Insight by Oppy

       AKOGUN IYIOLA OYEDEPO Last month I discussed the destruction of the solid foundation of Kwara state under the topic THERE WAS A KWARA STATE. Our knowledge of the current destruction that is passed for development; is better explained with missed opportunities and possibilities caged in frustration by leadership that turns Kwara State to a fiefdom of private or family enterprise. Under this write-up, we shall examine leadership that gives us minimum in governance and followership that are satisfied with governments that often jump and land on the same spot. This has been out lot at least in the last twenty-six years. A crop of docile citizen is created that succumb to despondency and either throw their hands up and ask a question; can it ever be better than this? Some of such citizen also conclude that; it can never be better than this.  But there are great possibilities in our unexploited potentials if we are governed with wisdom, knowledge, a...

By Insight by Oppy “When a sovereign nation is addressed with threats instead of dialogue, history reminds us that destruction often follows.” The Recent Warning from the West The recent statement attributed to former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, threatening to halt U.S. aid and possibly launch a “guns-a-blazing” intervention in Nigeria over the killing of Christians, has raised deep concern across Africa. No one denies that Nigeria faces grave insecurity, from terrorism, banditry, and religious extremism. Yet, the tone and method of such public threats raise a crucial question: 👉 Is this a call for peace, or a prelude to pressure and control? When global powers address a sovereign African nation through social media ultimatums instead of diplomatic engagement, it undermines mutual respect and risks repeating the tragic mistakes of history. History Has Taught Us the Hard Way 1. The Congo (1960s) In the early 1960s, the U.S. and its Western allies meddled in the Democrat...

   AKOGUN IYIOLA OYEDEPO It was that iconic Nigerian literary giant, Chinua Achebe, that once wrote a book, THERE WAS A COUNTRY. Like all his books, it remains evergreen as it is relevant for all times, especially this time. I borrow this topic from the title of that book. There is the need for this article for some reasons. Firstly, many Kwarans like many other humans, are short of memory, we are too forgetful. The things that happened in the immediate past are often cast out of mind in preference for the now. This creates a situation of unappreciated past. This even becomes more acute as the teaching of history for some years now in this country, are erased from our school curriculum. So, this message is crafted so as to take the people of this state to our past that was glorious, more purposeful and grounded in a focus on the developmental agenda that set the foundation for a prosperous Kwara State. Lack of knowledge of the past commits many of us to celebrate m...

A concerned Academician from Kwara State, Prince Adelodun has written an open letter to the National Security Adviser (NSA,) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, seeking his urgent attention and intervention in the ravaging insecurity presently consuming the south and norther senatorial districts of the state. In his letter titled: Request for urgent security intervention in Kwara State, Adelodun said: "in recent days, we have been thrown into mourning over the tragic killing of 15 people in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government. "Barely two days after this incident, a police officer was abducted at Lade town in Patigi Local Government Area. These heartbreaking developments are part of a recurring pattern of bandit attacks, kidnappings, and violence that have rendered Kwara South and parts of Kwara North unsafe for residents. "These killings and kidnappings have been going on in Kwara South especially for more than a year now, but they have hardly been reported. Sadly, the silen...

Fellow Nigerians, Today marks the 65th anniversary of our great nation's Independence. As we reflect on the significance of this day and our journey of nationhood since October 1, 1960, when our founding fathers accepted the instruments of self-government from colonial rule, let us remember their sacrifice, devotion, and grand dream of a strong, prosperous, and united Nigeria that will lead Africa and be the beacon of light to the rest of the world. 2. Our founding heroes and heroines, Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Anthony Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola, Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and other nationalists, believed it was Nigeria's manifest destiny to lead the entire black race as the largest black nation on earth. 3. For decades, the promise of our Independence has been tested by profound social, economic, and political challenges, and we have survived.  Whil...

AKOGUN IYIOLA OYEDEPO This write-up is about leadership as experienced in Kwara State between 1999 and now. Within a space of twenty-six years, we had conducted seven national elections in the State. I think it is believed by many people that seven is a number of perfection. But how come that even the product of the seventh election is now the climax of our bad governance thus far?  But then, if we emerged from military dictatorship in 1999 and democracy was not only new and strange to those that had lived their lives under a long period of military dictatorship; it is time we examine our democratic journey thus far. It is this examinations that will enable us to know whether we are making progress or not. It is also such that will show us the future direction for alternative actions for hope that will create a new reality. If our democratic journey is not examined, the tendency is that we shall take for development, this our macabre dence on the same spot come 2027, wh...