₦airaland Forum

Dedicating this FP to my wife, Mrs Titilayo
Odeyele ,love you so much dear and happy
wedding anniversary.
God bless Seun for creating a platform like
nairaland.
God bless the moderator that move this to
the FP.

The people of Ugbekpe-Ekperi, the ancestral home of the late Dele Giwa, founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch Magazine who was killed when a parcel bomb was delivered to his home on 19th October, 1986, still mourn his death. LEADERSHIP Weekend’s Patrick Ochoga who visited the community recently, writes.

Twenty nine years after the murder one of Nigeria’s most iconic journalists and the founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa through a parcel bomb on October, 19th October 1986 at the young age of 39, the incident still remains a huge loss for the practice of investigative journalism in Nigeria.

Also, as circumstances surrounding his untimely death remain a mystery, with the security agencies and government yet to bring the culprits behind the murder to book, family members and his kinsmen of Ugbekpe-Ekperi Kingdom in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State are still hurting 29 years after.

For his kinsmen, the anniversary of his death evokes the stark reality of the many unresolved high profile murders by alleged government agents or their proxies.

When LEADERSHIP Weekend visited late Dele’s Giwa’s family house in Ugbekpe-Ekperi, the compound appeared devoid of its usual bustle, as only a handful of visitors where sighted coming in and out of it.

It was however gathered that most of the immediate relations of the late journalist live in Lagos and overseas. One of the few still living in the compound is a distant relation who identified herself simply as Ramatu. She lamented that despite the failure of government to unmask the killers of Giwa, the family is consoled by the fact that God will expose his killers.

“Each time people come here to speak about our brother I feel very sad because it is exactly 29 years now that he was killed with a bomb because he was doing his job, while the culprits are somewhere living their own lives and enjoying themselves. But we are consoled by the fact that God will one day expose those behind his death. We are not happy at all that our benefactor was taken away from us by evil people,” she lamented.

When Giwa was assassinated, he left behind an aged mother, who is now 84 years old, two younger brothers and three sisters.

The five siblings of the late pioneer editor-in-chief of Newswatch are Tunde and Biodun (both based in the United States), Hauwa Omomohle, Ronke Habibat Aboaba and Fatima Musa.

He is also survived by Funmi, his widow, three sons and two daughters.

Billy, his first son, who was then a student of the University of Jos, was only 19 years old when his father was brutally killed.

Incidentally, Billy, a graduate of English, who has been resident in the United Kingdom for more than a decade, was the person who received the killer parcel bomb from Musa Zibo, the security guard, and handed it over to Giwa in the study, unknown to him that it was the harbinger of his father’s death. Billy’s two other younger brothers whose mother is an American are Dele Jnr. and Tunde Jnr., while Giwa’s two daughters are Funmi, who is now a lawyer and Ayodele Aishat, who was about a year old when her father was assassinated.

The traditional ruler of the community, the Ijegbai of Ekperi Kingdom, Alhaji Deke Kanoba, while reflecting over the sad incident, said it is only in Nigeria that such a murder could happen without a concerted effort to bring the perpetrators to book, adding “Nigerians know the quarters from which the bomb came from.”

Alhaji Kanoba said the late Giwa was an icon for the people of Ekperi land owing to his contribution to the profession of journalism.

He recounted “I must say that the Ekperi people are at loss each time we remember our brother. It is sad that we have a very porous justice system in Nigeria. It is not as if people don’t know who sent the bomb to kill Dele Giwa. This cannot happen in other climes without the relevant agencies getting to root of the matter.”

While giving a historical background of the Giwa’s family as told by his late father who was the Ijegbai of Ekperi Kingdom, Kanoba stated: “We are at least comforted that the Giwas realised that they are from Ekepri. Dele’s father actually grew up in the palace of the Ooni of Ife and that was why they nicknamed the father Giwa (the fathers real name was Bagudu). It was in Ife they gave him the name Giwa. We not happy that government has not done anything for the community, it is quite unfortunate,” The traditional ruler lamented.

He said that the people of Ekperi are always thrown into mourning whenever they remember his tragic demise because they have not been able to fill the gap his death created.

“Though, we do not know the killers, I know God knows them and one day, God will expose them, because there is nothing God cannot do. We still have faith that one day, the killers will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

A community leader, Steve Momodu who hails from Ekperi, described Giwa as a pride of the people of Ekperi and Nigeria at large.

“He is somebody that was humble, honest and respectable. Dele Giwa meant a lot to us and as we speak now, his person is immortalised in our hearts because he is one of the trailblazers in Ekperi. You cannot write the history of Ugbekpe-Ekperi today without mentioning Dele Giwa. In fact, his name would be in history not only in Ekperi but also in Edo, Delta and, of course Nigeria; because you cannot write anything about journalism in Nigerian without mentioning Dele Giwa. So, he means so much to us and our people will continue to honour him even now that he is no longer alive,” he said.

He however, regretted that the late Giwa has been forgotten by those in authority despite the fact that he laid the foundation for the robust journalism practice that has helped enhance democracy in the country today.

“You know that Nigerians hardly celebrate the dead. They are only good at showing sycophancy when you are there but once the person is gone, he will be forgotten.

“To be very candid, I think Dele Giwa has not been fairly recognised because he is one of those who promoted the entrenchment of the democracy that we are enjoying today. Part of his drive was to see that there was sanity in the system and that there was political order in the country and that was why his life was terminated. So, I think that the government of the day should begin to look into how to recognise our son who fought and won the democracy we have today, even though he is not alive right now.”

On his part, a human rights activist, Aliu Ozioruva, said Dele Giwa represents the new face of journalism in Nigeria, adding the late journalist “brought a new perspective of boldness, knack for in-depth reports and analysis into the journalism profession. He successfully built on the foundation the likes of Lateef Jakande, Pa Ajose and others of that generation had laid.”

“He was able to lift the profession to the level where it actually became the mirror of the society especially with its social responsibility of setting agenda for the authority, regulating the society and ability to speak to truth. He represents what I call the bridge between the old and new in journalism, especially with his training in the United States where freedom and equality was their watchword.

“Dele Giwa brought the mentality to the journalism profession where the authority was continuously queried and scrutinised. Though it is believed that such characteristics also contributed to his death, many journalists were also encouraged by that boldness to stand by the truth even in the face of oppression, incarceration, maiming and killings.”

He lamented that “the Nigerian state has not been fair to him and his legacies. It is unfortunate that as at today, 29 years after his death, the investigation on the circumstances surrounding his death remain inconclusive.

“All we have heard has been different versions of how the parcel was delivered, how in the process of opening it, it exploded, how Dele Giwa had expressed fears few days earlier that his life was in danger.

But indications point to the fact that his death may have been sponsored by the state, considering that fact that as at the time of the events, Nigeria was under a military dictatorship.

“We have had various reports from former serving police officers on how their investigations were truncated abruptly without reasons been given. What the state should do, especially now that we are in democracy, is for the government to re-open the investigation. You will recall that late Gani Fawehinmi tried until his death to ensure justice for Giwa and the journalism profession. The last effort was his presentation to the Oputa Panel, the report of which remains one of the various documents available for government to work with. I will also charge the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to take it as a responsibility to ensure justice for Dele Giwa, his family, journalists and journalism,” he added.
http://leadership.ng/news/470969/ugbekpe-ekperi-remembering-dele-giwa-29-years-after

K

With seven goals in four matches at the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup underway in Chile, Victor Osimhen, the bean-pole Nigerian striker sits atop of the scoring chart, justifying claims that he is indeed one for the future.
Osimhen is living his dream and breathing his favourite song 'sitting on the throne' by popular Nigerian act ,Olamide who rapped inter alia 'I'm a king and I don't joke with my name... ..Hun!...I'm sitting on the throne'
"I really hustled on the streets of Lagos and toyed with the idea of doing so many things initially," Osimhen, the last child in a family with six other children, told Cafonline.com.
"I sold things like sachet water in the traffic but I knew the only thing I wanted to do was playing football though I have other talents.
"I love music; I can compose and sing very well too but playing football is all that I have wanted to do. I like rap music and one of my favourite artistes is Olamide and I like this particular track sitting on the Throne," noted Osimhen, whose name means 'God is good'.
To say that fate has a hand in the budding career of Osimhen is perhaps stating the obvious. He came from a humble family and had to hawk in the ever busy Lagos traffic along with his siblings in order to augment the purse of the family. However, he was determined not to let go his first love.
"Though I was born with the talent, I also learned playing football by watching my elder brother," the forward who stands 1:85m revealed.

"He (my brother) used to play as a striker for the senior team of a neighborhood club. I joined the club later and I aspired to be better than him.
"He didn't play football for long because he was also a newspaper vendor on the streets in Lagos. Nothing interested me than playing football and I really thank God for where I'm today."
Since he broke into the Nigeria U-17 team, when he scored a brace in a friendly in June 2014, Osimhen has been the soul and heart of the team scoring goals with prolific efficiency.
At the last count, he has remarkably scored a total of 45 goals, in all matches for the coach Emmanuel Amuneke-tutored side.
"Victor is the kind of player any coach would be proud to have in his team because he is always ready to give his best for the common good of the team," noted Amuneke, the 1994 CAF African Footballer of the Year.
"It is not my style to talk about a particular player in a team but Victor gets his job done for the team."
The admiration between coach and player was there for all to see at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago on October 17 when Victor struck the second goal in the 2-0 defeat of USA, going on all four before his mentor.
"I prostrated before coach Amuneke after the goal against USA to show appreciation for all what I have learned under him," he noted. "He has so much belief in me though he had never told me before until the game against the USA and thank God, I scored in that match."
Scoring at will, Drogba inspiration
Apart from the strike against USA, Osimhen netted brace in the 5-1 crushing of hosts Chile, and the only goal in the 2-1 loss to Croatia. Against Australia at the Round of 16, the teenage forward roared loudest netting a hat-trick as the Golden Eaglets eased past the Aussies 6-0.
Prior to coming to Chile, he emerged amongst the top scorers at the continental championships in Niger last February, with four goals in six matches.
His biggest guide rest on the words of former England captain 'football's not just about scoring goals - it's about winning'.
"Playing for the Golden Eaglets has boosted my confidence but I don't see myself special amongst my teammates. I dreamt about playing for the national team and gradually, I have settled down into the U-17 team.
"I really thank God for helping me to be part of this team. In school, I played in some competitions but there is nothing like playing for the national team.
"Success of the team comes first and it is always my aspiration to always score goals for the team when I'm given the opportunity to play," noted Osimhen who has a fond admiration for former African Footballer of the Year and Ivorian legend, Didier Drogba.
 
"Drogba has always been a source of inspiration for me because he is the type of player that doesn't give up and I like his fighting spirit. He is very passionate; always serious on the field and whatever circumstance, he would try and score for his team."
Osimhen too can score goals in the company of anybody; and his goals for the Golden Eaglets has come in different shades, but reckons his second goal for Nigeria in a 3-1 defeat of Zambia at the 2015 African U U-17 Cup of Nations in Niger as the pick of the pack.
"I think the second goal I scored against Zambia in Niger was very good because it was a good example of what coach Amuneke had been telling us in training: accuracy before power. It was great tournament for us because we achieved our objective of qualifying for the World Cup in Chile."
Nigeria will next face old foes Brazil at the quarters on Sunday in Vina del Mar, and the forward is looking forward to star yet again, with no special focus on the Golden Boot prize for the top scorer of the tournament.
"My priority is not to be the top scorer at this FIFA U-17 World Cup. When Nigeria won the tournament in 2013, the top scorer was not from Nigeria. Rather, it would be a thing of joy if Nigeria can retain the title," he concluded.

http://www.naijsports.com/m/posts/1446196012/Nigeria:%20Osimhen%20-%20From%20Hawking%20to%20World%20Cup%20Goal%20Hunter

Dedicating this FP to my wife, Mrs Titilayo Odeyele ,love you so much dear and happy wedding anniversary.

God bless Seun for creating a platform like nairaland.

God bless the moderator that move this to the FP.

Femi Fanikayode reacts to the confirmation of Rotimi Amaechi confirmation .

https://mobile.twitter.com/realFFK/status/659762579074584576

K

Three days after he was defeated at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, GNS Pwajok, has died.
This is courtesy of a report monitored on Television Continental.
Pwajok was said to have died in India according to family sources.
The Tribunal had on Monday pronounced Barrister Simon Lalong as the validly elected governor of Plateau State.
More details on this news soon



http://theeagleonline.com.ng/breaking-news-three-days-after-defeat-at-tribunal-pdp-governorship-candidate-dies/

cuteboy2:
Correction noted. It is a typo.

you are yet to do it

cuteboy2:
The newly appointed Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will commence his installation rites today.

Here are 7 things you should know about the installation rites:

[b]1. The Ooni will be received at Ife end of Ife/Ibadan expressway. He must enter Ile Ife in the day time after his name has been announced.

2. The Ooni will go to the Giesi Ruling House to be installed as the Sooko. According to Ife tradition, he must first be the Sooko of his family before he mounts the stool of Ooni.

3. After his installation as Sooko, the Ooni will head to the Obalufe Palace to perform rites at the Orunto River inside the palace, after which, he will proceed to a forest on Ilesa road for another round of rituals.

4. The Ooni of Ife is also expected to go into

seclusion in Ilofi for a minimum of 21 days for series of rites and initiations.

5. The would meet an old woman in spirit to receive the power left by Oduduwa. The old woman will give him all the power over the Yoruba race.”

6. The new Ooni of Ife, Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi, must belong to the Isoro cult.

7. Lowa Eredumi of Ile Ife, Oba Eluyele Olawenu, according to tradition, will officiate at the installation rites.
[/b]

I


Op
It is owa eredumi omiwenu odeyele

K

President Mohammdu Buhari yesterday congratulated Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi on his emergence as the 51st Ooni of Ife and successor of the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
The president also urged him to show fairness to all his subjects and make commitment to the sustenance of peace in the land as he prepares to assume the throne.
A statement by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina also wished the new traditional ruler a successful reign.
The statement read thus: “On behalf of the Federal Government and people of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi on his emergence as the 51st Ooni of Ife and successor to the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
“President Buhari rejoices with Prince Adeyeye  on his  nomination  as  Ooni by the kingmakers of Ife  after a keenly contested but peaceful selection process, and confirmation yesterday by Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.
“As he prepares to begin the rites of ascension to the revered throne of his great ancestors, President Buhari urges the Ooni-designate  to commit himself to carrying all his subjects along to a new era of peace, stability and progress in Ife, Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole.
“The President  calls on Prince Adeyeye to be prepared to put  his new position as Ooni and principal custodian of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Yorubas  to good use in the service of his people and country.
“President Buhari also urges the Ooni-designate to dedicate himself to building on, and surpassing the worthy legacies of his much-acclaimed predecessor, Oba Sijuwade, and working with government and other traditional rulers across the country to foster greater harmony, peaceful co-existence and faster socio-economic development of his people and all Nigerians.
“As Prince Adeyeye  ascends to the grand throne of the Ooni of Ife, the President prays that God Almighty will grant him the immense wisdom and courage he will require to oversee further progress and greater prosperity for his people.
“He wishes the new Ooni a long and highly successful reign in the service of his people and country.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/the-ile-ife-and-yoruba-of-my-dream-by-ogunwusi-ooni-elect/

K

I have a story to tell the world and most importantly the people of Ile-Ife.
About forty years ago, I was born into the Giesi Ruling House, Ojaja Royal Compound in the ancient city of Ile-Ife.
From birth, my life has been a journey; one that I embarked on saddled with great conscientiousness when I became a responsible father at the age of 19, which shaped and groomed me for greater challenges ahead.
To cater for my family as a young father, I became very enterprising with the knack of building something out of nothing. This certainly increased my temperament for being successful in all my endeavours, as well as towing the right path as a responsible father.
Thus, in the following years, I was able to build a consortia of companies with a team of well-versed, highly skilled and unskilled professionals from scratch and with hard work and God’s providence. This has made me a huge employer of labour and a captain of industries.
The story of Ile-Ife begins as the cradle of civilization and has spread its tentacles beyond Black Africa.
The Ooni stool is highly revered and exalted and as the world looks on; our strength and emphasis need to be injected into the development of Ile-Ife as a beacon of hope and enviable city. Suffices to say that Ile-Ife is the ancestral and spiritual home of all Yorubas, bona fide, in Nigeria and the Diaspora, and the World Headquarters of the House of Oduduwa, which comprises of people resident in nearly all the continents of the world.
Thus, the Ooni, as the head of the vast Oduduwa family, must be no less versatile and resourceful.
Available evidences from the curatorial community and archaeological discoveries have put the origin of Ile-Ife around 2000 years BC.
Around this time, the people of Ile-Ife have distinguished themselves in technology and cultural advancement. A notable fact in this
direction is Ori-Olokun: though purportedly ‘discovered’ by the famous German archaeologist Leo Frobenius in 1910, but had been in existence for thousands of years.
The pure-copper sculpture took the entire arts world by storm at the time of its discovery that experts from the West argued that the artefact was a mystery that was too sophisticated to have been created by African hands. However, after careful examinations of other works, profusely located in and around the city and bearing striking resemblance, the world accepted the truth that the advanced people of Ile-Ife had, not only wielded the technology to turn iron to alloy but also of moulding abstract artworks out of the product. Consequently, it is now accepted by the curatorial community that the advanced artistic techniques used to create the sculpture were more advanced than those of Renaissance Italy, and comparable to those of [the artist] Donatello.
Yet, Ile-Ife has not taken its rightful position as the ‘source’ of civilization despite her wealth of history, culture and tradition.
Having found ourselves in such state of affairs where the potential of the land remains untapped and its people lacking economic and social
emancipation, we should all take it upon ourselves to redress this situation. The Ile-Ife of ‘my dream’ will be strategically positioned
to empower its people socially, economically and culturally to bring about the desired developments. Now, with our resolve to transform
Ile-Ife we are ‘SET’ to leave no stone unturned, in the drive to put Ile-Ife on the map of the world. Our ultimate goal is to reposition
the House of Oduduwa as a worthy example of successful inward-looking community.
At this juncture, I consider it pertinent to share with everyone the account of how Nigeria as a nation came to be. The Royal Niger Company
was a mercantile company charter by the British government in the nineteenth century. It was formed in 1879 as the United African
Company and became the Royal Niger Company in 1886. By 1900 it went through several name changes and in 1914 a merger occurred between the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to become the independent Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1960.
It suffices to say our beloved nation developed through a corporation of technocrats and quality mind input. Arguably, this is one of the several ways cities and communities are built; through large corporations. The ethos of this account goes to prove that any
geographic setting can undergo boundless growth through clusters of companies which invariably can lead to the creation of settlements and human capital development.
Consequently, there is a huge possibility for Ile-Ife to experience tremendous growth through industrialization and developmental projects like a company managed by dedicated sons and daughters of Ife and all Ife enthusiasts. I have no doubt, Ife will be great again due to its economic dexterity. Ife has one of the largest land mass in the South-west beaming with natural resources including three out of the four factors of production; ‘land’, ‘labour’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ and with our great resolve we shall work towards ‘capital’ creation.
I am very passionate about my roots with the determination of bringing Ile-Ife to the forefront of economic and social affairs. In my private
life, I have for a while been involved in many philanthropic gestures in Ile-Ife and its environs. The progressiveness of the youths of
Ile-Ife is at the core of my philosophy and I have been instilling hope to thousands of youths through the various ongoing reciprocity
Programmes I established a while ago.
It is within the dictates of our culture that the young shall provide for the old and for this reason our youths need to be nurtured and engaged positively hence they can attain financial independence and in return provide for their parents, families and dependants. This is not to say that the old and elderly will be left out. There will be various empowerment Programmes for the elderly and the widowed to learn new trades and acquire new skills that will help stamp out redundancy and at the same time be financially rewarding to them.
Many might argue that the tasks before me are incredibly monumental and impossible. However, I do not get easily swayed by the idea of
impossibilities. In every challenging situation what I see is a speck of possibility which I build on till the task at hand is completed.
I have done this time over time and I have defied the rules of men to follow my gut instincts. I have excelled where, people had predicted
failure and I derived the most joy where others have said emphatically “it is not possible”.
A recent classic example of turning impossibilities to possibilities took place at ‘Parakin’ in Ile-Ife where I converted a sizeable piece of thick forest land into a beautiful castle within a month. The land hitherto, was a garbage dump and an escape route for men of the underworld in the vicinity which constituted a social menace to the inhabitants of ‘Parakin’.
In recent history one cannot mention Ile-Ife without acknowledging the Ife and Modakeke conflict. It’s unfortunate that lives were lost
during the war between Ife and Modakeke; a war that had no economic value and displaced many lives. I paid a courtesy visit to the youths
affected by the war and implored them to be proactive. Furthermore I urged them to be on the straight and narrow path and propagated the tenets of hard work as the only way to make it in life.
In the course of my life I have had many touching experiences. However, my most compelling experience till date involves two young
boys namely Demola Adewole and Taye Fayemi. Demola and thousands of others energetic youths visit work sites on a daily basis to solicit
for money. I took it upon myself to get to know these young boys and found that all they wanted was to earn a decent living. We got
acquainted with Demola and found out he was a welder. Without hesitation, we helped to re-orientate him and got him involved in
construction work in ‘Parakin’. Demola Adewole has turned out to be one of the best welders I have been privileged to work with till date.
Another set of energetic youths on one of the days I visited Ife chased after my car, many of them climbed onto the fast moving car and
during the tussle to stay latched on to the car, one of them got injured. I got out of the car and addressed all of them and asked why
they would want to hurt themselves and with no care in the world, Taye replied “death means nothing to me”; I shed tears, there is no hope
for the youths and no one to rebuild their dashed hopes or future.
Taye Fayemi was simply desperate to make a living for himself and today, to the glory of God I personally supervise Taye’s rehabilitation, his personal development and wellbeing.
Similar to the story of Demola and Taye, are thousands of youths with different expertise that need our help to find their feet, many whose
destinies would have been cut short like the others lost the war. I cannot but emphasize that the development and well being of our youths
is paramount to our future and one that is very close to my heart.
This area needs to be properly addressed to ensure our youths are well engaged in various professional and vocational pursuits.
Today, and to the glory of God, I have been energized to rehabilitate and take off the streets several thousands of youths by providing them
with gainful employment. Furthermore, we shall set up a foundation that will support post war effects and the rebuilding of war torn Ife
and Modakeke.
Thereafter there shall NEVER be war again. I stand firmly for peace and unity between Ife and Modakeke and I guarantee that this peace and unity will transcend into economic and social benefits for everyone.
Similarly, we shall use this stool to unify the entire Yoruba race; there shall be no division, no supremacy or animosity amongst us, we are all from the one and the same source-God Almighty.
Coming to the throne is a clarion call to heed my selfless desire to serve the people of Ile-Ife, the Yoruba race and all of humanity. We
will use the stool to provide a lot of opportunities to invest in the youths through mentorship and empowerment programs that will further
take thousands off the streets on a gradual basis. Youths all over the country will be eligible for the mentorship programme and Ife will be
the pilot model.
We will use the stool to transpose Ile-Ife into the twenty-first century and with the use and influence of social media we
are ‘set’ for his transformation. Sons and daughters of Ife and Ife enthusiasts around the world will have an input in the building of the
New Ife City, ‘NIC’ through constructive feedback. ‘Socially’, we are ‘set’ to revive and promote Ile-Ife as a tourist destination.
‘Economically’ we are ‘set’ to increase our industrial footprints to give Ife the much desired facelift and ‘Traditionally’ we are ‘set’ to
redefine the kingship system by blending modernity into our cultural values and practices and our tradition of thousands of years will
stand.
Plans are well under-way to revitalize Ife in the areas of Sports, Mining, Agriculture, Real Estate, Tourism and rapid industrialization.
To achieve this transformation, a brand new platform named ‘House Of Oduduwa Resources Limited’ has been established to stimulate the
entire economy of Ile-Ife with a positive impact on the entire Yoruba race and our nation as a whole. ‘House Of Oduduwa Resources Limited’
will be tasked with rebuilding Ife into the ‘New Ife city’, NIC.
However, this is a herculean task which can only be achieved with the support of all well-meaning technocrats, sons and daughters of Ile-Ife
in Nigeria and in the Diaspora and all lovers of Ife. My fervent desire is to grow ‘House Of Oduduwa Resources Limited’ into one of the
biggest corporations out of Africa, likewise uniting all lovers of Ife with the people of Ife. Earlier this year, I acquainted the youths of
Ile-Ife of my plans to replicate the truly Nigerian project, Inagbe Grand Resorts Lagos, Nigeria (almost hundred percent of raw materials
used are locally sourced) in Ile-Ife.
Inagbe Grand Resorts is the first of its kind and will soon be the most sought after resort destination in all of West Africa. I have developed an incredible master plan for the proposed ‘Ife Grand Resorts’ which will be an off shoot of ‘Inagbe Grand Resorts Lagos’. The ‘Ife Grand Resort’ project and the ‘NIC’ initiative was conceived to attract young men and women, businesses, corporate organization, investors, holiday makers, lovers of Ife and Ife in Diaspora to a comfortable ambience to stay when they are away from home. This will continually put Ile-Ife, the cradle of black civilization on the map likewise showcasing many artifacts about the Yoruba race, hence creating a steady influx of people into Ile-Ife.
The time has come for us to embrace our true heritage as the progeny of Oduduwa and the task of modernizing Ile-Ife is yours and mine. I am highly honored to have been chosen to fill the stool that great men once occupied; history and I will forever remember this day. I use
this opportunity to pay tribute to Oba Adesoji Aderemi and Oba Okunade Sijuwade; these monarchs were colossuses that redefined the monarchy with touch of diligence, elegance and gravitas that traversed so many cultural boundaries. They were great fathers to me and I will forever miss and honour them.
I am not coming to the throne to pass judgment on those that have maliciously wronged me. But then, I should think that a bid to be
enthroned as the foremost Oba in Yoruba race should be healthy and ordained of God. There is also the Ifa divination that also synthesizes the process, just in case human beings are partial.
Rather, some people resorted to dangerous attacks, wicked lies, malicious insinuations and vigorous campaign of calumny. Why would I
fail to forgive them when all came to nought and the good people and governments of Ife and State of Osun saw through these unfair games and chose me as the prestigious Ooni of Ife.
Therefore, I am coming to set a good example and show the world that I am truly called by God to lead Ile-Ife into a state of tranquillity,
conscientiousness and prosperity. It is my fervent prayer that the Lord will continue to guide us all and bestow us with great wisdom to
carry out our incumbent tasks. I use this opportunity to call on all the sons of Ile-Ife that were alongside me in the race for the stool
to heed to my call and let’s work harmoniously to align our goals for the sake of posterity and Ile-Ife.
Together we shall not lose sight of
the values and tradition that have made us the greatest nation of black people on earth. I come before you all today as a man pledging
his unwavering commitment to his Kingdom and his people that I cannot do this alone; without you all there is no me “I will serve you all
with everything I have”. Long live Ile-Ife; long live the Yoruba race, long live the House of Oduduwa, and God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/the-ile-ife-and-yoruba-of-my-dream-by-ogunwusi-ooni-elect/

K

Congratulations to Omoniyi Wasiu Oluwadotimi just won 9m on surebet247

Olamide baddo made the announcement via his instagram

K

More money has been allegedly stolen under Goodluck Jonathan than there was money to steal.Lai Mohammed, APC National Publicity Secretary, is one of President Buhari’s ministerial nominees. When he appeared for screening before the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio made a wry observation. He said: “If I know (Lai Mohammed) very well, he mayhave one or two propaganda to drop before he leaveshere.” His Senate colleagues burst into laughter because they understood what he meant.Lai Mohammed is a master propagandist. He is well-known to be economical with the truth. During the election season, he cried wolf every other day, claiming to unearth new “fantabulous” PDP plans to rig the election. One of the most outrageous was his allegation that PDP used disappearing ink on the ballot papers of APC supporters in Ekiti. He also alleged PDP imported one Gyora Berger from Israel, with the mandate to jam all the card-readers in the North-West and the North-East.Our distinguished Senators failed to ask Mohammed about these tall-tales for which he is known and loved. They failed to determine if we are to expect more of the same from him as Honourable Minister, or whether he intends to tamp it down a little.Anti-corruption APCThe APC is now Nigeria’s self-styled anti-corruption party. Five months after the elections, the only recognised public policy of the new Buhari administration is anti-corruption. The government’s economic policy is anti-corruption. Its social policy isanti-corruption. Its foreign policy is anti-corruption. Buhari plans to revive our ailing economy with anti-corruption. He plans to fix our broken educational system with anti-corruption. He also plans to fix our health and social services with anti-corruption.Hear him: “The monies we realise from anti-corruption campaign will be adequately used to improve education in the country.” “The money saved will finance jobs, health-care and the provisionof social safety net for the needy, weak and vulnerable of our land.” When can we expect these dividends of anti-corruption to start competing with our proceeds from oil?Fabrication of dataThe APC has consistently exploited the gullibility of Nigerians. Recognising the low level of education in the country, the party has gone all out to promote its anti-corruption policy with lies. It went to town with the CBN governor’s bombast, first that $50 billion was missing from the nation’s coffers; and later that$20 billion was missing. Any Nigerian with a modicumunderstanding of economics knows it is impossible for such huge sums to be missing in an economy thesize of Nigeria’s.Professor Soludo declared that, in the five years of Jonathan’s administration, no less than 30 trillion naira had been stolen. The APC again went to town with this, not minding that the total annual federal budget under Jonathan was a little over 4.5 trillion naira. In short, more money has been allegedly stolenunder Goodluck Jonathan than there was money to steal.This fabrication of data did not stop once APC came to power. The APC claimed it met an empty treasury. However, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, Deputy Chairman National Planning Commission debunked this claim by revealing that Jonathan left behind $30 billion. There was also some $2 billion left in the Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund; amounts that would have been more had the governors not insisted some of it should be shared.Buhari says: “Jonathan’s ministers stole 150 billion dollars.” How exactly did Mr. President come by this outlandish figure. These figures are just plucked out of thin air. APC chieftains say one million barrels of oil was stolen everyday under Jonathan. That cannotbe because it is virtually half of Nigeria’s daily oil-production.Oshiomhole says a senior official of the Obama administration revealed that a Jonathan minister stole $6 billion dollars. How can one single individual possibly steal that much? This claim has since been denied by the Americans. Oshiomhole also claims a consultancy fee of 140 billion naira was paid for the Second Niger Bridge when the total cost of the bridge is only 108 billion. APC chieftains just keep coming up with outrageous figures, in order to keep burnishing their bogus anti-corruption credentials.Promises, promisesDuring the election, APC ignored the parlous state of the economy and went to town, promising Nigerians heaven on earth. It promised to pay a stipend of 5,000 naira monthly to the 25 million poorest Nigerians. This would come to 125 billion every month and 1.5 trillion every year. The party must have known it was impossible to do this with a 4.5 trillion annual budget, least of all at a time when oil is now selling for less than $50 a barrel. Nevertheless, it used this promise to deceive the gullible.APC promised to provide free education; free daily meals for millions of Nigerian public school children; free tertiary education; free healthcare and free houses. All this have turned out to be fictitious. Buhari promised to create 740,000 jobs within a year in the 36 states of the federation, as well as one million jobs for Igbo youths by revamping the huge coal deposits in Enugu State for electricity generation. However, in five months, his administration has created no new jobs. Instead, it has lost many by its go-slow and do-nothing stance.Reneging on promisesOnce the election was “won,” Buhari declared on TV Continental that, unlike the Quran and the Bible, the APC position during the election is subject to change.Suddenly, the APC found it necessary to deny the two key documents on which it had based its presidential campaign: “My Covenant with Nigerians,” and “One Hundred Things Buhari Will Do in 100 Days.” These documents bore the official APClogo, were promoted on the APC website and were used extensively on the campaign trail by APC officials. But once the election was over, the APC reneged on the promises made in them.Garba Shehu said: “I did not fund or authorise any of those. I can equally bet my last kobo that candidate Buhari did not see or authorise those publications.” Lai Mohammed swore that: “Buhari never promised to do anything in 100 days, that’s the honest truth.” However, the 100 days document was the handiworkof the policy and research directorate of the APC presidential campaign, headed by former Governor Kayode Fayemi.Buhari himself introduced the Covenant document inthe first person. He said: “This covenant is to outline my agenda for Nigeria and provide a bird’s eye-view of how we intend to bring about the change that our country needs and deserves. The covenant is derived from the manifesto of my party, the All Progressives Congress. It however represents my pledge to you all when I become your president.” But once he became president, Buhari now claims he had nothing to do with the document.Assets declarationIn a document titled, “I Pledge to Nigeria,” Buhari declared: “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities, (and) encourage all my appointees to publicly declare their assets and as a pre-condition for appointment.” However, after the election, Femi Adesina, the president’s special adviser, denied the president ever made such a promise.He said: “You need to get his words right, go and check all that the president said during the campaign, in no place would you see it attributed to him as a person. But then there is a document by his party, the All Progressives Congress, saying he would declare publicly, so we need to set that right, it’s a declaration by his party.”When the president finally succumbed and declared his assets publicly, he failed to disclose their value. The president had led Nigerians to believe he had barely one million naira to his name. He claimed to beso cash-strapped, he had to borrow 27.5 million nairato pay for his APC presidential nomination papers. But then 30 million naira suddenly appeared in his bank account in his assets declaration.We were told he has only two houses; one in Daura; the other in Kaduna. But then his assets declaration show he not only has a house in Abuja, he has four other houses as well. It was also disclosed that he has an undeveloped land in Port Harcourt and an undisclosed number of shares in banks. The president also has farms, a ranch and livestock. Before his election, Buhari had only 150 cows: after his election, these had jumped to 270.Lying is corruptionWhat is obviously lost to the APC is that there is a definite contradiction between fighting corruption and telling lies. Corruption cannot be fought with deception. It is a classic principle of jurisprudence that “he who comes into equity must come with clean hands.” But APC clearly does not understand this at all. It is remarkable that the very party that fought an election by taking the moral high ground ofbeing anti-corruption is the one that has shown the most blatant inclination to twist, bend, distort and obfuscate the truth at every turn.By its actions, the APC is a party of lies and liars. Theparty claims to be a vehicle of change, nevertheless, it presented a 72 year-old as its presidential candidate, a man who had been in power 30 years previously. Buhari himself accepted the mantle of progressive change, nevertheless he nominated Audu Ogbeh as minister, a man who was minister some 30 years previously.For APC, change means recycling old PDP politicians; avoiding the young; and relegating women into obscurity. Change means ensuring the principal organs of government: the executive, legislature and the judiciary, are now all monopolisedby the North. It means the key staffers of Aso Rock are now virtually all Northerners. It means the INEC Chairman is now from the North, the same region as the president.Change for the APC is declaring Rotimi Amaechi innocent until proven guilty; while declaring Diezani Allison-Madueke guilty until proven innocent. Changemeans the president can overlook the South-East in appointments.Clearly, this is not the change Nigerians were led to expect. This is not the kind of change APC promised Nigerians while seeking our votes. What the party has done is to betray the trust of Nigerians. To put it bluntly, Nigerians were deceived into putting the APCin power. This makes it all the more anomalous that the same APC claims to be the party of anti-corruption. Someone needs to tell APC chieftains that telling lies is corruption.

http://www.urbanreporters.com/2015/10/telling-lies-is-corruption-femi.html

Sijo01:
Cute
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.
.
But I don't understand why a son will be crown king when his father is still alive. What a tradition!

even the late Ooni mum was alive while he was crowned.

it's not a taboo in yorubaland.

K

The newly appointed Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will be crowned in 21 days time, Daily Trust has gathered.
One of the Ife kingmakers disclosed this in Ile-Ife shortly after announcement of the appointment of the new monarch by the Osun State Government.
Hundreds of indigenes and residents of Ile-Ife yesterday stormed the streets in jubilation over the appointment of the new Ooni, who is  from the Giesi Ruling House.
The state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola yesterday officially announced the appointment of Prince Ogunwusi as the new Ooni of Ife through a letter signed by the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti.
One of the Ife kingmakers who is also the secretary to Ife Traditional Council, Chief Adetoye Olatunde Odewole while speaking with Daily Trust at the Ooni’s palace said Ogunwusi was unanimously voted by the14 out of 16 kingmakers as two of them were late.
 Odewole explained that the selection of Ogunwusi followed due process and that his name was submitted to the government at the weekend for official announcement.
He said out of the 21 contenders from the Giesi ruling house, the oracle approved the nomination of Ogunwusi when the Ifa was consulted and that the kingmakers also voted in tandem with the choice of the oracle.
Reacting to the appointment of Ogunwusi, one of the contenders, the former commissioner for culture and tourism in
Osun state who contested against Ogunwusi, Prince Sikiru Adetona Ayedun hailed the appointment of the new monarch and congratulated him.
 “Ile-Ife is greater than all of us and we must all work together for his greatness. The efforts of Governor Rauf Aregbesola cannot but be commended for his leadership role in making the process crisis free.
“The Ife kingmaker also deserves commendation for their unity of purpose. Above all, I congratulate all Ife sons and daughters both at home and in diaspora on the emergence of our new Ooni. I wish him a memorable and eventful coronation in advance,” he said.
Also, the spokesperson of the Lafogido Ruling House, Sooko Adeleke Adewoyin said since government has accepted and announced the choice of the kingmakers, his ruling house would not fight the government.
It would be recalled that the case instituted by Lafogido ruling house against the selection process adopted by the kingmakers was dismissed by the Osun State High Court in Osogbo on Friday, paving way for the announcement.
The Lafogido ruling house urged the people of Ile-Ife to remain calm.
The father of the new Ooni, Pa Ogunwusi in a chat with Daily Trust said “God has sent him on a message. He will give him the grace to do the job well. The glory of God has been upon him right from childhood with the hope that his fame will be heard about in the whole world and that has happened today and he is going to be a blessing to Ife people.”
When Daily Trust visited the ancient town yesterday, it observed that heavily armed military men were on patrol, while armed police men and officers of the Security and Civil Defence Corps were seen at the Ooni’s palace and other strategic places.
Also, some kingmakers, palace chiefs, traditional rulers were in high spirits at the Emese courts of the palace. The town remained peaceful and people were going about their businesses as usual.
Members of the Giesi Ruling House thronged the house of the father of the Ooni to rejoice with him over the appointment of his son, flaunting a big poster bearing the picture of Prince Ogunwusi.
The new Ooni of Ife is an estate entrepreneur and he holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy. The 40-year-old Prince Ogunwusi graduated from the Polytechnic Ibadan and he is currently the Managing Director of Howard Roark Gardens Limited.
 http://dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/new-ooni-of-ife-ogunwusi-to-be-crowned-in-3-weeks/116627.html


Seun, lala, ishilove

K

Culled from the Senate President official Facebook page

sweetgala:
Number 9 is a lie, if only you know what is ongoing in Ile Ife right now. This king is about to have a very rough ride.

Ooh and so many wrongs ave started his reign, he bought his crown and his father is alive which is a taboo in Ile Ife for a king

Please leave history for historians, there is nothing like what you saying.

His father is alive and his grandmother his alive too, the only taboo Is that is forbidden from prostrating for them.
Don't rewrite history public pls

K

The Osun state in an official statement announced the selection ofAdeyeye Enitan Ogunwusias the new Ooni of Ife.The Governor of Osun state,Rauf AregbesolasaidOgunwusi was selected, after the completion of the due process by the traditional king-makers.Here are 7 things you should know about the new Ooni of Ife.1.He is a prince in the Ojaja Royal compound of Agbedegbede in the Giesi Ruling House.2.His parents are Prince Ropo and Late Mrs Margaret Wuraola Ogunwusi3.He is the 5th direct descendant of the Giesi family.4.He is 40 years old.5.He attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy.6.He sits as a non-executive director, on the board of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited (a subsidiary of GTBank).7.He is a certified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.8.He is a certified member of the Institute of Management.9.He is the Managing Director of Managing Director of Howard Roark Gardens Limited.10.His father was a radio and television anchor.
http://pulse.ng/local/adeyeye-enitan-ogunwusi-10-things-you-should-know-about-the-new-ooni-of-ife-id4292849.html

K

The Osun State Government has unveiled a new Ooni of Ife.He is Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, a 40-year old real estate entrepreneur and prince from the Giesi Ruling House in the town.The Secretary to the Osun State Government said the selection of the new Ooni followed the completion of all processes for the filling of theexalted stool Mr. Ogunwusi was selected from 21 candidates presented by the Giesi ruling house for the exalted stool.The statement, made available to PREMIUM TIMES Monday on morning, said, “The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has approved the appointment of a new Ooni of Ife.“He is Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi of GirsiRuling House of Ile-Ife, State of Osun.“This choice follows the completion of the due process by the kingmakers and the communication of their decision to Government.”The announcement of a new traditional ruler for the ancient stool came 89 days after the death of Oba Okunade Sijuwade at a London clinic.Mr. Sijuwade passed on after a brief illness on July 28, although Ile-Ife chiefs only confirmed his death on August 10.Who is Adeyeye Ogunwusi?Born 40 years ago to the Ojaja Royal compound of Agbedegbede in the Giesi Ruling House, Mr. Adeyeye attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy.After school, he grew rapidly in business, becoming a successful real estate merchant.His bio on the website of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited (a subsidiary of GTBank) on which board he sits as non executive director, reads, “Mr. Ogunwusi is a graduate of Accountancy and a certified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and of the Institute of Management.“He has been involved in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts locally and abroad for over 11 years.“He was involved in the development of the Northern Foreshore Estate, Cityscape International Limited’s Buena Vista project in Lekki, Primewaterview Limited’s projects, Westcom Limited’s projects, and the Ajaokuta Steel’s and Delta Steel’s resuscitation projects“Adeyeye is currently the Managing Director of Howard Roark Gardens Limited which is undertaking multi-million naira Jacob Mews Estate project in Yaba and the Lakeview real estate development in Lekki.”More to come…
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/192150-adeyeye-enitan-ogunwusi-is-new-ooni-of-ife.html

Even if I could, I wouldn't change a thing. I know without a doubt that our love for each other will continue to grow through the years, and we will be laughing and reminiscing 50 years from now.
I want to assure you that the passing years have not diminished my love for you in the least. Instead, my love has only deepened with time because it always gives me more opportunities to appreciate how you successfully manage every new challenge that confronts us. Although you are as beautiful to me as ever, I also admire your inner beauty, which merely intensifies with the passing years.
Honestly can't think of how my life would be without you in it other than barren, bleak, cold, and meaningless. I know that as the years pass, the love that we share will continue to grow . Crazy as it may sound, I even look forward to growing old together. The thought of all the upcoming years spent by your side brings me a joy and a peace that I can hardly comprehend. I know that, no matter what, we'll stay together, through thick and thin. That's what real love and commitment is all about, and that's what I have for you.
Honey, I know how blessed I am, and I want you to know that I know it.
I swore to love you for time and all eternity and I will happily do that, my Love.
I am so grateful that you continue to love me, too-- despite my failures and shortcomings. Thank you for always being there and helping me to be all that I can be.
Yours always and forever!
From your husband, Odeyele Ayodeji Joseph
Happy Anniversary Titilayo Mary Odeyele


Nairalanders show us some love.

Nigerian born Pastor Sunday Adelaja has blamed widespread corruption in Nigeria to be caused by Nigerian churches and pastors.The founder of Embassy of God Church, Kiev, Ukraine, the largest Pentecostal church in Europe, in an interview faulted the wrong concepts that churches in Nigeria are promoting.“A pastor could say that somebody would be a millionaire before the end of the year. Whereas we are in November or December and there are 500 people in that auditorium. All of them will shout amen!!! Yet Pastors don’t correct them saying that no, you would not become a millionaire before the end of the year even if you shout amen for the whole day.“The only person that would become a millionaire is the person that has worked for it. The only person thatwould become a millionaire is the person that has at least signed a contract. When pastors don’t clarify that, everybody begins to believe that some miracles would happen.“So when such a member goes to his office and he sees an unsigned check, for a million dollars and nobody is claiming responsibility for it, he claims it. Hebelieves that it is God that has provided for him. That is how corruption gets from the pulpit to the society. That particular member would claim that God has answered his Pastor’s prayer.“He would boldly come to give testimony the followingSunday while the naïve and ignorant members would shout hallelujah! Meanwhile they too are expecting similar miracles and on and on. That is how the vicious circle of corruption from the pulpit to the wholecountry runs.

http://www.exclusivebaze.com/2015/08/nigerian-pastors-are-responsible-for.html