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Showing posts from July, 2024

Dangote and NNPC’s "Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo" dance | By Festus Adedayo

Without moving his body, African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Akinwumi Adesina, watlzed his tall frame in a dance last week. He danced to the rhythm of Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo of Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s trending song track, Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche. A rhythmic refrain track from an album titled Akuko N'Egwu Vol. 1., Ka Esi… has a lot of similarities with A o m’erin j’oba, both taken from Igbo and Yoruba cosmologies respectively. Both are from rich traditional African folklores. While both also had Elephant and Trickster Tortoise animal totems as their major characters, these folklores teach the moral of how never to throw benefactors under a moving train. Released in 1983 by Ejeagha of Imezi Owa, Ezeagu in Enugu State, Ka Esi… recalibrated an ancient Igbo folklore of trickster Tortoise who sacrificed the huge and mountainous Elephant for his selfish desire to have the king’s daughter as wife. Elephant thought he was assisting a friend. Folklorist/writer, Joseph Odunjo, like Ejeagha,

Akintunde, Ladigbolu, Others Present As Inner Wheel Club of Bodija Inaugurates New Excos

All roads led to the Alumni Hall (Edith Okowa) of the University of Ibadan on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 when Inner Wheel Club of Bodija Inaugurated Dr. Wumi Abiola Okanlawon as its new President. Okanlawon, an expert in accounting, auditing and entrepreneurship, will alongside other members of the new Excos run the affairs of the club for the 2024/25 Inner Wheel Club year. The colourful ceremony was graced by the big names in the academic, business, traditional and political circles. Among top celebrities at the event was the Oyo Central senator, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, who doubled as chief guest of honor at the occasion. Akintunde not only graced but also made a donation of 3km solar-powered street lights and cash for bags for school children. The chief project launcher, Mogaji Joseph Tegbe couldn't make to the event but made an impressive donation through his representative. Also absent at the occasion but donated handsomely is the Olugbon of Ile-Igbon, Oba Dr. Francis Alao, the royal

Ogunbote Retains Job As 3SC Coach For Another 2 Years

Technical Adviser of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, Gbenga Ogunbote, has officially extended his stay with the Oluyole Warriors. The Club's Spokesperson, Tosin Omojola, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday. According to Omojola, the agreement was reached after weeks of discussion with the management of the club. The Oracle, as the widely traveled tactician' is fondly called,  agreed to renew his contract with the club, in a deal that will see him staying with the club for the next two years. Speaking after signing the contract extension papers, the former Rangers International, Lobi Stars, Sunshine Stars, defunct Sharks FC of Port Harcourt and Remo Stars' sweat merchant, expressed joy over the development. "I am thrilled to announce that I have signed  a 2-year contract extension as the head coach of Shooting Stars. "I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this talented group of athletes and I am excited about t

Popoola Charges Inner Wheel Club of Bodija On Rural Development

A former Military Governor of Oyo and Ogun states, Major General Oladayo Popoola (retd.), on Tuesday, urged Inner Wheel Club of Bodija to focus more on rural development and purposeful parenting. Popoola made the appeal while speaking as chairman of the occasion during the Club's inauguration ceremony of new Excos at Alumni Hall, Edith Okowa, UI, Ibadan. The retired general, while commending members of Inner Club of Bodija for their continued efforts toward community building, charged them not to relent, saying there are much more to do. He said, "Though I understand that funding of most of these projects come from levies and charges among members of the club and other means but I want to appeal to you to pay special attention to rural development and parenting. "I mean development in terms of water and electricity provision. The two are key major factors in the development of any community. And their unavailability in the rural areas has negatively affected the agricultu

YWCA Bodija Methodist Church Celebrates 40th Anniversary In Style

It was celebration galore on Sunday, 14th July, 2024, when Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Methodist Church Nigeria, Bodija, Ibadan, celebrated its 40th anniversary in grand style. The weeklong celebration was marked with different activities centered on special prayers and charity works. It kicked off on Monday, July 8, with YWCA members weekly Bible Study. On Wednesday, July 10, there was special prayer for YWCA, the church and Nigeria generally. By Friday, July 12th, medical personnel were on ground to give health talk on care of teeth, after which consultation and treatment were conducted. A good number of food items ranging from rice, yam, noodles e.t.c were distributed to the less privilege at the church promises on Saturday, July 13. The climax of the anniversary celebration, however, was on Sunday, July 14 with Thanksgiving Service at Bodija Methodist Church, and later a colourful reception at Pentonrise Events Centre, Bodija, Ibadan. It was indeed a momentous

When Ooni of Ife, Obasanjo, Buratai, Others Stormed Kuta For Oba Makama's 60th Birthday

There is a wide gap between being rich and being classy. Though not many people seem to know or understand this fact. But in the case of Oba (Dr) Hammed Adekunle Makama Oyelude, Tegbosun 111, the Olowu of Kuta land, he favourably combines the two qualities and even more. Oba Makama has gotten the riches, influence, fame, the steez and class. But upon all he's still very humble. His sense of humor is second to none. In fact, he's a humility personified. He's also a detailed man. Oba Makama pays special attention to details and that has always reflecting in whatever he does. The above mentioned qualities were exactly the scenario that played out when the Osun monarch celebrated his 60th birthday the penultimate Sunday. It was a very classy and grand celebration attended by the movers and shakers of the society. In fact, the ancient town of Kuta was practically shot down with the massive influx of A-list celebrities who came from different parts of the country and beyond to ho

Three Gbosas for the god of the gut | By Festus Adedayo

Perhaps the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) didn’t know: Since the days of Paschal Bafyau, Nigerians have had a huge trust deficit for so-called labour activists who sell their people at the drop of a hat. So, when on Thursday last week, officials of the NLC walked to the Aso Rock Villa, singing a mimed “three Gbosas” song like kindergarten children just given a pack of noodles, the people suspected that the ancient alimentary consideration had interfered with a laudable activism. How did the wage construct of N650,000 that the NLC built suddenly collapse to N70,000? If the NLC knew it was heading towards that miserable sum in the face of the daunting existential crises that Nigerian workers face, why shoot up the people’s adrenaline this high? The truth is that the union's sincerity exemplified by the likes of Michael Imoudu, Wahab Goodluck, Hassan Sunmonu and Ali Chiroma is gone forever. Who will take labour seriously any longer? The NLC wasted the time of Nigerians and took the p

Akpabio’s Kleptocrats’ Republic dilemma | By Festus Adedayo

Last Wednesday, Nigeria’s upper parliament became a grammar class where semantics, syntax and structure are examined. His Excellency, the Senate President of Nigeria, Godswill Obot Akpabio, suddenly became an emergency interpreter and lexicographer. Akpabio’s interpreter’s dilemma reminds me of Field Marshal Gerald Templer. A senior British Army officer, Templer was best known for the implementation of strategies that heavily contributed to the defeat of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) during the Malayan Emergency of 1949 to 1960. On the instruction of Prime Minister Winston Churchill to temper communist insurgency among the Malays, Templer arrived a Malayan village where some communist guerillas were getting assistance from villagers. In anger, Templer burst out, “You are a lot of bastards!” His interpreter reported this to the people in Malay as, “His Excellency informs you that he knows that none of your mothers and fathers were married when you were born.” Templer, stil

Why I Allow My Designs To Speak For Me - Popular IBADAN Fashion Designer, Ike Bashir

His real name is Alhaji Akande Azeez Bashiru. But everybody simply calls him IKE BASHIR. He is the brilliant designer behind ‘Opulence Creation’, a popular fashion designing outfit in Ibadan. Though many don’t know his real name, they call him ‘Ike Bashy’ but his designs speak for him anywhere any day. He’s been able to proof his worth in the industry and he has risen to become one of the hot and most patronized fashion designers and wardrobe consultants not only in Ibadan but South-West and even beyond. He has built the business he started from the scratch a few years ago with one sewing machine into a brand. Today, he has more than 30 staff working for him with well over 30 styling and sewing machines. He has governors, senators, kings etc as customers. His members of staff cut across Ghanaians, Cameroonians and Nigerians. Apart from the fact that ‘Ike Bashy’ is good at what he does, another thing working for him is, his great sense of humor. Bashy’s humility is second to none. He Is