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OPINION: The Witches On Portable’s Road To Madness (2)

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Tunde Odesola

As the crowd moved in the pillar of early morning fog, their song became discernible on the dewy road of the thickly forested Aji town. The road in front of Enwe Nwanjo’s house was that type of decades-long, durable earthen road built and maintained with townspeople’s sweat, long before government came and built its own road of potholes amid applause and blinding camera lights.

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So, it was on this road that the crowd was trekking, singing a medley of Igbo Christian songs, with tenor, soprano, alto and bass twanging from honeyed throats – in fantastic acapella.

I love good music, so I listened and watched. I thought the crowd was moving up the road that stretches beyond the nearby Aji High School, but right in front of Enwe Nwanjo’s multi-residence house, the crowd turned into the expansive compound, still singing.

“Who are these?” I wondered, struggling to make out their faces in the fog. Then, I heard familiar voices. They were students who lived in the students’ quarters built around the main building where I lived. They stopped smack in the middle of the compound and said a prayer like football players do before a match. Then, they dispersed into their various rooms.

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But one of them didn’t go to the students’ quarters. In the fog, she headed straight to the main building. “Who is this familiar figure?” I wondered as the figure moved closer to the house. “Haa! It’s Eucharia, my Eucharia! What!? How come? So, she wasn’t the one in the room? Who then were those lovebirds inside her room?

My chest heaved a sigh of relief to see Eucharia wasn’t the one in the cozy blue room but I was curious to know who those two bedmates were. Eucharia came up to the balcony and greeted in her melodious voice, “Ndi corper, good morning. You no sleep?”

My face creased into a frown, then a wry smile. “I just came out to enjoy the early morning breeze,” I said. “Uhmm, you and cigarette!?” she said as she made for her apartment. “Where una dey come from?” I asked. “From church, we go do vigil,” she said.

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MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: The Witches On Portable’s Road To Madness (1)

She knocked on her door gently and waited. She knocked again. After a moment, the door swung back but before she could enter and close the door, I leapt up from my chair and was right behind her. Using the advantage of my height, I scanned the whole room ultra-carefully as she walked in with her back to me. What I saw was shocking!

I saw a little girl between eight and nine years old who came to open the door. She went back and curled up in bed, pulling the sheet over her head. Ha!? Eucharia probably woke her up from dreamland.

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“Who is this,” I asked. “My niece,” she replied, “I went to Nsukka yesterday and I came back with her.” “I was wondering who was inside the house. I peeped through the keyhole and saw two people in bed,” I stated jokingly. “You must be seeing double,” she said, laughing. Little did she realise I really saw double.

When I sat back later and put what happened to me in perspective, I came to a profound understanding of the power of the mind. The incident buttresses my belief that the mind is the most powerful part of human physiology. It strengthened my resolve that I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it. When people give up on life and watch their dreams die, they do so from the mind.

In Eucharia’s case, it was my mind that sent suspicion signal to my brain which imaged the signal to my eyes and my eyes duly manifested the negative content of my mind.

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I hadn’t settled down to drinking when I first peeped into Eucharia’s room. So, what my eyes saw wasn’t a product of drunkenness. It was a product of a mind wandering off. As a sound mind can be the teleport to self-actualisation so can an unsound mind be the shoestrings of the sneakers of a potential marathon champion, tied together while running. It’s all in the mind.

Today, social media has broken the backbones of witches and wizards, just like it is exposing the ruts of fake religious leaders, traditional rulers, celebrities and all.

Hitherto, in our communal mind, we believed witches and wizards were everywhere, sucking blood and cracking bones. So, we hid ourselves from ourselves – nobody wanted people to know the names of their children, their ages, their pictures, what they ate, where they lived, what they did, their achievements etc.

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READ ALSO: OPINION: The Day Alcohol Showed Me Shégè (2)

But nowadays, people live on the internet, showing off their families and achievements. So, I ask: where are the witches and wizards against whom we sing, “Oro nla le da, eh eh eh, oro nla le da…” when tragedies happen? Are they no more potent? Are witches and wizards too old-fashioned to join social media to wreak havoc?

It’s strange that people drive recklessly under the influence, killing others along with them, yet relatives and friends turn their mouths up to the heavens like homeless sparrows, crying and blaming the devil together with his witchy disciples. It’s all in the mind.

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In most cases, after suffering self-inflicted tragedies, some people go to the same dreaded witches and wizards in search of redemption while some go after pastors and alfas who are not better than bats – blind, blatant, blasphemous and base.

When you see some people falling for the miracle pranks of some manipulative pastors, alfas and babalawos, you wonder why the gullible worshippers can’t see through the foolery, but it’s not their fault, it’s their minds, in which the clerics live rent-free.

Please, tell me why do people believe a stinking, poorer-than-poor babalawo has the power to use a human head for money ritual? If there was ever a ritual potion for money-making, babalawos and their families would be richer than Elon Musk and they won’t tell anyone about the potion.

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From the outset of his career, controversial musician Habeeb Okikiola Badmus aka Portable declared himself ‘were olorin’, and people took it as a metaphor that means ‘mad musician’. Little did people know Portable was truly mad.

Going by his antecedents and being very sure Portable was suffering from ángàná, I came to an audacious editorial conclusion last week when I headlined the first part of this article, “The witches on Portable’s road to madness (1).”

In validation of my headline, Portable, during the week, personally declared himself a patient of the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Aro, Abeokuta. In an online video, Portable raved, “I am mad. I have medication for madness. You can go and ask about me in Aro. I have a card there…I am mad.”

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READ ALSO: OPINION: The Day Alcohol Showed Me Shégè (1)

Portable calls himself a child of grace. Truly, he’s one. But when the mind is messed up, especially with drugs, grace wears the toga of a prefix and becomes disgrace. If the disgrace becomes consistent, the disgrace wears an embroidered suffix and changes to disgraceful.

From North America to Asia, Europe, South America, Antarctica, Oceania and Africa, drug use has destroyed the careers of many superstars. From Michael Jackson to Witney Houston to Bobby Brown, Elton John, Majek Fashek and countless others, drug use has been the bane of many music careers.

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Portable is a dot in the galaxy of the aforementioned superstars but his example teaches a lesson in gratitude, decency and humility.

A dirty-looking hussler, the child of grace received favour from hip-hop star, Olamide, who collaborated with him to produce Za Zoo Zeh, a song written by Portable. If not for Olamide’s collaboration, Za Zoo Zeh wouldn’t have blown the Nigerian music charts.

He who the gods want to ruin, they first make mad. Portable became mad and he turned against Olamide. Olamide simply ignored him. Portable went ahead to diss another Nigerian music star, Davido, whom he first ingratiated himself to, but later turned against when Davido wouldn’t collaborate with him.

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Since hitting the limelight, Portable has been a fly in the ointment of the Nigerian music industry, fighting everyone in sight. His online fight with his ex-lover and ex-wife of the late Alaafin, Queen Dami, was despicable, to say the least. The only fight he fought which got the approval of the general public was his fight against Bobrisky, the cross-dresser.

Since Olamide cracked the nut of fame for him, Portable has seen himself as the biggest Nigerian musician, calling himself the late Abami Eda, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, yet begging bigger stars to feature him in their songs. No bi juju bi dat? It is not juju, it’s hard drugs.

It’s hard drugs that could make him beat up the environmental officials from the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, who faulted his building construction. He ran into hiding for many days before finally giving himself up to the police amid altercations between him and his elder brother, Akeem, who expressed joy over his travails.

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Portable needs psychiatric help fast. The witches on Portable’s road to madness are in his mind. Though he has lost money and goodwill to this travail, his court trial should run its course and justice should be served to teach celebrities and people in authority that the law is not totally dead in Nigeria.

*Concluded.

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NYSC Pays Arrears After Two-month Break

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The National Youth Service Corps resumed payments for arrears on Wednesday, marking the first disbursement since the last payment on June 3, following a two-month break.

This payment relates to the new N77,000 monthly allowance recently approved by the Federal Government.

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Recall that on April 5th, the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, assured that corps members who recently completed their service will receive the new N77,000 monthly allowance approved by the Federal Government.

Speaking during the Batch A 2025 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop in Abuja, Nafiu said, “Once funds are released to us to offset the arrears, we will pay them. Even our corps members who passed out recently will benefit. We have their bank details.”

READ ALSO:Release Corps Member’s Discharge Certificate, Falana Tells NYSC

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He emphasised the government’s commitment, adding, “Nigerians should not fret about that because the government is both responsible and responsive to their needs.”

This development was confirmed by PUNCH, by a previously serving corps member who chose to remain anonymous, who said, “After waiting for two months, I didn’t expect to see another payment alert. But honestly, it’s not just about the money; it’s about feeling like our efforts actually count.

The payment of arrears, covering the period from July 2024 to March 2025, follows widespread frustration over delayed implementation after the Federal Government approved the allowance increase as part of its commitment to easing economic hardship for Nigerian youth.

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FCTA Withdraws Park Licences, Directs Fresh Screening Of Operators

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration has withdrawn all park licences in Abuja, directing operators to resubmit their documents for a fresh screening exercise, with a possibility of reallocation.

The Director, Department of Development Control, Murktar Galadima, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday, while explaining the reasons for the demolition of Boulevard Park, Maitama, Abuja.

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The FCTA carried out the demolition of Boulevard Park in Maitama on Tuesday, over violations of park policies and distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.

Assistant Director, Department of Development Control, and Sector Head for Maitama and Wuse, Sherif Razak, explained during the exercise that the park, originally designated for recreational purposes, had been overbuilt and misused.

READ ALSO:FCTA Local Contractors Protest Non-payment Of N5.2bn Bills

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He said the park had been converted to worship centres, revival grounds, and restaurants, operating under unhygienic conditions.

Galadima explained that the decision to withdraw park licenses followed a memo jointly submitted by the Directors of Parks and Recreation and Lands to the Minister of the FCT, highlighting several inadequacies and violations associated with parks management in the FCT.

He said the new directive offers park operators the opportunity to resubmit their documents to the Department of Parks and Recreation for review.

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If they meet the terms and conditions, they can be reallocated. Owners of parks should respond to the call, submit their documents, and if they meet the requirements, they will return to their parks,” he said.

READ ALSO:FCT Police Arrest Three Wanted Kidnappers

The Director stressed that the decision was not taken to deliberately witch-hunt park operators, but is part of efforts to restore order and compliance with existing policies.

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There’s nothing like witch-hunting. All park allocations have been withdrawn following a series of violations, and the Minister is at liberty to do whatever he wants to do with land in the FCT, parks inclusive,” he stated.

On the recent demolition of Boulevard Park, Galadima clarified that operators were duly notified before enforcement, pointing out that the park had long violated its terms of allocation, operating in direct contravention of recreational policy.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: FCTA To Take Possession Of 4,794 Properties Revoked Over Non-payment Of Ground Rent

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Boulevard Park was allocated for recreational purposes, but the activities taking place there are a total violation of the park policy in terms of operation. Boulevard has violated all the terms and conditions,” he said.

He noted that monitoring park operations was the primary responsibility of the Department of Parks and Recreation, adding that parks were expected to submit concept designs for approval before operations commenced. However, lapses in monitoring had led to widespread abuse.

The FCT is a creation of law, and lawlessness will not be tolerated. The development of the city is guided by law, and every operator must comply with the terms and conditions of their allocation,” Galadima said.

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He stated that a ministerial committee had been set up to review all allocations and uses of parks, to ensure they were serving their original recreational purpose.

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Tinubu Names New VCs For Education Varsities In Zaria, Kano

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President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday named Prof. Yahaya Bunkure as the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Education, Zaria, Kaduna State.

The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday titled ‘President Tinubu appoints Nakore, Kodage into governing council of Federal University of Education Kano, Bunkure, names VC Federal University of Education Zaria.’

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Bunkure is a renowned academic specialising in science education.

He is currently the Vice Chancellor of Saadatu Rimi University of Education in Kano.

READ ALSO:Ex-Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Resigns From APC

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Tinubu also appointed Abdurrazaq Nakore, an engineer, as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano.

He named Prof. Abdullahi Kodage as Vice Chancellor of the university.

Nakore, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, was Executive Secretary of the Rural Electricity Board in Jigawa State.

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READ ALSO:Why I’d Choose Tinubu Over Obi – Adeyanju

The Federal University of Education, Zaria, and the Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano, were among the four Colleges of Education upgraded into full-fledged universities between 2022 and 2023.

In accordance with the institution’s governing laws, the pro-chancellor will serve a term of four years, while the Vice-Chancellors will serve for five years,” the statement added.

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