Above Whisper

By Gbenga Ishola  "We lost Segun Babajeje this morning". I got the above terse message from Samson Adeniyi, the immediate younger brother to late Olusegun Jospeh Adeniyi aka Babajeje, on Sunday morning while preparing for church. Samson had earlier called several times to reach me but to no avail. When later he called the second time, he broke the sad news of Segun's demise and it was as if the whole world stood still. "Babajejeoo! I screemed. "What happened?" I asked. Unfortunately, no one to offer me an honest answer till now.  That I am still not in the right frame of mind to pen this tribute for a long time brother and friend is a point I can not deny myself. However, I have decided to avoid any temptation of going into details of how that popularly name, "Babajeje came to existence over several decades ago. I do not have that liberty. The nickname, according to history, was given as a result of the calm nature of his late grandfather ...

By Gbenga Ishola anipr Life is about memories! It is the only thing we are left with when flesh and spirit departs the earthly plane and we can do no more than remember the life of the departed, through times and memories shared, especially their deeds in their lifetime, and this brings to mind, the death, on Wednesday 11th, March 2026, at officially, 60, of Prince Adedokun James Oladoja, which undoubtedly robbed many of us of a professional and a kindhearted fellow. Not surprisingly, there have been an outpouring of tributes from everywhere just for a man who earned the respect of many. Little wonder, this world is fleeting, ephemeral, will-o’-the-wisp. What is man that thou art mindful of him? Man, whose breath is in his nostrils, the good book says. For me, I think there are some people who ordinarily should not die, because of their goodness, their humanism, the great impact that they make within the community, family and colleagues. The death of good men or women dimin...

By Simon Kolawole One regular morning in 2024, Mrs Oluwatosin Adeniyi was standing in front of her make-shift school at Kpaduma Hills, Asokoro, Abuja, when a group of eight boys — all in their preteens — passed by, chatting away in Hausa. It was around 10am. The sight of so many young boys roaming the streets so early in the day gave her some concern and she found herself issuing them a query on the spot. “Why are you guys not in school?” she asked, motherly. It turned out that they could not speak English. Only one of them could communicate with her — but in a lower version of Pidgin English. The rest simply looked on. “No money for school,” the boy replied. “So where are you guys going this morning?” she fired the second query. The “head boy” said they were moving from one construction site to another to scavenge for disused cement bags. They would gather about 50 of the bags and sell them in order to raise money to buy their breakfast. How much would they sell those litt...

By Ishola Gbenga  The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has reached another remarkable milestone with the completion of 273.33 kilometers of rural roads across participating states in Nigeria — a major stride toward improving rural connectivity, enhancing agricultural productivity, and boosting economic opportunities for farming communities. This landmark achievement was disclosed by the National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu Mohammed Bodinga, during the 9th Implementation Support Mission (ISM) held at the Golfview Suites and Conference Center, Lagos. The mission brought together representatives of the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), and State Project Implementation Units (SPIUs) to assess progress, share experiences, and realign strategies for greater impact. Engr. Bodinga noted that the 273km milestone reflects the project’s steady advancement across the 19 participating states, describing it as “a demonst...

By Nicholas Uwerunonye He probably knew the end was near. Saka Laaro had survived two collapses—once at the University of Ilorin during a convocation ceremony, and another time at a law chamber in Ilorin while trying to mediate in the crisis plaguing the state’s NUJ Council. At 73, such episodes are more than just medical events; they are ominous signals, whispers from the edge. So when he called me aside at the NUJ Secretariat in Ilorin one afternoon to share a story—his story—I listened carefully. It felt like a man tidying up the last lines of a long, well-written article. But before that, let me say something that used to unsettle me. Laaro, old enough to be my father, would always greet me with a warm, “Oga mi o!”—Yoruba for “my boss.” I would plead with him not to call me that. It made me uncomfortable, especially given our cultural norms around age and respect. He would just laugh in that unforgettable, affectionate way of his. That day at the NUJ, he finally told me...

By Olushola Matthew May 24, 2025 Adesoji Omosebi Dear Ogbeni RAUF AREGBESOLA, I write to you not in anger, but in sheer disappointment. Disappointment born from watching a man once draped in loyalty and respect gradually unravels into a symbol of betrayal and ingratitude. *This letter is not to destroy you—it is to remind you. To awaken the sleeping conscience that once dwelt in you. If there’s anything left of it.* Let’s be unequivocally clear: your rise in Nigerian politics was not self-made. You did not climb the ladder alone. The story of your political relevance cannot be told without one name— Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , the man you now undermine with calculated silence and tacit approval of those who publicly mock him. *You were not just another Commissioner in Lagos. Tinubu made you the most powerful Commissioner in his administration as The Lagos State Government —handing you a super portfolio that gave you influence far beyond your title. You were his political lieutenant, hi...