39 Years After: Ogun State Government Sets To Renovate Late Apala Icon, Ayinla Omowura's Family House

In it’s quest at promoting culture and developing monumental structures of legends in Ogun State, the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led  Administration is again set to give a facelift to the family house of the late Apala Music maestro, Alhaji Ayinla Omowura.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism, Mrs Yewande Amusan said, the Omowura family house project, would be completed, in a matter of days.

Ayinla Waidi Omowura, born in an humble beginning by Yusuff Gbogbolowo the blacksmith and Wuramotu Morenike, into the family compound of Balogun Parapo in ltoko, Abeokuta, in 1933.

Ayinla Waidi Omowura, who grew up into his father’s Goldsmith trading, also enrolled as an apprentice, in the business.

In early 70s, Ayinla was said to have developed interest in Apala music alongside the likes of Haruna Ishola who was reportedly invented the Apala style.

Others in such musical line include S. Aka, Ligali Mukaiba, Yusuff Olatunji, Kasumu Adio, S.K.B Ajao-Oru, Fatai Ayilara, Ojubanire Ajape, Saka Tewogbade among the rest.

With outstanding performance of Ayinla Omowura, he was said to have uccessfully transformed not only Apala Music but his fortunes, in many ways.

The success story of late Alhaji Ayinla Omowura, earned him the title of Egunmagaji of Egbaland and had Twenty albums, released, to his credit, in his life time and two other albums in the can, namely, 25 by 40 and Alujonu Elere, but debuted, after his demise.

Thirty-Nine Years after his demise, the Egunmagaji of Egbaland is still being remembered by his family members and associates.

Senator Ibikunle Amosun led Administration in Ogun State, through his Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism, Mrs Yewande Amusan, is also set to write the name of the late Apala Music, Alhaji Omowura in gold and upgrade his family house, as a monument, for future reference.

The Government’s Entourage which include the Special Adviser On Media, Mr Rotimi Durojaye, Permanent Secretary, Culture and Tourism, Alhaja Selimot Otun and others, took a tour round the family compound to took notes of important areas, to turnaround.

Representatives of Omowura family, respond to the visit of the Government’s Officials in high spirit of the proposed intervention, in their family compound.

It would be remembered that late Alhaji Ayinla Omowura, was in Thirty-Nine years ago, murdered in a cold blood at a relaxation centre, located at Ago-Ika, but gave up the ghost as medical assistance failed him, before getting to General Hospital, ljaye, Abeokuta.

The late Egunmagaji of Egbaland, Alhaji Ayinla Waidi Omowura, has since been buried, in his Balogun Parapo family compund, Itoko, Abeokuta.

Professor Tijjani Bande Emerges New UN President

A Nigerian Professor, Tijjani Mohammad Bande is the new President of the United Nations (UN), General Assembly.

Outgoing president of the UN GA, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés disclosed this today in a joint media briefing with the Foreign Affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama at the State House.

The announcement was made after a meeting with President Muhammad Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Bande is the permanent representative of Nigeria to UN.

Bande, a former director-general of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State was born at Zagga in present-day Kebbi State.

He holds a M.A in Political Science from the Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, the USA in 1981 and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1987.

He was the Vice-Chancellor Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, between 2004 and 2009.

Jubilation In Uyo As Akpabio Moves Closer To Reclaiming Mandate At Tribunal

The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Tuesday,  May 7, 2019, slammed  the Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr Chris Ekpenyong and the Party over an attempt to cause the Tribunal to reverse itself. 

The Tribunal had on April 2, 2019 granted an exparte order to Senator Godswill Akpabio and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for  inspection of materials in the custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

PDP had sought a counter order of the  Tribunal to bar the APC and Senator Godswill Akpabio from inspecting electoral materials used in the February 23, 2019 Senatorial elections in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. 

Counsel to the PDP, Mr Solomon Umoh, SAN had prayed "the Tribunal to dismiss Akpabio's petition in its entirety" as well as "set aside the petitioner's request for inspection and forensic analysis of election materials."

However, in his ruling Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice W. O. Akanbi, declared that the PDP's application for the inspection order to be reverse was an act alien to law.

Justice Akanbi agreed with Sunday I. Ameh,  SAN, Counsel to Senator Akpabio that Engr Ekpenyong and the PDP suffered no prejudice having been invited to be part of the inspection process.

He said the PDP Counsel only succeded in "hell-raising technicalities  to waste the time of the Tribunal."

Justice Akanbi said Senator Akpabio's demand for inspection of electoral materials and the tribunal order granting same were in line with the provisions of Section 151 sub-sections 1 and 2 of the Electoral Act.

The tribunal chairman, while dismissing PDP's argument that the exparte order for the inspection does not align with the provisions of the Electoral Act, noted that any order from a court of competent jurisdiction in relation to the inspection is valid because the Electoral Act does not specify which order should accommodated or rejected.

The tribunal also declared that PDP's motion for an order to stop forensic analysis of the election materials was  lacking in merit because any party in court is at liberty to any of its preferred method of inspection.

According to the Tribunal, "any party is at liberty to adopt any method of inspection. The parties involved in an election can chose to bring in forensic experts. The inspection can also be manually done. Even if the inspection is done with laboratory equipment, the law is okay with that", he noted.

The Tribunal Chairman likened the PDP's action to "crying wolf where there is none." 

Speaking to newsmen after the ruling, Barr. Patrick Umoh, who stood in for the petitioner's lead counsel, Mr. Sunday Ameh, SAN, said the ruling had deepened judicial practice.

According to Mr Patrick Umoh, "the application was filed by the 2nd Respondent seeking to vacate the order of the Honourable Tribunal that granted us access to inspect the electoral materials at INEC. 

"We responded, and at the end of the day, the ruling came in our favour, which is to the effect that the order of court to inspect the materials was correct in law. There is no way the 2nd Respondent has been  prejudiced, as such the tribunal order was good in Law. 

"We salute the judicial system. The ruling is good for the Nigerian legal system. We now know the position of  the Law that with an exparte order you can inspect electoral materials as well as maintain your petition in court," he said.

The ruling is seen as a major boost for Senator Akpabio to reclaim his mandate in an election which he is believed to have won. The tribunal adjourned further sitting to Friday, May 10, 2019.

Immidiately after the ruling , the whole Akwaibom State went into jubilation , thanking God for the victory of their senator

Adeleke: Osun PDP Commends Judiciary, Warns Police Against Being Partisan

The Osun State chapter of the  Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has given kudos to the Nigerian Judiciary for granting Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke bail today at an Abuja Magistrate court in a case of testimonial/certificate forgery  "a repetition of various court actions some of which have been concluded others still ongoing at various other higher courts."

This statement was released today by the Osun State Chairman of the Party, Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo and made available to news men.

Adagunodo said "it is unfortunate that the police has turned itself to the instruments of oppression which politicians are now using to torment and terrorise law abiding citizens over a case that is awaiting adjudication in some courts of higher jurisdictions."

Adagunodo therefore advised the police "to be more alive to their primary assignments of ensuring security of lives and properties of the citizens and be obedient to the rule of law rather than meddling in internal issues of political parties that is degrading the image of the erstwhile protective agency of government." 

Adagunodo however expressed delight at the forthrightness and sincerity with which the judge who presided over the case handled the situation which has therefore rekindled how reliable and uncompromising the judiciary has proved itself, therefore telling Nigerians and indeed the whole world that there is still hope for the common man in our judiciary."

With this marathon of persecution of Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke and failure each time by APC to stop him from realizing his God given mandate it is clear that APC has no solution to stop Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke from become the governor of Osun State.