Metro
Voice of Emancipation: The Hard Way, The Only Way
By Kayode Emola
It is now undeniable by all but the most willfully oblivious that Nigeria is unworkable. kindly check out this first line and see if this is appropriate No amount of self-deception can fix the multitude of problems plaguing the country. So the question now becomes not, “Is it possible to salvage Nigeria?” But, “Are we, as Yoruba, prepared to do what is required to liberate our people from the shackles of involuntary enslavement?”
Only those who dare to defy the odds have ever excelled in their quest for self-determination. When the young Alexander the Great burnt his boats having arrived on the shores of Persia, it was a calculated act to give his men no option but to achieve victory. Alexander’s men were outnumbered by the Persians, making his decision to destroy their only hope of retreat extraordinary. This singular act was the master decision that gave him victory over Persia.
This approach of destroying the boats was also employed in 1519 by the Spanish Captain, Hernan Contes when he landed on the shores of Mexico. Even though their actions as invaders were callous and despicable, this audacious act of removing the means of retreat led them to victory.
This year, 2022, is a crossroads in the history of Nigeria. It is the true test of the Yoruba Self-Determination Struggle, and we must all be committed to the physical, psychological, and emotional battle that it will involve. There is no room for vacillation within our project of transformation; for, if we fail, history will judge us as failing to be ready for the change that we profess.
It is therefore imperative that the Yoruba leadership take their place, affirming their pledge to serve their people with all capabilities, intellectual, spiritual and others, that God has bestowed on them. They must take up their mantle of duty to see this battle through to its logical conclusion. Nigeria as a country is held together by the most tenuous of threads, and those threads are in the hands of the Yoruba people. The smallest of pressure from any particular group, especially the Yoruba, will cause the nation to splinter into its many component factions.
We must now transfer our loyalty from the doomed Nigeria to the upcoming Yoruba sovereign nation. It is the only hope left for the millions of our people who are trapped in perpetual poverty. Just this week, the CBN Governor, Emefiele, tweeted that, NNPC has gone from contributing over $3 billion monthly at the time of President Jonathan’s office, to now remitting zero dollars to CBN. Any person still thinking that the 2023 elections will be capable of producing the miracle required to transform Nigeria is sadly either deluded or wantonly negligent.
One of Nigeria’s few lifelines at present is the diasporan remittance; if that were removed, Nigeria would be a worse situation even than Sri Lanka. The number of Nigerians living in abject poverty now surpasses the entire population of Sri Lanka by a factor of five. Yet, when Sri Lankans were pushed to the wall, they unified and rose up to chase their president, not just out of office, but out of the very country.
We Yoruba people must decide now whether we are content to live under this level of reckless governance, or whether we want to take our destiny into our own hands. We must ask for true change in the system, no matter the discomfort we feel in doing so, rather than just a change of guard. We must decide whether we truly desire freedom, or will buckle when the opposition facing us increases their resistance.
This crossroads, this moment, is the point where the leaders of Yoruba independence must burn the boats on the shore and declare no turning back. We must be so determined to liberate our people from this neo-colonial bondage that Nigeria has become, that we will accept no other outcome. We must lead our people to victory, as history will not judge us kindly if we fail to seize this moment.
The road to freedom is rarely pleasant to endure for those who truly believe in it. Many heroes in the past have found it to be to be their final endeavour, costing them their lives. It is a hard road to tread, but it is the only route to a life lived to its full potential. The road to Yoruba sovereign nation is definitely no different, and will be a precarious journey, however, it is one that must be taken. If we truly desire to be free once and for all, it is the only way, and is one every Yoruba person must now be ready to take
The leadership is ready, so we who put our trust in them, must ensure we are, too. We must give them all support necessary to accomplish this great task. We each have a part to play, and we must play it to the utmost of our ability in this final battle for our land, to ensure our people get the good life that they deserve. The only way we can obtain a good life is if we fight for it. We must be truly determined to be free from the shackles of bondage, unwilling to accept anything lesser. Yoruba Sovereign Nation Now; no going back
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has charged officers to take the fight directly to criminals, stating: “It is far better to strike first and stay on the offensive than to remain only reactive.”
The IGP, who spoke on Wednesday in Kano during a strategic meeting with officers of the Kano State Command, noted that “when bandits know we fire back decisively, they will think twice. Keep pushing hard, stay sharp, and sustain this momentum”.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West region, Suleiman Abdul, the IGP announced the establishment of six core administrative pillars designed to strengthen the internal security framework.
Notable among the pillars is the operationalisation of “Handshake Patrols” between contiguous states to deny criminals jurisdictional escape routes.
IGP Disu also announced a renewed commitment to intelligence-led and technology-driven security management, adding that the police are moving away from purely conventional, reactive methods towards evidence-based law enforcement powered by data analytics, digital forensics and a centralised information framework.
The IGP further committed to restructuring elite tactical units, with operations governed by strict rules of engagement and civilian oversight.
He stressed that modern urban policing cannot be achieved through physical presence alone; it must be powered by timely, accurate and actionable information.
“Kano Command must fully leverage data analytics, digital forensics and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows that sustain gang activities,” he stated.
“Compliance with the Suspects’ Information Capturing Process within the Nigeria Police Force Incidents and Crime Database (NPF-ICD) must be enforced across all divisions and tactical offices without exception,” he said.
“This will enable you to build comprehensive criminal histories, trace syndicates and systematically isolate repeat offenders,” he added.
“The administration demands absolute professional discipline and has zero tolerance for personnel high-handedness, corruption or extortion, which alienates the public,” he said.
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pelé
I love the football game, with an abiding passion, and it has been so since my primary school days back in the early ’60s.It teaches us so much about life and how to become a success in whatever we do while here on Planet Earth. Now that the 2026 World Cup is on, one cannot but reflect on the striking similarities between the two. Even though Nigeria’a Super Eagles did not qualify for this year’s edition the nation was well represented by superstar artistes such as Burna Boy, Davido and Rema whose hit songs and dance displays marked them out as our worthy ambassadors on the global stage. That is the attraction of the football game beyond all the blitz and the bravado, the thrills and frills, the losses and the victories.
To begin with, to succeed in life it is a team game. You cannot do it all alone, neither is it a two- man battle such as a boxing or wrestling match. No! There are teachers to learn from, similar to the parents, older siblings, elders in the community and of course, the school teachers to glean from.
In fact, to maximally benefit from each and everyone of them it takes humility, hardwork, honesty of purpose, with passion. It also encapsulates character, courage, and commitment to the rules and regulations just as the footballers listen to and practice from the hands of their coaches as well as their assistants.
It is through such regular trainings and obedience to the tactics adopted and corrected mistakes that you get to identify and hone your talents; to bring out the best that is deposited deep within you. These are more like the precious gold, the pearls and the diamonds in the earth. Eventually, you get to know who you really are; as an engineer, medical doctor, architect, journalist, economist, entertainer or a teacher.
That is again similar to the footballers on the pitch ,who through their astute coaches become solid rock defenders like Gabriel Magalhaes or Harry Maguire, pace-setting
midfielders such as Declan Rice or iconic Rodri, master dribblers such as Jay Jay Okocha or Lionel Messi, wave -making wingers such as Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Junior, top goal scorers such as Christine Sinclair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haland, or shot – stoppers such as David Raya or Thibaut Courtois
As it is with life, so it plays out in the field of football; practicing and preparing for it with one game at a time. It is not a 100- metre dash but a 90-minute or more display of what you have learnt. They are usually exhibited as your skills with the team ambition of scoring the vital, game -changing goals. But there are challenges to expect and be prepared to overcome.
For instance, who are the players that others from the opposing team attack? They are those with the ball. That is exactly how life evolves for you. And who are those who get booked with the yellow or red card? Those who, like criminals attack others with premeditated brutal and brazen boots instead of going for the ball The referees, like the law enforcement agents are there to penalize the offenders, including those who cross the lines or cruelly close in on others within the 18- yard box to give the other side a penalty kick. So, as you sweat it out in life m,learn to obey the rules and regulations.
Definitely, out there at the stadium there are the spectators to support their favorite teams. From them come the cheers and the jeers but any player who gets distracted by them misses the essence of the game at hand and eventually the vital goals.
And when it comes to the unfailing factor of focus one outstanding player that exemplifies that is Cristiano Ronaldo. So committed he is to football that he arrives the training ground long before other team mates as well as always being the last to leave. Little wonder that at the age of 41 years he is not only regarded as the highest goal scorer in the history of the football game, but for the teams he has played for , his country,Portugal and is also reckoned with as an all-round soccer superstar scoring with the head, and both legs.
His passion for football is so profound that his connection to the game goes far beyond physical play. In fact, he views it as a true form of self-expression and his relentless ambition is exhibited everywhere he plays.
Describing football as an art he stated that: “I see football as an art and all players are artists. If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted.
He says that: “Without football, my life is worth nothing”. “It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring… It’s bad to have addictions. But it’s good to get addicted to progress.” But can we as individuals say that about our professions? Do we enjoy what we do virtually on daily basis? The answer is ours to give.
One other aspect that connects football and life is betting. Hours before the players sweat it out there in the field of play hundreds of thousands of fans across the world go out to bet, guessing the potential winners and losers. But yours truly stays out of football betting even if it rakes in millions of naira for the those who guessed right.But why, you may ask? It is all because as it is with life, so it is with football, there is always the Unknown Factor-X. Only God knows the end from the beginning.
My love for football is also anchored on the factors and features of fusion it brings to the fore. While the game is on the avid spectators are bound by the spirit of togetherness, hardly influenced by their differences in ethnicity, religion or politics. So it should be amongst us, because whether we like it not, we should focus more on what binds us together instead of widening the cracks of sentiments that separate us.
For us to be celebrated like the World Cup winning goal, we must identify our God-given talents , listen to our life-coaches to hone them and be good team player. We should expect and be prepared for challenges, obey me rules, make sacrifices as Pele highlighted and keep being consistent. All because, as it with football and life, to succeed there has to be constancy of purpose.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.
The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms available to it.
The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.
