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The Inside Story*
_Preamble_
Osogbo Progressive Union, OPU, is the umbrella body of all the associations, groups and clubs formed by the sons and daughters of Osogbo, the capital city of Osun State. The Union came into existence over six decades ago. Its formation preceded the period of its official registration at the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. As it is today, it is an incorporated trustee duly registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act in Nigeria.
OPU is a voluntary (non-political and non-religious) organisation saddled with the objectives of advancing the socioeconomic and educational prowess of the indigenes of Osogbo, wherever they are in the world, as well as championing the growth of their town through lawful and legitimate means. The Union has, over the years, grown so popular that it has recognised and lawfully registered branches across the globe. Indigenes at home, in Nigeria and those in the Diaspora are always glad and eager to identify with the Union.
Reputable leaders, with the nomenclature of National Presidents, had at various times, directed the affairs of the Union. They were made up of reputable legal practitioners, engineers, businessmen and ambassadors of impeccable characters. They included Late Barrister Adekunle Odetoyinbo, Late Alhaji Rasheed Igbalaye, Prince Agboola, Alhaji Ajadi Badmus and Ambassador Abdulrazaq Shiyanbola to mention but a few.
OPU operates a valid Constitution that puts the Ataoja of Osogboland, the Paramount ruler of the town, as its grand patron. The constitution empowers the Union (OPU) to acquired a lot of properties including lands, shops, event centers among others.
_Past Challenges_
Years ago, Osogbo Progressive Union recorded its first challenge. The confrontation was not allowed to blossom as it was quickly nipped in the bud using the instruments of love and a strong profound drive to take Osogbo to an enviable heights. To put the record straight, the misunderstanding ensued during the reign of late Oba iyiola Oyewale Matanmi the third. Then, the Union was under the leadership of a renowned educationalist, a principal emeritus and one of the pioneer Special Advisers in the formative years of Osun State, Alhaji Ajadi Badmus. The squabble was resolved by Oba Oyewale.
_Recent Boiling Point_
Another crisis that rocked the unity of the Union happened in 2015 when it was time to elect new executives. Prior to this time, the usual practice was that Osogbo Elders (made up the town’s Paramount ruler – Ataoja and the Union’s Board of Trustees) would look for highly placed names (among Osogbo indigenes); natives who have cut a niche for themselves in the socioeconomic strata of the society; indigenes with ‘big names’ and appoint them to run the Union as National President and Exco members.
Some members, who were armed with the document serving as the Constitution of OPU argued against this practice, stressing that the move opposed the Constitution of the Union as contained in the document submitted to the Corporate Affairs Commission. They questioned the rationale behind the re-election process of the Union. They expressed grievances over the re-election of the then executives under the leadership of Ambassador AbdulRazaq Shiyanbola; and, vehemently, opposed the re-election bid on the pretext that certain expectations of some members of the Union, which bordered on retrieving part of the properties of the Union shared by certain individuals, were not met by members of that executive
These aggrieved members, in their majority, therefore called for an election of whoever that was going to be made executives of the Union so as to create accountability in the running of the affairs of the Union.
Sometimes around this year (2015), the current Ataoja of Osogboland joined the meeting of members of the Union (OPU) where he directed that Ambassador Shiyanbola led administration be made an automatic new executives for the second term. This step became an harbinger of the civil action instituted in Suit No. HOS/17/2016 between Bashiru Gbodupe and Others versus Ambassador Abdulrazaq Siyanbola and Others. Another suit was equally instituted and the two lawsuits lasted for almost six years without much headway.
While the suits were pending, the Shiyanbola led executives were enjoying the support of some indigenes, including the palace, until sometime around late 2018 when the palace purportedly dissolved the executives and directed the Shiyanbola led-administration to hand over properties of the Union (OPU) to another union created at the instance of the palace and named Osogbo Descendants Progressive Union (ODPU).
This development became a serious concern and a setback for the majority of the members of the OPU at home and abroad including the well-wishers of the Union. Sons and daughters of Osogbo, young and old, including residents in the Osun State Capital, considered the creation of the new association as a stab at the back. They argued that the founders of the new association were in the best position (and possessed the wherewithal) to amicably settle the crises in the OPU (the Union which, according to them, has been in existence for decades; and which they viewed as part of the legacies left behind by the elders and leaders of Osogbo). For this reason, ODPU thoroughly failed to earn acceptance among Osogbo indigenes (particularly those living in the country and abroad).
Besides, the dissolution of the Shiyanbola led executives was not only unsupported by the Constitution of the Union but also contemptuous on the ground that while the matters were pending, the Court had, by an order of Hon. Justice Awolalu (rtd.) ordered parties to maintain status quo. However, the ugly event took another dimension as the ODPU mounted the rostrum of the OPU and began to operate on it. Seeing this development, Ambassador Abdulrazaq Siyanbola wrote the ODPU executives not to tamper with the properties of the OPU, saying he never handed over the properties of OPU to the ODPU. His letter was ignored by the ODPU .
_Losses, Fatai Afolabi’s Havoc_
During the period of the litigation, OPU lost a lot of resources. The hope and people’s sense of common purpose with respect to the once upon a bubbling progressing Union – the OPU – was brought to the lowest ebb.
During the pendency of The suits, one Afolabi Fatai began to wreck a lot of havoc on the Union as he held himself out as a ‘consultant’ over the properties of the Union and began to terrorise tenants of the Union. The Union lost some of its notable tenants who could no longer bear the terror. Among these tenants were Access Bank Plc and Federal Ministry of Information among others. In the history of OPU, no any members or the executives ever collected a dime as salary or commission for rendering services to Osogboland under the platform of the Union (OPU). Unfortunately, one of the most saddest things that befell the Union during the period of the crises was when the said Afolabi Fatai pocketed certain percentage of the rents paid by the tenants of the Union and claimed same to be his commission. This, he allegedly did, under the ODPU notwithstanding the fact that court had ordered parties to maintain status quo.
_Intervention_
Following the protracted tussle that hit the Union, some prominent elders, sons and daughters of Osogbo intervened in the crisis in January, 2021. This led to a laudable peaceful settlement of the case out of court. It also culminated in the warring leaders hugging one another at the meeting. The people present at the meeting were replete with joy as bright future for the Union was sensed to begin to glow. The settlement was timely as OPU activities had become moribund due to the crisis that rocked it and subtle attempts of the ODPU to oust it. Parties were advised to withdraw their suits in court. To this end, warring parties swallowed their ego in the interest of peace, harmony and progress of all the people of Osogbo and painstakingly selected people that were neutral and believed to be of substance and integrity to form a Caretaker Committee to paddle the affairs of the Union not beyond a period of one calendar year during which credible election would be conducted to usher in new executives for the Union.
In the same terms of settlement, it was agreed that the Home Branch Chairman of the Union, Alhaji Akeem Woleola, should, in line with the constitution of the Union, conduct election to the executive positions of the Union as zoned to the Home Branch in order to usher in the new executives who would take over from the Caretaker Committee.
The above terms, among others, were presented before the Court as consent judgment; and by the judgment dated 20th of January, 2021, by Honourable Justice W. O. Akanbi (retired), the terms of settlements were accepted and entered as judgment of the Court.
The Caretaker Committee, chaired by Honorable Justice Moshud Adekunle Adeigbe (retired), who reluctantly accepted the assignment upon much pleadings from various persons particularly Alhaji Gasali Kasmo, Alhaji Akeem Woleola, Mr. Sulaiman Bodunrin, Basir Gbodupe, Barr. Bode Babalola and others, eventually assumed office as per the terms contained in the judgment which also appoints Alhaji Akeem Woleola as the Chairman, Home Branch. Other members of the Caretaker Committee included Alhaji Lateef Adeyanju, Mr. Onaolapo Adepoju, Alhaji Musiliu Adekojo, Alhaja Suwebat Adegbemi, Mr John Bamidele, Barr. Bode Babalola, Mr Tunde Adeyemo, and Prince Wasiu Iyiola Latona. The tenure of the Caretaker Committee was never left undisturbed by the ODPU in conjunction with the palace as the committee faced lots of turbulence and crises.
This time around, external forces and some members of the ODPU, who claimed that the properties of OPU automatically metamorphosed to them as new association, were fingered in the confrontations. Meanwhile, the OPU maintained (and is still maintaining) that their (ODPU’s) position was erroneously reached so far that the OPU has not wound up and disposed off of its properties in line with the applicable laws of the land.
_Invasion_
It is on record that, while the Osogbo High Court’s appointed National OPU Caretaker Committee members were neck deep in carrying out their duties, palace chiefs came, ferociously to invade the secretariat of OPU at Olonkoro. They invaded the building making use of some local hunters and a traditional town crier, who carried along a local gong and striking same with a small soft hammer to draw attention of the tenants in the market as he was announcing that Kabiyesi had ordered the tenants to stop paying rent to the OPU but to ODPU. The crier was accompanied by Afolabi Fatai who led him around Gbeja market around March, 2021.
_Election_
As the curtain was drawing to the tenure of the Caretaker Committee, the Home Branch of the Union under the leadership of Alhaji Akeem Woleola and in compliance with the constitution of the Union and the tenor of the judgment, organized elections for the Union, along with an Electoral Committee which organized election into the executive positions of the Union wherein all interested persons into the executive positions of the Union obtained forms in compliance with the guidelines set up by the electoral committee around October, 2021.
On the 26th day of December, 2021, after screening and proper accreditation, the electoral body, appointed by the Home Branch, conducted the elections into the executive positions. After the exercise, the new crop of executives of the Osogbo Progressive Union, OPU, emerged, and Alhaji Makinde Kamarudeen led with over 200 votes and was returned the President-elect of the Union. His team resumed duty in January, 2022. The election followed all the due processes under a very peaceful atmosphere with the full protection of security personnel.
The new National Executives of the Union, in a further search for peace, put the past behind and moved on as they resumed work in earnest at the Union’s Secretariat, Olonkoro, in January, 2022.
_Palace Meeting_
On the 2nd of February, 2022, the current President of the Union (Alhaji Kamarudeen Makinde) got an hint that a meeting was summoned at the palace. The meeting was at the instance of some people in Osogbo and the Caretaker Committee whose tenured had expired. The current National President, Alhaji Kamarudeen Makinde together with his executives were not informed. However, since they were aware of the gathering, they went to the meeting.
The situation at the meeting showed that participants were hurriedly summoned. In attendance were policemen, officials of DSS and other security personnel. However none of these personnel utter a word, which showed they were only brought to the meeting to intimidate the officials of the OPU.
At the meeting, one of the living members of the Board of Trustees of OPU, Alhaji Ajadi Badmus, was instructed by the palace to facilitate the change of OPU to ODPU. He replied in the affirmative, saying he would try his best. Ataoja also directed the current President of the Union, Alhaji Makinde Kamarudeen to hand over the keys to the Union’s properties to him. However, the President humbly begged to be allowed to consult the elders on that and come back.
To avoid further embarrassing situations, harassment and molestation, such that was caused with the invasion of the Union’s Secretariat in 2021 by some chiefs from the palace, the National Executives of the Union approached the court to enforce their rights, eschewing bitter deep-seated ill-will.
_Recent Development_
Between January and February this year, the Makinde-led executive received a report of a sale of a large portion of land belonging to Osogbo Progressive Union, OPU. A prominent politician, who is not an indigene of Osogbo is said to have bought the land. The portion of the land extends from Olonkoro to BCGA area.
The land has a large mosque on it. The mosque accommodates close to five hundred worshippers. Majority of the shop owners in Olugbeja market and along BCGA road used the mosque to pray. However, the entire area has been fenced with report saying the land was sold for millions of naira to the said non-indigene politician.
The National Body of OPU has sprung into action, working towards unraveling the mystery surrounding the sale of the land which is been held in trust for the people of Osogbo by the OPU. Again, the Union has an avowed determination to correct the irregularities lumped with its various properties.
_Conclusion_
The current national body of OPU is an indivisible entity under Makinde and will not allow all forms of external or internal sponsored instruments to denigrate it and its members, both at home and abroad.
On his part and why his name was mentioned frequently in the entire saga, Alhaji Woleola Akeem explained to men of the fourth estate of the realm that he wished for an independent OPU which would be detached from many conflicting interests that have held Osogbo down for a long time. He stated that he and his team contributed more than enough resources to the Union just to ensure a united OPU that is devoid of attracting undue influences such that do no good for Osogbo. He cited some projects of the Federal Government that skipped Osogbo as the capital city of Osun, all because people who are supposed to fight for these projects got themselves engrossed in who becomes what in OPU just to protect the hidden interests that they plucked from the instability of the Union.
Alhaji Woleola, who said he saw green light in the future of the Union, said history would absorb.
On his side, the current President told the press that it is saddening to note that, notwithstanding that Osogbo is the capital of Osun, the town has not dreamed to have a private institution of her own. He added that efforts of the forefathers of the town to put Osogbo Grammar School in place, in the late 50s, must be appreciated by ensuring that a unique private institution for the town is facilitated to move the town forward. He was confident that his tenure would record for the good people of Osogbo, unprecedented achievements through the grace of God and support of the people of Osogbo.
While expressing unhappiness at the sale of some portion of land and properties of the Union to a stranger, the national President promised to legally work towards recovering all that belong to Osogbo and her people.