No fewer than fifteen lives were today lost in a road crash involving a truck, a 18-passenger bus and a micra commercial vehicle in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
The crash which occurred at Agbowo junction area of Ojoo-Iwo road expressway happened around 10.00 am in the morning.
According to an eyewitness, Mr. Fuad Akorede whose car was equally damaged in the accident, the trailer driver lost control when the vehicle developed a break failure.
Mr Akorede narrated that the truck which was coming from Iwo road towards Ojoo on the only side opened for traffic crushes the two vehicles and rammed them into a nearby ditch. He disclosed that the dead including men women and children have been evacuated to an undisclosed morgue while the injured were taken to hospitals around the area.
As at the time of filing in this report, men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Nigerian police and the Nigerian Army were already at the scene to maintain law and order.
The Branch Controller of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) in charge of Ogun State, Mr. Ayobami Suberu has faulted an online media report insinuating that the results of some public school students in the state were withheld due to indebtedness.
Suberu, in a chat with newsmen on Tuesday morning, described the report as mischievous and unbalanced, adding that the Ogun State Government was not indebted to the Council in any way.
The branch controller explained that the results of the affected students were still pending because of a technical hitch, which is being looked into for quick redress and immediate action.
According to him, there is ongoing communication between the branch and the Head of the Test Administration Division of the Council in that regard, as he promised that the results would be released before the close of work on Tuesday.
“Let me say categorically that Ogun State is not owing WAEC a dime. A senior official from the Ogun State Ministry of Education had earlier called me regarding the report, and I clarified that nothing of the sort happened; the report of indebtedness is not balanced and is obviously mischievous.
“How can a reporter just go ahead and put up a story without getting the side of WAEC? That is not ethical. The truth of the matter is that those results were not released due to a technical hitch, and we are relentlessly working on it for it to be released on Tuesday.
“We have activated communication with the Head of the Test Administration Division, and we are getting positive responses regarding the issue,” Suberu said.
In a bid to tackle the growing trend of health workforce migration, President Bola Tinubu has approved a comprehensive national policy aimed at managing, harnessing, and reversing the brain drain in the health sector.
According to Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, the policy seeks to encourage the return of Nigerian health professionals from the diaspora through attractive incentives and reintegrate them into the nation’s health system.
The policy also proposes reciprocal agreements with other nations to ensure a mutually beneficial exchange of health workers, while protecting Nigeria’s national interests and respecting the rights of healthcare professionals.
Additionally, the policy prioritizes work-life balance, with provisions for routine health checks, mental well-being support, and reasonable working hours, especially for younger doctors, to create a supportive work environment and reduce burnout.
The move is seen as a significant step towards addressing the country’s healthcare challenges and retaining its skilled health workers.
A disturbing incident occurred in the Amuloko area of Ibadan, Oyo State, where a middle-aged man, identified as Musa Bello, was apprehended by residents with a fresh human skull in his possession.
The suspect had attempted to conceal the skull in a sack, but his suspicious behaviour drew the attention of passersby, who promptly accosted him. Upon inspection, a human skull was found inside the sack he was holding.
During questioning, Bello claimed to be part of a syndicate involved in the sale of human body parts.
The suspect has been handed over to the Oyo State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.
Man arrested for killing his younger brother’s children and cutting off their manhood because their father makes more money than him
The police in Ogun state have arrested a man identified as Taiwo Agbaje for killing his younger brother’s children and cutting off their manhood in the Abeokuta area of the state.
In a video making the rounds on social media, the suspect who spoke in Yoruba said he went to his brother’s house and whisked the two children to the bush. According to him, the children aged nine and seven began to cry when he started to hit them with the weapon he had on him but their cry for mercy fell on deaf ears as he continued to hit them with the weapon until they died.
He thereafter proceeded to cutting off their manhood. He claimed he killed the children because their father who is his brother makes more money than himself. He denied allegations that he intended to use them for money r!tual.
The suspect and his brother are Okada riders operating in Abeokuta.
Today, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadan land, received the heritage lineage crown from His Imperial Majesty, Oba Akinloye Olalere Owolabi Olakulehin, Olubadan of Ibadanland, in a ceremony attended by the Olubadan in Council.
Recall, in 2017 during Ajimobi-led administration, Ladoja maintained his stance that he would not entertain any attempt to crown him as a lesser Oba when the then Governor implemented the reviewed chieftaincy titles.
Pa Ladoja was today crowned as one of the lesser Obas as against his stance before the demise of the ex-governor of Oyo State, Late Ajimobi who dared all odds to implement the reviewed chieftaincy titles and elevated Olubadan High Chiefs to beaded wearing Obas despite the harsh criticisms and innuendos that greeted the decision.
Ladoja was a staunch critic of the decision, he was the only High Chief that refused to wear the beaded crown and thereafter instituted a litigation against the then state government to affirm his stance.
Today, history has been made as what Pa Ladoja stood against during Abiola Ajimobi era has been finally embraced by him and as such he has been crowned as one of the lesser traditional rulers in Ibadan.
Earlier this time, Ladoja had also been trading words with Governor Seyi Makinde who also took a bold step by following the footsteps of his late predecessor and made a declaration of the reviewed chieftaincy title as a prerequisite to clinch the exalted position of Olubadan.
This pronouncement didn’t go well with Pa Ladoja and his camp who declared openly that such decision was a calculated attempt to prevent him from becoming Olubadan when his time comes to clinch the position. Ladoja vehemently claimed that he would not be coerced to wear the beaded crown.
In the twist of event, Pa Ladoja finally caved in and accepted to be crowned as the lesser Oba, affirming his decision to backtrack to the popular demand of his people.
The event was held today at the Palace of Olubadan witnessed by several dignitaries in the State and the coronation was spearheaded by Olubadan of Ibadan in the presence of the Deputy Governor of the State, Barrister Adebayo Lawal.
This decision by Pa Adewolu to accept the beaded crown is a testament to the good intention of Late Ajimobi to restructure the Obaship setting of Oyo State in line with the modern world despite the criticism that trailed the decision.
Ajimobi in heaven will be dancing to ‘duduke’ as he has been finally vindicated by his traducers who out of desperation for political power threw out the baby with bathwater.
Taking bold decision even when the multitude goes against you is the hallmark of leadership as some of us who believed the decision of the then Governor to review the chieftaincy titles was borne out of the desire to modernize Ibadan Obaship were vilified but today we are all vindicated.
History has a way of fixing itself in the memory of people, today the history has been written and this will continue to linger in the political firmament of Oyo State.
Ismael Taiwo writes from Ibadan He can be reached via: taheewo2004@gmail.com
The West African Examinations Council has released its 2024 results for WASSCE
The announcement was made on Monday by the examination board on its official social media platforms.
The post reads’ “The West African Examinations Council is pleased to inform Candidates who sat WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024 that the result has officially been released today, Monday, August 12, 2024.
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said Nigeria would rise again if the church started to preach the values of hard work.
Osinbajo lamented that the Nigerian church had shifted its focus from preaching hard work to prosperity.
He spoke while delivering a lecture at the 68th Anniversary and 58th Annual Convention of The Gospel Faith Mission International, GOFAMINT, at the weekend.
According to Osinbajo: “For too long, our churches have been caught up in the pursuit of personal prosperity and material wealth, neglecting the true calling of the gospel to promote peace, unity, and the holistic development of our society.
“If we truly want to see Nigeria rise again and fulfil its immense potential, the church must return to its roots, preaching the values of hard work, compassion, and service to the community.
“It is only through this shift in focus that we can inspire our people to become agents of positive change, rather than mere consumers of the prosperity gospel.”
Barring any last-minute change, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun of the Supreme Court is set to emerge as the next chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun from Lagos State, South West Nigeria is set to be appointed as the new Supreme Court Chief Justice.
If she assumes the office, Kekere-Ekun would become the second female justice in Nigeria to hold the exalted position after Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who was CJN between July 2012 and November 2014, spending 28 months in office.
The current occupant of the office, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who assumed office on June 27, 2022, will formally bow out on Thursday, August 22, 2024, after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
As the most senior justice of the Supreme Court after Ariwoola, Justice Kekere-Ekun is favoured to clinch the position.
Tragedy struck at a workplace in Lagos when a 25-year-old contract worker, whose identity remains undisclosed, fatally jumped into a scorching iron melting pot.
Confirming the incident on Sunday to NAN, Lagos State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed that the company’s safety officer reported the incident to the Sagamu Road Police Division on August 3, at approximately 6:00 p.m.
Hundeyin said the company is located in the Industrial Scheme of Odogunyan in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
According to the police spokesperson, the company’s safety officer said that the deceased, assigned to the AOD Section, ran towards the iron melting pot, which is restricted during operation, at about 3:15 p.m. on the same day.
Despite efforts by his colleagues to stop him, he jumped into the pot, resulting in his body being completely melted.
Hundeyin, who said that police detectives visited the scene, and that the deceased’s family has been informed, noted that investigation is ongoing.
The police spokesperson said, “He jumped into it and all efforts made by his colleagues to stop him proved abortive, while his body was completely melted.
“Detectives from the station visited the scene of the crime. The family of the deceased has since been contacted, while investigation is ongoing.”
