CHAPTER 1
THE TALES OF GAA OSORUN AND THE AFTERMATH BLESSING OF OTOGE
BY I.R WANKASI
If I were to tell this story my own way, it began with words on a signboard. No picture. Just text. At Geri, Adeta Roundabout, and General Roundabout, a message appeared introducing a name.
The general populace wondered: who was sending a message without a face? After a while, the breeze carried the answer from mouth to mouth. “He is Baba Nepa Akoko’s brother.”
Baba Nepa Akoko was not a man most people in Geri could pick out in a crowd. But his work was known. A selfless philanthropist, his good deeds traveled farther than his name. In a community where charity is remembered longer than faces, Baba Nepa Akoko earned a place in people’s hearts.
That goodwill rubbed off. Baba Nepa Akoko’s influence in Geri helped push Osorun’s name forward. Before then, many had heard “Osorun,” but not for development. He was known as a lavish socialite — the kind who spent “Mama Charlie’s head” with both hands and never looked back.
Then came the time when every car horn in Geri sounded the same word: _Otoge_.
The Rebellion
We must never experience that kind of hunger again. Not in Geri. Not in any part of Nigeria.
Geri is a civil servant state. At every month end, the community came alive with salary alerts. But the collaboration between the state government and the Federal Government invoked a hardship that cut deep.
There is an adage: “A hungry man is an angry man.” And an angry people stood up. They stood against the continued reign of the Agoro Dynasty.
The rebellion was tough. It birthed many _Otoge_ nights — nights of protest, chants, and defiance. On that stage, my community, the Emirate, had a preferred candidate. He was the popular one: _Omowe Agba Nimonle_. A transformer. A man who at least gave us a bulb that shone light into many homes.
But politics, like fate, has its own calculations. Osorun made a deal with the Lagos Sole Administrator. And against expectation, he emerged winner among the well-known knights of _Otoge_.
It was a shock. In every corner, people whispered that the youngest of them all — “The Prince of the Elephant Clan” — had more people behind him than Osorun. Yet the declaration stood.
Other knights fought hard against the imposition. But the LSA insisted. In the end, the people accepted their fate and channeled their energy into one goal: breaking the dynasty.
*In Power: The Aftermath*
Osorun became leader on the sweat and blood of those other popular, respected knights. The expectation was unity. The reality was different.
His first act of appreciation, many believe, was to assassinate their relevance. He did not want to share power. He did not feel secure with them close because of their huge popularity.
So he began to cut them down, one by one.
There was the Brilliant Architect from Agbejero’s Clan, who had governance well planned with him. He was later banished from the power circle.
There was “Oga Loketente,” a prominent knight who brought the idea that made Osorun shine in his early hours: the class renovation fund. Yes, that same one. His reward? Blocked appointment at the higher level.
In short, Osorun fought 90% of the allies who brought him to power.
“The Distinguished Mallam” worked hard to help him retain his seat. Today, he is a strong enemy — blocked from even performing his constitutional right in his own constituency.
“The Lion Prince” was loyal. He spent his money and his name for the cause. His thanks? Being pushed off the golden chair.
Osorun developed a phobia for helping people grow in the general community. In all his years on the seat of power, we cannot point to one person he helped secure a juicy appointment at the higher level of government. He proved more brilliant at bringing people down than lifting them up.
The Scorecard
Years have passed. The final year is approaching. People are now asking: what is the result of the long years?
To be fair, Osorun can boast of Primary Health Care interventions. But it would have been better if our well-equipped “Yewonwo Center” had not been buried for no reason.
He can point to the interlocking of some parts of our community. Yet people argue this is a local government responsibility. Even after the approval of Local Government Autonomy, Osorun still sits on their allocation.
There have been some road repairs and new constructions.
But then there are the questions around projects:
– The refurbishment of “Community Ile Itura”
– The glass house for a poorly managed agency
– “Ilese Sugar,” which has not produced a single recognized product for the community
– A tailor shop is used to kill a bigger economic opportunity
– Duplication of existing buildings in the community, believed to be a means of looting the treasury
Some educated illiterates will argue that paying civil servants promptly should count. But the truth is, no community under the upper government dares owe its civil servants. The allocation coming in now is even more than what was given before his advent.
During _Otoge_, there was a popular chant: our community would change from a civil servant community to an industrial community. Today, how many investors do we have?
“Ile ise Isokan” would have been the perfect agency to drive that. Do we still have them around?
Look at our neighboring communities and what they have done with their dues. By that measure alone, Osorun is a failure.
The Dilemma
Kudos to the _Otoge_ knights. They brought back our spirit. It is a joyful thing for every right-thinking son and daughter of this community that we now have a platform to recall any Rouge leader.
Here is the dilemma.
If you check the Nigerian political system with an activist’s mind, the Crown Prince of the Agoro Dynasty might look like the devil.
But if you check it as a Nigerian politician / the “white man’s country” politics — the Crown Prince might still be our community’s best shot.
Take the Lagos Sole Administrator as an example. He committed all the atrocities counted against the Crown Prince of Agoro to get where he is today. See what his people are now benefiting.
It is normal for people to fight for power in this new world. But there must be someone leading.
So I ask: who is capable of giving our community the kind of fight the LSA pulled off when the opportunity comes our way?
That is the question _Otoge_ left us with. And that is the question we must answer.
I.R WANKASI
