Resumption Not Postponed --OAU Public Relations Officer

This is to inform the great Ife community that the resumption for the 2018/2019 session has not been postponed. This was confirmed by the University public relations officer, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju yesterday. In his words "Resumption is not postponed, students should resume".

It will be recalled the resumption for the 2018/2019 session has been scheduled for March 30,2019 (Freshers ) and April 7,2019(Returning Students)

The Dilemma of Moral Instructions: Exploring the Fela Falana Construct

Thoughts on Falz's Moral Instruction Album by 'Joba Ojelabi

If a need to rank art forms ever arose, it might not be entirely foolish to bet that music would clinch the top ranks. With the diverse genres and musical subclassifications that exist, it remains perhaps the most relatable form of art. While a person might find it difficult to see the beauty of a painting, or appreciate the imperfections of a sculpture, it’s safer to assume that there’s a song for every man or at least every mood. Whether it’s the solemn sound of Yaani or the aggressive vibrations that characterizes the metallic genre of music, there’s someone that vibrates on the same frequency. This is why music, as a form of art, has over time been used when there’s a need to communicate with the public.

By hiding their message in the lyrics of a song, brands have been able to sell their products, politicians have able to get their names on the lips of the masses, and activists have been able to spread their ideals; hence the essence of protestant music. And of course, if protest and music occur in the same sentence, you can be sure there’s a “Fela” hanging somewhere, so much that even dear Uncle Folarin couldn’t pull one off without inviting Anikulapo from the grave.

For some of us 90s kids, “Moral Instruction” might not sound so strange. It was a compulsory subject in the Primary school curriculum at the time. I remember that I had the same notebook for Current Affairs and Moral Instruction and once in Moral instruction class, the teacher asked me to pronounce “Conscience” and I did, as “Con” and “Science” and was the joke of the class for a while. Moral Instruction class was the one class that sought to teach moral virtues, to show us, even as little boys, the concept of right and wrong and push us in the “right” direction. Looking back now, I cannot say the Moral instruction classes did not have any effects. I am unsure if the motivation for Falz’s latest album was from one of those classes but there’s no disagreeing with the fact that only a few names would have more aptly described his latest album like “Moral Instruction”.

The album which is only nine track long features several other artistes both living and dead as Falz does a lot of sampling of vocals and beats from the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti. So much that you could refer to the work as a Falz-Fela Mixtape. However, apart from beats and vocals, another thing that links to Fela is its Social consciousness. Over the nine tracks, Falz manages to explore a number of trending societal issues. This of course is the highlight of the album as, as expected, it goes on to spike varying reactions, some of which places Falz and his seemingly controversial album in the social media spotlight for a while. However, with a father like Femi Falana, it might not be too surprising that dear uncle Folarin treads the path of conscious music.

The album opens with “Johnny” which is a play on the popular Nigerian clause “Johnny just come” which is more commonly used to describe newbies in street slangs. Falz however adds a twist to the clause, using “Johnny just drop” and using the track to highlight the several avoidable killings around the country. “Follow Follow” comes on with blaring trumpets and the unmissable voice of Fela himself. A voice we would still come to hear later on in the album. However, in delivering a number of tracks, Falz gets help from some names we’ve heard before. The sonorous voice of Demmie Vee in “Hypocrite”, Sess, the alleged problem kid, in “Brother’s Keeper” and Chillz in “Paper”.

Interestingly, somehow the dead Fela still manages to outdo the living in Moral Instruction.
Something that makes the album quite beautiful, if that is the word to use, is the completeness of its content. Such that from even within the songs, Falz tries to predict the reaction of listeners to the content of his lyrics and addresses them. This he does successfully in “Amen” which address religious bigotry and fraudulence and is more deeply entrenched in the last track on the album which is nothing but a vocal acceptance of the fallibility of the thoughts expressed in the album.

For the reality of morality is no one can be absolute about right and wrong. And whether it’s a Primary school teacher trying to make ends meet, a rebel trying to sing his country into the light or the son of an activist igniting the first fires of his activism, no one really is perfect when it comes to moral instructions. In the words of Falz, “After all said and done, I do not have the right to direct the finger of guilt or look of contempt at my guy, for even I can barely see through the speck in my eye…”. But then again, perhaps it is this imperfection, or rather the acceptance of it, that makes “Moral Instruction” a beautiful piece of art. And of course, its social consciousness makes it timeless, such that when posterity look back at political landmarks of 2019, they’d remember that Nigeria had elections and just maybe that Falz dropped an album.

OAU Resumption Dates Postponed

This is to inform the great Ife students that resumption dates for 2018/2019 Academic Session has been postponed.

FRESH STUDENTS --March 30,2019

• RETURNING STUDENTS - April 7,2019

How We Intend To Create Employment, Boost Economy through The Nigerian Campus Technology and Information Technology Exhibition- Creative Director,Technology Market

How We Intend To  Create Employment, Boost Economy through The  Nigerian Campus Technology and Information Technology Exhibition- Creative Director,Technology Market

Organizers of the Nigerian Campus Technology and Information Technology Exhibition scheduled to commence from Osun state have spoken extensively on why they are embarking on the two day program. 

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja , the Creative Director of the Nigerian Technology Market,Olanrewaju Oyedeji  noted that Technology and Information Technology remains a pivotal tool for development in Nigeria and thus the important need for the Exhibition Program.

"We have decided to go to campuses with the aim to ensure that young minds who have Technology and Information Technology ideas are given a platform to showcase what they have got. We believe strongly that with our plans , we will be doing the society alot of good" he noted.

Speaking further on the plan to create employment through the Exhibition program, Olanrewaju noted that participants will be beneficiaries of different sessions of workshops and will also be empowered towards making a living from the training they may have gotten at the program .
"We will hold different workshops at the event while international organizations and firms will be invited to scout for big brains in the Technology and Information Technology field at the program. We believe that with the retraining they will receive at the Exhibition, they can also go on to train others "


Olanrewaju also stated that the Exhibition Program will bring Technology and Information Technology  ideas that can help to solve peculiar economic problems in the country . He also noted that the ideas will be executed.


It was gathered that the program will feature students who have interest in Information Technology and Technology, corporate firms, academics, government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders in the Technology and information Technology sector.

It was gathered that more enquiries can be made through 08164847752 or admin@technologymarket.com.ng.

The Exhibition Program has been scheduled for June 7&8 in Osun state while date for other States will be subsequently announced .

Election: FG Declares Friday Public Holiday, Excludes Bankers

The federal government of Nigeria has declared Friday, February 22, 2019, as a public holiday, in preparation for the February 23 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The ministry of interior via a statement on Wednesday, however, excluded bankers and those offering essential services across the nation.

“Federal Government declares Friday 22, February 2019 as work-free day. Those providing essential duties and bankers are excluded,”

“The work-free day is to enable citizens return to their poling units for the reschedule Presidential & National Assembly elections.

“Security agencies have been directed to ensure safety of lives & property before, during & after the general election.”

We Are Now Ready For Election, Says INEC

 After the tongue lashing by virtually all segments of the public for last Saturday’s last minute postponement of the presidential and National Assembly election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday began the public confidence rebuilding process, telling Nigerians that it is now ready to hold the poll rescheduled for Saturday nationwide.

Its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in his first progress report told the media in Abuja that the hitches that caused the poll shift have been cleared and that the fresh time-lines for the conduct of the election are now being met.

Specifically, he said the commission has achieved 98 per cent reconfiguration of its smart card readers, saying it is a significant milestone towards the conduct of the election and assured that the remaining two per cent would be completed today.

Responding to media reports that a couple of its senior officials are being quizzed by the Department of State Security (DSS), raising fears that the commission’s work might be hampered, Yakubu denied the reports and said no director or national commissioner of the commission has been arrested by the DSS.

However, Akelicious’s checks revealed that six senior staff members of the commission, including Professor Okechukwu Ibeano, Mr. Festus Okoye, Mr. Osaze Uzi and others, were invited by DSS for a chat.

But Yakubu stated: “No commissioner of the commission was picked up by any security agency; no house of any commissioner of INEC was raided; no any commissioner of INEC has been picked up by security agencies. The particular commissioner you are referring to that was mentioned in the social media is as we speak, in his office in the commission. Similarly, no six directors were picked up by any security agencies.”

The chairman revealed that by 4p.m. on Monday, all issues relating to the delivery of the materials were identified and virtually addressed.

According to him, “Last Saturday, the commission, after extensive review of our preparedness for the 2019 general election, decided that it was necessary to reschedule the elections by one week.

‘’As I explained to stakeholders, we were constrained to shift the polls due to severe challenges and lapses we experienced with arrival and distribution of sensitive materials, as well as the fires that gutted some of our offices in quick succession, destroying several election materials.”

He said INEC had identified six areas covering three broad areas like deployment of materials, movement of personnel and reconfiguration of smart card readers.

Yakubu said: “Let me, therefore, present to you the level of implementation so far achieved as follows; by 4p.m. yesterday, all issues relating to the delivery of the materials were identified and virtually addressed. Ballot papers, result sheets and a host of non-sensitive materials are now in location across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Our state offices commenced the process of inviting stakeholders to the Central Bank of Nigeria to examine the retrieved materials deployed last week and to witness the batching of materials according to local government areas. This is on-going at the moment and is expected to be completed today, Tuesday 19, February 2019.

“The movement of materials to LGAs for batching according to wards and polling units shall take place on Wednesday, 20 and Thursday, 21 February 2019.

“All Registration Area Centres (RACs) are to be activated by 9a.m. on Friday, February 22, 2019. Personnel and materials should be at the RACs by mid-day on Friday, February 22, 2019.

“Refresher training for ad hoc personnel should take place at the RACs on Friday, February 22, 2019. Personnel and materials must arrive at the Polling Units latest 7a.m. on Saturday 23, February 2019. Opening of polls nationwide will take place at 8a.m. on Saturday, February 23, 2019.”

Explaining further on the rationale for a week long postponement of the polls, the INEC Chairman said; “You would recall that in my address to stakeholders, I mentioned that we intended to reschedule the elections for just 24 hours to enable us to deliver the final batch of sensitive materials for the elections.

‘’However, our ICT team notified us that it would require more time to reconfigure the Smart Card Readers in time for the elections. Let me explain why. The Smart Card Readers (SCRs) are configured to only open for use at 8a.m. on Election Day, and to automatically shut down by 10p.m.

‘’This is designed to forestall any illegal use of the SCRs before the appointed time of elections. There are roughly 180,000 SCRs to be deployed for the elections and the ICT team said that they would require 5-6 days to complete the configuration.

‘’I am glad to say that as at today, about 98 per cent of the SCRs have been reconfigured and we are confident that by tomorrow all would be ready, which is a day earlier than scheduled. ”

The INEC chairman also stated that campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections shall now end at midnight on Thursday, February 21, 2019, while campaigns for the governorship, state assembly and FCT Area Council elections shall end at midnight Thursday, March 7, 2019.

He explained that preparations for governorship, state assembly and FCT Area Council elections are well underway, saying already, the sensitive materials for the elections have started arriving at various locations for onward movement to various CBN branches across the country.

Yakubu further stated: “Indeed, some of these materials arriving through our airports have been erroneously construed by some people as materials for the elections holding this weekend. I want to reassure you all that all materials for the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections next Saturday are already in the states ready for deployment to LGAs, Ward and Polling Units.

‘’We have learnt a lesson from the preparations for the elections holding this weekend. For this reason, we shall start the movement of materials for the next elections early to ensure that nothing disrupts our process.

“While we fully understand the disappointment and even anger that followed that rescheduling of the elections on February 16, I wish to appeal to stakeholders to be more dispassionate and circumspect in their comments in order not to overheat the polity.

‘’The commission is focusing on the elections to be held on February 23 and 9th March 2019 to ensure that they are free, fair and credible. We urge all Nigerians to participate fully in the elections, notwithstanding the disappointment caused by the rescheduling of dates.”

He said the commission would continue to speak to Nigerians daily to let them know the extent of readiness of the commission.

BREAKING: JAMB Shifts 2019 UTME Examinations

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board ( JAMB ) has shifted the dates for the conduct of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations.

The management of the board is currently in a meeting to decide a new date for the examinations.

Details later