Oduduwa News

Pastor Tunde Bakare of Citadel Global Community Church (also known as Latter Rain Assembly), has said that it is of no importance what region the next president comes from, as long as said individual is able to govern properly.

“Listen to me, if where the president comes from will make the place he has come from to be better, the northern part of Nigeria should be the richest and should be the most progressive and the most developed because out of 61 years, the north has produced either the president or heads of state for 40 to 41 years, and yet see the retrogression in the North,” Mr Bakare told State House correspondents on Friday afternoon. “Not where they come from, it’s what they carry and what they have to offer. May the best of the best of Nigerians rise, whether they’re from the east, from the west, from the north, and from the south.

Mr Bakare’s comments came shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

His position could widen the raging debate about whether or not the presidency should be ceded to Southern Nigeria by way of consensus in 2023 when Mr Buhari’s tenure will expire. Mr Buhari is from Northern Nigeria and power rotation has been practiced amongst political parties in informal arrangements because the Constitution did not prescribe power rotation between the multiple ethnic and religious groups within the country.

While several politicians in the South have threatened serious political consequences if the power is not shifted to the region in 2023, northern politicians are insisting that no citizen should be disenfranchised because they are from a region that produced the last president.

Mr Bakare, in his exchange with the State House reporters, acknowledged the validity of internal party zoning arrangements, but said such affairs cannot supersede extant constitutional provisions.

“If there are agreements between politicians among themselves on rotation, a bargain is a bargain, that’s between them,” he said. “But as far as this country is concerned, what we need at this stage is a man who can drive us to the Eldorado.”

Mr Bakare also hinted at the 2023 presidential election, saying if Nigerians and God wanted him to run for the position. he would.

“Every Nigerian, who is of age and who is not disqualified by any means, is free. I’m a nation builder, if God wants me to do that, and the people of Nigeria will appreciate that, why not? I’m as free as anybody to do anything with my time. I’ve pastored a church for 33 years, now we raise new leaders. I want to focus on nation-building.

This meeting comes after Mr Bakare, who was Mr Buhari’s running mate in the duo’s unsuccessful presidential run in 2011, had publicly declared in July that he would no longer visit Mr Buhari as the president failed to improve the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Last year, Mr Bakare had asked that he be exempted from national conversations.

Governor of the state of Osun, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola, his Ondo State counterpart, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN and other stakeholders on Thursday, advocated that constitutional roles should be assigned to traditional rulers to give legal backings to their responsibilities especially in the security of their domains.

The governors were among notable stakeholders who partook in the fourth edition of the Ooni Ogunwusi annual international leadership symposium 2021, in commemoration of the birthday anniversary of the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II.

The event which has the theme: “Addressing Security Challenges As They Affect Grassroots Development In Nigeria: Need for Constitutional Empowerment of Traditional Institution”, held at the prominent Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall, Enuwa, Ile-Ife.

Represented by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Folorunso Oladoyin, Governor Oyetola, who expressed huge concern about the current challenges confronting the country, revealed that much could be achieved by empowering the traditional rulers.

“As the closest to the people at the grassroots, traditional rulers are critical components of government. They also have the responsibility for ensuring security, governance and economic development in their abodes.

“This is important because as all politics is local, all security is also local. The criminals come from families, homes, villages and towns. To effectively secure our nation, therefore, requires that government should work with our traditional rulers as critical stakeholders in promoting active communal peace building, intelligence gathering, good neighborliness and responsible followership.” Governor Oyetola admonished.

On the other hand, Ondo state Governor Akeredolu SAN who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ayinde, prescribed that outcome of the symposium should be compiled and transfered to the National Assembly for inclusion in the country’s constitution in line with the ongoing constitutional reform.

Arakunrin Akeredolu however asked salient questions that will determine the type of constitutional inclusiveness that should be given to traditional rulers.

He asked, “Will this entitle them to a share of the security vote?
“Will the present 5% allocated to traditional rulers be enough with the constitutional roles being assigned to them?
“Will they not be perceived as now being part of the government of the day?
“Will it not erode part of their institutional legitimacy and traditional authority?”

In the same vein, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Olawale Olokode, described traditional rulers as a great partner in progress to the Nigeria Police, calling for a constitutional backing of their indispensable roles.

“In the 1999 constitution, there is no definite constitutional role for the traditional rulers. This is one of the defaults of the 1999 constitution. How do they operate without a constitutional resolution has seriously been undermined both in terms of authority and power. Their inability to intervene at the earlier stage of crisis has led to the escalation of such crisis leading to a serious instability, chaos and huge damage to lives, property and economic activities of the nation.” The commissioner stated.

Among other items of the event was the presentation of scholarship to indigent Higher Institution students by the Ooni of Ife as powered by Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI), under the leadership of Princess Temitope Adesegun.

The scholarship initiative was supported with five hundred thousand naira, by the representative of the Governor, Honourable Folorunso Oladoyin who is the Osun State Commissioner for Education.

Speaking on the involvement of the nongovernmental organization (HAI) in humanitarian support particularly in the education sector, Dr. Ese Oghene while presenting the scholarship on behalf of Princess Temitope, said, “HAI understands the importance of education in the life of children and so HAI is currently working on operation ‘Send Every Child To School’, as a way of rewarding academic excellence, HAI offers scholarship to A-rated students one of which we just witnessed.”

The Ooni however thanked the organizers including Sooko Kemade Elugbaju, Olamide Awosunle, Comrade Moses Olafare and Hopes Alive Initiative, for putting up the wonderful event despite the challenges during preparations.

“All I want to say is a very big thank you especially to all of you here present, you really made my day and I hold you all in a very high esteem. I really laud the speeches of Governor Oyetola, Governor Akeredolu and Osun State Commissioner of Police as they all addressed the security challenges being faced by all of us in this country. This is the time for all of us to come together and defeat this menace of insecurity so that we can progress as a country.
Ooni Ogunwusi said.

The Oyo State House of Assembly has expressed concern over the possible rise in herders/farmers clashes in most agrarian communities across the State as the dry season approaches, and has therefore called on the Executive arm of Government to put measures in place for the implementation of Anti-Open Grazing Prohibition Law.

This was the resolution of the lawmakers while contributing to a motion on the need to put measures in place to forestall herdsmen/farmers clashes in Oyo State as the dry season approaches jointly brought by Hon Francis Adetunji (Oluyole) and Hon Saminu Gbadamosi (Atisbo/Saki East).

The motion states in part ” As the dry season approaches, herders and their cattle from the fast drying North will be moving down to the West to get greener pastures for their animals. The concern is that the herders would not restrict grazing of their cattle to uncultivated farmlands alone. Experiences in the past would remind us of the bitter tales our farmers have had to tell. Many of our farmers have left their farms for either the fear of being killed by notorious herders or because of great losses they have recorded overtimes due to the wanton destruction of their farms by these set of people and their animals.”

The lawmakers stated that it was time for implementation of the anti-open grazing law passed by the Assembly on the 24th of October, 2019 and already assented to by Governor Seyi Makinde to checkmate the destruction of farmlands by the herders and also compel them to adopt the modern ways of rearing their animals.

In their remarks, Hon Asimiyu Alarape (Minority Leader), Hon Simeon Oyeleke (Ogo-Oluwa/Ajaawa) urged the Executive arm of Government to take proactive measures in addressing the activities of the Fulani herders who carry weapons and guns around.

The duo of Hon Akeem Adedibu (Chief Whip) and Hon Jacob Bamigboye who were almost moved to tears narrated how their farmlands were recently destroyed by the herds of cattle of these erring Fulanis.

They said farmers in Oyo State will experience worse situation from Fulani herders in the coming dry season if the recalcitrant Fulani herders are not made to face the full wrath of the provisions of the law, and appealed to the Governor to be courageous enough in implementing the Open Grazing Prohibition Law.

The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin maintained that continuous destruction of farmlands by Fulani herders and their cattle was unacceptable.

He stressed that this has continued to take it toll on the food production and has resulted in scarcity of foodstuff and increase in their prices.

” Our Security Agents, Amotekun Corps and other Vigilance Groups must work together to address this menace and arrest these agents of destruction. We cannot afford to have increase in the activities of Fulani herders on our farms. ” Oyo Speaker said.

The House also called on all stakeholders to organize farmers, herders meeting in order to emphasize compliance to the Open Grazing Prohibition Law and re-emphasize the need for everyone to live together in peace and harmony.

It was equally resolved that there should be adequate sensitization on the media in different languages to ensure everyone becomes aware of penalities and provisions of the law to prevent further violations.