Tinubu set to reveal how APC triumphed in 2015 polls

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is set to launch his memoirs on the 2015 election, The Punch reports.

Tinubu disclosed this on Friday, April 29 in Lagos through his media aide, Tunde Rahman, who represented him at the book launch of “Against the Run of Play”, a book authored by veteran journalist, Olusegun Adeniyi.

Tinubu stated that he was working on a book that would detail how his party removed former President Goodluck Jonathan from office.


Tinubu says he is working on his own memoirs as regards the 2015 elections
The former governor of Lagos played an instrumental role in the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change and All Nigeria Peoples Party to form the APC that presented President Muhammadu Buhari as candidate in 2015.

Buhari went on to defeat then incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, in what became the first power transition from one politcal party to another in Nigeria’s young democracy.

He said people should not dwell on his loss of the vice-presidential seat but on the achievements of Osinbajo, whom he had nominated for the position.

His words: “Some have said that they will tell their story, Asiwaju is also working on his own book to tell his account of what transpired.


“To tell how he was able to mould the APC to the extent that it was able to unseat an incumbent president for the first time in the history of our contemporary politics.

“The account of what transpired as told by Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the book and as presented in some newspapers is not about him losing the vice-presidency and the eventual vice-president emerging, as the reviewer has put it.

“Asiwaju spoke in greater context in that book, and when people are making comments, they should speak with the context in which he spoke. If they are saying that Asiwaju lost the vice-presidency and that a vice-president emerged, where did he emerge from? Who nominated the vice-president?

“I’d like to say that even the vice-president has said on some occasions that a certain political leader from the South-West nominated him for the job and we all know who that is.

“That nomination has been a very good choice from all the wonderful things the vice-president has been doing.”


Tinubu was instrumental to the APC defeating the then incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan
Meanwhile, a former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu has revealed why the North opposed Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.

Aliyu said the North backed out because Jonathan reneged on his promise to govern for only one term of four years.

Ajagun NLA hits the stage

Ajagun Nla, a play written by Ladepo Duro-Ladipo is on the 19th century Yoruba wars fought between Ibadan and the combined forces of Oyo and Ile-Ife. It was staged during the Easter period to draw attention to the numerous problems bedeviling the nation at the moment, writes Edozie Udeze

The scenes created by the 19th century Yoruba wars can never cease to amaze the world. The wars have generated lots of drama and theatre pieces that each time they are shown on stage, there are usually new things to learn and glimpse from them. The play Ajagun Nla written by Ladepo Duro-Ladipo which was shown during the Easter holiday is also one of those striking features of what theatre can do to make a historical event register in the minds of thespians.

Even though the play opened with the actors and actresses appearing from different angles of the stage, pouring encomiums on some Nigerian and African people who did their best to make the society better, the play itself essentially dwelt on the role of Ibadan warriors in the 19th century Yoruba wars.  Oyo Empire was under siege. The people were daily being tormented by Ibadan warlords. The market places had been shut down. People were being strangled to death on their ways to their farms, to the streams. Even at home, most of the people were not safe. Fear; great fear of the unknown that ruptured the community became a greater albatross. What then could they do?

At this point, Oranmiyan, the Alaafin of Oyo summoned his chiefs and soldiers. “What is the option now?” he asked them all. With one voice, they all agreed to send for Ajagunla , one of Oranmiyan’s brothers in Ile-Ife. A brave warrior, tall and fearless, Ajagunla was known for his great exploits.  He was feared by his friends and foes alike. He never embarked on an unfinished battle.

His charms and war tactics spoke volumes.  And so on arrival, Oranmiyan did not waste time in telling him why he was summoned.  “But why did you allow the situation to get so bad, brother?” he asked Oranmiyan. As he was handed over the staff of authority and power to prosecute the war, Ajagunla immediately became possessed. He raised the staff and shouted; “here, death to our enemies; to the enemies of Ile-Ife and Oyo. I will pursue them until there is no more life left in them,” he vowed.

With intermittent sounds of drumming and dances, the play showed the combined forces of Ile-Ife and Oyo routing Ibadan forces. The fierce battle produced death on both sides, but in the end Ajagunla triumphed. As he did so, he also created enemies within. Some of his trusted chiefs began to plot his downfall. One of them gave his daughter to him as wife. It was the same woman who attempted to ruin Ajagunla. Even though she did not succeed, she was nonetheless able to usher in moments of fear, mistrust, doubts, suspicion and loss of moral amongst the ranks and files of

Ajagunla’s soldiers.

In the meantime, Ibadan devised a more dubious style to torment Ajagunla. By now, Ajagunla’s war prowess, his strong charms and so on had begun to lose their potency. With assortment of masquerade spirits placed in uncouth forms in the warfront, Ibadan people were able to demystify Ajagunla .  As he made to pass, they stabbed him in the back. Even though he finished them all, the poison in the spear penetrated his system.  He struggled in vain to overcome the pain. As he did so, his wives appeared on the stage to beg him not to die.

“A hero, a warlord, does not die in the warfront,” he echoed.  “Neither does he go back home. He only disappears to join his ancestors”.  As he moved out into the inner part of the stage, he raised his staff to disappear into the world of the unknown.

Done in English and Yoruba languages,

Ajagunla demonstrates the story of one man who loves his people; a man who volunteers to abandon his own cozy lifestyle in a settled kingdom to save others. The zeal with which he fought the war showed that a leader can always emerge in the midst of confusion and crisis to liberate his people.

In order to make the play more engrossing on stage, the director, Sina Ayodele used dances and drumming to embellish it. The drumming zeroed into the nuances of the people. The dances also showed a Yorubaland of the 19th century when people were not as civilized as they are today. More so, the costumes depicted typical rural people of the period in question. From very rudimental designed fabrics, the costumes were done to suit the exigencies of the show. Each artiste was made to fit into an old scene where and when people hardly left their domains. As they sang and danced, people’s minds flashed back into time when fear ruled the lives of many.

This was why also the stage was designed to synchronize with the play. Done by Biodun Abe, the artistic director of Abuja Carnival and one of Nigeria’s foremost stage designers, the stage was rolled back into the 19th century rural environment. The rocks were made prominent. In the deep background, were footpaths leading to the farms and to the streams. They were also footpaths used by soldiers to trace their enemies and consequently made the wars possible.

Indeed the beauty of the stage design helped to drive home the message. On the elevated platform sat the Kabiyeisi (Oranmiyan).  On both sides of him were his trusted chiefs.  The rest of the stage was made available for the main body of the play. On no account did any artiste invade or interfere with the platform meant for the Oba. This is usually how it goes with a traditional stage setting done by someone who is truly at home with his people and what they stand for. Abe is gifted in this manner and so as always, he sticks to this traditional style to give his stage designs that aura and euphoria that distinguishes him from the rest.

The play showed the sense in presenting a story that harps on the need to have committed leaders in present-day Nigeria. Ladepo, son of the legendary Duro Ladipo who wrote the play was careful in selecting scenes that represent some on-going events in the society. The wars or the reasons for the crisis of yester year, can also be the reason for the confusion or the mistrust of today.

In making it a two-hour piece, Ayodele, the director of the play, opined that it was necessary in order to make the message more elaborate. “The message has to stick so that the audience would have something to go home with.”  Also the large cast was to show the total symbolism of the story itself and what ought to be done to eliminate wastes and build on the foundation of trust and commitment and love.

Held at the National Theatre, Lagos, Ajagunla attracted theatre lovers from far and near. The play brought out the roles Obatala, Orunmila, Sango, Ogun and Esu play in the lives of the people.  Even when the Ifa priest warned that the people should remain united in love to avoid the role of Esu, he was not taken serious. And it was the same Esu that put a knife in the midst of the people and divided them into different camps and groups. As he did so, hatred and undue rivalry became permanent in the lives of the people. The lesson to be learnt here is enormous. Even now, Esu still goes to where there is peace to sow seeds of disharmony, mistrust and death. Some of the artistes in the play include Tunji Sotimirin, Yemi Solade, Seyi Fasuyi and others.

​We must never forget our culture, heritage, says Olabanji-Oba

“We must never forget our heritage. It is who we are; it is our pride. Without history, we don’t have so much to look up to for the future, because we are all our history of where we are from,” says Hon. Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba, one of the leading female voices for the girl-child empowerment and community development in Lagos, especially in Ikorodu. She noted that culture is imperative for development, adding that it is what defines us as a people.

“If you don’t celebrate your heritage, you truly have no identity. What is there about you to celebrate? For me, every day I wake up, I thank God for my heritage.

I am proud to say this is my history, so aligning myself with that history gives me greater hope for the future and to say: ‘My forebears did it to this level, I am also contributing this; my children and children’s children tomorrow, will also say, my grandma and my great-grandma did this.

So, life is like a baton you pass on, but you must put it in a positive way. And that is why I am very passionate about Ikorodu,” she said. According to her, as a person, you are a living testimony.

“Most times, people don’t have to follow you to your house. Your way of life, the standard that you set, speak a lot about you if you have that real family values and orientation. Some of my friends, they tease me, before they say anything they won’t even call my name, Princess, they will say ‘Ikorodu.’ I laugh, and say so Ikorodu is my name? Their responses are:

You, everything, Ikorodu, Ikorodu Oga, Ikorodu Unlimited. And when they say that, once I hear Ikorodu Unlimited, it puts a smile on my face, because it is saying, I am this, and I am not ashamed of where I come from. I love my people so much from the bottom of my heart.

And no one is an island; it is not something that only one person can do. It is something for which we all have to join hands and be true ambassadors of our home land.”

A real estate and brokerage expert, and founder of an NGO ‘Shelter of Grace Foundation’ (SGF), Olabanji-Oba, who is seeking election as chairman of Ikorodu Central Local Government Area on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also stressed the need for teaching of history in our schools.

“It is very important that we teach our children history. That is one thing I celebrate my grandma for, she had a lot of influence on me too. She taught me a lot. Now, my children, before I say two things, I tell them proverbs, I tell them about our culture.

And I am proud to say so many things to them because I took time to learn; and those things I learnt in my formative years have helped me a lot.

“The technology that we have today should be major enhancer, not things that can expose us to dangers that are out there. So, history is very important.

When we learn who we are, how we were, it helps realize where we are today. And it makes us plan even better in regard to how tomorrow can be greater. Also, the language is a must.

And, I know even my husband will say I am an Igbo woman in Yoruba body, because I was raised to see Nigeria as one. I speak the three major languages – Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.

So, that Wazobia attitude needs to be imbibed also in our children,” she said. On her love and passion for community development, helping the less-privileged, promoting peaceful co-existence, industry among others, she said:

“I am a child that was raised with so much love, and so giving love is all I really know how to do. I thank God for the lives of my parents of blessed memory, they are both gone.

My mother was one very strong factor in my life. She taught me that ‘you’ve got to prioritize, give your best diligently, in any community you find yourself.’ And she will tell you, ‘a good name is priceless above rubies and diamonds. And living a life of integrity is sacrosanct.

There is no excuse. She wasn’t privileged to go to school so much, but she was somebody that believed so much in education, and also believed that whether you are a boy or a girl, it doesn’t matter.

I am her first daughter, and I know that my father at that time was like ‘he needed a boy’ and so on. I just thank God that before he died I proved him wrong, that boy-child, girl -child, it depends on what you put into that child.

Before my father died, he used to call me ‘Okurin mewa’ not even ‘Obirin’ (girl) anymore, because he saw the heart that I have and he was ever so proud of me.

“And now that they are gone, I know t h e i r spirit lives on; and I want them to be so proud of me, wherever they are, to say: ‘I have left a good child that will also bless their world tremendously.

And I think that is what life is all about. We are here for all of us; we should be our best brother’s, our best sister’s keeper; watch out for each other; and know that nobody is an island.

And whatever you do, give it your best; and also invest in yourself. The ‘you’ of today must be better than the ‘you’ of yesterday; so your ‘you’ of tomorrow must also be better than your ‘you’ of today.” She stated that she was born in Lagos Island, Isale Eko, and had beautiful experience.

“My orientation like I said, comes with a big smile every time I think about my parenting, the love and support from my parents. I went to school in Adeola Model School, Offa, Kwara State.

I went to Federal Government Girls College, Owerri in Imo State for my ‘O levels’. I had my ‘A levels’ at King Language School, and then the American College for my first degree. I took some courses in business and marketing at West London College, before going on to the United States of America.

And I was in insurance first, from insurance into real estate. And before I relocated to Nigeria in 2006, I was licensed as a mortgage broker and banker in California and Texas to do mortgage and real estate. Coming back to Nigeria, I set up a real estate firm, Pacific Capital. That is pretty much what I do. I have a foundation, called Shelter of Grace Foundation that takes care of women and youths.

I believe in training, empowerment; so far we have trained over 5500, in different vocations and skills. I am doing this not because I am rich but I believe that at whatever level the society has nurtured you, now it is about you giving back. “My going into politics also stems from that. I just believe that politics means relevance.

If I am able to help my people more to influence things, to create a better enabling ground for them, I think I can be a happier person.

So, for Ikorodu, the love of my mum, the love that my mum also had for this community, Ikorodu, who even before she died made me promise her to take care of her people, yes my people.”

156 children, teenagers abused sexually from 2014 till date

Dr Ekaete Umor, the Medical Officer, Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Minna, on Wednesday said 156 children and teenagers were abused from August 2014 to date.

Umor made this known in an interview with newsmen in Minna.

“I can confirm to you that in 2014, from August to December, 14 cases of sexual assault were reported; in 2015, between January and December, 60 cases were reported.

“Also, from January to December, 2016, 61 cases were reported, while 21 cases of rape have so far been reported from January, 2017 till date,’’ she said.

forced sex

Umor said that about 20 per cent of the figures reported were males, while the rest were females.

The medical officer said that the incidence of sexual harassment was becoming alarming in Niger, especially as people were taking advantage of the vulnerability of children.

She said that the cases were under-reported.

“The cases in Niger are likely to be more than the figures reported, perhaps because of fear, the personalities involved and to protect the families’ name.

“The families are also afraid of stigmatisation and the shame that when such an allegation is associated to a girl, it might make her to be bullied in school and also affect her prospects of marriage.

“Some of the rapists are even the fathers or step-fathers of the girls.

“Most of the cases are repeated; some children have been abused twice, thrice and more, while some of these vulnerable children were abused when they were hawking.

“We cannot ask them not to engage in economic activities for their parents; we advise that they should do it in groups,’’ she said.

According to her, if they hawk in groups, somebody among them will raise alarm when somebody tries to lure any of them away.

Umor advised mothers to be watchful as family members could also be involved in assaulting their children.

“There was a recent case we had, an uncle raped his four year old niece and she almost bled to death; a lot of suturing had to be done.

“The child lost a lot of blood and she had to go through a lot of blood transfusion.

“The case was reported here, but the family members said they will settle the matter at home.

“They were afraid of the stigma and shame it will bring to the girl and the family at large.

“We have had cases of fathers raping daughters, while some were step-fathers raping their step-daughters,’’ she said.

Also, Mr David Yisa, the centre Coordinator, appealed to parents to stop their children from hawking and running errands at night.

He said that until the ugly scourge of sexual assault was completely stamped out of our society, the centre would continue to sensitise people on factors that predispose them to being victims.

Anatomy

Nigerian National Anthem in Tonic Solfa

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Arise, O compatriots,Nigeria’s call obey. To serve our FatherlandWith love and strength and faith.The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain, To serve with heart and might. One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.

O God of creation
Direct our noble cause
Guide our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace
And justice shall reign.