These are not the best of times for the Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde. The Governor is hurting most especially, on two fronts. The Judgment of the Supreme court of Nigeria which took away the plate of sumptuous meats from him and the retreat he was forced to beat on the issue of the Installation of the Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakuleyin are a double dose of shock that is sending jitters to the spine of the Governor. In all honesty, you have to pity and sympathize with Governor Makinde. Since the day he has been eating from the glass…
Author: Editor-in-chief
In the year 2000, whilst I was Features Editor of the Nigerian Tribune and a budding columnist with the newspaper, a friend from the PUNCH alerted me that a hunt for my “head” was in the offing. He narrated how it began. Chairman of the newspaper, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, suddenly walked into one of the newspaper’s editorial meetings and declared me wanted. He was said to have declared his admiration for my writings and asked that I be head-hunted. The man he saddled with that responsibility was the highly respected columnist and editor of the newspaper, Azubuike Ishiekwene. It was…
The Iloko, offspring of Arelu, (Iloko Omo Arelu) are held in awe in Yorubaland. For a people who fought one another in internecine wars that began in 1793 and lasted for almost a century, Yoruba give effusion of reverences to people with unusual bravery. Their reverence for the Iloko however comes from this clan’s queer and odd brand of bravery: Spillage of blood. The Iloko earned their renown from decapitation of heads. They cut off human heads with magisterial finish, holding the familial history of being the king’s executioner. In ancient England, as execution of enemies of the monarchy was…
After an unusual tumultuous build up, instigated by Governor Seyi Makinde, Oba Olakuleyin was eventually Installed and presented with the Staff and Instruments of office yesterday, 13th July, 2024. Naturally, Ibadan should be relieved and allowed to enjoy the reign of the Monarch in peace but like Jogunomi, Governor Makinde would have none of that. He chose the occassion of the Installation to start another controversies, this time around, a bare knuckle fight against the person he had targeted all along, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan Land, His Excellency, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja. An amendment to section 4 of…
When we were growing up, we were used to the analogy of our parents about someone who consoled himself after failing in a struggle with others over an issue and thereafter resigned to fate that only the Grace of God is unlimited. On such occassions, our parents would say, ” eni ti owo e o ba ijagudu nii pe ko sohun to ndun tii tan, a fi ola Olorun”. I saw Governor Makinde’s reaction to the Supreme court judgment granting full Autonomy to Local Governments and I laughed till some pleasant tears were rolling from my eyes. Governor Makinde in…
Gbanjo is a Yoruba way of calling attention of buyers to a product marked for sale. When Yorubas say ” maa luu ni gbanjo”, be sure that the subject of discourse is sure to be sold. Such products, in most cases are sold at undervalued prices. Barring any last minute change of mind, which is very unlikely, Governor Seyi Makinde will sell off the Eruwa Farm Settlement! From very reliable sources, the Farm settlement will be sold off to Chinese buyers most likely at some ” gbanjo” price. The issue of the pricing is not even the issue here. It…
One of the reasons I enjoyed reading Chinua Achebe’s books is the richness in African traditional proverbs and his usual mix of the Igbo language in his writings. Through him, I have been able to grasp the meanings of some Igbo words. In his book, Things Fall Apart, there is one Igbo word that came to my mind this evening while I was ruminating on the terrible situation Nigeria and Nigerians have currently found themselves under the watch of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Igbo word sounds hilarious somehow but it’s meaning carries a negative weight. It is ” efulefu”.…
Nigeria is dying rapidly, not slowly under president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Sadly, every indices point to a fact that the president see things differently. Chinua Achebe once said that the day a mad man becomes conscious of his madness, that day is his day of salvation. Unfortunately, while the generality of the Nigerian masses are seeing a Nation headed for the abyss, president Tinubu and his few accolytes are seeing a country in wonderland, to the extent that they are already gearing up for 2027! ” Iya nronu, Omo e nroka”. It is a case of the mother, been engrossed…
The Judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Judicial Division between the EFCC, the Government of Oyo state and some Kingmakers in Oyo Town made headlines yesterday. The quick readiness by the EFCC to arraign the Kingmakers immediately after the Federal High Court delivered a Judgement in Its favor is also making headlines as I write this piece. As for the Judgment, I have made my opinion known about the state of our Judiciary in a piece I titled ” Nigeria’s Democracy On The Judiciary’s Slaughter Slab ” and I won’t belabor the issue here. These days, our Institutions have…
One phenomenon that cannot be denied in Nigeria today is hunger. Nigerian people are hungry. Very unusually, no one – politicians, elected government functionaries or their appendages – has been able to allege that this general cry of hunger is politically motivated. So many occurrences have been painted with the camwood of that word, “politically motivated”. It is worse for some of us who write. We must have taken overnight instructions from political baron opponents to paint government black. Or, our views are hangovers from ancient hatred and bile. But, hunger seems to be in a class of its own.…