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OPINION: Obasa, His Mouth And Wild Pigeon

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By Suyi Ayodele

Mudashiru Obasa was until January 13, 2025, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly. He was first elected to the House in 2007. He was re-elected in 2011, 2014, 2019 and 2023! If his mouth allowed him to complete his current term, he would have been a member of the Lagos legislative arm for 25 years.

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Like the proverbial squirrel whose palm kernel was cracked for him by a benevolent spirit, Obasa began his political career as a councillor in 1999 at his Agege Local Government Area of the state under the banner of Alliance for Democracy (AD). He has God to thank and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to worship for his rise to political stardom.

But like the biblical Jeshurun, who in Deuteronomy 32: 15 is recorded thus: “ But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation:, Obasa thought that having been Speaker for a period of 10 years less four months, he is now bigger and stronger than those who made him. He was made to pay for that indiscretion on January 13, when he was impeached by the House.

The pigeon is a lovely bird. It is equally a spiritual bird. It is not the type of avian that one will slaughter occasionally for consumption. Yeah, people do eat the pigeon. It is a delicacy one will crave after the first taste. But the bird is revered and, in some cases, worshipped as a deity. Its most appealing characteristic is its loyalty to its owner. The pigeon can be trusted to stand by you no matter the vicissitudes of life.

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Pigeons are sold in pairs, male and female. Its reproduction is also in pairs. It lays two eggs, hatches the two and they come out male and female. Why it is so, only the Creator knows. A domesticated avian, the pigeon has its sibling in the wild. It is called òrófó in my place. The English translation of òrófó is wild pigeon.

Òrófó shares the same reproductive system with the pigeon. The two have so many things in common. The only difference is that while the pigeon is a peaceful bird, òrófó on its part is boastful. There are so many folktales about òrófó. One of them tells why one can hardly find a flight of òrófó as one finds a colony of pigeons. Òrófó, according to the tale, tells the sharpshooter that it remains out of the reach of the hunter’s bullets. To prove it, the hunter often fires at the bird of pride. In some cases, the hunter uses a catapult. The pigeon does not suffer such fate.

The most interesting tale about òrófó is the one the elders of my place use in cautioning men to be circumspect about what comes out of their mouths. The saying, the mouth of a bird is its undoing; the wild pigeon lays two eggs, hatches two chicks and brags about that its nest is filled up with chicks (Ẹnu ẹyẹ níí p’ẹyẹ; ẹnu òrófó níí pa òrófó; òrófó yé eyin méjì, ó bímọ mẹ́jì, ó ní ilé òun kún ṣọ́ṣọ́ṣọ́), tells the story.

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According to the tale, while in the comity of other birds, òrófó boasted that its nest was filled up with so many chicks. Other birds that were familiar with the reproductive capacity of òrófó wondered where it got the other chicks. But the hawk had a different idea. Since òrófó said its house was filled up with chicks, it would not be a bad idea that anytime the hawk was hungry, òrófó’s nest was where to go look for food. And on each occasion, the hawk would end up eating the two hatched chicks in òrófó’s nest, leaving the mother to wail about the calamity. That is why it is difficult to find a flight of òrófó; its offspring are in the belly of the hawk due to the indiscretion of the mother bird.

As it is with òrófó, so it is with any man who cannot control his mouth. The Holy Book, the Bible, in Proverbs 18:21, talks about the power of the tongue. It says in the tongue lies death and life. The Scripture, again, in James 3:5-6, describes the tongue as a fire in spite of its small size. African Indigenous Religion (AIR) – I got the new nomenclature from Professor Wande Abimbola who cautioned that we should not denigrate our religion by calling it African Traditional Religion (ATR) – talks about the talkative pawn of Àlàbá (Ìwòfà Àlàbá), who says everything he sees.

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Ìwòfà Àlàbá, however, met his waterloo the day he told the king that he saw a dried-up corpse on a tree, which talked like it was still alive. The king and his chiefs followed Ìwòfà Àlàbá to the spot and though there was a corpse on the tree, it refused to talk. It was after the execution of Ìwòfà Àlàbá for deceiving the throne that the corpse spoke! Discretion is the master of all wisdom.

Nigerian politics is a one-way traffic. There are owners of each state of the Federation. Governors are the most powerful in the political calculation of this era. It is even more dangerous if the governor enjoys the backing of the godfather. There is no point denying that President Tinubu is the godfather of all political godfathers in Nigeria today. He is what my people call Òòsà àkúnlèbo (the deity one worships on his knee). Many said that the president earned that stature through the deployment of his deadly political strategies. Those who contested that in the past have terrible tales to tell.

It was that formidable man that Obasa confronted frontally while receiving Governor Babajide Sawo-Olu to the Lagos State House of Assembly to present the year 2025 Appropriation Bill to the House on November 21, 2024. It is foolish to call the servant on an errand for the master, stupid. The insult goes back to the master.

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To start with, Obasa was said to have kept the governor and members of the Governor’s Advisory Council waiting for close to two hours. Why did he do that? Did he not have the information that the governor would be coming? What point was the Speaker trying to prove? And when he elected to receive the party, the Speaker spent 11 and half minutes, lecturing, threatening and disparaging the August visitor.

I watched the video of the encounter, and I wondered who prepared pounded yam for Obasa and assured him that getting the soup would not be a problem. I equally got a full text of the Speaker’s speech, and each sentence points at a man who voluntarily sought death in its corner! From the beginning to the end, Obasa spoke like someone who has Lagos in his pocket.

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In paragraph four, for instance, Obasa warned that the conviviality between the House and the governor notwithstanding, “… it is necessary to harp on the fact that under democracy, this arm of government remains independent.” He told the governor that the Assembly “is a sanctuary and temple, just like every other temple anywhere where we all worship. No one will violate any temple and expect the gods to accept his or her sacrifice. And if such happens, there must be an appease to the gods to accept such atonement. No amount of intimidation or coercion will disintegrate or change the belief of all the members of this institution!”

Obasa was bold, and he did not hide it. Governor Sanwo-Olu, he warned, should perish the idea of getting a wishy-washy budget as “this honourable House will look at the budget and do the necessary scrutiny as usual”, adding that the assembly “will never be disgraced, abused or ridiculed in the name of creating a seamless working ambience.” Good talk. But not here; not in this nation!

The governor maintained his cool. That probably emboldened the Speaker to further warn “that those who live in glass houses must not throw stones as the saying goes…. In other words, those who are facilitating or planning to interfere in this House or destroy the cohesion of this institution should also be prepared for the same fate.”

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Like someone under a spell, Obasa went ahead to talk about the touchy issue of Lagos governorship in 2027 and declared that if he made up his mind, he would contest, pointing out that he was not “too young or lack experience to run; whereas those who have been before me are not better off.”

Then he boasted, like a poor student of the concept of Avoidance Strategy in Stylistics, about his enviable ancestry which he claimed had never been in doubt and declared that he had “never claimed to be related to Onikoyi, Oniru, or any of the other popular Lagos families as the case may be.” Háà! ‘Lénu e (for your mouth), Mudashiru!

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My people say that every man knows which proverb points in his direction; only the coward feigns ignorance. Who was Obasa’s target when he talked about not claiming any relationship with “any of the other popular Lagos families as the case may be?” Who were the past governors of Lagos State that “are not better off?” How did the Agege boy forget that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was once a governor of the state; that Tinubu is believed to have ‘built’ Lagos? Did he also have the inimitable Alhaji Lateef Jakande in mind as one those past governors?

If it were to be true that Obasa is better than all the other past governors of Lagos State, what does the first law of Robert Greene’s “The 48 Laws of Power” say about subordinates not outshining their masters? Where was Obasa when the late Senator Bayo Osinowo addressed the Assembly and told them how God reminded Satan that He, God “will never create, and I have never created, and I will never create what I can never destroy”?

Why did the ex-speaker decide to throw overboard the fine words of advice from the late senator to wit: “So, the leaders will not promote anybody they can never destroy. The leaders will not promote anybody they can never tear to pieces. They have codes, as they are promoting you, they are keeping your…, what do you call it, your file. So, if you continue doing good, they keep on giving you good things… But when you step on the toes of those who created you, you are in trouble. My new colleagues, I am begging your listen to your leaders…?”

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Obasa grew up in Lagos. His knowledge of native wisdom may not be as sound as those of us the Lagosians call “ará ìlú òkè (those from the hinterlands). But he spoke about “eni bá yára l’ògún ńgbè. Meaning, the god of iron favours the swift”. If he knows that, why did he forget the wisdom in the saying that the okro can never be taller than the one that planted it; that to harvest the seeds, all the farmer needs to do is to bend the stem?

If native intelligence is lost on him, what about the injunction in the Qur’an, which in Surat 6, (2) Al-An’am, Allah “He is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a stated term (for you to die). And there is with Him another determined term (for you to be resurrected), yet you doubt (in the Resurrection)?”

Why did he not ask his Christian friends in the House to interpret Jeremiah 18:1-6, where God instructed Prophet Jeremiah to proceed to the potter’s house to learn the wisdom of what the creator can do to his creatures? Why did he not read verse 6 which says: “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

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If it were to be a sane clime, Obasa would have been applauded for establishing the independence of the Assembly. But here, the godfather is like God. He creates and destroys that which he created! That is exactly what happened to Obasa on January 13. At a time, he was hearing the footsteps of his fellow members behind him, he never realised that those ones had gone back to take instruction from the godfather. That was why when his time came, nobody stood up to defend him! The creator holds the “codes!”

Power is like the venison of hoopoe (Àgbìgbò). It is the sweetest of all meats. No hunter likes to share it with anybody. If the godfather’s son is interested in Lagos in 2027, wisdom demands that all clay political creatures of the godfather should steer clear. Every wrestler should know that whenever he is confronted by his personal god, the end to all bouts has come. When a pigeon turns to òrófó, the hawk is always available to eat its chick.

How Obasa allowed himself to be drawn to fight his own Ori (head/destiny) is a research topic for students of Political Science. Now the godfather has scored yet another goal. 2027 will be an interesting year in Lagos. But more importantly, the dramas and razzmatazz that will herald the year are going to be more interesting. May we all be alive and have enough money to buy popcorn and ice cream as we watch the soap opera.

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UNICEF Urges Women To Breastfeed Babies Within One Hour Of Birth, Warns Against Breastmilk Substitutes Usage

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The United Nations Children’s Fund has called on pregnant women in Borno State to initiate their newborns into breastmilk consumption within one hour of birth

Speaking during the flag-off event of the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week on Saturday in Maiduguri, the state capital, the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Busiku, stated that only 35.5 per cent of children in Nigeria were initiated to breastmilk within one hour of birth, and only 28.8 per cent were exclusively breastfed

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According to him, this year’s theme, “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support System”, highlights the urgent need to prioritise actions and systems leading to equitable access to breastfeeding, especially for vulnerable women in rural and conflict-affected areas.

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He said, “Only 35.5 per cent of children in Nigeria were initiated to breastmilk within one hour of birth, and only 28.8 per cent were exclusively breastfed.

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“Every child born in Borno State deserves to be initiated to breastmilk within one hour of birth, exclusively, breastfed for the next six months of life and continue breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond”

Francis also warned against the use of breastmilk substitutes and unsafe water, while noting that it poses a serious health risk to infants

The use of breastmilk substitutes and unsafe water in our communities can pose serious risks to the health of infants. It is therefore critical that the state enacts, enforces, and monitors the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes to protect children and promote breastfeeding,” he advised.

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He emphasised that breast milk provides all essential nutrients infants need in the first six months and offers maximum protection against illness and supports health growth and development

The UNICEF boss further called on the Borno state government and stakeholders to strengthen maternal protection polices, increase funding support, revitalise baby-friendly initiatives and prioritise community-level nutrition interventions.

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“Together, through strategic partnerships, innovative approaches, and sustained commitment, we can transform breastfeeding practices across Borno state. UNICEF remains steadfast in its support to the government and partners in this vital vision”, he concluded.

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NBA Slams Niger Gov Over Shutting Down Of Radio Station

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The Nigerian Bar Association has called on the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, to immediately withdraw what it described as an unconstitutional order shutting down Badeggi FM in the state.

The NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN), in a statement on Saturday, emphasised that only the National Broadcasting Commission had the legal authority to regulate or shut down broadcasting operations in the country as anything contrary will amount to press gagging.

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The Association urged the governor to rescind his directive ordering the immediate closure of the privately owned Badeggi 90.1 FM.

It stressed that the action, reportedly carried out through instructions to the State Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner for Homeland Security, allegedly involved profiling the station’s owner and marking the premises for demolition.

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The statement read, “This constitutes executive rascality of the highest order. It is a blatant abuse of power that undermines constitutional democracy and the rule of law. The Governor lacks the constitutional or legal authority to revoke broadcast licences or shut down any media establishment. In Nigeria, only the National Broadcasting Commission has the statutory mandate to regulate broadcasting, including the suspension or revocation of licences, subject to due process.

“It is imperative to state that the Commissioner of Police or any security agency must not act on unlawful executive directives. Security agencies are bound by law to act within constitutional limits and not as instruments for political intimidation or media suppression.

“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression under Section 39, including the right to own, operate, and access media. No person, regardless of office, has the right to arbitrarily restrict or shut down a media house without due process of law. This unlawful closure, without regulatory sanction or judicial backing, is a dangerous assault on press freedom and democratic governance.”

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The NBA further stated that Governor Bago’s directive is entirely unlawful and of no legal effect.

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Osigwe maintained that the Commissioner of Police and other relevant authorities must refuse to implement illegal orders that infringe on constitutional rights, reiterating that media regulation must follow due process through established statutory mechanisms, not arbitrary executive action.

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The Association also noted that the actions taken against Badeggi FM constitute a direct affront to press freedom and violate Nigeria’s democratic norms.

We call on Governor Bago to immediately withdraw this directive and refrain from further unconstitutional acts. The NBA also urges all levels of government to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional boundaries, and protect the freedom of the press. A free and independent media is not a privilege – it is a constitutional right and a cornerstone of any democratic society,” the statement read.

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NGE Reacts As Govt Closes Radio Station In Niger

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The Nigerian Guild of Editors has condemned the recent closure of Badeggi Radio by Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, describing the action as a direct assault on press freedom and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement signed by its President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, on Saturday, the Guild said the governor acted outside his constitutional powers and bypassed due process in ordering the shutdown of the station.

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This act of censorship and intimidation undermines the fundamental principles of a democratic society, where a free press is essential for holding those in power accountable,” the Guild said.

Citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the NGE emphasised that press freedom and freedom of expression are guaranteed rights that must be protected.

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The Guild noted that only the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission has the legal authority to sanction broadcast stations, and only after a thorough investigation of any alleged breach of the broadcast code.

The closure of Badeggi Radio, a vital platform for public discourse and information dissemination, is a worrying trend that threatens the very fabric of our democracy.

“Governor Bago acted outside his powers to order the closure of a radio station. The power to sanction television and radio stations only lies with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) after a thorough investigation of any alleged breach of the Code.

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“We are happy that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, has pointed this out. This should go beyond observing the anomaly.

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The Federal Government should order the unsealing of the premises of the radio station while an investigation is carried out,” the statement read.

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The editors likened the governor’s action to the arbitrary clampdowns experienced during military rule, warning that such decisions erode the democratic progress made since 1999.

Arbitrary closure of media houses reminds us of the dark days of military rule, which ended 26 years ago,” the Guild stated.

While acknowledging that Bago had alleged that the station incited violence, the Guild insisted that such a serious accusation must first be investigated and proven before any punitive measure is taken.

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Governor Bago’s allegation of incitement of violence by the radio station is a serious issue, which has to be investigated and proven before any action can be taken. We urge the media to operate under strict adherence to the code of ethics of journalism, with responsible conduct at the back of the minds of the professionals,” the statement read.

The editors urged media professionals to operate responsibly and adhere strictly to the code of ethics of journalism, but stressed that due process must always be followed by authorities.

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The Guild reiterates that a free and independent press is essential for a functioning democracy and demands that governments at all levels respect and uphold this fundamental right,” the statement concluded.

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