Oduduwa News

Violence erupted yesterday at the Baptist Secondary School, Surulere, Ilorin, Kwara State over the refusal of the school authorities to allow female Muslim students to use hijab. Parents of the students engaged the school authorities in a hot argument which resulted into a stone-throwing contest between Christians and Muslims. Meanwhile the Nigerian Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on stakeholders to call the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to order.

MURIC’s statement position was revealed in a statement issued by the director of the human rights group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

“We are perturbed that people who claim to be civilised are disrespecting the rule of law. CAN is to blame for all these. CAN was the one that called on its members to occupy that school. Fortunately the ugly scene only played out in one out of ten schools. But it is a big shame that in 21st century Kwara, CAN is turning its members against democratic norms, against the rule of law.

“Both the Ilorin High Court and the Court of Appeal have ruled in favour of hijab. It is therefore illegal, illegitimate, unlawful and unconstitutional for CAN to insist that its members should not obey the courts and that the schools should not allow female Muslim students to use the hijab or even enter the school premises. It is the height of lawlessness.

“We assert that CAN should be held responsible for whatever happens in those schools. We wonder why the Nigerian civil society is silent over this open rape on the rule of law. Is it because Muslims are at the receiving end? Is it because the Christian leadership is the culprit? We reject selective justice. Those who are most vehement when democracy is in jeopardy must also speak up when any principle of democracy is under threat. Refusal to obey court order is a flagrant confrontation of democracy and a threat to good governance, law and order and peaceful coexistence. Or is CAN above the law?

“It is unfortunate that CAN has failed to learn from history. The latest order given to Christian students to wear strange garments like church choir and masquerade dresses to school will fail woefully just as it did in Osun State. For how long can Christian students wear choir dresses to school. We will see who blinks first. Truth will always overwhelm falsehood and darkness must disappear when light comes.

“We invite all right-thinking Nigerians to take a critical look at the game playing out in Kwara State. It is a well-known fact in modern society that any group that flouts court pronouncement is inviting chaos. This is exactly what CAN is doing in Kwara State. We therefore call on stakeholders to call CAN to order.

“MURIC warns the Kwara State Government (KWSG) against compromising its authority over this issue. Any attempt by KWSG to spoon-feed CAN or to sweep the right of the Muslim girl-child to wear hijab under the carpet will be resisted by the Muslim community. The law is on our side. On hijab we stand. There will be no retreat, no surrender.”

Igboho made the declaration while speaking in Ibadan on Wednesday. In a video of the event that has gone viral, Igboho said all the borders will be opened, while lamenting that major institutions in the south-west are headed by people of Fulani origin.

There is no evidence to substantiate this clam.

The youth leader came to prominence after he issued an eviction notice to herders in Ibarapa area of Oyo state. He also forced Seriki Saliu Abdulkadri, Fulani leader in Igangan, to leave the town and relocate to the north.Advertisement

“We no longer have peace in our home. We have a good country but our leaders are bad. We don’t want them again,” he said.

“After this discussion, we will hold meeting and open our borders so that rice, food and other things can enter easily. Enough is enough. All our borders that Nigerian government closed, we are telling them we are no longer under them, we will go and open the borders.

“We are ready for everything they want to do to us. I am speaking on behalf of Yoruba people.”Advertisement

The youth leader said the Yoruba are now united and with traditional rulers backing them. He also dared any traditional ruler that is against his own people to declare it publicly.

“Some people can say that Yorubas are not united, we are united. If you want to know how united we are, touch one of us, you will know that all Yoruba kings are behind us,” he added.

Igboho also asked the Yoruba in the north to return home and end their ”suffering”.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that the State Government would continue to collaborate with it to address the scourge of drug crisis in Nigeria.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), at the Lagos House, Marina, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration has put in place some measures, among which is building a full-fledge mental health rehabilitation hospital to tackle drug crisis in the State.

He said: “Indeed we know that drug abuse is prevalent in our society in all forms and shape. For us as a government, it is not something we are sweeping under the carpet. We are not denying that it is there. Part of the things we are doing to tackle it is to ensure that we have functional and working rehabilitation centres and we are equipping them to identify real caregivers that will take victims through rehabilitation process.

“Beyond that, we are actually building a full-fledged mental health rehabilitation hospital at Ketu-Ejinrin in Lagos East Senatorial District. This we believe will not only have almost 500 beds but will also have a required expertise, medical and all of the complements to ensure that different categories of treatments required are available.

“We will collaborate with different commands of NDLEA in Lagos. We will try and strengthen our level of relationships for quicker response. All of us need to have a strong advocacy; parents, religious and traditional leaders need to be true to themselves and let us know that, it is only when we speak about it that we can indeed get proper solutions.

“We will not condone criminality coming out of this because that also portends a great danger to law abiding citizens. So, we need to define clearly between people that are just abusing it and people that are criminalizing it, and be able to deal with them accordingly.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu also assured Marwa, who was a former Military Administrator of Lagos State that his administration will continue to raise the bar of governance in the State.

“I want to welcome you and your team back home. On behalf of the people of Lagos State, we thank you for the blue print and all the innovative ideas as one-time Military Administrator in this State and for all the numerous and very laudable initiatives that you set up; that is what some of us are building on today and we certainly cannot thank you enough. We assure you that certainly we will not relent on our oars; we will continue to raise the bar of governance and make you proud,”

Speaking earlier, Marwa, who commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for the efforts being made to address drug abuse in the State, called for integrity drug test for students and politicians, especially those contesting for public offices, noting that “running for public offices is a big responsibility. You shouldn’t be in this important assignment for the public and your head is filled up because of drugs.”

He said: “The drug scourge is now an epidemic in Nigeria. The prevalence is 15 per cent; three times the global average. One in seven Nigerians takes drugs. We have found out that there is nexus between drug use and crime.

“We know and commend Governor Sanwo-Olu for the efforts being made on the issue of drug abuse in the State. Lagos is first in Nigeria in some of the innovative ways. So, we felt that Lagos can show the way first with the integrity drug test for students because it is our youths that are affected mostly. So, students, especially those in tertiary institutions should do drug tests.”

Marwa also commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for providing effective leadership in Lagos State and for managing COVID-19 in the State.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend you for the excellent manner that you are running the affairs of the State. Quite a complex assignment and you are doing very well. In fact, it is because of your proactive nature on COVID matter that we are here today.

“In Nigeria, it would have been far worse but you picked it up with both hands and dealt with it and now, we are all benefitting in the country. We are grateful for this foresight,” the ex-Military Administrator of Lagos State declared.

Following the flag off of the General Gas, Akobo Ibadan flyover by Governor Seyi Makinde, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly , Hon Adebo Ogundoyin has lauded the Governor for his resolve to improve infrastructure and boost the economy of the State.

The Speaker in a statement shortly after the ceremony said the flag off was another milestone by the present administration.

The Speaker expressed optimism that the new Contractor handling the project , Messr Peculiar Ultimate would speed up work on the flyover and execute its to specifications.

According to Hon Ogundoyin, when completed residents, commuters and motorists will heave a sigh of relief from traffic congestion and gridlock which has become the hallmark of the area.

” This is really commendable. Through flyovers, plenty of time is saved, pollution effect and risk of accident are reduced while the aesthetic value of the area the flyover is located is enhanced. It is my firm believe that the project will be completed in 6months as specified.”

” Though the project was started by the last administration, Government is a continuum hence the present administration is ready to complete it to taste to enable our people to enjoy free flow of traffic in and around Bashorun, General Gas, Akobo Ojurin and other adjoining roads ” Oyo Speaker said.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has granted approval seeking to upgrade Emmanuel Alayande College of Education to university of education.

This was made known today by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday.

Olaleye, who spoke with journalists at the Governor’s Office in company of Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello; his Information ,Culture and Tourism counterpart, Wasiu Olatunbosun, said the school has all needed facilities to take off as a degree-awarding higher institution.

He added that all necessary procedures and protocols would be duly followed and relevant agencies and stakeholders would also be consulted throughout the upgrading processes.

Olaleye said:“The Council approved the upgrading the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education to a University of Education. The whole essence of this is for us to deal with the training of teachers as the problem of education from the baseline by producing competent educators and teachers with requisite pedagogical skills.

“The school, in recent years, has been running an affiliated degree programmes with another university and we realized that the students in the programmes actually outnumber the National Certificate Education (NCE) students that are the core mandate of the school. So, the school as it is today, with the infrastructure, materials and skill of the educators there, can actually take off as a university.

“We also realise the students, nowadays, prefer to have a degree than just NCE. So, with the location of the school, the presence of Federal College of Education (Special) in Oyo Town and College of Education at Lanlate, we believe the school has sources for students that can take the degree programmes. It can stand and based on that, the Cabinet approved the upgrading of the school.

“Now, we will take steps to apply to the relevant authorities for the upgrading any moment from now.”

Some Yoruba youths on Monday removed Nigerian flags and replaced them with Oduduwa Republic flags around Teslim Balogun Stadium, in Surulere, Lagos State.

This was seen in a video that went viral.

Nigeria is facing many challenges, some bordering on insecurity in the South which have recently contributed to agitations for self-determination.

The unabated killing and kidnapping of people in the South-West by suspected Fulani herdsmen and the Nigerian government’s failure to solve the problem have also caused tensions between the region and North.

The murderous herders have killed thousands of people, burnt houses, destroyed farms and people’s means of livelihood, displaced villagers, raped women, among other atrocities yet the government and security agencies have appeared helpless in tackling the problems.

The hoisting of Oduduwa flags by these youths might also be connected with what a Yoruba elder statesman, Prof. Banji Akintoye, recently said in an interview that “the remedy to the bondage we are in, the remedy to the enslavement we are suffering on our ancestral space is called self-determination.”

LAGOSIANS NOW APPRECIATE THE EFFICACY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE – LSTMB BOSS

… Says 80% of Nigerians Use Indigenous Medicines

The Chairman of Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, Prof. Adebukola Adefule-Ositelu, has said that the recognition accorded indigenous methods of healing by the present administration has further aided the use of traditional medicine among residents of the State.

Speaking on Monday during an interview session in her office in Onikan, the Chairman stated that the Agency has also been making frantic efforts to sanitise the practice and regularise the operations of the practitioners.

She noted that the intervention of the agency in the areas of training and certification had assisted in making the use of indigenous medicine safe, while also eradicating quackery.

Adefule-Ositelu commended the State Government for the upward review of annual budgetary allocation to the Board in the Year 2021 budget, saying that the gesture attests to the positive disposition of the present administration and the belief of Governor Sanwo-Olu in promoting indigenous medicine.

The Chairman also harped on synergy and collaboration between the orthodox medicine practitioners and their indigenous counterpart for a holistic healing process, stressing that the health seekers should enjoy the freedom of choosing their preferred method of healthcare delivery between orthodox and indigenous healing methods.

Underscoring the potency of traditional medicine in healing mild, moderate and severe health issues, including life-threatening diseases, Adefule-Ositelu declared that the indigenous method of treatment is not inferior to the modern-day method of healthcare delivery.

The Professor of Ophthalmology maintained that indigenous medicine practitioners need their orthodox counterparts in the area of investigation of medical condition in order to ascertain the nature of ailments and to administer the right treatment.

“There is no competition here, the aim of both methods of treatment is to treat patients and get them better by running a parallel system where result is the ultimate”, the LSTMB Chairman reassured.

Professor Adefule-Ositelu declared that 80% of medications used in the orthodox field are derived from natural products, used for syrups and tablets, disclosing that plans are underway to replicate modern traditional clinics, laboratories and standard offices across the five divisions of the State for monitoring the activities of traditional practitioners, including those operating in the hinterlands.

The replication of the traditional clinics and laboratories across the State, she said, will help to empower indigenous healers for clinical trials on variant medicinal solutions, document results and also record the efficacy and side effects of plants and herbs.

Following the fire incident that razed Sabo market in Oyo town on Tuesday 2nd March, 2021, the Oyo State House of Assembly has appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to put measures in place towards reconstructing the affected shops in the market.

The House also urged the State Government through the State Emergency Management Agency , SEMA to provide relief materials for traders whose shops and properties were destroyed in the inferno.

The appeal was part recommendations of the Minority Leader of the Assembly, Hon Asimiyu Alarape on Tuesday while presenting a Matter of Urgent Public Importance on the need to reconstruct shops gutted by fire and provide relief to victims of fire incident at Sabo market, Oyo town.

The matter co-sponsored by the Minority Leader and Hon Kazeem Isiaka Tunde Oyo East/West further appealed to the State Governor to upgrade the market by providing modern lock-up shops, administrative blocks, Warehouses, cold room storage facilities, clinic, police post, toilets and potable water among other facilities.

They commended the State Governor for the reconstruction of Akesan market razed by fire on January 5,2020, provision of new fire trucks for the market, and the compensation granted to traders affected by the fire incident, and urged the Governor to extend the same gesture to Sabo market.

According to the Lawmakers, nthe Sabo market is among the major food markets in the town hence compensating the affected traders and reconstructing the market on time will help in assuaging the monumental loss experienced by the traders and putting the market back in full operation.

It was also resolved that necessary stakeholders should embark on more sensitization campaign on radio, television and other social media on ways of preventing fire outbreaks

The Deputy Speaker, Hon Fadeyi Muhammad called on members of the public to always take necessary precautions towards preventing fire outbreaks.

Hon Babajide Adebayo , Ibadan North 2 who acknowledged the various interventions of Governor Seyi Makinde on such incidents called the attention of the Governor to another fire incident at Oke Itunu market, Ibadan and urged the State Government to also come to the aid of the traders affected at the market.

In his submission, the Speaker,Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin harped on the need for residents to support the efforts of the State Government towards preventing fire outbreaks.

” Recall that four Operational vehicles were presented to the Oyo State Fire Service to aid the fight against fire outbreak. This is a further demonstration of the importance the Oyo State Government accord to matters and issues of safety of lives and properties of the citizenry. The State Fire Service now have trucks to work with courtesy of the present administration. The Governor just few days ago donated fire truck to Ibadan Airport. The issue of Sabo market is equally pathetic and I am sure our Government will do something about it” The Speaker said.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that Pastor Akinade Alamu, The Board Chairman, Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) is leading a delegation of TESCOM official on a monitoring team to secondary schools in oyo state, with a view to provide drive for the advancement of educational system in the state.

The Chairman affirmed this while addressing the press men in Oyo township, during the monitoring exercise to Durbar Grammar school, Oyo, Olivet Baptist High School Oyo, Ladigbolu Grammar school I & II, Army Children Secondary School and Ilora Baptist Grammar school 1, Oyo and others.

He added that the essence of the exercise is to monitor the schools, teachers, administration, behavior of students as well as to ensure effective and productive teaching-learning process.

While speaking on the report of the exercise, Pastor Alamu said the performance of the school principals were very encouraging, as well as the performance of the newly recruited teachers by the commission adding that they should continue to discharge the best input to the students.

He gave kudos to State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for facelift idea to change the state educational sector.

“The state government has done the needful towards reducing the number of out-of-school children in the state cum reposition the state WAEC from 26th to 11th position. The quality of education they received really shows, today, the mindset of the students are positive, motivated, reinforced and encouraged.

He now advised the teachers to reciprocate more, the good intentions of the state government in transforming educational sector.

In his own speech, the board member and commissioner representing Oyo Zone of the commission, Hon. Jimoh Akeem Olalekan affirmed that the monitoring exercise comes up at the right time. Proper and effective monitoring process enhance the effectiveness of school administration.

He commended His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde (FNSE), as Oyo township greatly achieved from the road map accelerated development agenda, such as rehabilitation of Gedu-Oroki-Saabo-Ashipa road, face lift of Ultramodern Akesan Market, Renovation of Durbar stadium complex, Silo Project Awe-Oyo, Upgrading of Aafin Primary Health Care, the recent light up Oyo and various other Projects embarked upon in Oyo Federal Constituency.

Equally, the head of zone, Oyo zonal chapter of TESCOM, Mr. O. L Suulola, appreciated the Tescom board led by the commission chairman.
He further admonished the teachers to continue discharge the best in them to promote the pace setter State educational sector.

Among the monitoring team were; Pastor Akinade Alamu, the Commission Chairman, Hon. Jimoh Akeem Olalekan, the Commission board member, Mr. Okanlawon (Director Planning and Research), Mr. Babalola (SAO Admin)-DDAGS