A Note to Iwoland Development Development Detractors by ADENIYI RUFAI Before you call us names, try to find how we came into an existence and what we stand for. IDC belongs to us but it is only through your committed effort and displayed patriotism you can be one of the leading members, not how long you've been partaking. Seriously, I still can't believe it that some of us have negative motives toward this coalition despite the relentless effort of our founding members.

Iwoland Development Coalition (IDC) logo

To be candid, and as a matter of fact on the issue regarding IDC, and some upcoming groups like Ileogbo Development Forum. I couldn't believe it although it was foreseen and predicted. It is just that we didn't know it would be this soon. It is a great disappointment. I can vividly tell you that I am one of the brains behind IDC and many others you have not being hearing their names. Yet, still actively and partially partaking either financially or through other means in our activities. IDC was initiated not for political motive. Its objective is mainly for community development and to call on all interested IWOLAND (AIYEDIRE, IWO, AND OLA-OLUWA LGA) indigenes home and abroad to come together as one and form a formidable force to contribute their quotas on social, economic, political and cultural development with no affiliation to any political party(ies). Like a joke, we started on social media. I became a friend to our leader who is well known as Community Servant (CS) in person of Mr. Kabir Adisa Kulukulu (FCA) on Facebook whom I never met before until I came home. I got to know him through his activities and posts online about Guildance Community Development Foundation. We chatted, and later exchanged number and started calling each other from time to time on different ideas on how to make Iwoland become a city of our dream. I realized that my own little boy's heart and mind for development mirrors his on community development. I have had my own RAI FOUNDATION on Facebook for a while which I used to help my friends and some associates within my reach. When I realized it was getting too much on me and my income wasn't up to the request I kept getting from friends. I contacted him (CS) and decided to ask him to let us form a group that will champion development in our community. He (Mr Kabir Adisa) was mainly doing his community service through Guidance Community Development Foundation to people of Ibadan. I convinced him to let us focus mainly on Iwoland and get the youths of like minds together to work with. He agreed and we started fashioning out ideas. IDC was initially known as IWO PROJECT on Facebook and BBM Group. The name was an idea of Ambassador Saheed Akintunde "Akeweje" aka Democrat. Saheed Akintunde's motive was to use IWO PROJECT to replace #IWOLOKAN2018 slogan. #Iwolokan2018 was hash-tagged by Alhaji Toafiq Odunayo Badru aka ElCerebro. His intention was to use the name to champion Osun State Gubernatorial for IWO. Mr Akintunde Saheed's concern was that the name iwolokan2018 sounded somehow and may create hatred for IWO among its Osun West Senatorial District members. We quickly think of something else and adopted Iwo Project as our name and it was mainly myself, Saheed Akintunde, Tunde Fatunmbi, Engr Shuaib Alabi Pedro. Few days later, Tunde Badru "Dat Iwo-Boi", Alh Odunayo Badru, Alh Ahmed Abdulraheed Saheed Alausa, Yusuf Saliman, Musa Fatai Freedom, Mr Kabir Adisa and then Prince Adewale Akanbi (now Oba Adewale Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwoland) joined us. We also contacted few others like Barr Kabir Alayo, Com Akin Asifat Gofment, Aremo Maruf Adedapo, Prince Jide Osunwo to be mentioned but few. Our first initiative was health clinic which was to address the health situation in Iwoland. We later swung into action by patching of Adeeke- Odo Ori road which was led by Oba Adewale Akanbi, Mr Adisa Kabiru Adeniyi and Mr Tunde Badru aka Dat Iwo-Boi acted as the secretary to the group. As time flew by, I realized that Mr Kabir Adisa was tirelessly working on how to build Health Clinic for the people of Iwo/Akinbami Village due to unavailability of either clinic or hospital in that village and was to be championed by Guildance Community Development Foundation and Airtel Telecommunication. He informed me and many other people with good heart for community development. Mr Adisa initiated a whatsapp group mainly to discuss and champion this cause and also to source for fund. We started sharing contacts of people to reach out in gathering financial support and after so many trials and an unexpected accident that nearly took the life of Engr Shu'aib Alabi Pedro and Engr Yusuf Adeleye "Abu Haneefa", we finally commissioned AKINBAMI HEALTH CLINIC in Ayedire Local Government. Later, we challenged ourselves and ask for physical meeting instead of an online. The idea of meeting physically was mentioned by Alh Adebayo Lasis (FCA) and the first meeting took place at 155 Bowen Street Oke-Odo, Iwo hosted by Mr Kabir Adisa. Among people expected were Alh Bayo Lasisi (FCA) one of our pioneer fathers of this initiative though, he could not make it to the meeting. But there were over ten members at the meeting like; Mr Kabir, Mr Tunde Badru, Mrs Gbemisola Adisa-Lawal, Adisa Idayat Abisola, Sulaiman Olaide, Sheu Roji, Muslim Lukman and few others I couldn't remember. In summary, several names were suggested at this meeting to name our group which Iwoland Development Coalition (IDC) was later adopted at the second meeting after several deliberations. This was how IDC came to birth and existence. Mr Kabir Adisa was collectively agreed to be coordinating it due to his community service and humanitarian experience and being the founder of GCDF and initiator of ongoing Akinbami Health Clinic Project. He was the one funding most of the assignments to be embarking on by himself before we formed this coalition and started calling for help. How did we get other local government involved is another big task and with this he deserves a very big applause. Mr Kabir Adisa was the one sourcing for members across the globe that are people from Iwoland. He started calling and giving them follow up on the needs to develop our community by ourselves. Among the big fishes we got with open heart was Mallam Olawale Rasheed through Comd Akin Gofment's recommendation, Lekan Afonrinwo, Engr Semiu Odeyinka and many others. Later people like Prince Lekan Aforiwo, Prince Ayo Ojedokun, Elder Bisi Ogunkale, and others were also contacted and joined us along the way and we all had no issue or rancor but fostering and prospering with good faith and unity, and love became our founding spirit. Later, due to known or unknown political reason of some elements among us. Some guys started distracting the group and causing chaos, forming sub-groups and group within the same group which I can say it is normally wherever because where there is a large number of people, such things should definitely be expected. To my greatest surprise, I was called and informed that some people have started discouraging our financiers and calling for their heads or asking them to stop supporting our initiatives that Iwo people only wants Iwo to be developed with no interest in its suburb or environs. This same few people that orchestrated this divisive action were the one that later formed their own forum. May we all be rewarded according to our motives. To me, when I was informed of their ongoing activities, I told all members that it is a good idea. IDC alone cannot do it. Let us have sub-groups and branches that will be doing similar things, what we all want is development except that we shouldn't be distracted, divided but rather let us make sure our mission and objective still remain the same. But the motive of these guys were not meant to foster the same IDC ideology but to dislodge, break, divide and cause enmity within IDC all because of their selfish and personal political interest to champion the motive of their principal they believe in. With their hope that it will render IDC powerless. We are not asking for other group(s) not to be formed, inasmuch it is for the development of our community. With no joke, what we won't condone is to divide IDC to form theirs. It won't be easy and anyone we find stealing our ideas without our knowledge or approval, such persons if happened to be in our group may be likely be removed or permanently banned only if his or her action is bringing chaos and misunderstanding among us. In summary, IDC doesn't belong to anyone, it belongs to us all but there must be a leader and decision makers in a group of hundreds of people. And for you to be among leading decision making members, you will have to display exemplary leadership trait and commitment per excellence and not bit and beg ideas. IDC has come to stay and nothing shall deter us. We are ready to do what is necessary and we must act decisively. Thanks a bunch to all our members and every committed fellows of this selfless founding members for their relentless commitment.

No doubt, the executive governor of Osun State is in a self created mess for lack of quality leadership and public administration. Many agreed that the lousy governor has bitten more than what he can chew with his elephant projects without thorough assignment before embarking on them. He aimed at turning Osun State into Abu Dhabi with zero income within first term of his administration.

Surely, the able and visionary governor of the people needs both internal and external support only if he has a listening hears, and willing to welcome alternative advise before he turns the state into famine zone at the expense of urban renewal agenda. For Mr. Governor to get himself out of the present situation, he may ought to call on all Osun State stake holders including past executive governors of the state for a remedial course on how it needs to be done and how they successful did it.

It is crystal clear that Ogbeni is totally confused. I hope all the concern fellows of the state are watching and not with siddon-look attitude but in a manner to proffer solution to problem facing the state and the innocent civil servants.

If I may be right, Osun State APC chapter has all the past executive governors of the state being one of the political strategy used by loveable Ogbeni to silent all strong oppositions in his government. Should he meant well for the state, he may need to consult all these experienced former governors since they all belong to the same camp for a way out before it getting out of hand if it has not yet. Possibly, organizing a summit/workshop within and among the Central Working Committer-CWC of the ruling party, All Progressive Party-APC and his administrative body for a lasting solution. A blue print with road map for on how to effectively and proactively lead and govern a state without being bankruptcy. Otherwise, he may need to relinquish the power to those who are willing and ready to lead with clear defined clues of successful public administrative experience.

Anyway, it is not a surprise why he's enjoying the luxury of ruling the State of Osun recklessly. It is all the fault of the rubber stamps called state honorables that could not grip their fist tight in voicing out for the people they are representing.

Alternatively, the state honorables are in the best position to help the suffering civil servants and people of the state only, if Osun State House of Assembly members understand their role as not only for law making but image of the grassroots that voted them into power. There will not be any excuse for them at this juncture than to pass a vote of no confidence on the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for his lack of competence and leadership failure without waiting for no one to advising them before doing the needful due to dismal economic situation of the state. Although a friend who is very closed to the last regime of Gov Aregbesola  made it known to me in our online discussions that our honorables cannot do anything because some of the so called state honorables are nothing but puppets who has no idea of what their roles and legislative functions entail. In his words, "it is only a genuine and true representatives of the people that can understand the language and type of music the people of their constituency are dancing to now". I confirmed this when I was home because the town was not smiling.

Well, I am cock sure, some of our folks will dogmatically be defending him (Aregbesola) when they see this post. It is crystal clear that we are the architects of our predicaments. Although PDP wasn't okay for us as we all claimed in the change we seek  before now. But APC led government under Ogbeni Aregbesola is nothing but a curse for our the state (Osun) and the party that presented him for the second term except those who feeding fat in his cabinet can denying this.

Having said this, with no regret, I think it will be advisable for Mr. Governor to voluntarily step-down/resign. The state is no longer finding it comfortable anymore under his regime. He has grossly failed us. We are fed up and tired of his propaganda. Osun needs a new breed, reform that will transform the state to a fulfilling one and not the one we are experiencing for now.

Without gainsaying or politicizing it, the State of Osun is not rocking as is used to be at all. The situation is very precarious, and if it is not addressed in time, things may fall apart beyond remedy. The state and its managers must seek a redress for good. A summit is a must!

If you want to know why, ask me so you may understand the reason why this piece is particularly on Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.


God bless Osun State.


'Niyi Rufai
Brooklyn, NY
ff: @niyirufai

I have been tagged among the social media circle and even by close friends and associates to be an enemy of my amiable governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Some see me as PDP apologist. They said I have seen nothing good in the administration of Ogbeni. They said I do capitalise on his little flop and never appreciate most of his 'giant strides' in the state. Some even said my problem is with the APC as a party. I have received different strokes of words on social media and even physically. They said I am just an 'enemy' of progress.

Like I use to say, most time we allow our political affiliation to affect our right sense of judgement. This is one of the very reason I find it difficult to identify myself with any political party. I don't care about the party you belong provided you have all it takes to be a good leader. I believe so much in personality rather than your political party. I have little respect for party.

Aregbesola is a person I so much respect in the political arena. Even before he came into power, he was just like a semi god before many Osun indigenes including myself. I love him passionately. I adore him. He was received by everybody with an open heart. He was believed to be the Messiah the state has been longing for. He was just like a king before the masses. He brought his Oranmiyan group and we all embraced it. He came into the state with sophisticated innovations. His campaign started as early as 2004. We all believed he meant business in turning around Osun state for good.

His political approach is second to know. He spent little time to register his name in the heart of everybody in the state. Everybody became his vanguard. He is loved by all.

I personally fall a victim of his abracadabra. And how did it start?!
An educational programme for those that  have failed WAEC more than one time was launched by a body called FoRA (Friends of Rauf Aregbesola) in 2005. The programme was simultaneously being done throughout the local governments in the state. I was in SS2 that year. I picked the form as a person that have left secondary school. I filled and submitted it. An examination was conducted and I passed. FoRA later picked GCE WAEC forms for more than hundreds of us. I wrote the exam and passed all my subjects excluding geography. I have three distinctions in that result. I fell in love with Aregbe from that year. I followed up all his activities till the 2007 general elections. I campaigned for him in my little capacity. His election was the first election I will ever participated at just age18. I could remember my dad doing everything to discourage me from taking part in the election due to the volatility of election that time. I  went against his instructions simply to vote for my hero, Aregbesola. It was glaring that he won the election but he was denied. INEC returned Prince Oyinlola Olagunsoye as the winner of the election. We knew we were cheated. Legal action began and we followed it up. I was so optimistic that Aregbesola will win the case in the court. After more than three years, he reclaimed his mandate and we were all happy. It was a victory for democracy, a victory for the masses. Our Messiah has come. All hail Engr Rauf Aregbesola. His love know no boundary. He was loved across religion and ethnic line. Engr Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was humble enough to drop all titles. He said we should address him as Ogbeni. He started on a very good note. He fulfilled his promise of employing 20,000 youths in his first 100 days in office. He started a whole lot of developmental project. He launched his six integral actions plan. They were all wonderful programmes. The idea of starting his programmes with letter 'O' was laudable. Everyone likes the initiative in the first place. I could remember he started with dredging of major rivers and channels in the state. The issue of flooding was reduced to the barest minimum throughout the state.

Where Aregbesola began to get it wrong.
He decided to spend millions of naira in changing Osun state to State of Osun. He designed a new flag and anthem for the state. Of what economic importance are these to the state?!  He spent the first six months or thereabouts of his administration without a commissioner. He claimed he's saving money for the state. He continued in his show of not understanding the atmosphere of the state by engaging in projects that are frivolous in nature.

On education, he launched a new school system. He merged schools together in an unceremonious way. Chief Obafemi Awolowo' dream was to a have a school 1km away from one another. Students now need to track between 3-5km to the nearest 🏫school.  He spent billions in erecting more class rooms when what most of the school in the state needed are renovation, standard laboratories and libraries, more teachers, class room electrification and the likes. He spent close to 8 billions in procuring computer tablets to just SS3 students. No provision of textbooks for primary schools and SS2-JS1 students.

Urban planning, development and beautification projects has remained a sham outside Osogbo the state capital . The project has killed many businesses in the state and yet there's no hope it will be completed in the nearest future.

Aregbesola has continued to run the state like a one man business.

I see no justification for any government to owe his workers Six months salaries. The salary issue is just the epitome of his lackadaisical attitude towards governance. How would a responsible government continue to hold his workers to ransom. Whatever reasons it maybe, there's no justification for it. Leadership is all about solving problems. We elected Aregbesola to give us dividend of democracy. The masses are crying. We can't continue in Osun state in this present condition. No one hate Aregbesola, he simply play upon the intelligence of the masses and they simply revolt. The response the government is receiving is long overdue. The patient is over. We need a swift action from the government. We want to go back to our glorious day. We don't hate our governor, we simply want the best for our people.


Yusuff Ola-Gold Mutalub is a graduate of Geology and Exploration Geophysics from Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. He is a social crusader, community developer and social commentator. He writes from Ibadan, Nigeria.
Email: yusuffmutalub@gmail.com

Remember Me
By Shina Orodele

Discussing on a forum this evening, one of my senior comrades asked of our role in tomorrow's election and what have we done to sensitise the public especially towards a peaceful election, I pondered on his question and decided that I would rather not give an honest answer to that question or perhaps rather not answer the question.

As an individual, to ponder too much on his question or try to answer it is to put myself in a position of guilt. Guilt of what I should have done as a good citizen of the nation but couldn't. One good one can always do as a good citizen, especially one who is well informed of his environment is to try to orientate one's fellow citizens, especially those who have eyes but cannot see, those who have ears but cannot hear and those whose reasoning have not grown beyond the  ethnic and religious sentiments when deciding on national issues. One's duty is to make them see the light and hear the word so that they can be saved.

The feeling of guilt is not for the strong, so I was told a long time ago by someone I can no longer remember. Unfortunately, I am not strong and I still feel guilt, perhaps not guilt, maybe bad about somethings. However, I always find ways to fix the blame on something and make recompense or find solution.

So please, before you assist me to feel guilty - some people help in everything - kindly note that I blame my inability to sensitise my fellow citizens on what it is going on on the Yoruba proverb that says: aja ti o ma sonu, ko ni gbo fere ode (a dog that is bent on getting lost will not listen to the whistle of the hunter). Almost all the people around me are educated and at least know what is right. Some of these people, while education has not been able to cure them of the disease of ethnic and religious sentiments, on no condition will you find them disrupting the peace of the society save on the internet. These are people with visions and missions, though I fear, selfish visions and missions.

Yes, aja ti o ma sonu, ko ni gbo fere ode, I believe for those who are bent towards destruction, no amount of  words of hope and peace that can make them change their minds.  However, like my friend Simon Archibong, who preaches to me always on the need to have Jesus Christ in my life and go to church like every good christian and despite ignoring his messages, believes he shouldn't give up on me as it could be a word that he will say that would make me believe in his teaching or belief - funny. And in the staunch belief of my Senior Comrade, 'Niyi Rufai, who believes that a simple word of peace could change a mind or two of those bent on destruction, I have just few words to say:

I do not want you to remember Aregbesola and Oyinlola and those people that lost their lives in their political conflicts.

I do not want you to remember Obasanjo and Tinubu and the words of insults they exchanged when they were sworn enemies.

I do not want you to remember all the former political enemies now kori kosun (close friends) and many people that died during their political enmity.

But please remember me, Shina Orodele, an unknown young man, living in a lungu (corner) of Lagos State who doesn't believe GEJ or GMB hold more stake than him in the business called Nigeria or by the condition of their positions are more important than him and hence cannot sacrifice his life for their desires.

Please remember me, a still unknown young man who finds it foolish to lose or destroy himself or his ambition in the process of fulfilling the ambition of another man.

Remember Shina who tries to be factual and sees things as they are. One who will listen to your arguments on the need to support your candidate but filters it with the sieve of reality and make a logical conclusion and decision.

Remember me, one who will, God willing, cast his vote tomorrow for the betterment of Nigeria and allows the political parties' agents to guard the votes while he goes back to his room to watch television and probably play video games.

Comrade Shina Orodele
Lagos, Nigeria