​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 9: I COLLAPSED!

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 9: I COLLAPSED!

 

In 2012 while I was still Commissioner for Youth and Sport, the Ministry organized a series of events at the time. One of such events was the Oyo State Job Fair/Empowerment program for young people. 

The idea of the empowerment part of the program was to provide young people with skills, start-up kits and a seed fund with which they could commence operations when the program was over. 

We had this program twice in my tenure and over 2000 youths were trained through that program and the skills acquisition ranged from Barbing to Hair dressing to Fashion designing to Graphic design to Event management to Photography and Videography.

 

Here is how we selected the participants – we created a website and people were directed to apply to be a part of the skills acquisition program. 

We gave a 30% slot to public office holders who had candidates interested in the program while we gave 70% to the members of the public who would be selected based on merit. 

A screening committee was set up with my humble self as the head. I wanted to be sure that only people who merited to be in the program got in so I really rolled up my sleeves and got involved. I wanted to be able to beat my chest to say ‘yes, only those who merited to be in the program got in.’

 

Being a part of the program was such an eye opener for me. After we released the names of those who had qualified, we invited them over to verify their credentials. 

Among those who had applied to be selected were people with two Masters degrees. In fact, there was someone with a PhD who applied and I was just like – ‘whao!!!’ It was then I confirmed my conviction that we were sitting on a keg of gunpowder with the issue of unemployment in the country. 

All these discoveries made me doubly committed to see the event through to fruition.

 

We got trainers in different skills sets – we made sure they were people who had built pedigree in their vocation.

During the period of the training, we had a top government official come around to talk to the participants and just admonish them. This time, it was the deputy governor that we had invited so he came two days to the end of the program.

 

Just before it was my time to mount the podium to speak, I realized that I was feeling feverish. I was seated next to the Deputy Governor and then, next to me was the Permanent Secretary for Youth and Sport. 

I was in my seat and I knew that I was getting out of shape. I was extremely tired and it felt like I’d collapse in that chair on which I sat. The MC called my name to come over and give my speech – he had no clue what was going on with me. I leaned over to the Deputy Governor and told him what I was going through; then he signalled to the Permanent Secretary to go up and read my speech on my behalf.

 

As the Permanent Secretary was reading the speech, I mustered all the strength in me and made my way out of the auditorium.I got out and I couldn’t find my driver, obviously he had gone on to chill. 

In the end, he was found and then I told him to take me straight home. Before we got home, I called my brother and told him to meet me at my place. I can’t remember how I made it to the door but as I entered the house, I collapsed on the floor. I was immediately rushed to the hospital.

 

Now, this incident happened two days to the closing ceremony of an event that we had worked so tirelessly to put together and the Governor himself was billed to come during the closing ceremony in two days’ time. I was on medication and I had drips being passed into me. The doctors who attended to me told me I had to be on admission for some more days. My mother came to the hospital to be with me, my brother and a couple friends also came too.

 

On the third day when the Governor was coming to close the event, I was still in the hospital. It was also the day we were supposed to give out the start-up kits and the seed-funds worth millions of Naira to the beneficiaries of the program. That morning, with the drip line still in my hand, I sneaked out of the hospital. I had made arrangement for the event’s branded t-shirt and face cap  to be brought over to the hospital and so I changed into the outfit inside the car. Then, we headed straight to the venue of the event.

 

As I appeared at the venue, people saw the drip line and began to ask why I had come when I wasn’t fully okay yet. The event opened and it was the Speaker,Sen. Monsurat Summonu who came up first. Immediately she saw me she also asked why I had come. 

Then came the governor, he saw the drip line too and he was furious. He scolded me big time and he directed that we completed the program on time so I could go back and rest. I couldn’t bear to be in a hospital bed while such a big event was going on.

 

I had dragged myself there because I just wanted to make sure that everything ran smoothly and thankfully the event went as planned. 

After the Governor gave his speech, we took him round to show him the things we were giving out and he was really impressed. He handed over the startup kits to a few participants for picture-taking and documentation while the rest would be done by us as he had to leave and attend to other state matters.

 

As he was leaving, I walked him to his car and when the convoy had begun to move, I headed back to the auditorium. Then, people began to signal to me that the Governor was beckoning to me and I walked up to his convoy. He said he noticed that I was going back to the auditorium and he directed that I should head back to my car right there and then; and go back to the hospital. I said ‘yes sir’ and after he had left I went back to the auditorium. We made sure that we distributed the kits and the funds and it was a successful outing.

 

To my dismay, as I was leaving the venue of the event – we saw a couple of people boldly selling their startup kits right there in front of the hall! 

The people for whom I had sneaked out of the hospital were selling the things we had put in place for them right where we had given them. If I had died when I snuck out of the hospital, that is how they’d have gone on to sell their kits and life would have moved on and I’d have remained dead. 

I learnt a big lesson - no matter what you’re doing in service of the people give your very best but also, prioritize yourself. Stay alive.

 

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​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 8:ASSET DECLARATION SAGA

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 8:ASSET DECLARATION SAGA

 

One of the things the constitution requires of anyone leaving/going into a public office is that they ought to declare their assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau(CCB).

When I resigned from the Oyo State cabinet as Commissioner for Industry,Applied Science and Technology to run for the office of Member House of Representatives, I did as the constitution had stipulated.

 

After I had declared my assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau, I shared the declaration with people on social media. Then came the attacks – people came up to say the assets I declared were not true. Someone even made a bold assertion that he knew of certain properties which I did not include in my asset declaration. I found that allegation disturbing and at the same time interesting.

I am not one to ever shy away from a challenge especially where my integrity is at stake, I told the said person that it would be nice if he lodged an official complaint against me to the authorities and let them know that I lied as he had claimed. 

The person refused to do so, yet he maintained his grounds that I had falsified my assets in my asset declaration.

Then, he challenged me to a public, open discussion. I told him to choose a place where he felt safe that we could meet in the open, sit down and talk face-to-face about his allegations against me and that the conversation would be recorded and uploaded online.

I told him I’d gladly show up without any security just to iron the matter out with evidences and hear him accuse me to my face. He chose the Sango Motor Park, he picked 6th January,2014 at 1pm prompt; and we had a deal.

On the day that he chose, I got to the venue at 12:35pm and immediately I dropped from the car, shouts of ‘Up sooting’ (a popular slang for Shooting Stars of Ibadan a club I rebranded when I was a commissioner) and ‘Omo Oloore’ rented the air as transporters and polytechnic of ibadan students who were at the park could easily recognize me.

 I was with about three guys (My P.A,A media guy and a friend)– they were supposed to record what would transpire. We had come with cameras and other recording devices; no security. We got to Sango and called the guy to let him know I had arrived. He said he was around too but he refused to show up; he said he could see that I came with thugs.

It was funny because, first, I don’t keep thugs around me and second, we were in a public place – a park for that matter; and a place he chose by himself.

At some point he said he had moved to the Petrol Station opposite the Motor park,so we moved there and still no trace of him.

After we waited for a while and he hadn’t shown up, we went to a nearby canteen inside the motor park had meals and waited, hoping that the guy would call to say he had eventually decided to reveal himself. 

We called him again after waiting for about 2hours and this time he said he was writing exams in school.

It was at the point that I made the last phone call to him which I put on speaker that everyone at the park knew what I had come for.They all applauded me for taking up such challenge to clear my name.

When it was obvious that he wasn’t going to show up, my people and I took pictures, made video recordings and left.

I came back to social media to let the people know that the guy who had accused me of falsifying my assets and had chosen to meet with me in his safest zone refused to show up. 

He saw the post and, once again, began to claim that I came with thugs to the location. He provided no proof that I had come with thugs. It was a very heated matter at the time.

The interesting thing was that even though I had shown pictorial evidence of me at the location and the people I was with, people did not take the guy up on why he refused to make an official complaint to the appropriate authorities and why he had refused to come out. 

People watered the gravity of what he had done and quietly, the issue went away. Till now, no complaint has been lodged against me regarding the declaration of assets I made at that time.

As a people, we have found ourselves in the place where we don’t trust our leaders anymore. 

While trust has been eroded truly, we as a people should encourage leaders who try to do the right thing. 

I appeal to us to use the same energy that we use to criticize bad leadership to applaud good ones.

When you applaud people who do the right thing, you encourage them to stay on the right path and you make the ones who aren’t doing the right thing to sit up and get on board too.

However, when you distrust the ones who are trying to do the right thing then what incentive do they have to do the right thing when – eventually – you’d still lump them up with those who don’t do the right thing?

It is very hot in there and anyone who comes out unhurt must have a lot of scars inside of them.

In Naira marley’s voice……It is not for children.

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 7: CHASE THEM - E lé wọn

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 7: CHASE THEM- E lé wọn

 

At the start of my campaign in 2019, I had told my supporters and security details that I didn’t want any form of violence or bloodshed.

My security comprised mobile policemen and civil defence officers and I told them that whatever happened must be taken as the will of God and there must not be any casualty as I didn’t want a situation where people would say someone was killed during Dapo Lam’s campaign. 

My decision had led to a serious argument with my security details: “what if something bad is about to happen to you?” they had asked. I told them, “just protect yourself and let no life be lost on our account.”

 

So ahead of the 2019 elections, the campaign took us to a place called Elekuro in Ibadan South East Local Government where I met with some of our constituents. 

As we were leaving, a group of young guys came out of nowhere and began to harass us – there must have been about 30 to 40 of them. 

Maybe the sight of armed security officials got them agitated, before we could figure out why they had trooped out, they began to hurl bottles of beer and soft drinks with their contents still in them at us. All our supporters scattered - everyone just scampered to safety. It was a very bad situation.

 

 My security details guided me into one of the agbooles. One of the owners of a house in the agboole called to the security people: “Se Omoolore ni, e je ko wo’le sibi – is that Omoolore, let him enter here”. The family provided their house for us as shelter. 

After we’d stayed in the house for a while, the head of my security team informed me that we staying in that place, we were sitting ducks; the guys would get more reinforcements and they could get more agitated. We needed to get out quickly before things got more intense. I asked him what our options were. “We have just one option,” he explained, “the only way out is to face the violent mob gathered head-on.”

 

 I saw the tactical sense in what he proposed and so I agreed but I reiterated my stance at the start of the campaign – hurt no one, even if our cars are damaged, do not inflict any harm on anyone. He then asked how we would get out if they were not allowed to go fire-for-fire. I replied: “I would lead”. 

While they were still pondering over how I’d lead, I rose to my feet and headed for the door; I did not know where the courage came from. As I stepped out of the house we were hiding in, our supporters and constituents began to come out from wherever they had hidden.

 

We started jogging towards them as they were throwing bottles at us. We dodged the ones we could and as we got closer, I shouted – “e le won – chase them!” Once they saw we were unafraid of them anymore and the security detail posed as though they wanted to shoot, the boys took to their heels. 

As we chased them, and everywhere in the vicinity fell silent. Then more supporters came out chanting, “e le won! e le won!!” In the end, we caught one of the boys and trust the people, they’d begun to beat the one that got caught.

 

Realizing how much they’d rough-handled him, I directed them to stop. Since there was a police station down the road, I told them we’d all walk down there and hand him over to the police. 

That was what we did and It did not take very long before calls began to pour in from all quarters, people pleading on his behalf and saying, “constituent e noni – he belongs to your constituency” and all that. In the end, we caved in and he was released.

 

On yet another campaign, the leader of the people who attacked us at Elekuro came again. 

This time, he wore a hoodie so that no one would recognize him. My security team, identified him despite the hoodie and the leader approached me about the discovery and their intention to arrest him. I gave them a go ahead to do what they had to do. As he was arrested, people began to beg that we should release him. 

The security guys were furious as I had to ask them to let him go.

 

If they had not released him, what you’ll probably read in the news is that a certain Honourable in Ibadan got his constituents arrested; you might never hear the other part. 

Next thing, claims of misuse of power would fly around with a politician at the centre of it all.

 

I’m sharing this story to let people know that things don’t come as easy as you may have imagined. It is never a walk in the park. Your dream is valid but you have to put in the work. 

To achieving your goals, there is no soft-landing, no short-cuts. YOU MUST BE READY TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP WHEN THE NEED ARISES.

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 6: YOUR DREAM IS VALID - GO FOR IT!

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 6:YOUR DREAM IS VALID – GO FOR IT!

 

I was privileged to have joined politics very early – 1998 while I was studying Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the Polytechnic of Ibadan, Eruwa Campus; but I didn’t make any attempt to run for office until 2009, four years after I had graduated from the University of Ibadan with a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering. When I chose to run, I ran for a seat at the House of Representatives. 

 

At that time, loads of people criticized me for my decision. Some opined that a position like that was for the elders and not for young people. 

Others felt I was over-ambitious for a young person – they recommended that I should start from a small position like councillorship or Local Government Chairman.

 

Unfortunately, a large chunk of the people discouraging me at that time were members of my generation.

 

I was convinced that I had something to offer if I got into the office and so I never listened to them. Besides, the people who were in the office were only humans too; they didn’t have two heads. 

 

The elections were conducted in 2011 and I lost. Losing that election became an eye-opener for me; I learnt from that electoral exercise that I lost from within my own party (ACN). Once word got out that I had lost, the people who had warned me came out of the woodwork to remind me that they’d told me I couldn’t win.

 

I was announced as Commissioner and these people came back again. They felt that I was too young to be a commissioner and knowing that they got their eyes on me, expecting me to underperform, kept me on my toes. I knew I had to perform - it was the only option I had. I held two offices as commissioner and then I resigned to run for the same office I lost in 2011. 

 

Once again, I began to receive messages/calls telling me to drop the ambition because I wouldn’t win but unfortunately for them In 2015, I won and every one of them fell silent.

 

I am telling this story for as many young people reading this to know that their goals are valid and that they should never give up. No matter what anybody says about your dreams, you will surely achieve them so long as you don’t give up. 

 

The first time I ran for the office - when I thought the odds were in my favour - I lost. The second time I tried, it was a stiff contest. The person I contested against in 2015 was stronger politically than the person who defeated me in 2011 and so it looked largely impossible that I would defeat the person that was stronger than the person who defeated me. I came out nonetheless and won.

 

Years after my experience,I see a lot of young people who have been inspired by the bold steps I made and have run for offices that many once thought were beyond the reach of young people. 

 

I have seen people in my generation vie for office(s) and delivering fantastically well. 

 

Dear young person, you don’t have to come from a special household before you can get involved in politics. Stories abound of people whom no one knew what home they came from and they navigated their way around and rose to prominence. I want to encourage everyone to get involved.

 

Some would tell you that politics is very dangerous and you’d need to get fetish to succeed in politics. My reality tells me that this is not true.

 

There has not been anytime when I dabbled into anything fetish and I have been thriving in the little way that God wants me to thrive. You don’t have to do any of the unpalatable things that people make you believe you have to do to run for office or to succeed in politics.

 

To the young person whose goal is to run for office, be a person of substance, build the capacity to make an impact and to move our society forward because a man can only give what he has. No matter how hard he tries, if he doesn’t have it, he cannot give it. 

 

The old people who gatekeep our political system can try their best but their best can only be as far as what they’ve got to offer. This is why the educated and well-groomed young people must get involved.

 

The only challenge I have now is: looking at the calibre of young people coming out to run for office, are they genuinely running to make positive impacts or just going there to fill their pockets because they believe there is so much money in politics? 

 

As much as it is important for young people to contest and get involved in the decision-making process, it is much more important that they get involved to make a difference when they get the opportunity.

 

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 5: IS THAT MY PHONE RINGING AGAIN

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 5: IS THAT MY PHONE RINGING AGAIN

On the 25th of July 2015 – barely two months after the erstwhile President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, handed over power, his spokesman – Reuben Abati – wrote a touching piece titled “The Phones No Longer Ring”. I read the piece and even though I was still in office at the time, I could relate with every bit of the piece. My sojourn in politics so far has been marked with moments when the phones stopped ringing.

 

I got my current number way back in 2002 when my father was still the Governor of Oyo State. All through the time he was in office, my phone was always buzzing with calls and texts. My father left office in 2003 and my number which was once a hotline grew so cold. Though few people continued to be in touch, the phone stopped ringing.

 

When I decided to contest for the House of Reps about 11 years ago my phone started ringing again. People who hadn’t reached out since my father left office began to call. I lost the election and boom! the phone stopped ringing. Shortly after losing the election, I was nominated to be Commissioner for Youth and Sport and suddenly, the number that had grown cold when I lost the election became a hotline once again. This was in 2011.

 

In 2013, the cabinet was dissolved by the Governor and at that point, once again, the phone stopped ringing. I remember that on the day that the cabinet was dissolved, I did not receive a single call. Few people checked on me at home and at the office; some friends even took me out that day but my phone which was always buzzing had grown dead silent.

 

Few weeks after, my name was announced as commissioner-nominee and, the people who had stopped calling began to call again. “Congrats o, baba” “we know say dem go call you back – you were one of the top performing commissioners in that cabinet,” they said when they called. 

In 2014, I resigned to contest for the House of Reps and the phone stopped ringing again. Once I scaled primaries and became the candidate of the party, the phone started to ring again.

 

Once you indicate an interest to run for office, the phone will begin to ring; when you win the election and are sworn-in, then the frequency of the calls will be massive! Once I won the election and was sworn in as a member of the House of Reps, my phone began to ring like never before. 

Apparently, a lot of people had my number but they never reached out until I had won the elections. For the next four years, my phone was continuously ringing.

 

The day I lost my re-election bid in 2019, the phone, yet again, stopped ringing. However, things were fairly different when I lost the elections in 2019 – a good number of people still called to check on me unlike when I first lost elections in 2011 but then, the number of calls reduced very drastically. For four years the phone had rung non-stop and suddenly, upon losing elections, the calls had reduced to trickles.

 

Recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives announced my appointment as a Special Assistant and – as you may have suspected; on that day my phone was on fire. Every day since then, my phone has been on fire – calls coming from everywhere.

 

The lesson here is – power is transient, no one holds on to power forever. Definitely, there are still people who would stay true to you no matter what – I have people who have been with me from the very beginning and all through the phases of my life till now, they have remained steadfast. Many people will throng you when you have the power; once you lose it, they retreat.

 

It is a good thing that I witnessed the “abandonment” early in my political life. It made me to understand that everything in life is by opportunity and so whenever you have the opportunity to be up there, make the most of it. 

Truth is, you cannot help everyone that come to you but make sure to help the few that you can help – especially the ones that are real and sincere. And when you help, don’t expect anything in return – do it as unto God. When you do this, you will never be disappointed when the phone stops ringing.

 

It doesn’t move me anymore when the phone stops ringing. Whenever it happens, I just toss my phone somewhere and focus on life. When there’s a success and the phone begins to ring again, I carry on from where we left things off. 

The phone will stop ringing, not because your network is down but because people have tuned off from your network. 

 

What many do not know is that politicians/public office holders are not fools too – they monitor who relates with them and how they relate with them. Whomever gets the listening ear of a politician is most likely one who has stayed with him/her through thick and thin.

 

To the young people in office today, do good while in office, it is the good that will continue to speak for you when the phone stops ringing. It is interesting that these days when I go out, I have never been booed or rough-handled. 

Even when I go out privately, people would walk up to me and tell me how a project or a scheme has been beneficial to them, their families or their communities.

 

If you must associate with people, learn to stay true to them, no matter the season of their lives. 

Be consistent and steadfast. 

The ultimate question is – what fuels your decision to associate with someone: is it what you will get or what you will give?

 

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 4: SAVED BY THE COPS

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 4: SAVED BY THE COPS 

After I graduated from the University of Ibadan in 2005, I used to go back to campus mostly to see some of my lecturers. There was a particular lecturer, Dr. Ademola Aremu (now Professor); he had a keen interest in my development and that got us close. He had opened his house to me and he really just liked me.

One day in 2007, I was leaving campus after seeing my lecturer – it was about 7:30pm. I was using a blue Peugot 406 with plate number DL 01 BDJ (That plate number was one in town back then😂😂)

As I approached Mokola, on my way home, I realized that I was almost running out of fuel so I decided to branch at the next filling station which was at Mokola Roundabout.

As I drove in, a green Rover car also drove into the filling station – there were four guys in the car. I was about to get down to open my tank for the attendant to insert the nozzle, when a police van sped into the filling station – they were known as SARS at the time.

As the police van sped in, the green Rover took off instantly through the exit! The way they drove was reckless to put it mildly – it was obvious they were running from the law officers that had driven into the filling station. 

I had no idea what was going on with the green Rover and the policemen as I was wondering like everyone else.

The leader of the police team walked up to me and asked if I was tagging along with the Rover car that just recklessly sped off into the night, I responded with a ‘No’ and also that I didn’t know who the occupants of the car were. Then, he told me to identify myself, which I did. That was when he said: “ah, omo baba! Didn’t you see the green Rover that has been tailing you all the way from University of Ibadan?” I told him I didn’t. It was then he explained that they were trailing the guys in the car and then they discovered the guys were on my tail; they assumed that whomever was in the blue Peugeot 406 must be in cahoots with the guys in the Rover.

To be honest, I had no clue at all that I was being tailed from UI; I was just driving home, unmindful of the danger coming behind me. The leader of the team said: “It is too dangerous to stay here, you need to move.” I had to abort the mission of buying fuel and the police van escorted me back home. That was my close shave with death – it was the policemen that saved me.

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 3: THE PHONE IS TRULY MINE

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 3:THE PHONE IS TRULY MINE

While I was serving as the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, every time Shooting Stars of Ibadan also known as 3SC had a football match at home, I was always at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba to watch the boys and cheer them on and I will sit in the general stand with our supporters. We’d sing and dance and cheer together. I never sat in the VIP section. 

Also, I never moved around with security all through my time as Commissioner – that way, it was always me and the supporters. Usually, too, whenever a game was over, the supporters would escort me to the car and then I’d leave.

 

On one of those match days in 2012, we went to the stadium as usual and we had a good time. The game ended and the supporters surrounded me as it was the usual manner. As we moved out of the stadium; I touched my pocket and I realized that my phone (A blackberry priv) was gone! I stopped in my tracks and whispered to someone near to me: “my phone has been stolen”.

 

Quickly, information circulated around – ‘won ti ji phone Commissioner’. I was rooted to that spot; I was utterly confused about how my phone had got stolen. In my mind, as I stood on that spot, I had no hope of recovering that phone. My mind had begun to mourn all the invaluable material and data on the phone that I’d never be able to get back.

 

Then suddenly a few meters away, we started hearing a small commotion – a group of guys were beating a young guy and they were dragging him towards where we were. They got close enough and one of them said, “Honourable Commissioner, e gba phone yin – Commissioner, here is your phone”. 

The guy they were beating was the one who stole my phone and he was obviously one of the supporters. They said the guy had gotten to the gate and was about to step out when they caught him. How those guys knew the boy was the one who stole the phone despite the massive crowd of supporters still baffles me till today.

 

That was how I miraculously got my phone back. I instructed that they let the guy go, after all he had been dealt with before they got to where we were.

 

That became a major encouragement for me and I learned a profound lesson from it – when people truly like you, they would move mountains for you.That was a massive show of love!

I still have that phone carefully kept in my office till date😂😂😂😂

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 2: THE BOY'S THAT DISAPPEARED

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 2: THE BOYS THAT DISAPPEARED

During my time as the Commissioner for Youth and Sport in Oyo State between 2011-2013, there was a National Academical Sports Committee (NASCOM) competition for U17 football players. 

Oyo State had an U-17 team at the time and so, the various U-17 teams all over Nigeria came over to the State and participated in the competition. 

The Oyo State team won the competition and as a result were invited to a Football Clinic in South Carolina,U.S.A.

Once we got the invitation, I began to work towards getting approval and necessary funds to make going to South Carolina happen. Then, we applied for visas for everyone scheduled to travel and we got a positive response from the embassy; some members of the Oyo State Sport Council were billed to go with the team and so was I. 

So,sometimes in August 2012,the team and the other officials went ahead while I joined them days later.

After their first training at the camp, the boys retired to the hotel where they were to spend the night.I couldn’t see them immediately after their first training as I had arrived South Carolina that day,jet lagged; and so I went to the hotel I was lodged at straight from the airport.

The next morning, I went to their hotel to motivate them and that day they had a good outing during the first friendly match.

Then came the third day and I was greeted with an unexpected news. I was informed that they woke up and discovered that two members of the team could not be accounted for.

We were worried about what may have happened to the boys and we reached out to every relevant authority that we needed to lodge a complaint with. It was during the process of investigation that it was discovered through the CCTV footage of the hotel how the boys sneaked out in the middle of the night.

The first thing that got me worried was, these are boys that were teenagers, where do they know in the US that they are going to? These boys did not have their international passports with them, as the Ministry officials that had accompanied them were in possession of the passports and so I was really troubled at the kind of desperation that would have made these boys make such a daring move without any means of identification on them or any means to return to Nigeria if they wanted to.

As investigation progressed, we found out that, before they left Nigeria, they’d been in contact with certain people who had assured them that they would help them run away and also provide  all they’d need to start a new life in the US.

To cut the long story short, till we returned to Nigeria, we never found the boys. It was a big embarrassment to us. After we’d reported the incident to all relevant authorities and we couldn’t be staying on just like that, we had to return home with the rest of the contingent. 

Their passports remained with the ministry officials throughout.

 

Guess what – after we returned to Nigeria, some people that I know began to reach out to me pleading that the passports of the boys be released.

By running away, these boys had committed an offence, embarrassed the State and the country in the process so I was shocked that anyone would come and plead that I should release their passports, to begin with.They said that I shouldn’t blame the boys, after all they were Oyo State indigenes who had only gone in search of greener pastures.

 

The people who came to make the request then began to add subtle blackmail to their requests by saying that not releasing their passport may stand against me if I ever ran for any office in the State; that I might need the families of these boys in the future during elections and so for those reasons I should let the passport be given back to them.I DIDNT SUCCUMB TO THE BLACKMAIL.

Being in public office is challenging, the same people criticizing you in office are the ones who would also mislead you if care is not taken.

YOU WILL FACE TEMPTATIONS,YOU WILL BE BLACKMAILED AND CRITICIZED UNJUSTLY, while the unfortunate thing is that the people you are striving to serve diligently will join the crowd to criticize you.At some point you will be helpless and if care is not taken,you will cave in and join the bandwagon to do what is not right.

(join me every Wednesday at 6pm, as I share with you personal stories from my journey so far and the lessons I have learned from them)

 

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THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 1: ( LOYALTY )

​THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 1: LOYALTY

Don’t be in a haste to get your reward.

 

When I was elected into the 8th Assembly of the House of Representatives in 2015, the run for the seat of the Speaker was between Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. The APC both at the National and Oyo State had subtly passed a message at the time that APC members in the house should support the bid of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. 

The process ran its course and, in the end, My candidate Hon Femi Gbajabiamila lost while Hon. Yakubu Dogara emerged as Speaker of the 8th Assembly.

 

As usual,people whom we had stood in solidarity for Hon.Femi Gbajabiamila soon began to court the Newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Yakubu Dogara’s camp for favours and juicy appointments. 

For me, I chose to stick with Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. I knew very much what I had signed up for and I was willing to stay the course till the end,especially because our society is one where people tend to abandon those who seem to have had a setback somehow.

Beyond just accepting party decision and obeying the instruction, I believed in the person of Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to deliver as the Speaker.

It must also be pointed out that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected at that time Hon Yakubu Dogara and Hon Lasun Yussuf respectively did a fantastic job.

 

Throughout my time in the House, I steered off the Speaker’s camp. When I needed to get my bills/motion signed, I chose to go through the proper channel of communication which was longer - even though going straight to the Speaker could get it done faster. 

I spent four years in the House and in that time I never stepped into the office of the Speaker. I did my time and, when the tenure was over, I left  and returned to Ibadan.

 

Then Hon Femi Gbajabiamila got elected to lead the 9th Assembly.

The first time I communicated with the Speaker after I left was when I sent him an SMS to congratulate him upon his emergence as Speaker.

After that, there was no communication again until a friend of mine got in from London and I had to pick him up at the Muritala Muhammad International airport in Lagos.

Somewhere inside Lagos,I sighted the convoy of the Speaker and so I called him. We got the greetings done and I mentioned that I’d seen his convoy.He said he had just got into Lagos and he wished me well. That was it.

On another occasion, I was in Abuja yo renew my American Visa and I decided to visit a Honourable member friend whom we were in the House together. 

He asked if I’d spoken with the Speaker recently and I said No. “You should speak with Mr. Speaker,” he opined. He dialled his number, spoke with the Speaker and handed the phone to me. We exchanged pleasantries, the Speaker and I, and we wished each other the very best.

 

In November 2021, Stakeholders of the APC were summoned to Abuja after the state congress. I called a friend in Abuja who also works with the Speaker to ask if he could arrange a car to pick me at the airport. Few minutes after,he called me back: “Mr. Speaker says he will like to see you once you land in Abuja,” he said.

 

I touched down in Abuja, went to my accommodation, freshened up and then went to see the speaker in his office. We talked about things generally. He jokingly told others in the room that that was my first time in the office of the Speaker even though I had been a member of the House for four years. We all laughed. 

Thereafter he requested that I joined them to a member’s office who was celebrating his birthday which I did and I left for my hotel afterwards.

 

On November 17, 2021 I received a call from one of the media people covering the National Assembly who said “Congratulations you have just been announced as the Special Assistant - Political Matters (South West) to the speaker”.The rest is history as they say.

I remember vividly during our conversation while I was with the speaker he said “You’ve been with me since 2015, you never bothered us with anything, you remained loyal till the end.

As much as I am enjoying myself and having a good time out of office as anyone who knows me closely will know that I work extra hard when I am in any office either appointed or elected.But I see this as another call to serve and so will I take it.

There are over 200 million citizens of this great nation and when you are recognized and called to serve,you must take up the challenge humbly,roll up your sleeves and get on the job without wasting time.

 

The motive behind this story is to show that LOYALTY PAYS.

Don’t be in a haste to get your reward. The Speaker does/did not owe me a dime, we never signed any agreement in 2015 that he’d give me anything in return for my support. He only recognized loyalty and the reward for that loyalty took six years to come - 2015 till now. We must learn that not all rewards are immediate but they will surely come in due time.

 

(join me again next Wednesday and every Wednesday at 6pm, as I share with you personal stories from my journey so far and the lessons I have learned from them)

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omo oloore

​Again, I am bothered.

Of what significant or benefit will it be if at the end of going through the stress of getting PVC, one still doesn't have better options, credible candidates to vote for?

Will it not be a fruitless/futile effort to end up in the hands of some non-performing public office holders and ready-to-syphon money candidates? 

Are you also bothered?

*I think it is high time youths started to step forward and contest these positions too even as we continue our drive for the need to get PVC, else we won't stop having these 'square pegs in round holes'.*

 

What are the points?

1. Get your PVC

2. Encourage and support accessible, passionate, Intellectual and politically grounded youths only who are willing to contest.

*Great nations are not by accident. They are built by exemplary citizens who are poised to have a system that works and promotes good governance by all means. A system where national resources serve not few but all.*

#Anticipate #Youths #Omooloore #Dapo 

I am ready anytime to identify myself with noble youths with great objectives and significant intentions. 

Let's start the crusade people. I am ready. How happy can you be when you meet a favourite?

Fakunle Busayo NSI

Nigeria Musician Saheed Osupa Threatens To Expose Seyi Makinde – See Reason

​Fuji singer, Saheed Osupa is currently locked in a cold war with the Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

According to sources, the cold war between the singer and the governor is far from over even after the two were believed to have had a truce meeting.

In a recent show that was held at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, before the musician left Nigeria for a musical tour, he did declare war on the Governor saying he will unearth some dirty secrets about him in his upcoming album.

At the event, Osupa blasted the governor with songs and even promised to reveal some dirty secrets about the governor in Yoruba. “E ti ri nkankan o! gbogbo iwa palapala e ni mo ma reveal ninu orin mi to ma jade soon, e ma gbo wirnwinrin’ (you have seen nothing, I would reveal all his dirty acts in my new song, you would be stunned.)

Those in the know alleged that Osupa’s grudge against Makinde was what he termed ‘use and dump.’

Some months back, Osupa released an album where he told a story of Chief Rasheed Ladoja and Seyi Makinde mirroring it with betrayal and lies.