Nigerian Newspapers
Olua festival of Osi-Ekiti: When spirits visit the living
The early morning August sun smiles gaily on the brown earth which spreads wide and long before a white painted enclave.
The thick wall which begins from a yellow painted bungalow bearing the inscription “Ile Olua” runs straight and long and disappears into a thick forest which boundaries the groove on the left; for the thick wall shields the grove of Olua: the Imole which visit Osi- Ekiti twice a year – March and August. It was Sunday 4 August, 2013 in Osi- Ekiti, Ekiti State. And it was some minutes before 10 a.m.
The long wall has two openings. And like a few other sections along the long wall, the two openings were covered with palm fronds. The yellowish green of the fronds was dark at the tips.
Out of the two openings only one was a thoroughfare though not for just anybody but the initiated members of the Imole cult. Acolytes, only male, clutching pieces of papers bent double as they passed through the barely waist level high hole-in-the-wall to place the supplications of their “clients” before Olua who in turn make some prescriptions for the supplicants who adherents believe would return at the next festival to show gratitude, if they complied and followed the directives of the age-long visitors from another world – the Imole.
The other opening in the thick fortress is a shrine of sort. It also had the draping of palm fronds but unlike the former one, there was no thoroughfare.
On the ground was an assemblage of different articles of worship: kolanuts, salt, two big horns of some wild animals and some white plastic bowls gazed on by a bottle of schnapps.
Slightly to the right of this shrine sat the aworo (priests) of Olua. Most of them are aged and they support their bent frames with bamboo staffs which are also symbols of their office.
As these gaunt men sat in reverence bare headed, suppliants and grateful adherents trickled in to pay obeisance to Olua for favours sought and favours granted. As the day dragged on, the large patch rectangular shaped earth in front of the enclave started swelling with humans who kept on trooping in.
The scanty leaves on the ancient Odan tree standing protectively over the square could not offer enough succour as the crowd which had grown in leaps and bounds now sought shelter under copies of old newspapers, umbrellas and even wrappers for protection from the sun which was now coming out more strongly.
Some 30 meters to the great enclave, an impromptu market had sprung up. Goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, kolanuts, smoked fish and rats, honey, adi (palm kernel oil); just name any object of sacrifice; they were there. It was a ready market for adherents who needed to offer sacrifices quickly and promptly as prescribed by the unseen Imole Olua.
It was where supplicants quickly rushed to, to get their orders which they took back to Olua. Olua, according to Olori Mese, of its chief priests, is as old as age to the people of Osi and its environ which includes Ido, Ido-Osi, Usi and two other towns.
The Imole, he explained, are spirit beings which emerge two times in a year “and answer the supplications and prayers of those who seek them from both far and near.
“No one knows their origin. We met our fathers worshipping them and we followed suit. Nobody knows who they are or where they come from or their sex and age. They are mysteries. People come from near and far to consult them on a varied and wide number of issues.
These include barrenness, riches, ill health, good will, longevity, cure for diseases, ill-luck and just virtually anything” Lending credence to Olori Mese is the wife of the town’s monarch Olori Taiwo Agunbiade.
According to her, her parents always believe that she is a special being and hence had to consult the Imole when she was about to get married.
“They told my parents that I should get married from within the town as I was destined to be a leader. I heeded their advice. I married an indigene of this town and now today, I am the queen of the town. At the early part of my marriage, I did not get pregnant on time. Again, my parents consulted the Imole.
And again, today, I am the better for it. The marriage has also produced beautiful children who are successful today.” Olori Agunbiade also corroborated the claims of the adherents that the Imole call on people from the crowd and give them message. According to her: “This is occasionally. It does not happen all the time. But it is true.
The Imole calls on people and tell them what to do. They call on total strangers. That is their way. It is a strange one.” Around 2pm, the atmosphere of the place changed.
There was mounted excitement. And suddenly, bells started ringing. And the total clampdown on any form of electronic device be it camera, camcorder or even gsm handset was totally and brutally enforced.
Recalcitrant members of the public were beaten up and even some people were harassed mere on suspicion of trying to take photographs while they were merely answering calls. Young men tipsy and even drunk were the enforcers. It is better imagined than witnessed their mode of law enforcement.
With their loads of whips which they carry fiercely, woe betides any suspected breaker of the no-photographing law. The crowd which had grown into a multitude was pushed back and kept some hundred of meters from the enclave. With the sun glaring harshly down on the crowd, everybody men and women, old and young must be bare headed.
No head gear was allowed from anybody. Still, the multitude persevered. The noisy and boisterous moves of the young men suddenly erupted into joyous chants, after some minutes of total silence.
The visitors from another world had finally arrived. They were greeted with thunderous welcome. A figure, barely two feet high and covered from head to toe in palm fronds emerged limping in a style similar to the dance steps of the rampaging young men, moved to the monarch.
Necks strained and eyes roved, people scrambled for higher and better positions to get better views and comments were rife. Practically all indigenes and old timers became commentators; telling eager listeners what to expect next from the sprit beings. Most of their tales came to past while some did not. After some a time, another shout rent the air.
Another one had arrived. And so, two beings (Imole), totally shrouded in palm fronds, ambled around the square and stopped at some places which had earlier been marked out by palm fronds.
As the figures ambled round, moods changed and the atmosphere became electrified. Chants were uttered and believers were seen making different sorts of supplications to the Imole. After about an hour of the dance, the two figures ambled slowly to the entrance of the grove where they emerged from followed first by the young men bearing whips and then dancing indigenes of the town and lastly visitors.
As they ambled to their groove later to come out again early the following morning, one song sung in the dialect of Osi-Ekiti which caught the ears of the reporter is: “Dele ki o to ro, oun o ba ri ni ibi Imole, de ile ki o to ro” Don’t reveal until you get home, whatever you eyes behold in the Imole’s grove.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: National Mirror Newspaper
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Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Kamaru Usman has raked in a mammoth £1.1million, about N584.2 million after his impressive knockout victory over Jorge Masvidal on Saturday night, Sportivation.com.ng reports.
The Nigerian Nightmare has been handsomely rewarded for his stunning performance and he was the best-paid fighter on the card which was witnessed by 15, 000 fans in Florida.
According to Daily Mail, Usman earned £538,000 to show up, £459,000 pay-per-view bonus, a £43,000 sponsorship bonus and a well deserved £35,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Jorge Masvidal also earned £358,000 to show, £186,000 in pay-per-view money and a £28,000 sponsorship bonus.
This is the biggest payday of Usman’s career so far and the Welterweight champion also benefited from the fact that Masvidal is also a top draw for the fans.
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler.
Sourced From: Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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