OONI/ALAAFIN Leadership Tussle - Shogo Oloshunde

 OONI/ALAAFIN.

Babalawo offers/make eebo (sacrifice) in the shrine but doesn't live in the spot where he offered the eebo

Pope lives in the Apostolic Palace not inside St. Peter Basilica or St. Peter's square.

Archbishop of Canterbury stays in the Lambert palace not the cathedral.

The Chief Imam of the Prophet's mosque lives in an apartment nearby the mosque in Medina not inside the mosque 

Before selling off it's MPN to Seplat, ExxonMobil headquarters is in Lagos while the oil fields operations is done across Niger-Delta Region

If you don't gerrit,

Forget about it.

#BlessedAreThoseWhoUnderstandSattire

Kí Ólúwá wá pélú yín ........

Shogo Oloshunde 

22-08-2025

The vicious circle

 Chinedu graduated top of his class.

First-class in Electrical Engineering. NYSC in Abuja. He thought his life was finally about to start. Until he started applying for jobs. 50 applications. No response. Then he saw an opening at a major oil company. He was qualified. He applied. He didn’t even get shortlisted. But his classmate—who partied through school—got the job. His uncle is a senator. Frustrated, Chinedu started tutoring kids. ₦5k per student. One day, on his way home, a classmate zoomed past in a Benz. “Bro, this crypto thing changed my life,” the guy said. “No one cares about degree again. School na scam.” That was the first time Chinedu heard it. But it wasn’t just Chinedu. It was Halima—the pharmacy graduate selling perfumes. It was Emeka—the Mass Comm grad driving Bolt. It was Aisha—the best in her department, now ghostwriting for influencers. It spread like wildfire. A generation of Nigerians watched their degrees collect dust, while politicians’ children schooled abroad, came home, and got top jobs—no interview. That’s when “school na scam” stopped being a joke. It became a coping mechanism. But here’s the truth: School isn’t the scam. A system that crushes talent and rewards connections is. Education is still the key—but Nigeria lost the lock. So when they scream “school na scam,” don’t argue. Listen. Because behind every “school na scam” is a broken dream—and a country that didn’t keep its promises.

- Alex Onyia

Only the Living Can Hate - Pius Adesanmi

 Only the Living Can Hate

By Pius Adesanmi

If your President is not performing well:

-criticize him bitterly

-tackle him harshly

-engage him vigorously

-condemn his missteps, his inaction

It is your duty. It is your obligation to your country. If you are criticized by his supporters for doing these things, swat them like flies for you are answerable only to your conscience. Learn from how I handle them if they come after me for criticizing President Buhari. Or how I handle your camp when I press your buttons and unleash you.

If there is anything your President does that seems to be positive or the right step in the right direction:

-scrutinize it

-point out what could be done to make it even better

-point out where there could be improvement

-encourage more of such steps and actions

Then reactivate your default mode: vigilance.

However, if the thought, just the mere thought, that your President has taken two right steps in the right direction in two consecutive days - the N-Power jobs and the career diplomats thingy - throws you into pathological spasms; gives you chest pain; increases your blood pressure, and you are all over the airwaves physically writhing in pain; if two positive headlines devolving from your President's steps are giving you Zika, Lassa, and Ebola and you are reacting like someone bereaved, then, my friend, this is no longer about country o.

It is no longer even about the man who is the object of your unquenchable hate sef. 

I'm afraid, it is now about your health. 

My brother, my sister, you go woundjure o. 

Just two steps in the right direction have taken over the headlines today, reducing your ability to saturate the airwaves with news of the President's "cancer treatment" in London and you are behaving like your world has come to an end?

Don't worry. He is human. He will make mistakes that you can criticize to your heart's content again - maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow sef. But you have to be alive and be hale and hearty to criticize his future errors, abi?

Just try and make it through today alive that you may be able to hate tomorrow, abi? Only the living can hate o.

If you allow just two news items to choke you to death today, I will say, "eeyah, so sad" but I will not miss the nkwobi appointment I have later this evening o.

Make it about country.

You will be happier.

You will live longer.

Pius Adesanmi

DISTINGUISHED CRIMINALS -

 DISTINGUISHED CRIMINALS 

When Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, one of those elected into Nigeria's Senate was a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG.

He stated in an interview that sitting with him in the Senate of Nigeria are people he had investigated and locked up for various criminal offenses when he was in service.

In his assertion, some of them were rogues who are unfit for decent societies, let alone in leadership positions.

He was suspended.

He was suspended for bringing the Senate to "disrepute."

Citizens did not protest.

After spending months at home without salaries and allowances, he had to apologize to the Senate and promise to be of good behaviour.

That was in 1999.

In 2016, a member of the House of Representatives raised the alarm that the nation's budget was padded.

"Padded" is euphemism for unlawful, criminal tampering and inflating of budget.

He went from the Police to the DSS. He went from radio stations to television houses. With proofs.

No security agency acted or gave him attention.

He was alone.

He was also suspended.

Buhari who was still wearing the borrowed robe of a saint pretended to see and hear nothing.

Citizens did not protest.

In 2024, a Senator raised an alarm that there was no explanations for over three trillion naira inserted into the budget.

3 trillion!

No investigation, no questions, no explanations.

The Senate has suspended that Senator.

Tomorrow, someone will declare that Nigeria's problem is spiritual.

And senseless people will still give that person attention.

It is possible God looks at some people as idiots when they stand in prayers for Nigeria.

Nigeria's problem is not spiritual. Never has been.

Nigeria's undoing is being ruled by distinguished criminals..

Author ( Unknown)

No one can see your future - Ademola Adigun

 He left his home early in the morning. He got to the home of his employer of 18 years. He knocked the gate. He was let in. When he knocked the door, his employer came out. His employer was surprised to see him. He had given Tunde time off to enjoy the holidays.

“Tunde, I hope there is no problem? Do you have an emergency?” He enquired.

Tunde looked at his boss. “Mr Oje, I have come to resign. God has revealed your wickedness to me. You have been using my destiny for the past 18 years. I thought you were a nice man, increasing my salary, assisting me, doing good to me. So it is my glory from heaven you were using. Madam will be serving me food, I will be happy. God has shown me the truth. Don’t expect me again. Find another person to use their destiny. God has liberated me”

Saying that.. Tunde walked away. Mr Oje looked at him in disbelief as he walked. When did Tunde start to drink alcohol? He shook his head and went upstairs to narrate the story to his wife.

Tunde went home. Narrated the story to his wife. He had done as he was instructed by the Man of God that had prophesied to his life after the end of year fasting. He felt liberated.

Time passed. Tunde couldn’t find a job as a driver. He started another career. Things were very tough. He was soon sacked from the job. He had no stamina for heavy lifting. His poverty became worse. His children were thrown out of school. There was no Mr Oje to assist in paying the fees. His condition nosedived. He became hypertensive. His inability to afford drugs soon left him paralyzed. He suffered an ischemic stroke.

The Man of God had stopped giving him attention. He couldn’t pay for special prayers or give special offerings. He was surprised that he no longer had access to the MoG.

Mr Oje leant of his condition and sent him money. Then paid for his rehabilitation sessions. He did not forget the 18 years of loyalty. He placed him on an allowance and continued paying the fees of Mr Tunde’s kids.

Tunde died after suffering a second stroke. He did apologise to Mr Oje before he passed on.

Not all you hear concerning you is true. It’s false most of the time. You become the product of what you hear and believe.

No one can see your future!!!

ÌGBÉRAGA (PRIDE) - Kehinde Adepegba,

 ÌGBÉRAGA (PRIDE)

by Kehinde Adepegba, PhD 

Ìgbéraga ìs a negative behavior detested by the Yorùbá. The word priide does not carry the real meaning of ìgbéraga as captured in their worldview.

Ìgbéraga ló ń ṣáájú ìparun (ìgbéraga comes before a fall) ìs a primary proverb describing the consequence of igberaga.

Ìgbéraga ìs derived from ìgbé-ara-ga (raising one's body up). This implies that each man has his appropriate height, trying to do any stuff that amounts to giving an impression to others that you are taller than your real height is ìgbéraga and the Yorùbá considers this act as a vice. This shows that everyman of any height can become oníìgbéraga. 

Physical height is metaphorical, though it is one way to exhibit igberaga, but ìgbéraga manifests in so many ways including what you say about yourself, about others and to others; how your appear to people and how you relate to others.

The Yorùbá always wish that everyman should abhors ìgbéraga because of its ultimate implication. Hence, they often say, Ìgbéraga ni ìgbéra ṣánlẹ̀ (ìgbéraga amounts to falling flat to the ground in disgrace).

The opposite of ìgbéraga is ìrẹ̀lẹ̀ - ìrẹ-ara-ẹni-sílẹ̀ (to lower oneself). Definitely if you are not showing ìgbéraga, it is because you are onírẹ̀lẹ̀ (humble). Ìrẹ̀lẹ̀, though in short circulation, is one of the greatest human virtues. According to the Yoruba belief, the ones who are onírẹ̀lẹ̀ are the ones who are lifted, ìrẹ̀lẹ̀ is a great virtue that every one should possess. 

What is observable is that, igberaga is found among all shades of people including those perceived not having anything to boast about. For instance, a poor woman was given a token to help her take care of her needs by two people. To the first she said: who begs for money from you, who told you I am a needy? To the second she said, so this is what you can give me, a whole me, please take your money. This is Ìgbéraga.

In another dimension, a man who does not value the gifts in others, who overrates himself by speaking good of only himself, who sees himself as the wisest and does not take the advice of others, the only one who is right and just, is a typical agbéraga. Such people are on their way to ìgbéra-ṣánlẹ̀. 

In your words and actions be sure you are not exhibiting igberaga because àgbà òfìfo ló ń dún woroworo (empty barrel makes the loudest noise). 

#yorubaphylosophy

#kehindeadepegba

#OgbonOlogbon

#elaloro

- Kehinde Adepegba

Generational wealth - Ademola Adigun

 Generational wealth 

When we got to the farm we started planting. The harvest would be in 6 months. We removed weeds, we cleared soil and put in seeds. Then we would eat at the farm. We never ate the best of our harvest. We sold, kept the tubers for replanting. Baba said that is how you reap bountifully.

The next morning, Baba woke me up by 5am. He had stems in his hands. I had never seen the stems before. “What stems are these?” I asked. He looked at me in the smart way he always did when I was to be taught a lesson. “These are our future” he replied simply.

We spent 4 days planting the stems. We had to dig deeper. We had to be more careful. It was hard work requiring patience. On the 5th day as we were returning home.. Baba said “I will not be around for the harvest of these ones. It will take 25 years to full maturity. You will harvest them.”

I wondered why anyone would plant a tree that he would not be there to harvest. Was Baba ill? But we walked home.

He nurtured the stems until they became young trees. Then one day he fell ill and died shortly after. I had grown up fully matured then. We buried him in the porch of the house. My siblings and I comforted our mom.

I recall the day we planted those trees today. A company was buying one for huge amounts.  The land was tired. We needed new land. The money from the mahogany trees was going to make us very rich. Baba had secured our future with those trees. 

As they were uprooted, I took my son aside and asked him, “what do we plant that you will harvest in due date to secure the future of the next generation?”  He looked at me questioningly. Then I told him the story I have just shared. 

We must think for the generations coming after us in all we do.

- Ademola Adigun