Category: Politics

Dele Bajaj Foundation, through her Founder Hon. Usman Bamidele has condemned in stern term the attack that happened on the dark hours of 6th of May, 2021 to the people of Igangan axis of Ibarapa community.

In his words, he said : ‘We received with rude shock, the destructive attack on our people in Igangan Ibarapa North Local Government by marauders who came in the deadly hours of the night to take the life of innocent peace loving people and get their properties burnt into ashes. This incidence is devilish and is uncalled for. We sympathize with our people who lost, friends and relatives together with properties tó this unwanted incidence. We can only pray God wipe their tears and strengthen them in this hard time”

He went further to charge the Oyo state Government to see what happened as reason to do more in her efforts towards fighting the insecurities ravaging the land of Ibarapa, he also call on all the security apparatus of the state to be more proactive in their duties in ensuring the security of life and properties is ensured.

In his words, he said :
“While we know that the current government has put some measures in place to ensure the safety of the people of the state, we charge them to do more because this sad incidence has exposed the weakness of the state as well as the security apparatus of the state.. We charge the state government to kindly tighten her belt on the race to battling the insecurity issues ravaging the axis of Ibarapa. We also charge the Police, DSS, Amotekun Operative and other security apparatus within the state to be more proactive in their respective approaches to ensuring this land is secured”

He rounded off his speech with prayer and condolences message to the Baale of Igangan Land whose palace was burnt into ashes. He prayed the land never witness such sardonic situation again.

In 2017, Farhad Manjoo, New York Times Tech Columnist warned that Tech companies are becoming more powerful than Government and might spell doom if nothing is done to curtail their activities.

The Nigerian Government just banned the operation of Twitter indefinitely and compatriots are complaining bitterly. Those complaining don’t want their freedom of speech trampled upon, I share their position and acknowledged that the Nigerian Government took an extreme position on Twitter no doubt but these Nigerians should also remember that there can only be a citizenship rights if there’s a country . Looking at the activities of these Tech Giants around the world, various governments will have no choice than to take unpopular position on their activities regardless of their benefits especially in Nigeria where Twitter was openly soliciting for funds for the Anti-Government movement called #EndSars , where the President’s Obituary was published and nothing was done, where millions upon millions suffers abuses and bully on daily basis and Twitter only cares about their profit. I was in the Manchester Court room when a man was sentenced for insulting Rooney’s Wife on Twitter and there was no mention of failed state in England but reverse is the case here, anything goes in our media space. We have forgotten that every right comes with an obligation.

I appreciate the fact that this Government failed on almost all the promises that brought them to power, the reasons for the failure is a topic for another day. But should we loose a country because a government failed ? Buhari will leave in 2023 but the damages we’re doing to our country will hunt us in decades to come. Is it not possible to see this country beyond Buhari and rally round our God’s given land or have gotten any other place we want to pass to our children unborn.

We all know that the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) is a proscribed organization in Nigeria and classified as a terrorist organization by Nigerian laws and even in some South-Eastern States of Nigeria as at the last time I checked. The fairness and legality of this proscription is left to the legal practitioners to argue in courts or the lawmakers from Biafra Region to lobby on the floor of the Parliament. What we have seen is that the Leader of a Proscribed IPOB has chosen Twitter as his mouthpiece which has brought about arson, carnage and killings on the streets of the supposedly Biafraland and Twitter doesn’t see anything wrong in it. It’s like an organization providing a platform for Al-Qaeda or ISIS to disseminate messages to their sympathisers in America….Who does that ? Yet, my people love and hail Twitter because a government failed us.
Few months ago, Twitter announced the opening of their office in Ghana citing Freedom of Speech for their reasons for shunning Nigeria and my people fell for it. All around the world, multinationals especially Tech Giants look for Tax Haven to do their businesses; my people forgot to investigate if freedom of speech is actually the reason Twitter went to Ghana as they told us ? The simple reason is the repatriation of profit and taxes which Nigerian Government is now taking serious. MTN the South African telecommunication giant had same issue, ShopRite, the South African stores is another multinational that tried to mess with our tax laws, thank God Egbon Tayo Amusan came to our rescue and I’m happy those cash they have collected from Nigerians over the years will remain in Nigeria.

Apple Inc. the makers of world most expensive gadgets moved their Head Office to Ireland in an attempt to avoid the American tax or are we saying there’s no freedom of speech in America ? Same Apple moved their factory to China because of cheap labour, should we then say American doesn’t not have the right infrastructure like Nigeria. Have you forgotten the legal war between the FBI and Apple in respect of privacy right over American security ? How about the court drama between EU/Ireland & Apple Inc. over unpaid €14 Billion taxes.
All notable and luxury clothing lines in the Western world moved their production outfits to Asian countries because of labour laws of the West or should we assumed they went there because of NEPA and Bad leadership in their home countries ? Nigerians should wake up please, we are the second largest English speakers in the world after United States of America; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc cannot afford to loose the Nigerian Market, they need us more than we need them but will develop a funny narrative to appease the their Nigerian followers as their reasons. That is the style of multinationals especially the Tech Giants

Egypt is the largest Twitter user in Africa, did Twitter establish in Egypt ? They will not because the Egyptian tax laws doesn’t permit their “Wayo Activities” By the way how many Ghanains will Twitter employ in their new Ghana office(I’m very sure, it’s less than 200) compare to the 5000 jobs Microsoft is creating with it’s partnership with Nigerian Government but Nigerians prefer to mourn the loss of 200 jobs over 5000 created here. I have the privilege to have worked in the Nigerian Embassy in London where I met several business delegation wanting to come to Nigeria and I know how robust some of our investment laws are. I acknowledge the fact that there are several rooms for improvement in these laws but we’re not doing badly as we’re being made to believe. The chat below shows you that your preferred Ghana is not as popular as Nigeria in the Foreign Direct Investment Market so guys learn to support your country against this tax evaders.
The simple truth is that Twitter wants to evade tax by being in Ghana and enjoy the biggest Market in Africa, Nigeria through ECOWAS Treaties and AFCTA Agreement and let’s be guided more multinationals will still do the same thing in future. Do you know much Twitter is making in Nigeria ? Are you aware Twitter is having similar problem in India ? Do you know Twitter and other social media company doesn’t pay any tax in Nigeria ? Do you know they will prefer to to Ghana because the Nigerian Government just came up a tax reform that compelled them to pay our taxes they’ve been pocketing. Check the new Financial Act 2020 for details.

Finally, I want to submit that the Nigerian Government took this extreme decision at a wrong time and for wrong immediate reasons but we should not forget the remote reasons and the underlying factors. Twitter is just out to make profit and not to protect anybody right as portrayed in Nigeria; Twitter should realize that having a dominant share of 200million people Market comes with a lot of caution and decorum. The Nigerian Government should also have a legal framework to register and regulate these Tech Giants and institute a deterrent punitive measures like fines and the likes instead of outright ban.
Thank you for reading.

Babatunde Ajose DCOB is a Sustainable Development Strategist from Badagry with specialisation in Tourism, Foreign Investment, Microfinance. He is a Fellow of several professional bodies in the UK.

There is protest currently going by Yoruba Nation agitators in Ado-Ekiti.

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Friday laid the foundation of a new Governor’s Lodge at the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure.

He said his administration is embarking on the construction of a new Governor’s Lodge because the state does not have one, adding that shelter cannot be abrogated in human’s scale of preference.

Governor Akeredolu disclosed that the Governor’s Lodge built by the immediate past administration has several defects which pose a huge threat to human living, noting that the poorly constructed building appears to be weak and may collapse anytime.

He said: “Our first reaction to the ugly development was to involve the best of cost-effective steps to put to good use the facilities. In pursuant of this, qualified and experienced building experts were invited to work with our in-house professionals to carry out due diligence and survey on the structures.

“The objective of our action was to have a concise report on the adequacy of spaces, snags, building health and cost of remedial works. The report, thereafter, submitted by the experts revealed a humongous cost of putting the old lodge in a befitting status and yet it will not adequately compensate for the value of money to be spent.

“In our quest to continuously strive to fulfil our sacred vows to our people and leave a good legacy, a committee was set up to work on the experts recommendation and come up with a design for the construction of a new a Governor’s Lodge for Ondo State Government. The committee has turned in its recommendation on the construction of a new Governor’s Lodge of which we are here today to formally commence

Arakunrin Akeredolu added that the new aesthetic Governor’s Lodge was conceived with the best expectations of any Governor’s Lodge in Nigeria.

“The structure sits on approximately 2,000 square meters of land and measures about 18 meters from the ground floor to the tip of the iconic roof.

“The facilities will house a Banquet Hall to sit about 250 guests, Basement Parking, Indoor and Outdoor Kitchen, Swimming Pool, Sitting Lounge, Atrium Sitting Room, Bedrooms and other functional spaces.

“Information Communication Technology (ICT) software and gadgets will be applied in the finishing of this edifice while the entire environment will be adorned with both soft and hard landscape,” Governor Akeredolu said.

The Governor stated that his administration has been able to make bold footprints in the building infrastructure sector.

“We have conceived, delivered and are still working on some of the following construction projects: construction of Ultra-modern Internal Revenue Service Headquarters,
construction of Modern Guest Chalets in the Government House
Grounds.

“Construction of UNIMED Teaching Hospital facilities in Akure and Ondo Complexes, renovation of TESCOM Headquarters, renovation of the Library Board Complex, restructuring of VIP chalets, renovation of many public buildings across the State.

“Face-lift of the State House of Assembly Complex, modern office block for ODBPP and Multi-Lateral Relations Agency, completion of the Accountant-General Headquarters Complex, the construction of a modern office for the Ondo State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme is in the pipeline.

“Restructuring of the Governor’s Office area within the Complex to make for a befitting office for the Governor and his immediate aides.

“We shall continue to focus on our core mandate and promises for the good people of Ondo State, hoping for grace and capacity to do more,” the Governor concluded.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola has launched Osun Youth Policy Document.

The document which was aimed at addressing youthful Inclusion in governance as well as other youthful developmental agenda was finally launched today in Osogbo.

Details.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has promised to transmit a petition from a coalition of civil society groups which recently organised a National Day of Mourning to the Federal Government and the National Assembly.

At a sitting on Tuesday, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, directed that the petition be transmitted to the Federal Government and the National Assembly.

“The House as the mouthpiece of the people in Lagos State should carry the matter to the President and we should take the issues up on our own through town hall meetings.

“We will help them to forward their petition to the President and the National Assembly,” the Speaker said while commending the groups for the peaceful way they conducted themselves during the protest that took place on Friday, March 28.

Obasa, who noted that the House had earlier joined its voice to the growing call on the government at the centre to urgently find solutions to the rising tension across the country, urged the groups to continue to pay attention to the progress in Lagos State.

Earlier, a member of the House, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, told his colleagues about the protest.

“On Friday, while we were holding a public hearing, we were pulled to some protesters who had declared a day of national mourning,” he said.

According to him, the rights activist, who were visibly not happy over the state of the nation, presented their grievances through a petition.

He said the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, tried to douse their anger and addressed them by telling them that the House shares their concerns.

Among the coalition’s requests were that the government at the centre should double its efforts to bring peace to the country and that the House of Assembly should help them call the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the recent tension in the country.

The governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu SANS has debunked statement credited to him that he called for the scrapping of the Nigerian Senate.

This was contained in a statement signed and released to newsmen by State Commissioner of Information, Donald Ologo as read in part:

“Re- Akeredolu Advocates Scrapping Of Senate:
Call For Part-time, Unicameral Parliament Not Same As Scrapping Senate.

It is pertinent to correct the interpretative error as regards the position of Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN in respect of the ongoing Constitution Review exercise undertaken by the National Assembly.

Of truth, Governor Akeredolu, who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa at the session which held at the Dome in Akure today, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 canvassed strongly, for cut in the cost of governance. He had, like many other well-meaning Nigerians, consequently identified Nigeria’s Bicameral Legislature and its full-time status as plausibly reducible weights to cut cost.

Succinctly, Governor Akeredolu’s view, which is the official position of the Ondo State Government is that, adoption of the Unicameral Legislature, and making it part-time would not only cut cost of governance but has the potentials of enhanced performance and altruistic services to Nigerians.

Therefore, ascribing or misinterpreting this proposal to isolatedly, depict a call for the scraping of the Nigerian Senate is erroneous. The call for a part-time Unicameral Federal Parliament remains and shall be pursued with all vigour.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs in Ekiti, Maryam Ogunlade, has said that “it is a gross violation of the rights of children to make them run errands or hawk during school hours.”

She added that engaging in any of these is “contrary to the laws of the land.”

Ogunlade made the declaration on Children’s Day, May 27, 2021 while reiterating State Governor Kayode Fayemi’s commitment to the protection of the rights of children and their right to an education.

According to the commissioner, “Governor Fayemi not only commenced his second tenure in office with an Executive Order that made education free and compulsory up to senior secondary school level, but has also continued to display serious commitment to the provision of conducive teaching and learning environment in all schools in the state.

“The enforcement of the state’s Child Rights Law being championed by the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, is in cognisance of the fact that children as the future of the nation should be given a solid foundation.”

The Honourable member representing Iseyin/ Itesiwaju State Constituency, Hon. Dele Adeola has felicitated Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde as he marks two years in Office.

Adeola in a statement personally signed by him and sent to Oduduwa News today said, Oyo State has worn a new garment since inception of the administration of Governor Oluseyi Makinde.

He attributed his achievements within two years in office to his resilience, doggedness and the vision to reposition Oyo State from the stage of underdevelopment to the league of developed States.

He said, within two years in office, Governor Makinde has ensured the completion of Moniya/Iseyin road, built TESCOM office, sited LAUTECH satellite campus in Iseyin and has given approval for the commencement of Iseyin/Ogbomosho road as well as Oyo Iseyin road project.

“We cannot but appreciate his development strides in Itesiwaju Local Government where His Excellency has embarked on construction of maternity centres, OYSROMA house as well as other developmental projects.

“These among other monumental achievements were achieved with synergy with Oyo State House of Assembly.

“The mutual relationship with legislative house and executive has brought about the development we have been yearning for since the inception of Makinde-led administration.

“On behalf of Iseyin/Itesiwaju State Constituency, I commend our visionary governor whose mission is to completely move Oyo State to the promised Land.

“We are solidly behind you and we implore Governor Makinde to come out for second term as we vow to come out enmass to ensure his victory”.

Once again, congratulations!