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Amosun:Tinpot Emperor by Sam Omatseye

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His cap fits him, especially as a measure of his ego. It points up like an airport tower as though intending to graze the sky. Ibikunle Amosun’s head gear suffers from what Sigmund Freud and his followers would call phallic anxiety. From base to top, the cap occupies a real estate bigger than his face from fore-head to chin. To his credit, few politicians have so mastered what I would call the “political look.” Some showcase their shirts, others their shoes, many their caps. But few set themselves apart like the Ogun State governor as a fop of the head. Many say it is inelegant with the top rims caved in so the centre spikes up like a blade. But it is his own.

What does not fit, though, is the man and his task. So, Amosun may be a governor, but he is not gubernatorial. He has never been gubernatorial, not even before he mounted the throne and grovelled in prayer from party leader to party leader, sitting in lobbies on end and playing the suppliant fellow as an impresario of humility. Like Oliver Goldsmith’s familiar character, Amosun thinks he stooped then. Now it is his time to conquer. He was afflicted early by the fear of gratitude, and his ogas must pay for his humble pie.

The first shadow of the ego at work was a picture of a flood few months into his reign. The man paid a visit, and in spite of his ponderous boots, he would not allow his special footwear to touch the intrusive waters. He cruised on a canoe while the rest of Ogun humanity around swam. He, with his boots, was too pristine for the stain.

Of late though, what he has done puts the man in bold relief, especially his bold belief. He wanted to post his successor, and he had the right to it. But he wanted to do it without due process. A godfather must earn the respect of his son. The scriptures warn parents not to provoke their children to wrath. It was lesson number one that he did not understand. He was less than the lesson. Godfathers must play a delicate game of balance and flattery of conflicting interests and tendencies. If he wants to impose he must follow the paradox of imposition by consent. He followed the path of imposition by fiat.

Because he was too confident, he fell out of touch with the grassroots. The primary poll came, and he lost. His candidate for governor had to wait on the side-lines. But while others cheered, he lamented. His party, the APC, had thumbed its finger for another man, Dapo Abiodun. Amosun would not yield. His patriarchal air would not absorb such a defeat. He had to seek oxygen elsewhere.

His path was to seek another party, and be on record as one of a few governors who are leaders without discipline. He betrayed what Joseph Conrad calls a “bravado of guilt” or “an adventurer’s easy morality.” He, like his Imo State mate of erections, Rochas Okorocha, announced that his candidate was going to another party. A party leader masterminded an anti-party activity. Party chairman Adams Oshiomhole yelled, but the man Amosun yelled back. He had cried that party leaders had squeezed him out of contention in his own realm.

He screamed at Lagos, and at Abuja, and he screamed until he turned hoarse. He said he wanted to run as senatorial candidate of APC. The people of Ogun State he urged to vote him as APC senator and his candidate Akinlade of the APM as the governor pick. That was local politics.

He who claimed to love Buhari more than the so-called cabal decided to play another stunt. His people should vote Buhari of the APC for president, him for senator and Akinlade for governor. A confused trinity. He took his man Akinlade on a sojourn to Aso Rock. It was indeed a theatre when even Buhari received Amosun in Aso Rock and received the candidate and posed for the camera. If all politics is local, Amosun is making the byway the main road. Governor is main road but by asking his supporters to go to another party for the top post in the state, he made the byway the main road.

Segun Osoba had to remind Buhari that he had erred woefully by taking the party pick to visit him. But Buhari is for everyone and nobody and the translation is that Buhari is for Buhari only. By that, Buhari had become guilty like Amosun.

But nothing reflected the absurdity like what happened in Abeokuta at the APC rally when members of his own rival party APM pelted the president with missiles and boos. He endangered the life of the first citizen. Rauf Aregbesola called him a hypocrite. It was a lawless scene that day. Eyewitness accounts show that persons were mauled and one person’s eye was gouged.

Yet he wants to be a senator. As I tweeted, we have enough of the tout in a certain fellow from Kogi State. The senate cannot abide another one, especially if he was once governor. Amosun is a great shuffler. That day, he jostled Abiodun from the front row. It took the vice president’s intervention who ceded his place beside the president to him. Prof Yemi Osinbajo had to secure a place on the other side of the president. More than one governor has told me that when his colleagues gather around the president, he often pushes them away so as to stand beside Buhari. Hence he is often beside the man for photo ops, unless on a few occasions when the shuffler fails.

Amosun ought to learn about the limits of power. A friend of mine apprised me of a text message he sent Amosun as new year greetings in 2017. Excerpt: “…it is obvious the euphoria that greeted your ascension to power in 2011 has avoidably vanished… rather than be the solution, most inhabitants of the Gateway state, including civil servants, most politicians, civil society groups, market men and women now see you as the problem…this could be traced only to one factor: …you listen only to yourself…which can only lead to self-perdition…why are you daring God with your published statement that you know the person that won’t be governor come 2019…you’re determined to play Babangida here but we all know how Babangida ended…but try to reflect on why the populace of that state no longer like you. Remember the verdict of history and the incontrovertible fact that: today is not forever.”

During the Yoruba Wars, the story is told of an Alafin, who grovelled by day and plotted by night, and he ended up in the night of infamy. For now, we can say Amosun is playing emperor, but an expiring one. His reign is going roughneck into that goodnight. He is raging against the dying of his light, apologies Dylan Thomas.


@nation

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Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

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Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

 

Majority of Deltans are unanimous in their submissions that the name of
Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, a celebrated top civil servant and retired permanent secretary in Delta State Government House has been recorded in the good side of history.

Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

As he clocked 60 today, family members, friends, associates and well wishers have been falling over themselves to pay tribute to a kind hearted and jolly good fellow.

 

Edwin, a scion of the famous Gbegbaje family in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, a family noted for producing top bureaucrats and influential public servants.

For 35 years until he retired in January 2024, he added values to Delta State civil service, deepening its positive nuances and was one of the people that nurtured the civil service of the young state upon creation in 1991 to its now enviable heights, setting it along with others on a trajectory that has made it one of the best in the country.

Gbegbaje’s story is far from the proverbial rags-to-riches . He was born into comfort and high society, but suddenly lost his affluent parents in his first and third years at the University of Jos, but with good counsel and guidance of relatives who were bureaucrats, Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje made a career choice that saw him becoming a permanent secretary at 46, a very rare feat in those days.

In an interview conducted three years ago to celebrate his 57 years, he offered a glimpse into his life, challenges and triumph. “I come from the larger Gbegbaje family in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. We have quite several branches of the genealogical tree. We have the Abesan. The patriarch of the family is Chief Gbegbaje Dasone.

“We have Oloyo Gbegbaje and Ogidi Gbegbaje. My parents were civil servants like myself. My mum was a social welfare officer who rose through the ranks.During the late Ambrose Ali administration in Bendel State, she was appointed permanent secretary. My father was a medical doctor.

“He was the first radiologist in the defunct Bendel State and second in the country. My father was the chief consultant radiologist in Bendel State. I also have an uncle, Mr. K Gbegbaje who was a permanent secretary. When he retired, he became the Chairman of Bendel State Civil Service Commission. I have an uncle who was the first Accountant-General of Kwara State. He was in the northern civil service in the 60s.He later became Chairman of National Oil. I am from a family of bureaucrats. I attended Emotan Primary School in Benin.

“I proceeded to Edo College. When I left Edo College, I had the desire to leave Benin. Even when I was admitted into UNIBEN to study Economics and Statistics, I wasn’t enthusiastic. So, I got admission to study Political Science in Jos in 1981. Prof Emovon from UNIBEN was the Vice-Chancellor in Jos at the time. As I was entering, Jos ceased being a campus of the University of Ibadan. I was there from 1981 -1985. I graduated before my 21st birthday.

“Unfortunately, I lost my dad as I was entering the university in 1981. When I was just getting into my third year, I lost my mum.

It wasn’t easy being the eldest among my siblings. In fact, I was encouraged to come for Christmas holiday in Benin without knowing that the evening of my arrival in Benin was the period of my mum’s service of songs.

“I didn’t have an inkling that such a thing had happened. I didn’t even hear that she was ill. I was shocked when I saw canopies in my compound at Ovie Whiskey Avenue close to Ekhewan Campus. A prominent Jos-based businessman from Ughelli encouraged me to visit home for Christmas.

“I graduated in 1985 and taught at a secondary school in Iko-Eket, Cross River State. Just as I was finishing, there were some advertisements for jobs. I didn’t see the one for NNPC early enough.Towards the end of 1988, my uncle who was the Chairman of Bendel State Civil Service Commission, said since I couldn’t get a private sector job, I should participate in extended interviews, especially since I had sat for ASCON examination.

“He advised me to start a career in the civil service. By the end of 1988, letters of appointment were out. I wasn’t conscious of the fact that the person who resumes first becomes the senior in service. I didn’t resume early. My uncle said I was supposed to have resumed instead of waiting to resume in the New Year. A few of my friends who were conscious of it had resumed and they became my seniors in service. I resumed on January 3, 1989.

“That was how my career started. We were supposed to come in as administrative officers Grade 7, but at that time there was a decree. So, by the time we came in, we were designated as personnel officers. We were regarded as the special class.

“Upon the creation of Delta State on August 27, 1991, we all had to move to Asaba. In fact, the movement was swift.
We were all not fully prepared for the swift movement. There was a surge of human beings into Asaba with the state creation. A lot of us couldn’t get accommodation in Asaba when we came. In fact, I stayed in Ibusa for nine years. It was when I met my wife that we moved to Asaba. A lot of my colleagues were sleeping in the offices then.

On his retirement, the Delta State governor praised Gbegbaje’s contribution to the growth of the state.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, at the retirement thanks-giving service of Gbegbaje, urged civil servants in the state to emulate his virtues.

Speaking at a grand reception in honour of the celebrant at the Events Centre, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori described Ogidi-Gbegbaje as an intelligent, humble, diligent, transparent, process driven, selfless, accountable and compassionate bureaucrat.

While congratulating the retired Permanent Secretary for his diligent and patriotic service to the state, Oborevwori said Ogidi-Gbegbaje was very helpful in the last seven months of his administration.

According to him, “a lot has been said about Sir Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje and I also have a personal experience about him while I was Speaker and in the last seven months as Governor of Delta State, we have worked very closely and he helped me to settle down quickly.

“Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje played his role very well, he is diligent in his duties and was always giving good and useful advise wherever he worked.

“Your service to humanity is something worth emulating and I must say that I enjoyed working with you. I congratulate you for 35 years of unblemished and meritorious service to the government and people of Delta State.

“We are going to miss you, the civil service will miss you, the machinery of government will miss you, you are retired but you are not tired, and your service is still needed.

“I want other civil servants to emulate your commitment to duty. So my message to other civil servants is that they should emulate Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje.

“If you look at his journey in the civil service from Bendel to Delta, you see his commitment to duty. Today, he has finished strong and we rejoice with him and his family”.

Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Information, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, congratulated the celebrant for a successful retirement from service and urged other civil servants to emulate his kind virtues and commitment to duty.

From all indications, Edwin Ogidi-Gbagbaje is worth celebrating, he has touched numerous lives in the last six decades.

At the cusp of his 60th anniversary, the social and the civil service landscapes pulse with milestones he has achieved thus reasserting his worth as a rare force of nature. As family and friends join him in celebrating his 60th birthday, the image that pops into head is that of his genius and the passionate intensity he possesses, literally squizing water from stone as far as the public service is concerned. His brilliant performance as a permanent secretary, Delta State Government House, has earned him another appointment. He is currently the Chairman, Delta State Bureau for Pension and has been giving a splendid account of himself.

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“In All Life’s Hardships, Keep Your Smile” By Prudent Ludidi

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"In All Life's Hardships, Keep Your Smile" By Prudent Ludidi

“In All Life’s Hardships, Keep Your Smile” By Prudent Ludidi

Let’s talk about a powerful tool that can help you navigate life’s challenges with confidence, resilience, and hope. That tool is your smile.

 

Life can be tough. It can throw us curveballs, test our resolve, and push us to our limits. But in the midst of hardship, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We forget to smile, forget to laugh, and forget to live.

"In All Life's Hardships, Keep Your Smile" By Prudent Ludidi

Your smile is more than just a facial expression. It’s a symbol of strength, courage, and determination. It’s a beacon of hope that shines brightly, even in the darkest moments.

When life gets tough, it’s tempting to frown, to cry, or to give up. But I urge you to do the opposite. Smile. Smile through the tears, smile through the pain, and smile through the struggles.

Smiling doesn’t mean you’re ignoring your problems or pretending everything is okay. It means you’re choosing to rise above, to find the silver lining, and to focus on the good.

Your smile has the power to transform your mindset, inspire others, diffuse tension, and heal emotional wounds. It’s a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and fear.

Think about it. When was the last time you smiled? Really smiled? Not just a polite smile or a forced grin, but a genuine, heartwarming smile?

Smiling can:

Reduce stress and anxiety
Boost your mood and energy
Improve your relationships
Increase your resilience

So, how can you keep your smile shining bright, even in the face of adversity?

Find the humor in difficult situations. Laughter is a powerful way to shift your perspective and lighten the load.

Practice gratitude daily. Focus on the good things in your life, no matter how small they may seem.

Surround yourself with positivity. Spend time with people who uplift and support you.

Take care of your physical and mental well-being. Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and prioritize self-care.

Remember, your smile is contagious. It can light up a room, brighten someone’s day, and change the atmosphere.

In all life’s hardships, keep your smile. It’s a reminder that better days are ahead, that you’re stronger than you think, and that you’re not alone.

Your smile is your superpower. Use it to overcome obstacles, to uplift others, and to create a ripple effect of joy and positivity.

Don’t let life’s challenges steal your smile. Keep shining, keep smiling, and keep pushing forward.

You are stronger than you think.

You are braver than you feel.

And you are capable of overcoming anything that comes your way.

So, smile. Smile with confidence. Smile with courage. Smile with hope!

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Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

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Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

 

The Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS, Nigerian Army) and Former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador (Lt General rtd) Tukur Yusufu Buratai, CFR has said that Lagos State has all the qualifications of a modern city and is one of the most populated cities in Sub – Saharan Africa. He went further to affirm that Lagos is also indicative of the degree to which Nigeria’s economic, political, social, and cultural landscape is deeply embedded within the global system.

 

Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

He made this assertion on Wednesday 20th November, 2024 as the keynote Speaker at the Second Edition of the Lagos State University of Education Security Summit, with the theme: Insecurity, Cost of Living and Good Governance in the 21st Century.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai, while delivering the lecture in a paper titled: Lagos in Nigeria’s National Security and Defence Architecture: An Analysis.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai postulated in his paper that, “The presence of strategic military installations, the verse Atlantic Ocean and extensive coastline has placed Lagos State on the strategic defense map of the Armed Forces of Nigeria”, He said further that, ” While the sea provides a strategic economic status it could also be vulnerable to external attacks across the ocean”.

 

In his paper, Ambassador Tukur Buratai reiterated that the Lagos State government should begin to look at the options and implications of having its own security.

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also emphasized the urgent necessity to bolster our nation’s troop level to 800,000. He said a larger and more robust force will enhance operational readiness, improve our country’s capacity to respond to various contingencies, and strengthen our alliance on the international stage.

 

 

He also called for the establishment of a Marine Corps for the Nigerian Navy to be strategically stationed in key regions such as Lagos, Borno, Cross River, and Port Harcourt.

 

 

He also raised the pressing issue of the persistent lack of stable power supply in Lagos. He asserted that the Lagos State Government must urgently prioritize the development of independent power generation.

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also lauded the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s strategy regarding security in Lagos, which provides an example for governor’s throughout Nigeria. He said the governor recognizes that genuine security transcends mere physical presence or reactive measures. He commended the governor’s innovative approach, which has redefined the urban governance, and has also set a benchmark for other states to follow.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also recalled that during his tenure as the Chief of Army Staff, he had the distinct privilege of witnessing the fruitful collaboration between the Nigerian Army and Lagos State under the leadership of Former Governor Ambode and now Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

 

Ambassador Buratai, during the lecture, also appluaded the Lagos State Government on its infrastructural development in Lagos State, especially the Red and Blue Railway lines.

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also commended the Federal Government interventions in the development of Lagos State, while applauding the construction of the Lagos to Calabar Highway, he adviced the Lagos State and Federal Government on the security implications of opening up the high way, he suggested to the government to be proactive by early planning for its security when opened and becomes operational.

 

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University of Education, Prof B. B Lafiaji-Okuneye welcomed Ambassador Tukur Buratai to the institution. In her words, she said, ” The great warlord and global peace ambassador is visiting our great institution for the first time. Sir, we appreciate you and what you stand for. Your desire for a Nigeria that is peaceful and safe, where the citizens and residents are free and are given every opportunity to prove their worth and contribute to the growth and development of the nation is evident “.

 

 

While making his contribution during the summit, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education, Lagos State, appreciated and commended Ambassador Buratai for adding value to the security summit and more importantly adding value to the Lagos State University of Education. The Commissioner also drew the attention of the participants of the summit to parts of Ambassador Buratai’s paper, where he elaborated on the strategy of social inclusiveness rather than the use of force to curb insecurity.

 

 

The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Barr Tolani Sule on behalf of the Lagos State University of Education, presented a Plague of Honour to Ambassador Buratai for his role in nation building.

 

 

Other discussant at the Summit included, HRM, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, (Arolugbade 11, the Oloja of Epe Land and the Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs), HRM, Oba Momodu Afolabi Ashafa ( The Aladi of Ijanikin Kingdom), HRM, Oba (Dr) Aina Josiah Olanrewaju ( IKUYAMIKU 1, the Oloto of Oto Awori Kingdom) and HRH, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja JP ( ALADESHOYIN, the Paramount Ruler of Odo – Noforija Kingdom), all of whom spoke on the theme :Insecurity, Cost of Living and Good Governance in the 21st Century.

 

 

The event which was attended by various Traditional Rulers, Members of the Governing Council and Senate of the Institution, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education in Lagos State, Barr Tolani Sule, Captain of Industries, Security and Para Military Chiefs in Lagos State, various invited guests and the students.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai’s delegation to the summit included, Lt General Lamidi Adeosun (rtd), Former Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Colonel Emmanuel Adegbola (rtd), Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, Alhaja Toyyibat Adeosun, Alhaji Isa Dogo amongst others.

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