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A Tale Of Two Sundays By Bisi Fayemi

Published

6 years ago

July 22, 2018

Sahara Weekly

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Sunday June 22nd 2014, I woke up at 7am. I had gone to bed at 3am but did not drift off to sleep till 5am. It was no surprise that I had a dull ache in my head. JKF was already up and getting dressed. I picked up my phone and saw the large number of missed calls and text messages. I put the phone down and called for my morning coffee. I was told that visitors were waiting to see us. I nodded my head but made no move to leave the bedroom. I looked at my phone again and saw that I had just missed a call from Erelu Angela Adebayo, the wife of Otunba Niyi Adebayo, former Governor of Ekiti State, who is one of our political leaders and mentors. If anyone knew exactly how I was feeling that morning, it would be Erelu Adebayo, because her husband also lost his second term bid in 2003.

Saturday June 21st 2014 was a very bad day, one of those days that I referred to recently as Ojo buruku esu bu omi mu -The day the devil came to drink water’. That day, my husband lost his re-election bid. Even though we knew there where disgruntled interest groups and some political associates had left to join another party hereby splitting some of our votes, we did not see a loss coming. JKF worked hard during his first term in office and his administration had a lot to show for it. When he ran for re-election in 2014, he ran on the basis of what he had accomplished and the promise of continuing all the great initiatives that had been started. Even the worst critics of his administration admitted that he accomplished a great deal. However, there was a disturbing narrative that no amount of logic could dislodge. JKF was described as ‘too academic, aloof, stubborn, disconnected, stingy’ and so on. He was not the kind of political leader favoured in our environment. The June 2014 election was like a war in Ekiti State. The election was heavily militarized and many of our party officials were arrested or hounded out of town before the election to prevent them from leading party members to the polls. Through a combination of the role played by the heavy-handed security agencies, the intimidation of voters, and the shady activities of some of the officials at the electoral management body, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), there was a perfect storm that cost us the election.

That Sunday June 22nd, Erelu Angela who I call ‘Big Sis’, comforted me and as I listened to her kind words I started to cry. I told her that there were a number of visitors out in the living room and I did not want to go out and face them because I did not know what to say to them. She told me to go out and raise their spirits with a song. And that is exactly what I did. I showered, dressed up and walked into the living room looking smart and all smiles, singing a popular Yoruba Christian song, ‘Awa ju asegun lo’ – We are more than conquerors. When the visitors saw that I was not downcast or looking miserable, they attempted to hide their own misery and the atmosphere of gloom improved a bit. As I tried to comfort the women who had come to visit on Sunday June 22nd 2014, I said to them, ‘Our assignment in Ekiti is over. We would have liked to spend 8 years, but now God has told us that we are done for now. He will show us the way. Take heart, God knows best. We have carried out our assignment to the best of our ability. We have a lot to be thankful for. We will not mourn’. I knew I needed to be strong for my husband’s sake, so even if my heart was broken, my spirit was not.

Throughout the day visitors trooped in, and even though I knew they were coming to show solidarity, I did not like the fact that some of them would burst into tears the moment they set eyes on me. The visits continued throughout Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday I could not bear the thought of more delegations coming to ‘mourn’ with us, so I left Ekiti for Ghana and switched off my phone. While I was away, the creepy spokesman for the other side spread a story on social media that I had collapsed and was in hospital. When my friends could not reach me, they panicked. It was a terrible time.

I have alluded to some of the things that transpired after JKF lost the Ekiti election in 2014. Losing an election was not the end of the world as far as I was concerned. What came after was more devastating. People often say failure is an orphan. No, failure is not an orphan, failure is a bastard. People take pity on orphans and offer help and have a sense of obligation towards them. No one pities a bastard, the usual treatment is scorn, derision and ridicule. Trusted friends and colleagues decided to dissociate themselves from us and seek political fortunes elsewhere. That in itself was not a bad thing, but the lies, distortions, character assassination and revisions of history were almost unbearable. The message from all this was clear. JKF was now irrelevant, finished, a persona non grata. Or so they thought. Shortly after, JKF chaired an excellent party convention in December 2014 that produced the Presidential Candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), he played a key role in the 2015 Presidential Campaign, and he served as a Federal Minister. Not bad for a persona non grata.

Sunday July 15th 2018, I went to bed at 4am and fell asleep at 6am. I was too excited to sleep, but I knew the next day would be a very long one. By 8am our country home was full of guests, including three Governors and their entourages. Everyone was smiling broadly and there was a lot of hugging and back-slapping. By the time JKF was officially declared the Governor-Elect of Ekiti State by the Independent Electoral Commission that morning, there were at least 2,000 people in our compound and the field right beside the house.

There was a wonderful celebration, and as we all sang and danced, the lessons were not lost on anyone. No one knows tomorrow. We don’t know what a new dawn brings, so we should be mindful of our words and actions. Every community has their own version of the story about the pauper who became a prince and the Prince who became a frog. There can be no contestation for power without subversion or disruption. However, it does not mean we have to lose our humanity. When mere mortals forget that they were created by a superior being, they get very forceful reminders. Last week, there was a lot of drama involving the current leadership of Ekiti State which has inspired a range of hilarious memes and videos. They all had the same theme – ‘How are the mighty fallen’. Even if some of us are bad at Arithmetic, we all know 1+1=2. And even if we have never been to a farm, we should know that you can’t plant cassava and harvest yams.

Two Sundays. Two major events in my life. Two totally different outcomes. How do I feel? There are not enough words to describe how I feel, but let me throw out a few -thankful, relieved, grateful, tired, excited, vindicated, forgiving and hopeful. I give thanks to God Almighty for his mercy and favour. I would like to thank all those who provided financial, material, technical, moral and spiritual support. I wish our political space was not as toxic and chaotic as it is now. This needs to change. Meanwhile, let me now take a break and sleep well for the first time in a long time. Tell yourself, ‘I am more than a conqueror because I have faith’.
Have a great week.

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Social Entrepreneur and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com

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Nollywood loses another veteran actor

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Nollywood loses another veteran actor

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The Nigerian movie industry has again been thrown into mourning after the news of the death of another veteran Nollywood actor, Zulu Adigwe, surfaced on social media on Tuesday.

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Adigwe’s death was announced by a movie producer, Stanley Nwoko, in a post on his Instagram page .

Mourning the actor, Nwoko wrote, “Rest in peace, good actor.”

Adigwe’s death is coming two weeks after Junior Pope and three other Nollywood actors died in a boat accident in Anam River.

The actors were said to be on their way to a location when the incident occurred.

Adigwe gained recognition primarily for portraying fatherly characters in Nollywood films.

His breakthrough role came as Mr. B in the popular sitcom “Basi and Company.”

He also appeared in the highly successful 2019 movie “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free.”

Although born in Enugu State and spent his early years there, he later moved to Austria, where he completed his primary and secondary education.

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ERELU OLAJUMOKE, AN ALLURING CHARMING BEAUTY MAJESTICALLY CLIMBED THE FIFTH FLOOR

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Sahara Weekly

ERELU OLAJUMOKE, AN ALLURING CHARMING BEAUTY MAJESTICALLY CLIMBED THE FIFTH FLOOR

…Celebrates Golden Jubilee In Glitz and Amazing Glory

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She is a damsel, an embodiment of beauty, brain and brawn, possessing the best of qualities any discerning mind would dream of. She is no one else than Erelu Olajumoke, Erelu of Ifetedo Kingdom and founder/Chief Executive Officer of Erelu Olajumoke Foundation. Very industrious, illustrious and extremely hardworking, Erelu Olajumoke, the Iya Ijo of Bishop Court Chapel in Alagbaka Akure will on Saturday, the 20th of April, 2024 celebrate her 50th birthday, stepping majestically into the fifth floor and marking a golden jubilee that looks every inch, good on her.

The effervescent, glamorous and charismatic Erelu Olajumoke is an enigma, a colossus who has contributed immensely to humanity and the entire global economy. She is graciously blessed with the spirit of giving. Erelu Olajumoke, a magnanimous lady of substance, value and valor has been practically involved in various forms of empowerment, spreading love, passion and absolute generosity to the poor, the needy, the old (elderly), orphans, widows/widowers, the impoverished, the underprivileged and the intimidated members of the society. Endowed with an uncommon traits of great-heartedness, Erelu Olajumoke took it upon herself to alleviate the poverty levels of the people by directly, impacting on their lives.

Oftentimes, this legendary philanthropist, who is very much aware of the fact that health is indeed wealth, has organized various medical outreach programmes that yielded great impact on beneficiaries. Through Erelu Olajumoke Foundation, this amazon of beauty has transformed the lives of many, bringing in, health care professionals from around the globe to give succor to those with health challenges. Her roles in the rejuvenation and revamping of people’s health are awesome and iconic. Those who have benefitted from her tremendous medical contributions would always say lofty tales about her.

As an outstandingly committed child of God, Erelu Olajumoke who is currently basking in the euphoria of clocking 50, has been and still involved in fundraising activities towards her church and evangelism. Her passion and zeal for spreading the good news of God, winning souls into the Kingdom of God and expunging sinners from the gory dungeons of sin are highly recognized and commendable. She is absolutely emotional and animated to the church, the Gospel and everything about her Creator.

An extremely supportive partner, Erelu Olajumoke is simply, the strongest pillar of support to the political and democratic achievements of her beau, the distinguished Senator Oluwole Olubiyi Fadeyi, the dynamic and zestful Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Abuja.

As a matter of fact, Erelu Olajumoke has displayed so much affection for the amiable Senator through unwavering support, unalloyed devotion to his democratic ideologies and strategies coupled with her reciprocating fondness for the people her hubby represents at the Red Chambers. Erelu Olajumoke synergized her benevolent acts with those of her beloved Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi by catering for constituency needs under his Osun Senatorial District covering Osogbo, Ila, Boripe, Odo-Otin, Boluwaduro, Ifedayo, Irepodun, Olorunda and Orolu Local Government Areas.

The ‘birthday girl’, Erelu Olajumoke regularly extends her olive oil of love, passion and care for all widowed women and men in these communities not excluding helpless and hopeless orphans, out of school children, those experiencing excruciating poverty amongst other less-privileged within the Osun Central Senatorial District and beyond. Erelu stands as a rock of Gibraltar, upholding the democratic values of her hubby with in-depth determination, perseverance and tenacity. As the First Lady of Osun Central Senatorial District, Erelu Olajumoke has performed meritoriously contributing immensely to the successful foray and great achievements of her best friend, her best adviser, best confidant and above all best lover, the distinguished Senator Ajagunla Oluwole Olubiyi Fadeyi, the Tayese II of Ifetedo Kingdom.

With the input and advise from Erelu Olajumoke, Senator Olubiyi Fadeyo has brought new hope to the good people of Osun Central Senatorial District, giving our palliatives and economic empowerment equipments like buses, cars, motorcycles, tricycles, hairdressing equipments, barbing gadgets, grinding machines, freezers amongst other vital poverty alleviation to drastically and astronomically reduce poverty from the shores of that senatorial district.

In a nutshell, Erelu Olajumoke, who will be gathering high net-worth dignitaries, top celebrities, society bigwigs, powerful political stalwarts, family, friends and well-wishers come Saturday to celebrate her joining the club of the 50s, could be described as an awesomely delectable queen with an uncommon heart of gold.

Happy birthday to this rare gem, a blessing to humanity and the solid pillar of support behind one of Nigeria’s most reliable Senators, Ajagunla Olubiyi Oluwole Fadeyi.

Barrister Olaitan Ilori

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Celebrating Aare Sir Shina Akanni : The Pinnacle of Fuji Music (Photos) – Alhaji Arems

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Celebrating Aare Sir Shina Akanni : The Pinnacle of Fuji Music (Photos) – Alhaji Arems

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As the dawn breaks on April 19, the vibrant and rhythmic world of Fuji music celebrates a monumental occasion—the birthday of Aare Sir Shina Akanni, a maestro whose name is synonymous with the genre itself. Today, not only does he add another year to his illustrious life, but he also cements his place as the most highly rated act in the realm of Fuji music.

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Aare Sir Shina Akanni, often hailed as the Fuji Scorpido, has been a beacon of innovation and excellence in Fuji music for decades. His unique voice and high level of composition have earned him the respect and admiration of fans and peers alike. On this special day, we reflect on the journey of a man who has not only mastered his craft but has also become the yardstick by which all other Fuji acts are measured.

Born into the vibrant culture of Mushin, Lagos, Aare Sir Shina Akanni’s musical journey began at a young age. His passion for Fuji music was evident from the start, and over the years, he has released over 30 albums, each one a testament to his dedication and talent. His works such as “Fuji Discovery Medley” and “Shina Medley” have become staples in the Fuji music scene, played and replayed by those who appreciate the depth of his artistry.

But what truly sets Aare Sir Shina Akanni apart is his ability to stay at the pinnacle of Fuji music for over two decades. It’s a feat that speaks volumes about his consistency and the unwavering quality of his music. His latest album, “ABCD,” is yet another example of his musical prowess and innovation, showcasing a blend of traditional Fuji rhythms with contemporary elements.

As we celebrate Aare Sir Shina Akanni’s birthday, it’s not just another year that we’re marking; it’s the celebration of a legacy that has shaped and will continue to shape the future of Fuji music. His influence extends beyond the borders of Nigeria, touching lives and inspiring musicians around the globe.

On this day, the Fuji music community comes together to honor a legend. Aare Sir Shina Akanni’s contributions to the genre are unparalleled, and his status as the most highly rated of all Fuji acts is undisputed. As he celebrates his birthday, we join in the chorus of well-wishes and gratitude for the music that has enriched our lives.

Happy Birthday, Aare Sir Shina Akanni, the undisputed king of Fuji music. May your melodies continue to resonate, and your legacy endure for generations to come.