Category: Featured

A group of elderly women working as street sweepers under the Oyo State Waste Management Authority (OYWMA) faced a challenging situation as most of them find it difficult to feed themselves due to the 5-month wages owed them.

The group of elderly women have on several occasions registered their displeasure against the continuing delay of their monthly emolument.

In an investigative report by Oduduwa News, the elderly women had worked for several months and are being subjected to untold hardship having been denied of their monthly emolument.

The stipend usually given to these women ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 has not been paid to them, piling up for several months amid the prevailing economic hardship in the country.

One will wonder that the meagre amount of money usually given to these group of women would be disbursed to them as at when due but reverse has always been the case, leaving the women to wallow in suffering and pains despite working all round the clock to tidy up the environment in Ibadan metropolis.

According to an anonymous source, it was gathered that the contractor handling the waste management in Oyo State has been shortchanging these women for a very long period of time while the women have been left to carry their cross without anybody coming to their aide.

Recall, these women had faced similar situation in the past when they were owed several months by a private contractor, West AfricaENRG contracted by Oyo State Government but later dismissed due to issue related to payment delays and record keeping discrepancies.

One would have thought that Oyo State Government would have found a lasting solution to the starvation and hunger facing these elderly women due to unnecessary delay in their monthly emolument.

The affected workers, many of whom are elderly rely on these wages for their livelihood despite the fact that they have been finding it difficult to cope with harsh economic environment.

This continuous delay in payment of contract staff underscores the challenges that can arise when public services are outsourced to private contractors without stringent oversight. It also highlights the importance of transparent record-keeping and the need for the government accountability to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable workers.

The Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has approved the constitution of a new board for the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission with the appointment of chairperson and members.

According to a letter signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, those appointed are:

1. Mrs. Olubukola Oladipo Chairperson
2. Mr. Banji Ranmi Ogungbaro Member
3. Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ajibola Member
4. Mrs. Ariyo Ameenat Ayokunnu Member
5. Afolabi Olusola Joshua Member
6. Rasaq Mustapha Member
7. Mr. Olalekan Akeem Jimoh Member

The governor, while congratulating the new appointees, counseled them to see their appointment as a call to service.
The appointments are with immediate effect.

A yet-to-be-identified man has reportedly fallen from one of the top floors of the 26-storey Cocoa House building in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The incident, which threw the entire business community into panic, occurred in the early hours of Monday.

One of the eyewitnesses said, “When the incident happened, I initially thought it was a large bird falling from the sky.

“It was only when the person landed that I realised it was a human being.

“I had my phone with me but I couldn’t even record anything because I was completely shocked.”

Another eyewitness said, “The victim first hit a roof beside the security post of the building before landing on the ground. It was a terrifying sight.”

As at press time, the circumstances behind the unfortunate incident were still sketchy as investigation continues.

Meanwhile, a statement released by Odu’a Investment Company Limited, the firm managing Cocoa House, on Tuesday, in Ibadan, the state capital, confirmed the incident.

The Head of Branding and Communication of the company, Victor Ayetoro, who authorised the statement, said, “The individual involved was swiftly attended to by the emergency response team and taken to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for urgent medical attention.

“The company expressed deep concerns over the development and assured the public of its full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the fall,” he added.

In a bold statement marking two years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) has accused the President of marginalizing Yoruba Muslims in federal appointments.

The statement, jointly signed by Rasaki Oladejo (President) and Prof. Musliu ‘Tayo Yahya (Executive Secretary/CEO), was issued to the press on Tuesday. While commending Tinubu’s achievements in areas like economic reforms, infrastructure, and national security, MUSWEN strongly expressed concern that South West Muslims are being sidelined.

“The representation of South West Muslims in key federal positions does not reflect the region’s demographic and intellectual weight, nor does it align with the principles of fairness, equity, and inclusivity as enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution,” the group stated.

The Islamic body noted that despite the Yoruba Muslims’ significant population and intellectual contributions, they remain absent from the corridors of federal power, a development MUSWEN views as both unjust and unconstitutional.

MUSWEN is now calling on Tinubu to take deliberate steps to correct the imbalance, urging him to ensure that appointments moving forward are reflective of the religious and regional diversity within the South West.

This development adds to growing concerns over equity and inclusiveness under Tinubu’s leadership, especially within his home region. Will the President respond to the outcry of his kinsmen? The nation watches.

Following the assault on the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre Akure, the Ondo State Police Command has arrested Mrs. Dorcas Asije and four other accomplices.

Acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) led a tactical team to ensure their swift arrest.

The case has been transferred to SCID and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.

The public is advised to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activity to the nearest police station.

For any inquiries, please contact:

DSP AYANLADE OLAYINKA OLUSHOLA
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)
Ondo State Police Command
For: – Commissioner of Police, Ondo State.

A clash between two rival cult groups at Oke Ola area in Osogbo has consumed one person, before arrival of police team that went to the scene of the incident that restored normalcy in the area on Sunday.

Oduduwa News reports that Osun State Police Command Public Relations Officer Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident explaining that it took the intervention of the police to quell the bloody clash.

“It was the police team that went to the scene of the incident that restored normalcy in the area. At the moment, we are on the trail of the culprits (the cult members), and they will be made to face the law when arrested’, he said.

Oduduwa News further reports that an eyewitness said that the clash, which occurred at about 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, snowballed into a gun battle, adding that one of the cult members was shot in the head and died on the spot.

The sources added that fracas ensued when some suspected members of a cult group in Osogbo, who were part of a masquerade’s procession, entered the territory of a rival cult group.

Meanwhile Ojelabi appealed to residents of the state to always report any breach of the law or suspected criminal activities to the police promptly, and released contacts of Police Control Room and Complaint Response Unit which include 08039537995/08123823981 and 08035143235/08066286549/08030732461 to make reports.

The Oyo State Government has sealed off a collapsed building under construction belonging to Item7go, a popular restaurant located in Dugbe area of Ibadan.

Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, who spoke with newsmen after an on-the-spot assessment of the collapsed building, said the action was to ensure safety of lives and properties.

He declared that an integrity test would be carried out on the collapsed building and on other branches of the restaurant in the state to avoid a recurrence.

Akin-Funmilayo stated that the outcome of the test would determine the next action of the government.

He said: “Earlier this morning, the message got to me that there was a building collapse at Dugbe and we came over here to see things for ourselves.

“We thank God that there is no loss of life.
“After seeing the extent of the collapse, we decided that it has to be sealed off because we have to prevent loss of life.

“Professionals from the Ministry of Works would have to come and carry out an integrity test after which the report would advise us on the next action to be taken on the property.

“If they can continue, we will let them know and if it has to be totally brought down, we will let them know as well.

“From what we have seen, substandard materials were used and this has also been corroborated by our professionals from the Ministry of Works. The Director of Public Building has equally looked at it and confirmed it.

“However, we will still go for an integrity test so that absolute professionalism can be ensured and the result thereafter will determine the next action we will take.

“There is an approval for the design. The building has been in existence before but there is a renovation coming up. From the information made available to me, there is a company trying to have an outlet here and they are the people trying to do the renovation. But we never expected what actually happened.

“In addition, this outlet belongs to a popular eatery outfit. I believe the same Engineer doing this place handled the other outlets they have in Ibadan and other cities. But, for this to have happened, it means that we have to carry out an integrity test on all their buildings.

“If we find out that the other outlets fail the integrity test, we will bring them down, because we cannot afford to toy with the lives of our people.”

The Federal Government has declared Friday 6th, and Monday 9th June, 2025 as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Adha celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated all Muslim Ummah both at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Sunday, lamented that President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope has turned into a nightmare for Nigerians.

Afenifere, in a statement by its Leader and National Publicity Secretary, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Justice Faloye, said the midterm report of the Tinubu administration has shown that every human development and sociopolitical index has regressed.

It also accused the administration of engaging in “massive propaganda claiming false successes.”

The statement reads: “The Midterm Report shows that every human development and sociopolitical index has regressed since the coming to office of the President Bola Tinubu administration, turning the promise of renewed hope to a nightmare of regressing hopelessness and despair.

“Rather than take full responsibility for the unmitigated sufferings inflicted on Nigerians in the past two years on account of its wrong policy choices and wasteful spending, the Tinubu administration has engaged in massive propaganda claiming false successes and shifting blames to global and historical factors, and showing scant empathy for ordinary Nigerians.

“Basically, due to unforced errors, especially the oversight of the production element of subsidies and floating the Naira, without any preparation to cushion the predictable impact, the Tinubu Economic Reforms has turned out to be Tinubu Economic Deforms.

“A Prebendal and Government for the privileged and connected* : Despite the Tinubu administration’s economic policies causing huge inflation that cut real wages in over half, only 4.1% of the Nigeria population in the civil service had their wages increased by 38%. Reliance on unproven channels for the distribution of pitiable halfhearted food and other palliatives were corruptly split among those connected, while uncontested mega projects were brazenly given to those with well known connections to the President. It is obvious that the Tinubu administration has no intention of delivering the greatest good the greatest number of Nigerians.

“It has been a harrowing experience living through the pain and anguish of the last two years, inflicted on the nation by the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This Midterm Report is a duty that Afenifere must fulfil to prevent government propagandists from drowning the voices of millions of hungry and deprived Nigerians.

“Rather than focusing on service delivery, the Tinubu administration is focusing on winning the 2027 election regardless of the voters. No amount of propaganda will erase hunger and poverty in the land. Only selfless and empathetic leadership can serve the people, not Prebendalist and hedonistic lifestyle.

If this Midterm Report was an academic exercise, the student will receive an advice to withdraw from the examiner, but we believe there is still room for redemption. We urge the President and his choir of mandate seekers to reflect and for a change just love Nigeria and Nigerians.”

A disturbing incident has unfolded at the “Complete Child Development Center” in Awule, Akure, Ondo State.

The Vice Principal of the school was brutally assaulted by thugs allegedly hired by the parent of a student, Elisha Wisdom, who was caught with an Android phone during the ongoing WAEC examination.

The Vice Principal had disallowed “Elisha Wisdom” from cheating during the examination, which led to the parent’s violent reaction.
The parent’s aggression didn’t stop at the assault; they also issued threats to kill the Vice Principal and any member of the school authority if Elisha is not allowed to cheat in future examinations.

The Vice Principal is currently admitted to St John & Mary Hospital, Odokoyi, receiving treatment for the injuries sustained during the assault.

The Ondo State Police Commissioner has launched a manhunt to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act including the parents and the hoodlums.