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Malami, Ibori dance palongo to Bob Marley songs

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Malami, Ibori dance palongo to Bob Marley songs

Tunde Odesola

Malami, Ibori dance palongo to Bob Marley songs

He has no known middle name and, as such, he doesn’t sit on the fence. With magisterial standoffishness, he exemplifies the ruin of law. He never tiptoes, never prevaricates when it’s time to swat southern flies disturbing the herd. He’s Fulani, the strong and all-conquering breed.

Though many call him foolish, he wasn’t born on April Fools Day. He was born on April 17, 1967, when the little cry of a newborn rang in the serene distance. On the seventh day, the tot derived the initials, A.M, from a birth name that would later grow to read law but squander the knowledge before the god of clannishness and nepotism.

He is Abubakar Malami, 54-year-old Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Birthdays and deathdays are important human milestones. Reggae superstar with a middle name, Robert Nesta Marley, aka Bob Marley, was born on February 6, 1945, 70 years before a 48-year-old Malami was made minister by Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in 2015.

Stricken by cancer, Marley bade the world goodbye on May 11, 1981, at the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, USA, bequeathing an imperishable legacy of didactic songs, some of which suggest ways out of Nigeria’s current turning and turning in the widening gyre.

In this article, I intend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley’s transition to immortality. Also, I wish to spotlight the redefinition and affirmation of animal rights over human rights by the great Mallam Malami.

This is what Malami said last week in reaction to southern Nigeria governors’ banning of open grazing, “It is about constitutionality. Within the context of the freedoms enshrined in our constitution, can you deny a right of a Nigerian?

“It is as good as saying maybe the Northern governors coming together to say that they prohibit spare parts trading in the North. Does it hold water? Does it hold water for a Northern governor to come and state expressly that he now prohibits spare parts trading in the North?”

Before an inscrutable ad lib after the third stanza of ‘Crazy Baldheads’, Marley says, “I and I build the cabin/I and I plant the corn/Didn’t my people before me/Slaves for this country?/Now you look me with your scorn/Then you eat up all my corn.”

It’s not clear if cows are the objects of oppression used to eat up Marley’s corn, but they’re the tools of oppression used by northern Fulani herdsmen to eat up the corn of southern farmers.

It’s clear that Marley and southern Nigerian governors and their people were agreed on the need to chase the crazy baldheads out of town.

I don’t know what ad lib Marley would make of these rhyming names: Buhari/Yemi/Kyari/Malami/Pantami/Fulani/Ibori and graffiti. But I know the clock is ticking down for Nigeria, and the chickens are heading homewards to roost.

“There’s a natural mystic/ blowing through the air/ If you listen carefully now you will hear…/Things are not the way they used to be/I won’t tell no lie,” sings Bob Marley in ‘Natural Mystic’.

A few weeks ago, another Fulani in Buhari’s kitchen cabinet, Isa Pantami, who’s the minister of communications and digital economy, came under fire when a viral video surfaced showing Pantami saying Boko Haram terrorists don’t deserve to be killed like pigs even as he bemoaned the killing of al-Qaeda founder, Osama bin Laden.

Like Pantami, Malami should be commended for upholding the golden rule in the Animal Farm Nigeria has turned into, where some animals are more equal than humans; four legs good, two legs bad.

Marley was a preacher, so is Malami, though their messages belong to different worlds. Marley sings, “Guiltiness rests on their conscience.” But Malami feels man is guilty for demanding to live above cattle. Marley’s message calls man to love, unity and redemption. Malami’s message calls cows to eat farmers’ sweat, roam and moo.

Warning against inequality and human wickedness, Marley predicts in his song, ‘War’: Until there are no longer first class and second class citizens of any nation/Me say war. War in the East, War in the West, War up North, War down South/ War, War!” But Malami doesn’t see a classless society. He sees a classed society where Fulani cows possess greater rights than human beings.

Marley didn’t foresee the unfolding shame in Delta State when he composed ‘One Love’ because Delta had yet to be created when the song was released in 1965.

Delta State Government, since the days of the immediate past governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, to the days of the incumbent, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has been a shackled slave in the farm of disgraced former Governor James Ibori.

It’s not ‘One Love’ that made Uduaghan and Okowa keep quiet and continue to worship in the mud of corruption at the feet of Ibori. It’s ‘One Greed’. Despite being jailed in the UK for corruption, neither Uduaghan, who was governor when Ibori was jailed, nor Okowa, who became governor when Ibori was released, has ever condemned the King of Gluttony.

Last week, when I saw the video of Ibori dancing at a public function while security men and folks ‘cleared the road’ for him, I remembered Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ and the plundering old pirates.

Though I won’t mind if Abuja gives Delta part of the recovered Ibori loot from the UK, my mind cut, as Warri people would say, to see the Delta State government falling on the ground, wailing and demanding justice in the way the loot of the insatiable Ibori should be shared.

Uhnmmm!? Delta wey dey support Ibori since dey talk now? Well, maybe Delta has a point, after all. The Federal Government, led by then President Musa Yar’Adua of the People’s Democratic Party, didn’t condemn Ibori nor his ‘comraid’ in corruption, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who as Bayelsa State governor, was impeached and sentenced in Nigeria to just two years imprisonment for multi-million dollar corruption after jumping bail in the UK. Alamieyeseigha only spent some weeks in prison before his release.

Deputy to Alamieyeseigha at the time, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, rose in support of the governor and described his trial as witch-hunt, despite the fact that Alamieyeseigha pleaded guilty to six charges. When he later emerged president, Jonathan never condemned the looting of Bayelsa by Alamieyeseigha. Marley’s ‘Time Will Tell’ hums in my mind.

This is just the same way the Buhari-led FG has never condemned the armed robber General, Sani Abacha, despite the unending recovery of loot stashed away by the late thief.

Particularly, Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, in 2018, told Buhari to ‘stop creating confusion in the minds of Nigerians’ by honouring the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola, and admiring his tormentor, Abacha, saying loyalty could become perverse. With Soyinka’s mention of Abiola, I remember Marley’s “Johnny was a good man.”

The embers of the crashed NAF jet in which the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other military officers lost their lives, are still smouldering. Nigeria mourns. But, questions beggar answers. Why are military planes dropping off our air? Twenty military officers have been killed in three military jet crashes within the last three months. Something is terribly wrong somewhere. I suspect lack of proper maintenance.

When a military Alpha-Jet went missing in the plains of Boko Haram-dominated Borno on March 31, 2021, I thought the debris of the aircraft would never be seen. We all know who controls Borno.

I remember that Nigeria embarked on four jamborees into space in the first decade of the millennium when she launched four separate satellites. None of the satellites is functioning effectively today. None can be deployed to look for the missing aircraft or fight insurgency. And nobody is answering questions for billions down the drain. I shot the sheriff.

Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola

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Akintunde Ogundare Records Another Feat, Graduates with Distinction from University of Guelph-Humber

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Akintunde Ogundare Bags Distinction in Canada, Extends Academic Excellence Streak

 

A Nigerian scholar, Akintunde Ogundare, has once again demonstrated his commitment to academic excellence by graduating with Distinction from the University of Guelph-Humber, Canada, adding another prestigious qualification to an already impressive educational record.

Ogundare earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Community Social Services with Distinction, a feat that underscores years of dedication, resilience and an unwavering pursuit of knowledge.

 

The convocation ceremony is slated for June 15, 2026, at the Toronto Congress Centre, North Building, Etobicoke, Ontario, where family members, friends and associates are expected to celebrate the milestone.

The latest achievement extends Ogundare’s remarkable streak of academic success across institutions in Nigeria and Canada.
Before obtaining his latest degree, he graduated with Distinction from George Brown College, Canada, where he earned a Diploma in Social Service Work. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Second Class Upper Division from Joseph Ayo Babalola University and a Higher National Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning with Upper Credit from Lagos State Polytechnic.

 

Beyond his academic accomplishments, Ogundare is also known for his commitment to humanitarian service and community development. He serves as Secretary of the Allmen Progressive Association, where he has played an active role in promoting initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of members and supporting community-based causes. Associates describe him as a selfless leader whose passion for humanity and dedication to service have earned him widespread respect.

 

Colleagues and admirers have described Ogundare as a lifelong learner whose determination to excel has remained consistent despite the challenges of balancing academic pursuits with personal and professional responsibilities.

 

His achievements have also been hailed as an inspiration to young Nigerians seeking opportunities for academic and professional advancement, proving that discipline, perseverance and continuous self-development can yield exceptional results.

 

As he joins the graduating Class of 2026, Ogundare’s story stands as a testament to the value of hard work and the transformative power of education, reinforcing the belief that excellence is built through consistency and dedication.

 

The latest distinction not only adds another feather to his cap but also cements his reputation as a scholar and community leader committed to lifelong learning, humanitarian service and the advancement of society.

 

Ogundare Records Another Feat, Graduates with Distinction from University of Guelph-Humber

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The Unfinished Conversation: Five Years of Missing T.B. Joshua BY FEMI OYEWALE

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The Unfinished Conversation: Five Years of Missing T.B. Joshua BY FEMI OYEWALE

 

 

 

 

​”In life we meet to part, we part to meet, but parting is the sweetest sorrow.”

 

 

​Five years have vanished like a vapor, yet the echoes of his voice remain as vivid as a morning sunrise. June 5th marks the anniversary of the transition of a man who was not merely a global religious icon, but a father, a mentor, and a beacon of profound simplicity in a complex world. As I pen this, I find myself still navigating the shores of denial. How does one write a tribute to a man whose influence was as vast as the oceans, yet whose heart remained as humble as the desert sands?

 

 

 

The Last Assignment

 

​Time truly flies, but some moments are frozen in the amber of memory. I recall with poignant nostalgia that I was among the final few with whom he spoke before stepping out for his last assignment on the pulpit on June 5,2021. Unknown to many, we shared an uncommon bond—a father-son relationship that stood the test of time.

 

 

 

​Just an hour before that glorious, final ministration, my phone rang. We discussed the fulfillment of prophecies and my planned assignment to South Africa, an assignment he promised to single-handedly finance. By God’s grace, I have traveled the globe, and ninety percent of those journeys were bankrolled by him. Before ending the call, he spoke with finality: “Femi, go and watch it.” I never knew it was a parting shot. I never knew those words would be the threshold of eternity. Perhaps that is why, despite being part of his burial media committee, I lacked the courage to write until today.

 

 

 

 

 

From Fear to Faith: The Beginning

 

​My journey to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) was written in the stars of fate. Then a reporter for Encomium Weekly, under the tutelage of the legendary Mr. Kunle Bakare, I was recommended to handle media work for a “prominent client.” When the name “T.B. Joshua” was mentioned, my heart sank.

 

 

 

 

Having cut my journalistic teeth under titans like Mr. Femi Adeshina and Mr. Dele Alake, I had heard the tales, stories of monsters, of shape-shifters, of dark magic. As I drove to Ikotun, I recited every Psalm I could muster and texted my parents my destination, unsure if I would return. I arrived expecting a beast; I was introduced to a brother. I met a man so profoundly simple, so devastatingly ordinary in his humility, that if not for his presence on Emmanuel TV, I would have sworn I was meeting an impostor. That was the day the fear died, and a lifelong relationship began.

 

 

The Man Behind the Mantle

 

​I am not here to validate a legend; I am here to honor a human. I have been privileged to stand in his office, his personal room, his private altar, and his prayer house. What did I find? Not a demigod, but a man who lived for others.

 

 

 

 

 

​A Heart of Forgiveness: Like the father in Luke 15, no matter the depth of the offense, a sincere “I am sorry” was all it took to be welcomed back into his fold.

 

 

​The Weight of Misunderstanding: I remember the pain of the building collapse. He asked me, with tears that shattered my heart, “Femi, can you believe they said I used these people for rituals?” That was the first time I saw the iron man break.

 

 

​A Channel of Healing: I recall a man brought to the prayer line who had previously declared, “Even if T.B. Joshua is the devil, if he can take this pain away, I am ready.” The moment those words left his lips, the Prophet walked over, touched him, and the healing was instantaneous.

 

 

​He was a comedian, a teacher, a preacher, and above all, a man who loved his family and his ministry with every fiber of his being. If most clergy possessed even half the global influence he wielded, they would have long ago become arrogant demigods. T.B. Joshua remained, to his last breath, a servant.

 

The Unfinished Conversation: Five Years of Missing T.B. Joshua BY FEMI OYEWALE

 

​A Legacy Enduring

 

​It has been five years, yet it feels like yesterday. Many of those who cast stones in the shadows often came seeking his light in secret. Today, as we remember him, I see that legacy thriving. Prophetess Evelyn Joshua is truly holding the torch, preserving the foundation with grace and strength.

 

 

​Good morning, Prophet T.B. Joshua. You live on in the lives you changed, the doors you opened, and the heart of your many disciples who will never forget the man who taught them that true greatness is found in the simplicity of love.

 

 

​”He was a man globally misunderstood, yet a man whose name alone opened doors globally. He lived for others, and in doing so, he became immortal.”

 

SCOAN HOLDS FIRST THANKSGIVING CHURCH SERVICE ON SUNDAY.

 

 

 

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Let’s build a future where access to healthcare is strengthened…….Oba Odugbemi

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Let’s build a future where access to healthcare is strengthened…….Oba Odugbemi

 

A call has gone to every stakeholder in the health sector to build a future where access to healthcare is guaranteed and strengthened.

The Onilisa of Lisa Kingdom, Oba Oladele Odugbemi make the call in Lisa while donating a Sanitary Sterilisation Box to the Lisa health centre.

Oba Odugbemi said that the donation became necessary in order to further strengthen the capacity of the health centre for the benefits of the people.

The royal father stressed that his foundation, Oladele Odugbemi foundation would continue to make meaningful impacts in community healthcare aimed at complementing the efforts of government in healthcare delivery system.

He pointed out that the foundation reflects its unwavering commitment to promoting quality healthcare services, enhancing hygiene standards and supporting health institutions with essential tools that contribute to safer and healthier communities.

According to the monarch, all stakeholders in the health sector should work hand-in- hand with government to take healthcare to the doorsteps of the masses as government cannot do it alone, hence health is wealth.

Oba Odugbemi also charged the governments at all levels to declare a state of emergency in the health sector so that every Nigerian can have smooth access to healthcare delivery system in the interest of the country and for the benefits of the masses.

The monarch therefore said that the foundation would continue to care for the people through empowerment by ensuring that masses have good and quality health condition.

The Sanitary Sterilisation Box was presented by the Foundation Director, Hajia Suliat Odugbemi – Tinuosho to the Matron of Lisa Community Health Centre, Mrs Temitope Nofisat Sanni who received it on behalf of the health centre.

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