Oduduwa News

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has disclosed plans by his administration to introduce a price control mechanism in the state.

Governor Abiodun also disclosed that henceforth, all forms of market levies have been suspended, noting that only development and environmental levies will be allowed, as they are meant for the development of markets in the state.

The Governor made this known during a meeting with market leaders led by the Iyaloja General, Chief (Mrs.) Yemisi Abass, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Prince Abiodun said as part of measures to control the uptick in the prices of food items, the state government will soon commence the operation of its Bulk Purchasing Company, which has now been rebranded as Gateway Trading Company, with the aim of ensuring that the cost of food items is much more affordable for the people.

Governor Abiodun also noted that the Gateway Trading Company would, in the first instance, begin operations in the four zones of the state.

“We’ve also resolved that we will begin the implementation of Bulk Purchase and Selling in the state. To that extent, the state government has rebranded our Bulk Purchase Company. It is now called Gateway Trading Board.

“Gateway Trading will now assist in bringing food items to our teeming public at prices that will be significantly below what they can obtain when they go to the market themselves.

“So, we are going to aggressively implement our Gateway Trading objectives. They will first start in the four zones; they will buy in bulk and resell at prices that will be more affordable to our people,” he said.

Governor Abiodun also announced the ban on all forms of levies in the markets in the state.

He added that a market enforcement task force with a central body in the state will be mirrored in all twenty local government areas, adding that all forms of coercion and intimidation by people who add no value to markets across the state will be stamped out.

Governor Abiodun further noted that anyone caught collecting illegal fees in markets across the state will face the full wrath of the law, adding that he will also ensure that all exorbitant and unbearable shop and stall rents imposed on market men and women are stopped.

He said: “A few things have been identified by way of illegal taxes that are being imposed right there in the market; loading taxes, discharge taxes, offloading taxes, and illegal levies in the name of different people. From now on, we are putting a ban on such illegal levies in any market in Ogun State.

“The only levies that will be allowed are what they call the Development Levy and the Environmental Levy. Those are levies that are associated with the upkeep of the market, and even those will have to be agreed upon and made public.

“We also identified that there are people who add no value to food items coming from the farm to markets. They either, by coercion or intimidation, accost farmers and force them to sell at inflated prices.

“We have resolved here that we are going to have a market enforcement task force; there will be a central body here in the state.

“That central body will be mirrored in each local government. Their job will be to ensure that all illegal levies, coercion, and intimidation by different people do not occur again.

“This is not the time for anyone to take advantage of another person. We are going through a transition period; we should be our brother’s keeper, considerate, and humane.

“The Iyaloja gave us the example where a basket of tomatoes is selling for N3,500, while some transporters want to charge N7,000 for transportation. The transportation cost is even much more than the cost of the tomatoes themselves.

“This will no longer happen in Ogun State. We are resolved to ensure that we stamp this out of Ogun State because we want to make this period as painless as possible.

“We also talked about the illegal levies and roadblocks that market men and women are subjected to paying at different points, like tollgates. I have said that I was going to look into this, and that is why we have our law enforcement agencies here to ensure that all those illegal roadblocks and tollgates are removed.

“Any person found collecting money illegally by way of tolls will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law; we are not going to tolerate any of these illegalities.

“It was brought to my attention that in some local government areas of the state, developers are brought in to develop their shops and stalls, and when they do so, because they are developers and entrepreneurs whose objective is to make money, they impose unbearable rents on our market men and women. I promised to look into it and ensure that it stops forthwith,” he said.

Governor Abiodun noted that his administration would be providing support in the form of grants, loans, and farm implements to different farmers’ associations in the state.

“We will also assist our market men and women by way of very low-interest loans, which we are already working on.

“We have an Ogun Empowerment Scheme that is being finalized by the Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Women Affairs, which is geared towards providing single-digit loans or grants, as the case may be, particularly for our informal sector, the market women,” he said.

The Governor said that the Ministry of Environment, Ogun State Waste Management Agency, and the Ministry of Women Affairs will work together to ensure the effective management of waste in markets across the state, charging the agencies to ensure that dumpsters are readily available at the markets and picked up regularly.

In her remarks, the President of Market Women and Men in the State and Iyaloja of Yewaland, Chief Yemisi Abass, commended Governor Abiodun for deeming it fit to call market leaders together to deliberate on how to make life more bearable for the people of the state.

She disclosed that they are happy with all the resolutions reached at the meeting.

…..As Elebuibon Advocates Projection of Good Values For Future Generations

Stakeholders in the preservation of Yoruba culture tradition and religion have emphasized the importance of accurate cultural and religious representation in the media and encouraged filmmakers to protect the integrity of indigenous heritage in the their works.

This was made known at a one-day interactive session with critical stakeholders in the movie industry, organised by the Isese Welfare Association, popularly called ‘Isese Assembly’ which held at Onasode Hall, International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan on Thursday.

Whole speaking at the event, the Araba Awo of Osogbo, High Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon said the collaboration was aimed at countering misrepresentation and denigration of the traditional belief system.

According to him, “this symposium is part of a strategic effort to preserve and promote traditional culture, spirituality, Heritage, and religion through cinema and theatrical arts.

“We brought together key players from the film industry such as, actors, directors, scriptwriters, and content creators in other to address the contemporary challenges facing the traditional belief system, known as Isese.”

Elebuibon stressed that the initiative reflected a broader effort to ensure traditional culture and religion are preserved amidst modern media influence.

He added that, the synergy between Isese Assembly and the film industry is a vital step in ensuring that Isese religious practices are preserved for future generations, using the powerful medium of film to educate and inspire both local and international audiences.

In his opening remarks, the founder and National Coordinator of Isese Welfare Association, Barrister Aderemi Ifaolepin Aderemi stated that the goal of the interactive session was to establish a sustainable platform between filmmakers and Isese Assembly to preserve and promote cultural traditions and the indigenous region.

He said the initiative reflected a broader concern about the global portrayal of indigenous Yorùbá religion and the erosion of traditional values through misrepresentation in mainstream media.

Ifaolepin stressed that the misconceptions about Isese have been so much and the role filmmakers are playing in this has been affecting the Isese adherents, as many people wrongly believe whatever they see in the movies as the truth, which is relegating what he called the most cherished African indigenous religion.

“IWA is particularly concerned with the portrayal of cultural traditions and Ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion in films and media, as misrepresentations can lead to the distortion of cultural and religious practices.

“They are not seeing it from the aspect of religion, they see is as culture, Isese is a religion of Yoruba people and it is now been practiced all over the world.

“We believe that by working closely with filmmakers, they can ensure that Yoruba culture is not only protected but also revitalized, with its rich heritage, spirituality, and religion showcased authentically and with respect,” he added.

Oluwo Ifaolepin maintained that the partnership could lead to innovative storytelling, that would highlight the depth and beauty of Yoruba religion and traditions, while also countering stereotypes and misinformation.

He said this will ensure that Yoruba customs, including divination practices, spirituality, and religious beliefs are accurately represented on screen.

The National President of Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners, Dr Rasaq Oyadira said, to settle all issues raised at the interactive session, practitioners would need to hold further sessions among themselves to fashion out ways to monitor adherence to the preservation of Yoruba religion.

He maintained that his organization would educate its members and make adequate research, especially by script writers in the film industry.

“Script writers are people who can really delve into the integrity of whatever they are writing about to get the fact out before they put their presentation on it.

“India was equally colonized like Nigeria but they have not dropped their language and religion and they are progressing than many of us that have drop many things that we have, if you subjugate that thing that belong to you, that is integral to your existence, other people will benefit from it, the attempt of the West in the first instance is to ensure that they nullify all thing that intrigue African values, which is your culture, your culture is your life, it is your identity.”

He appreciated the approach adopted by Isese Assembly, which he considered very peaceful and proactive means of settling the issues of religious misunderstanding and misrepresentation.

The National Liaison Officer, National Films and Sensors Boards, South West Zone, Mr Paul Ailewon opined that, the practitioners needed to still gather and do a self-regulation and be responsible for whatever they put out.

He said they needed to do holistic evaluation and galvanise the system, so as to make people know their impact by doing a lot of ground work before their films are released to the public.

Ailewon said the forum was a welcome development and the robust interaction should facilitate a good result that would be reflected in subsequent movies and skits.

Two students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, were killed in a fatal road accident along the Akure-Ondo Expressway on Wednesday evening.

It was gathered that the victims, Chukwu Athanasius and Oladokun Oyindamola, who were said to be on a motorcycle, were reportedly crushed by a speeding vehicle leading to their deaths on the spot.

The incident was confirmed in a statement by the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council Ondo State Chapter on Thursday. The statement read, “This loss is a heavy blow to the Ondo State student community.

“The tragic deaths of Chukwu Athanasius and Oladokun Oyindamola remind us of the fragility of life. These were young individuals with promising futures, and their loss is deeply felt.”

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Aromolaran has joined his ancestors.

The shocking news of the demise of the highly revered king in Osun state and by extension, Nigeria, His Royal Highness,Oba Adekunle Aromolaran has set the Ijesha land in a confusion.

Details later.

A 30-year-old motorcyclist, Michael Olorunfemi, has been arrested for allegedly raping his wife’s 17-year-old sister inside the bush, in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The suspect, a father of four, was said to have raped the victim sometime in August 2024, at 10 p.m., in the Onigaari area of Irese Road, Akure

A source said that the suspect confesses that “The victim approached me to take her to her boyfriend’s house, and on our way, I stopped near a bush and raped her.

“I promised to give her money, which I did not. She then reported me to her mother, which led to my arrest.”