KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY NURENI OYEWOLE FADARE, Ph.D, MLSN

HOUR OF REFLECTION: A ROADMAP TO A BETTER AND SANER POLITICS IN ISEYIN COMMUNITY.

A KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY
NURENI OYEWOLE FADARE, Ph.D, MLSN
fadnur982@gmail.com
+234 7037785519
ON AUGUST 1, 2020

Observation of protocols,

It is a great privilege for me to be invited here by Iseyin Youth Development Group to reflect on the politics of Iseyin with a view to charting a new course for our dear city. It is obvious that “the unexamined life is not worthy living” (Socrates). 

Therefore, as a people of vision, it is pertinent for us to always reflect on how we govern ourselves so that our intention of leaving this society bequeathed to us by our ancestors, better than the way it was handed to us, will be achieved.

The word “politics” is getting more complicated everyday. It transcends mere process through which a society is governed. It encompasses all the social activities revolving around the social interrelationship among the people of a society. It also includes the economic life of the people. Politics is the worldview of a people especially regarding their socio-political and economic life. According to Karl Marx, the German philosopher, he argued that the political structure of a society determines its economic structure. Therefore, both political and economic structure always go together. As we reflect on the politics of Iseyin, it is pertinent to reflect on our socio-economic life and development so far.

Iseyin Politics: The Gains so far

It will be unfair and misleading to argue that Iseyin people have not gained anything or make any progress politically in the past twenty-one years when the country was returned to Civil Rule. I will briefly look at this in terms of appointment and infrastructural developments.

Appointments

In the aspect of political appointment, Iseyin people had produced about five (5) commissioners from 1999 to date to include, Late Mama Titi Akande, Hon. Alhaji Oladimeji Azuzu, Hon. Abdulfatah Atanda, Alhaja Sani and Alhaji Isiaq Kolajo. Iseyin had also produced many members of boards at the state and federal levels. 

Social Infrastructure

Iseyin people have benefitted immensely in the area of infrastructural developments. During the administration of HE Alhaji Lam Adeshina, Iseyin Awaye and Iseyin/Ipapo/Saki roads were rehabilitated. During the administration of HE Alhaji Adewolu Ladoja, the Atoori and Ajumoda water dams were renovated. During his regime, more schools were established while there was massive recruitments of teaching and non-teaching staff into our primary and secondary schools, which Iseyin people too benefitted from.

The administration of HE, Otunba Alao Akala gave Iseyin the permanent orientation camp of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). 

The administration of HE Senator Isiaq Ajimobi dualised the Iseyin  city road, which is the first dual carriage road in the whole of Oke-Ogun. The dual carriage road is 6.5Km and it is 26.3 metres wide and 1 by 1 metre reinforced concrete drainage.

 The reconstruction of Iseyin/Ibadan road was awarded during the administration of HE Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajumobi. 

The 72KM road was constructed under the administration of  HE Chief Kolapo Ishola in the aborted third republic through the office of the Honourable Commissioner for works then, Hon. Alhaji Bolaji Kareem, who is an illustrious and patriotic son of Iseyin and who is present here today as a lead keynote speaker. 

The same road has been re-awarded by the incumbent administration under the headship of HE Engr. Seyi Makinde. Just last week, the social media was agog with the news that the 44KM Iseyin/Ogbomoso road will be constructed by Engr. 

Seyi Makinde administration. This news was received in the city of Iseyin with jubilation and funfair.

Educational Development

Between 1999 and today many schools have been established in Iseyin to include Islamic Girls’ High School, Islamic Boys’ High School, which are owned by the government. Many private owned schools were also established including SAF Polytechnics located along Iseyin/Oyo road.

As at today, verified and confirmed source put the numbers of Public Secondary schools in Iseyin at twenty-three (23) schools, one hundred and thirty-seven (137) public primary schools, seventeen (17) approved private secondary schools, forty-seven (47) approved nursery and primary schools, a Government Technical College, and a private owned polytechnics, SAF polytechnics. Iseyin.

Security Outfits

The siting of the offices of security outfits in Iseyin such as Agro-Rangers, Custom Office and Civil Defence among others have helped in maintaining relative peace in Iseyin.

What are Left Undone?

It is highly pathetic that among all the big cities in Oyo State, Iseyin is the only city that has no single higher school of learning; a brief research carried out recently revealed that in Ibadan alone, the state capital, the following Federal and state higher institutions are sited;

Federal Institutions:

University of Ibadan, Ibadan

Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan

Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan

Federal College of Animal Health, Ibadan

Nigerian Institute for Horticulture Research and Training (NIHORT)

Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)

Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan

Federal School of Nursing, Ibadan

Federal School of Midwifery, Ibadan

Federal School of Health Information

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA- International)

Institute of Agriculture Research and Training (IAR&T)

State Owned Institutions

Ibadan also hosts the following state owned institutions;

Oyo State College of Health Technology, Ibadan

Oyo State School of Nursing, Ibadan

The Polytechnics, Ibadan

Technical University, Ibadan

Nurse Tutors Training School, Ibadan

Private Institutions:

Kola Daisi University, Ibadan

Leed City University, Ibadan

In Oyo town, the following schools are already in existence:

Federal Institutions:

Federal College of Education, (Special), Oyo

Federal School of Surveying. Oyo

State Institutions

Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo.

Private Institutions

Samuel Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo

Atiba University, Oyo

In addition to the above, Ogbomoso zone hosts Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun Polytechnics has Saki as its permanent site, Eruwa owns Ibarapa Polytechnics, Eruwa while Igboora has Oyo State College of Agriculture and Polytechnics, Igbo-Ora. Lanlate is the home to College of Education, Lanlate.

In all the bigger and lesser cities listed above, Iseyin is the only big city that has no higher institution. Therefore, one of the major issues we need to, vehemently agitate for is the establishment of a higher institution in Iseyin. This also means that all hands must be on deck in supporting the siting of the proposed Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Oke-Ogun in Iseyin.

Ikere George Dam

The city of Iseyin is blessed with Ikere George Dam. The dam is a earth-filled dam covering about 47 km2 surface area, capable of generating about 37.55 mw of electricity with a reservoir capacity of about  690 m3. The dam was also planned to irrigate about 12,000 hectares of land.  This dam is one of the largest dams in the whole of Nigeria, its completion will boost the economy of the city, and it will provide revenue for he state and federal governments.

Road Networks

Most of our township roads, state and federal intercity roads are in shambles and complete state of disrepair. Notables among the roads are Iseyin Oyo road, Isalu/Oke-Aro/Ikere road., Atoori/Itan/Isalu road among others.

Other social issues bestriding the city are,

Early marriage

Drug abuse

Idleness among the youth

Increase in school drop-out

Among others.

Reflection on Iseyin and the Politics of Land

The socio-economic life of most African societies are carried out on land that was why the colonials usurpation of Africa was challenged by many African societies though many of them were overpowered by the superior firearms of the colonial masters. This is evident in colonial history of the South and East African countries. 

The popular Iseyin riot of 1916 when women revolted against the colonial imposition of tax on women is a part of the African revolt against colonial rule. In sum, the Europeans came to Africa and cunningly dispossessed them of their natural resources and land. Today, China is moving from one African country to the other buying and dispossessing them of their God-given lands in order to pauperize them.  

Ngugi wa Thiongo, an East African novelist from Kenya, used his artistry to condemn the forceful taking away of lands from African people in Kenya by the Europeans. This is his pre-occupation in Weeps Not, Child. 

Land means so much to African people. It s the last resting place to the ancestors, the place where the economic activities are carried out, houses are built on land, farming and production of food are also carried out on land. Prof. Niyi Osundare in “Ours is to Plough not to Plunder” states,

The earth is our to plough and plant

The hoe is her barber

The dibble her dimple

…

This earth is

Ours to work not to waste

Ours to man not to waste

Ours to man not to maim

This earth is ours to plough, not to plunder

(Osundare’s “Ours is to Plough not to Plunder”)

Osundare is of the opinion that we owe humanity a duty to protect our ancestral land, use it to profit s and handle it over in peace to the next generation. Land is not meant to be plundered or discarded as it is fixed.

Kofi Awoonor is another African literary writer who decries the colonial usurpation of African lands and the loss of African glories. The poet questions the ancestors who abandon the livings to suffer in the hands of the strangers who walk freely on the lands that originally belonged to his clan.  Kofi Awoonor, in an emotion-laden dirge, mourned the usurpation of his ancestral lands by the colonial usurpers. In the poem, Kofi Awoonor laments that,

Dzogbeza Lisa has treated me thus

It has led me among the sharps of the forest

Returning is not possible

And going forward is a great difficulty

The affairs of this world are like the chameleon feces

Into which I have stepped

When I clean it cannot go

I am on the world’s extreme corner,

I am not sitting in the row with the eminent

But those who are lucky

Sit in the middle and forget

I am on the world’s extreme corner

I can only go beyond and forget.

My people, I have been somewhere

If I turn here, the rain beats me

If I turn there the sun burns me

The firewood of this world

Is for only those who can gather it.

The world is not good for anybody

But you are so happy with your fate;

Alas! The travelers are back

All covered with debt

II

Something has happened to me

The things so great that I cannot weep

I have no sons to fire gun when I die

And no daughters to wail when I close my mouth

I have wandered on the wilderness

The wilderness men call life

The rain has beaten me,

And the sharp stumps cut as keen as knives

I shall go beyond and rest.

I have no kin and no brother,

Death has made war upon our house;

And Kpeti’s great household is no more,

Only the broken fence stands;

And those who dared not look in his face

Have come out as men.

How well their pride is with them.

Let those gone before take note

They have treated their offspring badly.

What is the wailing for?

Somebody is dead, Agosu himself

Alas! A snake has bitten me

My right arm is broken,

And the tree on which I lean is fallen.

Agosu if you go tell them

Tell Nyidevu, Kpeti, and Kove

That they have done us evil;

Tell them their house is falling

And the trees in the fence

Have been eaten by termites;

That the martels curse them.

Ask them why they idle there

While we suffer, and eat sand.

And the crow and the vulture

Hover always above our broken fences

AND STRANGERS WALK OVER OUR PORTION.

Proceeding from the above, it is clear that the poet is talking about the colonization of Ghana by the colonial power. Today, the western powers and fellow Africans who are all out to steal people’s free lands are exploiting Africans. We need to further reflect on this by thinking about the situations in Benue State, Lagos State and Ilorin which is close by and which Iseyin has historical alliance with. Today Benue is in the hands of Hausa/Fulani, Ilorin, a prominent Yoruba land is in the hands of the Fulanis while the Igbos control the juiciest parts of Lagos while the Lagos aborigines now live as omo onile,  touts or street thugs. It is about time that the traditional authority, ICS, and IDU come together and bail us out of this quagmire, which may stand as an encumbrance for our security and existence as a people in the nearest future.

My Suggestions on the Issue of Land

First, there is an urgent need to survey the entire Iseyin Local Government land to ascertain the exact hectares of land of Iseyin. We also need to draw a plan of how we want Iseyin to look like in hundred years to come. We need to map out where we are going to designate for our state hospitals, tertiary hospitals, university, recreation centres, etc. We need to erect the proposed institutions’ signposts on those lands so that any occupant of the land, legal or illegal would know what those lands are meant for in the future.

Second, we need to stop individual families from selling lands. They could only lay claim to it if it will be used for agriculture purposes alone. All lands bought by aliens that are more than five acres should be revoked immediately. No part of Iseyin land should be sold, leased or rent for the purpose of grazing except such farmer is an indigene. 

The people of Iseyin especially families that have lands should be sensitized on the needs to protect their lands for the progress of the city.

The lands must be held in trust collectively rather than being put in individual families’ hands

We need to urgently constitute a committee comprising of lawyers, surveyors, estate managers, representatives of the traditional council, the Baales, farmers, etc to review the state of our land in Iseyin for the sake of security of life and property and for the benefits of the future development of our dear city

.

Reflecting on the Future of Economy of Iseyin People

The people of Iseyin are predominantly farmers and weavers. The future of the economy of Iseyin is bleak. In the nearest future, unless something urgent is done, an average poor person from Iseyin will find it difficult to have access to land for farming, they will only probably  be hired as labourers by the new land owners who are largely foreigners. This might return the city to a feudalistic society where the once proud owners of land served as serfs or labourers but the appropriate word is “slave.”  However, the calamity can be prevented if we preserve our lands for future generations.  

The Aso Oke industry needs to be modernized and further expanded. The Aso Oke International market should be constructed and made functional. This is the only profession that is capable of saving us in the nearest future. We should be more creative in our designs while we stick to quality materials of international standard in producing the clothes.

Conflicts of Petty Party Politics (PPP)/Political Correctness/ Patriotism

It was a brother Comrade Ademola Wasiu Adedayo, an erudite scholar and teacher, who coined the phrase Petty Party Politics in one of his postings on Facebook on July 16, 2020. This is exactly one of the major challenge bestriding us. We seem to love our political parties and political actors more than we love our city. Iseyin people always support the leftist progressive ideology, which I extensively discussed in my paper entitled “Contemporary Leftist Politics: Iseyin Still at the low Rung of the Ladder.”  Delivered at the Iseyin City Hall on August 20, 2012 on the invitation of Iseyin Progressive Front. The central argument is that Iseyin politics is too rigid and one sided. Today, our political orientation has not changed much and it is dangerously gravitating towards hero worshipping rather than focusing on the development of the city. We need to change our political perception. We should always support the development of our beloved city brought about by the governments from the state and federal governments irrespective of the party affiliation of the government that initiated or carried out the project.

Political Structure/Local Government and Delineation of Constituency

If there was anytime when we guffed politically, it was during the Abacha regime when new Local Governments were created. It was the period when our four Honourables in the State House of Assembly were pathetically reduced to half. In Oyo State, Iseyin city is one of the five largest cities in the state. Unfortunately, it is the most cheated with a single honourable being shared with Itesiwaju Local Government.  The Federal Constituency contains four Local Governments: Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola making it the largest Federal constituency in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State and Nigeria.

Choice of a Central Father/Mother Figure for Iseyin

In Nigeria, development is always concentrated at the state capital while the supporting cities will require a divine intervention for them to have a reasonable development. This explains why places like Ede has Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Late Engr. Ogundoyin from Eruwa, Chief Awakan of Okaka, the Koleosos of Saki, Chief Dibu Ojerinde Oluomo of Igboho, the Olopoenias in Okeho, Alhaji Umar Ali Shikafi from Sokoto among others. In Iseyin of the past, Chief Ashiru Olona used to occupy such position because of his status as a wealthy businessperson coupled with his closeness with the military. Unfortunately for us, we could not utilize the opportunity we had then to advance the course of Iseyin positively. After Chief Ashiru Olona, Iseyin produced a shero, in person of Alhaja Ramota Balogun whose eventful but brief life gave Iseyin the first dual carriage road ever.

The efforts of Barrister Ahmed Raji SAN in the past is highly commendable especially his contributions to education advancement of the city in terms of construction of a world class library, the first and the best of its kinds in Oke-Ogun and beyond. He had also contributed to the renovation of Muslim Grammar School, Anwarul Islam High School and Oke-Esa Primary school, being the first public Primary school in Iseyin established in 1934. He had secretly sponsored uncountable numbers of students to Law schools or sometimes pay substantial amounts of their school fees. His efforts in constructing high rising buildings in Iseyin has added to the aesthetic of the city. At this critical period, Iseyin needs such a large personality who is learned, patriotic, financially blessed and generous to lead us with the supports of all political parties, trade unions, civil servants, academics, etc.

Iseyin: The Future in Sight

Having reflected on our socio-economic and political situations, it is appropriate for us to project into the future by making recommendations to some of the challenges plaguing us as a people.

Choice of Leadership

Chinua Achebe in his highly celebrated book entitled The Trouble with Nigeria,  argued that the problem facing Nigeria is mainly leadership problem, (1) He also suggested that for our society to move forward, we need a leader that is visionary and focused. According to Achebe,

I am saying that Nigeria can change today if she discovers leaders who have the will, the ability and the vision. Such people are rare in any time or place. But, it is the duty of enlightened citizens to lead the way in their discovery and to create an atmosphere conducive to their emergence. If this conscious effort is not made, good leaders, like good money will be driven out by bad. (Achebe, 2-3)

No society can rise beyond the quality of their leaders. A leader must be visionary, focused, purposive and virtuous. I have argued consistently that any society that unwittingly appoints a wrong leader will only have themselves to blame. Socrates, the great Greek philosopher opined that whoever intends to be a leader must have two major qualities; such a person must have a full understanding of the people s/he wants to lead and the would-be leader must be virtuous. (Oluwole, 2). This view was supported by Orunmila in Osa Itura where it is stated inter alia, “Everlasting Blessing. (sic) This was a message to mankind. They were told to uphold Truth so that the world will know the truth right from birth such that it will be easy for them to be truthful” (Oluwole, 30). Orunmila also enjoins the leaders to seek for knowledge and wisdom of others and that is why we need an advisory committee, a think-tank that will be directly working with Iseyin Development Union (IDU) and Iseyin Council of Societies (ICS). The committee will be saddled with the responsibility of generating new ideas for the city including writing memoranda for the city on major developmental projects. Knowledge does not belong to a single person and the wise one is that person who seeks advice from others. Orunmila admonished; “Wisdom is like water or a powdery stuff. It is therefore, uncountable. Anyone who says  he/she knows everything and is wise in all things deceives him/herself. A person who does not consult others is regarded as a sage in a city of fools.” (Oluwole, 32) This explains why Orunmila has sixteen disciples, Socrates had ten, Jesus Christ had twelve. The disciples are the advisory committees of the leaders.

Visionary Leadership versus Wealth Accumulation

It is found today that our leaders are concerned only with the accumulations of wealth, but Socrates has a different opinion on this. According to Socrtates;

Are you ashamed of heaping up greatest amount of money, honour and reputation, not caring so little about wisdom and truth and, the greatest improvement of the soul which you never regard or need at all? I tell you that virtue is not given by money. (Oluwole, 48)

In Obara Iwori, Orunmila admonished that,

…Money can exalt a person but it can also bring its owner down. Wealth does not prevent us from becoming blind, mad, lame, invalid an so on. All forms of disability can affect rich person. Knowledge and wisdom are the only things worthy of respect. People should update their knowledge, readjust their ways of thinking and acquire wisdom, they should cultivate good character so that the world can become peaceful. (Oluwole, 49).

Also, Orunmila in Ose Itura (Oluwole 52-53) campaigns for the appointment of women into political offices so that things can be set right. 

In summary, our political leaders should be virtuous, knowledgeable, have advisory body and engage women and youth in politics.Needless to say, only patriotic citizens of the city should be nominated or elected into political offices.

Conclusion

The future of Iseyin lies in visionary and purposive leadership. We need to struggle persistently to make sure that we regain all our lost political glories. We need to appoint those whose visions are in tandem with the visions and aspiration of the town. We must begin to work on the blueprint of where we want Iseyin city to be in the next hundred years and beyond.

We should be security conscious and think about the strangers we admit into our midst. Our youths should be focused and be politically active.

Our lands should be protected and not discarded. We should use it well and handle it over to the next generation safely. The lands should be preserved collectively rather than putting them in the hands of individuals and families

We should work assiduously for the siting of the proposed Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Oke-Ogun in Iseyin.

Our mothers and sisters need to be more engaged politically. It is only when all these are done that we can think of a better TOMORROW.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua The Trouble with Nigeria. Nairobi: Heinemann, 1983

Awoonor Kofi. “Songs of Sorrow.” Retrieved from, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57147/songs-of-sorrow. Accessed on 26/07/2020

Oluwole Sophie Bosede,  Socrates and Orunmila: Two Patron Saints of Classical Philosophy. Lagos: Ark Publishers, 2014

Osundare, Niyi, “Ours to Plough Not to Plunder.” Retrieved from:  https://www.naijapoets.com.ng/2016/03/analysis-of ours-to-plough-not-to-html, Accessed on 26/07/2020