Vanguard , THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013—11
Soyinka, Ishola make case for Yoruba language BY OLA AJAYI
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BADAN—NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged Yoruba sons and daughters to ensure that the language and culture of the Yorubas do not go into extinction. Soyinka, whose comments aligned with that of a foremost writer, Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola, spoke at the inauguration of
Odu’a Hall of Fame and Museum at Cocoa House, Ibadan, yesterday. At the programme organised by Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Soyinka lamented the extent to which things had derailed for the Yoruba nation and the country at large when peoples’ heritage and monuments were allowed to waste away.
Soyinka, who was a special guest at the event, said: “This cooperative building (Cocoa House) was a victim of deterioration simply because the normal facilities that were in place at inception had decayed. Cocoa House could not save itself. “There is need to right the wrongs. With this initiative (Hall of Fame), I see the be-
REVALIDATION: From left— Mr. Taofeek Olabode, Chairman, Abeokuta North Local Government Council; Chief Iyabode Anisulowo, chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Alhaji Tajudeen Bello, Chairman, Ogun State ACN, after the party's membership revalidation exercise at Ita Iyalode Ward II, Abeokuta North, Tuesday. PHOTO: Wunmi Akinola.
Amosun tasks Obas' Council on efficiency
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O V E R N O R Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, has charged the new Chairman of the State Council of Obas, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, to ensure rapid resolution of pending chieftaincy matters and other issues in each of the traditional councils in the state. Amosun spoke at the
inauguration of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, as the new Chairman of the State Council of Obas in Abeokuta. The governor pledged government’s continued commitment to the welfare of traditional rulers in the state, saying “ we will encourage your ac-
Covenant varsity partner firms on cost, quality software
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tripartite agreement on EstateMaster Software programme has been signed between Covenant University, International Facilities and Property Information Limited, IFPI, and Ayo Abolarinwa and Associates. The agreement, which was signed earlier this year, was formally sealed last week at the university. The tripartite agreement is for the collaboration arrangement of calibration of EstateMaster web-enabled programme for benchmarking cost and quality of facilities services in Nigeria. While explaining the use of the software, a rep-
resentative of IFPI, Mr. Ayo Abolarinwa, said the software was developed based on data obtained in Europe, but needed to be adapted for use in Africa.
tive participation in the national summit that will build your capacity to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the state in particular and Nigeria in general.” Speaking, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo, appreciated the existing cordial relationship between the government and the monarchs in the state. He said the Council in the past one year did not witness any major challenge as most of the issues affecting the traditional rulers and their communities were effectively attended to by the concerned Councils.
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ginning of Yoruba technology. I am happy that appeal had been made earlier on the need to develop our culture. “There is one negative aspect. Not just Ibadan, not just the South-West, but the country and its institutions just went into downward spin, including the premier university.” He, however, expressed optimism that things had begun to take shape, saying “ what I have seen today shows that things are being brought into proper shape. We can say that Cocoa House is the contemporary Opa Oranyan of the Yoruba.” Soyinka commended the management of Odu’a Investment for “resuscitating and re-invigorating what is so essential to us as a people.” Ishola said: “The idea behind setting up the Hall of Fame and museum is good. But what will help is the preservation and promotion of Yoruba language so that the younger generation can imbibe the culture of Omoluabi. “Odu’a must find a way of teaching the younger gen-
S/Arabia slashes Nigerian hajj slot BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI
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AGOS—INDICATIONS have emerged that the Saudi Arabian authorities may have cut down the number of slots allocated to Nigeria for this year’s pilgrimage to the holy land by Muslim faithful. This came as Lagos State Government, ahead of the commencement of Unified Pilgrims Electronic Registration System, APERS, opened five registration centres in the state as part of measures to ease this year hajj operations. It would be recalled that in 2012, despite Vice President Namadi Sambo’s intervention into the detaining of over 1,000 Nigerian female pilgrims in the holy land, Saudi Arabian authorities later deported 510 of them.