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Fashola’s eureka moment at Lekki tollgate By Tunde Odesola

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STEALING PUBLIC TRUST . Premium Times’ Low Premium Reporting
Fashola’s eureka moment at Lekki tollgate By Tunde Odesola
Donkey’s years ago, before greed overtook leadership and snatched the reins of governance, Lagos was a free society without a tollgate.
Fashola’s eureka moment at Lekki tollgate By Tunde Odesola
Doubtlessly, the tollgate was a taboo in Lagos ages ago. This was in the days when history took culture under its wings together with language and tradition, forming a formidable foursome.
Fashola’s eureka moment at Lekki tollgate By Tunde Odesola
This was before government calamitously embarked on the journey to remove history from school curricula, deify foreign cultures, denigrate Nigerian languages and scorn tradition.
Fashola’s eureka moment at Lekki tollgate By Tunde Odesola
Nowadays, the four-pronged society preservers – history, culture, language and tradition – have been rendered as gaping as the four missing incisors in a mouth sentenced to pronouncing, “Surely, every thief stealing seashells by the Lagos seashore shall die by the sword at Tinubu Square.”
Fashola’s eureka moment at Lekki tollgate By Tunde Odesola
This pronunciation task is an impossibility for anyone without the incisors because the  incisors, what the Yoruba call ‘eyin faari’, are needed to pronounce dental sounds.
If you know Lagos very well, you will know its history, culture,  language and tradition. You will know the Eyo. If you know the Eyo, you should know the opambata, the aro and the agbada.
The opambata is the long, fearsome stalk of the palm tree wielded by the Eyo masquerader. The agbada is the white, overflowing regalia and the aro are the panegyrics of the Eyo.
Born at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital and raised in Mushin, I memorised the ‘omo alagbada tolonga, tolonga’ Eyo panegyrics, a must-know chant among fellow youngsters back in the day.
That was a season when Lagos was sane, bold and unconquered. It was a time when Lagosians boastfully chanted the Eyo praisesong, recalling how their forebears’, in these tuneful lines, vowed never to pay toll at the boundary: “Eyo baba n’tawa, to nfi goolu se’re, awa o ni sanwo onibode, o di’le.”
But Lagosians now pay toll, to and fro, at the Lekki profit gate everyday. Even the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a true Lagosian, can’t mobilise fellow Lagosians not to pay at the Lekki bondage, sorry, boundary gate. Iyen ma lewu. Odikwa risky. Baba-Baba mustn’t hear that.
I understand the encumbrances of serving and past Lagos governors. I know how gingerly former Lagos governor and incumbent Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, carries the burden of loyalty. But millions of Nigerians don’t. I’ll jog their memory.
When asked at a senate ministerial screening in 2015 about his view on loyalty, Fashola responded, “The concept of loyalty is a strange one. The real answer is that may our loyalties never be tested. I always pray that may my loyalty never be tested.”
He went ahead to narrate the story of two daughters who were unwilling to donate a kidney to their sick mom after the Lagos State government promised to send their mom abroad for transplant, stressing that he never wished his loyalty to be tested because no one knows the cost.
Fashola, at the intense screening, insisted that he had never been disloyal to any cause he has ever ‘signed on to’, stressing that, ‘no one can accuse me fairly of giving my word and going back on it’.
Fashola is fervently loyal, I know. He’s an unfrivolous Lagos poster boy who minds his business, plays his table tennis and smokes his cigarettes.
Fashola was loyal to his godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, first – as chief of staff and later as first term governor. During his second term as governor, his loyalty was seriously tested, and Fashola doesn’t like his loyalty to be tested.
Several days after Nigerian soldiers murdered many youth protesters at the Lekki tollgate plaza last month, Fashola visited the scene after it had been washed clean of innocent blood.
As he stepped out of his vehicle and made a solitary and determinable peregrination at the scene of the public execution, Fashola’s loyalty was on trial. But remember, he had warned that he doesn’t like his loyalty to be tested.
Fashola wore brown plain clothes underscoring the prevailing sombre mood. The plain clothes were also a foretaste of the breakthrough about to happen. He folded his hands behind his back like a wise man while his roving eyes scanned the drainage, road and tollgate pillars.
Like a prophet who takes the cue when his hour has come, Fashola looked up at the tollgate beacon and continued on his solitary mission…then his eureka moment unraveled in broad daylight when he suddenly discovered the crime-scene camcorder!
As he fetched a handy piece of cloth from inside his plain clothes, headlines for the next day’s newspapers probably flirted around his mind, “#ENDSARS: Fashola unearths secret camera,” “Fashola discovers breakthrough lead at Lekki,” “Detective Fashola!”
Brilliant people are gifted with anticipatory thinking. It’s possible that Fashola envisioned himself being swarmed by reporters after his earthquaking finding, falling over themselves in the bid to ask questions while he basked in smiles of triumphal accomplishment.
But killjoy Nigerians felt Fashola was acting a comedy. They weren’t grateful that Fashola didn’t act like the Greek polymath and inventor, Archimedes, who reportedly ran home naked from a public bath, shouting eureka! upon discovering an insight into volumetric displacement.
Shame on fault-finding Nigerians! They descended on Fashola and smeared his reputation on social media. If Nigerians accuse Fashola of owing his allegiance to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), rather than to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I’m sure they won’t be mistaken as to where the allegiance of the members of the Lagos State House of Assembly lies.
Perpetually in the news for wrong reasons such as staggering corruption allegations, the Lagos legislature is tethered to Tinubu, to whom members of the House publicly pledge their allegiance, always.
By now, former Nollywood actor-turned-lawmaker in Lagos, Desmond Elliot, must’ve seen how his foreign surname has been turned into a rhyme scheme of unprintable adjectives signifying stupidity.
Employing dishonest reasoning, Elliot drew the ire of Nigerians when he called the Lekki protesters ‘children’, warning the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, about the need for an urgent clampdown on Nigerians using social media users to demand better governance.
Elliot wasn’t outraged about the merciless killings of innocent youths by Nigerian soldiers at the Lekki tollgate, but was scandalised that protesters, in reaction to the killings, could storm the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, and seize the fleeing king’s staff of office.
Because Elliot must please the gods, he boomed, “When I went through the comments I could not believe it (sic); the curses, the abuses from children, and I asked myself, ‘Is this Nigeria? What is going on?’ Culture is gone!.., Mr Speaker, in the next five years, there will be no Nigeria if we don’t start now!
Start what kwanu? Start a fresh orgy of killings? Elliot’s statement was one of the most horrendous vituperations against the memory of those who lost their lives in the Lekki peaceful protest. The way he feigned annoyance and laboured to string passable sentences in the weirdest accent was dishonorable.
Without living in the Tabon-Tabon area of Agege, the phonetics-speaking Elliot even fired a couple of Chief Zebrudaya bullets, among others. Hear him, “The youth is (sic) not only those who do the peaceful protest!”
Reacting to the fallout of the state-induced riots that greeted the Lekki killings, a colleague of Elliot in the legislature, Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, said most Nigerian youths are on drugs, most of the time. What!?
Alli-Macaulay is a member of the current ninth Assembly that pardoned former Lagos Deputy governor, Femi Pedro, and restored all his outrageous privileges to him while Pedro’s predecessor, Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor, who committed no offence as Pedro never got her privileges restored.
Shamefully, Alli-Macaulay is a member of a House whose Speaker has a yoke of corruption allegation hanging at his neck.
Which one is it better to be, a drug addict or a chained Assembly?
Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola

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Alaketu-Designate Visits Ooni of Ife, Secures Royal Blessing for Kingship

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Alaketu-Designate Visits Ooni of Ife, Secures Royal Blessing for Kingship

Alaketu-Designate Visits Ooni of Ife, Secures Royal Blessing for Kingship

The Alaketu-designate of Ketu Land in Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Prince Adekoya Babajide Adefowora, on Wednesday, paid a historic visit to the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oduduwa Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, at his palace in Ile-Ife.

The visit, which is a significant step in his journey to the throne, was marked by the royal father’s blessings and prayers for a peaceful and prosperous reign.

This comes after the formal presentation of Prince Adefowora, who hails from the Ateshimara Ruling House, by the traditional authorities of Ketu Land on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

His visit underscores the deep-rooted ancestral ties between Ketu Land and Ile-Ife, reaffirming the sacred traditions that bind Yoruba monarchs to their spiritual and historical source.

Prince Adefowora was accompanied to the Ooni’s palace by prominent members of his family, high-ranking chiefs, and kingmakers from Ketu Land, all of whom played key roles in his selection and endorsement as the next Alaketu.

Speaking at the palace, Prince Adefowora described his visit as a homecoming and an essential part of his ascension process.
have come home to pay homage to my father, the Ooni of Ife. My deep love for my people motivated me to accept the call to the throne of Ketu. This journey is not just about me; it is about upholding our rich heritage and leading my people towards greater progress,” he said.

Addressing controversies surrounding his ascension, he condemned attempts by some individuals to manipulate the process with fraudulent documents.

I am aware of certain fraudulent documents being submitted by some individuals to the authorities. I use this opportunity to urge them to desist from such illegal activities. The Supreme Court has already affirmed my right to the throne, and I call on the government to thoroughly investigate this matter. It is crucial for everyone to respect the rule of law and uphold due process,” he stated.

On the delay in filling the Alaketu throne after the demise of the previous ruler, Prince Adefowora explained that Yoruba tradition necessitates a period of transition.

“In Yoruba tradition, when a king joins his ancestors, a period of interregnum is observed before selecting a successor. This allows the community time to reflect, ensure stability, and make the right choice for the future. My people made their choice long ago, and today, they have formally presented me to our ancestral father, the Ooni of Ife. I am honored to have received Kabiyesi’s blessings,” he added.

In his response, the Ooni of Ife congratulated Prince Adefowora on his journey to the throne and prayed for a successful reign filled with peace, wisdom, and development for Ketu Land.

You are about to embark on a sacred duty, one that requires wisdom, patience, and commitment to the welfare of your people. I pray that your reign brings prosperity, unity, and growth to Ketu Land. May the ancestors guide you, and may your leadership be marked by justice and progress,” the Ooni prayed.

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Unity in Generosity : Prophet Genesis Unites Faiths at Ibafo Ramadan Lecture (See Video) – Alhaji Arems

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Unity in Generosity : Prophet Genesis Unites Faiths at Ibafo Ramadan Lecture (See Video) – Alhaji Arems

 

On March 12, 2025, during a spirited Ramadan lecture in Ibafo, Prophet Genesis once again demonstrated that faith and generosity know no boundaries. In a moment captured on video that has since resonated with audiences far and wide, the Prophet called an elderly woman to the stage. With warmth and conviction, he declared, “Mama, I’m the one people have blessed with this cash – open up your bag, and you can as well get extra nylon bags – take it all.” He went on to reassure her that his personal driver and security team would ensure she got home safely, eliminating any worries about carrying the money.

The heartfelt gesture was part of a lecture themed “Truthfulness brings success,” a mantra that clearly underpins Prophet Genesis’ approach to ministry. Notably, he reiterated that his annual Ramadan gatherings are unique in that he never collects money. According to the Prophet, God has made it clear that accepting money on these occasions would sever his divine connection—a conviction that has guided his practice for years.

What makes this event particularly striking is its interfaith significance. Held during Ramadan—a time when millions of Muslims around the world are fasting—the lecture underscored Prophet Genesis’ commitment to inclusivity. His actions sent a powerful message that genuine compassion and kindness transcend religious labels, uniting communities in shared celebration and mutual respect.

In a world often divided by differences, Prophet Genesis’ demonstration of unconditional generosity and his call for truthfulness serve as a reminder of the unifying power of faith and goodwill.

Watch Video Here : https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMBY9RPus/

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Fake Testimony Lands Woman in Court Over Five-Bedroom Duplex Fraud

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Fake Testimony Lands Woman in Court Over Five-Bedroom Duplex Fraud

Fake Testimony Scandal: Woman Who Falsely Claimed Ownership of Duplex Arraigned in Court

The Enugu State Police Command has arraigned Loveth Helen Alo, the woman who falsely claimed ownership of a five-bedroom duplex, before the Enugu North Magisterial District Court. This development follows her sensational but fraudulent testimony at Zion Prayer Ministry in Lagos, where she alleged that divine intervention had gifted her the property.

Spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed her arraignment in a statement on Tuesday, March 11. According to Ndukwe, Alo was arrested on February 1, 2025, after a petition was filed against her for falsely claiming ownership of a luxury home located in WTC Estate, Enugu.

“The suspect was apprehended by detectives from the Legal Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department following investigations into the fraudulent claims,” Ndukwe stated.

Alo had previously gone viral after storming the Zion Prayer Ministry Movement Outreach in Lagos with an emotional testimony, claiming that God had miraculously blessed her with the house. However, her story unraveled under scrutiny, and she later confessed to fabricating the entire narrative.

Authorities have charged her with five criminal offenses, including fraud, defamation, and attempted property theft. Despite her confession, Alo was granted bail, with the case adjourned to April 9, 2025, for further proceedings.

The incident has sparked widespread debate on social media, with many condemning the misuse of religious platforms for deceit and personal gain. Meanwhile, legal experts warn that Alo could face serious legal consequences if found guilty of attempting to fraudulently claim another person’s property.

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