Oduduwa News

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere said the Federal government had no right to proscribe any group in as much as the organisation is not involved in any criminal activity.

According to the leader of the group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, said any attempt to proscribe Yoruba Nation group is an act of dictatorship.

ODUDUWA NEWS had earlier reported that Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), disclosed that the Federal Government would explore all options within the context of the law including proscribing the Yoruba Nation separatist group to ensure a peaceful and united Nigeria.

The Afenifere leader said, “We are not members of the group but the government has no right to proscribe any organisation in as much as the organisation is not involved in any criminal activity. What criminal activities are they involved in? They have a right to exist. Why has (British Prime Minister), Boris Johnson, not proscribed the Scottish Nationalist Party campaigning for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom?

“You may not agree with Igboho or Akintoye but they have a right to exist. It is an act of dictatorship for the AGF office to say it may proscribe an organisation in a democracy. Under what right? They have no right to do it.”

The 93-year-old, Adebanjo said it was the refusal of the President Muhammadu Buhari government to restructure Nigeria to federalism that birthed the Prof Banji Akintoye and Sunday Igboho’s group.

“We have been saying it that Igboho is asking for secession because the government does not want to restructure back to federalism. We made that clear. It is the act of the government’s refusal that is encouraging the Igbohos and Nnamdi Kanus. And they (government) know it,” he said.

A member of Igboho’s legal team, Pelumi Olajegbensi, said the Federal Government should focus on addressing the grievances of the people rather than chasing self-determination proponents.

He said, “Why are people demanding for a country of their own? It is because of the reckless injustice affecting the state. It is because people don’t feel comfortable and safe within the Nigerian nation. So, if people are safe and they believe their interest is secured within the political structure called Nigeria, there will be no need for self-determination and Yoruba Nation.

“Yoruba Nation is the feeling of the people that if this country cannot work, they deserve a country that can work.

“The Federal Government should channel its energy to give the people a country that they will be proud of rather than grandstanding and acting as if the country is all about some people. The Federal Government should channel its energy in addressing the challenges so that people can be willing to associate with Nigeria and call the country their own country because it will shock us one day that even some people from the North and Middle Belt, will begin to demand a country of their own when this government or any government is not doing what it should do. No nation can continue with this level of injustice, it is not possible. Instead of threatening people, the government should build a country that the people can happily associate with.”

As part of its determination to uplift the standard of Ibadan Airport, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde will commission the Protocol Lounge at Alakia Airport in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital Today.

Recall that the governor had facilitated the commencement of flights from Ibadan by Air Peace Airlines.

The airline, in a confirmation notice said to have been issued to authorities of Ibadan Airport, affirmed that it will commence flights operations from Abuja to Ibadan and back starting from August 16, 2021.

ODUDUWA NEWS learnt that the Governor will receive the inaugural flight of Air Peace Airlines on Tuesday by 10 a.m.

By : Comrade Lekan Badmus.

Few days ago, the former military president ( never mind the abberation of the nomenclature), General Babangida stirred honet’s nest when he posited that the next president of Nigeria should be a young chap. Characteristics of his maradonic style, the statement was a tacit exclusion of the two major probable heirs apparent to the presidency.

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Arguably, IBB does not just talk. He is not a loquacious. But when he does or sneezes, he is not suffering from flu but one that is highly impregnated with proverbs. It is not therefore a misconstrue of intention to infer that the statement was political – an apparent reference to the doyen of contemporary politics; Asiwaju Tinubu and the serial presidential Aspirant, Alhaji Atiku. It however remains to be seen whether the statement was borne out of patriotism, innuendos or parochial sentiment. Known for who he is, IBB may be using age as a bait to play upon the intelligence of the public and a comical way to discredit the duo.

An objective periscoping of the statement of the evil-genius is not a bad idea in view of 2023 election. Thus, the correlation between Aging and Degenerative Disorders as contributory factors to optimal functioning of the next president.

Presidency is a real business. An herculean task, energy-sapping and highly demanding. The occupant of the coveated seat requires absolute fitness or health especially at this time of depressed economy in which the instincts of survival have become very acute and stimulated all faculties, leading atimes, to tilted and disturbed physical and mental states.

The grey hairs on the heads of most of our leaders do not necessarily imply old age but a consequence of stress; associated with physiological changes – the expression of which is coordinated by hypothalamus – located at the brain and the Autonomic Nervous System. The physiological changes that take place within a man, are to a large extent beyond his control.

Ironically, the demanding fitness of the would-be president is a relative term. From the interpretation of health by the World Health Organization-WHO (1948), ” Health is a complete state of physical, mental, social and emotional well-being of an individual; not merely the absence of diseases or infirmities”. An infraction from the above shows that no man could be absolutely healthy. Every man is a mortal. Really, health is dynamic. A quality of life which enables one to live most and serve best .

Be that as it may, the opinion of IBB was personal and so could not be fostered on the nation. The letter of the constitution is crystal clear on the qualifications which are requisites to political aspirations.
Efficiency is a product of experience, maturity and political will. The fact that an Aspirant has come of age should not be seen as an excuse to exclude or disenfranchise him.

Aging is the continuous wearing away of body tissues with the consequent decline in function of the body. Chronologically, a person is deemed to be aged when he clocks certain calendar years. However, he may appear old or young depending on his lifestyle and the magnitude of insults on his body within his environment. Physical signs of aging are multi-facetted. The skin loses suppleness, wrinkles, grey hair, teeth dropping, shrinking of body and facial distortion. All these changes are gradual and are accompanied with decline functions. Other physical traits are senile or dementia.

The greatest psychological problem which the aging encounter emanate from neglect and cynism of the society which seems to say that the aged and aging are useless. Prejudice against the aged as exemplified by IBB is displayed in several ways in our obsession with desiring to be youthful.

Evidences relating to mental efficiency of the aging show that intelligence does not decline with age. Although, certain degenerative disorders begin to manifest.
Aging is associated with degenerative disorders which are often referred to as diseases of old age. They cannot be rightly considered as being in the same category as other diseases especially communicable diseases. However, an interaction of the other factors in the causation of diseases can affect the diseases in this group. Degenerative disorders which are as a consequence of aging include arthritis (joint disorder), menopausal disorder, cataracts, hypertension, cancer, obesity, diabetes to mention but a few.

To a large extent, these diseases are inevitable because they are manifested in the wake of the gradual deterioration of the body tissues with age. In other words, if a politician lived long enough to escape the hazards of the environment, or adopted a healthy lifestyle, he would inevitably needs medical check- ups of the vital organs of the body. These organs have life spans. Therefore, it is not something strange for the likes of Tinubu, Atiku, Buhari, Obasanjo even IBB to seek medical attention outside Nigeria.

Truth be told, aging may not impede efficiency in as much as dementia has not set in. As long as a man is not physically incapacitated, he is as fit as a fiddle. Robert Mugabe of Uganda, Nelson Madiba Mandella of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, George Bush and Donald Trump of US were of age; yet, they performed excellently. These eminent personalities were older than Jagaban and Turaki.

Old age is synonymous with wisdom. The ability of a leader to assemble competent professionals, technocrats and politicians of good repute is all what an aged leader needs to excel. His ability to harness these potentials, ditch directives and ensure sincerity of purpose are essential. Once such a leader is able to identify hypocrites and sycophants, success is a sure bet.

This piece should not be misconstrued or distorted to mean a campaign against the younger generation. Infact, the youth are not too young to govern. General Gowon was twenty-nine when he became head of state, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso was about twenty-seven when he rode to power, Pa Awolowo was about thirty-seven when he gained prominence. Governor Bello of Kogi state was sworn in when he was barely fourty, Oba Abdulrasheed was a young lad when he was made the Oluwo of Iwoland. The reigns of these fresh bloods are outstanding.

Succinctly put, what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. In as much as the constitution does not bar the sixties from throwing their hats into the ring, it would be prejudicial to begin a campaign of calumny against their aspirations.

Comrade Lekan Badmus is a freelance writer and public opinion Analyst.

Vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has spoken on Nigeria’s security and socio-economic challenges. According to Osinbajo, the country will eventually rise into the glorious light of dawn that would herald greater things for the country and its citizens, because the Spirit of God is in the land.

In a statement made available to newsmen by the presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, indicates the vice president said this on Sunday, August 15, during a Send Forth Service for Revd. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji.

In a short remark, he gave at the service the vice president related events surrounding the creation of the heaven and earth to the nation’s present challenges and the lives of great individuals.

Osinbajo was quoted to have said: “Indeed, the lives of great men and women, even as the lives of nations teach important lessons. In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. The beginning was bleak, confused, without form, empty. “This is the way of the lives of some of the greatest men and women and also nations.

There might be confusion, grief, trouble, darkness and fear. But even in that confusion, the Bible tells us that the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the face of the deep. God was in the darkness, He did not run away, He is not asleep.

Vice President Osinbajo speaks on importance of unity and tolerance amid secession agitations “So, it is with our nation.

Today, some things may seem bleak and grave, with insecurity, economic difficulties, but even in the midst of these problems, the Spirit of God is in this land, it is here, hovering over this nation.”

In line with the T.H.E.M.E’s Agenda of the present administration and fulfilling the promise of qualitative healthcare delivery to the residents of Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the recruitment of clinical staff to fill the existing vacancies in the 27 secondary healthcare facilities in the State.

The recruitment, which is aimed at reducing brain drain, is also to ensure that residents get optimal healthcare services whenever they visit any of the government hospitals for medical treatment.

A release signed by the Permanent Secretary, Health Service Commission, Dr. Ademuyiwa Benjamin Eniayewun, said that “Vacancies to be filled include posts for Consultants, Registrars, Medical and Dental officers, Health Records officers, Pharmacists, Nurses, Medical Laboratory Scientists and Physiotherapists.

“Others are Radiographers, Optometrists, Dental Therapists and Technologists, Medical Laboratory and Dental Technicians as well as House Officers and Interns.”

Eniayewun stated further that all applicants are expected to apply online, from Monday, August 16, 2021, to Saturday, September 4, 2021, through the Commission’s portal at http://www.lshscrecruitment.com.ng , adding that only shortlisted candidates will, however, be contacted for the computer-based test and interview.

Similarly, the Permanent Secretary also revealed that Mr Governor has approved the upgrade of five comprehensive hospital centres in the State to General Hospitals.

According to him, the affected Hospital Centres are those in Onikan, Harvey Road, Ebute-Metta, Ijede and Ketu-Ejirin.

The Junior Chamber International JCI Nigeria on Thursday 12th August, 2021 held International Youth Day programme in Ibadan. The event coupled with awarding of ten outstanding young persons was held to celebrate talented and creative young persons who have carved a niche for themselves in their chosen careers.

According to Kemi Irinoye, the Chairperson of the JCI Nigeria TOYP/IYD team, the JCI Nigeria TOYP award, a domestication of the global JCI TOYP is an annual award that recognizes youth within the ages of 18 and 40 in Nigeria who have distinguished themselves in advancing the cause of human and global development.

The 2021 edition of the TOYP Award process commenced in January 2020 with nominations of over 1000 industrious young Nigerians received.

The themes of the event were discussed by the duo of the Minister for Youths and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare and a foremost Communications and Public Relations Expert, Mrs. Titilope Oguntuga.

Mrs. Oguntuga while speaking on the theme titled – Transformation Food System: Youth Innovation For Human And Planetary Change highlighted the need for Nigerian Government to embark on aggressive and sustainable agricultural policies to achieve food security that would be far-reaching for overall economic development.

Oguntuga advocated for value chain in agricultural produce while decrying the poor state of agricultural sector which has paved way for importation of some agricultural outputs that should have been grown locally.

In his words from the panel session, the Oyo State Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyewo Oyewole spoke on Youth Inclusion in The Socio-Economic Development of a Nation. The Attorney-General said, the present leaders must apologize to Nigerian youths for depriving them some of the things they enjoyed while growing up.

“My generation must apologize to the youths because some of the things i enjoyed during my University days could no longer be seen again.

“Little wonder you find most of our youths looking for visa to Canada, some go through desert and other dangerous routes to search for greener pasture,” said Prof. Oyewo.

Ikhille Helen, one of the Organizing Committee Members while speaking to the correspondent of ODUDUWA NEWS said, the significance of the International Youth Day was to celebrate youths globally and to award some creative young minds to motivate the entire teeming youthful population. JCI Nigeria President, JCI (Amb.) Abiola Olorunisola while addressing the press also highlighted the role the organization and its members are taking to ensure youth development in Nigeria.

The ten outstanding young persons awarded at the event included Shola Akinlade, Co-founder and CEO of Paystack; Maryam Akpaokagi, a popular Commedian known as Taooma; Olalekan Sipass, Co-founder, Project Ozone; Asisat Oshoala, Footballer, Barcelona FC/Super Falconets; Gideon Olanrewaju, Founder Areai; Hamzat Bala Lawal, Anti-Corruption Activist, Olivia Onyeamobi, Founder, Pad Up Creations; Dr. Alexander Ezenagu, Assistant Professor, College of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar among others.

It is with deep pain, a sense of loss and shame on our collective nationhood that I write to condemn the calamitous killing of at least thirty (30) Nigerians in Jos, Plateau state by a militia group. At least 30 Nigerian Muslims who were traveling back south from a Muslim New Year programme in Bauchi state were dragged off their bus, stabbed and hacked to death. It is also reported that several others sustained varying degrees of harm and are receiving critical care as I write.

There can simply be no motive or reasoning that justifies this senseless killings, and having to die in such a gruesome manner owing to one’s religion as has been determined by widespread report is truly tragic and ominous. In fact, escalating internecine and inter-religious conflicts which have caused the loss of lives and properties nation-wide threaten the very unity and sovereignty of this country, and the time for decisive action is now.

It is unacceptable that this crisis keeps defying security solutions thrown at it so much so that we question the availability of the political will and capacity to deal with it heads-on. Are we simply not doing enough or are the solutions treating just the symptoms and ignoring the cause. How much more lives would have to be lost for concerted effort to be made to forestall future occurrences? Indeed, what is the value of Nigerian live today?

I want to commiserate with the surviving families of today’s victims and pray God’s fortitude over them. It is indeed a dark day in our nation’s history.

I also must charge our political leaders and security chiefs to do more in safeguarding the lives of Nigerians. This is more death too many, and it has the potential to spiral into something so massive as to decimate the very foundation of our nationhood. Enough is enough. It is time for decisive action.

Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq., is a Legal Practitioner and the Principal Partner at LAW CORRIDOR PARTNERS, Abuja.

The Nigerian Police Force, Plateau State Division has released a statement on how Muslim travellers who were going to Ikare, Ondo State from Islamic procession in Bauchi were killed at Rukuba, Plateau State.

This was contained in a statement released by the Police Force Headquarters in Jos as read in part:

“On 14/08/2021 at about 0928hrs, the Plateau State Police Command received a distress call that a group of attackers suspected to be Irigwe youths and their sympathisers along Rukuba Road of Jos North LGA attacked a convoy of five buses with Muslim faithful who were coming back from the Annual Zikr prayer in Bauchi State and are heading to Ikare in Ondo State.

“Unfortunately, twenty-two (22) persons were killed and Fourteen injured in the attack.

“Upon receipt of the report, a team of Police personnel, the military and other sister agencies were immediately mobilised to the scene where twenty one (21) victims were rescued and six suspects arrested.

“The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Edward Egbuka along with the GOC 3-Division, Major General Ibrahim Ali, also visited the scene and ordered for a discreet investigation to fish out other perpetrators of this barbaric act at large.

Normalcy has returned to the area.

“The Cp warned that those that perpetrated this dastardly act & others that incited it, will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“The Command urges the public to remain calm and to furnish the Police with useful information that will aid the investigation.

The incident happened at Rukuba Road that leads to the 3Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos.

Story had it that the travellers ran into Miango mourners, who were taking their corpses from the Plateau Specialist Hospital, yesterday, around 9:00 am for mass burial in their village, Miango.

As the mourners, dressed in black, were going to their village for the burial, they ran into five buses.

It was gathered that the mourners stopped the buses and were told by the travellers that they were coming from Islamic prayer in Bauchi and going to Ikare, Ondo State. They said they were taking Rukuba Road as a shortcut.

The youths descended on them and killed 20 of them instantly, while they burnt some buses. When journalists visited the hospitals, some people washing the corpses at the mortuary asked journalists to count the dead bodies.

A source said 40 people were missing. The Muslim clerics at the hospital said to avoid further escalation of the crisis, they would bury the dead in Bukuru area.

Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has assured the state indigenes that their kith and kin in Plateau State are safe, despite the carnage leading to the death of several persons in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Richard Olatunde, in a statement made available to journalists in Akure, yesterday, said the governor urged Ondo State indigenes to be calm, as the situation was under control.

Akeredolu was said to have got the assurance after the unfortunate killing in Plateau, where some people believed to be indigenes of Ondo State were attacked. 

Olatunde explained: “The Governor says from the report he received from his brother Governor in Plateau, the incident was a case of mistaken identity. 

“The victims, according to preliminary reports, took a route where crisis between Muslims and Northern Christians had ensued for some time, and that they may have been possibly mistaken for aggressors. Accordingly, either of the two feuding groups in the area could be responsible in this regard.”

Governor Akeredolu sued for calm among people of the state, urging that nobody should take the law into their hands. He particularly urged the people to refrain from any hasty colouration of the unfortunate incident. 

“I have spoken with my brother Governor in Plateau, and he has assured me that the situation is under control. I want to plead with our people to remain calm. From the report I gathered, it is clear some were killed while many others who are injured have been taken to the hospital for medical attention…”