures rolled out to tackle kidnapping and banditry in Ibarapa and some parts of Oke-Ogun, while efforts have also been increased to tame the violent gang wars in Ibadan.”

The statement recalled how Governor Makinde visited Ibarapa, explaining that some gains had already been recorded from the government’s efforts on Ibarapa with community leaders testifying to weeks of respite in Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun axes.
“It will be recalled that Governor Makinde visited Ibarapa last week and he was at the hot spots of crisis, while a high-powered team comprising government delegates and the Police had visited the area and some parts of Oke-Ogun earlier.
“As part of efforts to bring a lasting solution to the security situation in Ibarapa, the government deployed 200 additional Amotekun Corps and also equipped them with four additional operational vehicles.
“The governor has also ordered that Peace and Security Committees be set up across the local governments so that all critical stakeholders would be on board to address security issues in their localities.

“The governor equally convened a meeting of all stakeholders in Ibadan North-East to address the issue of hoodlums and gang wars in the state capital once and for all.
“With all these steps, it is clear the direction the Oyo State Government is going in terms of handling the insecurity challenge and the only thing left to be done is to wait and see the results of the interventions.
“However, we have discovered that some individuals driven by inordinate political ambitions have been over-reaching themselves and sponsoring falsehood against the government.

“In some cases, as seen in a recent viral video, we have seen badly put together video and audio releases, where the supposed whistle-blower, who probably is neither resident in Oyo State nor have much knowledge about Ibarapa, had to read from a script, mistaking people’s names and even claiming he was referring to Ibadan State.

“The truth is, no one can gain anything from the unforeseeable consequences that the plot will bring upon the state. As Governor Makinde recently warned while in Ibarapa, everyone should put the interest of the state first in whatever they do at this period.
“However, our admonition goes to the members of the public across the state. Do not panic; do not succumb to the sponsored falsehood, as the state government is working assiduously to arrest the insecurity situation.
“Similarly, though the governor has made it clear that anyone who sees something should say something to the government, members of the public should ensure they are giving truthful and factual information, so that security agents will not be embarking on a wild goose chase based on wrong information”, the statement concluded.

Researchers globally have agreed that there is strong correlation between recession and suicide as this could be backed up by historical data and figures. Economic recession was firstly pronounced in United State of America which later culminated into Great Depression in 1929 accounted for nothing less than 10,000 suicides.

A renowned Sociologist who worked on suicide, Emile Durkheim attributed suicide to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself. He opines that as social integration decreases, people are more likely to commit suicide. With recent announcement of the Nigerian economy plunging into recession for the second time during the regime of President Muhammad Buhari, there is no gainsaying in the fact that social integration will further decline as people grapple for survival under harsh economic environment.

Nigerians may resort to taking several alternative measures to survive. This could pave way for increasing rate of substance abuse due to prevalence of depression which may later culminate into taking of one’s life. World Economic Forum WEF in its research asserts that a slowdown in the economy, job losses, business closures, increasing energy bills and general poor performance of national economic indicators affect people’s emotional health which is also associated to rise in suicide rate.

It is already well known that suicide rates increase in times of economic strife and uncertainty. Research by WEF using Consumer Sentiment Index to measure people’s perceptions of their financial situation and the economy in general found out that there is strong correlation between the way people view their economic situation and the average suicide rate. The more negatively people view their prospects, the higher the likelihood of suicide. Statistically, a 10% increase in CSI reduces suicide rates by 1% as this shows that a more positive economic outlook can actually reduce suicide rates.

Our economy at a very basic level is primitive, not self-sustaining and all about consumption with few outlets for productivity. On top of this, we are battling with the wealth that shifted our attention from agriculture as a means of revenue generation. We inherited a framework of civil service from the colonial masters with bogus bureaucratic processes. An economy whose emoluments and salaries of civil servants constitute 90 percent of the local economies of most states. This implies that artisans, bricklayers, hairdressers, barbers and petty traders survive on salary paid to civil servants.

There was a general belief and assumptions that Nigeria so much love life that none of its citizens can never think of taken his own life. Going by record from 2003, Nigerians have always been ranked among the happiest people in the world as attested to by World Value Survey Report of 2003, which also ranked Nigeria 6th happiest people in Africa in spite of myriad of challenges confronting the nation. However, these old stories may have been faulted and the general belief and assumptions dispersed by the worrisome high rates of suicide in the last recession which began in 2016 and lasted for almost 2 years.

Before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerian socio-economic indicators ranging from inflationary trend which measures purchasing power of various individuals and coefficient index which shows disparity between the poor and the rich have been worsening but the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic came to compound more on the problem.
An economist from John Hopkins University ranked Nigeria as 6th most miserable in the world. The hitherto 6th happiest people in the world have suddenly become the saddest people in the world. According to the renowned economist, Nigeria steeped to world capital of poverty.

Rather than re-echoing the increased rate of suicide, which has reached an alarming rate in our society, I think we should begin to think of how we can stem the tide.
As an undergraduate, we were taught policy feedback and offset in economics. In all sincerity, Buhari’s policy of closing border devoid of any known economic principle. You closed border with assumption to protect local industries while the local industries could not meet up with local demands, this among other reasons for hyperinflation. The question lingers, what has the border closure achieved now? The pain is more than the supposed gains. The rationale behind closure of border has been defeated longtime ago and something urgent would have been done to offset the excruciating pains suffered by the masses. We don’t have to wait for recession to come and force us to open border.

One may come to term with certain quarters that read hidden agenda to some of Buhari’s policies because I have searched and could not find basic economic tenet for some of his policies.

The southerners solely rely on importation and they do not usually eat what they eat reason why closure of border bites harder in the region. Northerners rely on export and they usually produce what they eat. Hence, the closure of border does not bite harder than the South. In fact, the closure of border has produced many billionaires in the North and has impoverished millions of people in the South. The beauty of policy is to look at the cost and benefit. I ask, what has been the benefit of border closure since implementation?

The ugly trend of last recession where suicide was at alarming rate should be prevented from taking the lead stage in this current economic hardship being witnessed by Nigerians. Globally, experts agree that the major antidote to prevent recession from biting harder is to embark on expansionary fiscal and monetary policies to ameliorate the suffering of the people occasioned by recession. It was Keynesian policy of ‘one person digs hole and another person fills it back’ that was embarked on by the then US President, Franklin Roosevelt to save American economy from total collapse between 1933 and 1939.

The policymakers should as a matter of exigency embark on masses oriented programmes as against the usual disposition of making the poor to pay for the mistake of the rich. Contractionary policies that further subjugate masses and impoverished them should be jettisoned and effort should be geared towards the reflating the entire economy.

Ismael Taiwo writes from Ibadan
Economist/Public Affairs Analyst

BUHARI, TINUBU, MO IBRAHIM, FASHOLA, ADESINA, OKONJO-IWEALA TO SPEAK AT EHINGBETI NEXT WEEK

Ehingbeti, the Lagos Economic Summit scheduled to hold from next Tuesday to Thursday, is living-up to its repute as Africa’s most practical and result-oriented private sector-led forum for socio-economic and infrastructural development, with the quality of speakers confirmed to discuss at the virtual summit.

Themed ‘For a Greater Lagos: Setting The Tone For The Next Decade’, Ehingbeti 2021 has drawn about 150 speakers from across the world to discuss and deliberate on pragmatic optimization of the inherent opportunities in Africa’s 5th largest economy and offer perspectives on how to manage the peculiar socio-economic landscape of Lagos State in the coming decade.

Leading the array of speakers at the summit are Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Ben Akabueze, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Nigerian Minister of Finance, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, President, African Development Bank (ADB), Amina Mohammed UN Deputy Secretary General and Mohammed Yahaya, UNDP Resident Representative.

While President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and Catriona Laing, British Higher Commissioner to Nigeria will give Goodwill Messages, the Summit opening address will be delivered by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, with Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor and Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly will lead the session on strengthening Governance, Institution and Legislation.

Other speakers at summit include Jordi Borrut Bel, Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries, Prof. Pat Utomi, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Yinka David-West, Academic Director, Lagos Business School, Ambassador Ayoola Olukanni, DG NACCIMA, Muda Yusuf, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Mo Abudu, Founder, Ebony Life TV, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Founder, Terra Culture, Miss Ojoma Ochai. Director, Creative Arts (West Africa), British Africa and others.

The 3-day summit, which is structured into segments, will have subject experts speak on specific themes such as “Destination Lagos: Becoming the World’s Best Investment Destination”, “Eko to the World: Shaping the Future of Trade and Economic Independence”, “Lagos, the Industrial Hub”, “Made in Lagos: Shaping the Future of Media, Entertainment, Culture and Tourism”, “Security, Law and Order (Balancing Regulation and Economic Growth)” and Citizens Participation in Governance”.

Themes to be discussed at the conference include “The Role of Transparency, Institutional Effectiveness and Accountability in Governance”, “4th Industrial Revolution: The imperatives and prospects for Digital Economy”, “Digital Transformation for Smart Cities”, “Unleashing Disruptive Innovation for Development”, Shaping the Future of Governance with Technology” and Roadmap to Shared Prosperity – Ensuring Inclusive Human Development”.

“Our realities from 2000 when the first Ehingbeti held, exactly 20 years ago, have significantly changed. As a state, we now have to cater to the infrastructural needs of more than 22million population and ensure that Lagos remains on the path of continuous growth” said Sam Egube, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget and Co-Chair of Ehingbeti.

“These considerations are the groundwork of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration THEMES Agenda, but translating the agenda to benefits for our people will require collaborations amongst stakeholders, and a determination to deepen the foundation for sustainable development and growth of our society. So, Ehingbeti 2020 offers us a platform to address all these”, concluded Egube.

Ehingbeti is an ingenuous socio-economic apparatus that has contributed significantly to the evolution of Lagos State into a major economy in sub-Saharan Africa and an admirable megacity, with expanding potentials. As a public-private sector roundtable that started as a collaborative effort between Lagos State Government and Business Club Ikeja, Ehingbeti has been hosted by successive governments in Lagos State since the beginning of the 4th republic.

The State Government has declared a 24-hour curfew in Irepodun and Orolu Local Government Areas of the State, following the violence that broke out between Ilobu and Erin-Osun communities on Saturday.

The declaration of curfew became necessary to douse tension in the troubled area. This will subsist until further notice.

This was made known today in a statement released by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji which reads in part:

“Recall that only about few hours ago, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had ordered immediate deployment of armed policemen with support from the army to restore law and order.

“As a responsible and responsive government that took the sacred oath to protect the lives and property of our citizens, we believe that the declaration of curfew is the way to go in this circumstance.

“By this, security operatives have been directed to arrest and prosecute any person found violating the curfew and those responsible for the violence.

“All citizens and residents of the affected Local Government Areas are enjoined to comply with this directive as any person found contravening this order shall be made to face the wrath of the law.

“Government enjoins all our citizens to be peaceful and to be law abiding as all efforts shall be made to protect them and their property”.

…as Commission urges Muslims to embrace Hajj Savings Scheme

The Chairman/CEO, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, on Friday lauded the Government of the State of Osun for being the leading light and a pacesetter in the Hajj process in the country.

Hassan said Osun has been top-notch as far as Hajj is concerned in the last ten years as manifested in the huge success the State had recorded over the years.

NAHCON Chairman gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the Governor, at the Governor’s office, Abere.

He said the Commission has been monitoring the sterling performance of the State in the last ten years, a motive he described as most impressive and commendable.

Hassan who led some members of staff of the Commission to Osun, described the visit as a familiarisation and advocacy visit to sensitise the Muslim community on the need to partake in the ongoing Hajj Savings Scheme.

According to him, the Hajj Savings Scheme was designed to support the intending Hajj pilgrims to actualise their dreams to seamlessly perform Hajj without financial hindrance.

“What we are saying is that governments do not have enough resources to be sponsoring people on pilgrimages. That is why we came up with the initiative called ‘Hajj Saving Scheme’ aimed at supporting intending pilgrims to actualise their dreams.

“With this scheme, intending Hajj pilgrims can save for as many years as they want till they realise whatever it costs to go to Hajj. They can save for as many as five to ten years. With this innovation, whatever the profit made through this saving system can also be used for investments.

“The concept is that every Muslim is a potential pilgrim. No matter the level of richness or poverty, all you need to do is to save. This has been successfully done in countries like Malaysia where people save for like ten to fifteen years.

“It is a thing we have to encourage. We need to encourage our people to embrace the idea. This is well-thought out and we believe that it will help the poor Muslims all over the country and correct the notion that one needs to sell his business before one goes to Hajj. One does not need to be indebted before one can go to Hajj.

“We are also working to digitalise the Hajj process in such a way that will enable massive participation and reach large people across the country. This is the only way to go because Hajj is a mono-product in Saudi Arabia.

“Osun in the last ten years has been top-notch as far as Hajj is concerned. The current management has been taking the battle and they are doing very fantastically well,” he added.

In his remarks, the Governor of the State of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola applauded Hassan for bringing innovation and modern technology to advance the operational scope of the Commission.

Oyetola who described the Hajj Savings Scheme as a welcome development and people-oriented initiative, said “with this scheme people can go to Hajj without unnecessary financial burden.

“I commend you for making Hajj more affordable for the people, particularly those at the grassroots. Setting up this Hajj Savings Scheme, is a commendable move as it will help the people to save enough to go to Hajj.

“I also commend the Commission for coming up with the idea of digitalising Hajj process in such a way that will be more accessible by the people from the comfort of their homes. To me, this innovation you are bringing on board will help to ensure proper management of all Muslim Ummah going on Hajj,” Oyetola added.

The Oyo State Government has installed a 300kva generator at the Scout Camp Neighborhood Business Complex Challenge in order to further make the market conducive for traders who are majorly farmers, to do business.

The government had earlier promised to put more infrastructural amenities in place for the market to thrive and discourage roadside trading at the market and others in the Ibadan metropolis.

The Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investments and Cooperatives, Hon. Adeniyi Adebisi disclosed this on Wednesday at Ibadan, while inspecting the 300kva generator alongside the Commissioner for Energy, Barr. Seun Ashamu, stressing that the capacity of the generator was sufficient to power the whole market Complex.

Adebisi stated that the faulty two units of boreholes in the business complex had earlier been repaired by the Ministry, while the Ministry of Energy had also resolved the outstanding amount owed Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), which led to the reconnection of the market to the national grid.

The Commissioner said the present administration has met all the requests presented to it by the traders and as such, enjoined traders selling by the road side along Challenge, Molete and Mobil axis to return to the Scout Camp Neighborhood Business Complex in order reciprocate the good gesture of the State government.

“Now that government has fulfilled its part in putting all necessary facilities in place to make trading conducive for them, what is next is for those trading by the roadside to go back to the market.

“This gesture has been extended to major markets in the metropolis and it is targeted at tackling the scourge of street trading.”

In his remark, the Commissioner for Energy, Barr. Seun Ashamu, disclosed that the Governor instructed that his Ministry should work alongside the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives ad well as the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to make the market condusive for commercial activities.

Ashamu assured the traders that the street light within the complex would be made functional within the next one week to enhance trading activities and security in the complex.

“Governor Seyi Makinde has, out of his interest for local economic growth, has instructed that everything that will make trading activities pleasant and attractive be made available for the traders.

“The street lights within the market will be repaired and will be functional in the next one week,” he assured.

Living a healthy life can not be overrated as some people would think, the idea of not giving it some deep thought is the major cause that needs to be looked into.

One reason why HearMax Centre have come with the idea of getting rid of  series of hearing and speech impaired problems with scores of professionals readily available for clients’ services.

It is a core value that, each individual needs to be aware that there is more to the ear than just cosmetic cartilage for jewelries display. The ear is a vital organ of the human body with a well-defined mechanism that is responsible for the perception of sounds and a sense of balance. The reason why an impairment on this part of the body comes with both physical and psychological traumas on the so affected.

Hearing loss experience comes with stigma, denial and frustration to mention but a few of those dismay.

hEarMax is here to tell you that; as an individual with hearing loss you deserve more than the stigma, denial and frustration  you experience, you deserve a professional intervention than the general prescription the society offers, you deserve to hear the brewing wind and sweet sounds produced by the birds.

hEarMax provides professional assessments and solutions to your hearing problems such as:

• Hearing evaluation; pure tone audiometry, otoacoustic emission test, tympanometry test, auditory brain response test, etc.

• Hearing aid sales and fittings.

• Speech language therapy services

Their office is located at No. 3 Moremi road Aare Avenue, new Bodija, Ibadan.

Book an appointment today!

Email hello@hearmaxcentre.com
Website: www.hearmaxcentre.com
Phone No: 08086804931
Facebook: hearmax centre
Twitter: @hearmaxC
Instagram: @hearmaxcentre

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi has disclosed that Sunday Igboho would have been jailed by now if he had not gone to meet President Muhammad Buhari to appease to him to shelve his planned arrest of Sunday Igboho.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja 11) made the statement during hot exchange of words between him and Eselu of Iseluland, Yewa North Local Government Area, Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, over herdsmen’s reported attacks in several villages in Ogun State.

In an exclusive story on January 23, report had showed how herdsmen who were allegedly expelled for terrorizing Ketu-Yewa speaking communities in Ogun State were escorted back to the villages by soldiers from 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, with many of the affected villages in Oba Akinyemi’s domain.

Shortly after the report went viral, Oba Akinyemi had granted BBC Pidgin an interview on the incident, wherein he expressed his support for Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, who recently visited the monarch’s domain and urged other Yoruba Obas in the Southwest not to compromise the security of their subjects.

His comments, however, appeared not to go down well with the Ooni, who reacted by sending a WhatsApp message to Oba Akinyemi on Fridau morning, accusing the Oba of directing his remarks in the said interview at him because of his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, warning the Ogun monarch to be careful.

“Which other traditional rulers from our zone went to Abuja?” the Ooni queried.

“We all need to be careful not to be saying things that we are not there physically.

“The spirits of our ancestors and Oodua Land judge me if I went to Abuja to do otherwise to the cause of our land and also judge people that are saying things they don’t know…”

Responding, Oba Akinyemi said he was disappointed at the Ooni’s attack on him, urging him to live up to expectations as the leading monarch in Yorubaland.

Oba Akinyemi said: “Good morning, Kabiyesi, your imperial majesty.

“Kabiyesi, I hold you in high esteem and God and our ancestors know that.

“I don’t expect you to attack me in this manner. My expectations are for you to sympathise with me as one of your Obas and also your people in Yorubaland that were killed like goats by the Fulani strangers in your land.

“Kabiyesi, there is nowhere in the aforementioned interview that I mentioned that you collected money from Abuja, but I put cautions to all traditional rulers in Yorubaland as a wake-up call to all of us, including your good self, sir.

“Kabiyesi, you occupy the cradle of Yorubaland and I expect you to extend hands of fellowship to all of us.

“In a nutshell, Kabiyesi, you need to do more, and you owe me a delegation to come to us so they can report back to you how your children are being treated like slaves in Iselu…”

The Ooni again responded, asking Oba Akinyemi not to join others in spreading false information about his visit to Aso Rock.

He explained that his visit to Buhari had staved off some evil plans against Igboho, following the latter’s sacking of herdsmen from the Igangan area of Ibarapa, Oyo State.

Ooni said: “You cannot say you are more pained than me on all these matters as Arole Oduduwa.

“Our ancestors still live in spirit on this throne, and anybody that does negative things to the land will get the wrath of the spirit land (sic) of we Yorubas.

“You cannot be saying that (a) traditional ruler went to Abuja in the name of oil block to trade off his people.

“I am the ONLY one that went due to Covid-19 restrictions. Hear what you said now.

“Were you there when I discussed with Buhari? If I had not gone to speak the truth to power, do you have an idea of what was planned for Sunday (Igboho) and things that will happen afterward?

“Diplomacy is way better to resolve things than war, because even after the war that we all don’t pray for, you will still sit down to talk…

“Anyway, I hold my peace before you will turn it into something else again.

“Just to correct your wrong notion of going to solicit for oil block and co. It’s a lie.

“Please, I hold you in high esteem; don’t partake in false information. It’s not good spiritually.

“The spirits of our ancestors are alive and will surely fight the Yoruba cause. Peace be unto you.”

Oba Akinyemi, however, fired back, noting that the Ooni had been too cold to the plight of Yoruba people being attacked and killed by herders.

He said: “Your imperial majesty (Ooni), as long as I don’t want to disobey my paramount ruler, Olu (of) Ilaro, who advised me not to join issues with you, I won’t.

“But let me bust your brain that the issues today in Yorubaland that you happen to be the leader of all monarchs, things (have) fallen apart right under your nose.

“We are now in a state of oligarchy, racism, and totalitarianism.

“Maybe you don’t know you are not the only Oba that goes to the President in our zones, and I might not know them all because I am not the chief of staff to the President.

“And the issue of oil block you accused me of is not a statement credited to you alone but all of us in the Southwest because we have nowhere to call our ancestral home apart from here.

“Kabiyesi, I insist you need to do more. You are too cold at this present situation in your (Yoruba) land.

“But just like I said earlier on, send your delegations to come and report back to you the situation of things now in our land, maybe because you always watch CNN. But I will post some pictures to you now to see how your people are being slaughtered like rams. You need to wake up, Kabiyesi, Kabiyesi, Kabiyesi.”

Responding to Oba Akinyemi’s charge that he had been too cold to the plight of Yoruba people being attacked by herders, Oba Ogunwusi said he has a different style and approach to things.

He recalled that Ife people had contained the herders in 2017 during a bloody confrontation, saying: “Seeing all the pictures/docs sent to me before and long before it has been in our archive of proof.

“I really wonder which issue you want to take up with me that Olu Ilaro advised you against or where you have the notion that I only watch CNN.

“If you say I’m cold, thank you for the compliments/or otherwise. We all have our different styles and approach to things. What is critical is the end will always justify the means… Regards.

Oba Akinyemi told the Ooni to consider the lives of other people in the Southwest as important, sarcastically urging him to release Ife warriors to assist other Yoruba towns to ward off herdsmen.

It will be recalled that Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho recently criticized the Ooni in the wake of the monarch’s visit to President Buhari, following which he warned Igboho not to take the law into his hands.

In a viral video, Igboho accused the Ooni and other Yoruba leaders of failing to speak truth to power.