Category: Featured

The Acting Chief of Army Staff (Ag COAS), Major General Olufemi Oluyede, today, Friday, 1st November 2024, assumed duties at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.

The acting COAS was appointed by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, pending the return of the substantive COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who is currently on medical leave.

At the formal taking-over ceremony at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, emphasized that the appointment aligns with the Armed Forces Act of 2004.

General Musa reminded all field commanders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to the Armed Forces and the tasks at hand. He urged the commanders not to relent in guaranteeing national security and the safety of all Nigerians.

In his remarks, the acting Chief of Army Staff, Major General Olufemi Oluyede, expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding him worthy of the appointment and prayed for the speedy recuperation of the COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.

The Ag COAS solicited support from all personnel of the Armed Forces and Nigerians in general, in tackling the security challenges bedeviling the country. He pledged his loyalty to the Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Highlight of the event was the formal handover of Army Command flag by the CDS, General Christopher Musa to the acting Chief of Army Staff.

Until his appointment, Major General Olufemi Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army in Jaji, Kaduna.

A member of the 39th Regular Combatant Course of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General Oluyede was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1992 and rose steadily to the enviable rank of Major General in September 2020. His illustrious career traverse various command, staff and instructional appointments such as Platoon Commander, Adjutant, Company Commander, Brigade commander, and General Officer Commanding, amongst several other appointments.

He has participated in several operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East theatre of operations.

Major General Olufemi Oluyede also earned several honours and awards for his meritorious service in diverse fields of operation.

Bobrisky has found himself in lęgal trouble with the Economic and Financial Crîmes Cømmission (EFCC). Following his attempted departure from Nigeria on an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight, he was detained by immigration officers at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport and subsequently arrested on allegations of bribery and corruption.

The EFCC asserts that Bobrisky ignored multiple invitations to clarify allegations he made against the commission. A viral voice note allegedly claîms that Bobrisky had bribed EFCC officers with N15 million to drop money laundering charges.

The commission, however, denies these allegations and has assembled a committee to investigate the matter. The EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwajaren, stated that false allegations could lead to further charges.

Bobrisky, who reportedly resisted arrest, sustained !injuries and shąred his distress with followers on social media.

The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed Bobrisky’s transfer to Abuja, where he is expected to provide evidence to substantiate his claims.

A youth group has called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeploy its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, ahead of the Nov. 16 governorship election.

The group, Action for Credible and Transparent Elections, under the umbrella of Ondo Youth League, made the call during a protest at INEC headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja.

Protesters have stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja, demanding the redeployment of Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola as Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner over fears of favoritism in the state’s upcoming election.

The protesters waving banners with various inscriptions that what played out in Edo State will not be repeated in Ondo State. Despite having no issues with Mrs Babalola, the state refuses to take chances.

The gubernatorial election in Ondo State holds on Saturday, November 16th, 2024.

The Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole has claimed that Nigerian workers today are significantly poorer than previous generations.

Oshiomhole stated this during a lecture for members of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 at the National Institute of Security Studies in Abuja on Wednesday.

He noted that the widely discussed N70,000 minimum wage is equivalent to just $42 when converted to dollars, a sharp decline compared to the past.

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He said, “When the minimum wage in Nigeria was established under President Shagari, around 1981, it was about N125, which was equivalent to around $160 a month. Today, despite a 100% increase achieved by labour last year, the current exchange rate reduces this N70,000 to just $42.

“So, if you divide N70,000 by N1,650, it gives you $42. This shows that working people are much, much poorer now than we were many years ago. This income devaluation affects the quality of life and everything else.”

Oshiomhole stressed that the government and wealthier states should pay more than the current minimum wage.

Reflecting on his time as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, he recalled pushing for Lagos State to raise its minimum wage beyond N5,000.

He said, “A serious employer should not be paying the minimum wage; they should pay more. Major employers, like the civil service, should not pay just the minimum wage. I expect the Federal Government will, over time, adjust its minimum wage.

“When I was NLC President, we agreed that oil-producing states, like Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos, which have significant revenue, should pay no less than N7,000—the same as the federal rate.

“Interestingly, when we pursued this, the current President was then Governor of Lagos State. He showed me all the books and said he couldn’t afford it, but I had to push him. We organised strikes to make sure that all necessary funds were used for salaries, even if it meant sacrificing other projects.

“My job then was not to sympathise with the employers; it was to ensure workers got their due.”

Oshiomhole also called for the expansion of minimum wage laws to cover domestic staff and other employees through amendments.

He stated, “If you look at the law in Nigeria, which I hope we can amend soon, although the federal government and states have agreed on a N70,000 minimum wage, some employers still pay less, as the law only applies to enterprises with around 25-50 employees.

“But in today’s economy, a small ICT company with only 10 staff can still generate significant turnover, so the old employee number criteria are outdated.”

The Ecumenical Water Network, Africa (EWNA) has commended the Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA) for prioritizing water availability across the State.

This was stated in the address of the organization’s Regional Coordinator, Vr. Kolade Fadahunsi during a courtesy visit to OYCSDA Chairman, Hon. Abideen Adetokunbo Adeaga on Wednesday.

Kolade said the visit was part of the advocacy programmes embarked upon by the body to call for availability of water in five major African countries, namely, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Kenya, adding that the focus in Nigeria is on the South West of the country.

He mentioned that it is commendable that the ongoing sixty-six projects of OYCSDA across the State that are basically on education, health, sanitation and erosion control, encompasses water provision for every sector of the projects, as directed by the World Bank and Oyo State government, under the Nigerian Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).

He went further to call for collaboration between OYCSDA and Ecumenical Water Network, Africa, as the body celebrated ‘Africa Water Week,’ so as to achieve the set agenda of delivering portable water for a mass of people and stamp out water-borne diseases from the country.

“While extending warm greetings from Ecumenical Water Network, Africa, and commend your efforts in transforming the 33 local government areas of Oyo State, we are delighted to inform you that your initiatives have made a lasting impact on the communities.

“Our organization has been advocating for water availability in five African countries of Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Kenya, while in Nigeria, we focus on South West, we are excited about the yearly Africa Water Week, which is usually in the week of 21-26 October annually.

“This event aligns with our mission with our mission to promote water as a right and combat privatization, we are impressed by OYCSDA’s prioritization of water availability in Oyo State, particularly the 66 ongoing micro-projects across local governments,” he declared.

In his response the Chairman of OYCSDA, Hon. Abideen Adetokunbo Adeaga appreciated the EWNA team and promised to do more to sustain the legacy of sustainable community development of Governor Seyi Makinde in the State.

He told his guests that the State was poised to increase availability, affordability and accessibility of citizens to portable water without leaving out any area in the State.

Meanwhile, the OYCSDA on Tuesday, held a training for its employees to enhance their performance and productivity at work.

The training, which held at the Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday, had its theme as: Improving Productivity In Community Development Work.

The resource person at the training, Mr Siyanbola Adegoke spoke on improving business/workplace etiquette, stakeholders relationship management, effective communication and the need for time management among other core areas of discussion.

He enjoined the members of OYCSDA staff to maintain diligence, hardwork and resilience in the face of constraints at work, so as to deliver more to the communities in Oyo State that are the major stakeholders in their work focus.

The Chairman, Oyo CSDA, Hon. Abideen Adetokunbo Adeaga said the recent approval given for the sixty-six micro-projects called for more productivity and hard work from the members of staff, which necessitated the training event.

The General Manager, OYCSDA, Mr Salau Jelili reiterated the commitment of the Oyo State administration, under Governor Seyi Makinde to do more towards positively impacting the populace.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has suspended former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over alleged anti-party activities.

In a resolution submitted to the APC National Secretariat and addressed to National Chairman Dr. Umar Ganduje, the Osun APC accused Aregbesola, a former governor of the state, of creating divisions within the party by establishing a splinter faction.

This alleged move was seen as undermining the party’s cohesion and unity, especially during a critical period in Osun politics.

The APC in Osun claims that Aregbesola’s actions have fueled internal divisions, with party leaders asserting that his influence on certain groups has caused significant discord. This suspension marks a decisive action by the party’s state chapter to address perceived disloyalty and realign its leadership ahead of future elections. Further responses from Aregbesola’s camp are awaited as the situation unfolds.