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๐—œ๐—ง๐—ฉ ๐—ข๐—ป๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ (R)7442255

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This Media Outfit is the first Online TV in Oyo State and one of the best in Nigeria with interesting stories, news and programmes.

๐Ž๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ž๐ฌ๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐›๐ž๐ฌ ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Ž๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐š๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐ž๐ซ๐š๐๐ž ๐š๐ฌ โ€œ๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐š๐ง๐ โ€œ๐ฎ๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ.โ€  -๐ˆ๐›๐š๐๐š๐ง ๐‹๐ž๐š๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐–๐š๐ซ๐ง ๐Ž๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐จ The Olu...
30/07/2025

๐Ž๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ž๐ฌ๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐›๐ž๐ฌ ๐š๐œ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐Ž๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐š๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐ž๐ซ๐š๐๐ž ๐š๐ฌ โ€œ๐œ๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐š๐ฅ ๐š๐ง๐ โ€œ๐ฎ๐ง๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐š๐ฅ.โ€

-๐ˆ๐›๐š๐๐š๐ง ๐‹๐ž๐š๐๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐–๐š๐ซ๐ง ๐Ž๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐จ

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has been cautioned by traditional leaders in Ibadanland over his recent comments describing the esteemed Oloolu masquerade as โ€œcriminal and โ€œunconstitutional.โ€

The traditional leaders include the Association of Ibadan Mogajis, Baales, and the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI).

Oba Akanbi was seen in a viral video condemning the Oloolu masquerade tradition, declaring that โ€œany masquerade that denies women access or instills fear should be sent to the forest.โ€

LEADERSHIP reports that the dreaded masquerade, which women are forbidden from seeing commenced its annual parade on Monday, moving round some designated locations in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and will end on Thursday.

Due to the peculiarity of the tradition surrounding the event, Oyo State Government had issued advisory, warning all women to avoid the routes to be used by the Oloolu.

Reacting to Oba Akanbiโ€™s comment, the President of Association of Ibadan Mogajis, Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori, and the Coordinator of the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative (ICPI), Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade, in a joint statement, demanded immediate retraction of the statements from the Oluwo, with warning to stop meddling in Ibadanโ€™s customs.

โ€œIf Oluwo does not understand the beauty of our culture and tradition, and he is not ready to respect the culture in which he was enthroned as a king, the tradition through which he was crowned, he should minimise his rascality to Iwo and Osun State, and not extend it to Ibadanland,โ€ the statement read.

They described the monarchโ€™s outburst as โ€œunprovoked, irresponsible and unbecoming of a traditional ruler,โ€ warning that continued attacks on Ibadanโ€™s heritage would not be tolerated.

โ€œHe grew up in Ibadan, we know his antecedents. He has always been a man of questionable character. If he persists, we may be forced to expose more about his past,โ€ the traditional leaders threatened.

The statement further called on the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to urgently call the first-class traditional ruler to order.

โ€œWe donโ€™t understand why the Osun State Government has tolerated such a misfit for this long. If this continues, Ibadan people will have no choice but to permanently restrict him.

โ€œWhat he said about Oloolu is an insult to the Olubadan, all traditional institutions in Ibadanland, and indeed the Yoruba cultural heritage,โ€ the statement added.

They also accused the monarch of trying to โ€œcreate an everlasting crisis in Yorubaland,โ€ stressing that Ibadan has historically maintained peaceful coexistence among diverse religions and traditions.

โ€œOluwo has shown himself to be irrational, visionless, and an embarrassment to the stool he occupies. We are calling on Yoruba elders to caution him before he plunges the region into unnecessary conflict,โ€ the leaders said.

They gave Oba Akanbi a few days to issue a formal retraction and apology, warning that failure to do so would provoke further actions from the people of Ibadan.

โ€œWe shall not fold our arms while Oluwo abuses our Oloolu. What is his connection to our sacred tradition? He should keep his useless thoughts away from Ibadanland,โ€ the statement added.

25,000 nurses begin nationwide strike Healthcare services across Nigeria face major disruption from today (Wednesday) as...
30/07/2025

25,000 nurses begin nationwide strike

Healthcare services across Nigeria face major disruption from today (Wednesday) as 25,000 nurses, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions Sector, embark on a seven-day nationwide warning strike.

The action, which began at midnight, followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued by NANNM to the federal government.

This is coming amid the faceoff between doctors and the government over welfare and other issues.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Monday, the National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, said the strike would involve a total withdrawal of services across all federal health institutions.

โ€œThe 15-day ultimatum ends by Tuesday, July 29, 2025, by midnight, and the warning strike commences on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 12.01am.

โ€œThe action would include 74 federal hospitals โ€“ teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, specialist hospitals like orthopaedic, neuro-psychiatric, and eye centres, as well as all general hospitals and primary healthcare centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas.

โ€œPrivate hospitals are not included. This is because for now the private practitioner nurses are not spread over Nigeria,โ€ he said.

According to him, the strike was in response to issues which include poor remuneration, staff shortages, unpaid allowances, and unsafe working conditions.

On July 14, 2025, the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, demanding immediate intervention to prevent a total healthcare shutdown.

Rilwan noted that despite the ultimatum, the federal government had not initiated any negotiations.

Rilwan said the strike became necessary after the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Health failed to respond meaningfully to its July 14 ultimatum.

โ€œSince the 15-day ultimatum was given, there has been no invitation by the federal government or federal ministry of health. So, it is imminent that the strike will take place and it is going to be a total of seven days in all federal institutions, secondary and primary health care in Nigeria,โ€ he said.

He said the decision was aimed at drawing urgent attention to the critical issues affecting nurses nationwide.

โ€œThe strike is a follow-up to the ultimatum given to the federal government through the federal ministry of health on the 14th July 2025 and this is as a result of our unmet demands,โ€ he said.

The organisationโ€™s demands include gazetting of the nurses scheme of service approved by the NCE in 2016 in Minna, Niger State, implementation of the National Industrial Arbitration Court (NIC) judgment of January 27, 2012, upward review of professional allowance for nurses and midwives, and employment of nursing personnel and adequate provision of health facility equipment.

Other demands include creation of a department of nursing in the federal ministry of health, inclusion of nurses in the headship of the health policy-making body, a fair representation by the association on the board and membership in federal health institutions, centralisation of internship posting for graduate nurses, and consultancy for nurses and midwives.

The association is also demanding the withdrawal of the content of the recently released circular on revised allowances for health workers (Nurses).

Rilwan said: โ€œWe want the government to employ more nurses because of the Japa syndrome. Those of us on ground working are not ready to travel out. The workload on us is too much, thatโ€™s why we want the government to employ more nurses.

โ€œBut the government is actually embarking on this propaganda that there are no nurses in Nigeria, we have enough nurses in Nigeria. In fact, the majority of them are working in private hospitals where they are being paid peanuts and we want the government to employ them so that the work load on us will be reduced.

โ€œFor now, based on the data collected from the association, we have about 10,000 nurses that are unemployed.

โ€œTalking about our shift allowance which presently the circular on ground actually stipulated 30 percent basic, what we have been receiving since 2009 is about 8.6 percent as against 30 percent of our basic, so we want this to be implemented. We want a 200 percent increment over all allowances including allowances to nurses and call duty allowance.

โ€œWe want nurses to be included in policy making. As the largest health professional in the health sector, we hardly participate where decisions on the health system are being taken.โ€

Asked the last time nurses went on strike, he said: โ€œNurses alone have not gone on any strike in Nigeria for the past 40 years. Nurses went on strike last in 1984 and then some consensus was reached that made them suspend the strike at that time.

โ€œWeโ€™ve been appealing to the government not to let us reach the situation where we are going to go on strike but the government has remained adamant. After the seven days warning strike, if nothing tangible comes from the government, we are going to give a 21-day ultimatum according to labour law before we embark on an indefinite strike.

โ€œThe government is not serious because they donโ€™t consider the masses. They can easily travel abroad so they donโ€™t bother what happens to the poor masses, that is why they are being insensitive.โ€

Rilwan, who described the warning strike as a โ€œtotal shutdownโ€, said there would be no services, including emergencies.

โ€œThere will not be emergency services, the strike is a total shutdown, and there will be no skeletal services,โ€ he said.

He listed the services to be affected to include operating theatres; Intensive Care Units (ICUs), labour wards; anaesthesia; accident and emergency; and general outpatient clinics.

Others are special care baby units; all specialty clinics (for example ophthalmic, dialysis, orthopedic, neuropsychiatric, antenatal, oncology clinic, fertility clinic, etc); all in-patient admission wards; and central sterile supply units.

The NANNMโ€™s seven-day warning strike coincided with the ongoing three-day warning strike embarked upon by doctors in Lagos under the Medical Guild, which started on Monday.

The Guild, representing doctors employed by the state government, accused the government of โ€œillegal and disrespectfulโ€ deductions from their July salaries and the non-payment of 12 monthsโ€™ arrears owed to honorary consultants under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

Already, the doctorsโ€™ strike has left a sore taste in the mouths of patients, leaving them stranded as they were reportedly told to return home, while several departments appeared deserted.

In an interview, Toba Odumosu, the State Secretary for the Lagos State Council of NANNM, expressed displeasure over the condition of health workers, describing the strikes as coincidental.

He reiterated that the decision to embark on a seven-day warning strike followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the federal government over improved welfare, fair allowances, and better working conditions for nurses.

He added that the negotiation with the federal government through the Ministry of Labour on Tuesday ended in a deadlock.

A medical practitioner, Rukayat Hassan, said it was a slap on the governmentโ€™s face that doctors and nurses are in a battle with the federal government at the same time.

โ€œHonestly, to me, it is not fair at all. The government and bodies need to look into the issues carefully because I believe health is key. It is a slap on the face of the government that they cannot resolve these issues bedeviling the health sector.

โ€œIt is high time they started to consider the masses. I just canโ€™t imagine what would happen in hospitals affected from Wednesday when there is an emergency. Private hospitals are quite expensive,โ€ she said.

Another medical practitioner, Adeniyi Kolawole, also corroborated Hassanโ€™s stance.

He said: โ€œThe government has no reason whatsoever not to heed to the demands of the nurses. Anyway, itโ€™s not surprising as top government officials through tax payersโ€™ money travel abroad for treatment when need be.

โ€œItโ€™s going to be disastrous if the government let this happen. Many of these nurses cannot even afford the food they eat, the clothes they wear, or the medicine they need.โ€

While urging the government to take decisive action, a practicing nurse, Oyekanmi Blessing, said: โ€œOur only crime is staying in Nigeria to care for Nigerians. My colleagues serving as nurses in Saudi Arabia are treated with respect, honour and dignity.โ€

When contacted, the Head, Information & Public Relations at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alaba Balogun, requested a WhatsApp message.

But he had yet to respond to the message as at the time of filing this report last night. (Courtesy of Daily Trust)

29/07/2025

END OF YEAR PROGRAMME OF AL-HIDAYYAY MODEL SCHOOL, TEDE.

Family releases funeral programme for late Olubadan The Olakulehin Royal Family has announced that the late Olubadan of ...
29/07/2025

Family releases funeral programme for late Olubadan

The Olakulehin Royal Family has announced that the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin (Ige Olakulehin I), will be laid to rest on Friday, August 8, 2025, with a state burial approved by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

The revered traditional ruler, who joined his ancestors on July 7, 2025, was the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

His funeral programme was contained in a statement released on Tuesday by his first son, Prince Olasunmbo Owolabi Olakulehin.

According to the statement, the funeral service and interment will hold at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Aremo, Ibadan, at 10:00 a.m. on August 8.

In the days leading up to the burial, a series of events will be held to honour the late monarch, including sporting competitions that had earlier been rescheduled in observance of his 21-day mourning period.

Activities will commence on Sunday, August 3, with the Olubadan Olakulehin Football Cup semi-final matches at the Bishop Phillips Academy Stadium, Ibadan, by 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

On Monday, August 4, the Oba Olakulehin Table Tennis Tournament Preliminaries will take place at the Indoor Hall of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, starting at 10:00 a.m.

The third-place match of the football competition is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, at the Olubadan Stadium by 2:00 p.m., while the final match will hold at 4:00 p.m. the same day.

On Wednesday, August 6, the finals of the table tennis tournament will be played, bringing the sporting events to a close.

As part of the burial rites, the body of the late monarch will lie in state during an interfaith service at Mapo Hall on Thursday, August 7, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Christian wake at the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, at 3:00 p.m.

The funeral activities will conclude with a family thanksgiving service on Sunday, August 10, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Aremo, at 10:00 a.m.

Prince Olakulehin, on behalf of the family, expressed deep appreciation for the outpouring of support received since the monarchโ€™s passing.

โ€œWe appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan-in-Council, traditional and religious leaders, politicians, business leaders, corporate representatives, Ibadan indigenes and residents, ethnic groups, professional bodies, and the good people of Oyo State and Nigeria at large for their condolence visits, prayers and overwhelming support,โ€ he said.

๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ•: ๐€๐๐‚ ๐ค๐ข๐œ๐ค๐ฌ ๐š๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐›๐š๐œ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ž ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌA major political storm is brewing over a fresh proposal to amend th...
29/07/2025

๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ•: ๐€๐๐‚ ๐ค๐ข๐œ๐ค๐ฌ ๐š๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐›๐š๐œ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ž ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ

A major political storm is brewing over a fresh proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow all elections in Nigeria to be conducted on the same day in 2027.

While leading opposition parties โ€” the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, African Democratic Congress, and New Nigeria Peopleโ€™s Party โ€” have thrown their weight behind the move, the ruling All Progressives Congress has rejected it, warning of dire consequences.

The proposal, spearheaded by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, is being considered as part of broader constitutional amendments following zonal consultations across the six geo-political zones.

If passed, the amendment would mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly polls in a single day โ€” a move touted to drastically cut costs and reduce post-election bandwagon effects.

Backing the initiative, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, argued that same-day polls would be both cost-effective and efficient.

He said, โ€œThe costs of elections are too high, just like those of governance. And any reasonable thing to reduce the costs should be looked at. Even for the political parties, it is cheaper and more efficient for them to do their elections in one day.โ€

On concerns over rigging,Johnson dismissed fears, saying, โ€œIf these people are going to rig, they will rig. But if you have all your elections in one day, all your candidates are able to pool together resources so that the polling unit is properly manned.โ€

The Labour Party also gave its full backing. National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the proposal would eliminate staggered elections and reduce bandwagon effects.

He noted, โ€œThe Labour Party aligns itself with the position that all elections should hold the same dayโ€ฆ Itโ€™s also going to help reduce the cost of funding elections, logistics, and bandwagon effect where some voters, after knowing who wins the presidential poll, will start moving towards that direction in subsequent elections.โ€

For the PDP, Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, welcomed the idea but warned against manipulation.

โ€œIt is a welcome development if it is done with sincerity, clear intent and purpose. The truth is that the bogus amount that the government spends on elections is mind-boggling. Thereโ€™s no rational reason why we spend over $350 billion conducting elections in this country, where at the end of the day, you donโ€™t get value for the outcome of such votes,โ€ he said.

The ADC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, also declared support but with a caveat.

โ€œOur support for doing the election on the same day is contingent on INEC logistics being top notch. At the moment, we donโ€™t see any evidence that INEC is committed to improving its logistics,โ€ he said.

APGA, lawmakers caution

But not all stakeholders are convinced. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) warned that the logistics could be chaotic.

APGA spokesman, Ejimofor Okpara, told The PUNCH, โ€œAs laudable as it sounds, we believe it will be chaotic. Our elections, as they are, already appear too cumbersome, logistics-wise, for INEC. One can only imagine the outlook if these major elections are held in one day.โ€

Lawmakers are also split. North-West caucus leader, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), backed the bill, describing it as โ€œan idea whose time has come.โ€

But Osun lawmaker, Oluwole Oke, disagreed, insisting, โ€œItโ€™s INECโ€™s prerogative to decide which date to conduct elections.โ€

Lagos lawmaker, Babajimi Benson, added, โ€œI strongly believe that this decision should be included only in the INEC Act so as to make amendments easyโ€ฆ This (proposed) amendment in the constitution may make it very difficult in the future.โ€

APC rejects move

The APC formally opposed the proposal, describing staggered elections as the better option.

Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, warned, โ€œTo hold all elections on the same day puts a lot of pressure on the institution that is governing elections in Nigeria.

โ€œYouโ€™re going to be holding elections at the State Assembly, House of Reps, Senate, governors, and the President. After those four years, INEC now sits back and literally does nothing.โ€

He added that staggered polls would keep INEC โ€œactive year-roundโ€ and reduce the risk of system collapse.

Lawyers weigh in

A former Director of Voter Education at INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, condemned the plan, recalling that a similar attempt in 2003 was rejected by the courts.

โ€œThis is not a new idea. They tried this before when we were in INEC, and we actually went to court before the 2002 and 2003 elections. We won the case then,โ€ he said, warning that Nigeria lacked the logistics and literacy levels required for such an exercise.

However, prominent lawyers see merit in the idea.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Lekan Ojo, argued: โ€œFrom the economic perspective, it is a cost-saving measureโ€ฆ But it may be very clumsy. The electoral officers may be overwhelmed and that may lead to a floodgate of litigations.โ€

Another SAN, Wale Balogun, was more sceptical: โ€œIf our experience is anything to go by, then Iโ€™m afraid for Nigeria. I donโ€™t think we have the capacity to do so.โ€

For Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), the move would โ€œdrastically reduce the cost of conducting elections,โ€ though he warned of doubts over INECโ€™s capacity.

Civil society

Civil society leaders, including Auwal Musa Rafsanjani of the Transition Monitoring Group and Debo Adeniran of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership, endorsed the proposal, insisting it would cut costs and make elections more transparent. (The PUNCH)

Ex-Borno Gov Defends Wike, Says His Performance Outweighs His Rascality Former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sh...
29/07/2025

Ex-Borno Gov Defends Wike, Says His Performance Outweighs His Rascality

Former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has voiced strong support for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, praising his performance in Abuja while downplaying concerns over his controversial behavior.

In a candid interview with Channels Television on Monday, Sheriff acknowledged Wikeโ€™s confrontational nature but emphasized that the ministerโ€™s achievements in the capital city far outweigh his alleged โ€œrascality.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m not a fan of Wike. Wikeโ€™s character is that of a rascal, but you cannot take away from him that he has changed Abuja,โ€ Sheriff stated.

โ€œFrom the time Abuja was created up to this moment, nobody has worked like him. So people like me will ignore his rascality because he is working.โ€

Sheriff further aimed at other members of President Bola Tinubuโ€™s cabinet, accusing some ministers of underperformance and deceit.

โ€œThere are ministers that are not working but lying to Nigerians. It is not the presidentโ€™s problem,โ€ he added, suggesting that accountability lies with individual ministers rather than the presidency itself.

Sheriff, who also served as the acting chairman of the Peopleโ€™s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2016, used the platform to make another political revelation.

He disclosed that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi may soon return to the PDP a move that could reshape Nigeriaโ€™s political dynamics ahead of the next general election.Tourism packages

The comments from Sheriff come amid increasing public scrutiny of the Tinubu administrationโ€™s performance one year into office.

While some ministers have drawn praise for infrastructural development, others have faced criticism for lack of visible impact.

Also,he said ADC will collapse in three months and that Peter Obi will return to PDP and will contest as their presidential candidate for 2027 elections

29/07/2025

OMOLEYIN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE SAKI,OYO STATE
16th GRADUATION AND 19th END OF YEAR PROGRAMME.
TODAY TUESDAY 29th JULY 2025.

ME, ADEDIBU, ALAO-AKALA AND OBASANJO  -  Former Oyo State Governor; Senator Rashidi LadojaEverybody knew that between me...
29/07/2025

ME, ADEDIBU, ALAO-AKALA AND OBASANJO

- Former Oyo State Governor; Senator Rashidi Ladoja

Everybody knew that between me and Baba (late Chief Lamidi Adedibu), we had a sort of good rapport. If Baba had views on six issues and I was able to take Baba out of the groove, by the time he came back, Baba might drop five for me. That was how close we were. During the campaign, the major crisis we had was the popular opinion that โ€˜Ladoja is good but will Adedibu allow him work?โ€™ I used to say, I am a father and a grandfather. I have built my life, if I am elected, the buck stops on my table. You see, even if Baba was good, what about the people that surrounded Baba? On inauguration day, they went to pull down Chief Obafemi Awolowoโ€™s statue in front of Government House; that was the first crisis we had. They took it to Babaโ€™s place the same day. There was a finance board in Bodija, and the agreement was that the contractor would collect toll until their money was paid before they would turn it over to the government. Babaโ€™s boys said the government that put it there had gone and that they were now in charge.

Then, some of Babaโ€™s boys were going to Bola Ige International Market to collect protection fees from traders and in some cases, when you refused to pay, they broke into their shops. They were allocating spaces along the roads for people to be putting containers there and destroying the master plan. In some cases, some of Babaโ€™s boys would go to the forest and arrest people and collect money from them. Sometimes, they harassed and imprisoned them in their homes. No sane government would allow such things to go on. So that was where we started having issues because most of Babaโ€™s boys believed that they were in government, therefore there was no law.

So, it was not that I didnโ€™t manage Baba. I know that Baba could talk but he could not disturb government work and it was the same Baba that would encourage them. So Baba just capitalised on this.

I have said it many times that 13 of Baba and (Otunba Christopher) Alao-Akala couldnโ€™t have impeached me. The rule of impeachment is that you must have two-thirds majority in the House of Assembly and I knew there was no way I could have less than one-third. It opened the way for selfish people who just wanted money and there were so many negotiations, but there was one (thing) that actually made the impeachment possible, it was (Chief Olusegun) Obasanjoโ€™s third term agenda. Obasanjo knew there was no way I would be around and the House of Assembly would pass an amendment to the constitution, allowing a third term for the President. That was why Ladoja had to go.

Just that?

And I also made a mistake, maybe it was a mistake or maybe it wasnโ€™t. I knew Obasanjo before I became Oyo State governor. I used to visit him in Ota after he left government and we were very close, so when I heard about third term agenda, I told Baba if it was true and he asked who told me. I said does it really matter who told me? I said itโ€™s a question of whether itโ€™s true. He said it was not true and I said thank God. And I said โ€˜Baba, I would have said maybe you donโ€™t know God. I said God made it possible for you to be President for eight years and this is a Presidency you were not qualified for.โ€™ He said, โ€˜not qualified, am I not a Nigerian or was I not of ageโ€™? I said โ€˜no, Baba, you know that in a democratic regime, presidency is meant for politicians and you are not a politician, they came to call you. I said there was a time you asked me what (Shehu Musa) Yarโ€™Adua was looking for in government (and) what did he forget in the Government House? Secondly, with presidential system of government, you must have lots of your own money for election. You just came out of prison and had no money. And with all those minuses, God said you would be the President for eight years, let God be the one who would decide the next president.โ€™ He said โ€˜thank you very much, I appreciate it.โ€™

Didnโ€™t you study his countenance to know he was not pleased?

I had said what I wanted to say. Yoruba people say if you and your friends talk in the room and come out with smiles on your faces, you have not told yourselves the truth. He knew I told him the truth and I was convinced I told him the truth. At the end of it, he also said he didnโ€™t even ask for a third term, which is not true. He did. So when I got home in the evening, the then Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, called and asked what I came to Ota to discuss with Obasanjo. I said I discussed third term agenda with him. He said โ€˜oh God, you have pinched Baba on his sore, Baba said he would turn you to a nobody.โ€™ I said โ€˜if God allows himโ€™.

He said okay we are going to have council of state meeting in Abuja, please come early so that we can discuss and I can give you more details. So I went and he gave me all the details and asked me to apologise to Baba (Obasanjo) and I said I would go in the evening but when I went in the evening, (Otunba Johnson) Fasawe was there. Baba didnโ€™t allow me talk. He said I have told you Rashidi, I will turn you to a nobody. He was going and Fasawe was running after him, trying to tell him he shouldnโ€™t have said that and I answered him, if God permits you, sir.

It would not have mattered so much if I had not lost some of my staff members. We went to Abuja for something, we were returning home and we had an accident on the way. That dampened my spirit. Two brilliant young men with wives and children died; those were my political staff members. Three or four others that were civil servants also died. And when the thing got to that level, people and other governors that came said we should go and beg Baba so we went on January 10, 2006, which happened to be Sallah day.

We decided to meet in Abeokuta; we didnโ€™t take (Ayodele) Fayose along because he was Babaโ€™s โ€˜sonโ€™; I, (Olusegun) Agagu, (Olagunsoye) Oyinlola and Daniel went to him. They knelt down so I had to kneel down too, Oyinlola is a very good orator, he presented a very brilliant case, Agagu supported him. Daniel and I didnโ€™t talk. He said well, Rashidi, go and resign. I said no and asked why I should do that. He said if you donโ€™t resign, you will be removed. I said nobody can do it because they cannot get two-thirds and he said two-thirds my foot and got up. Daniel ran after him so three of us sat down and we were talking. Then Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN) came in and said what is wrong with you people, you are leaders in your own right. It is not every time that you run away from a fight. He said I had gone to see Segun to plead with him to leave you in peace because you have not done anything wrong. That in fact, everybody was praising your government, and that he also knew that they were praising my government, my education policy was good and I was not corrupt. I said thank you.

People saw you as a weakling when you returned to office because in 2007, Alao-Akala got the governorship ticket of your party?

The judgment was given on December 7, 2006, which was a Thursday. I think they had their primary on December 9. I didnโ€™t have the opportunity to take part in it and Baba didnโ€™t want me to. That I knew because when the judgment came, I tried to get Obasanjo and he was not available. I spoke to the chief of staff who said thank God you called me, let there be no jubilation. I said what am I jubilating about, I had issued a statement that I was not the winner, the Nigerian constitution was the winner and that I would reconcile all parties. I said I was not coming back to fight. He said before the end of the day, he would make a statement.

After the Court of Appeal (judgment), the statement they made was that because the case was going to the Supreme Court, they should allow the Supreme Court to decide even though they knew that it was a declarative judgment. If not, we would have come back earlier than when we did. They went quickly to appeal.

The Supreme Court did not delay in the determination of the appeal. They decided it and said they were going to give reasons on January 12, which coincided with the day I was impeached. But when the judgment was given around 6pm, they said the Inspector General of Police should assist Ladoja to get back to his office, that they had accepted the judgment. When they said that, I now called Baba to say thank you very much for accepting the judgment.

He said, no Rashidi, donโ€™t make a mistake, I only directed the IG to give you protection so that what happened to Funsho Williams would not happen to you. Donโ€™t go back to office. I asked why. He said because the court was in the hands of Alao-Akala, they didnโ€™t tell Alao-Akala to give the court back to Ladoja. If you want the court back, you have to go back to court. I said thatโ€™s alright sir. The following day (Chief Niyi) Akintola (SAN) was on AIT, saying, โ€˜Can you imagine the President saying this? The President is like an illiterate and this and that.โ€™ The chief of staff called and said why did you have to tell your lawyer what you discussed with Baba? I said Baba told me I should go back to court, I donโ€™t know how to go to court except through my lawyers.

While that one was happening, Baba was scheming that they should go to court and bring anything that looked like an injunction, even from the Customary Court, he would ask the IG to take action. That was why they went to High Court. When the court was rowdy, the judge said the status quo should remain. Alao-Akala said the status quo meant that he was in charge, but I said we have already taken over since the judgment was pronounced. I had already dissolved Alao-Akalaโ€™s cabinet and asked the permanent secretaries to take over. I didnโ€™t need to get to the secretariat before I started giving orders but luckily it didnโ€™t deteriorate because later on I was told that nobody knew what was wrong with Baba. Baba became very hostile and the establishment took over.

The IG gave instructions to the AIG, Tunji Alapinni, to come to Ibadan. Tunji called me and asked if I was on my way, I said no, I was still in Lagos. In fact, I had not even had my bath. He said he had been given order that by 12pm, if Alao-Akala didnโ€™t leave the office, he should flush him out. Then I advised him, I said, โ€˜Donโ€™t flush him out, call him and tell him that this is the order you have. He is a policeman too; he knows what it means when the IGP gives an instruction.โ€™ That was why Alao-Akala quickly carried his load and left the secretariat.

@ Punch Newspaper

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