THE COMRADE

YORÙBÁ! YOÒBÁ!! ARÁ Ẹ̀GBÁ!!! Our people say, Ìran Ẹ̀gbá méjì kì í jara wọn níyàn. And we all understand that. Egbaliganza today has been absolutely top tier. Our beauty, hard work, and culture are being beamed across the world with a deep sense of pride. So I have to ask, why were some people hiding behind subtle attacks and coded criticism to undermine what Aare Lai Labode has built with Egbaliganza in propelling the Lisabi Festival into a global symbol of cultural pride? This is a man who, through clear vision and execution, transformed the Lisabi Festival from what was largely seen as a celebration for older Egba people into a global cultural event that young people across the world now want to be part of. This year alone, over 50 nations are already here paying homage to the Alake of Egbaland. For the first time, the world will witness the unveiling of the Drum of Unity, a project running into hundreds of millions of naira, funded entirely by contributions from ordinary people across the world. Not corporations. People. But beyond all of that, what stands out most to me is how productivity has been deliberately brought back home to Abeokuta. Every single fabric seen at this year’s Egbaliganza was produced in Abeokuta. From Aṣọ Òkè to Adìrẹ, all made locally by Yorubas. The designs were created and brought to life by our own tailors. This is not just culture, this is economic direction. This is what it means to build something that directly empowers people. The ultimate marker of cultural success is when our wealthy and accomplished sons and daughters return home and commit themselves to strengthening their heritage while economically empowering the next generation. That is exactly what Aare Lai Labode has done. Those who latch onto trivial points and noise are not driven by substance, they are reacting to the fact that he dared to act, and it has worked. I have never seen anything like this; the level of coordination, the scale, the intentionality. The Egba Nation has not had it this good in a long time. And with what is coming, all of Yorubaland and indeed Nigeria will feel it. So at this point, if anyone still chooses to tear this down or join in speaking against Aare Lai Labode despite everything being done for culture and for people, then one must question what truly drives that stance. We cannot allow small minded agendas to undermine something with the potential to outlive all of us. Some foundations are not built for today, they are built for generations. And this is one of them. I respectfully appeal to Aare Lai Labode to continue forging ahead. The people see what he is doing, we appreciate it, and we are proud. As our forebears would say, Ìjà ìlara kì í tán bọ̀rọ̀. The noise and attacks often come from a place of envy, not strength. BÁA WÀ!!!

"Many of you lament the problem of electricity; yes, we are going to improve on it. Electricity would become better" — President Tinubu assures Nigerians on power improvements.

We can all agree this is the finest man on twitter right ?🤭🥰