Opinion

Noise is not a rebuttal: A response to Seyi Bakare’s tirade against Wale Onifade

Published

1 year ago

May 26, 2025

In politics, passion is expected. But when public debate descends into unchecked abuse, it says less about the target of the attack and more about the desperation of the attacker.

Such is the case with “Wale Onifade’s Agbero Onslaught on Governor Abiodun”, a venom-laced piece penned by Seyi Bakare, a media aide aligned with the Ogun State government.

His goal, clearly, was to defend Governor Dapo Abiodun from recent criticism. But in doing so, he inadvertently revealed the deeper anxieties within the Governor’s camp.

Bakare’s article is not a defence—it is a tantrum. It opens with the words “bare-faced lies” and spirals rapidly into a catalogue of insults, labelling Onifade everything from “intellectually poor” to a “pompous monkey.”

At no point does Bakare attempt a thoughtful refutation of the issues raised in Onifade’s original article on the Governor’s questionable tribute to the late Dr. Olunloyo. Instead, he offers rage masquerading as rhetoric.

Let’s be clear: public figures deserve scrutiny. That is the price—and the privilege—of leadership. When a sitting governor makes a statement involving a renowned figure like Dr. Olunloyo, accuracy is not optional; it is essential.

Whether the phrase “200 Level” was a slip or a simplification, it is legitimate to question its appropriateness when referring to a scholar educated decades before such terminology became common. That is not slander; it is critical engagement.

Yet Mr. Bakare prefers to focus on motives—accusing Onifade of acting out of fear that Governor Abiodun may contest a senatorial seat in 2027.

This is speculative at best and deflective at worst. It assumes that every critique must be politically motivated, and that no one in Ogun State or beyond can possibly raise questions out of principle or genuine concern.

More troubling, though, is Bakare’s consistent use of dehumanizing language—calling critics “lepers,” “agberos,” and “attack dogs.” This is not the vocabulary of a confident administration.

It is the language of a court jester who mistakes noise for persuasion. Worse still, it undermines the very governance he seeks to defend by making the Governor appear intolerant of dissent.

But the people of Ogun are not fools. They know the difference between political theatre and performance.

They are watching the roads, the hospitals, the schools, and the economy—not just the headlines or paid commentaries. A governor’s record is not defended with insults but with results.

The tragedy of Bakare’s article is that it wastes an opportunity for meaningful dialogue. Rather than offering clarity, it obscures. Rather than building trust, it erodes it.

In the end, what matters is not who shouts loudest but who tells the truth with integrity.

Let Governor Abiodun’s achievements, if truly substantial, speak for themselves. And let critics be heard—not because they are right or wrong—but because democracy demands it.

Signed,
Ayo Mojoyin
Former President Nigeria Guild Of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ)

Opinion

Rotary Ikoyi Metro to launch vital 4-day Lagos schools screening (Video)

Published

3 days ago

September 17, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Victor Ojelabi

The Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metro, led by President Rotarian Emeka Nwosu, will begin a four-day vision and hearing screening for Primary One pupils across 10 public primary schools in Lagos Island, Lagos State, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, under a Rotary International Global Grant project chaired by Rotarian Oladimeji Olatunji-Audu for the club.

Also read: Rotary Club of Ogudu GRA Installs 20th President During 20th Anniversary Celebration

The Rotary Ikoyi Metro screening, which runs until Friday, September 25, will commence at 9 a.m. daily, with Holy Cross Cathedral Primary School, Campus, serving as the venue.

The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board has formally approved the exercise for pupils in the 10 selected schools within the Lagos Island Local Government Education Authority.

In its September 9 approval, LASUBEB described the intervention as a “noble gesture” complementing the Lagos State Government’s efforts to improve basic education.

The participating schools are Holy Cross Cathedral Primary School, Ade Oshodi Primary School, Anglican Girls Primary School, Christ Cathedral Primary School, and Ebute Elefun Primary School.

Others include Edward Blyden Memorial School, St. David Primary School, St. Mary Convent School, St. Peter Primary School and Tinubu Methodist Primary School.

Nwosu said the intervention was built around a simple concern: children experiencing difficulties in the classroom should not be written off before possible health-related causes are investigated.

“Sometimes, what looks like a learning problem may simply be a child struggling to see the board clearly or hear what the teacher is saying. Through this project, we want to identify those challenges early and give affected children the opportunity to learn and thrive alongside their peers,” Nwosu said.

The project is being implemented in partnership with other Rotary clubs through the Rotary International Global Grant mechanism, combining resources and expertise to address preventable vision and hearing difficulties among schoolchildren.

The cub’s project chairman said the initiative was designed to go beyond simply identifying pupils with difficulties.

“Screening is only meaningful when it leads to action. Our objective is to identify children who require attention early enough and ensure that those who need further intervention are appropriately supported. A child’s ability to see and hear properly can make a remarkable difference to the child’s confidence and performance in school,” Olatunji-Audu said.

The Lagos Island exercise follows an earlier phase of the wider Global Grant project launched in July 2026, when hundreds of pupils from public primary schools in the Ikoyi-Obalende area underwent vision and hearing screening.

The broader intervention has brought together Rotary clubs and partners in Nigeria and overseas.

The World Health Organization has also identified vision and hearing as important to children’s development and education, noting that unaddressed sensory impairments can have significant consequences for school-age children.

Also read: Rotary Club of Ogudu GRA Installs 20th President During 20th Anniversary Celebration

For Ikoyi Metro, the four-day intervention therefore carries a powerful message beyond the medical screenings: before concluding that a young pupil is struggling to learn, it may be necessary to establish whether that child can clearly see the lesson and hear the teacher.