By: Valiant Samson Idowu-Alaba

ON Friday, February 4, 2022, the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC led by Hon. Victor Akande were at our Council Secretariat to see for themselves the working conditions of the President and other Judicial staff of the Customary Court. Aside Hon. Akande, Hon. Jude Idimogu and other clerical staff of the Committee were part of the visiting House team.

Their visit was somewhat a rescheduled one. The information was that they were supposed to visit a day earlier but somehow couldn't make it. Upon their delayed visit, they were received by the Vice Chairman of the Council, Hon. Lucky Uduikhue who explained to the Committee that the Chairman was away in Abuja for a public function.

In company of the President of the Customary Court and her staff, the Vice Chairman led the visitors on a guided tour of the President's office and Court Room, which drew a rebuke from our Honourable visitors. Upon the Honourable Members' interrogations, they got to know that those rooms they saw that are empty and unpainted are the spaces provided for the President and her Court since the #EndSARS unfortunate incident when the main office complex, the building housing the Court and other block of offices within the premises of the Secretariat were not only looted and destroyed but also burnt down.

The Committee was right to register their displeasure at the working conditions of the judicial workers but I don't think they were right at the words they had for the Chairman of the Council, Hon. Fatai Ayoola. In their own view, they expected the Chairman to have completely rebuilt everything and also finished the new office complex.

Left for the Chairman, he would have wanted everything to be fixed by now but where are the funds? No considerate person, with the depleted resources of the LG coupled with no Federal or State financial support, will expect the Chairman to be building a new complex, rebuilding the old one and also reconstructing the judiciary building all at the same time when you have other numerous commitments.

At the temporary office of the President of the Customary Court, the judge said they understand the challenges the LG is facing and appreciate the concerns of the Chairman towards their welfare. She also let the lawmakers know that after the #EndSARS saga, they had no place to sit; they were just perambulating which prompted the Chairman to graciously approve some spaces in the new complex that is under construction.

She also made it known that the Chairman has it in his plans to rebuild the judiciary building, that was razed down by #EndSARS hoodlums, to a more befitting standard for present-day judicial workers. Hence, the foundation laying ceremony performed by Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu when he came to commission the rebuilt office complex last year February.

The problem out there is that people do not really appreciate the depth of the damage the #EndSARS incident wrought our Local Government. Perhaps, they thought after the disaster which claimed three buildings and almost 96 vehicles, the LG received help from the State and Federal Governments. It was the State Government that promised a N500m support fund and that was before the Governor's commissioning visit.

So far, the LG has only received just six vehicles and nothing else from the State. The FG through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, when contacted for assistance, simply said they would get back to us. Only if they would do, tomorrow.

But as a government, we are undaunted no matter the challenges. It is in the Chairman's plans to start the reconstruction of the Judiciary building this year immediately after the commissioning of the new ultra-modern office complex that will be delivered within the next couple of months. Before that however, the offices in the new complex including those of the President of the Customary Court, the Court Room and other offices of judicial workers which they are making use of temporarily, will all be fully equipped since the Governor, who is expected to inaugurate the building, won't be coming to commission an empty block.

All these have been included in the Year 2022 Budget proposal that is being scrutinized by the House.

Idowu-Alaba is the Senior Special Assistant (Press) to Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola.

NICO GRAVITY VS EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM SAGA:
I Want To Use Yabbis Resurrect Eedris Abdulkareem Dead Music Career - Nico Gravity
Music wey no go cross the border - Ruff Lemon

"EEDRIS Abdulkareem, the day you came to Ajegunle at the Odion Ighalo 02, you stepped on the tail of a venomous cobra! Standby for a bloody bite! This is going to be the diss song of the year 2022! I no go sorry for you because the respect I had for you, you carry am rub for portorportor. Me wey I dey look for who I go enter. Bros you don buy igbese oh! I go enter you woto woto! Ruff Lemon, take this message to your oga. Bloodclaaat!"

These were the words of Paul Nnamdi Okpara popularly known as Nico Gravity, the Story Teller to the Nigeria jagajaga exponent, Eedris Abdulkareem on my Facebook wall after the live video I did on the 19th of December, 2021 during the MTN/Ajeromi-Ifelodun Sports Council's Music Meets Football carnival at the Odion Ighalo 02 Arena, Tolu.

Nico Gravity, in 2009, released his controversial song, “I Wan Finish Timaya Seasons 1 and 2”, which locked him in a bitter battle with the self-styled ‘Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa. Gravity who explained that “I Wan Finish Timaya” was done in good faith and that, there was no bad blood between them; said that he’s willing to do a collabo with the pop star any time.

But this time around, it is likely we are about to see another diss song from the Obo Nah Sugar crooner who was irate with the jive thrown at him by the former Remedies leader, Eedris Abdulkareem.

Gravity who was visibly angry that an event like the MTN/Ajeromi-Ifelodun Sports Council's Music Meets Football carnival shouldn't have been an opportunity for Eedris to lash out at him seeing that he did it in Ajegunle, his home.

Now what really happened? On the 19th of December, 2021 at the Odion Ighalo 02 Arena, Tolu, several artistes took turns to perform albeit to entertain the crowd at the MTN/Ajeromi-Ifelodun Sports Council's Music Meets Football carnival. After performances from B'Clean, King Songo and others, Nico Gravity took to the stage and had children singing word for word, his hit songs, "Obo Nah Sugar and Bang well." The crowd appeal was massive but some had their reservations.

One of such persons that had their reservation about his songs was Eedris who was the last performer on the night after Gravity had left the arena.

On getting on stage after being introduced, Eedris praised the people of Ajegunle and MTN for the event and had this to say, "Coincidence be say e just happen, destiny be say God talk say e go happen. So when you dey for front as a child and somebodi dey sing song about wetin your mama take bring you come you come stand here dey dance, you be stupid pickin, you no go dey successful for your life."

Gravity who monitored Eedris' performance on my Facebook Page, Mac Anaele dropped the introductory comment and boom, hell was let loose between himself, Eedris Abdulkareem, Wale Akeem and Nigerian music distributor and artiste manager, Ruff Lemon who Gravity sent to deliver his message to Eedris.

When I contacted Eedris' Manager, Ruff Lemon, he had this to say: " Bros, I no dey support anybody, Nico Gravity nah my good friend, we dey tok nah. Nah me promote him song. I know how much him give me wey I take promote the song. Normally I no suppose collect that amount; nah becos of love and to support am, but at the end of the day, that show nah children's show, no be adult show" he said.

"Like me now, nah me be Eedris manager. Eedris suppose to perform Oko Ashawo, but wen we see children, him say Ruff, remove that track, let's perform other songs because him get children for house. If nah adult show nau him fit sing anything; If e like naked for stage e no concern anybody" he continued.

"But now Nico Gravity don see children, wetin him suppose do? Him suppose change the song, him get other good good songs wey him do before and e come carry microphone dey give the children.

"Nothing concern me with that o, but why Eedris make that speech on stage, Gravity no suppose add my name say "Ruff Lemon take that message to your oga." You no go beat pickin make you no expect am to cry. So Gravity no suppose include me for the matter at all."

On why Gravity included him in the mix, he said, "While growing up, these were guys I followed their songs, imagine now dem come dey need my assistance, so why should he include me in for that kind of thing.

Now him don say him wan go do song to beef Eedris, ha, music wey no go cross the border and e begin dey abuse me and I respect am as a bros.

E dey abuse me but me I dey respect am because I dey see am as big bros, if I wan really abuse am I go abuse am.

Asking him how Wale the OAP came into the fray, Lemon said: "When I even released his song, "Obo nah sugar" Wale was skeptical about it but he had to repost it because he said anything from me he will do it.

But when the thing come happen the guy come say this guy nah ungrateful human being o, no matter wetin Ruff Lemon do to you, you no suppose to dey tok all this nonsense about this guy or try to dey spoil this guy; say me I dey scam artistes, I say make him come outside any artistes wey I don scam make e come outside come say I scam them."

Expressig how pained he was by Nico Gravity's attitude towards him, Lemon further said, "The thing dey touch me, nah 10,000 naira him give me to promote that song and I make sure say I go meet 360 hub so that Dem go fit promote him song. At the end of the day, the song make chat . But today now, Dem no know the stress wey I put on the ground to make the song go top. You can imagine now say him dey abuse me because of 10,000 naira wey him give me. No nau!"

And we wey dey try tok say we want to make Ajegunle better yet we dey worsen am more more. Yes, you dey do corrupt music dey use am go shows nothing dey wrong with that, becos you dey use am put food for your table but know where you go dey perform those songs. E get other songs wey him get that time, make him dey perform those songs.

Eedris perform new songs that day? No nau, nah old songs him perform. Even if him perform, "I go mortuary" people go relate to am. But as Nico Gravity see children, him suppose change.

I further monitored Wale Akeem's response to Gravity, who Gravity mistook to be DJ Ruff Lemon. Wale Akeem an OAP with Ray Power was also very vocal in his defence of Eedris and Ruff Lemon.

"If you get hits like Eedris I swear your life for don change" Akeem said. Responding, Gravity said, "Wale Akeem, if I get record label like Kennis music to push me for Africa no artist for reach me. Now wey kennis dump am, how market? Me, all my efforts na by myself!"

Before this comment, Gravity had this to say on his Facebook page, "Shebi Edrees drop new song, e sink. Shebi Ruff Lemon na Eedrees Slave? Shebi Ruff Lemon dey make music blow? Why then slave champion blogger no fit make him oga new music blow? Shebi Ruff Lemon himsef get new music? Why all sink? Ruff Lemon grow up. I know this is you on another profile since last year! Continue insulting me for Eedrees. I like it so much. That's what I feed on. Just let am know say I really like wetin hin do for that Show for Odion Ighalo 02 Arena and I want pay am back by using yabbis resurrect him dead music career! Na why I tag you no for you to dey fool yourself dey throw stupid talk give me for your wall. I can block you but I won't. Just take my message to your master as you chose to be a slave and fight against people wey dey look you like a man."

Eedris who himself has been controversial, has recently picked on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His stint with Kennis Music was brought to an end after his Nigeria Jagajaga hit song, but that has never left him out of the music scene with him taking swipes at Timaya and DBanj whom he said does not have talent. Recall in 2017, the Legendary Nigerian singer said Timaya wouldn't have been successful if not for the confidence he gave him which helped shaped up his career.

Timaya later responded to Eedris in a video, where he called him an idiot and a dirty Igbo smoker.

Gravity has since promised to do a hit track dissing Eedris Abdulkareem, but reminded DJ Ruff Lemon that, "Bro I have no business with you. Go tell your oga wetin I tell you, otherwise stay your own and Continue making other artists blow while failing to make your own songs and your oga own songs blow. I no go reply to you again.

I agree I really need to upgrade because my aim is high. I never even near where I dey aim to reach but you wey dey claim Linda Ikeji, try make your own music or your oga music blow naa? Abi any artist wey suffer spend money do promo you go dey claim say na you push dem blow? Doctor heal yourself! You get some songs wey I see you dey push dat year, if you're so good why all of dem sink?"

We seem, not to have heard the last of this banter. Community Watch Plus promise to keep you updated on this latest saga.

IN 1990 when I travelled down East to Nekede Polytechnic, I had a short stay in the village. There, I spent some time in my Cousin Collins' house who himself just left Secondary School and was seeking for admission. In want of looking for something to keep me busy, I came across one of his books, himself being a bookworm; the Novel was titled "The Man They Couldn't Arrest."

Austin J. Small who lived between 1894-1929, was a popular British mystery and thriller writer who was published in the United Kingdom under the pseudonym 'Seamark'. The Man They Couldn't Arrest - written in 1925, is a fast paced thriller about Valman Dain, an inventor who (amongst numerous other intriguing gadgets) develops a mechanism for eavesdropping on conversations using the telephone network.

Using this technology, Dain sets about tracking down and identifying the various criminal gangs which are plaguing London and sending anonymous tip-offs to Scotland Yard. The hitch is that Scotland Yard is convinced that only a master criminal himself could gather this much information about the gangs...and they focus their attention on finding the anonymous tipster.

The criminal gangs too are soon hot on Dain's heels, when he accidently gives his identity away to one of them. But Dain's problems are about to get much worse. He discovers that one of the gang leaders is Willard Lyle, the father of Mercia Lyle - the girl he hopes to marry. And Willard Lyle is on his way to Dain's house with murder in mind....

Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola, the Executive Chairman, Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA is one Council Mayor that has raised the bar of Local Governance to an enviable height that even the opposition sees everything good about him. Ayoola's Administration is the first time all Political Parties and tribes jointly agreed that Government is working. Give it to EBIE.

In four years, Ebie as he is fondly called by friends, has brought about enviable development and empowerment even to those the society has ruled out as nonentities. His wide acceptance can be attributed to his style of leadership which is indeed second to none.

Upon assumption of office, Ayoola maintained sanity in the community by keeping the miscreants at bay; engaging them in something that would easily take their minds off any form of crime. Same vein, he engaged the security agencies and kept them on their toes. Now look at the dice, we have engaged you in things you can do, so why go back to crime or disturbing the peace of the community?

How they were all able to manage the fame the empowerment brought about leaves much to be desired; but the truth is that, they can't go back to crime again because the law would no longer tolerate it this time. Need I remind you that some of them are even cooling off at Kirikiri Prisons after the mayhem they unleashed on the community during the EndSars saga. Ayoola's Valmon Dain like intelligence was able to detect those hoodlums as they were all rounded up and made to face the law. irrespective of who they are.

It is no news that the Council Boss operates an open door policy that allows everyone to troop into his office with or without invitation. Many that comes for assistance have even forgotten the lie they told Ayoola that enabled them get one form of assistance or the other. One certain day, a man walked up to him, telling him his grandfather is dead. Ayoola smiled and asked, "shebi your grandfather died two years ago?" Dazed the man started muttering unprintable words and later said they want to do his remembrance.

Hon. Ayoola before the EndSars mayhem had been dolling out Four Million Naira monthly that cuts across 40 entrepreneurs to enable them stay in business and improve on what they have. Each of them gets N100,000 each in a Scheme being anchored by the office of the Vice Chairman. For the information of people who may not be aware until now, these cash disbursements are grants meaning beneficiaries - party and non-members alike - are not repaying it. Now the question is, how many of these recipients talk about it nor defend him on public space, or even social media. It might interest you my reader to know that Hon. Ayoola has continued the grant, but this time around to 20 persons since December, 2021.

The Ayoola Administration has also surpassed previous administrations in the area of appointments by bringing in more people into government. But sadly, a week earlier, a lady member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the local government painted a gloomy picture for our women under this Administration, in contrast to what is on ground. On this, I felt it should have been incumbent upon the women appointees to rise to the occasion and challenge that impression. Their silence at that point in time was not golden and I feel they could do better seeing that there are well over 20 women amongst those appointed.

More worrisome to all this is the fact that insiders divulge fake information to the public or their friends all in a bid to try to bring down the good works of the Executive Chairman, and when we read such information on social media, it certainly shows the "leaker" of such information.

So why pretend to show love to the Chairman when you go behind to slander him? This is politics like they have made us to believe, but when you tell a lie all in a bid to bring someone down, you need more lies to try to paint him darker than the devil himself.

Hon. Ayoola recently doled out scholarship to over 50 students from Ajegunle, irrespective of parental, guardian or personal Party affiliation. Graceland Polytechnic, Offa is where they have all resumed and the Chairman does not intend to stop there.

You will recall that Hon. Ayoola on his first day of the job as the Executive Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA, gave scholarship to two primary school children up to University level. So this is nothing new to him as some persons not listed, still enjoys from the Chairman's Educational goodwill.

Trying to troll a man that knows your every move is like an ant dancing makosa in front of a sparrow. Ayoola has all mechanisms that allows him know what's cooking against him at any point in time and when he sees those detractors, he smiles and tell them straight to their face without mincing words.

It is suicidal to collect gifts from a man and still kill him behind his back. Ayoola is a man on a mission, and doesn't look like someone that can be distracted by mere words of mouth, court cases or slanderous comments by hypocrites; but unlike Valmon Dain, his secrets are his best weapons.

AHEAD The 2023 elections, a lot of stories will be thrown at the people all in the bid to ensure they lose hope and faith in good governance. Propagandists will do all in their powers to ensure they bring down a person, party or government in power no matter how well that government has performed to position itself in the hearts of the people.

In a tweet monitored on the twitter page of Sahara Reporters by this writer, it was reported that there was misappropriation of the Year 2021 Budget by the Council Mayor of Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA, Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola.

After perusing the story, I asked myself one simple question, "Why have journalists or media houses failed to practice investigative journalism? Are they damn lazy to make calls or walk up to those being accused of anything?"

It is no news that the Ajegunle People's Movement under the aegis of the Democratic Socialist Movement, though not registered according to my investigations, have been doing all in their powers to run down the works of the amiable Council Mayor.

Their relationship with Sahara Reporters is also not new to the people of Ajegunle as they had earlier given them stories that held no water sometimes last year. But how can a media house as big as Sahara Reporters give in to such cheap stories without proper investigation? It beats my imagination.

Now let's set the records straight, on the 20th day of October, 2020 which was indeed a black Tuesday in the history of Ajegunle, some misguided youths stormed the Council Secretariat, looting all offices and burning down the Council Secretariat alongside 96 vehicles all in the name of the #EndSars Protest.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the day he came to commission the now renovated and restructured Ajeromi-Ifelodun Council Secretariat, was amazed at the sudden turn-around of the Secretariat in less than three months without any funds from the State or Federal Government.

This was no magic, but monies went into it. I thus dare Sahara Reporters and their cronies to come to Ajeromi-Ifelodun Council Secretariat and evaluate the cost of bringing back that edifice and all the offices into good working conditions.

Talking about the N3,732,177,000.48 appropriated by the Local Government Council in 2021, I am surprised Ajegunle People's Movement saw it as an actual figure without finding out first, what came in from the Federal Allocation and the IGR generated by the Local Government in a year marred by COVID 19 and EndSars.

The question now is, "has any teacher in Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA complained of non-payment of salary?" It might interest you to know that Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA has the largest number of schools in the whole of West Africa and large chunk of the allocations received on a regular goes into payment of teachers' salaries.

I challenge Sahara Reporters and their cohorts to visit the Tolu Dumpsite. I implore indigenes/residents of Ajegunle and non-residents alike to take a tour of Tolu community and see the magnificent work going on there. Hon. Ayoola has been able to turn a dumpsite into a Housing Estate...e shock you?

I also dare those that never believed anything good can come out of Ajegunle to take a dash to the popular Maracana Stadium that once produced the likes of Brown Ideye, Odion Ighalo etc. That arena has now become a beauty to behold. Still under construction, that facility houses a standard 11 aside football pitch, 8 seven aside pitches, 10 five aside pitches, a standard Olympic sized swimming pool, Boxing gym, Table Tennis hall, Basketball Courts and Hostel Facilities.

So are we still asking how the "appropriated year 2021 budget was spent?" It is quite clear those antagonists knows next to nothing about appropriated bills and actual figures.

To crown it all, it still beats my imagination how some people have failed to recognize that Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA and Ifelodun LCDA still share the monthly allocation that comes from the Federal Government through the State Government.

It is of no use to go on social media to incite the people of Ajegunle against the government, nor try to castigate the government when the people are actually seeing the good works of Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola.

From all indications and all my monies worth, the Ayoola led government doesn't seem distracted by cheap and paid propagandists. So I guess the detractors need to do more to stop a moving train.

It is all set to go down in the beautiful city of Ajegunle as the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Sports Council is set to play host to the first of its kind Ajegunle Sports and Culture festival.

The festival dubbed “Going back to our Roots”, according to the Organisers is set to bring back those fond memories that made the city a cynosure of all eyes in the 80s and 90s. Theatre and Music took the centre stage in those years as Ajegunle shunned out its own style of music and dance moves.

The likes of Daddy Showkey, Baba Fryo, Marvellous Benjy, Yellow Banton and a whole host of others gave one of the most populous community in West Africa its own genre of music and dance. Galala was a dance that was made popular in the 90s before the advent of Shelenge, Banty Banty, Konto and Swo took over the dance floor.

The spokesperson of the Sports Council, Princewill Gbogbodu stated that event will commence with a Health walk from Ojo Road down to the Odion Ighalo 02 Arena, Tolu.

“The event would be flagged off with the Health Walk by both Council Chairmen, Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola and Hon. Fatai Shuaib Ajidagba,” he began.

“There will be lots of cultural dances and our popular artistes will go live on stage and bring back those nostalgic feelings and dance moves that made us dance even on the streets.”

He also stated that the climax of the day’s event will be a novelty game between Ajegunle Ex-Footballers and Ajegunle Artistes made up of Actors/Actresses, Musicians, Comedians and Dancers.

“The event is going to be a registered event as intending participants are to click on a given link to participate in the event scheduled for the 6th day of March, 2021,” he asserted.

The festival which is bankrolled by Hon. Ayoola will provide a means of relaxation for all participants as there will be various Cultural displays by the Ajegunle Theatre Arts Forum (ATAF), Music, Comedy, Basketball, Table Tennis, Cooking and Drinking competitions to spice up the day.

Below is the link for registration:
http:///39mziv0

https://communitywatchplus.com.ng/ajegunle-set-for-sports-and-culture-festival/

The Edo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has directed primary school teachers across the state to embark on an indefinite strike from Jan. 18.

The directive is contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the union’s state Chairman and Assistant Secretary-General, Pius Okhueleigbe and Moni Itua respectively and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Benin.

The union said that the decision was reached at the end of its enlarged State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) on Jan. 12.

It hinged the directive to embark on strike on what it called the failure of the state government to meet its 10-point age-long demand.

NUT also stated that the directive was a sequel to the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum and another 14-day ultimatum earlier issued to the state government.

According to the union, public primary school teachers in all the 18 local government areas of the state should embark on indefinite strike from Jan. 18.

It, however, commended the House of Assembly Committee on Education, the Controller of Labour, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as well as the state council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for their intervention.

The union expressed dismay over what it called the glaring and persistent non-challant attitude of the state government, saying it had not initiated any meeting with the union on its demands while the ultimatums lasted.

It urged parents to keep their children and wards away from schools throughout the period of the strike.

The union also urged school heads and parents to disregard “any propaganda, blackmail, announcements, pronouncements and intimidation against the lawful decisions of the union for the period of the strike from any quarter”.

It, however, called on all lovers of education, well-meaning citizens and institutions in the state to prevail on the state government to meet the demands of the union.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union had, on Dec. 8 and Dec. 29, 2020, issued a 21-day and a14-day ultimatum respectively to the state government to fulfil all its financial obligations and other entitlements to its members or risk industrial action.

Some of the demands of the union include payment of the 2013 to 2015 promotion arrears of teachers in Oredo, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode local government areas.

Others are reinforcement and guarantee of the payment of primary school teachers’ monthly salaries on or before 27th day of every month, as already directed by the governor.

The union’s demands also include correct implementation of the 30 per cent special allowance for teachers in schools for the challenged children and the payment of the arrears, among others.

https://communitywatchplus.com.ng/nut-directs-primary-school-teachers-to-embark-on-indefinite-strike/