The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has explained why she posted pictures of herself and President Bola Tinubu at the financial summit in Paris late.
She noted that she posted photos in the order received by her accompanying staff or colleagues.
The WTO boss had on Friday shared photos with some presidents she met with at the event on Twitter.
After she posted, netizens criticised her for not posting a picture with Tinubu.
She, however, shared pictures with Tinubu and other presidents on Saturday.
Reacting to the criticism, she tweeted, “Nigerians please relax! Re: Paris, Interesting attacks from both sides sadly show the depth of polarisation in our society.
“I post photos in the order received by accompanying staff or colleagues. Reading more into it is unwarranted. Let’s unite to build our country not attack!”
The Police Command in Lagos State on Friday arrested a 49-year-old woman over alleged theft of a day-old baby from a hospital.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
Hundeyin said that the Ojokoro Police Division carried out the arrest on Friday after receiving a report on the crime at about 6.00 p.m.
He said the police Division received information that the suspect arrived the hospital (name withheld) on the guise of being a patient and allegedly stole the infant.
”She entered the female ward and carried a day-old baby boy, while the mother was fast asleep after undergoing a surgery.
“Another patient noticed the fast movement of the suspect with the baby in her hand, alerted the hospital authority and the suspect was arrested.
“Upon interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect came from Oyo State.
”The suspect confessed that one Alfa contracted her to get a day-old baby to be used for money ritual,” he said.
Hundeyin said that further investigation revealed that this was the second incident of child theft to be carried out by the suspect. He said the baby has been returned to the mother.
The command’s spokesman said that the suspect would be prosecuted after completion of police investigation.
President Bola Tinubu, who was initially scheduled to be back in Abuja on Saturday from Paris, France, will now proceed to London, UK, for a short private visit.
This was disclosed by the Special Adviser Special Duties, Communications & Strategy to the President, Dele Alake, in a statement on Saturday.
He said President Bola Tinubu on Friday concluded his official trip to Paris, France, during which he had “an outstanding participation in the summit for ‘A New Global Financing Pact’ hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.”
The President will be back in the country in time for the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir festival, according to Alake
He added that, “Aside his participation at the event where he represented Nigeria well, President Tinubu also held high-profile sideline meetings with fellow heads of state & government, global business leaders & chief executives of leading multilateral & development finance institutions from around the world
A magistrate court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo state, has remanded nine associates of Mukaila Lamidi, sacked chairman of the state park management system (PMS).
On Friday, the nine suspects were arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, attempted murder and unlawful possession of firearms.
The suspects are Olaniyi Abiodun, Kamoru Yusuf, Odunayo Ismaila, Kolawole Joshua, Oladosu Kunle, Fatai Abidemi, Oluwole Akanbi, Sarafadeen Adewale and Tirimisiyu Odunayo.
They were accused of attacking, maiming and dispossessing people of their valuables running into millions of naira in Ibadan.
Speaking during the trial, J. D. Olaniyan, counsel to the defendants, said the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case owing to the charges levelled against the suspects.
Olaniyan prayed the court to remand the suspects at Agodi correctional centre pending the time the case will be assigned to a competent court of law.
In his ruling, S.H. Adebisi, the magistrate, said the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case owing to the charges against the defendants.
He ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison and subsequently adjourned the case till July 26.
THE ARREST
On May 30, operatives of the Oyo police command raided a hotel belonging to Lamidi popularly known as Auxiliary and recovered arms, ammunition, cash, and charms.
He was said to have escaped during the raid which led to the arrest of 78 other suspects said to be loyal to him.
Some days later, the police declared Lamidi wanted.
This was disclosed on Saturday by the Registrar of the board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, during a presentation at the 2023 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions and Awards held in Abuja.
This was disclosed on Saturday by the Registrar of the board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, during a presentation at the 2023 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions and Awards held in Abuja.
Oloyede also noted that the board had approved a score of 100 as the cut off-mark for polytechnics and colleges of education.
ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that residents of Onigbodoki along Ajibode-Osajin area have been living in palpable fear as a result of collapsed high-tension wire-electric poles that fell on the road disrupting free flow of traffic.
According to our correspondent who visited the scene, traffic has been diverted to other roads as the two electric poles completely obstruct vehicular movement.
An eyewitness who spoke to our correspondent said, “if not for God’s mercy, the poles almost fell on a commercial vehicle plying the road. We just heard sudden collapse of the already distressed poles. The heavy rain that started this morning might have caused it”.
It was learnt that the staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company have been informed to come to the rescue of the people living in the axis but no proactive response yet.
As at the time of filing this report, emergency team has not been seen at the scene of the incident as people living in the community were seen making efforts to remove the fallen poles while ensuring that the high tension wire does not lead to electrocution.
Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, a renowned Ifa priest and Araba of Osogbo has called on the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi to stop ridiculing Yoruba tradition.
Elebuibon spoke in Osogbo on today in an interview grantee BBC Yoruba.
He said if the monarch failed to stop ridiculing tradition, he would face the consequences.
The Araba of Osogbo while speaking with BBC said he was sad when he heard Oluwo speaking against Ifa and traditional culture in Yorubaland. He claimed that Oluwo is not a true of son of Oduduwa and that could be major reason why he is hellbent at destroying Yoruba culture.
Elebuibon stated further that millions of Oluwo cannot destroy Yoruba culture saying that Yoruba culture is sophisticated than his belief. He averred further that there is no way a King in Yorubaland will not be linked to tradition because he is enthroned only after Ifa might have been consulted.
He said the Iwo monarch is not an example of a proper Yoruba traditional ruler, because he was chosen without recourse to tradition.
The Ifa priest described the king as a major setback to Yoruba tradition, who has created a vacuum in Iwo traditional institution.
“Each Yoruba town has a seclusion room, where an incoming king will be for a stipulated number of days. That is where he will get to learn the tradition and given proper cultural orientation but Oluwo didn’t go through the process.
“So, for him to be acting improper due to civilization is an indication that there is a big vacuum in Iwo. Maybe all kingmakers and chiefs have converted to either Islam or Christianity. He also boasts that a Governor made him a king not Ifa, so he chose to be what he wanted not a proper Yoruba king,” he said.
Elebuibon said the Yoruba tradition has faced several challenges since the coming of foreign religion and especially since the death of custodians of tradition.
More troubles loom for the Ibadan-based prankster, Trinity guy, as police set to charge him to Court on Monday, June 26, over his dehumanizing skits.
ODUDUWA NEWS had earlier reported that Trinity Guy made himself available to the Oyo state Police command on Friday, June 24, following the invitation from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Pilice Public Relation Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has however declared its readiness to charge Trinity to court on Monday. Noting that different individuals and authorities are interested in the case.
“He will surely be charged to court on Monday. We have received several complaints against him, and many groups, NGOs, and CLOs are interested in the case. There is no sentiment in law, as I always say. Others should be able to learn from his actions and inactions.” He said.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has said that a list of Commissioners would be forwarded to the State House of Assembly next week for consideration and confirmation.
The Governor disclosed this on Thursday evening when he visited the Ado Ekiti APC Ward 9 meeting venue at Ori Apata, Ado Ekiti. He said he would abide by the recommendations of the Committee on Political Appointment, adding that the committee did a wonderful job.
The Governor said the new arrangement, where appointees were recommended by the grassroots people and the party, was designed to make the appointees answerable to the people.
Similarly, the Governor who addressed APC members at the meeting said the people also have the right to write to request a replacement of a non performing appointee.
Governor Oyebanji, who was accompanied by Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode and Senior Special Assistant on Community Communication, Mrs Mary Oso-Omotoso, stressed the need to build the party from the ward level to the national level and make elected and appointed officials know that they are in governor to serve the people.
“I am saying today that in honour of the memory of the Late Chief George Akosile ( who served as chair of the Committee on Political Appointments), I will abide by the decision of the Committee. The list of commissioners will get to the Assembly next week.
“The first set of appointment is for the commissioners and those who are not selected now may have opportunities to be appointed as Special Adviser, Special Assistants or board members. Let us note that political positions cannot go round and that is the reason we are saying those you will select must be those who will give you regular feedback, attend your ward meetings and attract dividends of democracy to their wards.
“When I was canvassing for votes and I told party members that you will be the ones to choose your representatives, some thought it was a political statement, some people are not happy about the decision and I said I got to this position on the platform of the party, so the party should be supreme. By God’s grace, names of Nominees will be submitted to the House of Assembly for the Commissioners you selected. If anyone of them fail to perform to expectation, hold your leaders responsible because they were the ones who sent the names.
“We don’t want Commissioners that will neglect ward meetings or automatically make himself a leader and start to lord things over you. And you also have the right to ask that a non performing commissioner be replaced.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ado Ekiti Ward 9, Mrs Falilat Akorede commended the Governor for coming to their level by attending their ward meetings. She described it as a demonstration of fatherly love the Governor has for the party and the people of the state.
Mrs Akorede assured the Governor that ward 9 would continue to support his administration, even as she lauded the government’s as remarkable achievements in the last eight months.
I have been bringing you up to speed about happenings in Ondo state for sometime now, particularly, matters affecting the relationship between the Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN and his Deputy now the Acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa – the governor’ s high-handedness and his inability to tame his family’s overbearing interference on governance.
However, this time, I must exonerate the Governor because he has done the needful – transmitting power to his deputy while he takes sick leave to attend to his deteriorating health in a hospital abroad. I must equally wish him a complete and quick recovery. Amen.
Sadly, with deep sense of patriotism we regret to note the satanic activities of some members of the ” Ondo State Cabal” namely: the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties and Union Matters, Dare Aragbaiye and others to sabotage and subvert the Acting Governor’s effort to assume full and smooth running of government and its machineries while Mr Governor is away as stipulated by law.
Section 190 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is apposite: ” Whenever the Governor transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Deputy Governor as Acting Governor “ Therefore, it is instructive and behoves all the state government officials – political and the civil servants – to report and take orders from the Acting Governor the manner and way they would have done to Mr. Governor. Anything to the contrary is tantamount to an act of insubordination and should attract sanction.
As a lawyer, I understand that it is within Mr. Wale Akinterinwa’s constitutional right to run for the office of the governor or any other elective public office. But such personal inordinate ambition should not be cloaked to undermine constituted state authority as presently being exhibited by the Finance Commissioner and his co- travellers in Ondo state.
This surreptitious sponsored blackmails to smear and besmirch the reputation of the Acting Governor in some sections of the media should not be allowed a breathe in a sane society. Not even a state prided as the intellectual plinth of the South Western Nigeria.
I just read an unsavory News Report, poorly crafted, obviously, by these state skulduggery to create an imaginary rift between the Governor and his Deputy, now Acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. The drafters fruitlessly attempted to portray the Acting Governor as a power hankering and over ambitious persona.
It’s a sharp contradiction, to accuse an Acting Governor of “undermining the authority of the governor’s office”. How can the Acting Governor undermine the authority he is exercising?
In another twist, they cunningly revealed that the Acting Governor (although ignorantly and repeatedly referred to Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa as deputy governor) demanded unrestricted access to the state treasury. There’s no such office now in Ondo state as “deputy governor” What we have presently is Acting Governor. In other words, Mr Governor in action. If the Acting Governor does not have access to the state’s Treasury, who else does?
Ridiculously, as expected though, the Cabal complained bitterly in their infamous write up about the functions of the Acting Governor. In their words:
” On Wednesday, the Deputy Governor was supposed to represent the governor at the 2023 FIDA Nigeria held at the International Centre for Culture and Event (DOME). But he declined, he chose to attend the 2023 NAF Conference World Hydrography Day in Abuja” .
Àwon Oloriburuku, they don’t want the Acting Governor to feature, attend or even appear at any serious state function outside the state. They want to cage him so that he will not have national connection and recognition as the Acting Governor.
Truly, I will not advise or counsel the Acting Governor to sack or terminate the appointment of any public office holder in the state like the then Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo did to the former Director General of State Security Service, Lawal Daura. He will be playing to the gallery.
Appropriately, a cabinet reshuffle and rejig of the state cabinet may be desirable to ensure the requisite unity of command in the instant circumstance. As critical stakeholders, we simply can not afford to look away while the state skid into full anarchy and mobocracy.
