Olaosebikan’s New Initiative In Oyo Politics

IT was very pleasing and at the same time intriguing when I read in the Tribune newspaper that a staunch AC member, Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, was planning to honour a natural rival, Alhaji Yemi Yusuf, the national Ex-officio of the PDP. At first, I thought he was trying to create an avenue to defect to PDP.

But when I found out that while he would be hosting the PDP executive, he would at the same time be holding a lecture to address the problems of leadership in Oyo State, I opted to attend the function, though with fear that the occasion might turn riotous. With my heart in my mouth, I was at the Lyrics Nite Club and found myself in the midst of mostly well dressed and well comported personalities.

The introduction of the event by Femi Popoola erased all the doubts in me as to the rationale and intention of the organisers. And when the proprietor of Lyrics, Kehinde Olaosebikan, delivered his speech, it became glaring that all he wanted was to honour a friend and change the political chemistry of Oyo State. Without any reference to any party, Olosebikan said politicians in Oyo State should eschew hatred, bitterness and see one another as brothers and sisters.

After leaving the place, I ruminated over the speeches made, including those of Engineer Femi Babalola, the lecturer, Mr. Jare Ajayi and even the PDP National Ex-officio, Alhaji Yemi Yusuf, and concluded that it was high time we started changing the political chemistry of Oyo State. We cannot progress when those who are good friends today, would tomorrow be sworn enemies – all because of politics.

Comrade Abiodun Olasupo,
S6/284a, Oke-Odo, Ibadan

Giving Peace A Chance

THERE is nothing that has a beginning that has no end. There is a time to be born and a time to die. At last, the age-long dispute between two prominent communities in Kwara State, Offa and Erin-Ile, is over.

The crisis has been finally resolved, courtesy of the wisdom of the Kwara State Government. The crisis, which centred mainly on land acquisition, has claimed lives of many innocent citizens while property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

It is on record that the land dispute between the Offa and Erin-Ile people had been on for about 30 years. Children of both communities that were not yet born when the dispute started, have graduated from one higher institution or the other, while some of their children have grown up and have even become parents.

Two communities in Osun State that were also involved in a similar land dispute like Offa and Erin-Ile were Ife and Modakeke, but this too has now become history. Members of the two communities are now living happily together.

The dispute between Offa and Erin-Ile was disturbing as the two communities shared the same boundary, inter-married and had lots of things in common.

According to the State Deputy Governor, Chief Joel Ogundeji, an 8.5 kilometre road would be constructed to demarcate the disputed land. And at the end of the construction work, the portion would then be called Kwara Unity Road.

The road would serve as an access road that would not only facilitate the development of the area but would transform the area to an industrial estate.

Those that are percived to be behind the crisis should give peace a chance for the sake of the children yet unborn and for the future of the two communities.

Tunde Alabi wrote from Ilorin, Kwara State.