When the Government of Oyo State and the Oyo State Police Command moved against the former Chairman of the Oyo State Park Management system, Mukaila Lamidi aka Auxiliary, I was one of those who were sceptical about the motive of the manhunt and the sincerity of the Governor to see the matter to a logical conclusion. Recent events seem to be reinforcing my scepticism. All along, I had a strong feeling that Governor Makinde in his characteristics deceptive manner was just acting a script. A script that is mainly targeted at making Auxiliary take the fall for his ineptitude and…
Author: Editor-in-chief
The high point of the Splash FM gubernatorial debate was the altercation between Teslim Folarin, then candidate of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) and Seyi Makinde, then candidate of the People’s Democratic Party. A fierce argument had ensued between the duo after Folarin referred to Lamidi Auxiliary, then Chairman of the Oyo State Park Management system as an convict. Governor Makinde, in a burst of anger had, in defense of Auxiliary threatened Folarin and accused him of alleged complicity in the murder of Salako Eleweomo, a former Chairman of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers,…
In Port-Harcourt, Rivers State last week as guest of Governor Nyesom Wike, President-elect, Bola Tinubu, promised to fight corruption. To delink judicial officers’ minds from corruption, Tinubu’s blueprint of fighting this goblin, he said, would be to incentivize judicial officers. “You don’t expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor and dispense justice in squalor. This is part of the changes that are necessary. We must fight corruption but we must definitely look at the other side of the coin. If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt, you got to pay attention to their welfare.…
The divorce epidemic in the world and its attendant crises in divorce property sharing assumed a different colour last week in the matter of Moroccan, Achraf Hakimi Mouh and his erstwhile wife, Spanish actress, Hiba Abouk. Hakimi is reported to be Africa’s sixth highest-paid player whose extreme popularity has stuck to him like a lapel since he led his home country, Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The French magazine, First Mag, had reported that in her claim upon the grant of the divorce by the court, Hiba had requested for half of Hakimi’s assets and…
Some huge, evil men surround a big, black pot. It is apparent that a food is being cooked. The men strung round their waists black cloths like priests of a dreadful god. Their torsos are naked like the day of creation. Their countenances are scary, with eyes dilating like pebbles immersed in crimson syrup. The sweats that glide down their barrows are crimson-red too. Underneath the black pot are logs of firewood with billowing charcoal-black fumes and red flame. As one of the men heaves the lead off the black pot, the broth on fire catches the attention. It is…
In the course of my research into the work, Ayinla Omowura: Life and Times of an Apala Legend, I came to the conclusion that stardom and eccentricity are intertwined. One of my sources told me that one day in the late 1970s, Omowura, the late Yoruba musician, as a litigant in a matter that took place in an Abeokuta, Ogun State High Court, walked into the courtroom clutching a half-smoked wrap of burning marijuana. The judge was so scandalized that he shouted, “Get out of here! Where do you think you are!” apparently in deference to his stardom; otherwise, he…
“If you are unlucky not to have a representative in the judicial council, even if you are innocent, you can be found guilty – B’eyan o l’eni ni’gbimo, bo ro’jo are, ebi lo mi a je.” This very profound saying of the Yoruba, translated into a pithy musical line in one of the tracks of Alhaji Ayinla Omowura, late Yoruba Apala musician, point unmistakably to the fact that corruption and favouritism predate colonialism in Africa. When you jointly read this line and D. O. Olagoke’s 1962-written play entitled The Incorruptible Judge, you will understand why it is almost an impossibility…
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan North local government have raised the alarm over the anti-party activities of a member of House of Representatives representing the Federal constituency, Hon. Musiliu Akinremi popularity known as Jagaban. The members – Mr. Ibrahim Jokanola and Hon. Isaac Aransi said aside the directive the lawmaker gave to his supporters to work for Governor Seyi Makinde of PDP, Akinremi also mobilised them with fund to buy votes at various polling units at The Polytechnic Ibadan, University of Ibadan and Sango areas of Ibadan North LGA. The party members who spoke with our…
The battle for the Agodi Government House job might have been narrowed down to two candidates in Oyo State barely 24hours to election, if information in some quarters is anything to go by. Before now, the race was touted to be between the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde (PDP), Senator Teslim Folarin (APC) and Oloye Adebayo Adelabu (Accord). A top source who spoke on the condition of anonymity but close to the powers-that-be in the state said the candidate of the Accord might have “agreed” to collapse his structure and work for the re-election bid of Governor Makinde. But,…
Jittery over the last week endorsement of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin by Christians in Ogbomoso land, the governor of the state, Seyi Makinde has asked Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Oyewo Oyelowo and Chairman of the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Board (Christian Wing), Bishop Ademola Moradeyo who are both from Ogbomosoland to bribe pastors in Ogbomoso with the sum of N200million, oyoecho.com reliably gathered. Impeccable source told our correspondent in Ibadan on Wednesday that the duo of Moradeyo and Oyelowo had been given N200million to distribute to pastors in…