The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba (Dr) Abdul-Ganiy Adekunle Oloogunebi (Ajinese 1) has on Tuesday made appeasements to deities in the ancient town to ward off the Corona virus pandemic in the State.

Oba Adekunle who supervised various activities carried out by adherents of Oro, Elegbara and Egungun deities was blessed by the iconic Owolewa masquerade at his palace.

Aseyin had earlier organized various sensitization programs around the community alongside his traditional council members, where the people of Iseyin were told to maintain social distance and practice hygienic acts like hand washing to prevent spread of COVID-19.

“This appeasement is in consonance with historical activities of our forefathers, especially whenever there was outbreak of epidemic, the Owolewa masquerade has prayed for our land to be healed of the virus and very soon, it will become a thing of the past.

“This appeasement is part of other efforts we have made alongside other religions to also tackle the pandemic with spirituality and like it has always been effective, we are sure, the virus is at its last stage to leave.

“We have engaged the people on advocacy and sensitization on ways to prevent contracting the disease while our people are strictly adhering to the restriction order announced by the State government.

“I am using this occasion to implore the people of Oyo State to please heed the warnings and directives of the government, the State administration has done so much to safeguard us from the pandemic and the efforts can only yield fruits if we adhere to their directives.”

Owolewa masquerade belongs to the Adeyanju Oloogunebi progenitors and it is called out by the reigning king whenever there was epidemics or pestilence in the land to appease the gods.

The masquerade prayed against the corona virus and other diseases, barrenness, poverty, war and other afflictions.

A member of the Oyo State House of Assembly representing Ibadan North-East Constituency I and the newly installed Mogaji of Akinajo Compound, Honourable Olamide Akinajo joined prominent Ibadan Indigenes, Politicians and legal practitioners in the country to commemorate with the Family of late Chief Richard Akinjide.

Honorable Akinajo in a statement made available to oyomind.com.ng described Chief Akinjide as a committed patriot who worked assiduously to better the lots of his people and Nigerians in general.

He said “I join Ibadan Indigenes, Politicians, Legal Practitioners, and the entire nation to mourn the passing of one of Nigeria’s most illustrious sons, Chief Richard Osuolale Abimbola Akinjide SAN, the oldest lawyer in Nigeria till yesterday. As we mourn his death, we celebrate his dedication and service to the development of our country.

“Baba profile shows he was a committed patriot, an astute politician and altruistic Lawyer who worked assiduously to better the lots of his people and Nigerians in general.

“In truth, Baba Akinjide was a gentleman politician, consummate Democrat, a hero, an icon of democracy who believed in the rule of law and ventured into politics to serve, Rest In Peace Sir.”

The Executive Governor of Oyo State has appointed the Governorship candidate of the National Interest Party (NIP), Mrs. Bolanle Ashabi Sarumi-Aliyu as Senior Special Assistant (Diaspora).

In a statement made available to oyomind.com.ng by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to Governor Makinde Moses Alao, the appointment take effect immediately as communicated in a letter date April 20, 2020.

Mrs Sarumi-Aliyu, the founder of Childhood Bridge International Initiative and BASA Foundation is a daughter of the late Ibadan Politician and member representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, Honourable Ali Balogun Sarumi, popularly known as Alli Bay.

Also, other new appointees include Dr. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju and Honourable Akeem Ademola Ige as Chairman, Oyo State Water Cooperation and Special Adviser on Tourism respectively.

Adepoju who is a financial planner and analyst of many years standing holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science in Accounting as well as MBA and Ph.D in Business Management and Administration.

Honourable Ige, a culture, and tourism enthusiasts are the immediate past Minority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly and former Chairman of Ibadan South East Local Government.

Two Factions of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State were at war during the swearing-in of new council executives in Akinyele South LCDA, Ibadan.

The fight began between one Mr. Femi Olowokere who belongs to the faction of the Caretaker Chairman and Mrs. Aolat Kolapo who is the Women Leader of the party in the local government.

This fracas was reported to be as a result of the manipulation that greeted the selection of council caretaker executives a few months ago.

According to an eye witness, Mr. Femi was said to have harassed Mrs. Aolat who was about to be sworn in as a member of the executive council by tearing her cloth before she retaliated.

“It was Mr. Femi who make the move to harass the women leader. In fact, he tore her cloth and went further to disconnect her bra.

“While Mrs. Aolat was trying to save herself, they both fell inside the gutter where she laid her hand on a stone and used it on Mr. trying before the police came to their rescue.” The witness said.

Three Corps Members in Oyo State have acted on the Director General’s challenge and constructed a semi-automated hand washing equipment with soap dispensing mechanism and underground drainage system domiciled at the NYSC State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan.

The Corps Members are; Afolabi Victor, OY/19B/5191, Ogunmoye Victor OY/19B/0045 and Adeyanju Adeyemi OY/19B/6430 who are graduates of Economics Education, Mechanical Engineering and Microbiology.

NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim had earlier challenged Corps Members across the 36 States and the FCT to come up with initiatives that will curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The Oyo State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps, Mrs Grace Oguoegebe who sponsored the project and commissioned it today Monday, 20th April, 2020 commended the Corps Members’ selfless disposition to the outbreak. She added that regular washing of hands should be part of human lifestyle following the outbreak of COVID-19 around the globe.

As part of the State Government’s efforts to swiftly intervention to fire incidents at market places, the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority is set to launch a Joint Rapid Response Team with the Oyo State Fire Service.

In a statement made available to oyomind.com.ng, the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA), Dr. Akin Fagbemi asserted that the Rapid Response Team would put an end to the complete blockade of access roads to the markets by the haphazard and indiscriminate parking of vehicles, noting that this remains a major factor standing athwart the path of firefighters in case of emergencies.

This is coming on the heels of the recent dastard fire incident that walloped over twenty shops and stores at the Dugbe-Alawo market in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital.

Fagbemi revealed that “OYRTMA, as a proactive and responsive government agency has put in place a workable framework to collaborate, in a Joint Rapid Response Operation, with the State’s Fire Service”.

“While I commiserate with all affected traders in the inferno that occurred at Dugbe, may I seize this opportunity to join the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde to beseech marketers, both sellers, and buyers, to maintain a high level of discipline as regards road usage in the market places”, he said.

He explained that collaboration with Oyo State Fire Services will enhance the effectiveness of the State Fire Service, especially when Operatives of OYRTMA clear access roads to market places before the arrival of the State Fire Service vehicles.

Mogaji Akin Fagbemi said, “This will further corroborate and enhance the efficacy of the State Fire Service by clearing access roads and towing all encumbrances that could delay timely access to the fire sources for subsequent quenching’’.

It would be recalled that, on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, over twenty shops and stores at the Dugbe-Alawo market in Ibadan, Oyo State Capital, was gutted by fire.

Oyo State Chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has again advised the State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde to help desist from his continuing disobedience of court order.

In a statement made available oyomind.com.ng, the Chairman Oyo ALGON, Prince Ayodeji Abass Alesinloye said that the governor has concluded arrangement for swearing in of caretaker committee members and secretaries across local councils.

According to him, the governor is planning to ballon the state recurrent expenditure with a total of another 500 plus political appointees into caretaker committee of local governments during a financially hard times when citizens are barely able to feed with no palliative’s forthcoming from the government.

The Press Statement goes thus:

GOVERNOR MAKINDE’S PLANNED ILLEGAL INAUGURATION OF COUNCIL SECRETARIES, CARETAKER MEMBERS AMID COURT INJUNCTION AND A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

“Be ye never so high, the law is above you ”, goes the word of a renowned legal luminary – Lord Justice Denning.

It has come to our attention at ALGON Oyo State that the Governor is not relenting in his serial disobedience to both the judgment of the Supreme court and the extant substantive judgment of the Oyo state high court restraining all the actions of disbanding of elected council leadership, forbidding the appointment of caretakers over Local councils, striking down as unconstitutional any consequential act therefrom and injunctions restraining the Governor and the Oyo state government from embarking on these threatened acts.

It is very regrettable that this Governor, despite these judgments, in spite of repeated warnings from ALGON, distinguished senior lawyers, a reprimand and strong advisory letter from the AGF for disobeying the Supreme court, Governor Makinde continues with his trademark reckless disobedience. We are informed arrangements are now concluded for his swearing-in of caretaker committee members and Secretaries across our local councils. In these financially hard times when citizens are barely able to feed, and no palliatives forthcoming from the state government despite the huge donations received into the Oyo state Covid 19 fund in billions, Governor Makinde continues to balloon the state recurrent expenditure with a total of another 500 plus political appointees into caretaker committees of local governments.

Our isolation centers have no ventilators, and life is hard for the ordinary citizen, yet it is at this time Governor Makinde is creating illegal local government work for his PDP acolytes. Let no one be surprised if our dear state is unable to pay April and future salaries in view of its misplaced spending priorities, ballooning our payrolls with political appointments in defiance of court judgments.

We again advise Engr. Seyi Makinde to desist from his continuing disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court and other Courts.

This is hardly the time for swearing-in of kangaroo illegal caretaker Members/Secretaries at the various local government at this period of the pandemic when Coronavirus is ravaging the world, and when the Governor himself closed mosques churches and schools directing no gathering should exceed 10 persons. In what gathering are these 500 plus person appointees be sworn in?

We once again request the Governor to reverse himself on his illegal activities on the Local Government administration in the state and restore it because he has nothing to lose but more benefits to gain in making his efforts better felt at the local government tier, the real center of people’s power and development.
The people at the grassroots are really suffering without any intimate shoulder to rest on for succor in this trying period of flood disasters, Covid 19, groaning poverty, increasing insecurity in our State, and mass unemployment, since the Local Government councils were illegally dissolved.

Citizens at the grassroots expect more at this crucial period. As expected, the government efforts are needed to provide more succor in the area of palliatives to virtually everybody, especially the most vulnerable that have been affected by the partial lockdown of the state.

The State Government has no excuse for not making provision for essential relief items to the citizens of Oyo State now that the Federal Government has been magnanimous enough to reduce the price of premium motor spirit, and offered federal palliatives to our state. It is advised that rather than embarking on another journey of illegality and insensitive fund allocations, Governor Seyi Makinde should try to be sensitive to our people’s needs by concentrating the government’s efforts on how to contain further spread of covid 19 beyond reasonable doubt and keeping the populace safe.

It is not the time for finding a job for his boys.

Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye
ALGON Chairman
Oyo State

The President, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Dr. Adedayo Williams has tested positive to coronavirus.

Dr. Adedayo whose test result came out positive on Saturday, 18th April 2020 thought it wise to go for a voluntary screening having been on the field caring for victims of coronavirus.

In a statement released by Dr. Adedayo on Sunday, 19th April 2020, he confirmed that he is asymptomatic and since then implored everyone he had contact with recently to go on self-isolation until they get tested.

“Having been on the field caring for others, I thought it wise to subject myself to a voluntary screening for COVID-19. The result turned out to be positive on Saturday (18-04-2020) evening.

“I presently do not have any symptom and I am currently on self-isolation, awaiting a repeat test.

“I implore everyone I have had contact with recently to immediately go on self-isolation pending the time they will be tested.

“Those concerned should also properly inform their Heads of Department.
I strongly advise every healthcare worker to always take precautionary measures as COVID-19 is real and spreads fast, even though some persons infected are asymptomatic” He said.

Just a few days after he tested negative again to the novel Covid-19, things weren’t the same for him anymore. He’s either half sentient to reality or half doused in squawking anger. Half burnt from inside out, he could barely find consolation in moping anymore, stuck in between loneliness and fury. His body unfolds in a knock off, colic crying almost every day and waking up to the life that he had to endure because he just recovered from the dangerous coronavirus. Most times he’s either ranting about how the community had successfully discriminated him away from fellowship. Uncle was indeed tired of trying to bear it all as though he was strong. There I realized he’s also human with real emotions suffering from the relics of people sequestering him away from the community. So I watched his helplessness, as he regularly burns in this intense deep-seated anger. Maybe one day he will get provoked and give in to this personal pestilence.

Apparently, my uncle forms part of the many secluded people that suffer in the hands of this detachment, especially the people suffering or just recovered from incurable viruses like Covid-19, HIV, Smallpox and all. It’s such a rue that the society largely acts hypocritical and send this range of people out of the community through their impolitic pact of relations. Hence, some of them end up resulting in depression or perhaps committing suicide, which is the end of it. There is a need for one to be infuriated by this act of discrimination, as the populace needs to be orientated, cautioned, and or perhaps reminded of the hurts that this galling act will cause to the affected members of the society.

Stigmatization and discrimination stir negatively on people who are suffering from a particular disease or probably had recovered from the disease. Stigmatization is a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that the society or a group of people have about something. It’s when you see someone in an unsympathetic way because of a particular characteristic, or attributes. Stigmatization bears the fruits of racism, apartheid, and segregation. It’s also when you engage someone in an inimical manner, most especially people battling with diseases. It becomes a puzzle thinking that society is ignorant of the fact that people with various health-related issues, their social stigma, and discrimination they experience can make their problems go appalling, making it harder to recover. It may cause them to avoid getting the help they need because of the fear of being stigmatized.

Consequently, society should be aware of the fact that stigmatization has detrimental effects on these vulnerable victims, which may include having feelings of disgrace, ignominy, bearishness, and Isolation. The sequence of discrimination tends to tamper with their self-esteem and make them think their situation is unredeemable. Also, the stigmatized people are liable to be ‘close-mouthed’, as they will be hesitant to ask for help when the need arises. Different studies by psychologists showed that stigmatized people encounter some stigma-related stress which also exists in everyday forms of discrimination. These include receiving poorer services in restaurants or stores, being treated as threatening, or being assumed to be unworthy of relations as a result of one’s stigmatized status. Albeit forms of everyday discrimination may be of smaller magnitude than stigma-related life events, their chronicity produces a cumulative stress effect that can potentially be equally distressing.

It’s disheartening that the stigmatized set of people also expects stigmatization from the community, people who are stigmatized may enter into social interactions with an expectation that they will be rejected by others because of their stigmatized social status. This expectation of rejection, regardless of whether or not rejection actually occurs, produces a cognitive burden that constitutes stigma-related stress. A report from (San Francisco State University), London showed that people with stigmas are constantly faced with the decision to conceal or make visible their stigmatized statuses. Although concealing one’s stigmatized status from others can be protective, in that it may allow one too to avoid discrimination, stigma concealment is stressful because produces cognitive burden resulting from fear of discovery. The stigmatized people, most especially the ones who had just recovered from an illness or still recovering do not have an option to conceal their stigmatized social status.

Wherefore, it’s seeming that everyone has a role to play in creating a mentally and psychologically healthy community. One that is embracive, condemns discrimination and supports recovery. We should then take it as an underlying role getting to know people with personal experiences of this stigmatized illness, so we can learn to see them for the person they are rather than their illness. The Community should not weigh conclude, label or discriminate when they meet people who are just in the process of recovery. People should be treated with respect and love. Government and Media should also try protecting the rights of the people that are regularly stigmatized such as the victims of HIV, Smallpox and most especially the ones who are just recovering from this pandemic Covid-19, thus ensuring a better and equal society.

Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun

Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, University of Ibadan.

thedreamchaser65@gmail.com
0908 699 6613

The Special Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Students Matters, Olojede Victor on Saturday Distributed Food Items, Cash as palliatives to over 500 people in Akinyele Local Government.

The distribution took place on Saturday, 18th April 2020 as a means to support his people during the partial lockdown as a result of the world deadly coronavirus.

In a statement made available to the press, he stated that people need support from the government, private entities, and philanthropists during this period.

“The coronavirus pandemic is not a joke as it has really hit the world. That is why everybody keeps talking about a precautionary measure which our people must not take with levity hands.

“While the state government is almost done with her palliatives for the good people of Oyo state, I have thought it wise to support my community.

“While I look forward to reaching out to more people, I want to implore you all to stay safe by taking necessary precautionary measures to help the government curb the spread of coronavirus” He said.