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Ile-Ife indigenes in Nigeria go spiritual, storm University with charms to force out new VC (Video)

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African traditional beliefs and spiritualism played out when some indigenes of Ile-Ife in Osun State, Nigeria, stormed the campus of one of the oldest universities in the country, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), with assorted charms, amulets and other fetish objects, to force out the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the institution which is located in the town.

Their grouse?
The indigenes of the town were angry that the new VC was not one of them but someone from another town, despite the fact that there are eminently qualified natives who can take up the position.

The University’s Governing Council led by its Chairman, Chief Owelle Udoji, had on Thursday, March 17, announced Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, a Professor of Agricultural Economics as the 12th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university.

But the decision of the Council angered the indigenes and to show their grievances, they decided to go spiritual and storm the main campus of the school with their charms and paraphernalia of their spirituality.

The indigenes who are adherents of the traditional Yoruba religion, invaded the institution with charms and other fetish objects, and closed the two major gates of the institution, and prevented staff, students, and other stakeholders from coming into or leaving the campus.

The University’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abiodun Olarewaju, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said the people “became very violent as they beat up workers, particularly the staff of the Security Unit, and vandalised their office at the main gate.”

“The protests by the Ife indigenes started on Thursday, March 17, 2022, shortly after the University Governing Council, led by its Chairman, Owelle Oscar Udoji, announced a Professor of Agricultural Economics, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, as the 12th substantive Vice-Chancellor.

“On Monday, March 21, 2022, things took more dangerous dimensions as the indigenes beat up some OAU students whom they met at the gate, blocked the two major gates as early as 6: 00 am, and came into the campus with charms, and other fetish items.

“They assembled at the motion ground of the University Secretariat, dressed in all-white spiritual traditional attire, chanting incantations while performing rituals.

Indigenes of Ile-Ife pride themselves as the true custodians of Yoruba culture and traditions and are known to settle their differences with the employment of their revered charms.

Watch Video here:

 

The Yorubas of Nigeria believe their civilization began in Ile-Ife where the gods descended to earth, thus the name, Ile-Ife, which literally means “place of dispersion.”

According to Yoruba tradition and mythology, Ife was founded by the deities Oduduwa and Obatala when they created the world. Obatala was said to have fashioned the first humans out of clay while Oduduwa became the first divine king of the Yoruba people.

The first traditional ruler, the Oòni of Ife, was said to be a direct descendant of Oduduwa, which was the 401st Orisha.

Ife is home to many traditional worshippers of deities and is where they are routinely celebrated through festivals.

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Zambian music star Yo Maps cries out over cyberbullying targeting wife, daughter

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Foremost Zambian music star, Elton Mulenga, popularly known as Yo Maps, has cried out over cyberbullying targeting his wife and young daughter.

Yo Maps who filed a case at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, accused a Facebook blogger, Elias Musyani, of orchestrating the cyberbullying and hate speech.

The singer who testified before the court, recounted how Musyani targeted his wife, Kidist Kifle, with derogatory names, referring to her as a “prostitute” and a “witch” in multiple social media posts.

He said the online attack also extended to his infant daughter, whom he said Musyani mockingly called “gumugumu”, a local Zambian word for a monitor lizard.

Yo Maps testified that Musyani’s harassment spanned several months, citing an incident on April 20, 2024, where Musyani allegedly posted threats of abduction and rape, claiming he knew the locations of Kidist’s gym and their child’s daycare.

“He said he could come and rape my wife in front of me,” he told the court.

He noted that despite an earlier attempt to resolve the issue amicably, Musyani allegedly continued his attacks, even posting recordings of phone conversations with him.

“In that conversation, he called my wife a prostitute and threatened to send thugs to kidnap my child,” he said, adding that he had preserved evidence of the posts and conversations on his phone and a flash drive.

Zambia Monitor reports that
Musyani faces charges under Zambia’s Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021, which seeks to curb online abuse and protect victims of cyberbullying.

Though he pleaded not guilty, the court denied his plea bargain request, setting the stage for a full trial, as hearing has been adjourned to January 10, 2025, due to technical challenges in accessing audio evidence submitted by Mulenga.

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Rema, Ayra Starr, Tems make Rolling Stone’s Top 100 albums of 2024

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Nigerian music stars, Rema, Tems and Ayra Starr, have been named in Rolling Stone’s Top 100 best albums released in 2024.

A citation on Rolling Stone’s website states that Rema’s second studio album, ‘Heis‘, which secured the 11th spot, was a “unique, buzzy and visceral” project.

“Rema’s sophomore album ‘HEIS’ is the highest-ranked Nigerian album with a number 11 entry after enjoying commercial success that was recently capped by a Grammy nomination for Best Global Album Performance,” the citation said.v

Describing the album, Rolling Stone stated:

“Rema has taken to calling his own style of Afrobeats “Afro-rave,” in the tradition of Burna Boy and the like who have fought to differentiate themselves from what became a catchall for African music in general.

“Yet, there was no real sonic signifier for Rema’s Afro-wave — he seamlessly traverses hip-hop, house, R&B, and dancehall. Heis sounds more like a rave than almost anything Rema has made prior (excluding the excellent loosey “Bounce,” for example, raging while everything else simmers. The result is the buzzy, visceral, sweat-it-out music that no one else in the mainstream is making.”

On Tems, the platform said:

“Tems’ highly anticipated debut album ‘Born In The Wild’ was placed at number 37 following a successful tour and record-breaking Grammy nominations for Best R&B song and Best Global Album.”

Rolling Stone describes thealbum as so rich its listening experience offers both emotional and physical comfort.

“Tems has already remade Nigerian pop in her own image. Her debut album measures the soul work it’s taken to get here. All of it has paid off on an album so rich that the listening experience is a physical one as much as it is emotional.

“Wickedest” is primed for the dance floor, while the single “Love Me Jeje” is a masterpiece, soaked in the sun and major-key dopamine. Her vision is made timeless via a seamless blend of stripped-down ballads, the cool of 1990s R&B with flecks of SWV and Sade, joyous high life, Afro-dance music like amapiano, and rugged hip-hop.”

Writing on Ayra Starr, Rolling Stone said:

“Ayra Starr’s sophomore album ‘The Year I Turned 21’ was praised for being one of the finest Afrobeats projects of 2024 as it comprehensively displays her abilities and ambitions as a global popstar.

“With the follow-up to her 2021 debut, Ayra Starr asserts a musical maturity that could be considered far beyond her years, but perhaps more aptly serves as a reminder of the emotional depth, logical prowess, and enviable passion young people often possess. Across it, Starr refreshes tried-and-true.”

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