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General Oladipupo Diya: Dr Babatunde Diya pays tribute to father at 78

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A former Chief of Staff and former Military administrator in Ogun state, General Donaldson Oladipupo Diya’s son, Dr. Babatunde Diya has expressed his delight and joy over the life of his father as he clocks 78.

Dr. Tunde Diya, the renowned doctor and partisan politician in an interview monitored by this platform ran through series of questions concerning his father as he marked his 78th birthday. He spoke about family and public life of the former Chief of General Staff.

Speaking with newsmen at his Odogbolu country home, Dr. Tunde Diya extols the virtues of his father as a public servant, military administrator of Ogun state and family man.

As General Oladipupo Diya clock 78years, can you remember any memories of your dad while in service?

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I was quite young then. But I know my dad spend every available time he has with his family members either immediate or extended.
Even as Chief of General Staff, he will come to the children’s room in his uniform to wake us for morning prayers before he goes back to work. Some times, we’d eat together and I always admired him. He’s an astute in his uniform. He was my role model he has continued to be my role model.

I know him as a very detailed and uncompromising man. He is indeed a disciplinarian and caring. That is why you can see that most people around him today are members of his families. It was as if he was in the service to “emancipate” his family from poverty through education and training.

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What do you think Gen Diya will be remembered for mostly as a public servant, Chief of Staff, and a Military Administrator?

Like I said, one of the things my dad will be remembered for is how he carried himself in the course of his duties both within and outside the country. He will be remembered for how many lives he was able to touch. He will be remembered for his efforts to build his community especially putting Ijebuland on the world map.

Some of the things he will be remembered for are the things you can see in us, his children (biological and adopted). That is why in my own little way, I have been trying to emulate him while alive to show the world what General Oladipupo Diya stood for and has continued to live for.

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What was General Diya’s reaction when he gets to know about your decision to join partisan politics?

Before I started politics, I went to him for his blessings. He asked me why I was going into politics, if it was for going sake or if I had a passion for doing things differently in politics? He also asked that are you sure you are not going into politics to embezzle money? I wasn’t shocked as I had heard him on numerous occasions speak about the need for people to want to serve without ‘ojukokoro’ like they say. He is completely against corruption and laziness in public office holders. A lot of people who know him will tell you he has always been very blunt about this. To God be the glory, while he was the Military Administrator of Ogun State, or Vice President and after, there has not been any case or issue as to this regard. He was and is still a very contented man.

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How have you been managing your profession as a medical doctor and Politics?

I came in with a passion to make a difference. My first decision was to set up the Doctor Tunde Diya Foundation (DTDF) with The Yellow initiative (TYI ). The Yellow Initiative was particularly set up to support His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR and the people of Ogun State which is a continuous process. It was and remains my opinion that if people collectively support their government, things will move forward for all of us at a more faster pace. So, for my people and I, the main focus of seeking public office is to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people which is engraved in my heart permanently with a mindset of the need to implement policies that will benefit people. I decided to focus on starting at the Local Government level. A leader in the APC once told me “Politics is from bottom to the top”.

As electioneering process begins, what are we to look forward to from you?

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Apart from me being a medical doctor, I am also a politician. Every political season will definitely have to be studied keenly, consultations to be made, and a decision to be arrived. The experience we had recently had taught us that all stakeholders must be on the same page on whatever individual aspirations one must be having. Definitely, we will attempt something in 2023 but we are still doing our consultation within the party structures and other stakeholders.

What’s your prediction for 2023 Presidential race?

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As a party man, one must work within the available structure especially the political party. I believe APC as a party has been able to surmount many challenges as a party and as government. 2023 as a defining moment in the history of our nation must be allowed to take it’s natural cause. Wherever my party goes I go. And I’m certain that APC has the capacity to retain the power at the centre and in Ogun state in particular.

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Woman dies after injected with buttocks enlargements chemical in Lagos

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Woman dies after injected with buttocks enlargements chemical in Lagos

A woman has died in Lagos after she was injected with Buttocks enlargement injection (BBL) in Lekki, Lagos ..
The Police have arrested the nurse who gave her the injection and deposited the body of the woman in a public Mortuary for autopsy .

It was gathered that the woman, Mrs Abiola, (other names withheld), 36 , who resided in Diamond Estate, Sangotedo, Ibeju-Lekki, was driven to the hospital by her personal driver hale and hearty before the tragic death occured.

 

Also read: Lagos teenager dies after father’s beating

 

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The police said that at about 11:40, on August 27,the private driver of Mrs Abiola, reported at Maroko police Division that the deceased asked him to convey her to a clinic located at Lekki Phase 1 for BBL injection for buttocks enlargement.

He told the police that on arrival, the owner of the clinic instructed a nurse to inject the woman, and thereafter, her madam became unconscious and started gasping for breath and she was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment where she was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.

According to Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), based on the report, the scene was visited by detectives , who also visited the hospital where the body of the woman was inspected and photograph of the deceased was taken,” the body was evacuated to a public morgue for autopsy.

However , the PPRO ,said the Nurse who injected her has been arrested and investigation was on going.

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Never knew I would live to be 90 — Soyinka

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Never knew I would live to be 90 — Soyinka

The Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Monday, said he never knew he would live to be 90.

Soyinka revealed this while answering questions from about 383 students who participated in the 2024 edition of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme held at Prof. Soyinka’s ARI residence, Ijegba, Abeokuta.

 

Also read: Oba Mayungbe, Otunba Daniel, other Illustrious Ogun sons to attend Prof. Soyinka @ 90

 

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This was as the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, announced scholarships and gifts of laptops to nine students who emerged best in an essay competition organised to mark Soyinka’s 90th birthday.

Born on July 13, 1934, the Nobel Laureate clocked 90 on Saturday.

While answering questions from children on his life experiences for the past 90 years, Soyinka said he did not envisage living up to 90, adding that he decided to be a writer to correct some anomalies from stories he listened to while growing up.

On why he broke into a radio station during the military era, he said: “I never broke into a radio station, but sneaked in. The radio station was holding on to something that belonged to the people, and I decided to retrieve it. If that item had been played, it would have demoralised the people and established the culture of brutality.”

He chided Nigerians for always criticising the state but unwilling to examine themselves.

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Soyinka said crimes like kidnapping and robbery, among others, could not be blamed on poverty or inequality, but on selfishness and the desire to live a life of luxury.

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He lauded Abiodun for helping to develop the environment around his abode and saving it from degradation, even as he emphasised that this has led to his not abandoning the country.

Speaking during the programme, Abiodun emphasised that the gifts of scholarships and laptops were to encourage the students to keep writing as well as motivate others to participate in the next edition of the competition.

Describing the Noble Laureate as the most celebrated black African, who had excelled in his chosen career, the governor noted that as the key to bringing about change and prosperity in Nigeria and around the world, it was imperative to engage the youth and ensure that their thinking and goals were oriented toward progress for the motherland and humanity.

He said the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange was established to honour the playwright’s legacy and reflect on his lifelong commitment to education, cultural exchange, and nurturing future leaders.

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He added that the initiative underscored Soyinka’s values, which include justice, freedom, and the pursuit of excellence in the arts and humanities.

Abiodun said this year’s theme, “Engaging National Interest on Good Governance, Understanding Nation-Building,” perfectly encapsulated Soyinka’s profound commitment to creating a just and equitable world.

The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange focuses on essay competition, advocacy, and performing arts, which include poetry, drama, and Spoken Word.

The governor said: “We celebrate a project that, for over 14 years, has upheld his ideals and vision. There is no doubt that the Nobel Laureate has optimally utilised the inherent values and wisdom of African culture and tradition in his global engagement as a world citizen of African descent.

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“The mission and underlying objectives of WSICE are clear and commendable. They seek to create unity among mankind regardless of nationality, culture, or religion by focusing on youth as the future of humanity, in line with the thoughts and guiding principles of Professor Wole Soyinka.”

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The 2024 Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Programme drew students from different parts of the country who participated in an essay competition on national and international topics.

About 383 students participated in the competition, 90 were chosen, while nine were selected with Alabi Oluwanifemi emerging as the best essayist, Okoye Collins John coming second, and Adebusi Adeoluwa, coming— third.

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Society Why Sir Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Remains An Epitome Of Grace At 88

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Born on October 24, 1935, into a humble family, Sir Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu CON, KJW, FISM is the Odole-Oodua, Balogun of Remoland and the founder of Premier Lotto, the company many now know as Baba Ijebu.

But this is not the most interesting thing about the man whose gaming company offers lotto services and betting in Nigeria and has become Nigeria’s most popular and oldest gaming company since it was registered in 2001.

Baba Ijebu as a name has become synonymous with betting in Nigeria, and like homonyms, Chief Kessington Adebutu’s moniker has many other meanings. To the millions of Nigerians who have benefitted from his generosity and goodness of heart, Adebutu is the man of courage who meets people at the point of their need without prejudice.

Long before philanthropy and humanitarian acts became ‘sexy’ and the PR go-to for every average millionaire, the revered industrialist and astute businessman had begun to cater for the less privileged, while also supporting indigent students and hospital patients who had no means to help themselves. He did this all through his Kessington Adebukola Adebutu Foundation.

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Today, by whatever yardstick you choose to measure, Baba Ijebu numbers among Nigeria’s leading philanthropists whose benevolence has spanned over decades. His path to philanthropy can be traced back to his days as a young student thirsty for knowledge.

From Ijero Baptist School, Apapa Road, Ebute-Meta in Lagos where he had his primary education, he was admitted into Baptist Academy, Lagos, for his secondary education in 1951. He eventually completed his secondary education at Remo Secondary School (ESS), Sagamu, Ogun state in 1955, topping his class in the School Leaving Certificate Examination.

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His brilliant educational background, no doubt, is a precursor to his love for education, and can be proven by his countless philanthropic gestures to scores of educational institutions and citadels of learnings across the country.
His principle that an educated and healthy soul can never be hungry was the drive behind the establishment of the foundation and he has maintained that drive since.

According to calculatable statistics, his charity foundation spends an average of N150 million monthly on humanitarian activities, and through this, his business continues to touch lives against odds.

As a true philanthropist, Sir Kessington Adebutu does not discriminate in his charitable deeds. He is kind-hearted, socially responsible and continually uses his wealth for human capital development.

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This generosity and enviable works earned him titles like ‘Babalaje of Lagos’, and the ‘Asoju Oba of Lagos’.
In October 2015, Chief Kessington Adebutu was decorated with a honorary title of Doctor of Business Administration by the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), for his invaluable contribution to the nation’s economy.

At 88, Baba Ijebu has shown no signs of stopping or resting on past laurels. This is probably why successive governments are constantly seeking his good graces in recognition of his matchless support to the populace.

Sir Kessigngton Adebutu is also the epitome of grace, he is the model of a man who has achieved excellence through the sweat of his brow. He has been named great because of his defiance against all forms of evil, staying true to his vision to offer assistance to every needy person he can, even in the midst of despair and harsh economic realities.

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Not one to surrender, it is no wonder that at this 88th birthday, people of influence all over the world have chosen to celebrate him massively.
Fear they say makes a man stingy, but courageous is the one who gives and keeps on giving despite the odds. Baba Ijebu has stood for decades as a symbol of the true spirit of the Ijebus of Ogun State, and it is the hope of many that his legacy lives on forever.

Source: societyreporters.com

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