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Falola To Deliver The Audrey Richards Lecture In African Studies At Cambridge

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Dele Jegede In Conversation With Prince Yemisi Shyllon
Prof. Toyin Falola

A renowned Nigerian historian based in the United States (US), Prof.Toyin Falola is set to deliver the Audrey Richards Lecture in African Studies at the Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge.

Falola will deliver his lecture entitled “Marginal Identities In Africa” on
Wednesday, 7 June, 2023 between 17:00 and 18:30 BST.

Africa is grounded in diversity, people, and cultures, all three that determine how the continent is evaluated in various economic and political ways. However, considering the three factors bring about exposure to identities that are largely marginalized, either based on the disposition of a people or cultural subscriptions by which standards affect the status of other persons. These subscriptions and factors have raised questions of identity acceptance and the marginalization of people of various statuses. These marginal identities include LGBTQI+ persons, rural dwellers, slaves, pawns, ethnic marginals, persons with disabilities (PWDs), refugees, displaced and stateless persons, secluded women, and albinos.

African nations have been formulating and implementing pluralized policies and developed dominant but rigid frameworks in consideration of generalities over specificities. This explains the ripple effects of marginalization and why millions of lives are still being lost despite the seeming solutions from governments. Because of their uniqueness, history, unconventionality, biological composition, and societal differences, marginal identities can be denied agency, persecuted, or killed.

The lecture, a collage of the ignored marginals, examines cultural reactions to people of unconventional identities and social standings. It discusses how nations and majoritarian groups respond to these marginal identities and their various issues and challenges. In addition, the lecture expounds on these people’s marginalization and its effects on them and offers a viable approach to solving some of the fundamental problems. It is an urgent policy call to minimize the deaths of millions of people in the years ahead. Hence, the lecture provides fresh approaches to identifying the various marginalities within the cultural and historical peculiarities of African communities to arrive at theoretical reformulations that fit each category. It then attempts to give specific solutions outside generalized approaches toward a more meaningful set of proposals, conditioning societal interactions and existing ambiguous frameworks. It canvasses for intentional, deliberate, and focused policies different from extant plural recommendations that manage competing ethnic and religious identities.

Falola is Professor Emeritus in the Humanities at Lead City University, Extraordinary Professor of Political Science, the University of Pretoria, Extraordinary Professor of Human Rights, the University of the Free State, Honorary Professor, University of Cape Town, and the Jacob and Frances Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published many books and received various honors and awards, including sixteen honorary doctorates.

Register to Watch: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-audrey-richards-lecture-in-african-studies-livestream-tickets-630867290047

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Security Operatives Crack Down On Sagamu Cultists, House of Assembly Member, Six Others In DSS Net

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Acting IGP Kayode Egbetokun

Security operatives in Ogun State on Wednesday tracked six suspected cultists, allegedly involved in the violence that erupted in Sagamu at the weekend to the official residence of a member of the state House of Assembly.

The member, representing Sagamu State Constituency (1), Hon. Damilare Bello Mohammed, was alleged to have provided shelter to the fleeing cultists.

A team of security operatives, in a sting operation after a tip-off, arrested the suspects on the premises of the lawmaker.

Those arrested, according to sources, include Damilare Bello Mohammed aka DRE, Debbo Animashaun, Bamidele Saheed, Ismaila Onitire, Adewale Otesanya and Tobi Owoade.

They are currently undergoing interrogation at the Department of State Service (DSS).

Sources revealed that many dangerous weapons, including guns, were recovered from the suspects.

It would be recalled that Hon. Bello was arrested by the DSS for masterminding the violent protest that took place in February this year in Sagamu over the naira redesign policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

During the protest, irate youths vandalised about 10 banks and other public infrastructures.

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Ogun Considers Special Court To Try Cultists

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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

A Special Court is to be established by the Ogun State Government to try cult-related cases.

Also to be set up is a Joint Anti-Cultism Security Task Force comprising all major security outfits, with the mandate to rid the state of the menace of cultism.

The state is also proposing an amnesty programme for would-be cultists who may wish to surrender their weapons.

These decisions were arrived at after a joint security meeting, held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State on Wednesday.

It would be recalled that Governor Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday hinted that his administration would enact a law that would pronounce the death penalty on anyone caught engaging in cult activities in the state.

The governor spoke during a visit to the palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, following days of cult-related clashes in Sagamu, which left many dead and others injured.

The meeting, according to Governor Abiodun, focused on providing adequate measures to eradicate cultism in the Gateway State.

Prince Abiodun said: “During the Joint Security meeting that took place today (Wednesday), we engaged in fruitful discussions regarding the implementation of measures aimed at combating cultism in Ogun State.

“Our primary focus was on establishing a special court, forming a joint operational force comprising various security agencies, and implementing a death penalty for cultism offences.

“In addition to these measures, we also deliberated on the possibility of introducing a period of amnesty. This would allow individuals who wish to surrender their weapons and renounce their affiliation with any cult-related groups and activities the opportunity to do so without fear of prosecution.

“As an administration deeply committed to fostering a peaceful and violence-free society, we are dedicated to providing the Special Court and Joint Anti-Cultism Security Task Force with the necessary logistics and tools to support their operations effectively.

“The overall objective of our conversation is to address the issue of cultism through a multifaceted approach. This will include legal and enforcement measures, rehabilitation efforts, and community engagement through our respected traditional leaders.

“In conclusion, we are determined to tackle the menace of cultism in our state head-on. By employing a combination of legal frameworks, law enforcement strategies, rehabilitation initiatives, and community involvement, we believe we can bring about lasting change.”

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Why We Sacked NNPP’s Abba Kabir As Kano Governor – Tribunal

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Kano State GovernorAbba Kabir

The Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The tribunal declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 election.

Yusuf was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the poll in March.

But on Wednesday, the three-man panel, after hearing the petitions, ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return which INEC presented to Yusuf and directed a certificate of return to be issued to Gawuna.

The court deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total as invalid votes, stating that the affected ballot papers were not stamped or signed and therefore declared invalid.

The ruling comes about six months after the APC candidate conceded defeat to Yusuf in the wake of INEC’s presentation of the certificate of return to the NNPP candidate.

In a two-minute audio statement on March 29, Gawuna stated that “as a good Muslim”, he was compelled to accept the outcome of the election, whether in his favour or not.

He added that although his campaign team had requested a review of the election results by INEC, upon review, the commission had found Yusuf to be the winner of the election.

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