YORUBA HISTORY BRIEF History Of"Iwo Land In Osun State"

​BRIEF HISTORY OF IWO LAND IN OSUN STATE

Iwo is one of the ancient towns in Yorubaland. Its early history like the history of most Yoruba kingdoms, started at Ile-Ife early in the 11th century. Tradition relate that Adekola Telu, son of the sixteenth Ooni of Ife, Queen Luwo Gbagida, who migrated from Obalooran’s compound in Ile-Ife after the death of his mother. 

Prince Adekola Telu left Ile-Ife with a host of attendants headed to the unknown when they left Ile-Ife. However, his first settlement was at a place called Ogundigbaro which was a place located at the confluence of River Oba and River Osun. After a number of years at this settlement, they were forced to leave the place due to constant flooding.

After consultation with Ifa Oracle they moved to Erunmu District where they could not remain for a long time because of the depredation of wild animals around the area (Alademomi Kenyan). The sojourners then moved to Igbo-Orita from where, after a long time they proceeded to settle finally at Ile-Iwo.  It's claimed that Adekola Telu died at Igbo Orita. The site was a distance of about six (6) kilometres from the centre of the preset Iwo (Ibadan Iwo Garage).

Three descendants of Telu reigned here. They were Rounmu (who probably led the group there), ganfenumodi and Jikanmu (who had the most eventful reign). A separate account stated that while it was epidemic that sent them packing, they consulted Ifa oracle before leaving. Ifa therefore ordered them to leave Igbo Orita for a place where Eye Odidere (Parrot) abounded. It was on their way that Jikanmu fell sick and was being carried along by a man named Aimaku. Gossip House

As fate would have it, Jikanmu eventually gave up the ghost very near a river, which has today being named Adeke River (River where the King died – Obadeke) today. The man who was credited for founding the present Iwo was Olumade Parin. Parin had taken over from Jikanmu after his death, and had led the people to where Parrot is abounded. It was on their way that Jikanmu fell sick and was being carried along by a man named Aimaku.

The man who was credited for founding the present Iwo was Olumade Parin. Parin had taken over from Jikanmu after his death, and had led the people to where Parrot is abounded. That was how Parin became the first Oluwo in around 17th century.

Their kings are great by the successes achieved in war time. Their nobles show their nobility by their achievements at the war front. However, while Iwo shared similar sentiment of having a strong connection with Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yoruba race, the reason for their migration is far from wars but that of direct and willing migration from Ile-Ife. Iwo is located round towns and major settlements which includes Asa, Oluponna, Ile-Ogbo, Ogbaagba, Kuta, Telemu, Ikire-Ile, Bode-Osi, Ajagba, Ajagunlase and Ikonifin just to mention a few. 

The rulers of these aforementioned settlements pay traditional homage to the Oluwo of Iwoland, the paramount ruler in the area. It must therefore be noted with satisfaction that people of Iwo and its environs co-exist peacefully together while believers of Christian, Islamic and Traditional religions intermingle among one another without problem.

May God Bless Iwo Land 🙏

YORUBA HISTORY Brief History "Ayede Ekiti"

​AYEDE EKITI

   

Ayede Ekiti is a town in Oye LGA of Ekiti state, South West Nigeria. The town was said to have been founded by a warrior, General Izimo from Iye-Ekiti and a mercenary (hired fighter), Atta Esubiyi (Echubiyi- This darkness or invisible person) from Ibadan Kingdom, a statement on Ekiti govt website revealed. 

History has it that some Igalas migrated to Ibadan many years ago, and many of such people have 3 tribal marks like Kogi Igalas. Esubiyi (Echubiyi) in Igala means darkness or invisible as hired fighters can demonstrate different powers, thus the name. Further more, Attah Esubiyi was said to have derived the name Atta from his war friend and colleague, Atta Igala (probably of Attah Royal house) from Bida Nupe (recall Prince Echude, son of Attah Ayegba who formed Nupe kingdom as in my previous post). 

This Bida Igala warrior who fought along with Attah Esubiyi came with his Igala followers were part of the Ayede Ekiti community first settlers. But whether Attah Esubiyi was of Igala origin or not, his fighting colleague whom he adopted his name as well as his followers are Igalas, and their descendants are still members of Ayede Ekiti town.

 The title of the traditional ruler of Ayede Ekiti till date is Attah of Ayede.

And so, our Ayede Ekiti Igala brothers and sisters, blood is different from water, and we are the same Igala blood no matter how long we were separated. 

We will reconnect soon and separate never again. Abomi Igala chaka, welcome to South West Nigeria.

Credit to Moses Imisioluwa Olaoke 

Thank you for the brief history

Signs To Know When You're In The Right Relationship...

1.  You can read one another extremely well.

In a healthy and strong relationship, you reach a point where the two of you know each other wholeheartedly. You can figure out if something is really bothering him or not and vice versa. He might not even need to say it, but for example, you can just tell by the way he talks.

2. You are very comfortable with one another.

You know you're in the right relationship when you don't shy out around him and you're completely yourself. Both of you act comfortable around each other and seeking perfection is just not your thing.

3. Your Lives are not dependent on one another.

 Another sign you're in the right relationship, is when both of you have your separate lives and appreciate some privacy. It's so healthy for a couple not to interfere in each other's lives and still spend time separately. 

4. You bring out the best in each others!

When both of you encourage one another to be better persons in general, then you know you're in the right relationship. Both of you understand work commitments and totally push one another to a better future without being selfish.

5. You show each other complete respect.

Because all couples fight, it's very important that both of you respect each other during any kind of argument. If you don't cross that borderline of decency and appreciate each others opinions, then it's the right kind of relationship.

6. You always remember the little things.

You and your partner should always remember the little things that come across your paths. You should also know that in this fast-paced life, we can be overwhelmed and unintentionally forget about things. If you're in the right relationship, you will make the sweet insignificant moments count.

7. You trust each others completely.

The best relationships are always built on mutual trust. Both of you should never keep secrets from one another, because trust is simply the backbone of any relationship. If you do trust your partner, then this relationship is worth keeping.

8. Sorry is not the hardest word in the relationship.

 One important sign you're in the right relationship, is that both of you know how to say sorry and apologize. If you have done something that pissed off your loved one, you know creative ways to say sorry and make them smile.

9. Your support for one another is unconditional.

Being there for each other is one of the things that can tell you you're in the right relationship! Standing by each other in rough times will just bring you closer to each other, increasing the bond you have more and more. 

10. Acknowledging and accepting each other's differences.  

Accepting each other's differences is what a healthy relationship is all about. People have different interests, opinions and hobbies. If the two of you understand this clearly, then you can guarantee you're in the right relationship.

11. You forgive and forget.

Nobody is perfect and we all have a past. If you can let go of the past and still enjoy being together, then this shows you're in the right relationship.

THE OMO OLOORE STORIES STORY 10: OMO OLOORE YOUNG PERSON/CORPER OF THE MONTH AWARD

THE OMO OLOORE STORIES

 

STORY 10: OMO OLOORE YOUNG PERSON/CORPER OF THE MONTH AWARD 

 

After I got sworn-in as a member of the House of Representatives in 2015, I came up with a program – The Oyo State Young Person of the Month. 

The idea behind this was to encourage young entrepreneurs who were bootstrapping their businesses and making tangible progress. The reward for being selected as the winner for the month was N100,000. After the program ran for a while we then added another one – corps member of the month(For those serving). That way, every month we were doing both.

 

In November 2018, my team and I decided to do a follow up on those who had received the awards in the past and it was then we made an interesting discovery. We found out that most people were just following for the sake of the awards; after winning the awards some of them had unfollowed me. That was not the worst – some of them had even blocked my account after receiving the award.

The process of picking the winner(s) was very transparent and without bias as people voted and the person with the highest number of votes gets to win.

Then shortly before the 2019 elections as I was consulting, I discovered that all along, a lot of politicians were angry about the initiatives. Why were they angry? They were angry that I was giving that huge amount to young people who were not politicians nor had political inclinations. 

They opined that the awards were given to people who hadn’t done anything to ensure my victory at the polls; and that, perhaps, these people who got the awards did not even have voter’s card.

In fact, some of the people who had complained bitterly behind me for all those years were those who surrounded me. Some of them were folks whom I was paying salaries monthly; yet they felt marginalized because some young business people got N100,000. I feel it was the amount of money that got many riled up.

 

This resentment from the political class had been on for so long and I did not know. At that point, I could not stop the program, I just decided that if I was re-elected into the House, maybe we could create a third category to be dubbed ‘Young Politician of the Month’. 

Unfortunately, we lost and only two out of the numerous past winners reached out after the elections.Aye ooooooo😂😂😂

 

It was very discouraging to realize that while trying to be a decent young person in office by being supportive to young entrepreneurs and not only politicians ,I lost some political followers and sadly the ones I was losing political followers for were also not appreciating the gesture.

The people for whom you get into disfavour with the political class are the same people that would disregard all your effort.

People hardly put themselves in the leaders’ shoes – they do not feel that political office holders are human and feel pains too.

The people that you’re going out of your way to do things for are the ones who do things that break your heart. Be Wise

 

There are so many lessons to be learnt here for would be leaders,present leaders and followers.

 

DO NOT FORGET TO GO GET YOUR PVC

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​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?

 

(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 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.

(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 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😂😂😂😂

(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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