Life And People
Onpetu, Aremu, Adiyeloja: A Troika And Diamond -By Festus Adedayo
Three Nigerians clocked sixty years in the last couple of weeks whose strides I needed to extol for posterity. One is the Onpetu of Ijeru in Oyo State, His Royal Majesty Oba Sunday Oladapo Oyediran, Lagbami Osekun III. One of the traditional rulers who first underscored God and not divinities as the source of his existence, the Onpetu was one of the first variant of kings who openly worshipped God in church and confessed that he was a born again Christian. Humble and cerebral, his 21-year reign on the stool of his forefathers has brought a lot of developments to his Ijeru, Ogbomoso kingdom.
The second person is Comrade Issa Obalowu Aremu. A Nigerian trade union activist and one of Nigeria’s respected labour leaders, Aremu is the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NVTGTWN). He also doubles as a member of the executive of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). As Aremu clocked 60 on January 8, labour unions and even the Nigerian presidency rose in celebration of a man who is seen to have paid his dues in union activism and one who has contributed immensely to the moulding of persons and society.
The third is respected broadcaster, Fatai Adiyeloja. Journalist with the Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA) Adiyeloja’s years of broadcasting were marked with commendable strides, especially his knack for underscoring professionalism. January 3, the day of his retirement which he celebrated in Osogbo, his “last command,” also marked the day Adiyeloja bowed out of the NTA. He was known while in service for his humility, depth and quest to do things differently, a knack that made him veer into photography.
Congratulations on your 60th birthday, compatriots.
Fayose’s Thank You Message To Obasanjo: Uncouth, Unthinking And UnAfrican -By Isaac Asabor
Obasanjo, for his part, responded with a pointed but dignified jab, thanking Fayose for revealing his true nature and promptly...
Why Nigeria Must Act Now or Face the Consequences: The Wake-Up Call of the U.S. Religious Freedom Accountability Bill 2025 -By James Ezema
And to the Nigerian people—Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists alike—this moment demands unity, not division. Petition your lawmakers, demand justice, and...
Africa’s Mining Industry: New Opportunities for Cooperation with Russia and China -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
The Chinese delegation played a significant role in the event. Participants included Sun Yongjun, First Secretary of the Embassy of...
The Yerima Effect: How A Naval Officer’s Stillness Destroyed Wike’s Political Weapons, Collapsed His Judicial Shield, And Taught A Young Democracy To Stop Fearing Strong Men -By Prof. John Egbeazien Oshodi
The Ministry of Defence publicly defended the officer, not Wike. They stated clearly that Yerima acted within lawful authority. That...
Aso Rock and Kitoye Ajasa’s Lickspittle Press -By Festus Adedayo
To demonstrate their opprobrium for Ajasa’s leaflet, the Nigerian Pioneer newspaper, the people scoffed at it on the newsstand. To Ajasa’s contemporaries, his...