As the saying goes, “when two elephants fight, the grass suffers.” It’s imperative that we encourage reconciliation and renewed relations between them.

Those familiar with the bond of loyalty, mentorship, and shared ideology between Tinubu and Aregbesola know that their relationship has positively impacted politics and governance in Lagos and Osun states and in Nigeria generally.

Unfortunately, their age-long relationship seems to be fraying. Efforts to bring about reconciliation should be welcomed by all, but instead, we’re seeing mixed responses.

The situation reminds me of the ancient story of the search party for the Alaafin’s missing horse.

Some genuinely sought to find the horse, while others wished it would never be found, and a third group planned to chase it away even if discovered.

Before I proceed, I’d like to clarify that I’m not meddling in this matter. As Honourable Adegoke Adelabu said, “I am an artist; the artist has nothing worthwhile to offer you besides glimpses of his inner self.”

This intervention is directly from my inner mind.

Hath there no cause why I am interested in both of them reconciling in the Spirit of Hijira which offers faithful muslims to forgive past wrongs, make new resolutions and strive for spiritual growth?

Fate has brought our paths to cross each other in the past twenty five years for good, and in assigning spiritual value to my collective experience with them individually, it is only right for me to live by the Christian injunction of being happy to be called a child of God.

I am following the injunction  of our Lord Jesus Christ which mandate is unequivocally that we must pursue peace with all men, and that, blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God.

My first and direct contact with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was on Saturday, April, 8, 2000 when he was our Chief Guest of Honour at Premier Hotel, Ibadan where Governor Lam Adesina’s biography of my authorship was launched.

Professor Olaoluwa Akinyele had on that occasion prophesied through his preface to the book that the biography was going to serve “those who seek to be leaders of the people in the next millennium.”

President Tinubu who was then the Governor of Lagos State was the Chief Launcher of the biography titled: “Lam, The Incorruptible Democrat. ”

In his speech at the well-attended ceremony, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu recalled his joint commitment with Alhaji Lam Adesina in championing and furthering the cause of democracy through unrelenting struggles in pro-democracy activism and towards actualising the June 12 mandate for which they suffered untold hardship, yet approaching the task peacefully, even without violence.

For his strong belief in peace, reconciliation and non-violence which proceeds from the book-launch was intended to advance, Asiwaju Tinubu brought to the launching table the fattest donation on the historic day.

That was how Movement Of Non-Violence In Africa, MENVIA, took off as a non-governmental organisation  same year while I was appointed its Executive Secretary.

We organised the first Nigeria’s Interfaith seminar for working journalists in Oyo State in November, 2001 and opened an archive for media practitioners, where-in they could make use of resources available there for research on conflict management and resolution.

READ ALSO: Presidency: Akume remains SGF

We believe that as agents of social communication who make crises public, media practitioners manage themselves through crises, and are in the best position to assist and partner with serious government which respects constitutionality towards fostering peace and stability in the society.

From its guiding philosophy, MENVIA perceives violence as a monster erupting from poverty of sound-reasoning and decent living and which is why the organisation aims at curbing violence and promoting conflict resolution through developmental programmes which include reorientation of the media in the socialization and integration process towards playing their mediatorial role in anticipating crisis and dousing tension.

During the two-day workshop, christened: “Interfaith Seminar For Non-Violence And Sustenance Of Democracy For Media Men in Oyo State,” management experts, experienced media practitioners and ministers of the gospel as well as Islamic clerics presented papers at the historic event which was declared open by the Minister of State for Communication, Alhaji Adekunle Aruna Elewi.

MENVIA had series of programmes which included the promotion of oratory and culture of dialogue among youths in both public and private schools and book-presentation tours of colleges in the state.

It is noteworthy that after the end of the two-day interfaith seminar in which about one hundred journalists benefited, media houses and the Oyo  state-branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists as well as different chapels in both the print and electronic media began to hold interfaith prayers for peace and sustenance of peace in the state and in the country.

In 2006 however, the Spirit of God, during an annual worship session which I initiated among fellow prophets, instructed us to intercede prayerfully for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (who was then a Commissioner for Works in Lagos State) against the plan of his adversaries who were ganging up to liquidate him.

We did it faithfully by interceding for him, even without reaching out to him.

But it was in 2017 that I met for the first time, Ogbeni Aregbesola who was then the Governor of Osun State.

As fate had arranged it, we met face to face on Hijira day 2017 in which I heard him expounding  the spiritual significance of Hijira.

I had led to his presence, the executive members of Yoruba University Students Association In Egypt, YOSTANEG, who came all the way from Egypt to pay him courtesy visit and to present him an award.

The benefits of unity and cooperation far outweigh the costs of division. As we celebrate Hijira, let’s reflect on the importance of mercy, justice, and compassion in our relationships.

I must confess here that without the interfaith mindset already nurtured in me through my activities as the Executive Secretary of MENVIA, it may have been difficult for me, to accept my appointment as the media consultant of YOSTANEG which membership entirely comprised muslims.

Moved by the Holy Spirit and in appreciation of God’s answer to my prayers on the very resounding success of our visitation to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, I made a solemn vow to God to live a life of chastity thenceforth.

This is not a space to narrate the nature of the shackles from which Hijira Spirit of renewal has liberated me, it has taken me a whole book christened: “The Excellency Of Knowing Him” to document the gains I derived from the 2017 Hijira.

As the new Muslim calendar, Hijira, this 2025 is being celebrated, beginning from last week, I reflected on its spiritual significance and wished the muslim faithful would get correct the Hijira’s import of dedication to time for reflection introspection and renewal of friendship.

Let me however state it here that most Nigerians, especially religionists, don’t know and understand how to pay tributes to the memory of past heroes of faith, and this becomes so devastatingly glaring in the way we put up contrary attitudes to what heroes whom we are celebrating stood for, while playing tomfoolery over the celebration of birthdays and significant dates.

Spiritual numberings on calendar are erroneously seen as lifeless figures juggled together for empty rhetoric, not understanding that most of them, as calendars of God, have an individual life of their own.

When Nigeria in its life journey clocked its 50th anniversary (1960-2010), Nigerians understood it was a jubilee period, but apart from the junketing and jamboree of merriment that attended it, only few people understood its spiritual and political significance for the country.

Many Nigerians including Christians for whom 50 in the Bible (Leviticus 25: 8-17) ought to have made spiritual commonsense, largely, did not know how to celebrate the jubilee.

“The jubilee legislation was a comprehensive formula for economic reform in-cooperating various elements from earlier traditions, such as interest-free loans and stipulations regarding slaves (meant to be freed) the purpose being to preserve human life for everybody. ”

In his book “Archbishop Carey In Zamfara State,” Modupe Oduyoye stressed regrettably that: “We Christians completely neglected this guarantee of a just social order in a year we designated as the Year of Jubilee. Christians in Nigeria spent the year of jubilee barking at the Muslims who were going back to the principles of the shariyah.”

He added: “The All-Africa Conference of Churches Millennium Jubilee Convocation came only at the end of the year: In its intention, jubilee was a period of legal revolution designed by God, established by law and proclaimed by the prophets. It was a time of levelling human inequalities caused by human selfishness, ambition and power-seeking.”

Is not Igbo “ebele” a word for Mercy; Hebrew “Yobel” Jubilee?

In 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan whose middle name is Ebele, meaning Mercy and jubilee, may not have possibly realised that it was for the actualisation of jubilee that the doctrine of necessity threw him up for Presidency, “levelling human inequalities” and demanding of him to remember the son of whom he was towards ensuring that his government did not abuse the Grace.

As a Christian and advocate of interfaith relations, I’ve experienced the Spirit of unity, understanding, and reconciliation personified in Hijira.

It is along this spiritual direction that I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to put aside their differences and work towards reconciliation. The benefits of unity and cooperation far outweigh the costs of division. As we celebrate Hijira, let’s reflect on the importance of mercy, justice, and compassion in our relationships.

Just thinking aloud.

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The average Nigerian father that I know is a funny character, a thief; a robber and a murderer.  He is so much given to calling himself and parading himself, before children of God as a father, riding roughshod over the injunction of Jesus Christ who warned: “Call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9)

Has the holy scriptures not stated unequivocally that children are an heritage of the Lord (Psalm 127:3) but the Nigerian father lays every claim to the ownership of the child (even if it would take him to prove it through DNA) instead of understanding the fact that he is only a custodian who willy nilly, must give stewardship to his creator and God who is Our Father who hath in Heaven.

There is little wonder why he continues to read upside down, matters concerning:” profit withal ” as laid down on gifts, (1 Corinthians 12:7 ) thus equating children as gifts of the womb to be exploited for selfish gain .

Mind it, his number One prayer is consciously to convert children as direct retirement benefits, lusting wishfully in exploiting the proverb that says: “when a rabbit becomes old it is the breast of its little ones which it sucks voraciously.” Another way of reaping where he had not sown for, would it not amount to vanity building a house which foundation God has not laid?

It is for this same reason why he revels in misconceiving and misinterpreting the meaning and purpose of education (educare: lead out the potentials )  where-in he goads the innocent child into choosing a career that serves only his own ego and lust because he wants to be referred to in public as: “Baba doctor,” his delight being propelled to breed doctorate degrees after the young man who was naturally caught out as a genius in the world of music, art and drama.

When you hear Jesus Christ saying in John 10:8 that all who came before Him were thieves and robbers, He is referring to the Nigerian father, wearing the direct pictures of old prophets and priests who, in the old Testament, were fond of fleecing the sheep while fleeing, tails between their legs at the approach of danger, persecution and threat to their lives, leaving the fold, tail between their legs as sheep are left without a shepherd.

READ ALSO: Tinubu: W’Africa must turn demographic strength, others into jobs

Who is a thief but one who lays claim to and defend what does not belong to him.  Do prophets who run away and abandon their sheep at the approach of danger or death the owner of their lives to which they are apparently clinging to?

You have heard nothing yet. The Nigerian father shares the same Ministry with the Biblical thief who cometh to steal, kill and destroy the Nigerian child. In Nigeria, he is a replica of his great, great grandfather, author of lying and lies; the same man who steadily accomplished his deadly mission in the Garden of Eden, He stole furtively into the place of pleasure and overturned the table of God’s love, setting the union between God and man, asunder.

Masking himself in the guise of a wise serpent, he concealed his identity, pretending to be a friend of Adam and Eve while bringing before Eve the television of deceit, replacing the radio of obedience which God first placed in the hands of Adam.  It was for this reason, satan appealed more to the vision of Eve, who indeed confessed that the Tree of knowledge of good and evil about which the antagonist canvassed before her equivocally was “pleasant to look at.”

Do you get the import of the message? “To obey is better than sacrifice.” This was the same voice of God which warned King Saul who was guided more by his running appetite for spoils of office than by the instruction communicated to him through Prophet Samuel.

Let’s break it down linguistically because “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and God was the Word.”

The word: “Obey” and “audio” belong to the same cognate family, as both of them share same Latin root, “oboedire “.

It was from this same linguistic context that Yoruba language and the English language are brothers of the same parents where-in “Igboran” in Yoruba language and “Obedience” in English language appeal more (than any other thing) to hearing by the ear .

Entering inside Eden through the window like a thief (Joel 2:9) Satan, playing the Nigerian father, plotted man’s downfall in which he presented the tree meant to be avoided into the sweet embrace of both husband and wife .

For Jesus Christ, wearing humanity in order to touch humanity, has thus described His second coming on earth, like the coming of a thief. ( Matthew 24:44).

Alas, the average Nigerian Christian and father is a funny character; he is afraid of continuing to be a disciple of Moses’ School of Tit for tat; an eye for an eye in which sinners are stoned to death in the Old Testament…

He has thus become a “thief ” for our sake; wearing our iniquities in order to stop the evil work of the first thief and father of lie. It was not for fun that He died between two thieves; one thief of satan, pompous as the Nigerian father, lay by His left hand side of the Cross of Calvary while the other thief, understanding the work of salvation, worked in humility and self-denial and entered Paradise with Jesus Christ same day.

Wondering how the Nigerian father becomes a murderer like his great, great grandfather?  A thief is a thief but he becomes a robber (and a murderer- in the wait) as soon as he employed violence, and once his identity and heinous mission are detected, detested, revealed and exposed, he would stand at nothing towards killing his victim. This is because, in his bid to cover up what is already exposed, he becomes desperate and violent and would not hesitate to eliminate the man behind his exposure.

Conversely, the Nigerian father whose crave for “chop and quench” appetite, becomes the minister of the Gospel, where-in, rather than being contented to be a custodian of the gifts of God in the church, soon turns his calling into a saccharine Gospel of prosperity and convert  God’s own house into a cathedral of mediocrity, selling prayers and turning the whole place into dens of thieves and robbers. He got walloped for it by the No-nonsense Christ Jesus who invaded his synagogue with “bulala ” beating hell out of him and his prayer merchants, black and blue .

No wonder why, having been identified by Jesus Christ at the Master’s last supper, Judas Iscariot, hearing the bold words of his master which said point blank : “Do it quick ” and urging him to kill Him quick, went for thirty pieces of silver and sold Jesus Christ to the most excruciating pain in which He was crucified between two thieves.

If there be a place where the true father is meant ideally to be revealed, it should be in the church of God.  The church should be the model in which the change from the parochialism of the patriarchs should yield ground to the altruism of the kingdom father.

In his Bible Study at the assembly, Rev. Dr. Harry Boer, (speaking on “Justice and the Kingdom of God – present Reality and Future Hope) defined justice as “equitable human relationships  especially in the economic, political and social spheres.” He also said that “the centre and chief means of extending the Kingdom of God is the church.”

According to his own address, “Equality Before God” delivered at the occasion, Modupe Oduyoye similarly remarked: “It is too easy to take up placards and inscribe slogans on them and demonstrate in Nigeria that ‘all men are equal’. We do not solve the problem of Nigeria without starting somewhere.  Let us start with the church.  Let us in the Church study to treat all men with the equality which God will like to apply to them. Let us make the Church a foretaste of the Kingdom of God.”

In the collection of speeches and reports presented at the 16th General Assembly of The Christian Council of Nigeria in August, 1973, christened “Vision For A People”, Rev. Canon Edmund Ilogu in his own contribution titled “Being A Christian Today ” charged theologians, preachers of the Gospel and leaders of thought to use their knowledge in interpreting the signs of our culturally changing society.

“The wind of change is blowing very fast and vehemently and interpreters of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are needed to help Nigerians have the proper view of the changing society and order aright the priorities by which we cope with the change,” he emphasized.

Alas, the average Nigerian Christian and father is a funny character; he is afraid of continuing to be a disciple of Moses’ School of Tit for tat; an eye for an eye in which sinners are stoned to death in the Old Testament, while he is equally tired of his enrolment in the discipleship of Christ Jesus’ School of turning the other cheek, to live Christ life in the New Testament. No wonder why he continues to propound Doctrine of substitution and selective obedience, playing the Spiritual Nihilist whose theory is neither here nor there.”

It is however easy to cast the first stone at the Nigerian father, but three questions which we must individually ask ourselves, lest we play the  proverbial teacher of morality (who speaks like an angel but live every day like mere mortal) are:

(1) Would the impacts which I am making today as a father, cut across generations to come, even rippling positively into centuries?

(2) Am I truly a father in the real spiritual sense, if I am a father, only in the mouths of my own biological children?

(3) Would non-biological children, through my acts, ever be glad to call me “Father”?

Just thinking aloud.

The post Nigerian fathers: Thieves, robbers and murderers appeared first on Frontpageng.

But it appears that we are tending towards fool hardiness in which we (as dumping ground for all manner of imported goods) believe that we are giants of Africa and are equal partners with our competitors.

The over-weening self-importance of our university system in the hands of our academics, is preventing the system from bursting out of their cocoons towards thinking outside the box, in order to take the bull of development by its two horns.

Femi Adesina is one of the rare solid professional journalists you can wish for anywhere . Without being a university Professor, his testificatory standing is a veritable jus ubique docendi with the right to teach anywhere.

Amid the crisis of over-topicalisation and over-centralisation plaguing the university system, our lecturers have, for instance, been unable to identify and examine the principles behind the creation of, for instance, the African instituted churches to see the need for freeing our economy from the apron strings of over dependent on foreign goods.

In a chat with Mr Modupe Oduyoye, the philologist of our time, it was his contention that today’s churches should be able to think outside their cocoons for an economic roadmap if African instituted churches could survive during the world wars which saw white missionaries fleeing this land. Also, institutes of African studies should be committed to the Mbari culture in which African writers series of the days of yore continue to dwell on higher grounds.

Of course, this could only be achieved whenever our university system thinks outside the box, allowing statesmanship within the four walls of the university to collaborate or co-respond with statesmanship outside of the ivory tower of the university walls.

As God doesn’t put all wisdom in the basket of the university, but put some in the heads of the lowly who are intellectually-minded, so also the university should not pretend to have monopoly of knowledge.

It is in the realisation of this fact which necessitates the university system to give medals or honorary doctorate degrees to geniuses and statesmen outside of the universities.

Indeed universities do not have all the lines of knowledge and are not the exclusive custodians of first class materials.

There are first class-honour products outside of the walls of university who level well with university dons.

In one of the Havard university’s journals: “Dialogue” ,  a golden thought on the way forward from “Five crises of the World’s universities” remarked thus: “Statemanship of the highest order, both in and out of the universities, will be necessary if they are to fulfill their historic mission in our new world.”

This brings us to the point of right statemanship within and without university walls co-responding together.

Barely few weeks to the time Dr. Femi Adesina bowed out of office honourably as the Special Adviser  to President Muhammadu Buhari, he had begun to be vindicated.

Judging from comments now referring to the patriotic way in which he handled his immediate  constituency (the Press) with fairness, not stifling press freedom in any way, even in spite of all vitriolic attacks on his principal,  it is certain that history has begun to absolve him.

In an open letter written to Bayo Onanuga by Richard Akinnola, he stated that it was remarkable that Femi Adesina, as Special Adviser, Media and publicity to the President, did not petition against any media throughout his tenure.

As if to cap this view with a feather to his cap, Femi Adesina was honoured with a Doctorate degree in Strategic Management and Leadership Development by a United Kingdom based institution of higher learning .

According to the Learn To Live Business School, United Kingdom, the Doctorate degree was conferred on him (wait for it) in recognition of his selfless service to Nigeria and his UNCONDITIONAL LOYALTY (emphasis in capital, mine) and Commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari as well as his administration 2015/ 2023.

But Farooq Kperogi does not think that Femi Adesina deserves being conferred with the doctorate degree.

If Femi Adesina, even before becoming the Special Adviser to the president, was the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of a successful newspaper, and former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, is now being so honoured, it smacks of bad belle for anybody to think that he does not merit it.

If Femi’s professionally towering (elephant) stature is being (proverbially) described as a negligible creature who dashes across in the flash of lightning, then some motive outside of good intention must be accountable for such cynicism.

Also Segun Adams in his response to Femi Adesina’s: parting valediction: “The Good in Goodbye ” described him as the worst thing that ever happened to Nigeria’s journalism, arguing that Femi was a disaster of monumental proportion.

But Brother Isaac’s response to this was that he was yet to find a spokesman for past Presidents who, while walking the tight rope, controverted the actions of his principal while in office.

I am also yet to find any past President without admirers, including most vilified Abacha and IBB.

So, Femi Adesina cannot definitely be the worst of the past spokesmen.

And as professionals, can we at least agree that there are two sides to every story? He posed.

As a veteran journalist and writing Prophetologist, it is not an empty boast for me to affirm here that I have since 1979 till date,  correctly predicted the emergence of no fewer than ten Nigerian Heads of State/Presidents before they were elected and sworn in.

In 2015 when the contest was between President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, my trance experience, based on the principles of jubilee of the period, gave electoral victory to Goodluck Jonathan.

I obliged Femi Adesina who was the Managing Director of the Sun newspaper, a copy of the 2015 Yearly Revelation for consideration for publication. The revelation fell flat for the first time in many years.

Barely a year in office, I had reason to book for an appointment to interview the Special  Adviser to the President at Aso Rock and rather than turning down my request, he  obliged me and it was during the session that I knew his motive for leaving his lucrative job to serve the Buhari’s administration.

“What is the driving force and motive behind your movement from newspapering to the Presidency and doesn’t it prick your conscience, leaving the frontline, even at a time like this when you are most needed to prod the conscience of leaders to act for the good of the society?” I asked him.

“There is just one basic thing that motivated me into leaving my job for public service. If it was not Muhammadu Buhari, I would never have served in the public service.  I had said it before and I keep saying it. Nobody else would have brought me to serve in the public service except Muhammadu Buhari. In 2007, I remember a friend had asked me; can you ever serve in government? I said never, I didn’t give it a second thought. I said, never, I would never serve in government. Then I thought about it again for a few minutes and I added a proviso that, except if that government is headed by Muhammadu Buhari.

So the simple and singular reason that brought me into public service is the person of the President. I have always believed in him , I still believe in him and I would continue to believe in him. ” Femi Adesina answered.

Conversely , one of the first lessons I went through in Journalism class in the 70s was that the Word is the number one Tool of the journalist . Probably because the coins around the period were potent means of financial transaction everywhere, my instructor used to say that the words like coins must continue to jingle in the pockets of the ideal journalist because he would need them for the construction of  ideas, facts and opinions in every form.

Even with the effrontery by which we have replaced handling of coins in favour of crisp currency notes in our own part of the world, the word in the pocket dictionary of the journalist must still, for ever, be loaded while it  must  be effectively transferable from his diction of  account , now that the marriage between the media and technology has shrunk distance into a global market of a world without walls.

For me now, that was a time  when I was still a child  . I did speak like a  child, running with the idea that knowing everything grammatical  about the word was all I needed to drive home my ideas . But as I continue to grow up gradually into the world of the veteran however, it is dawning on me that in the mastery of the art , knowing the Word is not enough but understanding the history, rudiments, radicality and rooted ness of the word, lest one ends up being superficial , with one’s word falling down like a fence of toothpicks.  What I am saying in essence is that the journalist cannot afford to treat the Word (with temerity) like any other professional would want to treat it, even off-handedly .

In driving home my point on the need for our own  society of Pen fraternity to avoid arbitrariness in the use of words, I have fallen in love with the thought of Confucius to the extent that I have had too many occasions in which I tend to have over quoted this Chinese Philosopher, Confucius, who said that one of the first things he would do if given the opportunity to rule the world would be to correct language.

“If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, what ought to be done would remain undone; and if what ought to be done remains undone, morals and arts would deteriorate, if morals and arts deteriorate, justice will go astray; if justice goes astray, the people would stand in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in whatever is said. This matters above everything,” he had remarked.

What does it mean to be loyal?

What does it entail for Femi Adesina who did not disguise his belief in Muhammadu Buhari to be honoured with a doctoral degree, even in recognition of his selfless service and particularly his UNCONDITIONAL LOYALTY and commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari  ?

In Nigeria where the average Nigerian electorate does not know the significance of the word VOTE, with public office holders not understanding the implications of oath of office while clerics don’t understand the sacredness of testimony, the likes of Farooq could continue to look askance at the rationale behind Adesina’s honorary award for his loyalty.

It was the legend and sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo who once said: “If you don’t trust him, don’t engage him but if you engage him, don’t doubt him.”

READ ALSO: Sell your vote and lose your destiny, By Olalere Fagbola

It would not be right for those who jumped into the trusted boat of Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, and who have now become wailers in 2023 (because they did so impetuously) to look down on Femi Adesina who trusted and believed in Buhari out of conviction, and who till the time of leaving office understands what loyalty means.

It is a good horse that never stumbles and a good wife that never grumbles.

But against whom should be the laughter of the intellect? Against the wailers or against the faithfuls?

With no doctorate to his name then, he understood what the word loyalty meant and till the time he left office, he didn’t betray that loyalty. Dr. Femi Adesina’s loyalty is not an easy catch.

There is a whole lot of world of words which share same cognate family with the word: “loyalty” and which confers on it the picture of a vow of commitment that is binding.

Ordinarily, to be loyal is to be true and faithful to a cause or a person or government.  A loyalist is faithful and true to a ruler and government especially during a revolt.

But faithfulness in loyalty is not seasonal as it is an obligation which is paid at all times because it wears the toga of law that is binding both at peace and crisis period.  This obligatory feature of loyalty derives from its French root of legalese while its legality stems from the latin legalis.  Where it becomes binding at all times shows in its form of a League, being a union for mutual help but which pursuit of common interest is like a band tying the cord of association together.

It is from this bound of unity in togetherness that the word takes its Latin root Legare (which is to bind).

By this legacy from which the word loyalty is bequeathed by will, (taking the Latin root legare: a bequest) it becomes an obligation which nature is like a vow; a duty and a thraldom being a state of enthralment.

All of these make loyalty an oath or vow which share same cognate union with vote as both have the Latin root called votum.

It is this testament of faithfulness by which features, Femi Adesina becomes a testimony of a loyalist par excellence.

Testimony is a statement under oath or an affirmation. The word is formed from the Latin “testimonium”; from testis; witness; testis itself being a testicle.

In driving home my point on the need for our own  society of Pen fraternity to avoid arbitrariness in the use of words, I have fallen in love with the thought of Confucius to the extent that I have had too many occasions in which I tend to have over quoted this Chinese Philosopher, Confucius, who said that one of the first things he would do if given the opportunity to rule the world would be to correct language.

Beyond this, testimony is therefore that which makes a man a witness to and in which ultimately ones spectatorship finally becomes the spectacle.  As the change agent, one becomes the change one wants or expects in others.”

Let the golden words of Fidel Castro, in his historic speech,” HISTORY WILL ABSOLVE ME” serve Femi Adesina.

“To those who would call me a dreamer, I quote the words of Marti:

 “A true man does not seek the path where advantage lies, but rather, the path where duty lies, and this is the only practical man, whose dream of today will be the law of tomorrow, because he who has looked back on the upheavals of history and has seen civilisation going up in flames, crying out in bloody struggle, throughout the centuries, knows the future well-being of man, without exception, lies on the side of duty.”

Either you call him Doctor or not, Femi Adesina is one of the rare solid professional journalists you can wish for anywhere . Without being a university Professor, his testificatory standing is a veritable jus ubique docendi with the right to teach anywhere.

The post Dr. Femi Adesina: A lesson in loyalty, By Olalere Fagbola appeared first on Frontpageng.

A former National Publicity Secretary of the organisation and former two-term member of the House of Representatives, Chief Babatunde Oduyoye, in a statement issued in Ibadan, called on the leadership of the Afenifere, now divided along the Pa Reuben Fasoranti and Pa Ayo Adebanjo factions, to put the interest of the Yoruba people first at this moment in history.

Oduyoye, who also served as the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives during his tenure in the chamber, spoke against the backdrop of the disagreements within Afenifere over different issues, especially the ambition and eventual victory of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the February 25 presidential election.

He maintained that it was saddening that leaders, who should be the moral compass of the Yoruba nation, were allowing division in their ranks, warning all sides to cease fire until a common ground could be reached on the issues.

Oduyoye equally called on well-meaning Yoruba elders, traditional rulers and men of reason to wade into the crisis rocking the Afenifere, noting that if allowed to fester, it would end up consuming the organisation and eventually affect the Yoruba nation.

According to Oduyoye, the evil intentions of the enemies of the Yoruba ethnic group, who had always tried to bring down the Afenifere over the years, would materialise unless well-meaning Yoruba leaders rallied round to save the organisation.

The former lawmaker equally warned individuals taking sides in the ongoing face-off to desist from fanning the embers of discord within the Afenifere, noting that it was untoward for any Yoruba man to insult elders because of political cleavages.

Oduyoye said: “One has heard and watched with much pain the brickbats and unsavoury attacks within and against the leadership of the Afenifere in the last few weeks and it becomes imperative to wade in.

“I call on all well-meaning Yoruba indigenes, especially our royal fathers and elder statesmen, to rise at this point and bring together the different interests, which now threaten the continued existence of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere.

“The Afenifere, as a brainchild of Papa Obafemi Awolowo, has fought for the interest of the Yoruba nation at different points in history and it remains the only surviving umbrella body that can unite all Yoruba and protect its interests.

“It will not bode well for the race and its people to allow the differences occasioned by the buildup to and eventual outcome of the just-concluded presidential elections to destroy the legacy of our founding fathers.

“Like it is in every democracy, Afenifere can, and has had disagreements within its fold, but I urge well-meaning Yoruba citizens not to sit idly and watch the Afenifere disintegrate.

“I equally call on individuals fanning the embers of discord by joining sides and insulting our elders in the name of political patronages to desist from such act. It is democratic to disagree and hold different views, but it is unsavoury for young people to denigrate Yoruba elders and leaders.

“For the victories it has won in many battles for and on behalf of the Yoruba people, the Afenifere has earned many enemies within and outside Yoruba land and these enemies have always tried to fight back. We must show these enemies that we are stronger than their shenanigans. And now is the most auspicious time for Yoruba leaders to save Afenifere.”

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He gave the account on Thursday in a statement issued by the Asst. Director, Public Affairs of LASTMA, Mr Filade Olumide.

Oduyoye who condemned the attack on his men said the officers were in mufti and on their way home when the drivers plying Bariga to Oshodi attacked them around Anthony area of Lagos.

Said he: “Obazu was struck severally with machetes resulting in deep lacerations on the head and his eventual death, while Hakeem, who was also attacked in a similar fashion has been hospitalised and in a coma.

“Some senior officers, who were also in mufti and around the area were lucky to escape the mob attack.’’

Oduyoye was quoted as saying that seven rampaging persons had however been arrested and handed over to the Police.

Oduyoye condemned the assault and unwarranted murder and assault.

The post How LASTMA official was murdered, another assaulted –GM appeared first on Frontpageng.

The agency made the declaration on Tuesday in reaction to an attack on one of its personnel, Mr. Kosoko Razaq.

In a message on Twitter, the General Manager of LASTMA, Engr. Olajide Oduyoye, is quoted as warning, however, that anyone caught harassing its officers would be dealt with.

The tweets read: “The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has condemned an attack on its official, Mr. Kosoko Razak, by a suspected commercial driver of an unpainted Suzuki Minibus with registration number AAA 693 YC at Jakande in Lekki, Lagos State.

“Oduyoye said LASTMA will remain focused on its duties despite “intimidation” and “assault” on its personnel, adding that anyone caught harassing its officers will pay dearly for such offence as stipulated by the Law.

“He implored motorists to ensure compliance with the traffic laws of Lagos State to avoid arrest, as its personnel will continue to apprehend traffic offenders and bring them to justice.”

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