Author: oduduwanews

The Federal Government says it has no intention to borrow from any local or foreign organisation with its removal of subsidy on petrol and exchange rate harmonisation.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Chief Wale Edun, revealed this at the end of the inaugural Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday in Abuja.

He said Nigeria’s had a better economy last since last decade, hinging his claim on the fact that the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had damaged the economy before President Tinubu took over.

He said that the benefit of the subsidy removal would be ploughed back into various sectors aimed at boosting government revenue and improving the business environment for local and foreign investment.

Edun said that with the increased revenue from subsidy removal, various palliatives have been made available to cushion its effect on a short, medium and long-term basis.

He reiterated the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s desire to bring back the economy from the wood it has found itself over time.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has flagged off the distribution of 300,000 bags of 10kg rice palliatives to citizens of the state.

The event, which took place on Friday, was in line with the promise made by Prince Abiodun to ensure the immediate distribution of the palliatives.

The governor acknowledged that the palliatives were sent to states by the federal government and has been domesticated by the state government.

“This is a federal government initiative under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that is being domesticated right here in Ogun State.

“Our desire in the first instance is to distribute about 300,000 bags of 10kg rice across our 5,400 polling units.

“We have decided to use the polling units as a reference of distribution, not wards, because we realized that using wards won’t be equitable.

“You can imagine taking a ward in Sagamu, for example, like the Ogijo ward and compare it with a ward in Ikenne. If we use the ward as the yardstick for distributing the palliatives, it is very unfair and not equitable.

“But because we know that the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has done a very detailed arrangement of our polling units to the point where all of us belong to a polling unit and that has allowed us to determine the number of people that are in our different wards.

“So you find out that a ward in Ogijo, for example, will have by far more polling units than a ward in Ikenne or Remo North. So we decided that we will use the polling units as a point of reference,” he said.

Abiodun noted that a committee made up of eminent men and women of distinguished character has been set up to oversee the distribution of the palliatives.

He said that the committee, chaired by his deputy, would ensure that the palliative distribution is effectively implemented, while the 20 local governments will also have similar committees.

“This committee is made up of very eminent, dependable, and distinguished men and women across the state.

“The committee will be chaired by my Deputy Governor and she will be supported by our former deputy governors that are here present, two members of the National Assembly, one representing the House of Representatives, and the other representing the Senate.

“Members of the state’s Assembly, namely the Deputy Speaker and the Minority Leader, our Iyalojas, our CDCs, CDAs, members of our youth community, our inter-ethnic representatives, our community leaders and other distinguished eminent personalities that we believe will ensure that the palliative distribution is effectively, efficiently and transparently implemented,” he said.

According to him, the Central Working Committee (CWC) will be saddled with the authority to inaugurate committees in each of the 20 local government areas of the state.

The committees in each local government will comprise the council chairman, Governor’s Liaison Officers (GLO), a member of the state House of Assembly in each local government, religious leaders, community leaders, youths, students, Iyalojas and the traditional institution.

Abiodun while commending President Tinubu for conceptualizing the programme to cushion the effect of the removal of the fuel subsidy, said that his administration has classified the various interventions of the president, which his administration has domesticated into the immediate, medium and long terms.

The state’s helmsman said that his administration has commenced the payment of N10,000 transport allowance to public servants in the state, and also added that the payment of various allowances, ranging from hazard and gratuities has begun.

“We started as you recall by paying N10,000 transportation allowances to all our public servants, including pensioners and teachers across the board.

“We also decided that not more than 80 per cent of our workforce need to come to the office at any point in time.

“We have begun paying different allowances, including hazard allowances. We began offsetting backlog of different payments, be it pensions, gratuities, deductions, and all other payments as we see them as part of the cushioning effect of the removal of subsidy,” he said.

Abiodun also disclosed that his administration would be providing health insurance coverage for pregnant women across the state.

He added that the health insurance coverage would allow them to either visit the primary, secondary, or tertiary health care centres.

“We will also be providing for all our pregnant women across the board in Ogun State with our Ogun State Health Insurance Cover called ‘Ibi Dero’.

“This will cover their pre-natal engagements and also post-natal consultations for up to six months, meaning that, you can go to a Primary Health Care Center, Secondary Health Care or a Tertiary and consult Pre-natal, give birth for free because the state government is bearing the cost of all that,” he said.

The governor also disclosed that his administration would be extending the palliatives to indigent students across the state.

While also disclosing that his administration would soon commence its energy transition programme which would allow state-owned buses, to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Prince Abiodun added that the commencement of its E-mobility programme would allow his administration to replace petrol-powered motorcycles with electric motorcycles at the expense of the state.

Earlier in their separate remarks, the representatives of the Community Development Associations (CDAs), Usman Olamilekan, and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP); Comrade Bola Lawal commended Governor Abiodun for his open-door policy.

Also, the Iyaloja General of Ogun State, who is also a member of the committee, Alhaja Yemisi Abass, commended the governor for providing more rice to complement the ones sent by the Federal Government.
He thanked the governor for picking members of the committee from all parts of the state.

In an interview, Mrs. Ileyemi Olayinka representing people with special needs and Comrade Segun Obadimu, representing the Nigeria Union of Pensioners appreciated Governor Dapo Abiodun for the rice palliative given to them, noting that such programs would help the people of the state to continue to persevere.

The Iyaloja General of Oyo State who is also the South West Cordinator of Market Traders Association of Nigeria,(MATAN),Aare ‘Birin, Princess Azisat Folasade Abeo, paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Majesty, Asoludero Oba Rev’d Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi, Makuledoye II Odubade I, the Alado of Ado Awaye kingdom in his palace ,Oke -odo, Ado Awaye, Araromi LCDA, Oyo state, on Saturday 1st September,2023.

Oba Folakanmi, in his address welcomed and appreciated Iyaloja General of Oyo state for the visit. Kabiesi said further and as quoted that,”I am very happy to see you here in my palace and your visit to Ado Awaye today will remain indelible on the record book of history of our town.”Kabiesi highlighted some of the key areas of economy where Ado Awaye has comparative advantage, such as Agriculture, tourism and others.He added, Ado Awaye has the only natural suspend lake in Africa and one of the two in the whole world, which can contributed greatly to the national Gross Domestic Products if properly developed to a world class standard ,and the only cassava based sorbitol factory in Africa continent with high capacity production rate . When speaking further,Oba Folakanmi stated some of the challenges confronting Ado Awaye market traders, such as finance and deplorable condition of market places and he appealed to Iyaloja General to use her good office in providing solutions to it for the betterment of Ado Awaye market traders .His Royal Majesty also used the avenue to breif Iyaloja General on the importance of Iyake festival to the economic growth of the state and it’s advantages to the market traders. Therefore,he requested for necessary support as this year’s edition is fast approaching.

The Iyaloja General of Oyo state and Southwest Cordinator of Market Traders Association of Nigeria,Aare ‘Birin, Princess Azisat Folasade Abeo, when she was reacting, thanked His Royal Majesty Asoludero Oba Rev’d Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi, Makuledoye II Odubade I, for receiving her with an open hands in his palace despite her short time notice of visitation and she appreciated him and other Kings in Oke -Ogun, for the royal support she enjoyed from them during her contest to the seat of Iyaloja General of Oyo state.Omooba ‘Birin Folasade Abeo declared that she was going round the towns and cities across the state to create awareness and awake the consciousness of our market traders on the importance of Market Traders Association of Nigeria,(MATAN) and the the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria on the Association.Speaking further, the Iyaloja General of Oyo state described MATAN as the only recognized umbrella association for all men and women traders in Nigeria.Accordig to her, the President Bola Hammed Tinuade led Administration has considered the association as the only veritable channel to propagate Federal Government’s economic transformation agenda to all Nigerian market traders.She said,many of the programs and policies that were of immense benefits to our market traders across the states of the federation were underway and she promised to make sure that Ado Awaye market traders would not be left out when the whole things commences.

The Oyo born princess, in her comment on Iyake festival said that, Ado-Awaye was her second home as handed down by history, because the Ado Awaye progenitor,Obakoyi, who was the ground son of Alaafin Oluaso hailed from Oyo town.So,she would always be part of any developmental program associated with Ado Awaye township now and in future, Iyake festival inclusive. In attestation to this, she announced the donation of 5 pepper ground machines, 2 hairdresser equipments, for women empowerment program on festival day slated for 14-16 November, 2023, and a power generator set for palace use with monthly stipend for fueling.

Other personalities in her company were: Madam Toyin amao, state secretary,MATAN, Madam Doyin Raaji,Oyo North Senatorial District,MATAN Cordinator,Oyo Central Cordinator, Chairman,Oyo State state Youth Council, among others.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that a 20-year-old man, identified as Ridwan, has been arrested for murdering his father for ritual purposes in Ogun State.

The suspect was arrested by personnel of the So Safe Corps on Thursday, 31st August, 2023, at Oshoku Village in Ijebu North Local Government Area.

The officers were on routine patrol when they heard a strange noise from a building.

They entered the building to confirm what was happening and found the lifeless body of the man with some body parts missing, while the suspect had fled the scene.

Details later.

Two persons were confirmed dead, while five others were injured in an accident at the Olokuta area on the Akure-Ondo Road in Ondo State.

Confirming the incident on Saturday, September 2, 2023, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, Ezekiel SonAllah, disclosed that the accident occurred at about 5:48 p.m. on Friday.

The sector commander attributed the cause of the crash, which involved one commercial vehicle and a Honda Accord car, to speeding.

He said: “On Friday at about 5:48 p.m. at the Olokuta Correctional Centre area along Akure-Ondo Road, a Nissan Primera commercial vehicle marked FGB-96XA and a Honda Accord car marked MUS-834 AL were involved in an accident.

“Two male adults died on the spot, while four male adults and one female adult were injured.

“The deceased have been deposited at the Ondo State Specialist Hospital morgue in Akure, while the vehicles have been handed over to the police.”

SonAllah admonished motorists to always abide by the traffic rules and regulations, saying any violator would be arrested and prosecuted.

Suspended chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Wale Adedayo has been arrested by the Department of State Services after accusing Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting councils’ allocations. 

Recall that Adedayo had accused the governor of withholding local government funds in the last two years.

Daily Trust reported that Adedayo who was at the DSS office on Thursday, August 31, over the incident, was detained on Friday, September 1. 

His aide said; 

“We got here together and I took his phone and stood outside, since then he has not been allowed to come out.

“After he got into the place, the governor also came into the DSS office and left after over 30 minutes. Only God knows what is happening to my boss right now, please help us. This is 8:34 pm and he has still not been allowed to come out.”

By Muiz Olasubomi

A good leader is the one who listens. A listening leader is able to see the world through the eyes, thoughts, suggestions and ideas of others. This is one of the great leadership attributes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu possesses. This can only explain why he is promptly heeding the clarion call on the need to strengthen the country’s creative industry.

Recall that prior to the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there have been clamours by some individuals for the government to tap into the great potentials of the creative industry which contributes significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Occupying a prominent place on the list of the notable personalities that have been at the forefront of the campaign for a more productive creative sector is the former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Shina Peller, who represented Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency at the ninth National Assembly.

Indeed, Honourable Peller’s last motion as a lawmaker at the ninth Assembly was – THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE NIGERIAN CREATIVE INDUSTRY – where he stressed that the creative industry is a veritable incremental source of employment, revenue and economic growth that the government can strengthen as it seeks to diversify the economy from dependency on oil revenue.

In the motion, the former lawmaker had prayed that the House urged the federal government to create and execute policies to strengthen the creative industry. He also prayed that for optimal performance of the creative industry, the House should implore the federal government to increase the budgetary allocation of the then Ministry of Infomation and Culture which was overseeing the industry at the time. Commendably, the House, under the leadership of the present Chief of Staff to the president, Rt. Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, unanimously adopted the motion.

Also in his congratulatory message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his formal inauguration, Honourable Peller who is the Ayedero of Yorubaland, re-emphasized the need for the new president to prioritize strengthening the country’s creative industry among numerous policies that his government would be making to enhance Nigeria’s economic growth.

Today, it is gladdening to note that President Tinubu is not just honouring the call to strengthen the creative industry, but has even gone a step ahead by purposely elevating the industry to a sector with a ministry of its own – Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy. This is quite commendable; it shows that the president is a listening leader who understands that welcoming different kinds of great opinions and suggestions will bring about desirable results.

Similarly, the advent of the Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy shows that Mr. President means well for the creative industry which will be beneficial to the teeming youth population and is ready to tap into its great economic value by creating coherent policies that establish clear objective and strategies for it to thrive.

Now that President Tinubu has created a platform for the creative sector to thrive, functional minds will definitely be looking forward to a desirable effect it will have on Nigeria’s economy as a whole. This is where the creativity, thoughtfulness, initiative and leadership quality of the minister, Hannatu Musawa, will come into play.

Hopefully, with her impressive educational background and exposure Hannatu Musawa, who is a lawyer, writer and poet, will ensure that the purpose the ministry is meant for is fulfilled. As she champions a dynamic renaissance for the creative domain as spelt out in her blueprint dubbed Destination 2030, Nigerians, particularly the major stakeholders, should cooperate with her bearing in mind that the creative economy is now one of the largest consumers of digital services.

While there is no single definition of the creative economy, the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says that it is the intersection of human creativity and technology or products that have economic value, including everything from content creation and art to architecture, research and manufacturing.

With the minister’s recently-released blueprint, it is believed that that she is aware that Nigeria’s creative sector is a thriving industry driven by young and talented individuals. From film to music and fashion, the country’s creative sector holds significant global influence and has the potential to become a prominent exporter of Nigerian culture.

Creative industry include and not limited to advertising, architecture (interior decor, landscaping etc.) arts and crafts, fashion and design, home video(film) television and radio, music, performing arts (carnivals, dance, drama, festivals, stand-up comedy) publishing (book fairs, e-resources, literature etc) tourism and hospitality (cuisine, museums and monuments, night clubs and event management etc).

Moreover, with our impressive cultural values and heritage as a country , culture is another vital tool that we can leverage to boost our economy. Nigeria is a multi-cultural nation with almost four hundred diverse ethnic groups and over five hundred different native languages.

Our cultural strength as a country lies in our diversity and we must make it count positively. As a matter of fact, our culture should be seen as a catalyst for creativity and desired transformative change.

Finally, if the purpose of the advent of the Ministry of Art, Culture and Creative Economy is fulfilled, history will be kind to President Tinubu’s administration for this commendable move, Honourable Shina Peller for his motion and advocacy, as well as to numerous others who contributed in one way or another to making it happen.

Muiz writes from Ikeja, Lagos State.