Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State Wing, has honoured teachers and learners affected by the May 15, 2026 attack on a school in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, describing them as heroes in the struggle to protect education.

The union also dedicated its 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration to the victims of the attack, with a pledge to support families of slain teachers and identify with learners affected by the incident.

Speaking on Monday at the celebration held at the Islamic High School Multipurpose Hall, Orita Basorun, Ibadan, the state NUT Chairman, Comrade Hassan Ajibola Fatai, said the event was being held with mixed feelings because of the sacrifices made by teachers and learners during the attack.

Fatai said the union would recognise surviving victims with its Heroes and Heroines Award, stressing that their courage and commitment to their duties despite the incident deserved recognition.

He said, ‘We are celebrating our teachers today, but we are doing so with mixed feelings because of the unfortunate incident in Oriire. Those affected by the attack are heroes and heroines of the teachers and education struggle in Oyo State.

‘We have decided to honour the surviving victims with our Heroes and Heroines Award, while also supporting the families of teachers who lost their lives and identifying with the affected learners.’

The celebration, themed ‘Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping our Futures,’ brought together teachers, education administrators, government officials, labour leaders and other stakeholders.

The Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, said teachers remained central to any meaningful transformation of the education sector.

Adeniran said, ‘Education cannot be transformed without teachers. Their status, competence and welfare are central to the future of education.

‘Standing with teachers must go beyond ceremonial appreciation. It must include professional development, decent working conditions, teaching and learning resources, career progression, mentoring and continuous capacity building.’

He noted that the 2026 celebration marked 60 years of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, stressing that the milestone provided an opportunity to renew commitment to the teaching profession.

According to him, Oyo SUBEB would continue to collaborate with relevant authorities, teachers, communities and development partners to improve teacher quality and strengthen basic education across the state.

The SUBEB chairman also commended the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde for what he described as its commitment to teachers’ welfare.

He said the government had paid outstanding leave allowances inherited from previous administrations, maintained regular payment of teachers’ salaries and abolished the six-year waiting period for teachers.

Adeniran added that the administration had also approved the upgrading of teachers on Grade Levels above GL 14.

He assured teachers that their voices would continue to feature in policy discussions aimed at improving basic education.

‘Our collective responsibility as government, education authorities, school leaders, teachers, parents and communities is to ensure that every child in Oyo State has access to a competent, motivated, supported and professionally respected teacher,’ he said.

In his address, Fatai commended Governor Makinde, Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, Commissioner for Education Segun Olayiwola, Dr Adeniran, TESCOM Chairperson Mrs Olubukola Oladipo, Special Adviser on Education Intervention, Oloye Suraj Abiodun Tiamy, and other stakeholders for their roles in the rescue and survival efforts following the Oriire attack.

He also acknowledged the state government’s interventions in teachers’ welfare, while urging the government to sustain efforts to improve working conditions.

However, the NUT chairman presented a fresh list of demands on behalf of teachers.

Among the demands were the full implementation of the Safe School Programme, integration of 135 teachers into the TESCOM employment structure, approval of inter-local government transfers for some teachers appointed in 2005, administrative flexibility on conversion and career progression, prompt release of grants to school heads and payment of outstanding 2025 leave allowances.

Fatai also urged teachers to embrace artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, saying the changing nature of education required teachers to continuously update their skills.

He said, ‘Protecting, respecting, rewarding, empowering and investing in teachers remain essential to strengthening education and securing the future of Oyo State and Nigeria.’

A major highlight of the celebration was the presentation of the Heroes and Heroines of Teachers Award to teachers who demonstrated courage and dedication during the Oriire school attack.

The award recipients included the Principal of Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele, Mrs Alamu Racheal Folawe; Vice Principal, Mr Ojo Jonathan Adebayo; Mr Olatunde Olutoye Zacchaeus; Mrs Oladeji Jelilat Oluwakemi; and Mrs Daunting Mary Temitope of Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota.

The event was attended by government officials, education administrators, NUT leaders, teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector.

Dr. Kayode Afolabi, a former Commissioner for Health in Oyo State and the Provost of Premier College of Health Technology in Ibadan, urged all Mogajis (compound heads) in Ibadanland to view their roles as a call to service, stewardship, reconciliation, protection, and responsible leadership.

He delivered this message during the post-installation ceremony for his son, Chief Tolulope Akinkunmi Afolabi, who has been installed as Mogaji of the Agunbiade dynasty in Ode Aje, Alaadorin, Oluyoro Oke-Offa area of Ibadan.

The installation of the Mogaji Agunbiade dynasty took place on Monday, April 27th, 2026, at the palace of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, located in Oke Aremo, Ibadan North Local Government Area.

The post-installation ceremony was held on Saturday at the Ibadan Civic Center in the Idi Ape area.

The event saw the attendance of several dignitaries, including the Chairman of the occasion and President General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Chief Ajeniyi Ajewole; special guest Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN; former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Hosea Agboola; Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Ibadan, Professor Kehinde Kester; and Professors James Ayangunna and Yemisi Lydia Olaleye, along with other lecturers and students from the Department of Social Work at the University of Ibadan.

Also present were the traditional head of the Royal Owu Descendants Union in Ibadan and Mogaji of the Olugbode compound, Chief Teslim Olugbode; immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chief Ademola Babalola, who represented Alhaja Fatima Abdulkareem, Chairman of the Royal Descendants of Owu Union; Mr. Lateef Gbadamosi; Chief Segun Oyegbade Afolabi; and Alhaji Isiaka Adeniran Olasheu.

In his welcome address, Dr. Afolabi, who was joined by his wife and the Head of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ibadan, Dr. Abimbola Afolabi, expressed gratitude to all members of the Agunbiade compound, both at home and in the Diaspora, for their unanimous nomination of his son as Mogaji.

He emphasised that the title of Mogaji should not be seen as just a title to display but rather as a meaningful call to service, stewardship, reconciliation, protection, and responsible leadership. Dr. Afolabi described the occasion as a celebration of family, heritage, unity, responsibility, and service.

He said, ‘It gives me immense joy, gratitude and a deep sense of fulfilment to welcome you all to this special gathering as we celebrate the post-installation of our son, Chief Tolulope Akinkunmi Afolabi, the Mogaji Agunbiade. On behalf of the Afolabi family, and indeed the entire Agunbiade family, I warmly welcome you. Today is not merely a celebration of the conferment of a traditional title. It is a celebration of family, heritage, unity, responsibility and service. It is also a celebration of the confidence that a family has placed in one of its own sons.

‘As we celebrate today, I want to make one appeal to every member of the Agunbiade family. Let this installation strengthens our unity. Let us remember that the strength of the Mogaji is ultimately the strength of the family. No Mogaji can succeed alone. No family can prosper where there is division. No heritage can survive where the younger generation is disconnected from its roots. And no legacy can endure unless each generation accepts the responsibility of preserving and improving what it inherited.

‘I am encouraged that the new Mogaji has spoken about digital family records, human-capital development, diaspora engagement, education, empowerment and community security. He has also expressed his intention to support the security agenda of the Olubadan of Ibadanland. These are important areas for a modern family head to consider. We want an Agunbiade family that remembers where it came from but is not afraid of where it is going. We want young Agunbiade people who can compete anywhere in the world while remaining proud of their Ibadan heritage. We want our compound to be a place of peace, dignity, learning and opportunity. And we want Agunbiade to contribute positively to the wider development of Ibadanland.

The presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said that the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which affirmed his candidature of the party in the forthcoming general election, presented an opportunity for the party to build momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.

Olawepo-Hashim, who spoke to newsmen after the judgment, appealed to stakeholders in Accord Party to close ranks and unite.

He said the party would seek to compete not only in the presidential election but also in National Assembly and governorship contests across the country.

Olawepo-Hashim said that the 2027 election would be different from previous elections and identified the economy and security as key issues that would shape the contest.

He also criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), blaming the party for what he described as a deterioration in Nigeria’s economy and security situation.

The presidential candidate claimed that Nigeria’s GDP had fallen from more than $600 billion to about $377 billion under the APC and alleged that poverty and insecurity had worsened.

The Accord candidate further predicted that the 2027 presidential election could go into a runoff and said the APC candidate would finish fourth, adding that Accord Party would commence major campaign activities shortly, including a rally in Abuja.

While noting that the party had spent several years building political structures across the country, Olawepo-Hashim said a major presidential campaign rally would be held in Abuja within two weeks.

The Accord Party presidential candidate has also proposed a petrol pump price of N605 per litre if elected president, explaining that the proposed price would be based on a different approach to domestic crude pricing, refining and logistics costs.

He said the N605 figure could include an energy tax to support the development of alternative energy sources.

The candidate has also said petrol could eventually sell for between N200 and N300 per litre if production costs and the exchange rate are stabilised.

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had, in a judgement on Monday, affirmed Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party for the 2027 general election, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload his name on its portal.

Justice Umar held that Olawepo-Hashim was lawfully nominated as the party’s presidential candidate and directed Accord Party to recognise him and forward his name to INEC.

The judgment followed a suit filed by Olawepo-Hashim seeking an order compelling the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate and transmit his name to the electoral commission.

The court agreed that the primary election which produced Olawepo-Hashim was lawfully conducted. The court also rejected the party’s position that the primary had been cancelled, noting that the purported cancellation was not effectively communicated.

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has pledged to make teaching one of the most attractive professions in Nigeria if elected president.

Adebayo made the pledge in a statement issued on Monday by the Adewole Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.

The statement was signed by Comrade Mark Adebayo, Head, Directorate of Media and Communications, Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign.

He commended Nigerian teachers for their resilience, creativity and commitment to shaping the country, despite what he described as difficult working conditions, systemic neglect, dilapidated classrooms, inadequate teaching aids and delayed entitlements.

Adebayo recalled the formation of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in July 1931, saying pioneer educators, including Alvan Ikoku, brought together regional teachers’ associations into a national body.

He said the NUT was established not only as a trade union but also as a platform for national development, educational standardisation and the defence of the dignity of teachers against colonial neglect.

‘Today, we look back at that history and realize that the spirit of 1931 is still very much alive in our classrooms,’ he said.

Adebayo said Nigeria’s achievements across various sectors could be traced to the contributions of teachers who had discovered, nurtured and moulded generations of Nigerians.

He, however, lamented what he described as the reduction of teaching to a calling of sacrifice without adequate reward.

‘We cannot expect a 21st-century educational miracle from 19th-century infrastructure and demoralized personnel,’ he said.

According to him, his administration would pursue what he described as a three-pronged revolution in the education sector, focusing on remuneration, infrastructure and institutional respect.

He pledged to restructure teachers’ salary scales, allowances and pensions to ensure they receive what he described as premium wages that reflect their importance to national security and development.

Adebayo also promised to transform classrooms into technology-driven centres of innovation, with clean environments, digital tools and well-equipped laboratories.

He further pledged to restore the societal prestige, professional autonomy and dignity of educators across primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

‘To our primary school teachers laying the foundation, our secondary school teachers guiding our youth, and our university lecturers steering research – we see you, we value you, and help is on the way. Happy World Teachers’ Day,’ he said.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto has fixed October 6, 2026, for the hearing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Zamfara North senatorial primaries dispute between Senator Sahabi Ya’u Kaura and Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi.

In a letter with reference number CA/S/239/2026, the Appeal Court slated tomorrow, Tuesday, to begin the hearing.

It will be recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau had cancelled the APC primary election conducted for Zamfara North Senatorial District on May 19.

Earlier, the case alleging irregularities and the absence of valid APC senatorial primaries in Zamfara North was filed at the Federal High Court in Gusau by an aggrieved aspirant, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi.

On Monday, August 31, 2026, the court ordered a fresh APC primary election in the Zamfara North senatorial area within 14 days of the judgment.

However, dissatisfied with the judgment, Senator Sahabi Ya’u Kaura filed an appeal against the Gusau Federal High Court judgment at the Court of Appeal in Sokoto.

Therefore, the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto has fixed October 6, 2026, for the hearing of the case.

NIGERIA needs stronger coordination across government, the legislature and the private sector to turn health-tax proposals into effective sources of healthcare financing and tools for reducing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has said.

Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a National Stakeholder Co-Creation Workshop on Realising Health Taxes for Sustainable Health Financing and Curbing Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria.

The workshop, held in Abuja, focused on moving health-tax reforms beyond policy discussions to implementation, with particular attention to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), tobacco and alcohol.

Ohiri said health-tax reform could not be treated as the responsibility of the health sector alone, stressing that it cuts across taxation, fiscal policy, legislation, public financial management and domestic resource mobilisation.

‘Health-tax reform is not the mandate of any single sector or ministry,’ he said, adding that it requires the leadership of the Ministry of Finance, lawmakers, private-sector stakeholders, civil society, the media and other relevant institutions.

According to him, Nigeria faces a dual challenge of persistent infectious diseases and maternal health concerns alongside a growing burden of NCDs associated with the consumption of products such as sugary drinks, tobacco and alcohol.

He noted that health taxes could address both challenges by discouraging harmful consumption while creating additional and more predictable domestic resources for healthcare.

The NHIA boss said the country was already at an important stage in the development of SSB taxation, noting that the Senate had passed a bill seeking to strengthen the existing SSB tax framework. The bill is awaiting concurrence by the House of Representatives.

He added that the proposed reforms would seek to channel part of the resulting revenue towards health promotion, disease prevention and primary healthcare.

However, Ohiri cautioned that legislation alone would not guarantee success, saying Nigeria must establish the institutional, fiscal and administrative mechanisms required to implement the reforms effectively.

He identified political leadership, institutional capacity and robust public financial management as critical to ensuring transparency in revenue collection and utilisation.

‘Healthcare should be accessible, but it is not cheap. We need to build a workable roadmap so that this does not remain theoretical,’ he said.

The workshop also placed emphasis on the potential of health taxes to support health insurance coverage. Ohiri cited the Philippines as an example of a country that has used health-tax revenues to support the expansion of health insurance, saying Nigeria could draw lessons from similar approaches.

Stakeholders also identified the need to strengthen taxation of tobacco and alcohol through further evidence, advocacy and policy engagement, while exploring mechanisms for directing health-tax revenues towards health insurance and financial protection for vulnerable Nigerians.

The Health Tax Task Team, established as an action-oriented platform, is expected to provide strategic guidance, strengthen coordination among institutions, engage policymakers and support the transition from policy design to implementation.

The World Health Organisation has similarly stressed that successful health-tax reforms require more than technical evidence, noting that policymakers must also understand the institutional and stakeholder environment in which such taxes are negotiated and implemented.

For Nigeria, the emerging policy challenge is therefore not simply whether health taxes can raise additional revenue or reduce harmful consumption, but whether government can build a coordinated system capable of collecting, managing and transparently deploying the proceeds to deliver measurable health outcomes.

The Abuja engagement consequently shifted the conversation from the justification for health taxes to the practical requirements for implementation: clear institutional ownership, cross-government coordination, legislative action, effective revenue administration and credible public financial management.

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East geopolitical zone, has condemned the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the President General of COSEYL, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, he said that the attack, which occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, involved two buses conveying NYSC members and other passengers travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

He stated that the Imo State Police Command has already confirmed the incident and subsequently announced the rescue of 10 victims, while noting that efforts were ongoing to determine the exact number of people still in captivity.

COSEYL described the attack as an unacceptable assault on the lives, dignity and freedom of innocent Nigerians, particularly young graduates who were travelling to fulfil a national obligation under the NYSC scheme.

According to him, it’s deeply disturbing that citizens can travel on a major federal highway in broad daylight and be intercepted by armed criminals.

He said: ‘This is not normal. This must not become normal’.

COSEYL therefore called for the immediate and safe rescue of all remaining victims, without conditions or further delay.

They urged the security agencies to deploy all available intelligence, surveillance, tracking and operational capabilities to locate those still in captivity and ensure their safe return.

While commending the security personnel involved in the operation that led to the recovery of 10 victims, Ibem urged them to sustain the effort until all those affected were accounted for and the perpetrators apprehended and brought to justice.

They also called on the Federal Government, Imo State Government, Nigeria Police Force, military, NYSC management and other relevant authorities to strengthen security measures for corps members travelling to orientation camps, describing their safety as an urgent national security priority.

He said the NYSC scheme was established to promote national integration, stressing that young Nigerians answering the call to national service must not become soft targets for kidnappers and criminal gangs.

COSEYL demanded the immediate release of all remaining abducted passengers and corps members and a full-scale investigation into the attack, particularly how the criminals were able to operate along the Owerri-Onitsha corridor despite the presence of security checkpoints.

body also called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators and their collaborators, as well as a comprehensive review of the movement of prospective corps members to orientation camps, particularly along routes identified as security flashpoints.

It urged the authorities to maintain regular and transparent communication with the families of the victims, saying they should not be left to rely on rumours, social media reports or conflicting information while their loved ones remain missing.

COSEYL also called for stronger cooperation among communities, transport operators and security agencies in providing timely intelligence and reporting suspicious activities, noting that preventing such attacks required a collective effort.

‘Let it be clearly stated: the South-East cannot afford to surrender its highways to kidnappers, nor can Nigeria continue to treat the abduction of innocent citizens as routine news,’ he said.

‘Every abducted Nigerian is somebody’s child, parent, sibling or loved one. Every corps member travelling to serve Nigeria deserves protection. Every Nigerian has a right to move freely without living in fear of being kidnapped.’

COSEYL said it would continue to demand accountability and justice for the victims, urging the authorities to act with urgency.

ACCESS Holdings Plc onboarded 78,438 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) onto its financing platforms in 2025, as the financial services group expanded the use of digital channels to improve access to finance and other financial services across its operating markets.

The group said its MSME strategy combines banking, digital payments, app-based lending and business advisory services to address the financing and operational needs of small businesses.

Women-owned businesses accounted for N34.2 billion in financing during the year, underscoring the group’s focus on extending credit to enterprises that have traditionally faced barriers to formal financing.

Access Holdings said its MSME Toolkit and related programmes also provide training and advisory support designed to improve entrepreneurs’ business management capabilities.

The group’s approach reflects the growing role of digital finance in addressing the long-standing challenges associated with MSME lending, including limited collateral, inadequate credit histories and the high cost of serving small-ticket borrowers.

Through its various businesses, Access combines conventional banking services with digital payment and credit solutions. Access Bank provides accounts, trade services and working capital financing, while Hydrogen Payment Services supports merchants with digital payment infrastructure.

Oxygen X Finance, meanwhile, provides app-based credit to entrepreneurs, enabling the Group to reach businesses that may have limited access to traditional branch-based lending.

The integration of these services is designed to give small businesses access to finance alongside payment infrastructure and other financial tools, while creating transaction records that can potentially support future credit assessments.

The group’s MSME programmes also extend beyond lending, with training and advisory services intended to strengthen entrepreneurs’ ability to manage cash flow, plan for expansion and improve business operations.

For Access Holdings, the expansion of MSME financing represents both a financial inclusion initiative and an opportunity to diversify its loan portfolio across a large number of small businesses.

However, the longer-term commercial impact of the strategy will depend on the quality of the loans generated, repayment performance, sustained lending growth and the ability of financed businesses to improve their capacity and remain viable.

The performance of the MSME portfolio will also provide an indication of whether digital lending can deliver scale while maintaining appropriate credit-risk controls.

MSMEs remain an important segment of African economies, providing employment and supporting economic activity across sectors. Yet many small businesses continue to operate outside the formal financial system, limiting their access to credit, payment infrastructure and other financial services.

By using digital platforms, financial institutions can reduce some of the costs associated with reaching geographically dispersed businesses and processing relatively small loans.

More than 1,000 exhibitors and over 500,000 visitors, from 20 countries across the globe, are expected to participate at this year’s edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), organisers of the fair, has said.

Disclosing this to the media in Lagos, Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Princess Layo Bakare-Okeowo, also stated that the exhibitors had so far expressed their interest in being part of the event, expected to be flagged off in Lagos by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 6.

She said a major feature of the edition is the Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government Room, aimed at connecting the exhibitors with bulk buyers, building a network of business partners and signing deals.

She described the B-to-B Room as representing the gradual shaping of the face of the Fair from a consumer Fair to a merchandise Fair to mark its 40th anniversary.

Another major feature, she stated, is the Children’s Corner, for pupils and students of both primary and secondary schools across Lagos, to enable the children that come to the fair to have maximum fun.

She expressed the organisers’ gratitude to the Tolaram Group, the parent body of Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Noodles and other children-friendly brands, for sponsoring the aspect of the fair last year and signifying its intention to do same this year.

She also announced a three-year deal with Zenith Bank as the Banker of the Fair, for the next three years, starting from this year’s event, the 40th in the series.

A gentleman called Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour wants to be governor of Lagos State. But he cannot speak the language of the land. About four weeks ago, he told Arise TV that he had hired a teacher to teach him Yoruba language. Àdàgbà k? ilà, lílé ní í lé. Tribal marks made in adulthood come out as big scars; they confer no beauty; they scare away suitors.

That was what happened last week at a town hall event in Lagos when Gbadebo publicly demonstrated his Yoruba language adult education and bungled everything with a beautiful Yoruba proverb, appropriately chosen but badly rendered.

The man wants to govern a Yoruba state. In Yorubaland, realpolitik is inseparable from the politics of language. And this is not peculiar to the South-West. Can anyone who cannot speak Yoruba contest the governorship of this 4th Republic Kwara State and win? How would such a candidate address the people on the streets of Ilorin, particularly the women of ?jà Ìyá?

Can you struggle to speak Hausa and still hope to govern Kano? Can you be illiterate in Igbo and ask to be entrusted with the governorship of an Igbo state?

Gbádéb?` is a royal, beautiful name; it is the shortened form of Gbádéb?`wálé, which means ‘bring the crown home’ or ‘return home with the crown’. But how does one bring home what one cannot connect with? The son of Rhodes-Vivour’s struggle to speak Yoruba makes his ambition to govern Lagos exceedingly difficult to sell. It got worse last week.

Still, I will not step out to blame this man for the failure of his Bluetooth connection to the Yoruba language. The cutlass is not to blame for its blunt edge; neither is the hoe responsible for its missing teeth. Some persons, at a point in the past, simply made some wrong choices; they neglected sharpening the tool that may be needed today. The source of the problem is recorded twice in the Bible: ‘The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

Gbadebo’s father was Yoruba, his mum Igbo. How did he miss the language of his father? Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, like Gbadebo, had an Igbo mother, yet he speaks first-rate, mother-tongue Yoruba. I understand he also speaks Igbo fluently. His parents were his angels. If they did not make him speak Yoruba, the crankshaft of his political bulldozer would never have worked in Osun State.

There is a lesson here: proficiency in one’s mother tongue is often a certificate of (political) acceptance, particularly in this setting. But that certificate, and every qualification on the academic transcript, may soon count for little, especially now that Gbadebo’s infirmity is fast becoming an epidemic in Yorubaland. The Hausa do not have that problem; the affliction is not for the Igbo. It is a Yoruba illness. And if they do not sit up now, very soon, the political choice open to them may be between the highly educated who cannot speak Yoruba and the profoundly unlettered who speak it with cultivated fluency.

So, I plead: teach your children to speak, read and write the language of their fathers. No Yoruba child should confuse or conflate labalábá (butterfly) with làpálàpá (ringworm). I watched Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour do precisely that in the town hall video. It was ghastly. Every Yoruba should understand what they hear when someone whispers or shouts ogún (twenty); ogún (inheritance); ogun (war); Ògún (the god of iron); òjò (rain), ojo (a coward), Òjó (a personal name), and even, Ojó (a town in Osun State.

A child born of Yoruba parent(s) should be able to glide confidently through the tones and know when identical sounds yield meaning to context as with ogún (twenty) and ogún (inheritance); ó jó (it burnt); ó jó (he danced/she danced).

If you do not teach your child your language, when the day breaks tomorrow, your ?m? onílé (child of the house) will become an àlejò (a guest) and be treated as one.