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 Politics › Re: Samsung Opens New Academy In Lagos. by OsunIfe: 4:44am On Aug 11, 2013 |
Ayekotoo: Samsung has three Academies in Lagos.We set the pace.  |
| Politics › Re: Opon Imo Launched By Osun Today by OsunIfe: 5:04am On Jun 16, 2013 |
Osun A Dara O. |
| Politics › Aregbesola Inaugurates "Odidere" FM For Kids by OsunIfe(op): 12:37pm On May 27, 2013 |
State Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at the weekend, commissioned the radio arm of Reality Radiovision Service, “Odidere FM, 96.3.”http://www.osundefender.org/?p=102221 5 Likes
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| Politics › Re: Osun To Host 2013 Oodua World Children's Day by OsunIfe(op): 6:13pm On May 24, 2013 |
Odududuwa yo gbe gbogbowa o.. 8 Likes |
| Politics › Osun To Host 2013 Oodua World Children's Day by OsunIfe(op): 6:12pm On May 24, 2013*. Modified: 6:40pm On May 24, 2013 |
The Chairman of the Oodua World Children Day, Oguntola Toogun has revealed plans to stage the 2013 edition of the Oodua World Children’s Day in Osun state.http://allafrica.com/stories/201305130065.html/ http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/05/24/osun-to-host-2013-oodua-world-childrens-day/ 9 Likes
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| Politics › Oduduwa Youth Council Hails Aregbesola And Fayemi On Performance by OsunIfe(op): 2:49pm On May 21, 2013 |
Posted by: Damisi Ojo, Akure on May 21, 2013 A group, the Oduduwa Youth Council (OYC), yesterday said Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) have performed beyond expectation in their two-and-a-half years in office. It described the performance of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governors as “unprecedented”. In a statement by its National Coordinator, Mr. Festus Omoniyi-Bello, the group said the governors are a blessing to the Yoruba race. It said it was convinced that Fayemi and Aregbesola would be reelected because of their outstanding performance. OYC said: “We are happy that the era of gangsterism is gone in the two states, as well as other Southwest states.” It chided the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Communications, Dr. Doyin Okupe, for his comment that ACN National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari were liabilities to the country. The group said: “Tinubu is the architect of the transformed Lagos State. He is a pacesetter and great achiever. Buhari is a statesman with zero tolerance for corruption, which has become endemic in the country. “In 2015, we will know if Okupe can win his unit in Ogun State for President Goodluck Jonathan with his boasting. Then, the people will determine who is a political liability.” http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/group-hails-governors-on-performance/ http://www.osundefender.org/?p=101647 |
| Politics › Re: 2014 Osun Guber Poll: Who Will Occupy Bola Ige House? by OsunIfe(op): 7:42pm On May 19, 2013 |
-Performance -Popularity -Party -Sentiments I highlighted these as factors that I think will determine who wins the next gubernatorial election in Osun. *Based on performance the incumbent governor has clearly outclassed his predecessors since the return of democracy. With the present way he his handling infrastructural and human development in the state and also the amazing way he has magically increased the IGR of the state, he his no doubt the best governor the state has had. The only former governor that did close to what the present governor is doing is Chief Adebisi Akande, despite his average performance he was sent packing. Which makes it a not easy ride for the incumbent gov to win the 2014 guber poll. *out of all the PDP candidates, the one time deputy governor Sen. Christopher Omisoro is the most popular within the state. Sen. Christopher was the deputy gov to Adebisi Akande before he was detained due to some faults found in him, thereby making his record have stains. Aregbesola's popularity earned him the 70% votes he had in 2007 election which was manipulated by the then governor Oyinlola, but was later confirmed by the tribunal in 2010 which brought him into office. The popularity might have increased/reduced overtime which 2014 election will tell. *Osun state or The state of Osun, which ever way she is being referred to is taking over from Lagos state as the base for the Action Congress of Nigeria, as shown by the last general election. Osun state is the only state where A.C.N. Won every electable positions in the country, I.e. The only state in the whole Southern(SW,SS & SE) and Middle-belt states that president Jonathan lost. With this, the flag bearer of the A.C.N. has an edge over other candidates from any opposition party(LP, AP, PDP...). *If at all the people of the state of Osun are going to be sentimental in the way they are going to vote in 2014 gubernatorial election, it is likely to be in favor of the incumbent governor. Fortunately for those in the opposition(LP, AP, PDP...), the people of Osun seem not to be sentimental in their pattern of voting based on the way they have had governors from different religions and different yoruba sub group(Oyo, Ijesha). This is how votes based on sentiment is going to favor the incumbent governor; The governor practices the dominant religion(Islam) in the state which is being practiced by 55-60% of the people(mostly oyo people). Also, the governor is an Ijesha man which more than 70% of his people(Ijesha) are christians. No other known candidate combines these two attributes of practicing the dominant religion and being the son of those who should oppose based on religion. Unfortunately, religious sentiment is irrelevant in the politics of Osun. All in all, the best candidate should win. Osun A dara!!! Osun•ife on Nairaland 1 Like |
| Politics › 2014 Osun Guber Poll: Who Will Occupy Bola Ige House? by OsunIfe(op): 2:34am On May 19, 2013 |
The race for the governorship of Osun State hots up. Several known faces in the political skyline have thrown their hats in the ring for the epic contest. Who wears the crown? Will the incumbent prevail? JOSHUA DADA writes The race to Bola Ige House at the Osun State government secretariat started immediately the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, was pronounced the dully elected governor of the state by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Friday, November 26, 2010. The wound inflicted on the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that was caught unawares by the judgment, called for a kind of reorganization of the already broken home caused by the then polarized PDP over the alleged endorsement of a particular aspirant out of no fewer than 10 aspirants jostling for the 2011 gubernatorial election under the party’s platform. The acceptability of the new governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, by the people, no doubt put many members of the PDP off their feet as they agreed that the people actually wanted a change that came their way unexpectedly, not minding which form it took or whose ox was gored. Their overwhelming support and love for Aregbesola was further strengthened as demonstrated by the massive vote the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) got at the 2011 general elections that ushered in the candidates to all elective offices at the state and national levels. It would be recalled that it was only in Osun State that the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2011 won in the Southern part of the country. Despite the soaring popularity of the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who has declared intention to run for a second term in office, the PDP judging from the unfolding scenario in the polity of the state seems to be battle ready to slug it out with Aregbesola having often picked holes in the policies of his administration and believing that Osun State electorates are unpredictable. Already, no fewer than five aspirants have declared intention to contest, while at the end of the day, aspirants from the opposition PDP may have to slug it out at the primaries, the candidature of Ogbeni Aregbesola as the flagbearer of the ACN is almost assured as no one within the party has declared interest on the platform of the party. However, in the fold of the PDP, four political heavyweights have declared their interest in the race and are already at work to ensure that they get the party’s ticket. Therefore, for Senator Abdulrasheed Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, Hon. Oluwole Busayo Oke, Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore and Alhaji Fatai Akinade Akinbade, getting their party’s ticket is the first hurdle which they are all preparing to jump to fly the party’s flag come the 2014 gubernatorial election. None of these four aspirants is a green horn in Osun politics, while Omisore and Akinbade had in the past, taken a shot at the post of governor, Akinlabi and Oke had represented their constituencies at the national assembly. [b] **Senator Abdulrasheed Olasunkanmi Akinlabi from Osun West Senatorial District was a Senator of the Federal Republic and later served as a Minister. Akinlabi, from a humble background in Ode-omu, a town in Ayedaade local government area of Osun State, attended Howard University where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Columbia University. A banker and businessman of note, Olasunkanmi later ventured into politics and successfully got the mandate of his constituency to represent them at the upper chamber on the platform of the PDP where he held sway as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Education. Although intensely private, Olasunkanmi is a favorite amongst the people for his accountability, productivity and philanthropy. He was appointed a Minister responsible for Youth Development in the cabinet of President Umaru Yar’Adua and retained the same portfolio in the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, making him the only member of the cabinet inherited after the demise of Yara’adua by Goodluck Jonathan to retain the same portfolio. As part of his strength, Olasunkanmi has a strong followership from his hometown from where a former PDP chairman in the state, Alhaji Ademola Razak Oyelowo, who still wields considerable influence in political circles in the state, is also an indigene. Oyelowo, aka Landero, was a supporter of Omisore in the last gubernatorial candidacy dispensation; Olasunkanmi may receive his support by virtue of indigenization as his support for the ambition of the former lawmaker may be vital to his chances. A perfect gentleman with an international exposure and national relevance, Olasunkanmi is financially stable and has a fat purse that can support his ambition. While his quiet mien is often considered in some quarters as inappropriate for the task ahead, Olasunkanmi is always quick to flaunt his political credentials which include four years in the Senate and four years as a cabinet minister, despite being of uncomplicated character. Beside his well structured campaign team that has been active in the political scene in the state, the former lawmaker has a likeable personality and his chances of making it through the PDP primary in the last few months has remained very high. Clearly, Olasunkanmi does not have traditional or fanatical supporters like Omisore or Akinbade and this may affect his chances, but many non-aligned PDP members favour Olasunkanmi, if he eventually emerges, candidate of the party. [/b] [b] **Young and dynamic, Hon. Oluwole Oke, also from the PDP family, hails from Esa-Oke, a town in Obokun local government area of Osun state. A holder of a degree in Economics, the former member of the House Committee on Finance, also holds two Masters degrees in Financial Accounting and Masters in Tax Law. Currently, he is pursuing an LLB in the University of Birmingham. At 46, Oke had already put under his belt two-terms, representing his constituency at the House of Representatives and served as Chairman of the House Committee on Defence. He has been a member of the organized private sector for over two decades. Although Oke’s attempt in 2011 to return to the Green Chamber failed, some neutral political followers in Obokun and Oriade local government areas of the state are of the opinion that Oke lost the 2011 election, not because he was unpopular, but owing to the general acceptability the ACN was enjoying at the time, which gave the party the leverage to floor the PDP even if it had presented a slowpoke at that time. Oke, an Ijesa man like the incumbent governor, has consistently assured that if given the party’s ticket, he would defeat the incumbent hands down, saying that he would effortlessly tackle and solve problems confronting the state with the best available global solution. Apart from making himself available to his people during his sojourn at the National Assembly, Oke impacted positively on the lives of many people in his constituency with his grassroots empowerment programme which is Oke’s selling point. It is on record that during his time in the lower chamber, the state had it so good in terms of recruitment into both military and paramilitary agencies in the country. Apart from having a good record while in office, Oke’s ability to connect the vast youthful populace and many computer literate elderly people through internet and engage them in discussions on how Osun state should be run, has further endeared him to many elite electorates. While Oke cuts the picture of an ideal governor for this age, the well educated multilingual technocrat also has the financial wherewithal to cope with the demand associated with a big political project. Oke’s ambition may however suffer a threat if another grassroot politician in his constituency who is said to be eyeing the Senate on the platform of the same party eventually declares his interest. Like Oke, the former Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Chief Francis Fadahunsi from Ilase Ijesa, is a figure nobody within the constituency can underrate because he also has impacted positively on the lives of many individuals within the constituency. [/b] [b] **Another high profile candidate is Alhaji Fatai Akinade Akinbade from Osun West Senatorial District. The gentle but dynamic politician is an alumnus of the Ibadan polytechnic, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. A native of Ogbaagba, the longest serving politician among his contenders, he is a “homegrown” politician who has been around since the creation of the state and knows the terrain so well that he can boast of traditional supporters who will never trade their love for him for anything. As a testimony to his relevance in Osun politics, even when democracy has not returned to the country, Akinbade was a commissioner under three different military regimes in the state. He was the state chairman of the PDP in 2003, when the party defeated the defunct Alliance for Democracy of Chief Bisi Akande led government and then subsequently emerged the Secretary to the Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola led PDP government in the state. Perhaps, his long harbored ambition to govern Osun state must have been done a great favour with the defection of former Chief of Staff to Prince Oyinlola, Elder Peter Babalola to the ACN shortly after a change in government in November 2010, because many of the fanatical supporters of Babalola who are still in the PDP have since moved to the camp of Akinbade. A devout Muslim enjoying the support of Muslim communities in the state, Akinbade also has the good support of artisans and civil servants, especially in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, possibly because they consider him accessible and level-headed. Similarly, the former governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is also believed to be supporting the quest of the Ogbaagba-born politician to superintend the state. To attest to this fact, Oyinlola visited Akinbade in his country home during the last Eid Kabir celebration in company of a large retinue of his supporters. There is no doubting the fact that Akinbade has the clout and pedigree to challenge the incumbent governor in the election if his party hands him a ticket to run, but since his perceived strongest supporter, Oyinlola, was removed as the National Secretary of the PDP, his chances of getting governorship ticket may nosedive. But this position is not shared by many of his supporters who believe Akinbade can still make it through a primary devoid of fraud. Although the Akinbade appears like the candidate to beat, if given the opportunity to fly the PDP flag, the ability to muster enough funds for the great task ahead is doubtful especially after he had invested much on the still-birth 2011 gubernatorial election. [/b] [b] **Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, a controversial figure, was born 56 years ago to the popular Omisore family in Ile-Ife, the Source. A Chartered Engineer, Omisore had served as the Deputy Governor of Osun State during the Chief Bisi Akande administrationwhere he was unceremoniously thrown out of office through impeachment yet remains undaunted. Omisore, a two-term senator of the federal republic representing Osun East Senatorial District from year 2003 to 2011, is no stranger to the intrigues associated with party politics and was practically holding in his palm, the PDP gubernatorial ticket in 2010, despite having to contend with about eleven other aspirants, until the judgment by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, completely altered the political calculations in the state. As an evidence of his doggedness in the political arena, Omisore has a solid political structure that has survived many political onslaughts from within his party and from the opposition and this, coupled with his ability to think far ahead and properly situate challenges, proffering lasting solutions to them, put him miles ahead of those contending for the PDP ticket with him. In a smart move to avert the kind of fortune that befell him in 2011, when he lost the senatorial election to the candidate of the ACN, former Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Barrister Jide Omoworare, Omisore has reconciled with Professor Wale Oladipo, the man said to be holding the grassroots for him. Senator Omisore’s membership of the Catholic Church, one of the dominant denominations in the state with large membership is another plus for his ambition and at the national level; he has all the links and connections that can help his cause. He is believed to be very close to the presidency, getting the support of President Jonathan and the National Working Committee of his party. The powerful politician is also said to be in command of the State Working Committee as it happened during the regime of Alhaji Rasaq Oyelowo especially when the party is operating from his personal office. However, as bright as the chances of Senator Omisore’s getting his party’s governorship ticket is, winning the real election may be a different case because the campaign against his personality will be the focus of the ruling party as they seem to have more weapon” to fight Omisore than any of the three other aspirants on the platform of the PDP. [/b] However, after the primaries of the PDP might have produced any of the above named candidates, and whosoever emerges, even with full support of the remaining three, will still have a tough time to defeat the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. **The man, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, from Osun East Senatorial District, was born on May 25, 1957 at Ilesa, Osun State. A student union activitst, an engineer by profession, is a politician who ran for governor of Osun State in the 2007 elections. Although the PDP candidate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was declared the winner, Aregbesola appealed the decision and on 26 th of November, 2010, was declared the winner. Before he became the governor of Osun State, as an engineer, the dogged fighter, Aregbesola, a devote muslim had his own construction firm. He also served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure during the administration of his esteem leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahamed Tinubu. Since, he assumed duty as the governor of Osun State, Aregbesola has made an incontestable difference. He has turned around the state through his six point integral action plan to banish poverty, banish unemployment, banish hunger, restore healthy living, enhance of communal peace and progress and promote functional education. These he has achieved through his numerous action programmes under the acronym ‘O’, hence we have ‘O’ MEAL, ‘O’YES, ‘O’YESTECH, ‘O’SCHOOL, ‘O’REAP, ‘O’WMA, ‘O’CLEAN, ‘O’MEDIATION, among others. These programmes have touched the lives of the people of Osun State that it may be difficult for any contestant to floor Aregbesola at the battle field more especially that various groups are coming out on a daily basis to declare their support for him. However, he cannot afford to be carried away by these ovations, just like he was reminded by a group that it was not that Chief Bisi Akande did not perform creditably well as governor of Osun State, yet he was voted out. Let Aregbesola learn from this. 2014 is already at hand, whose head will this cap fit. Let’s wait and see and also watch events as it unfolds especially when other political parties are yet to make any pronouncements. http://www.osundefender.org/?p=101312 http://leadership.ng/news/170513/2014-osun-guber-poll-who-will-occupy-bola-ige-house
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| Politics › Re: Yoruba Unity Forum To Host Southern Nigerian Peoples Confab by OsunIfe: 4:42pm On May 18, 2013 |
Same people that dragged us into one Nigeria by cooperating with the Northerners to delay our independence are the ones who first complained of the union and wanted to opt out. Based on the agreement they signed which we stood by, they later complained of been betrayed when they got tired of the agreement they went into which was against our wish. Not so long they clamored for the unity of southern Nigeria they were not taken serious. Now we are trying to consider this by hosting a conference and here they are already with little or no interest. What really do you all really want? |
| Celebrities › Re: D'banj Is The New Ambassador For Bank Of Industry by OsunIfe: 5:24pm On May 14, 2013 |
Wow! So many ignorant kids on this forum. |
| Politics › Re: APC May Threaten PDP Dominance – Anenih by OsunIfe: 2:45pm On May 14, 2013 |
No doubt PDP is not at ease with the birth of APC. This goes a long way in Nigeria's politics, because a strong opposition helps to put the ruling party at work which has never been. You will wonder why the present SW governors are working extensively, since they know they will be booted out if they perform less. God bless Nigeria. 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: NAIRALAND 2013 Ethnic Census by OsunIfe: 8:47am On Jan 22, 2013 |
The home state(ile-ife) of the Yorubas--Yoruba |
| Culture › Soyinka Takes Osun Groove Water For Brazilian Worshippers by OsunIfe(op): 4:28pm On Jan 19, 2013 |
http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/45457/2013/01/19/soyinka_takes_osun_groove_water_brazilian_worshippers.html Sat, 19/01/2013 - 6:03am | SEFIU AYANBIMPE 2 Likes
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| Politics › Re: Osun Pays N132m To Displaced Landowners, Traders by OsunIfe(op): 7:59am On Jan 01, 2013 |
I say Happy new year to the great people of Osun. Wish you all a fruitful and wondrous year. The progress Osun has been witnessing won't stop but be multiplied in a dynamic way. Forward ever to Osun state(State of Osun) the home state of the Yorubas The state of the Living Spring. Osun A Dara....... Signed by Osun•ife of Nairaland |
| Politics › Osun Pays N132m To Displaced Landowners, Traders by OsunIfe(op): 7:51am On Jan 01, 2013 |
http://www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/osun-pays-n132m-to-displaced-landowners-traders/ The Osun State government has paid N67m as compensation to landowners, whose properties were affected by the ongoing construction of an Air Force base in Ipetu-Ijesa community in Oriade Local Government Council. The Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, Mr. Muyiwa Ige, said this in Osogbo on Monday, while presenting cheques to 247 landowners affected by the construction. The gesture came on the heels of the payment of N65m to 395 traders displaced by the ongoing reconstruction of the Old Garage area in Osogbo, the state capital. Ige said although the Ipetu-Ijesa land was acquired by the Federal Government, it became imperative for the state government to ameliorate the plight of the affected people, following the suffering they had faced as a result of the acquisition. The commissioner, who said the Ipetu-Ijesa land was acquired through the Ministry of Defence, maintained that the Federal Government had refused to pay monetary compensations to the landowners.
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| Politics › Maximising Osun/state Of Saxony Anhalt Collaboration by OsunIfe(op): 9:41am On Dec 28, 2012 |
There is only one word to describe the planned collaboration between the government of the State of Osun and the German State of Saxony Anhalt to boost the state’s agriculture: heart-warming. Undoubtedly, it is an attestation to the fact that the painstaking work undertaken by the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration to attract not just investment, but expertise in critical areas of the state’s developmental needs, is finally bearing fruits. Viewed within the context of its declared commitment to improve agricultural practices and to boost food security, it is an important signal that the administration’s avowed mission to banish poverty from the state is well on course. Of course, it goes without saying that the state needs all the help it can get at this time to be able to optimise its potentials be it in agriculture, solid minerals or even in tourism. As an ideas-driven administration, the present administration in the state has never left anyone in doubt about the important role of international agencies and development partners in the state’s development matrix. We have seen the governor make several shuttles to meet with development partners as part of strategies to catalyse the many well-conceived initiatives to transform the state economy in record time. A good example is the governor’s well-publicised visit to the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. Indeed, there are presently on-going discussions between the state government and the elite institution on possible areas of cooperation to boost the state agriculture. Another notable example is the visit by the governor to the German State of Saxony Anhalt in May this year. Both developments find meaning in the context of the governor’s singular commitment to attracting the best of technology to the hitherto moribund sector and to further his goal of optimising the state’s potentials. The visit of the seven-man German expert team to the state is no doubt, an icing on his cake. It deserves to be recognised as the fruit of hard work and persistence for which the state government, most especially the governor, deserves commendation. No doubt, the visit by the team could not have come at a better time than now when the state government is making frantic efforts to reposition the agricultural sector. To start with, there is a lot that our young farmers can benefit from the experts in modern farm techniques and management skills and ultimately in the area of the much needed transfer of technology. The state cannot wait to see the gains of the collaboration in the emergence of new generation of farmers in Osun –individuals who see farming both as a calling and as a business. At the macro level, we expect the collaboration to assist in bridging the knowledge gaps in the state’s agro-business. The collaboration is no doubt, a critical step in the state’s quest to overhaul of the agriculture value chain as a strategy to guarantee sustainability. Finally, just as the point has been repeatedly made that a major bane of the nation’s development quest is the virtual absence of technical capacity by agencies of government charged with implementing well-meaning policies, we expect the benefits of the collaboration to extend to the area of capacity building for officials charged with policy implementation. In other words, the support, discipline and commitment by officials are no less critical if the noble intentions behind the collaboration will ever come to fruition. http://www.osundefender.org/?p=83882 |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:11am On Dec 27, 2012 |
CITY OF 201 GODS: Ile-Ife in Time, Space, and Imagination by Jacob K. Olupona, scion of an Anglican priest, winner of Nigerian National Order of Merit Award (NNOM), Professor of African Religious Tradition, African and African American Studies at Harvard University unveils the mysteries of Ile-Ife and the Yoruba history, cosmos and the deities in a new book CITY OF GODS |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:07am On Dec 27, 2012 |
Thus these new movements often blame disorderly events - particularly those perceived to be obstructing societal progress - on the continuance of traditional orisa religious practices and ways of life, which are regarded as "pagan." Among these events are pestilence, natural disaster, famine, disease (especially the AIDS epidemic), and military coups, all of which are seen as signs of divine anger and Satan's presence. Paradoxically, whereas indigenous religions have claimed that they were indeed performing rituals, engaging in calendrical ceremonies and holding festivals to explain, predict, and control natural phenomena, the new Christian movements have claimed that destructive natural phenomena and events are caused by the continuation of these very "pagan" rituals and festivals. Evangelical Christianity's desire to trump indigenous religious symbols and practices has effectively devolved into a declaration of hostility and war against indigenous traditions. As the cultured despisers of indigenous practices, these new Christian movements aim at doing away with any forms of local knowledge, language, and ethos, even when they do not have any apparent religious connection. For example, by discouraging the use of vernacular liturgy and local dialects, members of these new movements aim to preach a universal message that is ultimately of global, rather than purely local, reach. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:06am On Dec 27, 2012 |
CONVERSION AND THE NEW FACE OF MODERNITY IN ILE-IFE Today, in Ile-Ife and throughout Yorubaland, newer Pentecostal, evangelical, and "born-again" Christian movements that first emerged in the 1970s and 1980s are challenging the institution of the sacred kingship and the pluralistic order that has existed for over a century. These movements epitomize a new form of modernity encroaching upon Ile-Ife. Amid hundreds of evangelical Christian programs, revival meetings, open-air services, and nightly vigils taking place in the city, a newly emergent form of discourse is pushing evangelical Christian activities beyond the arena of the churches and private spirituality to public spaces, thereby directly challenging the orisa-based civil religion that has been in place. I should add that whereas in the Western world the crisis of modernity often connotes a struggle between religion and secularity, Ile-Ife's current struggle over the negotiation of modernity concerns which form of religion will control its centre and civic life. This newer negotiation of modernity is driven by generally exclusivist religious movements whose theology subsumes the entire cosmos and its inhabitants under a single divine order, ruled over by a Supreme God. This theology renders implausible the older order, according to which there exists not only the sacred kingship but also a diverse range of spirits and ancestors. As a result, this shift of sacred power and authority-from rulers and principalities that inhabit the living world to a single divine order inhabiting an invisible world (called heaven) - creates significant tension between devotees of the orisa and members of the new, predominantly Christian, movements. In short, these new movements challenge existing assumptions about what it means to be human in the cosmos and how civil authority is to be understood. According to these new movements, all kings are simply human beings. Thus no king has any inherent religious or earthly authority that gives him power as head of the community, as the chief priest of the local civil religion. Central to this message is an emphasis on the personal salvation of individual converts. Moreover, unlike indigenous traditions, which were concerned with the temporal domain and a this-worldly proximate salvation, the new movements place significant emphasis on otherworldly salvation and benefits. Kings have become more concerned with their own personal salvation than with the proximate salvation of their people as a whole. Each individual is left to fight for his or her own salvation. Members of these new Christian movements are targeting the sacred authority of the Ooni, and Ile-Ife civil religion more generally, because they realize that debunking the legitimacy of the sacred canopy-the guardianship of religious pluralism-will make it possible to destroy all indigenous non-Christian Yoruba traditions. While this kind of exclusivity is often associated with the European and American missionary enterprises of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, I have shown that their accommodationist orientation actually tended to support a role for indigenously based Yoruba civil religion. Rather, native Yoruba are driving this second, far less tolerant, mode of conversion. Although the new Christian movements are part of a global effort to usher in a universal Christian moral and social order, the conversion tactics employed by native inhabitants of Ile-Ife are specifically adapted to their local context. These individuals are able to explore and exploit, to their advantage, their knowledge of the indigenous orisa tradition in order to turn that tradition against itself. They draw upon the indigenous tradition's pragmatic orientation - its emphasis on religion's use value - but claim that indigenous beliefs and practices no longer have such use value because they no longer meet people's needs. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:04am On Dec 27, 2012 |
The Logic and Meaning of Ifa African societies recognize two forms of divination: the mechanical and the mystical. The mechanical form involves manipulating divining instruments or objects to arrive at an appropriate answer and treatment for the client. The mystical form centers on possession by a deity and appeal to a deity. In discussing the !Kung or San divination system, Lorna Marshall has argued that mechanical forms of divination fall into the category of magic and "secular" rather than religious forms because they involve no communication with mystical powers. But although Ifa divination is primarily mechanical, the preamble to an Ifa divination session indicates that mystical powers in control of the cosmos are invoked. Ifa divination is also premised on the communication process between the diviner and the spiritual agencies responsible for proper divination performances. William Bascom remarked that the result is influenced by divine guidance. As in the divination process used by the Ainu of Japan, an invocation and prayer to the mystical forces precede the actual mechanical manipulation of the divinatory instrument. The invocation of Ifa provides an important clue to the logic of the divination mechanism. Here we focus on the Ifa divination performance for healing, and our exploration of its three stages - consultation, diagnosis, and sacrifice-must begin with the ritual invocation. It is a poetic ritual prayer addressed to the relevant cosmic powers (the gods, ancestors, spirits) that the diviners know could influence the outcome of the client's diagnosis. The Ifa ritual invocation that I witnessed in 1991 was intoned as follows: The front of Ifa The back of Ifa, The right side of Ifa, The all-knowing on the left, the centre of Ifa, The centre of heaven From the dawn of the day to the setting of the sun, Never say it is good when the message is evil Never say it is evil when the message is good. Never speak in a voice of deceit! These lyrics are the diviner's invocation to Ifa, spoken as a prayer to guide his consultation rightly so that an unequivocal truth may emerge. By his invocations, the diviner symbolically dramatizes the creation of the cosmos, the three layers of the Yoruba world. At the core of the divination is the idea that the universe and its events are guided by Ifa. He is the regulator of events in the universe (Agbayegun), and his divination process and activities bring order to a potentially chaotic universe. That spiritual order is symbolized by the regulating grid of the four cardinal points of the universe plus the centre, the fifth and the most central point. The five important axes of power are replicated in the Ifa divination tray, usually carved out of wood, which represents the universe. The circular tray is a replica or "reproduction, on the human scale, of the cosmos [and] of Creation itself. It is an imago mundi, an image of the original world order." At times in the course of divination, the Babalawo may trace these axes in the yellow powder on the Ifa tray, indicating the connection between the four cardinal points and the center. The centre of the divining tray, like the centre of the world, is the link to the centre of heaven, the abode of the Supreme God (Olodumare) and the storehouse of sacred knowledge required to discover the "secrets" surrounding the client's ailment, the hidden forces that have produced it. This is analogous to Victor Turner's notion of the centre "out there;' a place outside the immediate domain of the client, which nevertheless can be accessed through divination. The act of touching the divining chain or opele on the four cardinal points and then the center of the tray captures a complex religious symbolism. By this visually significant act, the tray becomes the earthly sacred centre from which the diviner makes present the heavenly centre and the ultimate storehouse of Ifa's knowledge." Lokoloko (palace guards) holding whips made of branches during the Olojo Festival Ifa divination connects the diviner's probing act with the source of the client's being, the ori (personal destiny). By this process, divination exposes the client's destiny, the realities that influence his development, and the configuration of sacred powers that governs the world's ceaseless transformations. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:03am On Dec 27, 2012 |
Ooni with the sacred crown. Although the most frequently employed form of divination involves the use of the opele chain, a more prestigious and elaborate form of divination, the ikin, involves the use of sixteen palm nuts. The diviner takes the palm nuts from a beautifully carved divination bowl into one hand. He then attempts to grab with his other hand most of the palm nuts in his first hand, leaving one or two. He marks the result of the exercise in the powder in the divination tray. When one palm nut is left in the other hand, the diviner makes two marks, and when two ikin are left, he makes one mark. When no palm nuts remain, he makes no mark. This process is done several times until the diviner can make four signs on each side of the tray. Each divination session produces an odu divination sign out of the 256 possible signs. The process of reciting the odu that appears to the client is similar to the above divinatory session with the opele. Below is an example of verses from an odu called Eji Ogbe, which explains how important divination practice is on earth. Ko sibi ti afefe ki i fe e de Ko sibi ti iji ki i ja a de A d'ifa fun Ojise Olodumare Eni ti Olodumare ran wa sile aye Eni ran'ni nise la a beru A ki i beru eni ta a je fun Olowo ori mi ko je t'Ikole orun bo wa s'Ikole aye Olowo ori mi o re'bi Kankan To fi n se gbogbo ohun ti o fe e se Eni to ba ko'ti ikun s'Ifa Eniyankeniyan to ni eni wo'fa o logbon lori Enikeni to ni eni n wofa n sese ibi O setan to fe e lo s'alakeji Ojo to jade nile koje pada wale omo Ebi iru won nii jese owo o won Enikeni o gbodo so pe Ifa o nii se e Ohun t'Ifa ba so nii fun babalawo lounje Eni to n'Ifa n puro o lere kankan. There is no place that the wind does not blow. There is no place that the hurricane does not blow. Who divines for the messenger that Olodumare the Supreme sends on an errand? He who sends you on an errand He [whom) only you will respect. Your Master never travels from heaven above. Your Lord does not go out visiting. Your Lord stays in one place and accomplishes everything he wants to bring about. Whoever refuses to obey the diviners' words, Whoever says the client's work is not good, Should be prepared to see Olodumare in heaven [i.e., be prepared to die]. When the enemy leaves his house, he will not return home. The family he leaves behind will have to take charge of his affairs. No one must doubt the stories of the diviners. The stories the diviners tell provide for their daily bread. The enemy who says the diviners are lying will make no progress in life. In this powerful narrative the heavenly Ifa commands his devotees to take the work of the diviners seriously and spells out consequences for disobedience. Ifa diviners see this passage as proclaiming the authority given to them by Orunmila to control, determine, and mediate the affairs of the living. The diviner's role recalls that of the Holy Spirit, who according to Christ's promise would guide the affairs of the world after Christ departed. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:01am On Dec 27, 2012 |
IFA IN THEORY AND IN PRACTICE In traditional and contemporary Yoruba culture and society, the Ifa divination system occupies a vital role in ordering and regulating the social and moral order. In addition to providing a plausible theory and practice aimed at explaining and controlling events, space, and time, Ifa represents a boidy of deep knowledge that deals with the past, present and future all at once. The Babalawo or diviners memorize Ifa as poetic oral texts and recite them on appropriate occasions, especially during rituals to secure healing and good health for clients. As a prelude to examining the rituals and ceremonies of Ifa in Ile-Ife, it is useful to discuss the practice,logic and meaning of Ifa. The Ifa divination system of belief and ritual practices derives its authority in Ile-Ife from the sacred kingship and the lineage traditions of the diviners. The ritual and ceremonies discussed later in this chapter follow the archetypal format upon which Ifa beliefs and practices throughout Yorubaland, if not abroad, are based. The Yoruba consult Ifa diviners on a wide range of personal, social and religious matters: for example, before undertaking an important obligation such as marriage, travelling to a distant place, and whenever they are in doubt. They use divination in situations of serious illness, especially when the illness is prolonged. Below, I interpret the symbolic and metaphysical meanings surrounding an Ifa consultation. As in the consultation that my research assistant sought in the Araba's house, a client visits a Babalawo to determine the cause of a problem, typically a physical ailment. The client sits on a mat in front of the diviner while the Babalawo lays out his divination paraphernalia, which consists of a divinatory chain of linked half nuts and a tray of yellowish pollen. The client takes a coin, touches his forehead with it, and whispers into it his prayer or request, asking Ifa to reveal the secret behind his problem and to find an appropriate solution. He places the coin in front of the diviner, touching his chain with the coin as if conveying the request to it. The diviner begins the session by invoking Ifa and reciting the words that begin this chapter. Ifa is showered with presents to assist in the process. The diviner requests that Ifa not mislead his client. The invocation also allows the diviner to pay homage to the spirit world, the ancestors, the great diviners before him, and the four directions of the Yoruba universe as he moves the chain to the front, back, left, right, and center of the tray, acknowledging all the relevant spiritual forces connected to the process. To cast the divination, the diviner holds the chain in the middle and throws it on the mat, making a "U" shape on the floor, so that four nuts fall on each side. The nuts will expose either convex or concave sides, thus displaying sixteen possible forms of the "signature" of Ifa. Each signature stands for an odu (divinatory sign or symbol), and each odu is linked to several verses of oral poems that interpret it. The diviner then recites the odu that appears in the divination castings. The client listens carefully, and after the recitation comments on whether any of the poems is relevant to his illness. At this stage the client may reveal to the diviner the nature of his inquiry. The diviner will interpret the text and, through further questioning, arrive at a definite cause of his client's problem. The diviner will prescribe the appropriate remedy, usually a sacrificial ritual and the use of medicinal herbs. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 3:01am On Dec 27, 2012 |
IFA: Divination Rituals and the New Yam Festival IN the first three chapters of this book, I alluded to the role of Ifa divination and Ifa priests in various rituals in the sacred city, especially those relating to the resolution of the conflicts between Oduduwa and Obatala. I will devote this chapter to the place of Ifa divination and the Ifa deity in regulating and managing the spiritual and social affairs of the city and will introduce the myths and rituals of Orunmila, also known as Ifa, the Yoruba god of divination; Ifa divinatory practices; and the religious, ethical, and thought systems espoused in the rich Ifa divination texts, otherwise known as ese Ifa or Ifa divination poetry. By analyzing certain related festivals of Ifa--Odun Egbodo Ooni (the King's New Yam Festival), Odun Agboniregun (the Diviners' New Yam Ceremony), and the annual Ifa Festival, together with the sacred narratives associated with them, I will show how the symbols and rituals of Ifa sanctify the sacred city. Ifa has a pivotal role in maintaining and legitimizing the Ooni's sacred kingship and the lineage identity of Ifa devotees, particularly the Araba, the chief priest of Ifa, just as the sacred kingship legitimizes Ifa's authority as the spokesperson for the 201 divinities of the Ile-Ife pantheon. |
| Culture › Ile-ife- City Of 201 Gods(3) (conversion & The New Face Of Modernity In Ile-ife) by OsunIfe(op): 2:58am On Dec 27, 2012*. Modified: 3:13am On Dec 27, 2012 |
http://allafrica.com/stories/201212130574.html Book Serial - Ile-Ife - City of 201 Gods Prof. Jacob Olupona began the story of the mysteries of Ile-Ife -- the city of Yoruba gods https://www.nairaland.com/1129838/ile-ife-city-201-gods-yoruba Also, The imagined sacred city, findings of Western explorers, the Ile-Ife and ancient kingdom of Benin connection stories https://www.nairaland.com/1132068/ile-ife-city-201-gods-2 |
| Politics › Merry Christmas To Osun People by OsunIfe(op): 9:11am On Dec 25, 2012 |
Wishing the people of Osun merry Christmas and happy new year in advance. Osogbo Ilesha Ile-Ife Ikirun Ila Ikire Iwo Ibokun Ilase Ijebu-ijesa Iloko-ijesa Iragbiji Igbajo Ipetu-ile Ipetu-modu Inisa Iree Esa oke Esa odo Ede Eko-einde Eko-ajala Eduabon Ada Aagba Orowuwo Modakeke-ife Sekona Gbangan And other cities, towns, villages in osun Signed, Osun•ife of Nairaland 1 Like |
| Politics › Osun Provides Free Transport For Xmas, New Year by OsunIfe(op): 10:48am On Dec 22, 2012 |
Osun State Government has announced free transportation for passengers ready to travel from Lagos to the state and from the state to Lagos during Christmas and New Year seasons. In a statement signed by the Director of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the free train service will commence on December 23. According to the statement, the Omoluabi Train, as it is branded, would convey passengers from Lagos to Osogbo December 23 and 24 by 9:00 am daily. The statement added that the train would convey passengers from Osogbo to Lagos by 10: 00 am on December 26. There would be return trips from Lagos to Oshogbo between December 30 and January 1st, 2013 by 9.00 am daily, the statement added. A final trip from Osogbo to Lagos would follow on January 2nd by 10: 00 am. “This arrangement by the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration to the people, who intend to visit home during the Christmas and the New Year, is to ensure that they do not experience hardship associated with public transportation during this season,” the statement added. http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108384:osun-provides-free-transport-for-xmas-new-year-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Why Nigeria’s Southwest Must Be Integrated by OsunIfe: 10:42am On Dec 15, 2012 |
This is commendable. |
| Politics › S/west Govs Pledge To Promote Yoruba Culture, Tradition As They Honour Ooni. by OsunIfe(op): 10:37am On Dec 15, 2012 |
40 obas, other senior citizens honour Ooni at book launch •S/West govs pledge to promote Yoruba culture, tradition http://www.osundefender.org/?p=81720 NO fewer than 40 traditional rulers, two governors, prominent Yoruba leaders, captains of industry and professionals, among others, converged on Lagos, on Thursday, to honour the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, at a book launch done in his honour. The books, entitled: “The City of 201 gods: Ile-Ife In Time, Space and the Imagination” and “In My Father’s Personage: The Story of an Anglican Family in Yoruba Speaking Nigeria,” were written by a Harvard University lecturer, Professor Jacob Kehinde Olupona and launched at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, while launching the book, attested to the fact that he came personally to honour the Ooni, a statement which was also echoed by his Osun State counterpart, Mr Rauf Aregbesola. Both Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his Ondo State counterpart, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, sent representatives. Traditional rulers present on the occasion included the Olowo of Owo, Oba Victor Olateru-Olagbegi; the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida; Oba Kola Ibiyemi of Araromi, Oke Odo, Ife; Oba Aderemi Adedapo, the Secretary of the South-West traditional rulers; the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran; Oba Almarufu Adekunle Magbagbeola; Oba Ilori Olowobosin of Ifetedo; the Elerin of Erin, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Ajibola, among others. The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, sent a representative. Other dignitaries included Bishop O. A. Owadayo; Sir Olaniwun Ajayi; Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo (retd); Dr Tony Akintomide; Chief Balogun Omidiora; Chief Akinsola Akenfenwa; Senator Jim Nwobodo; former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Chief Joseph Sanusi; Chief Alade Odunewu; Dr Ade Makinwa; High Chief Bayo Akinnola; Senator Segun Bamgbetan; Chief GOK Ajayi; Professor Tunde Babawale; Professor Chris Ajila; Professor Bolaji Akinyemi; Professor Michael Faborode; Alhaji Kassim; Mr Sam Adegboyega; Mr Olu Adetimehin; Mr Bashir Awoturebo; Mr Segun Adeniyi of This Day newspaper, Dele Momodu; Chief Yemi Ogunbiyi; Odu’a Peoples Congress (OPC) leader, Chief Gani Adams, among others. Meanwhile, a centre for promotion of the Yoruba culture and religions may soon be built by the governments of Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Ogun and Oyo states, in an effort to promote the core values of the race. This was a decision muted by Governor Fayemi, which was supported by Governor Aregbesola. Governor Fayemi stressed the need to build a centre which would effectively champion the culture and tradition and, as well, build a hall of fame for the race, noting that this was the only way to prevent the culture from going into extinction. Speaking in the same vein, Aregbesola identified religious tolerance as one of the attributes that stood the Yoruba race out anywhere. He described the Yoruba as people of distinction, noting that God had made religion as a unifying factor and not otherwise. Earlier, the chairman of the event, Sir Ajayi, had observed that the book, the City of 201 gods, was all about the Ooni, Oba Sijuwade and Ile-Ife as the cradle of the Yoruba. He declared Oba Sijuwade as “a rare breed, who commands honour as a result of his worthy and unforgettable contributions to the welfare, well-being and happiness of fellow men and his fatherland.” He recalled that Oba Sijuwade became the Ooni 32 years ago as “the 48th or as some chroniclers say 49th Ooni of Ife” and had since then brought genuine and enduring progress to both the race and the Ile-Ife. Reviewing the book, Professor Wale Adebanwi described it as a masterpiece, which must not only be read but also be consumed. He said the book examined “the multi-dimentionality, both intrinsic and extrinsic, of the orisa (including Obatala, Oduduwa, Ogun, Orunmila – Baba Ifa – Esu, etc.) and orisa worship in the Yoruba imagination and everyday socio-cultural practice, by relating this to the simultaneous conflation and separation of the divine and the profane in a religious culture, which is remarkably adaptable and open to creative meanings and interpretation.” 2 Likes |
| Politics › Re: Ibadan: One Of Five African Cities To Watch - Financial Times by OsunIfe: 10:36am On Dec 15, 2012 |
You are trying |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife - City Of 201 Gods(2). (Ile-Ife And The Ancient Kingdom Of Benin) by OsunIfe(op): 10:20am On Dec 15, 2012 |
[quote author=ODUA_NEGRO]Jihad is the propagation of faith in a sweep to establish the belief in one God. It is targeted at polytheists. Jihad is not the use of force to kill. The one that comes with sword and the one that comes with tongue to convert you are both going to achieve the same end result..... replace your faith and belief.[/quote]That is the intention. You have said it. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife - City Of 201 Gods(2). (Ile-Ife And The Ancient Kingdom Of Benin) by OsunIfe(op): 2:35pm On Dec 14, 2012 |
[quote author=ODUA_NEGRO]how is their aggressive act to flush out indigeneous Yoruba tradition different from jihad?[/quote]Jihad is the uses of force(life or death). Christian movement aggressiveness is more of persistence and persuasive character of converting human from a religion(Yoruba indigeneous tradition) to theirs. |
| Culture › Re: Ile-ife - City Of 201 Gods(2). (Ile-Ife And The Ancient Kingdom Of Benin) by OsunIfe(op): 11:56pm On Dec 13, 2012 |
Next on: Evangelical offensive Members of the new Christian movements are targeting the sacred authority of the Ooni, and Ile -Ife civil religion more generally, because they realize that debunking the legitimacy of the sacred canopy - the guardianship of religious pluralism- will make it possible to destroy all indigenous non-Christian Yoruba tradition. To be continued... |
