A TOAST TO COURAGEOUS LEADER AND A MAN OF INFECTIOUS HUMILITY, PRINCE OLATUNJI OGUNLOLA ON HIS BIRTHDAY.

 

By Daniel Abe 

When you are looking for a man who can live his life for others and persevere, look for Prince Olatunji Ogunlola and when you are looking for loyalty, commitment to duty, confidentiality, look for a retired senior citizen and amiable politician of Ogunlola's pedigree.

This Ikole-Ekiti born Prince retired from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in the then old Ondo state in 1993. Upon retirement, he ventured into business and founded TUNEK ENTERPRISES LIMITED where they sell computers and its accessories. He is also the Managing Director of DATUNFEM CATERING AND RENTAL SERVICES as well as Sales Rep of FAMYEM MOTORS. 

In order to contribute more to his community and humanity at large, Prince Ogunlola joined politics in 2006. He registered with African Democratic Congress(ADC). For his intellectual and tactical abilities, Prince Ogunlola has been entrusted with critical position in party politics. He was made the Treasurer of ADC and later elected as Ekiti State chairman of the party. In 2008, he was elected as the Chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Party (CNPP). He also served as the deputy chairman of CNPP, South-West region. In all these assignments, he has discharged his responsibilities excellently. He rejuvenated once a docile CNPP in Ekiti State and brought it into limelight. 

Prince Ogunlola has been a consistent loyalist of progressive tendency in Ekiti State. He was in the forefront of the struggle to reclaim Ekiti from the reactionary forces that hijacked the governance of the state between 2003 and 2010. 

When Dr. Kayode Fayemi reclaimed his mandate in 2010, he appointed Prince Ogunlola as Special Assistant on Inter-party Affairs, the position he held till 2014. 

Prince Ogunlola through CNPP was able to keep the administration of governor Ayodele Fayose on its toes through constructive criticism via press conferences, releases and constant interviews on both print and electronic media. He exposed ills and maladministration of governor Fayose'administration and this made Ogunlola a household name in Ekiti politics. 

Having come to terms with his antecedent and cerebral, governor Fayemi upon assumption in office in 2018 appointed Prince Ogunlola as Senior Special Assistant on Mobilisation. Since then, Prince Ogunlola has been up and doing, moving from one town to another to showcase government activities and programmes. His office has created a data bank for all the associations in the state and about 122 associations have been registered. These included professional and non-professional artisan groupings aside social associations

Prince Ogunlola has received numerous awards, including the Ekiti State Students' Union, Federal School of Statistics, Ibadan, as good Ambassador 1991,Federal Polytechnic Ado Students' Union as best Entrepreneur in 1994 as well as South West CNPP as the best state chairman in 2008. He is a Fellow Institute of Administration. He is also a Patron to Heritage International Club. 

Ogunlola is a politician that does not discriminate. He is highly detribalized, open to positive ideas, a motivator of positive agenda for government and a crusader of fairness and social justice. 

On this auspicious occasion of your birthday, I join your wife, lovely children, extended family, political associates, the APC family and all your well wishers to felicitate with you. Here is wishing you the best and choicest of God's blessings now and always. 

Once again, happy birthday to Prince Olatunji Ogunlola and many happy returns of the day.

FORTRESS ESTIEREM FOUNDATION DOLES OUT BOOKS TO SS3 STUDENTS OF IJURIN COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL, TASKS THEM TO STUDY HARD TO ATTAIN SUCCESS.

Fortress Estierem Foundation

It was archetypal relief from  COVID - 19 pandemic and a moment of exciting change as Fortress Estierem Foundation, on Tuesday, 4th August, 2020, doles out books to SS3 students of Ijurin Comprehensive High School as they prepare for the 2020 Senior School Certificate Examination. 

Fortress Estierem Foundation( FEF) , a charitable and society welfare organisation with offices in the United Kingdom, Sierra Leone and Nigeria was established in honouring the iconic personalty - late Mr. Gabriel Olusegun Iyanda Abe of Ijurin - Ekiti.

The aims of FEF are to support the less privileged children and young adults by providing tuition, sustenance and educational resources ; to empower the adults, widows, orphans and underprivileged through Vocational Training and Education. 

The event which took place in the school was conducted under the leadership of the school principal, Mr. Olu lbijola and members of staff. 

Olori Yeyelua Esther  Oluremi Abe - Adeyemi , a Quality Assurer, philanthropist and entrepreneur is the founder and CEO of Fortress Estierem Foundation. In a statement, the Ekiti State Coordinator of the  Foundation - Hon. Ayodele Omotoso said, the gesture was facilitated by the Foundation's  CEO. 

Hon. Omotoso, who represented her was quoted as saying that, " the gesture was in line with her strong belief in the significance of education in shaping the life of the students for their better future and that of our dear nation". 

According to him, "the cost of education is mainly determined by its system and pattern as well as by the targets set for its different levels, a hydra - headed complex project with a great deal of variables waiting for consideration.  This makes it necessary for individuals and corporate organizations to play complimentary roles as governments alone cannot do it". 

 He urged the students to make good use of the books to bag distinctions in the forthcoming Senior School Certificate Examination

Each of the 34 SS3  students of the school was given 2 books on English Language and Mathematics plus  exercise books. 

The Registrar, Mr. Ajayi Ajibola urged the students to  study hard and do the school proud so as not to defeat the purpose for which the books were procured for them.  The School  Principal, Elder Olu Ibijola who has achievement table of his administration for the asking described Ijurin. - Ekiti under HRM Oba Evangelist Joachim Adeyemi Afolabi Ajibola, Agungesoye ll, the Ojurin of Ijurin - Ekiti as a community of wonderful people. Elder lbijola  eulogised Olori Yeyelua Esther Oluremi Abe -Adeyemi,  described her as a kindhearted woman of priceless virtues and gave a passmark to Fortress Estierem Foundation for actualising the humanitarian vision and mission of the organization. 

Responding on behalf of the recipients, the Senior Prefect, Master Adebayo Oluwatobi recalled that the January 2020 Anniversary lecture orgainsed by Fortress Estierem Foundation on the topic, "Building capability for self -determination and greatness with a career guide to beginners" was an eye - opener for them on Career Guidance. 

Oluwatobi  appreciated Fortress Estierem Foundation and urged his fellow students to make effective and efficient use of the books so that they can pass very well in the forthcoming Senior School Certificate Examination and thereby justifying the huge investment of FEF in them.

THE CHEMISTRY OF CONRONAVIRUS IN NIGERIA.

By: Adeola Temitope

adeolatemitope3@gmail.com

Amidst the Coronavirus hurricane, numerous dramas have unfolded while a lots are daily unfolding, which should ordinarily drag the present  Nigerians into a pool of worry on what the future holds. Of course, understanding the chemistry of Coronavirus in Nigeria might require a lot of common sense and historical erudition, but it is not too late to awaken the consciousness of our opinion leaders and the youths in entirety. Personally, from the onset of the Coronavirus in Nigeria, it is well observed that there has been an unimaginable height of favouring one group while frustrating others: Nigeria has become more dangerously polarized on the alter of ethnicity with an obvious negative ripples rurally and internationally.

A more chronic act of sacrificing merit, competence and geographical spread on the alter of ethnicism and nepotism has gained more wings. Or what is the idea of "Northernizing" Nigeria's key appointments and resources amidst this hurricane? Nigeria, amidst Coronavirus, earns the award of World's Poverty Capital (base on merit) as the chemistry of Coronavirus vividly exposed its follies and internal disorganizations. Will this politics of Coronavirus make Nigeria give up that title soon? It is just a case of knowingly riding oneself into a blurred destination. The over 500million school feeding project amidst Coronavirus trembles hearts while the 1800 facemasks that costs 37million is not to be side-waved. What of the heightened insecurities due to poverty and suffering in the midst of plenty? I read of tragic epitaph written on  Southern Kaduna and the attack on Governor Zulum of Borno. Zulum made a dangerous statement in strategy when he seeks another option in lieu of the weak-Khaki boys. Just like Governor Ortom of Benue in 2018 who enjoyed the Benue people to go home and defend themselves with stones! What a dangerous moment in strategy.

Our various communities have become infranstructurally frustrated because of our approach to solving the mathematics of Coronavirus. This war can't be won by insincerity of purpose and intellectual dishonesty. We really need to get ourselves back to the road and approaches of won't retard our journey further as we plan to progress. What makes us different from the West in solving the Chemistry of Coronavirus is just our approach and mindset.