Headline

Why Delay In Selection Of New Alaafin Revealed

Published

2 years ago

September 15, 2022

The 45th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Atanda Olayiwola Adeyemi was no doubt an accomplished monarch among the Yoruba traditional rulers.

Oba Adeyemi, who came from the Alowolodu royal family in Oyo, ascended the throne of his forefathers in January 1971 at the age of 31.

The monarch who reigned for 52 years joined his ancestors in April this year.

Alaafin stool is currently vacant as a result of Oba Adeyemi.

Though the process of selection and appointment of the new monarch has started, however, it was gathered that controversies have continued to trail the selection process.

Some of the pending issues is the alleged marginalization of some families in the selection process.

Others are some pending court cases which are yet to be resolved.

Our correspondent learnt that no fewer than 119 princes from the various royal houses have indicated interest to succeed the departed monarch.

The Baba Iyaji (Head of Princes) of Oyo, Chief Mukaila Afonja made this disclosure.

He said that various things, such as educational background, wealth, influence, knowledge of the Yoruba culture and ability to speak Yoruba language without any mixup would be considered while choosing the next Alaafin.

However, gathered that 61 of the princes have been disqualified, though the reason for the disqualification has not been revealed.

But, our correspondent learnt that those who were disqualified were princes from the families that the kingmakers said are not the one to produce the next monarch.

It was gathered that 58 of the contestants have been cleared.

The names of the 58 aspirants who were cleared have been submitted by the Baba Iyaji to the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Ayoola Layinka.

The Bashorun whose position is likened to the present Prime Minister is the head of the Oyo traditional chiefs, known as Oyo Mesi.

DAILY POST learnt that all candidates who had been cleared are from the Agunloye royal family.

The clearance of the princes from the Agunloye family and disqualification of others from other royal families, according to a source, was due to a letter from the Oyo State government, which instructed the Baba Iyaji to find the next monarch from the Agunloye royal family.

It was gathered that the Oyo State government currently recognised two royal families: the Alowolodu and Agunloye. The position is to be rotated by the two royal families based on that arrangement.

But, the non recognition of other royal families apart from the two has been described as discriminatory by some families who said that they should also be allowed to participate.

The disqualification of the 61 candidates who are said to be from other royal families made nine families from the Atiba lineage raise an alarm that they had been shortchanged.

But, despite the alarm raised by the nine families from the Atiba lineage, the kingmakers have commenced the selection process of the new Alaafin.

As part of the selection process, the kingmakers have invited the shortlisted candidates for interview.

It was gathered that the interview commenced last week Monday 4th and is expected to end on Thursday 15 September 2022 (today).

Conclude ongoing court cases before appointment of new monarch- Atiba lineage

Meanwhile, Nine (9) families within the Atiba lineage have called on the Oyo State government to conclude all ongoing court cases patterning to the Alaafin stool before appointment of the new monarch.

The nine families in their explanation also urged the State government, to without wasting more time, stop the ongoing selection process.

The nine families made this disclosure during a press conference held at Akinmorin community in Oyo.

The nine families who said that they should be allowed to participate in the process include: Adeitan, Tella Okitipapa, Ese Apata, Olanite, Adelabu Baba Ibadan, Adesiyan, Adesokan Baba Idode, Iteade Abidekun Omo and Agbojulogun royal families.

Spokesperson for the 9 families, Prince Afolabi Ademola Adesina, who noted that 11 families within the Atiba lineage were recognised as the occupants of the throne, wondered why only two families, Agunloye and Alowolodu have been rotating the throne among themselves.

Adesina, who is from the Adeitan royal family, addressed journalists in the presence of representatives of the remaining 8 families, among whom are Prince Remi Azeez from Tella Okitipapa, Prince Adediran Makanjuola from Ese Apata, Prince Adediwura Lamola from Olanite, Prince Agbounyin Olayiwola from Adelabu Baba Ibadan, Prince Adebowale Adesiyan from Adesiyan, Prince Adetunji Adesokan from Adesokan Baba Idode, Prince Adekunle Bello from Iteade Abidekun Omo and Prince Tella Agbojulogun from Agbojulogun royal family.

Adesina called on the Oyo State government to use its power to stop the process until all issues are resolved.

He said, “There is never a declaration or discrimination among the children of Alaafin Atiba, and any king must be choosen from the Atiba’s family. Then in 1961, upon the dethronement of Oba Adeniran, Alaafin Gbagbadesein of Agunloye ruling house made a declaration between only two ruling houses to benefit the stool out of 11 main children of Alaafin Atiba.

“You will recall that the 1963 constitution housed the jurisdiction of the court to challenge anything chieftaincy matter, upon the fact that the so-called declaration is tied to the customary law of the Yoruba land which states that every member the children of a founder of a town can benefit from the stool of the forebearer; this is not in line with what late Oba Gbadegesin declared in 1961, with petitions and protests registering before the western government.

“When the late king, Oba Gbadegesin died in 1963, everybody started running for the stool of Alaafin, among the children of Atiba; when this happened, they urged our fathers that they should be patient for them to choose a king out of the declaration made by Oba Gbadegesin. And upon that, they will constitute a panel that will listen to the yearnings of all other children of Atiba.

“This was done by late Adeyinka Adebayo, the then military Governor of the old Oyo; he constituted a panel of enquiry headed by my lord honourable Justice Ladeinde Adekunle, who looked into the matter affecting the children of Alaafin Atiba, after this, every child of Alaafin Atiba, including those who have benefited from the stool of Alaafin in the past, everyone presented their memorandum which was looked into; after this, the commission of enquiry made this recommendation, it is against this background that we called this press conference.

“Upon the decision of the commission of enquiry in 1976, they declared all the existing ruling houses null and void, and constituted the Atiba ruling house.

“1976 commission of enquiry declared the selection of Alaafin of Oyo 1961 declaration defective; this was done by Justice Adekunle Ladeinde commission of enquiry; subsequently, 1993 was Oloko commission of enquiry which also upheld the decision of Adekunle Ladeinde of 1976, that there should be a single ruling house in Oyo, regarding the stool of Alaafin, to be called Atiba ruling house, which is to include all the descendants of Alaafin Atiba.

“Another development, in year 2001 where the then Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina presented through his secretary, Micheal Koleoso into law the white paper and decision of Oloko enquiry, with an option that Atiba Local Government should make amendments which will include all other excluded royal families. You will recall that Justice Ladeinde of 1976 declared 11 royal families to be the descendants of Alaafin Atiba, which are the Agunloye, Alowolodu, Adeitan, Adediran Ese Apata, Adesiyan, Iteade Abidekun, Olaniite, Adelabu baba Ibadan, Baba Idode, Tella Okiti Papa and Tella Agbojulogun royal families, and that all should be included in the new order which can benefit and contest for the stool of Alaafin.

“In year 2004, there was another development which is negative and was not in our knowledge; the late monarch, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi went to court with Oyo State Government to court amending or removing the sections of the consenting authority of the volume 2001 gazette, this happened without our consent and we were not even put in copy, and we are not in any way part of that.

“Upon that we are appealing to the Oyo State governments to look into this matter, as where there is an injury, there is always a remedy.”

Agunloye family, not Alaafin Atiba is the next ruling house for the Alaafin stool – Bashorun

Meanwhile, the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka has said that the next family to produce the new Alaafin is the Agunloye family.

Layinka made this disclosure through a statement made available to DAILY POST by Bode Durojaiye, the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo.

He said the issue raised by Prince Adesina was between the Alaafin Atiba and the Oyo State Government.

He added that the issue had nothing to do with the Oyo Mesi.

“It has come to the notice of the Oyo Traditional Council (Oyo Mesi), a purported press conference organized by the so-called eleven families of Atiba Alaafin, in which they called for the cancellation of the ongoing interview for shortlisted aspirants to the Alaafin stool.

“The Head of Royal Families, Baba Iyaji, in conjunction with the Mogaji Agunloye Royal Family, Pa Prince Adeladan, had confirmed the ruling house for the next Alaafin stool to be the Agunloye family.

“Interested aspirants, who are authentic members of the family, had collected expression of interest forms and their names submitted to the Head of Oyo Mesi, High Chief Yussuf Akinade Ayoola Layinka 1 for the next step, which is the interview and in line with the due process.

“So, why is Prince Adesina crying wolves where there should be none, and keep misleading the unsuspecting members of the public. What is the justification for Prince Adeshina to seek for the cancellation of the ongoing interview, when in actual fact, the Alaafin Atiba family is not entitled to occupy the seat of the next Paramount Ruler?”

DAILY POST.

Headline

Sad Story: Nigerian Who Relocated To UK In 2022 Beat Wife To Death With Skateboard

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Editor

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, Olubunmi Abodunde, has beaten his wife, Taiwo, to death with their son’s skateboard, Daily Mail reports.

The couple, who had three children, arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2022 and always clashed over alleged affairs and arguments about bills.

According to the news platform, 48-year-old Abodunde had been repeatedly investigated by Suffolk Police about domestic violence and was due to go on trial for murder but changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday after a jury had been sworn in.

During the abuse, officers heard ‘a number of bangs’ inside the house, which Abodunde had gone into, despite bail conditions imposed the day before that banned him from the property following another violent episode.

When they finally entered 25 minutes later, they found the wife, 41-year-old Taiwo, with her ‘skull smashed in’.

However, Judge Martyn Levett, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, warned him the only possible sentence was life imprisonment.

Suffolk Constabulary has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, which confirmed three officers were under investigation.

An IOPC spokesman said, “We advised two Suffolk officers that they are under investigation for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct.

“We advised another officer that they are under investigation at the level of misconduct.”

Abodunde had a history of jealousy and suspicion and accused his wife of having affairs. He had been investigated by police a number of times over alleged domestic violence incidents before his wife’s death.

He was arrested on April 27 last year when police arrived at the couple’s home in Newmarket, Suffolk, and found Mrs Abodunde with a split lip.

Later that day, he was freed on police bail with the condition that he stayed away from the marital home and didn’t approach his wife.

But after working a night shift at Tesco, he went home just after 9 am to allegedly pick up his mobile phone.

Two officers arrived at 9.20 am to take a statement from Mrs Abodunde about the previous night’s incident and heard repeated banging noises inside.

But it wasn’t until 9.55 am that they forced their way in after getting approval from senior officers and found Mrs Abodunde ‘obviously dead’ near the front door.

A post-mortem examination later showed she had been throttled until she fell unconscious, then stamped on until her ribs were broken before her husband used the skateboard to finish her off. The blows were so violent that the skateboard was damaged.

Prosecutor Simon Spence KC told the court the banging officers heard was likely to have been Abodunde continuing to attack his wife after she was unconscious or dead.

Mrs Abodunde had a job as a care home assistant in Cambridge, but her husband, who had trained as a civil engineer, was unable to find work in his profession and took shifts at Tesco and Wickes.

After his arrest for the murder, Abodunde was taken to hospital “because he appeared to have some sort of mental episode”.

He later claimed in a police statement he had acted in self-defence, saying, “My wife has subjected me to physical abuse for a number of years.

“On November 28, we got into an argument. She ran at me with a knife, I grabbed the knife and cut my hand. I was defending myself.”

But the court heard while he did have an injury to his hand, there wasn’t a knife near his wife’s body.

Nneka Akudolu KC, defending, said the level of violence was ‘completely out of character’ for her client and might have been affected by medication he was taking. But she said no medical evidence would be provided to support this claim.

Detective Inspector Dan Connick, of Suffolk Police, said after the hearing, “This was an awful attack on a woman that has had a lasting impact on the community and, most importantly, on the victim’s family.

‘We are pleased that Taiwo’s family will no longer have to go through the pain of a trial.

‘Our thoughts remain with Taiwo’s family and friends and hope this result will bring some small comfort to them.’

Taiwo Abodunde worked for Cambridge Manor Care Home, which provides dementia care and residential and respite care.

A spokesman for the facility, which is owned by TLC Care, said: ‘We are all deeply shaken and upset by the tragic death of Taiwo, who was a much-loved member of our home community.

‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family. Taiwo always cared for those we support with compassion and kindness, and she will be greatly missed by all of us and our residents.’

Abodunde was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 9.

Headline

GWR: Ghanian Student Sets New Record For Hugging 1,123 Trees In One Hour

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Editor

A 29-year-old Ghanaian environmental activist and forestry student, Abubakar Tahiru, has etched his name in the Guinness Book of World Records by hugging 1,123 trees in one hour.

The Guinness World Record announced this on Friday, adding that Tahiru’s accomplishment not only makes him the record holder but also the first person to ever hold this title as he “easily surpassed the minimum requirement of 700.”

The event was said to have taken place at the Tuskegee National Forest in Alabama, USA, where he embraced nearly 19 trees per minute.

According to GWR, Tahiru grew up in a farming community in Tepa, Ghana, where he developed a keen interest in nature and its conservation.

After completing his undergraduate degree specialising in forestry at one of Ghana’s top universities, he moved to Alabama last year to begin his master’s degree in forestry at Auburn University.

Describing the challenge, GWR disclosed that a successful tree hug is defined as both arms wrapped around a tree in a close embrace. No tree may be hugged more than once, and no damage can be caused to any tree, or else the attempt is disqualified.

It further stated that Tahiru attempted this challenge while he was fasting during Ramadan, preventing him from drinking water despite the strenuous activity.

He also had to move quickly between trees while ensuring that each hug met the required standards.

Speaking with GWR, Tahiru said, “Not being able to drink water throughout the attempt posed a significant challenge, especially given the physical exertion required.

“However, this also proved to be helpful in a way, as there was no need to pause for water breaks, allowing me to continue the attempt uninterrupted from start to finish.

“Achieving this world record feels incredibly rewarding.”

Headline

LIST: 25 Countries Where TikTok Is Banned

Published

6 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Editor

United States President Joe Biden recently signed a bill that could potentially result in the ban of TikTok in the US if its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year.

US lawmakers are concerned about the potential national security risks associated with the app, particularly if the Chinese government were to gain access to the data it collects.

Many countries have taken action to limit or ban TikTok, citing worries about privacy, security, or ethical issues.

Different approaches have been taken by various countries, with some implementing comprehensive restrictions and others focusing on particular features of the app or a partial ban on government devices.

Here is a list of countries that have implemented various forms of restrictions:

Countries with a complete ban

China

TikTok’s international version is not accessible within China. Instead, users are required to download Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, which is subject to strict content control by the Chinese Communist Party.

Senegal

Senegal implemented a complete ban on the application following allegations that an opposition candidate had utilised the platform to disseminate “hateful and subversive messages.” The Senegalese government has declined to restore the app until a system is created that enables them to delete individual accounts.

Somalia

The Somali government officially outlawed TikTok, Telegram, and 1XBet, an online betting platform, in August 2023.

North Korea

Access to the internet is heavily restricted for the majority of North Korean citizens. While a select few websites and apps are allowed for the privileged elite, TikTok is not included in this list.

Afghanistan

In April 2022, the Taliban government decided to ban TikTok, citing concerns about its influence on young people.

India

India banned TikTok in 2020, including on personal devices, following a border clash between China and India in 2020. The ban was prompted by concerns about data theft and the government’s claim that certain apps were stealing. Many creators migrated to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

Iran

TikTok, along with other globally popular social media platforms like X and Facebook, has been banned by the Islamic Republic.

Uzbekistan

Since July 2021, TikTok has been inaccessible in Uzbekistan due to the authorities’ claim that the app does not adhere to the country’s personal data protection laws.

Countries with a partial ban on TikTok

Indonesia

In October 2023, Indonesia took action against TikTok Shop, a feature of the app that enables creators to sell products to their followers, due to its violation of the country’s e-commerce laws.

Kyrgyzstan

In August 2023, the small country, which was once part of the Soviet Union, decided to ban TikTok. The government justified this action by stating that the application harmed the growth and well-being of children.

Russia

There are limitations on the content that Russians can access on TikTok, resulting in a primary focus on videos created by Russian users. Recent reports indicate that the Russian government is planning to prohibit the use of TikTok, to promote the adoption of local social media platforms among its citizens.

Countries with bans on government-owned devices

In April 2023, the Australian government decided to ban TikTok on their devices. However, it remains accessible on devices owned by the general public.

Austria

In May 2023, TikTok was banned on all devices used by government employees in Austria.

Canada

On February 28, Canada banned the use of TikTok on all devices provided by the government because of concerns regarding privacy and security.

Denmark

In March 2023, Denmark’s Ministry of Defence decided to ban the use of the app on its employees’ work phones. Additionally, the country’s main public service broadcaster implemented specific protocols, requiring journalists to obtain special approval before using the app for reporting purposes. This action was taken in response to a warning from Denmark’s Centre for Cybersecurity.

Estonia

In March 2023, the use of TikTok on the work phones of state officials in Estonia was banned.

European Union

Employees of the European Parliament, European Commission, and E.U. Council are no longer allowed to have TikTok on their work phones, as the three main institutions of the E.U. implemented a ban.

France

In March of 2023, France banned the use of Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok on government employees’ mobile devices.

United Kingdom

In March 2023, the U.K. banned all government employees from using TikTok on government-provided mobile devices.

United States

The US military and US Congress have both taken action to block access to TikTok on all of their personnel’s devices.

Nearly half of the states have outright banned the app on state-owned devices, and in March 2023, the federal government followed suit.

Ireland

In April 2023, the Irish government implemented a ban on TikTok for use on government devices.

Belgium

The Belgian government announced in March 2024 the ban of the app on all government devices. TikTok remains accessible on devices not associated with government entities.

Taiwan

In December 2022, Taiwan implemented a ban on the usage of Chinese-made software, including TikTok, on all government devices. This decision came after a warning from the FBI.

Latvia

The Latvian Foreign Ministry banned the app from official company phones in March 2023.

Malta

In Malta, government-provided cell phones have restricted access to TikTok and other non-government applications.