FOR CONSOLIDATING SAFETY IN OYO - As part of the ongoing efforts to further consolidate security and safety in Oyo state, the Oyo State government "SAFE CITY PROJECT" Stakeholders site survey was done today, from a major city center at Mapo Hall, Beere.

Stakeholders present for this ongoing project assessment include leadership of the Oyo State Security Trust Fund (OYSSTF), OYSG-ICT, HUAWEI, Ibadan Electric Distribution Company (IBEDC), Fast Deploy and MTN.

The SAFE CITY PROJECT was commissioned weeks ago and it'll see to the installation of CCTV cameras at major city points to forestall crime and consolidate security.

#AsiwajuNiWa
#AjumoseSecurity

Oyo State Government today announced zero tolerance for farmlands being left uncultivated by owner-families, saying the government would always intervene to achieve mutual understanding between landowners and agricultural investors.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi said this today at a press briefing in Ibadan.

Oyewole said land, being the most important in any investment should not be made difficult to access by investors who needed it for agricultural investment, saying for optimum benefit to be derived from Nigeria’s campaign for agricultural revolution, land must be made available.

“Oyo State government’s intensive engagements with local communities have reflected that agriculture is the mainstay of a large percentage of our people but despite that the State has 2.5million hectares of arable land, investors have been experiencing difficulties in land availability.

“The government has therefore approved sensitization campaign to encourage use of land for agricultural purposes. A committee has been set up for agricultural land policy with the tag, ‘zero tolerance for idle agricultural land’ to boost production, employment and food security.”

The Commissioner urged owners of family lands and lands owned by communities to give land out to investors in farming through rent, lease or outright selling to prospective investors, promising that government would not shirk its responsility to facilitate flexible agreement between landowners and agricultural investors.

He said the State government had introduced flexibility into the program to enhance mutual cooperation between landowners and investors in their transactions.

“Government will continue to facilitate smooth transactions between landowners and agricultural investors for the State to reposition itself as the food basket of Southwest Nigeria.”

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, for his ongoing efforts aimed at sanitizing the judiciary of corruption and malfeasance, warning that justice delay is an invitation to anarchy.

The governor gave the commendation while inaugurating Mrs. Adenike Adeeyo and Mr. Adebukola Lajide as judges of the state’s High Court, at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office, on Thursday. They were immediately presented with official Prado sport utility vehicles.

.

The governor lauded the state’s judges for living above board by eschewing corrupt practices that may attract sanctions and capable of bringing the state into disrepute.

Ajimobi, who congratulated the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola, for what he called his exemplary leadership, said he was particularly impressed by the impartiality, fearlessness and forthrightness of the state’s judges in the dispensation of justice.

The governor said that his administration’s avowed adherence to the independence of the judiciary and supremacy of the rule of law was evident in some cases that the state government had lost, which he said was the beauty of democracy.

Ajimobi said, “I must commend the efforts of the new CJN aimed at sanitizing the bench across the nation. Thankfully, our state is considerably exempt from the malfeasance and corruption charges that recently ruffled the judiciary in the country.

“To this end, I wish to publicly commend the Chief Judge of Oyo State for his exemplary leadership and sense of fidelity to all that is noble and honourable. I, therefore, admonish our judges to follow his example by holding firmly to their integrity, shunning all acts that can bring the bench to public opprobrium.

“We are hopeful that the addition of these two new judges to our bench shall add to the value of justice delivery in our state. We expect that they will approach their new duties with utmost fear of God, coupled with a high sense of integrity, wisdom and candour, so as to justify the confidence reposed in them.”

The governor charged judges to work towards effective delivery of justice to redress the crisis of congestion of cases in the courts and to avert subversion of people’s rights.

If not addressed, Ajimobi warned that court congestion could encourage self-help and promote anarchy in the land.

In its commitment to the maintenance of peace, tranquillity and egalitarianism, the governor said that his administration had appointed 13 new judges since 2011, including the two that were inaugurated on Thursday.

Ajimobi stressed that the government had never been interested in counting the costs of the said commitments, but had instead chosen to always concentrate on the utilitarian principles that were hinged more on the public good.

The governor said, “Every day, our people cry for justice. They complain about the injustice in the land. And the reasons are not farfetched. Our courts are congested with cases, while people’s rights are trampled upon by individuals and institutions, thereby posing grave challenges to the effective delivery of justice.

“If and when such inadequacies and injustices are allowed to fester unattended, the society unwittingly regresses to that Hobbesian state where ‘life is nasty, brutish and short.’

“It, therefore, becomes imperative for a responsible government to put in place a well-fortified judiciary peopled by eminent legal minds of impeccable character. Such a judiciary must be serviced by highly resourceful professionals who are well versed in the practice and procedures of the law.”

OYO State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela on Wednesday reiterated that the School Governing Boards’ policy (SGBs) inaugurated by the present administration in the state was not politically motivated, noting that the all inclusive policy was geared towards rejuvenating as well as repositioning the education sector.

The Commissioner stated this at the official distribution of student furniture, exercise books and sporting materials donated by Hon. Akeem Ige, representing Ibadan South East Constituency II at the State House of Assembly held at Christ Church Primary School Play Ground, Odinjo, Ibadan.

Professor Olowofela in his remarks recalled, “when government insisted that all of us -the old students, the Parent Teacher Association, the Community, the Principals of schools should participate in the management of the school, the idea was misconstrued, there was chaos and riot in the society, but we thank God that the policy is yielding dividend today.

“Let me tell you, the program of today, a lot of people read various insinuations into it. When government established SGB, we declared that it is not politically motivated. We are saying education is the business of all. We can’t blame anybody any more.

“We are saying that all of us must participate in the development of education and that’s what we are doing today. Whether you are APC, Accord, Labour, PDP, SDP that’s not our concern, our concern is that development must be visible in our various schools”.

While applauding the effort of the donor of these education materials, Hon. Ige on behalf of the state government for his determination towards ensuring that learning activities in the schools are carried out without hitch and as well ensuring agility of these learners through provision of sporting equipments, Olowofela said, “sportsmanship is a good virtue to be inculcated in these little ones to develop team spirit. Ige has always been looking for ways to improve quality of lives”.
Hon Ige discussing with the commissioner for Education, Prof. Olowofela giving details of the items distributed.
Professor Olowofela continued , “His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has consistently been calling for a participatory approach to education financing in which all stakeholders are enjoined to actively contribute their quota in the provision of free and qualitative education.

“It is no gain saying that, education has a global reach and no government around the world can solely shoulder the responsibility of providing the educational demands of her people”.

He disclosed that government has mandated schools, both public and private in the state to organise sporting activities every year so as to discover talents.

Speaking further, the ex-council boss, Olowofela hinted, ” I also want to congratulate all of us today because when you look at educational profile from 1999 until last year 2016, our percentage in terms of WAEC pass rate, the best has been 21.61% but this year 2017, we have 54.18% in the WAEC ratings which demonstrate that government effort is yielding dividends”.

The commissioner, therefore urged all and sundry to come on board and support government in her drive aimed at restoring, reforming and repositioning the education sector in the state.

Earlier in his welcome address, the donor, Hon. Akeem Ige disclosed that the program was part of his effort to ensure that pupils have access to table and chairs, saying that the donation aims at enhancing their studies.

The lawmaker emphasised that he accorded education a priority, thus informed his decision to embarked upon provision of these education materials within shortest possible time.

“This I believe will go a long way to solving several challenges facing these schools at the moment in terms of infrastructure. This is also in line with education policy of the present administration in the state to reform education through the establishment of School Governing Boards (SGBs) to ensure that each individual contributes his/her quota to the development of education in the state”

As part of his contribution towards boosting sporting activities in public schools and to develop sporting activities at the grassroot especially football, the Chairman House Committee on Foreign Relations also distributed sporting kits and materials.

The ex- council gaffer, who is also an alumnus of the School (Christ Church Primary School), Hon. Ige while imploring the old students in all public schools to gather themselves and form a synergy so as to contribute their own quota to the development of education in the state concluded “the government is doing a lot but government alone cannot do it all”.

The governor said this on Wednesday in Ibadan while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) led by its Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Baru was in Ibadan for the inauguration of the NNPC depot in the Oyo State capital.

Ajimobi also urged NNPC to look for ways of engaging private investors in partnership, particularly in the area of setting up refinery.

The governor, who commended NNPC for its achievements in its retail business, requested for the construction of more outlets in the state.

“Oyo State is one of the most cosmopolitan states in Nigeria with a large population.

“ We all know that such a state would no doubt be among the largest consumers of petroleum products.

“NNPC should open more outlets, particularly in Ibadan, and be more competitive. You can even allow state governments to register for allocations,’’ he said.

He said that the NNPC depot in Ibadan had stopped working since the 1990s, adding that this had led to shortage in the supply of petroleum products to the state.

Ajimobi said that his administration had given some patrol vans to security agencies used in monitoring pipelines against acts of vandalism.

Earlier, Baru said he was in the state for the inauguration of the depot that had not been functioning in the last 20 years.

He said many pipeline network had been restored across the country.

“We have lost lot of products and human lives to vandalism. We have embarked on the ongoing restoration of the pipelines in line with the APC-led administration in the country.

“President Muhammadu Buhari gave us orders and support to achieve all these and I am confident that we will deliver.

“As a political class, you are more closer to the grassroots. We are appealing to you to help us enlighten our people on the dangers,” he said.

He called on the governor to assist NNPC in sensitising residents on the dangers inherent in pipeline vandalism.

About 110, both local and international, Golfers are expected to participate in the maiden edition of Ibadan Mesiogo Open starting tomorrow, October 4, 2017.

The Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Aboyomi Oke stated this on Tuesday in Ibadan, disclosing that the competition is being organized in conjunction with the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes and 3e Actuaries.

Mr. Oke explained that 69 local golfers and 41 foreigners from 18 countries are being expected to be part of the competition that ends on Sunday, October 8, 2017.

The commissioner said that the competition will start with IMEGA Women Empowerment and Fund Ceremony tomorrow while the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi will tee off the golf Competition for professional golfers at Ibadan Golf Club on Thursday, October 5, 2017.

Oke added that IMEGA 2017 Awards Gala will hold on Saturday, October 7, 2017 and the IMEGA Amateur Open for Ameteur Golfer at the Ibadan Glof Club will hold on October 8, 2017.



‘Toye Arulogun
Hon Commissioner,
Min.of Info., Culture & Tourism,
Oyo State Government

No fewer than 62 schools, Non-Governmental Organisations and other associations participated in the celebration of Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary organised by the Oyo State Government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 50 secondary schools and 12 primary schools participated in the celebration held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan on Sunday.

NAN also reports that event with the theme, `Youth and Economic Challenges : The Way Forward, ’ was attended by Gov. Abiola Ajimobi and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

Also at the event were members of the State Executive Council as well as traditional rulers from Ibadan.

READ: No fewer than 62 schools, Non-Governmental Organisations and other associations participated in the celebration of Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary organised by the Oyo State Government. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 50 secondary schools and 12 primary schools participated in the celebration held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan on Sunday. NAN also reports that event with the theme, `Youth and Economic Challenges : The Way Forward, ’ was attended by Gov. Abiola Ajimobi and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi. Also at the event were members of the State Executive Council as well as traditional rulers from Ibadan. The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, was, however, absent. The governor, who read President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech, stated that no state or nation could develop or witness progress in disunity and chaos. He cautioned those promoting and fuelling discord across the country to desist, saying the nation was better positioned to make progress in its multi-ethnic and multi-religious diversities.

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, was however, absent.

The governor, who read President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech, stated that no state or nation could develop or witness progress in disunity and chaos.

He cautioned those promoting and fuelling discord across the country to desist, saying the nation was better positioned to make progress in its multi-ethnic and multi-religious diversities.

Oyo State, popularly referred to as the “Pace Setter” is one of the 36 States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It came into existence with the break up of the old Western State of Nigeria during the State creation exercise in 1976 and it originally included Osun State, which was split off in 1991. Oyo State is homogenous, mainly inhabited by the Yoruba ethnic group who are primarily agrarian but have a predilection for living in high density urban centers.

The indigenes mainly comprise the Oyos, the Ogbomosos, the Oke-Oguns, the Ibadans and the Ibarapas, all belonging to the Yoruba family and indigenous city in Africa, south of the Sahara. Ibadan had been the centre of administration of the old Western Region, Nigeria since the days of the British colonial rule. Other notable cities and towns in Oyo State include Oyo, Ogbomoso, Iseyin, Kisi, Okeho, Saki, Eruwa, Lanlate, Sepeteri, Ilora, Awe, Ilero, Igbeti, Igboho and Igbo-Ora.

Records, Landmarks and ‘Firsts’

The first university in Nigeria is the University of Ibadan (established as a college of the University of London when it was founded in 1948, and later converted into an Autonomous university in 1962). It has the distinction of being one of the premier educational institutions in West Africa. The other Universities in the State are: Lead City University, Ajayi Crowther University and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and The Polytechnic Ibadan which is one of the best polytechnics in Nigeria.

There are 631 secondary schools as well as 1,576 public primary schools in the State. Other noteworthy institutions in the city include the University College Hospital; the first teaching hospital in Nigeria and the internationally acclaimed International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Another prominent landmark in Oyo State is the Cocoa House, the first skyscraper built in Africa. The State is also home to NTA Ibadan, the first television station in Africa and Liberty Stadium the first stadium built in Africa.
Other major tourist attractions in the State include: Agodi Gardens, Ado-Awaye Suspended Lake, Mapo Hall, University of lbadan Zoological Garden, Ido Cenotaph, Trans-Wonderland Amusement Park, Oke-Ogun National Park in Old Oyo-Ile, Iyamopo and Agbele Hill in Igbeti, Bowers Tower and the Cultural Centre, Mokola.

The Alado of Ado Awaye, Oba Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi, has hailed Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi for resolving the 34-year-old crisis on the Alado of Ado Awaye stool and restoring peace to the town.

Also, the monarch praised the governor for the creation of Araromi Local Council Development Area (LCDA), which the town had been longing to have in the past 20 years.

Oba Folakanmi spoke in his palace when he hosted officials of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, led by the commissioner, Toye Arulogun, during a trip to Ado Awaye Suspended Lake.

The monarch noted that the governor fulfilled the aspirations of Ado Awaye residents with the creation of the LCDA and the restoration of a monarch after many years of disputes.

He said the governor’s gesture would linger in the minds of the people for bringing peace to the town.

Oba Folakanmi said: “The government and the governor of Oyo State deserve our appreciation. Governor Ajimobi filled the vacant stool of Alado of Ado Awaye after 34 years and he also created an LCDA for us, which we had been clamouring for in the last 20 years. We want to also appreciate the government for its efforts to rehabilitate Ado Awaye Suspended Lake.

“The Ado Awaye Suspended Lake is a world attraction for everyone. Ado Awaye is the centre of Oyo State, as discovered during the regime of Brig.-Gen. David Jemibewon (retd). We thank the government and the governor for promoting Ado Awaye. We promise to support government’s programmes and activities.”

Arulogun said the state government would continue to accord the traditional institution the respect it deserved.

He said the state government was more concerned about peaceful co-habitation of all and sundry, adding that the sustenance of peace, which was elusive prior to Ajimobi’s administration, would be given priority.

The LCDA’s Caretaker Chairman, Eyitato Olakunle, pledged to always make the town conducive and hospitable for tourists.

Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has harped on for government at all levels to focus on youth empowerment and industrialization as a gateway towards achieving human capital development and improving the economic well-being of the nation.

Ajimobi made this call at the flag off of the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), organized by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) at the Polytechnic Ibadan.

Represented by state Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives, Princess Taibat Adeyemi-Agaba, Ajimobi especially noted that youths must be empowered to sustain industrial and economic development efforts of government.

He averred that the Oyo state government continued to engender industrialisation by opening up the state to investments and empowering its youths through the technical and vocational skills acquisition programmes.

Among other objectives, the national industrial skills development programme aims at imparting Nigerians with skills on the development of cottage industries and the promotion of non-oil products for export and improved economy.

Ajimobi therefore charged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the skills acquisition programme in building a wealthy and prosperous nation.

In his remarks, the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Mr Joseph Ari, represented by Mrs Olufunke Olorunleke, disclosed that over 2,500 Oyo indigenes had so far benefited from the skills empowerment programme.

The 2017 edition would see the training of 300 participants within the age bracket of 18 and 35 years in welding and fabrication, tailoring and fashion designing, and plumbing and pipe fitting.

“It is a programme that is aimed at impacting skills in this teeming unemployed population, particularly our young men and women under the age of 35 so as to ensure national growth,” Olorunleke added.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Gbade Ojo and the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Barr Abayomi Oke in their respective goodwill messages, maintained that the partnership between ITF and the Oyo State Government was to promote the imperative nature of public private partnership toward economic and industrial growth of the state.

They affirmed the unwavering support of the state government in partnering with ITF and other purpose-driven organizations so as to boost commerce and other economic activities in the state.

OYO State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that he had no plans of deposing the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, no matter the level of provocation and opposition to the recent installation of new obas in Ibadanland.

He also appealed to members of the Obas-in-Council and all other newly installed obas in Ibadanland to extend the olive branch to the Olubadan by visiting him as a way of assuring the paramount ruler that they bore no grudge against him.

The governor spoke at a meeting he held with the traditional council of the 11 local governments in Ibadanland, which are being headed by the Obas-in-Council, formerly known as members of the Olubadan-in-Council, at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan.

The meeting was also attended by senior chiefs in Ibadanland, members of the Ibadan Elders’ Forum, chairmen of the 11 local governments and 14 local council development areas in Ibadan as well as members of the state executive council.

Despite being vested with enormous powers of suspension and deposition of erring monarch, as enshrined in Cap 28, Section 26 (1) of the Chiefs Laws of Oyo State 2000, Ajimobi said that he would not invoke such powers over the Ibadan monarch.

The section reads, “The governor may suspend or depose any chief (oba) whether appointed before or after the commencement of this law if it is satisfied that such suspension or deposition is required according to customary law or is necessary in the interest of peace or order or good government’’

Governor Ajimobi, who reiterated that Oba Adetunji was his father, said that he would not do anything that would diminish his status or bring his exalted stool into disrepute.

He said,“Let me state that the existing chieftaincy law gives any governor power to remove any traditional ruler who engages in activities that can jeopardize the peace of his domain.

“I should also add that Kabiyesi, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has of recent been engaging in certain activities that are inimical to the peace and tranquility of Ibadan.

“Only recently, Olubadan embarked on a roadshow across Ibadan, waving horsetail to bystanders in an apparent attempt to incite the people against the government. Such actions could have pitted the antagonists and protagonists of installation of new obas against one another.

“This is capable of plunging Ibadan metropolis into a crisis of unimaginable proportion, if not for the understanding and support of the people for the government. But no matter what happens, I assure you I will never depose the Olubadan. He remains my father. His palace is just being used by failed politicians, especially the Accord Party leader, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, to relaunch his faded political career.

“I hold the Olubadan and his stool in high esteem. This is why I will also want to beg the obas-in-council to visit Baba and mend their relationship. If I can’t fight the Olubadan, please you should not fight him.”

Ajimobi, who described the royal father as a good man, with liberal disposition, however, expressed the regret that he had allowed his palace to be hijacked by those he called failed politicians and serial losers.

He said that their plans were not only to heat up the polity but also to return Ibadan metropolis to the dark days when arson, violence and brigandage reigned supreme, all targeted at the 2019 general elections.

The governor added, “Reports at our disposal indicate that the crisis that had trailed the appointment of new obas in Ibadan and the gun attack on the Olubadan palace on Monday might have been masterminded by these failed politicians.

“They have taken advantage of Kabiyesi’s advanced age to carry out their nefarious activities and use the palace as the centre of opposition to the government. What they failed to achieve through the ballot box, they want to achieve through the back door.

“Our government is not for violence. We don’t encourage brigandage. It is people like Ladoja who have been promoting violence that were behind the attack on Olubadan’s palace. It was during Ladoja’s regime that gunmen shot into the late Baba (Lamidi) Adedibu’s house because of his opposition to him.

“Ladoja’s supporters caused mayhem in Akure (Ondo State) when he lost out in his bid to be endorsed as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. During his administration, even the governor’s office became a theatre of war. All these are on record.”

He, however, vowed not to be intimidated by what he called Ladoja’s pull-him-down syndrome and self-centredness.

Speaking earlier, the Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, expressed appreciation to the governor for the matured way he had handled the provocative activities of the opponents of the recent review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy Law.

Olakulehin recalled what he called the overwhelming support members of the then Olubadan-in-Council gave Oba Adetunji during his nomination as Olubadan-designate and his eventual colorful coronation by the state government.

He, however, alleged that the foremost traditional ruler had treated them with disdain and had embarked on activities that could tarnish the revered Olubadan stool.

The royal father particularly cited the “unilateral removal of Alhaja Abake Lawal as the Iyaloja of Ibadanland by Oba Adetunji” allegedly on the excuse that she was not an Ibadan indigene in spite of the opposition by the Olubadan-in-Council.

Also, the Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Gbadamosi Adebimpe, rejoiced with the governor on what he called the successful completion of the Olubadan chieftaincy law review, adding that the Olubadan stool had further been elevated to the imperial status.

He said that Ladoja’s major grouse with the governor was that he had no opportunity of carrying out the reform during his own tenure as governor.

Oba Adebimpe said, “I will appeal to the citizens of Oyo State to be praying for good health and strength for the governor because of his many good intentions. I rejoice with him for seeing the reform through. He has succeeded where his predecessors have failed.

“I also want to say that the main grouse of my friend is that he was unable to carry out this reform when he was governor. I salute Ajimobi’s doggedness and courage. He has taken many valiant and commendable steps since he became governor.

“Maybe, Kabiyesi the Olubadan did not know that the governor had elevated his status by this review. He is also a beneficiary because he is now the imperial majesty. Our role now is to be enlightening the people on the many advantages of the chieftaincy review.”

Shea Butter is a highly beneficial agricultural and industrial product with growing national and international demand, and it exists in abundant resources in our Oyo state, especially in Saki and across the Oke-ogun belt of our state.

You should know that;

• the present Ajimobi-led government has started building a Shea Butter factory in the Oke-ogun belt, to explore and maximize the growing gains of this commodity.
• that the Oyo state government has started recruiting and training youths to become gainful workers in this factory.
• there are existing factories empowered and backed by the government to produce Shea Butter in export-grade quantities.
• pictures below show one of these functional factories in Saki, processing, drying, mashing, cooking and producing at least 10 bags of Shea Butter from Shea nuts per day.

#AsiwajuNiWa
#AjumoseAgriculture
#OyoSheaButter

The newly elevated high Chiefs in Ibadan, Oyo State, have distanced themselves from the decision of former Oyo Governor and the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, to challenge the installation of 21 new kings by the state government. At the end of the meeting held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Thursday, Balogun of Ibadan land, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, said the new Obas were not in tandem with him on his decision to go to court over the installation. The Balogun called on Ladoja to stop playing politics with the issue by embracing the new idea to instal the new kings. He said “It is a wrong impression by Ladoja that the newly inaugurated Obas do not have domain, the Olubadan and members of Obas-in-Council jointly rule Ibadanland as Oba Saliu Adetunji cannot rule without us. “Ladoja himself who said he cannot be an Oba without a domain is the Chairman of Ibadan South-West Traditional Council, and apart from collecting stipends from government all of us report back to the Olubadan. It is nothing but politics borne out of selfish motives.” Meanwhile, The Mogaji (family head) of Akinsola compound in Oopo Labiran area of Ibadan, Chief Olawale Oladoja, said more than 300 Mogajis in Ibadan have decided to challenge the installation of 21 kings in Ibadan by the state government. Oladoja, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone shortly after 315 Mogajis visited the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji in his palace on Wednesday, also challenged the authority of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes as the representative of sons and daughters of Ibadan. He said the claim by the call that more than 90 per cent of Ibadan indigenes supported the move was false because the council only represented a small group of people in the city. “Can we say that the new kings are not educated or are ignorant? Have they really read the letters that were issued to them when they were appointed by Governor Abiola Ajimobi? How can a king still be a chief in a palace at the same time? There is tradition and culture and that of Ibadan is different from that of the Ijebu or other places in Yoruba land. “In Ibadan land, a king must spend some days in Iledi with Labosinde. We must follow the process. Only the people of Ibadan can decide who is a king. A baale…

Among those at the meeting were the Afobaje Labosinde of Ibadanland, Chief Wahab Popoola; Aboke of Ibadanland, Chief Ifasola Ifamapowa; Olori Alagba of Ibadanland, (head of the Masquerades) Chief Ojetunde Akinleye; and Oluwo of Ibadan.
Also at the meeting were scores of family heads, including those of Ibikunle, Latoosa, Opeagbe and Ogunmola; war lord families; members of the Council of Recognised Mogajis, led by the Chairman, Chief Asimiyu Adepoju (Mogaji Ariori family).

Speaking at the occasion, the Aboke of Ibadanland invoked the spirit of the ancestors to deal with any individual or group threatening the peace and working against the progress of Ibadanland and Oyo State in general.
He said that the Olubadan chieftaincy review had elevated the profile of the Olubadan as well as Ibadan city, adding that the development had promoted the stool of the Olubadan to the elite status of imperial majesties during their lifetime.
On his part, the Afobaje Labosinde noted that the step taken by the governor on the chieftaincy matter was not meant to desecrate the throne of Olubadan, but rather to ensure speedy development and progress of the traditional institution in Ibadanland.
He therefore appealed to the Olubadan not to allow disgruntled politicians to hide under him to cause the breach of security of the land, emphasizing that any action that could lower the esteem of the throne of Olubadan should be avoided.

He said “I have read the White Paper and it is clearly stated that any Oba that disrespects the Olubadan will be adequately dealt with according to the tradition. Nothing can be more reassuring than this.
“I will continue to appeal to the Olubadan to look at the many positives from the White Paper which protects and elevates the stool of Olubadan. I also appeal to all the aggrieved parties to tow the path of honour and peace.
The chairman of the Council of Recognised Mogajis said that the incident at the palace could only have been masterminded by disgruntled politicians trying to bring back violence and cause disaffection between the Olubadan of Ibadanland and the governor of Oyo State.
Asimiyu said “We are here to condemn in its entirety the ugly incident of yesterday where some hoodlums shot sporadically at the palace of our father, the Olubadan of Ibadanland. This is unacceptable and highly regrettable.
“The act is totally inimical to the dictates of modern ways of seeking redress on any matter or playing politics. We stand with the state government in condemning the act.
“We commend Governor Ajimobi for his unrelenting efforts towards the development of traditional institution being craved by development-oriented minds for many years. Our governor has set a record that will never be forgotten by generations to come.”
Responding, the governor expressed appreciation to the groups for their understanding of his administration’s altruistic intent towards Ibadan and the rest of the state, especially with the Olubadan chieftaincy laws’ review.
Ajimobi said he would not do anything to disrespect the tradition institution in any part of the state, noting that he would do all within his powers to accord the hallowed palaces of the monarchs the respect and dignity they deserve.

A reputable secondary school in the country, Nigerian Tulip Int’l Colleges, Lagos has awarded scholarships to three students from public secondary schools in Oyo State.

The recipients who got admitted into SSS 1 are: Salam Mubarak from Jesus the Rock College; Adeniran Esther from Goodwill Comprehensive High School and Oladeji Ruqoyat from Onireke Girls High School.

Contained in a letter received on Tuesday by the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, the Principal, Mrs. Ercan Yilmaz said: “sequel to the interview and the orientation conducted for the scholarship applicants from Oyo State into our school, I have the honour to inform you that the following applicants from public schools in Oyo State have been offered admission into our school and into the classes written against their names.

“They are to enroll, alongside other students, into their respective classes when the school resume for the 2017/2018 academic session in September 2017. Their parents have been contacted and inform about the admission.

“In view of this, we are grateful for the invaluable assistance received from the ministry towards the success of the programme. It is our belief that if and when we request for such assistance in the future, the ministry would surely oblige us”, she continued.

The Oyo State Government on Tuesday said that activities marking the 2017 World Tourism Day will come up on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 with mountaineering at the Ado Awaye suspended lake which is one of the two lakes on the hill in the World.

The government said the climax of the one day activities is the mountaineering of the 246 steps Ado Awaye hill at Ado Awaye suspended lake, Iseyin.

The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Toye Arulogun said that Stakeholders in the Tourism industries, media and general public are expected to be part of the tourism adventure which is being used to mark the 2017 World Tourism Day with the theme: Sustainable Tourism, A Tool for Development.

He stated that the highlights of the one-day event will include a trip to Ado -Awaye lake, performance by Oyo State Cultural Troupe, picnicking, music, comedy and prizes for the top 3 climbers.

Arulogun noted that participants at the mountaineering will discuss how tourism can be used for sustainable development, stressing that tourism is a viable alternative to oil and other sources of revenue generation in the country.

The Commissioner urged all stakeholders in the tourism industry to partner with the state government in order to make the sector a catalyst for positive change.

Arulogun said “We need to make our tourism sites attractive for the people and that is the why we have decided to promote our domestic tourism. We need to keep our currency in the country. Our philosophy is to identify, package and promote our tourist attractions.”

The Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, on Monday condemned the attack on the palace of Olubadan of Ibadan land, Saliu Adetunji.

A statement by Yomi Layinka, Mr. Ajimobi’s media aide, said the government had directed security operatives to bring the masterminds of the attack to justice.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how yet-to-be identified gunmen stormed the palace of the Olubadan during the installation of local chiefs at the Popo-yemoja palace of the monarch earlier on Monday.

A former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Sharafadeen Ali, together with some journalists were among those caught up in the mayhem.

They, however, escaped by the whiskers as the gunmen shot into the air, daring those in the palace to come out and confront them.

In his statement on Monday afternoon, Mr. Ajimobi said the government would not spare anyone who attempts to throw the state into chaos.

“The governor condemns the said act in its entirety and has directed security agencies to ensure that the masterminds are swiftly arrested, interrogated and brought to justice,” the statement said.

“The governor has vowed not to brook anyone or group of people desirous of bringing back the regime of violence and brigandage to the state.

“He wishes to reiterate his commitment to the security and protection of lives and properties of all citizens of Oyo State, which he has laboured hard to restore and maintain in the last six years,” Mr. Layinka added.

Meanwhile, one of the journalists who sustained minor injuries during the shooting, Ademola Babalola, has taken to Facebook to recount his experience.

“Black Monday in Ibadan. Another great escape by whiskers! Gunmen @ Palace. It can only be God. Saw death LIVE!!!,” Mr. Babalola wrote Monday afternoon.

“All our well-wishers, thanks for your prayers, best wishes and words of encouragement. May God heal our lands and judge our leaders. It is well,” he added.

The attention of the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has been drawn to the alleged act of brigandage during a ceremony at the palace of the Olubadan, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Adetunji, today (on Monday).

The governor condemns the said act in its entirety and has directed security agencies to ensure that the masterminds are swiftly arrested, interrogated and brought to justice.

The governor has vowed not to brook anyone or group of people desirous of bringing back the regime of violence and brigandage to the state.

He wishes to reiterate his commitment to the security and protection of lives and properties of all citizens of Oyo State, which he has laboured hard to restore and maintain in the last six years.

It is now getting obvious that any attempt to disrupt the ongoing maintenance of peace and quiet anywhere in Oyo will be squashed immediately at conception.

The way and manner by which the newly recommissioned Oyo state security apparatus handled and quelled the turbulence at the Olubadan palace some moments ago, comes off as highly commendable.

The Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, was scheduled to install new Baales and Mogaji's today, and reports from the security team on ground shows that families of the aggrieved parties who were zoned-out of new titles, shot at Safadeen Alli's (Former Oyo SSG) Jeep on his way to Palace. Some reports add that it was actually as assassination attempt on the former SSG who is a gubernatorial hopeful of the PDP come 2019.

Well, the area seems peaceful now and the promptness and professionalism showed by the security team to dispel the violence and restore calm was indeed commendable.

It is clear that the charge given by the state governor to the newly reconstituted Operation Burst team some few weeks ago, wasn't for nothing.

Kudos!

Gunmen opened fire towards the vehicle of the ex - Secretary to the State Government of Oyo State, Mr Sharafadeen Alli this morning shortly after the installation of some Baales by the Olubadan at the Olubadan's Palace at Popoyemoja, Ibadan.

The former SSG was at the back seat of his black Toyota Land cruiser Jeep with registration number Epe 447 ER when bullets penetrated his windscreen by the owner's seat.

A source who pleaded anonymity said that, the gunmen were on the pay roll of a top PDP politician who engaged them with the intent to assassinate Mr Sharafadeen Alli because of his prospect of winning the PDP ticket to contest as Governor in 2019.

Investigations are ongoing about the sequence of events and actions that led to this assassination attempt. An update is expected soon.

Over the hilly and rocky plains of Iseyin, nestled in the Ara-Oke countryside of Oyo State, is the ancient art and indigenous textile industry of aso-ofi that has been passed down from generation to generation in unbroken rhythm. The unique textile, also known as aso-oke in urban Yoruba parts, to refer to the hinterland source of this cultural industry, had its day in the sun last week, when Oyo State Government collaborated with Iseyin weavers and marketers to celebrate it as the state’s next cultural product for the global market.

Aso-ofi has enjoyed thousands of years of the artistry among its Iseyin weavers and worldwide patronage. But like most African indigenous cultural products, it is facing a threat from outside, particularly the Chinese, who have seen its global market potential and have tapped into it. So that while Iseyin local weavers are still stuck with only the traditional, wooden, painstaking loom method of weaving, the Chinese have applied modern, faster machine methods. If Iseyin weavers do not wisen up fast and move along with modernity, they risk loosing their ancient, inherited business.

Coming on the heels of Adire Heritage Festival held barely two weeks ago in Lagos, it would seem there is more awareness and value-addition to Yoruba cultural textiles than anywhere else in the country. The celebration of two Yoruba indigenous textiles, adire and aso-ofi, should serve as wake-up call on other ethnic groups with unique indigenous textiles to begin the process, of not only celebrating theirs, but also taking them to national and international markets for enhanced patronage.

For instance, the Tiv in Benue State have a’nger (black & white stripes) and Idoma (black & red stripes variant of it), the Efik have onyonyo, while the Anioma in Delta State have akwa-ocha, as indeed other ethnic nationalities have their own indigenous, cultural textile products worth celebrating. But to what extent are owners of these other traditional textiles aware of the immense economic potential inherent in their inheritance if properly packaged, promoted and marketed? This is where the Yoruba have set the pace.

It was apparently what informed the Abiola Ajimobi-led administration of Oyo State, through its Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, to collaborate with Iseyin Weavers and Marketers Association to hold a festival that not only yearly celebrates aso-ofi and other cultural products in the state, but also harnesses the business potential inherent in them. Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mr. Toye Arulogun, was emphatic when he stated that it was time to air these hidden asserts, modernise and give them a global outlook and audience for their economic worth, as alternative sources of wealth-creation.

The occasion of the celebration of Aso-Ofi Festival 2017 saw the foundation of Aso-Ofi International Tourism Market, Iseyin, being laid by the governor, represented by his deputy, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, a gesture that would transform Iseyin and its ancient craft in aso-ofi into a global tourism market. The 500-stall market will boast of a clinic, police and fire stations, and a museum that documents the history of aso-ofi over the years and related businesses. Arulogun believes Iseyin aso-ofi weavers need to move to the next level through modern methods and markets, with government’s help through enlightenment and infrastructure.

The festival opened on Friday, September 15, with weaving competition that showcased the processes that lead to the making of aso-ofi. Indeed, it was a delight watching the men at work. But because it is all manually done, one gets the sense of a cumbersome process that takes days before a piece of aso-ofi is finally made.

One of the supervisors of the competition, Mr. Ganiyu Akeem Adetunji, said he started out fully as a 15-year boy, when he couldn’t secure admission into a higher institution. At 40, he said he has worked the loom for 25 years, as an inheritance from his father, who also inherited the business from his own father. Aso-ofi, he noted, is the symbol of Iseyin, as the town is generally referred to as ‘Home of Aso-Ofi. Adetunji also stated that it takes six to seven steps from gathering cotton wool to spinning to get a piece of aso-ofi out of the loom.

Like an old guard, Adetunji is suspicious of introducing machines in the making of aso-ofi, arguing that the aso-ofi that would come out of machines would not last, as the case with the Chinese products already indicates. He also feared the loss of the cultural element associated with aso-ofi, as an indigenous textile that was yet to be adulterated with machines and all forms of quackery. He has some 20 hands working with him, and feared for the resultant loss of jobs, as machines would render many redundant and unemployed.“Aso-ofi alleviates poverty,” Adetunji concluded grimly.

IT is precisely for aso-ofi’s poverty alleviation potential that the state government decided to step in to take the indigenous textile from its current cottage industry format to a bigger stage, with the second edition of the festival that started last year.

As Aulogun noted, “Culture is dynamic. You cannot enter or play in the global space without modernising the production process. This issue of weaving with hand will still remain. However, the Chinese are already making aso-ofi and they are eating into the market, and you want to stay in this same position? You can’t satisfy the global market with that. What we are saying is that the hand-woven aso-ofi should cost more than the ones made with machine. If I were in the business, I would produce enmasse and also do hand-woven.

“Old habits diehard, but I believe aso-ofi can compete favourably with jeans in the market; even the quality of jeans has reduced in terms of strength. We no longer wear those hardcore jeans again; we now wear softer ones, and it’s trending. If you use aso-ofi as your bed sheet, heat will kill you. We are saying we must introduce aso-ofi along the lines of variation to use it for shoes, for bags, for furniture. Right now, it is not particularly African weather-friendly and if you want to play in the global space, you have that end of the market and you also have this other end of the market. So you must vary it such that you can meet different needs of the market. You can’t stay in one particular position (forever).”

Already, the Bank of Industry and Nigerian Export Promotion Council are in talks with Oyo State Government to give Iseyin aso-ofi weavers financial backing. But with the making and business of aso-ofi still at individual, family levels, the government listened to the weavers’ plea for a structured market as first step to internationalising the cultural product.

As Arulogun noted, “Even for aso-ofi, you have different grades and styles. For most of the women, they will rather use the softer ones for their head-tie because of the heat. So, the point I am making is that people have to adjust; we need to enlighten and educate them. That is our job as the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. That’s the benefit of this festival, to structure the market. Right now, it is unstructured. And what we need to do is to market our culture, show people what we have. There is a strong economic viability and sustainability content that is important.

“Bank of Industry and Nigerian Export Promotion Council came on their own because they have seen the future in this cultural business. That is why government is providing a market for them. Once there is a market here, we can go to some of these companies in Ikorodu and ask them to establish ancillary companies to provide materials for aso-ofi weavers – from the cotton to the thread. We need to show them where the future is. If not, we might just lose this market to the Chinese entirely and all our efforts will be in vain.

“The name is Aso-Ofi International Tourism Market and you will be wondering, because market naturally should be trade, but it is our own idea. After we did the first edition of this aso-ofi festival, we found out that the market was lacking. It was an unstructured market. So, we decided to build a market. And of course, we added tourism dimension by having a museum. When you get into a place like this, you can trace the history – what this oba used to wear, you know – something that is educational and also instructive. We are working on about 500 shops, opened stores, closed shops; we are also providing police and a fire station.”

GOVERNOR of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, who was represented at the festival by his deputy, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, said his administration wants to “make Oyo State a haven for tourists to appreciate the numerous cultural and tourism entities that abound in the State,” adding, “It is, however, time we communicate the importance of tourism sector. We must mainstream it in the economy of the state. Oyo State is endowed with diverse cultures, which include a wide variety of indigenous festivals such as Sango and Oranyan in Oyo Town, Oke-Badan in Ibadan, Beere in Saki, Olele in Ogbomoso, etc, and beautiful landscapes such as Ado-Awaye Suspended Lake, Oke-Badan Hill in Ibadan, Igbo-Oba Royal Forest in Igboho, Iya Mapo Hill in Igbeti and other numerous species of flora and fauna with their scenic values. However, most of these tourist sites are yet to be fully maximised to generate revenue.

It is, therefore, our duty to plan, package and market them for overall development of the state. The idea behind Aso-Ofi Festival is to celebrate aso-ofi, one of the state’s tourism products, towards propagating this unique, indigenous textile material globally and promote youth empowerment agenda of this administration, as one of the solutions to the present economic challenges facing the country. To this end, youths should be encouraged to learn this trade without waiting for white-collar jobs that are not always there. Farmers should be encouraged to grow the cotton trees, as part of agricultural agenda in the state to boost our indigenous textile industry.

EARLIER at the Aseyin of Iseyin palace, when Adeyemo and other government functionaries paid the royal father Oba (Dr.) Abdul Ganiyu Adekunle Salau Ologunebi, courtesy visit before the festival started proper, the traditional ruler told his audience that without aso-ofi, which he wove as a young man, he would not have been able to pay his way through university to study veterinary medicine. He expressed happiness that governor Ajimobi has seen the future in indigenous cultural industries and the need to tap into them for their economic benefits, saying reliance on a mono product was no longer fashionable.

Oba Ologunebi urged the governor to stand firm and fashion better ways of running the affairs of the state, adding, “There is too much decadence in the system. We thank you for promoting aso-ofi. Whatever I am today is because of aso-ofi. I used to weave in my younger days. We thank God that we have aso-ofi in Iseyin.”

Aseyin urged his Iseyin folks to take aso-ofi seriously and take it to next level beyond a cultural heritage, saying people never know what they have until it is taken away from them.

Arulogun further stressed the importance of modernising aso-ofi business from its current state and urged Iseyin people to see government’s efforts as complementing whatever they were doing and not as a competitor, who has come to take away their business. He said the stalls would be made affordable for them when they are ready.

“The job of government is to provide the enabling environment; government is not going to teach them how to modernise the business. They know more than government. It is a generational trade; they’ve been transferring it from one generation to another. But nobody likes to leave their comfort zones; nobody likes change, but when we build the shed for them they were happy because they used to live under trees and in the open. In this market, we are going to have the weaving sheds. So, it’s for both the weavers and the marketers and that is very important.

“What we are saying now is this: people need serious enlightenment. Sometimes, the word goes round that government wants to take over their business from them. Meanwhile, we are helping them because they need to move to the next level. Most of the ladies now, wear the gele that is bought from China; it’s softer. I’m hot because of the thickness of the aso-ofi I’m wearing now. It’s not like the ones our mothers used to wear. So, you have to be dynamic and we must all embrace that dynamism.”

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has faulted Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji, over the claim that the state government has not paid his allowances for the past six months.

The Director, Media and Public Affairs to the monarch, Adeola Oloko, recently told our correspondent that the monarch had not been receiving his allowances regularly from the Oyo State Government.

But in a statement signed by the party’s Director of Media, Research and Strategy, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olatunde, the APC also commended the Olubadan for approaching the court over the installation of 21 new kings by the state Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Read more…

This legal action, the APC noted, was a “more honourable one compared to the previous combative steps and provocative statements from the palace.”

Olatunde said that the monarch collected statutory allocations from the 11 council areas of the state and from the state government, stressing that both sources had been remitting the money regularly.

The statement said, “Our father, the Olubadan, receives multiple tax-free payments from all the 11 local governments in Ibadan land. For instance, he has collected up till August 2017 from Ibadan South-East, Ido, Ibadan South-West, Ibadan North, Oluyole and Ibadan North-East council areas while Lagelu council area has paid up to July 2017.

“Egbeda and Ona Ara council areas have paid up to June 2017. It is only Akinyele council area that is behind in meeting with this financial obligations and it is not peculiar to the Olubadan but to the generality of workers on its payroll.

“Contrary to the six months outstanding being peddled, the state government has paid all the monarchs in the state up to June 2017 from the appropriated fund of the approved budget and that is the same month which workers in the state have been paid up to. Kabiyesi still collects his honorarium for any event he attends just like the recently held APC organised Public Sitting on True Federalism.”

Recently, much has been said on the recent reviewing of Olubadan chieftaincy titles which culminated in the elevation of Olubadan High Chiefs and Baales across Ibadan land to the rank of Obaship. Some justified the move while some vilified the state government and claimed the move to be an attempt to demoralise the powers of Olubadan. Country people, I have sought to maintain silence and refused to make my assertion based on bandwagon effect but rather mustering enough facts and evidences from those that are accustomed with traditions, customs and the laws of the land. In the cause of my search for knowledge, I got to realise that there are so many anomalies in the traditional laws that exist in Oyo State. The Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration was made in 1957, about 60 years ago and it was firstly reviewed in 1976 and the successive governments did follow suit but none was able to conclude and have it in a gazette. From the last review, it was stated that Olubadan High Chiefs should be regarded as Obas and this was widely supported and agreed by all Chiefs, stakeholders including the then Oba but only remained to be given beaded crowns until the recent development. Change, they say is constant, a declaration of 60 years ago I believe is due for a review subject to the fact that the world is evolving. This is based on the premise that Ibadan as densely populated it only possesses a grand Oba who is known as Olubadan while some towns that cannot even match the population density of a local government in Ibadan possess numerous kings.

Change, as the only constant in life, has become a universal aphorism. Nonetheless, humans are evolutionarily predisposed to resist change because of the inherent uncertainties. Organisations and people that don’t embrace change are bound to lose ground and stagnate. In the words of a late British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, those who reject change are the architects of decay. The only human institution that rejects progress is the cemetery.

The hoopla that thus greeted the move by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State to review the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and other related chieftaincies in Ibadanland is nothing short of clinging to primordial sentiments.

According to the last review, a high chief in Ibadan is synonymous to Oba in other places but high chiefs in Ibadan have been subjected to ridicule on many occasions they had accompanied Olubadan to while some of their counterparts in ranks who accompanied their respective Obas were recognised based on their beaded crowns. The above justification for the review viz-a-viz the spread of development across the remote areas cum the change that is constant. Hence, the need to put my pen on paper and make my opinion known. However, opinion might be cheap as claimed by Winston Churchill in his last presidential statement in United Kingdom – “Opinion is cheap, truth is sacrosanct and fact is sacred. These words necessitated my move to inquire for facts which are sacred in order to substantiate my opinion.

According to the chieftaincy laws in Ibadan, it is stated that “there shall be Olubadan in council known as high chiefs headed by the imperial majesty known as Olubadan and shall be subjected to review.” It is reported that Olubadan in Council wrote and requested that the laws governing chieftaincy and traditional matters in Oyo State be reviewed. Suffice to state here that Section 26(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) Cap. 28, Vol. 1, Laws of Oyo State empower the governor to approve or review Chieftaincy Declaration of any chieftaincy. The laws have stated clearly and there is no need for rabble rousers to sow the seed of discord in the land only if we want to change the existing laws of the land.

Meanwhile, the agitation for the review did not just start during the reign of Ajimobi led government. It began since the reign of Governor Kolapo Ishola’s administration, which brought about Oloko Panel. Oba Akinyele (former Olubadan) was the first person that wrote about it, about the history of Ibadan and he stated specifically in the book, the justification and the need for a review of the Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration as well as other notable Ibadan people who put the issue in writing through memorandum to the state.

Country people, I neither hold brief for the state government and its apologists nor to chastise the critics of the installation. I make bold to assert that the recent development has been long overdue and should not generate any rabble rousing from any quarters. However, the hasty reviewing is where my reservation lies. The government should have given enough time for debate and interactions to enable sons and daughters of Ibadanland have their opinions known prior to the installation. In as much as I condemn the timeframe for the review cum installation, we can never overlook the goodies that will trail the development. Those who think we are still in medieval time must understand that since the reigns of military and the inception of democracy the powers of traditional rules have been subdued under 1999 constitution as amended and this has placed traditional rulers under the State government. Hence, traditional rulers only exercise ceremonial powers alone.

Despite the fact that I am one of those who believe that traditional system should be respected at all times, we cannot overlook the fact that maintaining the status quo of the current traditional settings which are fraught with complexities and anomalies will do us no good than to retard the yearning for the development and civilisation across the towns and remote areas owing to the fact that Ibadan’s heritage as a cradle of civilisation and development is fast eroding and fading away. Hence, the need for the reviewing to be in line with modern-day-realities. To crown it up, I submit by posing this question to those who fault the process based on primordial sentiment: Shouldn’t a declaration made exactly 60 years ago be modified and reviewed? If we are to be sincere with ourselves, we have no option than to agree that the review is long overdue.

The State Chairman, National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Comrade Moshood Abayomi, the State General Secretary, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Pastor Babajide Emmanuel and First Vice-President (ANCOPSS), Comrade Fadare Mojirade, who led their members to the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology recently, also lauded the state government for its efforts towards the development of education in the state.

NAPTAN Chairman, Comrade Abayomi, on behalf of the parents saluted the governor for enforcing good education policies, recalling that the implementation of the policies looked difficult at the beginning but the end has justified the efforts of the government.

In his words, “we, parents, in Oyo State owe our amiable governor and the State government extreme gratitude for seeing all the policies to fruition. It was initially difficult but we all knew it was like weaning a baby who has been attached to his mother’s breast-milk. Today we are better for it.

“We are using this opportunity to call on other parents to please inform their wards that it is no more business as usual. Security agents will be on the lookout for students that roam the street when schools resume. We also urge the government to continue with these policies as they are bringing about the needed result in improving our schools and students.

“The SGB is the driver of new faces of schools in major communities in Oyo State today. Old students and community leaders are building classrooms, fences and providing furniture because we have all realized that the government cannot do it alone,” Comrade Abayomi stressed.

He, also warned parents to inform their wards of government’s zero tolerance for street roaming by students, appealing to the state government not to rest on its oars and consequently pledged that NAPTAN would continue to give the government the necessary support to sustain and improve on the good results being recorded in recent times.

The ANCOPSS Vice-Principal, Comrade Fadare said that it was worthy of celebration as the State broke the jinx of eighteen years of poor performance in WASSCE with an outstanding 54.18% performance in 2017 in a year in which the national average was 59%

She noted that the much-touted ‘Change’ mantra would be nothing if achievements like improved academic excellence were not witnessed, adding that the shift from the poor performance of students of past years to the recent one was remarkable.

According to her, “today is a day of joy to us as teachers and Principals in the State on this remarkable improvement in the performance of our students. The various efforts of the present administration to bring sanity into education and academic performance in the State have been yielding fruitful results with this 54.18 percentage performance.

“Moral ethos is now back in our schools and values lost over time are being entrenched through government’s introduction of policies like the School Governing Board (SGB), which gives some responsibilities to the community and stakeholders to develop the school. Look at the OyoMesi intervention project, the ban on automatic promotion, launch of Education Trust Fund and the government’s pledge of about N5bn for renovation of schools throughout the State. They are good policies that are already bearing results. We are all happy for this change in the academic performance of our students,” Comrade Fadare added.

Responding, the Commissioner for Education, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela appreciated the stakeholders for reposing confidence in the present administration’s policies which he said were formulated with their inputs.

Olowofela said it was clear with the result of the intervention programmes that politics should not be mixed with important social services like education, promising the stakeholders that the administration would not relent in putting more efforts into improving the current standard.

Every once in a while, institutional projects break the prescribed path of mundane repetition and enters the league of extraordinary architecture. The makers of Eko Atlantic City, MZ Architects have achieved that daunting task with the TechU Ibadan campus, an ultra-modern institution for higher learning in Oyo State, Nigeria. The project is already hailed as the first of its kind in the country and in Africa, propelling the ever developing city into the international limelight.

TechU Ibadan campus / MZ Architects Nigerian Architecture

The Ibadan Technical University stretches over a million sq m of land, adjacent to the main Lagos-Ibadan road. The master plan’s concept aims to create a dynamic and interactive space for students and staff. A circle - the symbol of unity - defines the master plan’s layout where different functions are united in an enclosed, landscaped and shaded pedestrian zone.

Through its aesthetics and ambience, the TechU Ibadan will manifest its curriculum and enlighten the student population in Bio-technology, under water Engineering, Aircraft Maintenance/ Repairs, Robotics, Automation, Cyber-security, Mechatronics, Tropical Agricultural Engineering/Food processing amongst others.

TechU Ibadan campus / MZ Architects Nigerian Architecture

The heart of the Ibadan University project lies within a circular enclosure: the faculties, the administration, the library, the research center, the auditorium and the amphitheatre are free standing volumes shifting within the grid. The core of the Ibadan Technical University campus is the administration building with an architecture formed of suspended ceilings, shading the common zones, and forming nice gathering areas in between the administration volumes.

TechU Ibadan campus / MZ Architects Nigerian Architecture

The design is based on a principle of unique innovation, research collaboration, exceptional service, integrity, excellence, and the uplifting of human condition. The master plan’s circular concept aims to create a dynamic and interactive space for students and staff. The administration building which also includes the university library offers a design inspired by red brick architecture, with suspended ceilings: Brick volumes pop out inside two suspended concrete slabs, creating shaded gathering areas between the two functions.

TechU Ibadan campus / MZ Architects Nigerian Architecture

The development offers the benefits of an energy efficient city, through its design and building materials. The master plan is strategically oriented taking into consideration natural and environmental conditions, for an optimal benefit from the solar energy and prevailing winds. This had a major impact on the project: the distribution of functions, the circulation and transportation system based on the walkability index. The technical university of Ibadan is a self-sustaining project contributing in the country’s planning development. The design will take into consideration the Nigerian future of sustainable architecture.

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has laid the foundation of the 13.5hectares Aso Ofi International Tourism Market at Iseyin, saying that the state is ready to partner genuine investors to preserve its historical sites, artifacts and monuments.

The governor, who performed the foundation laying ceremony at the weekend during the second edition of Aso Ofi festival in Iseyin area of the state, added that the partnering investors would also manage and develop new tourist sites.

Senator Ajimobi, represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, noted that Oyo State is endowed with rich diverse cultures and a wide variety of indigenous festivals such as Sango and Oranyan in Oyo Town, Oke-Badan in Ibadan, Beere in Saki, Olele in Ogbomoso, among others as well as beautiful landscapes which include Ado-Awaye Suspended Lake, Oke-Badan Hill in Ibadan, Igbo-Oba Royal Forest in Igboho, Iya Mapo Hill in Igbeti and other numerous species of flora and fauna with their scenic values.

He observed that most of these tourist sites are yet to be fully maximized to generate revenue, saying “It is therefore our duty to identify, plan, package and market them for overall development of the State. The concept of the Aso-Ofi festival is to celebrate Aso-Ofi, one of the State’s Tourism products, towards propagating this unique indigenous textile material globally and promote the youth empowerment agenda of this administration as one of the solutions to the present economic challenges facing the country.

“To this end, youths should be encouraged to learn this trade without waiting for white collar jobs that are not always there; farmers should be encouraged to grow the cotton trees as part of agricultural agenda in the State to boost our indigenous textile industry. We are here today to fulfill the promise made by my administration during last year Aso-Ofi celebration to the good people of Iseyin that an International Tourism Market will be established in this town known universally as the cradle of Aso-Ofi.

“We are lending credence to our pace setting status by laying the foundation of the first ever market to combine a museum with other tourism features here in Iseyin. We appreciate the support of the good people of Iseyin in particular and Oyo State in general for your continuous support for this administration since its inception over six years ago as well as your collaborative efforts in the transformation agenda of our government,” the governor added.

Senator Ajimobi stressed that the state is making frantic efforts to make Oyo State a haven for tourists to appreciate the numerous Cultural and Tourism entities that abound in the State, noting “since we came on board, our transformation agenda has been vigorously pursued and we have been engaging in the revitalization of all indices of development in the State.”

In his welcome address, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun explained that the 13.5 Hectares Aso-Ofi International Tourism Market will contain 500 weaving sheds/workshops, 500 exhibition shops, a warehouse, 1st indigenous textile museum in Nigeria, a fire station, a clinic and a police station, pointing out that Aso-Ofi festival was conceptualized to showcase and celebrate our locally made fabric that is now an internationally accepted brand.

Arulogun noted that the first edition of Aso Ofi recorded huge success as financial institutions, Exports promotion agencies, private and corporate organisations have been having serious and genuine engagements with the aso-Ofi weavers and marketers in the state.

He assured that the state would not relent in its cultural tourism drive in order to make it as one of the mainstreams of the economy of the state.

The 2017 Aso Ofi day festival was witnessed by top government officials from the state led by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Lekan Alli, Members of the National Assembly, members Oyo State House of Assembly led by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. AbdulWasiu Musa, traditional rulers including the representative of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiyu Adekunle Salau, the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola, Onjo of Okeho, Oba Rafiu Osuolale, Religious, Community and market leaders, Aso Ofi weavers and marketers from Ibadan, Ilorin and Abeokuta as well as prominent sons and daughters of Iseyin.

Of the close to 2,000 kilometers of roads reportedly built by the present administration in Oyo state over the past 6 years, an impressive chunk of it are a network of urban and rural roads outside the state capital.

It is encouraging to know that the spate of development seen by most in the state capital is similar to what's obtainable in our other cities.

While the major highways that are newly constructed and/or reconstructed in other major cities within Oyo state have opened new economic windows therein, the rural roads in their own might have seriously boosted agricultural productivity by creating ease of access.

Most of these rural roads were constructed to lead to expansive farmlands, remove the bottleneck of poor accessibility and then make agriculture productive. It is also noteworthy to know that most of these rural infrastructures were constructed in direct cooperation with the LGAs, deploying direct labour (in other words, contracted to locals) and thus, keeping the economic impact within each zone.

A typical example is the construction (and maintenance) of the impressive stretch of the SEKONI-OKELERIN road in Ogbomoso land, linking up with the Surulere and Oko axis of the town, where Oyo state's expansive and one-of-it's-kind Cashew bed is located.

The ongoing SAKI-IBARIBA road construction/expansion is also poised, as an example, to further open Saki's industrial (ikoko-irin) and agricultural/economic (shea butter) potentials to the world. Same goes for Iseyin and Oyo towns.

The impact of the infrastructural drive of the Ajimobi-led Oyo state government on the socioeconomic development of our towns and cities is nothing short of impressive.

#AsiwajuNiWa
#AjumoseInfrastructure

In order to create employment and stomach infrastructure promised by Oyo state government. The state has collaborated with ROM Oil Mills Limited, a subsidiary company of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc. To refine Palm Kernel Crude Oil and Soybean Oil into distilled fatty.

ROM Oil Mills is one of the largest edible oil refineries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Governor Ajimobi, who spoke at the ceremony said the effect of the employment generation that the company would give the people of the state would be a reference point of his administration.

“This, indeed, is our idea of the so-called stomach infrastructure. We thank the management of the company for its trust and confidence in our state. You have indeed vindicated our stance”.

According to the Governor, the establishment of the firm, a-400 metric tonnes per day universal refinery is another testimony to his administration’s leadership and investors-baiting policies.

“This development is the dividend of the peaceful atmosphere which this administration brought back to the state at its inception as well as the enabling environment which had been attracting foreign investment.

“The management of this company would never have invested their billions of naira in a violent-prone and dirty Oyo State of the past,” he said.

According to Dr Abdul Azeez Olatunde, the party’s Director of Media, Research & Strategy, the fake video currently being edited in a studio in a discreet location in Ibadan contains images of nude ladies dancing for the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi .

He said, “this is in the characteristic malicious manner of attacking the integrity of top political figures in the state through outright falsehood. It would be recalled that a video of a lady spraying dollars at a party in Holland was recently recycled on the internet purportedly as Governor Ajimobi’s daughter”.

The Oyo State APC wishes to use this medium to alert security agencies, National Film and Video Censors Board, National Communications Commission and other relevant bodies with a call to action against the perpetrators”, Abdul Azeez stressed.

In addition, the party advised the general public to beware of such video materials, desist from uploading, sharing or broadcasting such illicit content.

The Oyo State APC further urged the people to avoid being misled and misinformed by these unscrupulous elements, who are in the habit of spreading falsehood and fabricated reports to the unsuspecting general public.

Dr Abdu lAzeez, however assured that the party is committed to unmasking those that are always in the habit of spreading falsehood in the name of politics.

By Akinyemi Onigbinde

In spite of my not favourable disposition to the style and content of Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration of Oyo state, made worse by his infamous ‘constituted authoriy’ outburst on the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology question, I find myself agreeing with his action on the obaship issue in Ibadan land, and his logic on the unnecessary self-demystifying response of Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, the Olubadan on the matter.What is at play, under the guise of defending ‘the time-hallowed tradition of Ibadan land’,is no more than the expected reaction of an imperial power whose former expansive empire has been carved out and handed over to others.No Oba dances to Gbedu drum over loss of privileges, and no one should console the Oba with a honorific title of ‘ His Imperial Majesty’.Reality of our contemporary history is that the paramouncy of an Oba, over and above other Obas, outside of his geographical space, is no more than the respect the so-called lesser Obas are prepared to accord him, and what the political authority see of his conduct

It is indeed an irony, on the flabby wings of poverty of understanding, but much of sentiments, that you find supposed democrats encouraging a monarch, an unelected person, with no constitutional role, but merely occupying a ceremonial post by inheritance against an elected officer of state in a Republic. Let those urging Olubadan of Ibadan against his boss, the Governor of Oyo State and the trustee of his staff of office, be guided by the lessons of history.

Truth, as pointedly put by Ajimobi, is that what a governor owes an Oba is no more than respect, as no Oba, no matter how revered by the people and tradition can hope to win in a public fight with any of Nigeria constituted authorities, even against a local government, an Oba immediate overseeing authority. As no governor is expected to openly side with an Oba in any public disagreement with the Chairman of a local government, in the course of the latter exercising his authority over the former, it thus become a compounded tragedy for an Oba when he chooses to engage in a boxing duel, with the gloves off, with a state chief executive .Even under a regime of constitutional monarchy the king merely reign, he does not rule, and Yoruba history is replete with many Obas that lost their respective crown to arrogance, arrogating to themselves more importance than they have earned, just because people have learnt to tolerate them, in spite of their near-zero contribution to socioeconomic development of their so-called kingdoms, beyond deploying their respective stool for personal enrichment and self- aggrandizement.Yet, those among history-recorded deposed Obas, favoured with a return to the throne already suffered the indignity of banishment and separation from their ancestral homestead.

Let His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, the 41st Olubadan of Ibadan land not be misled that ‘heaven will fall’ if the governor of Oyo state is painfully encouraged to retrieve from him the staff of office, handed over to him as a temporary occupier of the throne Of Olubadan in Mapo.There may be thunder claps, but no rain will follow the lightning , as a new Olubadan will be crowned, with the normal fanfare.Then, and after then, the deposed Olubadan will become history told in small letters

According to the results, 29, 174 out of 53, 850 students who sat for WASSCE examination in Oyo state passed with 54.18% as number of candidates with five credits and above (including English and Mathematics)” as against 21.61% scored in 2015.

Also, the results had 15, 290 female students and 13, 884 male students who passed with excellent performances.

Analysing the results further, Iseyin local government with 67.64%, followed by Ibadan South West (67.53%), Irepo (66.18%), Oyo West (63.95%), Ido (63.62%), Saki West (62.94%), Saki East (62.25%), Ona Ara (60.91%) and Egbeda (60.20%) emerged best performing local governments.



Similarly, councils that recorded a superb outing with 50% and above include : Lagelu, Oorelope, Akinyele, Afijio, Oluyole, Ibarapa East, Orire, Ibadan North, Atiba, Kajola, Olorunsogo local governments.

Continuing, others with 40% and above are: Ibadan North East, Oyo East, Ogbomoso North, Ogo Oluwa local governments, while Ibadan North West, Ibarapa Central (Igboora), Ibadan South East, Atisbo and Ibarapa North local governments stood at 30% and above.

Conclusively, the least performing local governments include, Surulere (Oyo), Ogbomoso South and Itesiwaju scoring 20% and above, as Iwajowa local government glued to 10% and above.

This is coming after the implementation of ‘No Automatic Promotion’ policy of the state government.

The Oyo State Government has said that about 11, 000 SS3 students participated in its WAEC Boot Camp in 66 centers across the Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the state to prepare students for the forthcoming examinations.

The government equally stated that 300 pupils between the ages 14 and 18 from both public and private schools participated in its OyoMesi Job Experience (OJE) scheme initiated to reignite the learning passion in pupils and give them appropriate exposure in the work place in order to imbibe relevant work ethics to prepare them for an excellent future.

The Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Education, Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi stated these on Thursday in Ibadan, saying that another set of about 1000 pupils partook in a 4-week French Clinic and Cluster learning on Digital Literacy with three pilot centres including St Annes School, Molete, Lagelu Grammar School Agugu and Anglican Commercial Grammar School, Orita-mefa.

Dr Akin-Alabi noted that the French Clinic was organized to expose pupils to fresh as a second language for social interaction on global scene, adding that the digital literacy was meant to give pupils access to ICT as tools for learning and education enablers.

The Special Adviser, Education, explained that the WAEC Boot camp was organized to keep the pupils focused and prepare them for future examinations, stating that the long vacation represents a risk period in education for teenagers as they become restless and often engage in mischievous activities.

According to her, “All the OyoMesi activities, OJE, French Clinic, Digital Literacy and WAEC Boot Camp, have a common objective. They are meant to get pupils engaged in purposeful activities that are value adding to their education, discourage anti social activities and vices as well as juvenile delinquency during the long vacation. Most parents are not around to properly monitor their wards during the long vacation.”

Dr Akin-Alabi added that the Oyo State Government took the novel steps to prepare the pupils for future challenges and engage them in productive things rather than discouraging activities.