Feature

“Freedom of the Press and the Portrayal of Women in the Media”

Published

9 months ago

October 10, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

“Freedom of the Press and the Portrayal of Women in the Media”

By : Atifete Jahjaga

Dear Mr. Orav,
Dear Mr. Fontana,
Dear journalists and media professionals from all over the world present here today,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear all,

Freedom of the media and the safety of journalists are essential in societies that want to prosper, aspire to be just and to be guided by accountability. Their work is essential. It has been such in Kosovo’s not so short tradition of media pluralism that has defined our republic’s making and even now when we find ourselves as the only country in Europe that no longer has a printed newspaper.

We are well aware and we should be reminded every day that Democracy has no chance to survive and no ability to thrive in information darkness. We have lived in one and we will never go back there again. A free and thriving press is a value – one of the greatest values I may argue – and we need strong willed, responsible journalists and editors in the newsrooms as we forge Kosovo’s way forward. They need to remind us of who we are and who we are committed to be and hold us to account every single day of how we are measuring up to our goal of being a free and fair country to all that call Kosovo their home. They need to inform the public of promises kept and promised unkept.

Media not only creates social and national cohesion by helping build a sense of community, as Benedict Anderson so diligently described in The Imagined Communities, but it also sets an agenda of priorities, big and small, that come to construct our public engagement mosaic and define our roles and responsibilities.

And here in lies the challenge. Given this enormous expectation that the public vests on media and journalists, this enormous power to keep institutions and all entities honest, it is just as essential for media to live up to their duty to serve the public’s right to know and to foster a fact-based conversation that keeps the institutions and the citizens at the receiving end of the decision-making engaged and responsible.

While this may have been a more straightforward matter in times of national tormet, during the Kosovo war, since its liberation Kosovo, like many democracies, has struggled to define these roles and responsibilities. We have seen institutions, both local and international, limit media’s access to information. We have seen them use and misuse national interest as a way to limit transparency, accountability and the public’s right to know. And we have seen that it has damaged all parties involved – it has weakened the political processes that are key to Kosovo’s future, it has shaken the trust in media and it has undermined the democratic progress.

In my public engagement, I too have stumbled upon challenges and I have had my share of frustrations, especially with the ways media characterized my presidency and how my gender became a target. Sometimes it felt personal, but most times I worried about the repercussions it will have on the general portrayal of women in public office and the discouragement that comes with it.

We need to do our outmost ro ensure the freedom of the media for it is essential, so that the information it disseminates is fact-based and reliable, so no hand or power should affect or try to affect the dignity of this institution. When I talk about the pressfreedom, I also emphasize their moral, professional and legal obligation to provide reliable news, deep and qualitative analysis, and especially the immediate avoidance and elimination of gender and sexist prejudices against all women who are part of public life.
The portrayal of women belonging to public professions by the media is an area that requires our attention but also our criticism, focused on big and significant changes, despite the positive changes in some aspects of the functioning of the media, this area we can say that still leaves a lot to be desired for further improvements.
As the first female president of Kosovo, I faced unique challenges in how the media portrayed my leadership. Local media coverage often focused more on my gender, my appearance, my private life than my policies. When I stop and reflect on my tenure, I cannot ignore the unfair and unprofessional treatment I have received from the media, and all of this treatment has come as a result of my gender identity, being a woman, and the President, for someone it was too much. Despite my dedication and raising the state of Kosovo to high pedestals, the country’s media focused on other aspects, such as my appearance or wardrobe.

The media’s portrayal of women often reinforces stereotypes, affecting public perception and limiting women’s roles in politics and society. This not only undermines women’s contributions but also perpetuates a culture of discrimination. It’s crucial to address these biases to foster an inclusive society.

For my part, I learned to engage with the media strategically, using interviews and press conferences to amplify my message while advocating for more balanced coverage of women in leadership, something that I try to do to this day.

Dear all,

To understand better this current state of affairs, we need to identify the challenges that the media face, and their struggles are many. Not only have media faced unprecedented challenges with the rise of social media and lately AI, which require them to constantly change and adapt to an ever shifting environment of wants and needs, but they are often a function of a market competition that is outside of their control.
Yes, indeed, we often think of media as a public service, a right and a good which ensures that every citizen is informed if she or he chooses to, but in a free and open market, media are dependent on business models that could make them susceptible to influences that in the long-term undermine their objectivity, their impartiality and eventually the public’s trust.

Some of these forces don’t have immediate fixes. They are part of a longer chain of events interlinked and interdependent that are tied to our ability to create stable economies and strong democracies that withstand the earthquakes of today’s rapidly changing world.
But what we can do is to ensure that we – institutions, civil society and the public – do our outmost to ensure the freedom of the media, for it is essential, so that the information it disseminates is fact-based and reliable, so no hand or power should affect or try to affect the dignity of this powerful and key estate.
When I talk about the pressfreedom, I also emphasize their moral, professional and legal obligation to provide reliable news, deep and qualitative analysis, and especially the immediate avoidance and elimination of gender and sexist prejudices against all women who are part of public life.
Dear,

We are living in the time of clicks, everything revolves around the number of clicks a news story gets, without worrying about its authenticity or analysis, it is enough to publish it quickly, with a bombastic headline and a picture that will attract readers to click on the news, but what that text contains is not important at all.

There are many reasons why such a thing happens, but the most important is the financing. Many media have serious economic problems, so they compete with each other as to who will publish the news first, without worrying about its content as well as professional and human ethics.
Disinformation, hyperbolization of events, and the apparent decline in the quality of work are unfortunately characterizing journalism in Kosovo and beyond, and this is quite worrying.

Yet I am optimistic for the fact that Kosovo enjoys a media pluralism with a variety of voices and figures heard on television, radio and other online platforms, which are owned by different entities, allowing room for independent reporting and a diversity of viewpoints.

But unfortunately the political polarization and politicization has affected every field, profession, and person, so even the media have not been immune to this challenge.

But there is one essential element to anchor us through all this. In a democracy, it is essential that every power be independent of each other, no one should try to extend force or influence in any sphere that falls outside its responsibility.
In order to preserve their educational and sensitizing role, the media should be allowed to exercise their profession and their role unhindered. For its part, the media should also be committed to an ethical standard so that the dignity of each and everyone is preserved.
We all need to better ourselves – Institutions need to become more transparent and let media do their job. Media executives should do some soul-searching about their impact on the fabric of the society and perhaps rethink how they themselves could agree to hold themselves to an account through stronger self-regulation to ensure equitable representation and to challenge harmful narratives. In an increasingly globalized world, Kosovo faces significant challenges from foreign entities attempting to manipulate public opinion and destabilize its young democracy. It is essential to educate the public about recognizing misinformation and understanding the sources of their information. Supporting independent journalism and promoting fact-based reporting is vital in building resilience against external narratives that threaten our democratic values.
It’s crucial for all stakeholders-government, civil society, and the media-to work together to safeguard our democratic institutions. Encouraging transparency in media ownership and funding sources can help combat the influence of foreign actors seeking to disrupt our democracy. Engaging citizens in dialogue about their rights and the importance of informed decision-making is essential for a robust democratic process. I remain committed to advocating for gender equality in media and politics while ensuring that Kosovo’s democracy is safeguarded against external threats. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive society.
Dear,
I am more than aware of the fast flow of time and life nowadays, everything is commercialized, but I am also convinced that we still have people who do their work with dignity and do not allow anything to touch the sanctity of their work, as every work is valuable. There are many issues that must be raised, many things that must be eliminated so that we all feel safe to speak, work and act freely in our country, without fear of who and what will write about us. Truths are always welcome, but blackmail, fake news and infringement of privacy are a line we should pledge not to cross.

Strongly advocating for the freedom of the media, their protection by law, as well as not violating the identity of the media and all professionals in this field, as well as for a quality, educational and informative work of the media, I also want to convey this message:
Dear Media,
You have the opportunity to bring the whole world together, you are one of the fastest and most important connectors today, you have the power to do great things, so please use this opportunity with honesty and dignity, with dedication and work tireless. There is nothing more important than being the eyes, ears and voice of the people, and you are, you have been given and have earned this opportunity, so that there is as little hesitation, threats and interference in your work as possible, let law, work ethic and professionalism be your guide.

Let me repeat it again: we should be reminded every day that Democracy has no chance to survive and no ability to thrive in darkness. We need a free and thriving press and we need strong willed, responsible journalists and editors in the newsrooms as we forge Kosovo’s way forward. They need to remind us of who we are and who we are committed to be.
Atifete Jahjaga, is the first Kosovo’s Female President.

“Freedom of the Press and the Portrayal of Women in the Media”

Feature

THE IMPERIALISM OF FOREIGN RELIGIONS BY AUSTIN ORETTE

Published

3 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

THE IMPERIALISM OF FOREIGN RELIGIONS BY AUSTIN ORETTE

By: Austin Orette

While Africans opine about imperialism of the west and others, the least talked about and the most lethal of all the isms, is the imperialism of religion in African society.

We can criticize our tribes; we can criticize our politicians and politics but the moment we try to examine the role of religion in our backwardness we are considered pariahs. Soon or later a death decree or fatua is issued. Why is it so? What is so special about religion that cannot be criticized?

All over the world, religion has led to the death of many. Any comment on religion that is not in good light is considered blasphemy and the penalty is death. Why this and why Africans should kill each other because of foreign religions. How did these religions enter our society with so many disregards for the life of the African? I have thought about this and came to the conclusion that the fear that religions impose on its adherents in Africa is not only the fear of hell fire but also the fear of physical harm and social ostracism.

How did foreign religions become so powerful to supplant our cultures and assume primacy of place that we are willing to torture and fillet our neighbors because he does not agree with our concept of God? The two religions tearing Nigeria apart are Islam and Christianity. The homeland of these religions has no respect for the humanity of black people. These religions were the tools used to enslave black people and still use to this day to discriminate against black people in the Western and Islamic world.

The practitioners of Islam and Christianity in Africa will form a common cause to kill on behalf of the religion of these invaders. We see all these anomalies in these religions, but our people have been severely and thoroughly mentally enslaved that they are blind to these realities. They are blind to these abominations and continue to revere these foreign gods whose goodness is bestowed on Caucasians or Arabs only. They ravaged and desecrated Africa and the African people and we stupidly believe that their god that told them the African was inferior, and worthy of slavery is also our God. Until we abolish the imperialism of religion in Africa and Nigeria in particular, we are going nowhere with our so-called independence. The reason we cannot criticize these religions is a carryover from their homelands. When the religions were practiced by the villagers and so-called primitive people, it was okay to throw these primitive people into the lion’s den. When the kings adopted these religions for their political survival, it became sacrosanct to criticize these religions because doing so became equivalent to criticizing the king. The king was the church, and the church was the king. These religions became tools of conquest. The penalty for criticizing the king was death. This is how religion became sacrosanct. The king could do no wrong because the king was God. The adoption of any religion by the reigning monarch was the quickest way to spread any religion in early times. The Monarch is converted, and all his subjects are decreed to follow suit.

In Africa, attempts to convert kings were rebuffed and the king was overthrown, killed or exiled. The Western societies dug themselves out of this conundrum. They fought many wars, and Europe became scattered all over the World. A nation called America was born. America looked to the ills of Europe and distilled a blueprint of a society that is not beholden to religion. In America you are free to practice your religion, but the state cannot establish or practice a religion or impose any religion on you. Their constitution has stood them well and the old countries of Europe have gradually ceded their monarchies and religion to the personal realm. In fashioning the American constitution, the good Christians there still considered the African an inferior being that was only three fifths human. This is how far the western religion went in denigrating the African. Islam did worse. The only difference is that the Arab world has done so much to hide their brutality against the African. The Arab world is still under various monarchies and Islam is the religion of the Monarchs. Like their western counterparts, the Monarch is Islam, and any criticism of the king is the criticism of Islam. This is the reason why the crown prince of Saudi Arabia sent murderers to kill Khashoggi, who criticized him in Turkey. Since the King is Islam and Islam is the king, why has the Arab world not issued any decree that prohibits discrimination against Africans.

A stroll through any Arab city will tell the African he is not wanted. This is why I will prefer the west any day. They have made attempts to enact laws against discrimination. No such laws in the Arab world. In the Western world the people may be racist, but the system is being refined not to be. In the Islamic world, the people and their system are racist. It has been observed that during the hajj, punitive conditions are rolled out for those attending from black Africa. It is obvious that they only want the money. Don’t pay attention to the feigned nicety of their big cities.

As I observed earlier, in the Arab world, there is no difference between Islam and the state because the monarch is Islam. So, the concept of separation of the state and religion is still in the horizon (and the future when the church or the state will become so corrupted that people will cry and fight for reformation). It is already happening in Yemen. It is this system that is called Sharia that Muslims in Nigeria want to impose on Nigeria. They forget that Nigeria, unlike the Arab world, is a plural society.

Inspite of all these clear observations, Nigerians are at war with each other to prove the superiority of their imported religions. This is not a religion that originated in Africa. Why are we the ones to keep alive the religions that are dying in their homelands? The imperialism of religion has forced the African, who is a loving being to become the blood thirsty and bloodletting tool of western and Arab imperialism.

It is time we begin to jettison these foreign religions and rely on the culture that saw Africans through the travails of foreign invaders who introduced their gods to us without recognizing our humanity. Nobody should tell us about our divinity except us. Any explanation of our divinity by non-African (the so-called pastors and Imams) will always be fraudulent. This is why they don’t respect us. They cannot believe we worship their gods’ inspite of what they did to us in the name of their gods. Call it Christianity or Islam, they cannot talk more about God and love more than Orissa. This is a call for Africans to remove themselves from the worship of these foreign gods whose holy books were used to enslave the people of God that live in Africa. Until we take this drastic step, the African will always be a creature of pity and contempt. He will always be seen as a slave by the west and a kaffir by the Arabs.

Austin Orette, a physician, lives in Texas, USA

THE IMPERIALISM OF FOREIGN RELIGIONS BY AUSTIN ORETTE

Feature

WALL OF HATRED, EMBELLISHED BIAFRA STORIES AND LIES

Published

4 days ago

July 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

WALL OF HATRED, EMBELLISHED BIAFRA STORIES AND LIES

BY AUSTIN ORETTE

I don’t enjoy replying to these incendiary and caustic postings of Biafrans. For us to move forward, someone has to do it. All the blame for Biafra must go to those who started Biafra and are still in denial to this day and blames everyone who has any observation to the contrary.

Today, we are witnessing another bellicose nation deny its responsibility in drawing destruction unto itself. Israel started a war and it is blaming Iran for its destruction. This is the corollary of the Biafra separatist. They declared a war on Nigeria and since they lost, they blame everyone but themselves. The generation that declared Biafra is dying away. Soon most of those who were the actors in Biafra will be gone. Instead of the bitterness ebbing away, a thick wall of hatred is being erected because that generation that fought, are handing over embellished stories and lies to their children who are not interested in reexamining their positions and reappraising their stagnant thinking about the war and the issues that led to the war. We are familiar with the fact that truth is the first casualty of war. The Nigerian civil war is not an exception in this regard. For some reasons, the proponents of Biafra will want us to believe that they have the monopoly of the truth. This gentleman saying Gowon lied should revisit Biafra without his acidic temperament. His remarks against Gowon should not go unchallenged. His remarks are wrong, self-serving and crude and devoid of historical accuracy.

Nigeria did not declare war on Biafra. It was Biafra that declared war on Nigeria. Gowon was a very reluctant warrior. He didn’t want brothers to spill brothers’ blood. He tried everything including granting a lot of concessions to Ojukwu in order to avoid the war. He was a man of peace. The proponents of Biafra always hang on to Aburi as if there was nothing happening in Nigeria before Aburi. It is very disturbing to see people so clear eyed about Aburi but they are amnestic about what led to Aburi. If the Igbos had declared Biafra and stayed in their enclave, the story of Nigeria would have been different. After they declared Biafra, they invaded the Midwest Region and deposed Gov David Ejoor and appointed a Biafran as the governor. The people of the Midwest region saw hell and mayhem during the three months that the Biafrans occupied the Midwest Region. They conscripted people into the Biafran Army, raided Banks and killed those who refused to join Biafra. It was on their way to Ore that they were pushed back by federal troops that were hurriedly assembled. The three months of the occupation of the Midwest region by the Biafrans was hell on earth for the citizens of the Midwest region who were under the Biafran military occupation.

Since the Proponents of Biafra always take Aburi as the beginning and end of everything, I will try to examine this Aburi for all to see. The Biafrans to this day have never accepted that they were the aggressors. They have handed erroneous history to their children. This is the deliberate ploy to hide their gross negligence. They have used their propaganda machine to populate the whole s system with lies and innuendos. In a twist unknown to them, these lies have become a prison to their uninformed generations. This is the reason why the generation that was not alive during that war always speaks with anger and crudity. Nnamdi Kanu actually used Aburi to justify his aggression towards the Nigerian state. It is time we point them to the accurate history and pull away the blanket of lies that have given them comfort in their infamy. When a sitting senator can mount a podium and malign an elder statesman, like Gowon, then nothing is sacrosanct. It is time Nigerians tell the Biafrans that their whole existence is a big lie generated by those who led them into the wrong alley. The sooner they jettison these lies and form a common course with other Nigerians, the better it will be for them. Their perpetual cry for Biafra is fraudulent and based on lies. They should be made to understand that they brought Nigeria to this nadir.

In this discourse, we may be forced to delve into their uncivilized behavior that made them to cripple the Nigerian state through murder and mayhem. The Igbo man in Nigeria is not a victim. He is a perpetrator. They owe Nigeria apology for the disruption they caused the Nigerian state.

Aburi was a place for cessation of hostilities. No one sent Gowon to Aburi to rewrite the Nigerian constitution that was overthrown by the Igbo officers. For the Igbos to always try to convince everyone that Aburi was the beginning and the end of their bellicosity is a big lie. They have told this lie over and over that they are beginning to see it as the truth and they have wrapped this lie with all kinds of mythology. Why Aburi? This place was chosen because Ojukwu said he was not safe in any place in Nigeria. Fair enough. If Ojukwu had insisted on return to the status quo ante, maybe things would’ve been different. If you look at the body language of Ojukwu and Gowon during those meetings, you can see that Gowon was very pliant. He was ready to do anything to avoid that war. It was Ojukwu who came with cautery of lawyers and made impossible demands. The Igbos forgot that we had a constitution that guaranteed regional autonomy that was abrogated by Aguyi Ironsi who also abolished the regions and introduced the unitary system that started Nigeria on this perilous path. I am always amazed when the South-East people refuse to acknowledge the role they played in ushering Nigeria to our present hell. Ojukwu studied history at Oxford. He must have known what befall a people who lose wars. Instead of negotiating for ceasefire in Aburi, he came with a team of lawyers to rewrite a constitution of Nigeria in another land. We had a constitution which was overthrown in a coup by Igbo officers. Why is it difficult for the Igbos to understand that Ojukwu had no means to enforce any agreement? This is the core issues that the Biafrans have refused to understand to this day. I have always said these actors were very young. It is not out of place to ascribe some of their actions to youthful exuberance. The more I read about Aburi, the more I find out that Ojukwu was more interested in headlines and his Oxford credentials which were impressive and were highly blown in foreign newspapers. The foreigners were not going to fight his war. What Ojukwu and his lawyers demanded at Aburi were not anything within the power of Gowon. All the things Ojukwu asked for can only be addressed in a parliament of the Nigerian people. There was no parliament. Those who were in the know when Gowon returned made it clear to Gowon that what he negotiated with Ojukwu were not within his powers. Any attempt to make the Igbos to understand that what Ojukwu got from Aburi is not tenable and will not be accepted by the rest of Nigeria fell on deaf ears. Since then they developed the Mantra, “On Aburi We stand “. I will repeat, no one sent two soldiers to another country to rewrite the Nigerian constitution. Nigerians refused to succumb to this blackmail by the Igbos.

There were other negotiations. There was Arusha and there was Kampala. Biafra had no legitimacy and wherewithal to enforce their one-sided accord. The rest is history. In the overall scheme of things, Aburi is a non-issue. Did Ojukwu have any negotiations with Adaka Boro who declared Niger Delta Republic? Boro was captured and sentenced to death. Why was this so? It was so because Ojukwu and Ironsi had the power to nullify Boro’s Niger Delta Republic, and they did. If you juxtapose this, we can say Gowon had the power to nullify Biafra and he did. The myopia of the Biafrans is a deliberate affliction. Let us move forward.

DR AUSTIN A. ORETTE IS A FAMIL MEDICINE DOCTOR IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. HE RECEIVED HIS MEDICAL DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

WALL OF HATRED, EMBELLISHED BIAFRA STORIES AND LIES

Feature

Special feature: Chief Lanre Obadiah bows out of Government house Maiduguri

Published

1 week ago

June 28, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Special feature: Chief Lanre Obadiah bows out of Government house Maiduguri

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Very few residents in Borno state, north east Nigeria can say they do not know Chief Lanre Obadiah, the official master of ceremony (MC) of Governor Babagana Zulum. This is because he has been the master of ceremony for two Governors. Senator Kashim Shettima now Vice President and Professor Babagana Zulum who is the incumbent Governor of Borno state. Obadiah’s dexterity with the microphone has worked well for him in public functions where he had a singular duty of introducing these two gentlemen and their activities and is now bowing out of the publicity machinery of the Government House maiduguri.
“Oga Lanre” as he is known by some contemporaries virtually assisted their excellencies enjoy the limelight by laying down the required basis for the gathering of the day after which he conducts the ceremony sequentially till the final prayers are said and everyone dispatches. No wonder it was shocking to Borno Governor Professor Babagana Zulum that he made such a sudden decision to leave after the demise of his dear wife this year.

Transition from the theatre to the government house protocols and perception

Having studied Theatre Arts from the University of Jos and later adding a Masters in Public Administration (M.P.A) from the University of Maiduguri, Oga Lanre is definitely not a typical broadcaster by training but his command of the microphone using three languages actually stood him out as a rare gem in public speaking. And that obviously was what attracted him to their excellencies. He displayed rare dexterity in Kanuri, Hausa and off course the English language during public functions which made him to become highly sorted for by even non governmental functionaries as an extraordinary anchor of important programs. The job became his second calling because he had a unique style of doing the needful and responding to issues as they popped up or as directed as the civil servants would say.

Introducing their excellencies and the numerous reasons which usually brings them out of their comfort zones to meet the people of Borno state was his calling and he woke up daily with a hope of performing better than the previous day.

First he was the special assistant on state and national welfare/social media. And that entails a lot of activities beyond keeping the optics around the former Governor kashim Shettima now Vice President top notch. When Governor Shettima was going to the Senate, Oga Lanre, felt it was time to go private so he left to join a non-governmental organization (NGO) “Save the Children” .
From my interaction with him, he really felt he was going to have a quiet life away from the public podium where he had become known for. But his foray into that sub sector did not last long. He was summoned by Governor Zulum to return to the government house to do the same job he did for his predecessor. And that was where his cherished relationship with Zulum grew stronger. The entire press crew of Governor Shettima including the late director of press, Isaiah Ndahi and Isa Gusau continued as a team for Zulum and he joined long before the enhanced media aids were appointed.

Stabilization factor in the government house media team

His work entailed working with Isa Gusau, the late Special Adviser on Public Relations and strategy and their team was the envy of other Governors in the country. The death of Isa Gusau however became a big blow to the entire media team. But that did not deter Oga Lanre from continuing with his job and off course serving as a major stabilization factor within the entire team in the government house. This balancing act started from the moment the Governor announced the team till this week that his three months notice of pulling out expires. His stabilization mechanism went beyond the small office, were all of them managed upstairs to the make shift newsroom used by the press crew in which we all used to sit down and banter whenever there was nothing to do or the Governor was not around. He was always at hand to give advice and assist warring factions to mend fences.

His stabilization role actually started during Senator Kashim Shettima’s era while he was Special Assistant on state and national welfare programs/ social media whereas with Zulum when he became Senior Special Assistant on publicity and official Mc to the governor his role increased as he was given a unit under the press department in which all the instruments that had to do with the projection of the governors programme were under him. His transition from a civil servant where he rose to the rank of executive secretary to a political appointee was seamless because he had indeed mastered the art of being a technocrat by all standard.
Hear his comments about his transition from a civil servant to an appointee of Government after his retirement from the Borno state service: “I retired in 2014, not as Director but as Executive Secretary of the Borno State Council for Arts and Culture, a position which I was appointed to by Governor Ali Modu Sheriff on April 19th 2006. Governor Kashim Shettima invited me from retirement in 2017 as a Special assistant and I served in that capacity till May 2019, 2 years”

A detribalised man of many parts who came to Borno in 1982 and had not looked back since then.

Oga Lanre actually started his National Youth Service Corp (Nysc) year in Cross river state in August 1981, but got redeployed to Borno in August 1982 and he completed the service on November 7 1982 and was immediately employed by the Borno state Council for arts and culture on 1st Dec 1982. He coordinated the entire arts council and produced several mentees during his tenure in the service before taking a political appointment.

His final bowing out of the service as the senior special advisor to the Governor of Borno state is a big shock to a lot of people. However it was necessary because he had just lost his wife and needed to go care of himself as a retiree.
While appreciating his service, the secretary to the state government SSG Alhaji Bukar Tijani said the the state was grateful for his dedication, patriotism and service to the state.

Contribution to the traditional institution

Chief Lanre Obadiah is a peaceful Nigerian of yoruba ancestry so he never relegated his duties towards his traditional institution. As a man of culture, he contributed immensely to the yoruba community in Maiduguri. Attesting to the that, the Kabiyesi of Yorubas in Borno state in an interview described him as a peaceful man. “His leaving Borno means a lot to me. He has been a major stabilizer here. As a matter of fact , I made him Otumba in 2014 and since then he has contributed immensely to the growth of our people in the state.

” To me, as he goes home, i would be missing a very nice person. He was a pace setter even in the arts council where he served “

The Kabiyesi, Oba Hassan Yusuf, who is the chair of the non indigenous forum in the state, said he was equally a major contributing factor to the forum. He has always played a major role towards the traditional council and yoruba family in general. He is a family man and I wish him all the best as he traverses home to rest.

Apart from holding the title of Otunba of the Yorubas in Borno, Oga Lanre was also coronated in 2023 as the “Bobadamoran” of Adanla Irese his home town in Kwara state.

Special feature: Chief Lanre Obadiah bows out of Government house Maiduguri