Category: Politics

One of the leaders of Pan-Yoruba Group, Afenifere, Dr. Joe Odumakin has condemned the All Progressives Party Chieftain, Senator Bola Tinubu for his inability to stand up for Ooni of Ife while exchanging greetings at the coronation of Oniru of Iruland.

Odumakin, who is also the spokesman for pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, said this in an interview with The PUNCH made available to OduduwaNews on Wednesday while reacting to a viral picture showing Tinubu sitting down while the Ooni stands to greet him.

He said although monarchs no longer hold political power, it was important for traditional institutions to be respected especially by the Yoruba people.

The activist recalled that in 2016, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is many years older than the monarch, bowed down to greet him.

Odumakin stated, “We are still Yoruba people. With due respect to our royal fathers, we should not say because we are in a modern age, we should not give the proper respect that we give to our oba.

“You saw the time former President Obasanjo prostrated before the Ooni.

“So, it is still our culture and we must sustain our culture and give the respect that is due to our monarchs.”

Six individuals, including a young secondary school leaver have been arrested and taken to court for various offenses ranging from printing and issuing forged Park Management System’s receipts and collection of more than the amount on the receipts issued to motorists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of Oyo State Park Management System, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (Auxillary) while answering questions from reporters at his Podo, Challenge area of Ibadan Southwest in Ibadan.

Alh. Mukaila said that against the notions from some quarters that the disciplinary committee was not doing enough to bring to book, officials of the management found overcharging motorists and riders of commercial motorcycles, the body was in the process of trying six officials found culpable of the offenses.

He mentioned a particular case of a nineteen years old boy that was employed by a park manager to give out tickets but was instead issuing out forged tickets to motorists before he was apprehended.

He however pointed out that the park management system has come to stay, as it has succeeded in stamping out violence in the transport system in Oyo State, adding that even after he must have left the office as the Chairman, disciplinary committee, the system would continue, except if another administration made a change.

“People of Oyo State, especially residents of Ibadan will agree with me that the Park Management System has totally eradicate violence in the State, everybody can do his or her business or travel at all the parks throughout the State without the fear of outburst of violence.

“It is a system that I am sure will last the eight years tenure of Governor Seyi Makinde and will be adopted by any government that will come after, Osun and Ondo State are in the process of adopting the system.

“On the notion that there is revenue loss to illegal collections and sharp practices by officials of the Park Management System, I want to assure the general public that the Disciplinary committee is in control, we have arrested six individuals, including a young secondary school leaver that were caught perpetrating sharp practices and they are presently facing the legal system.

“We are not giving room to any revenue loss to illegal activities of any park manager of those working with them, they know it is a water-tight system that is self-monitored.”

When asked about the relationship between himself and former leaders of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Union (NURTW), Mukaila said he still held them in high esteem as former comrades in the transport system but would rather relate with them if they accept to work with the Park Management System.

He called on members of Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN) and Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) to tow the line of law and pay for the Park Management System tickets as it remained the only source of revenue the State government relied upon for social infrastructures and other public works.

The honourable member representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju State Constituency has berated the decision of Federal Government to increase fuel price and electricity tariff at the same time.

This was contained in a statement signed and released today by his Media Aide.

Dele Adeola likened the decision of Federal Government as an attempt to further subject the masses to economic strangulation especially at a time the general populace have been subjected to untold hardship and severe pains occasioned by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.

In his words, Dele said, the recent decision of Federal Government to hike the fuel price and electricity tarrif is ill-timed and ill- conceived and if care is not taken masses may be finally pushed to the walls.

“At a time most economies globally are embarking on expansionary fiscal policies by providing economic stimulus and palliatives for the people to ameliorate their sufferings, it is very sad and totally uncalled for that what the Federal Government could give to Nigerians as a palliative is unjustifiable increment in both fuel price and electricity tariff at the same time.

” I am very concerned about the adverse economic effects that this recent decision will have on the people I represent as this will further compound more on the hardship currently being faced during this trying time.

“All indices have pointed to the fact that the economy is not fairing well and if we would not deceive ourselves, the best government should do at this trying time is to embark on aggressive fiscal spendings that will boost the purchasing power of the masses not to further depress their purchasing strength.

“There is no gainsaying in the fact that the people at the lesser cities will bear the great economic consequences of this ill-thought policy particularly the farmers whose economic activities have been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic without adequate palliatives from the government.

“It is on this note, I call on the Federal Government to factor in the plights of the commoners into the policy so as not to subject the entire populace to untold hardship”.

What has Ooni done wrongly by greeting Tinubu?
A personal opinion expressed by the Spokesman to Ooni of Ife, Yera Moses Olafare.

Empowered by a right to my opinion on any matter of public interest as constitutionally guaranteed and morally justified, I herein express my take on this viral picture sadly misinterpreted by millions of concerned Nigerians, descendants of Oduduwa in particular, to mean that the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II had during an event left his seat to greet Asiwaju of Lagos, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a manner which they have found unacceptable.

Even though It is not in the style of of the Palace of The Ooni of Ife(Ile Oodua) or that of Baba Ooni himself to formally respond to or make official statements on issues like this, but the inundation of public reactions has necessitated a non-official personal presentation of the true account from me. This I have to do not in my official capacity but as a stakeholder/public affairs analyst only with a view to assuaging the sad feelings of the millions of Nigerians who have expressed dissatisfactions based on the inexplicit picture.

While I am in appreciation of your genuine outbursts(out of love) following your quick interpretation of the inexplicit picture, the video by Face TV Africa herein attached has thus revealed that Kabiyesi never left his seat to go and greet Asiwaju Tinubu or anybody as ostensibly judged.

Baba Ooni on Sunday arrived venue of the coronation ceremony of the new Oniru of Iru in Lagos state, HRM, Oba Gbolahan Lawal while Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr Femi Hamzat was making his speech on behalf of the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu. the Deputy Governor as a mark of honor paused to allow the Arole Oduduwa ushered to the hightable where his seat had been reserved.

Right there on the hightable, some dignitaries including the business mogul, Alhaji Razak Okoya had already stood to welcome Baba Ooni along the way, and in his characteristic humility, he started greeting everyone on the hightable while he walked quickly to take his reserved seat which was two seats after Tinubu’s. Should he have ignored Tinubu?

Let me emphasize against the wrong notion that Kabiyesi left his seat to stand greeting Asiwaju Tinubu who had remained seated. He came in, greeted people along the way to his seat in his characteristic humility and people seated on the high table including Asiwaju also acknowledged and greeted Kabiyesi different ways they chose to do it.

Reciprocated or not, humility is key in the strength of the Ooni Ogunwusi’s leadership style which he has vowed to exhibit for as long as he exists on this earth. He came ftom a humble background having been born of and raised by humble parents, he ascended the sacred throne of Oduduwa humbly and he will forever manage the throne very humbly.

This is not a press release from the Palace of The Ooni of Ife(Ile Oodua) but my personal intervention as a stakeholding descendant of Oduduwa, progenitor of our race.

Thank you and God bless as I apologize to those of you who may be offended by this piece.

What has Ooni done wrongly by greeting Tinubu?

Moses Olafare, a Spokesman to Ooni of Ife.

Stop playing game that will ruin Oyo state future, a group in Oyo State, MATOP tackles Seyi Mankide on the proposed N100bn bond.

A Sociocultural Group in Oyo State, MATOP has raised a fresh alarm over rising debt profile in Oyo state. The group in a statement signed and made available to Oduduwa News today by its leader, Temitope Aladegbowo said it is very concerned about the increasing rate of debt profile in Oyo State owing to the proposed N100bn bond.

The group in its statement read apart:

“Without fear or favour, we are using this medium to enjoin Oyo citizens to caution the present administration led by Governor Seyi Makinde to stop endagering the future of generation yet unborn in Oyo State with what we termed as excessive debt burden.

It has been revealed from our findings that most of the projects tied to the said N100bn bond are not productive and if care is not taken Governor seyi makinde may compound more on the financial problem rocking the State currently as a result of his inability to pay back”.

The group further averred that most of Governor Seyi makinde’s billions of naira massive projects in less than 2years in office are deceptive and fall below the rating of executive governor of Oyo State.

“In the business world, a project is viable when economic benefit outweighs its cost. “In future, the people of Oyo state will all bear the burden of the financial recklessness.

“Any intelligent man will wonder how a governor who criticized his predecessor on excessive loan burden could be acting against what he preached while seeking for governorship position.

“We don’t want to believe the insinuation from some quarters that the said asset declaration to the tune of N48bn was a ruse.

“We also condemn giving out contracts to non indigene as against the promise of the governor during electioneering time. This has negated his campaign promises of localizing the economy by patronizing indigenous contractors which will keep the local economy afloat”.

“It is on this note we are calling on Oyo State citizens to prevail on Governor Seyi Makinde to stop the process of obtaining the said N100bn prosperity bond”, said the Group.

The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin may dump the ADC for another political party.

This decision may be in yielding to a request by the dissolved executive committee led by Mr Ezekiel Adeniran asking Lanlehin to immediately begin the process of forging a partnership with any other political party.

It is rumoured that the Ibadan-born politician may join the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

In a statement signed by Adeniran and four executive council members, the dissolved council particularly accused the national executive committee of the party for collaborating with persons at helms of the state affairs to arbitrarily dissolve the Oyo state executive committee.

Part of the statement read, “As a party of principled men and women, committed to the welfare and socio-economic empowerment of our people, we feel it can only be right, to appeal to Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (SOLAN), our governorship candidate in the last polls, to forthwith, without much ado, begin the processes of forging partnership and negotiations with any other political party, other than this present “cash and carry”, “bread and butter” platform, whose love for filthy lucre, has blinded some of its top shots to abandon principles, and chase shadows.”
The dissolution of the Adeniran-led executive committee had been sanctioned by the National Executive Committee of the party with another caretaker committee led by Mr Adeoti Aderoju emerging at a mini-congress of the party held on Sunday.