News
OBA MOHOOD ISHOLA OLALEKAN BALOGUN ALLI OKUNMADE II. A HUGELY REMARKABLE REIGN AND GLORIOUS PASSAGE INTO ETERNITY.
OBA MOHOOD ISHOLA OLALEKAN BALOGUN ALLI OKUNMADE II. A HUGELY REMARKABLE REIGN AND GLORIOUS PASSAGE INTO ETERNITY.
By Prof Soji Adejumo.
Oba Lekan Balogun came on to the throne at a time Ibadanland was in dire need of a cultural and developmental turn around. He came at a time Ibadanland needed a leader who could steer the affairs of this megapolis with academic precision, social and political wisdom. He came when Ibadanland needed to reinvent the imperial ethos of the Kingdom.
Oba Olalekan Balogun ticked all the boxes. Presiding over traditional institutions in a Kingdom comprising of 1 Metropolis, 42 Royal Kings, 67 Traditional Chiefs, over 600 Mogajis, 3000 Baales in 11 Local Governments, 63 Towns, and over 3000 villages, is no mean feat.
I became acquainted with our late Kabiyesi in the late eighties when he had just cut his political teeth during the Shehu Shagari era. He came across to me as a social philosopher and an aristocrat with a socialist flavour. He would talk to me for hours in his expansive Alarere House which later became his Palace. He was a social and political ideologue and would discuss any of such issues under the sun. He was always rhetorically explicit with his choice of words and I admired him greatly. He also loved to talk about the Nigeria of his dreams where there will be justice and equity for all. We talked about education and agriculture and his vast knowledge and experiences were amazing. Our political paths were also aligned and I looked up to him for leadership mentorship and direction. The relationship was that of a younger brother to an older brother and relating with him was always interesting because of his huge sense of humour.
He loved Ibadanland and was always proud of his ancestral antecedents. He was climbing the rungs of the traditional ladder and running his political affairs side by side. He became a Senator and topped that with his coronation as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland. I remember telling him about ten years ago that if God should enable him to become an Olubadan, he must modernise the monarchy and he gave his word. He fulfilled the promise to the letter. Shortly before his coronation, his younger brother, Senator, Dr. Kola Balogun along with some Ibadan sons and daughters including my humble self setup the Ibadan Royalty Committee to assist Kabiyesi from the background in addressing issues pertaining to the development of Ibadanland and the enhancement of the dignity and prestige of the Ibadan Monarchy. Kabiyesi tremendously appreciated our humble efforts and gave maximum support and encouragement. He and the Olubadan Advisory Council suceeded in modernising the unique traditional culture of Ibadanland with good grace. Oba Lekan Balogun was a man without angst, who also did not suffer fools gladly, but was also very generous and large hearted. He could not hold a grudge beyond a few hours and many people exploited this attribute of his to their advantage. He was always very quick to forgive and forget and never turned down any request for help.
As a Monarch, he maintained an open door policy and was always ready to assist everyone who came to him for help or favours irrespective of their tribe and creed. I cannot recall the tens of letters he wrote daily for people who needed help from him to get jobs, engagements and other services. I very well recall someone who approached me on behalf of a friend of his whom I had never met before and who wanted to secure a job with a huge multinational company and felt that a letter of recommendation from Kabiyesi would help the process. The request came very late in the evening and Kabiyesi was already retiring for the night, but when he was informed of our mission, he waited for us and granted the person his request before retiring to bed. Such was his selfless nature. I am happy to have been associated with the giant strides of Oba Balogun all within a short span of two years. I am also humbled by the honour he bestowed on me as the Ajiroba of Ibadanland. He witnessed the completion of the new Olubadan Palace but fate has decreed he would not live there. Such is life. Now, the work is done and finished. Kabiyesi has finished his glorious race and our testimonies and remembrances will keep his memory alive. The architect of the modern era of the very unique Ibadan traditional institution Oba Lekan Balogun has joined his ancestors.
I commiserate with the Governor of Oyo State and an illustrious Ibadan son, ENGR. Seyi Makinde, The Olubadan-In-Counci, Baba Kekere Olubadan, Senator Dr. Kola Balogun, the Good people of Ibadanland and Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole on the passage of our Monarch and the end of a short but indelible era. I wish the suceeding Monarch a glorious and peaceful reign. The King is dead. Long live the king!
Prof Soji Adejumo. The Ajiroba of Ibadanland
OBA MOHOOD ISHOLA OLALEKAN BALOGUN ALLI OKUNMADE II. A HUGELY REMARKABLE REIGN AND GLORIOUS PASSAGE INTO ETERNITY.
Crime
Rivalry: Dogo Gide Eliminates 20 Sadiku Boko Haram terrorists in North West
Rivalry: Dogo Gide Eliminates 20 Sadiku Boko Haram terrorists in North West
By Zagazola Makama
In a complex and evolving battle for supremacy in Nigeria’s North-West, notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide has reportedly killed 20 Boko Haram fighters from the Sadiku faction and seized a cache of weapons.
A recently surfaced video shows Dogo Gide addressing his rivals, claiming victory after an ambush attempt by the Sadiku faction. In the video, Gide displayed seized items, including ten AK-47 rifles, RPGs, mobile phones, and an identity card allegedly linked to members of the faction.
“Sadiku and his group ambushed us, but we prevailed. Only one of our men was injured, while at-least 20 their men were killed,” Gide stated. He further accused the Sadiku faction of hypocrisy, condemning them for killing women, children, and innocent people under the guise of jihad.
This development spotlight the shifting dynamics of extremist activities in the region, where alliances and rivalries among criminal and terrorist groups continue to complicate security efforts. The rivalry between Dogo Gide and Boko Haram factions, particularly the Sadiku-led group, appears to stem from deeply personal and strategic reasons.
Credible intelligence suggests that Gide, once an ally of Boko Haram, turned against the group after his brother Sani was killed in 2023. Since then, Gide has vowed to avenge his brother’s death and has worked to expel Boko Haram elements from his area of influence.
Gide’s recent operations have focused on the Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger State, where he reportedly dismantled Boko Haram roadblocks along the Kuruba-Uduwa highway. Addressing local communities, Gide pleaded for forgiveness and pledged to restore normalcy, encouraging displaced villagers to return home.
Observers believe Gide’s actions are driven by a combination of personal vendettas and a desire to consolidate control over lucrative criminal enterprises, such as cattle rustling and kidnapping, in the region.
The dynamics in Nigeria’s North-West are increasingly influenced by the infiltration of Boko Haram and its splinter groups, such as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) and Ansaru. These groups operate alongside local bandit kingpins, forming temporary alliances and engaging in fierce competition for dominance.
JAS factions, led by figures like Sadiku and Umar Taraba, maintain headquarters in Niger and Zamfara states and are reportedly proficient in manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs). These factions have expanded their operations into the North-West and North-Central regions, employing brutal tactics to enforce compliance and raise revenue through taxes on local populations.
Ansaru, on the other hand, has established a stronghold in Niger, Kogi, and Kaduna states, focusing on ideological propaganda and recruitment. The group has maintained links with al-Qaeda affiliated groups in the Sahel, raising concerns about the potential for regional spillover of extremist activities.
The rivalry between Dogo Gide and Boko Haram factions presents both opportunities and challenges for Nigeria’s security forces. On one hand, internal conflicts among extremist groups could weaken their overall operational capacity. On the other hand, the fluid alliances and shifting loyalties complicate intelligence gathering and counterterrorism operations.
In conclusion, the ongoing conflict in Nigeria’s Northwest is a multifaceted crisis that requires a nuanced understanding of the local dynamics at play.
Dogo Gide’s rise as a key player in the fight against Boko Haram signifies the complexities of power, revenge, and the quest for control in a region plagued by violence.
As the situation continues to unfold, the need for comprehensive strategies to address the root causes of extremism and foster peace remains paramount.
Rivalry: Dogo Gide Eliminates 20 Sadiku Boko Haram terrorists in North West
News
Governor Buni commended for selecting Maigari for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission
Governor Buni commended for selecting Maigari for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission
By: Yahaya Wakili
Yobe state Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, and Chiroman Gujba have been commended for doing the best thing for selecting Hon. Jibrin Maigari, Commissioner, Federal Character Commission, representing Yobe state.
The commendation was made by the executive chairman of the Nangere local government council, Hon. Samaila Musa FICN, while receiving the commissioner of the federal character commission, Hon. Jibrin Maigari, who was on a sensitization visit in his office.
He said Hon. Maigari is performing excellently because since this commission was created, we have never gotten the federal commissioner who has brought something tangible to Yobe, because in the past five years we have seen the result when he assumed office.
Musa maintained that, “His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, has done the right thing by appointing the right person in the right place, because I was a director in the federal service. I know how difficult it is to secure employment for the teeming youths.
He advised that His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, should continue to put the right people in that place so that the right people will be employed. Adding that, before I came here, I had something in mind that we have youths who have completed their secondary education, and they could not secure admission into tertiary institutions.
According to the chairman, these youths performed; they had gotten the requirements to be admitted, but because of the family background of the family, they could not, and they feel that the local government should bring a package whereby the youth will compile their CVs and go to university, polytechnic, or college of education to secure admission for them.
“We have graduates who are diploma holders, NCE, HND, and degree holders. There is nothing doing; I had to believe that we are going to adopt entrepreneurial activity within Nangere, training them three months after training them. We come up with different varieties of skills for them to engage in different businesses and activities,” he said.
“So by doing that, we are able to train 500 youths, and at the end of the day, every youth will be able to engage four people, so plus him, there are five. So you multiply five times five hundred, and you have 2,500 employed, and we called it a blue-collar job because what a cola job these days is too easy. So we have to develop a plan or strategies whereby the youth must survive.
The chairman said we have a work plan already, and very soon we are going to develop it, because we have adopted that in the 2025 budget, and very soon, by the second quarter, we are going to embark on it. He noted that I have already discussed with the consultancy services of Yobe State University in that regard.
Governor Buni commended for selecting Maigari for appointment as Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission
News
World Medical Relief donates healthcare equipment to Yobe State
World Medical Relief donates healthcare equipment to Yobe State
By: Yahaya Wakili
The Yobe State Executive Council has noted the delivery of healthcare equipment to the state donated by World Medical Relief in the United States. These equipment include hospital beds, infusion pumps, patient monitors, surgical instruments, and tools, amongst others.
Governor Mai Mala Buni CON disclosed this yesterday while chairing the first State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House in Damaturu.
The governor spoke about his administration’s human capital development effort, adding that in 2024, many people across the state were reached with various forms of support, particularly the students sent to India for undergraduate studies.
Briefing the newsmen on the outcome of the Exco meeting, The state Commissioner of Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, said the governor reflected on the preceding year, noting it as one in which the state government was able to execute many projects and programs that have positive impacts on the lives of the people of the state.
He said the government has also built four modern sesame seed processing factories in Machina, Nguru, Potiskum, and Damaturu, and all of them have been completed 100% and will be commissioned soon.
In addition, all local government areas cut off by last year’s rains, especially in the northern part of the state, have been repaired and vehicular traffic restored, and the state government is also currently constructing a road from Potiskum to Ngojin and from Fadawa to Daya in the Fika local government area.
World Medical Relief donates healthcare equipment to Yobe State
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