Abiodun KOMOLAFE

Jun
07
2025
By Amos Oge Kalu
The underdevelopment of Ijebu-Jesa, my Native Nazareth 1: By abiodun KOMOLAFE

The underdevelopment of Ijebu-Jesa, my Native Nazareth 1: By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Column, News, Opinion, Politics, , , ,
I am an angry Nigerian! I am angry because Ijebu-Jesa, my hometown, is a town where the past and present intersect in a complex blend of tradition and modernity. The headquarters of Oriade Local Government in Osun State seems to be struggling to find its footing, and it is as if my Native Nazareth is stuck in a time warp where progress and stagnation coexist in an uneasy balance. The concept of ‘home’ in Ijebu-Jesa is a complex one. It’s a place of belonging, but also a site of struggle. The rich cultural heritage is still palpable, but the lack…
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May
31
2025
By Amos Oge Kalu
Tasks before South-West Development Commission – By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Tasks before South-West Development Commission – By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Column, Metro, News, Opinion, Politics,
There are question marks about the proliferation of ‘development commissions. However, we go along with the present enthusiasm, whatever the agenda perceived in cynical quarters, for their creation. Over the years, various development commissions have been established to address specific regional challenges. To understand the reservations, we must go back into the past. There appears to be a big difference between today’s ‘development commissions’ and the ‘development corporations’, which emerged in the 1950s. The development corporations, such as the Western Nigeria Development Corporation, under its pioneer chairman, Chief Alfred Rewane, and the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation, under Sir Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu,…
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May
24
2025
By Amos Oge Kalu
Nigeria’s governors: Halfway to where? (2) Byabiodun KOMOLAFE

Nigeria’s governors: Halfway to where? (2) Byabiodun KOMOLAFE

Column, Metro, News, Opinion, Politics, ,
According to Kolapo Olatunde, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti State Chairperson, Oyebanji’s achievements include prompt salary payments, pension defrayment, and welfare initiatives like car and housing loans for primary school workers. He also implemented the N70,000 minimum wage, promoted graduate teachers and reinstated sacked workers. “BAO has showcased his commitment to workers’ welfare and infrastructural development. He has our unalloyed support”, the NLC Chairman concluded. Adewale Adeoye, representing the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), praises Oyebanji’s achievements, including affordable education, road construction and healthcare investment. He notes the governor’s political tolerance and lack of salary arrears for workers and pensioners.…
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May
17
2025
By Amos Oge Kalu
Housing: The urgency of an emergency – By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Housing: The urgency of an emergency – By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Column, Metro, News, Opinion, Politics
I was out of town last Saturday when a sudden phone call shattered my plans for the weekend. My co-tenant informed me of a shocking rent hike by a staggering 75% increase! In one fell swoop? In a letter to that effect, the Estate Agent, or ‘Caretaker’, as they are called in this part of the world, added a caveat, which more or less sounded like a formal threat: “In view of this, we hereby review the rent to N350,000.00 (Three hundred and fifty thousand naira) only for your subsequent tenancy period commencing from 10th November, 2025; if you so…
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May
17
2025
By Amos Oge Kalu
Nigeria’s governors: Halfway to where? (1) By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Nigeria’s governors: Halfway to where? (1) By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Column, News, Opinion, Politics, ,
To begin with, any assessment of the subnational level must acknowledge that Nigeria’s federal system is defective and quasi-federalist in nature. Put bluntly, it operates with the ethos of a tightly centralized “Bonapartist state”. This is the truth of the matter: no matter how well a subnational governor performs, the operating framework handicaps him. It’s like a boxer fighting with one hand behind his back. In other words, there’s a debilitating limit to what a governor can achieve. For instance, governors of states like Benue, Plateau and Zamfara have discovered that the title of Chief Security Officer is more in…
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