The Governor of Ekiti State, Oyebanji Abiodun has met with the youths who are entrepreneurs in technology and innovation industry.
The meeting was part of his programmes geared towards engaging teeming youths on to develop the state using technology and innovations.
The Governor made this known today in a statement made available via his official Twitter handle as read in part:
“I had a great time engaging with the vibrant youth of Ekiti State at the Tech Hangout 2.0, which was organized by my Special Adviser on Governance, Reforms and Innovation, Seun Fakuade at Asha Gardens, Ado Ekiti yesterday.
“The event provided an excellent platform to discuss matters related to technology and innovation and to exchange ideas with the brightest and most enthusiastic minds of our dear State.
“I believe that events of this nature are crucial for driving progress and growth in our society, and I am committed to supporting such initiatives in the future”.
The Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has expressed solidarity with his Adamawa state counterpart, Ahmadu Fintiri,
describing recent development in the state as ” a serious threat to our nascent democracy”
In a statement issued at Osogbo on Tuesday, Governor Adeleke expressed shock at the undemocratic drama and described the attempt to truncate collation of results and announce rightful winner as “a direct assault on electoral democracy” which should never be allowed to stand.
“I stand by democracy, rule of law and due process as stipulated by the constitution and the Electoral Act.
We oppose any shenanigans to tamper with the will of Adamawa people who have the inalienable rights to chose their leader.
“Democracy is premised on people’s choice freely expressed through the ballot.
That process has now being standardized and rig-proved with BVAS machines which further strengthened safety of voters’ choice. We stand by the Constitution and the Electoral Act”, Governor Adeleke affirmed.
He however commended the swift intervention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which nullified the illegal declaration of a winner before the conclusion of collation of votes.
“I hail INEC’s intervention. The Commission did well to have acted to save the day. I however call on the Commission to speed up the process of votes collation. Any further delay may strengthen the hand of those who want to suppress the will of the people.
“INEC should fast track the collation and announce the rightful winner. Only that route can salvage the serious challenges facing our democracy. We must join hands to stop erosion of democratic practices and values “, Governor Adeleke concluded.
Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde has assured the people of Ibarapaland that the Ido-Eruwa Road, linking the area to Ibadan, the state capital will be completed before the end of the year.
Makinde, who spoke at First Baptist Church, Anko, Eruwa, during the Thanksgiving Service in honour of the mother of the Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly, Hon Debo Ogundoyin , Mrs. Justina Ogundoyin, said that the road project would not experience any further delay.
He said: “I want to assure you that this project(Ido-Eruwa road) will also be like that of Ogbomoso-Iseyin Road. “I know some of you have used it in recent time and have seen how beautiful and quality it is. “From Ido, it should not take us more than 25 minutes to get to Eruwa. Under Omituntun 2.0, I want to assure you that people will be living in Eruwa and be working at Secretariat in Ibadan. “Within the next three weeks, work will begin on the road again.
“During the campaign period, I promised that the road will be commissioned before the end of this year and I want to confirm it will be so.” He thanked the people of Ibarapaland for voting massively for his re-election. He also eulogised the late Mrs. Ogundoyin for living an impactful life, adding that it is not how long one lives but how well.
“First, I want to thank God because today is a thanksgiving Sunday. It is generally believed that one needs to spend many years to live an impactful life. No, it is not how long but how well and impactful. “Our mother, Justina Ogundoyin, we can see that she led an impactful life, despite her short period. She raised respectful and godly children. So, we thank God for that, though I know it is tough,” Makinde said. While admonishing The Speaker and his siblings to have faith in God despite the demise of their mother, the governor said:
“Let me finally say to the Honourable Speaker and his siblings that it is time to have absolute faith in God. As a government , it is very easy to derail, especially when you are dealing with power. But I want to urge you to keep praying for us.”
The governor thereafter made a personal donation of N1million to the Church. Speaking on behalf of his siblings, the Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, appreciated Governor Seyi Makinde and the entire people of the state for standing by them throughout the funeral programme of their later mother.
Earlier in his sermon, the presiding Pastor, First Baptist Church Anko, Eruwa, Reverend, Michael Ayoola, who read from Philippines Chapter 4 verse 20, said that only Almighty God is worthy of praise in any situation.
He described late Mrs. Ogundoyin as a highly dedicated personalty who really scarified to serve the lord in his vine yard during her life time.
Among the dignitaries who attended the event were the deputy governor of the state, Barrister Bayo-Lawal, state lawmakers, Commissioners, Political functionaries, and well wishers.
A Federal High Court in Lagos State has convicted and sentenced a 49-year-old businessman, Celestino Kingsley, aka Okafor Kingsley Ikenna, to six years imprisonment for illegally exporting 9.40kg of cocaine.
Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the jail term this month after Kingsley admitted committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the charge.
The convict was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on two counts of conspiracy and the unlawful export of the banned substance in a charge marked FHC/L/196c/2023.
The prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu, told the court that the convict, sometime in March, conspired with one Chibuzor Okoye, who is said to be on the run, to commit the offence.
The prosecutor told the court that the convict was arrested on March 4, 2023, during the outward clearance of passengers of a Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha, at the new terminal 11 of the Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the prosecutor, the offence committed is contrary to and punishable under Sections 14(b) and 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement A. Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charges, and following his guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence him according to the sections of the NDLEA Act he was charged with. But his lawyer pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
The lawyer urged the court to take into account his client’s timely guilty plea as a first-time offender, and that since his client was arrested, he had turned a new leaf, with a promise not to engage in any illegal acts.
He, consequently, pleaded with the court to grant his client an option of a fine instead of a jail term.
In his reply, the prosecutor admitted that the convict was a first offender without any previous conviction record.
Justice Osiagor, in his judgment, sentenced Kingsley to three years each for the two counts, adding that the jail term should run concurrently.
The judge, however, gave the convict an option of N2.5m fine on each of the counts and also ordered that the monetary option should run consecutively.
PDP candidate and serving Federal lawmaker representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon. Abass Adigun popularly called (Agboworin) has been declared winner of the 2023 House of Representatives election of the Ibadan South-East/North-East Federal Constituency. The announcement was made by INEC this evening after the final collation of the supplementary election held in 6 polling-units in Ibadan North-East LG and Ibadan South-East LG.
The Returning Officer, Professor Benjamin Olley announced the result of the election that Hon. Abass Adigun of PDP scored a total of 28, 111 votes to defeat all other candidates who contested the election, Dapo Lam of Apc with 27,338votes as second position, Ajaja Adebukola of Accord with 6223 votes in third position.
Others who participated such as candidates of SDP got 337votes, LP 2749, PRP scored 33, NNPP scored 621.
In the meantime, the APC candidate, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe has been declared as the winner of member House of Representatives, Oluyole Federal Constituency.
The President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been charged by a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Shina Peller, to increase the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Information and Culture in the 2024 Appropriation Act for optimal performance of the nation’s creative industry.
Honourable Peller, who represents Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, made the call while sharing on his social media handles the video of himself moving a motion on the floor of the House on the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s creative industry.
Honourable Peller observed that globally, creative industry has become a driver of employment, economic growth, innovation and social cohesion. He added that Nigeria’s creative industry contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP, offering legitimate employment to people, thereby making it the second largest employer of labour after agriculture.
He said
“As Nigeria transitions into a new government, I urge the incoming administration to increase the budgetary allocation of the Ministry of Information and Culture in the 2024 Appropriation Act for optimal performance in the nation’s creative industry.
“This is an industry that contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP, offering legitimate employment to people, thereby making it the second largest employer of labor after agriculture.
“To move this sector forward we need young and vibrant youths to churn out policy reforms that can drive growth and development and attract investment opportunities.”
The Oke Ogun-born federal lawmaker in the said motion, which has been adopted by the House, observed that Nigeria’s film sector (Nollywood) is one of the most lucrative and active creative industries which contributes about 2% to the country’s GDP generating annual revenue of two hundred and eight (208) billion naira.
He also noted that Nigerian music sector, which produces over 550 albums annually, must be strengthened to aid the country’s economic growth.
In the motion, he had listed the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (Burna Boy), David Adedeji Adeleke (Davido) and others as major actors in the Nigerian music industry who made and are making the country proud globally with their record-breaking feats.
The motion noted:
“At the global level, the late Afrobeat creator, Fela Anikulapo-kuti is perhaps the most iconic musician to have come out of Nigeria until recently when Damini Ebunolowa Ogulu(Burna Boy) a Nigerian singer and song writer won best international Act at the 2019 BET Awards and was also nominated for the best world music Album at 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. He also won Best International act at the 2021 BET Awards.
“Recently, top Nigerian Artist Davido’s album titled ‘Timeless’ has featured over 10 million user-generated playlists on Spotify. Also the album had over 12 million streams in 24 hours, this was the first time an album would achieve such a feat.”
Recall that Honourable Peller, who is the Ayedero of Yorubaland, is a major actor in the creative industry. Aside being the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the famous nightclub, Club Quilox, he is also the founder and owner of Aquila Records, a music record label which had dropped many hits even before he ventured into politics.
Some of the hits include Ayepo by Airboy featuring Burnaboy, Slow whyne by Que Peller, Werey Re Rmx by Base One featuring Phyno and Olamide, Believe by Naomi Peller, Capable by Beezy, Oni Reason by Tillaman featuring Davido just to mention a few.
So, as a major stakeholder in the creative industry, Honourable Peller, who had on March 1, 2023, publicly congratulated Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his election victory as the country’s President-elect, urges him to strengthen the industry by giving it support in the areas of access to finance, skills and capacity development, infrastructure, intellectual property protection, royal control, development of creative clusters, international strategy among others.
Honourable Peller has always been an advocate, supporter and sponsor of youth-driven initiatives. Recall that through his NGO, Lead Generation Initiative (LGI), he has successfully trained more than one thousand, seven hundred (1700) young Nigerians on effective leadership skills, strategic communication, civic responsibility, active citizenship and nation building. In return, the 1700 beneficiaries have trained over one thousand others through the train-the-trainer model.
Isaac Fayose, the brother to former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has given reasons why the All Progressives Congress (APC) is rattled over the loss of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Oduduwa News reports that Isaac, while reacting to a video of how Peter Obi was received by some Nigerians in the diaspora, said the level of reception makes APC assume that the former governor of Anambra State is still campaigning.
He wrote: “This is one of the reasons APC is saying Peter Obi is still campaigning because they don’t get this type of treatment for free. They are wondering what kind of man is Peter Obi, how can a perceived loser be receiving this kind of treatment for free
“This is why they are not comfortable, having sleepless nights, saying Peter Obi is a threat to them and democracy. How can someone going about his normal activities be a thr*at to APC if not that they are not at rest, they have no peace of mind?
“They expected people to feel sorry for him, but instead the people are hailing him as if he is the champion, as if he won the election. They don’t care.”
As relevant stakeholders warm up for this Saturday’s supplementary election in some polling units in two federal constituencies in Oyo state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed optimism that it would emerge victorious urging voters to honour the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by voting its candidates at the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared April 15, 2023 as the date for the conduct of fresh election in two polling units in Oluyole Federal Constituency as well as three each in both Ibadan North East and Ibadan South East local government councils which make up another Federal Constituency following reported infractions which necessitated the inability of INEC to declare winners in the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections.
The leadership of Oyo APC, in a communique issued after an extended Executive Committee members meeting held today at the Oke-Ado State Secretariat of the Party, reiterated support for Hon. Tolulope Akande-Shadipe and Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina who are seeking to represent Oluyole and Ibadan North East/South East federal constituencies for second term respectively “because the two candidates remain the best option as representatives of their people this time.
“The duo shares similar attributes of competence, experience and responsibility unlike the candidates of the PDP and other parties in the contest. It is in this regard that we are urging voters in the affected polling units to go for the best and reject those who would only go to Abuja to warm the bench. We also urge the electorate to mindful of the fact that voting the candidates of the APC would further cement the confidence which Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has developed in them as he prepares to start reciprocating the gesture as soon as he is sworn-in on May 29.
In the Communique, stakeholders also passed a vote of confidence on the Hon. Isaac Omodewu-led State Executive Committee “which delivered the biggest winning votes for the President-elect, delivered the three Senatorial and eight House of Representatives seats in the first election only to lose out to grand conspiracy of many forces in the second poll. Those calling for the dissolution of Oyo APC executive committee are the same set of disgruntled elements who worked against our party on March 18 and their place in the black book of history is already guaranteed.
“We make bold to eulogize all the leaders, stalwarts and loyalists of our Progressive party for the yeoman’s job which they did before, during and after the general election. We single out the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Sen. Teslim Folarin, for his rare demonstration of courage and statemanship as he forged ahead in spite of all odds to make a loud statement as a democrat and dogged fighter.
“Meanwhile, we kick against the surreptitious moves being made by some unscrupulous political jobbers to twist facts and present themselves as the facilitators of the electoral feat recorded for the APC on February 25 with a view to getting juicy appointments and patronage from the President-elect. Also, we would like to use this medium to announce that the doors of our party is open to people from other political parties to come on board while nobody would be discriminate against whether as new or returning member.” The Communique read.
The stakeholders meeting was attended by all state executive committee members as well as chairmen, secretaries, women and youth leaders of the party from across the 33 Local Government Councils in the state.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the call for his arrest and prosecution for admonishing Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over inciting the public to violence is unjustifiable.
The minister stated this on Wednesday in London while reacting to the call by Elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, that he should be arrested and prosecuted for spreading “fake news” about Obi.
Mohammed said he stood by his admonition of Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, insisting that his advice was never premised on falsehood.
“What will be my offence? Is it by chiding vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party who said on live television that if the President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn-in on May 29 that that would be the end of democracy in Nigeria?
“Is it for chiding him for saying that swearing-in Tinubu in May 29 is like swearing-in the military?
“What is the fake news in that?” the minister queried.
Mohammed also said that Obi had also not publicly called his running mate to order over the treasonable utterances.
“The position of the law is clear that anybody who is aggrieved over election results should go to court
“It is not to start threatening Nigerians and heating up the polity simply because you lost an election,” he said.
Mohammed stressed that the APC won the presidential election “fair and square” and INEC was right in declaring Tinubu the winner.
He reassured Nigerians and the international community that the president- elect would be sworn-in on May 29.
The All Progressives Congress Osun State Chapter has asked the Peoples Democratic Party in the State to render unreserved apology to the workers over half salaries paid by Governor Adeleke.
The Party made this disclosure in a statement made available by Acting Chairman, Sokoto Takudeen Lawal to newsmen as read in part:
“Sequel to the falsehood and gibberish being fed the public by the confused leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State on the correct status of the inherited accumulated half salaries so far paid by the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has tasked the ruling party to publicly apologize to the government workers for misinforming the members of the public.
“It would be recalled that the PDP had dubiously and mischievously stated in a statement signed by its state caretaker committee chairman, Dr Akindele Adekunle, yesterday that Governor Adeleke has paid all the inherited 30 months’ half salaries within the time he came into the saddle about four months ago.
“It is not farfetched to observe and conclude that Dr Akindele dubiously made the fallacious statement in order to dupe and insult the collective intelligence of Osun workers and the general public.
“A fact check on the disclosure of the half salaries paid so far by the Adeleke administration shows that only two out of the 30 months’ half salaries have been paid by the ruling PDP administration.
“In the sixth paragraph of the PDP’s statement dated 06/04/2023, the state PDP caretaker chairman had stated that: “Since coming on board, Governor Adeleke has shown serious commitment to the welfare of workers in Osun State and even pensioners. This is evident in the payment of the 30 months’ half salaries and pension owed by the APC administration”.
“In his response, the Acting State Chairman of the Osun State chapter of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, the Osun State capital today, faulted the use of falsehood by the PDP chairman to drive the operations of the party and public conversations in the state.
In Lawal’s words: “While we are not unappreciative of the two months’ half salaries offset by Adeleke, it is pertinent to inform the confused and expired Osun State PDP caretaker chairman that his falsity in this regard is capable of being a recipe for avoidable unrest in the state when he fraudulently stated that the Adeleke administration had paid 30 months’half salaries whereas the reverse is the case.
“It is not unlikely that whoever talks too much will, one day, talks himself into a monumental trouble that may rubbish him in the similar situation that Dr Akindele and his co-travellers are now finding themselves.
“Is Dr Akindele not aware that the gibberish that he put into the public domain is capable of instigating the creditors of some of the government workers who might be thinking that they had truly collected the whole of the 30 months’ half salaries?
“Was it right for the PDP caretaker chairman who hails from Ondo State not to read through whatever is written for him by his media aide who also hails from Ilora in Oyo State before he appends his signature?
“We can see the level of the damage done by an imported caretaker party chairman and his media aide who are bereft of the residual knowledge of the state whose preoccupation is to daily flood the media space with jabberwockies without any regard for its correctness.
“The fact of the issue is that it is not correct that Adeleke had paid the Osun State workers the 30 months’ half salaries but only two and this should form the basis that the garrulous PDP caretaker chairman and Governor Adeleke must tender an unconditional apology to the Osun State workers.
“Let it be on record that as a government, we also paid arrears of half salaries. The only difference is that we never played politics with it as we concentrated on contributory pensioners at the state and local government levels,” Lawal added.
