Baba Khalifa Onikahun has promised the former ‘Iya Osun’ Abebi, now Hajia Hawau 2024 Hajj.
Meanwhile, a Muslim faithful has also promised to gift her a car, house.
Recall, ‘IYA Osun’ had been in the news in the past due to the religious acrimony that ensued in Ilorin in recent times when she announced to embark on her ‘Isese’ day early last month.
Her announcement to embark on ‘Isese’ festival generated a lot of controversies from both Muslims and traditional worshippers in Ilorin.
According to the woman, “I was not forced to convert to Islam. I accepted Allah and Muhammed, His prophets.
“Before, I had never left God, but I did not know Him closely. He showed Himself, and I accepted Him,” the woman said as she recited some verses from the Qur’an, surrounded by her children and some Muslim clerics”.
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, has not yet returned to the country.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State, Prince Richard Olatunde as read in part:
“The Governor is currently still on a medical vacation in Germany.
“We would like to assure the good people of Ondo State and Nigerians in general that the Governor’s return will be widely publicized.
“While we acknowledge that his return is imminent, we urge our citizens to disregard any false information and preemptive mischief orchestrated by jittery politicians.
“For emphasis, Governor Akeredolu has not yet returned to the country”.
The traditional religion practitioner, Madam Efunsetan Abebi Aniwura popularly known as ‘Iya Osun’, has finally embraced Islam in Ilorin, Kwara state.
The former ‘Iya Osun’ finally accepted Islam today as her new religion in Ilorin.
The woman who was birthed into Islam was seen with Islamic leaders who trained her the doctrines of Islam while reciting “Khalimat Shaddah”, the usual recitation for those who convert to Islam.
An Ìṣẹ̀ṣe organisation, Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Welfare Association (IWA), which is popularly known in Nigeria as Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Assembly, has called on Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde who has the the appointing authority on enthronement of traditional rulers in the State, as well as kingmakers in Oyo town to pick among contestants for the Alaafin throne, the most credible candidate that will be ready to indentfy with Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Religion.
In a Press Statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Thursday, the body called for a choice of Alaafin that will not only openly identify with the Yoruba Indigenous religion like the immediate past monarch of the town, Late Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, but also protect the interests of practitioners, among other religions he will be presiding over in the ancient town.
The statement, which was signed by group’s National Coordinator, Barr. Aderemi Ifáòleèpin Aderemi and Secretary-General, Ifagbenuola Popoola, urged Makinde and the Oyo-Mesi to speed up the selection process and fill the vacant throne of Alaafin, as whoever mounts the throne will be globally-revered among other traditional rulers in Nigeria.
“We implore the Ọ̀yọ́-Mèsì, who are the Kingmakers to make sure that whoever that is selected or chosen to be the next Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́ must be Ìṣẹ̀ṣe inclined cum Ìṣẹ̀ṣe lover; and who is ready to openly identify with Ìṣẹ̀ṣe as a Yorùbá Indigenous Religion.
“That the appointing authority who is the Governor of Ọ̀yọ́ State should graciously appoint any eminently qualified candidate that will not only openly identify with Ìṣẹ̀ṣe religion, but, also help to promote the unique traditional practices in Ọ̀yọ́ Aláàfin, always.
“Further, we implore whoever wishes to be next Aláàfin to also have in mind that, the stool is meant for someone who will always respect and cherish Ìṣẹ̀ṣe.”
Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Assembly said the body appreciated Oyo State government and kingmakers in Iseyin, Iseyin Local Government, for arriving at a seamless process in picking a new Aseyin of Iseyin on Monday.
They called on the Aseyin-designate, Prince Sefiu Olawale Oyebola to embrace Yoruba traditional practices in order for him to enjoy the throne, as according to them, only the Yoruba culture, Tradition, and belief system embodies equality and peaceful cohabitation among residents.
The police in Osun state have begun a manhunt for the owners of two Alsatian dogs that allegedly attacked a nursing mother identified simply as Mummy Basira, killed her baby girl, and injured her around the Halleluyah Area of Ido-Osun, Osun State on Wednesday, August 30.
According to reports, Mummy Basira was walking along the street with her baby strapped on her back when the dogs reportedly jumped out from their owner’s building and attacked her. The dogs attacked the nursing mother as she tried to rescue her baby said to be about five months old. Residents of the area who watched helplessly as the vicious dogs carried out the attack, said after killing the baby, the dogs attacked the mother, inflicting bodily injuries on her.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said efforts are being made to arrest the owners of the dogs. She added that the police command will ensure that justice will be done in this case.
Long queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are beginning to resurface at filling stations in Lagos and Ogun states, and in few other locations in South-Western states.
It was gathered that queues were not seen in Abuja and other states in the North, it was learnt that depots in Lagos were gradually running dry of petrol.
Queues were sighted at many stations, particularly those on the Oshodi-Ojodu Berger Expressway and some sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as vehicles that waited to purchase petrol stretched into the expressway, slowing down movement on the service lane.
North-West filling station had the longest queue, as it dispensed petrol at N568/litre. Others such as Eterna – N568/litre; NNPCL – N568/litre; TotalEnergies – N570/litre; and Mobil – N570/litre had shorter queues.
Conoil, Enyo and Oando at Berger in Lagos, had no product to dispense.
While some of TotalEnergies stations were seen dispensing, a branch of the station located on the Berger axis was locked.
A few others such as Worldoil, Fatgbems and Quest in Ogun State shut their outlets.
The Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Satellite Depot, Akin Akinrinade, told newsmen that the depot had not loaded products in the last three weeks.
According to him, even the NNPCL Retail depot is currently operating skeletal dispatching of products.
“From our end, the issue has been with the pipeline vandalism which we raised an alarm over since July. Satellite depot has not loaded any product in the last three weeks, and whenever there is a problem here, it is going to affect Lagos and the whole of South-West.
“Although I don’t know what has been happening in other depots, from what we gathered yesterday, even NNPC Retail has been operating skeletal product dispatching.
Designer of Nigeria’s national flag , Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, has passed on at the age of 87.
Pa Akinkunmi’ s death was announced on Wednesday August 30, 2023 by his son Samuel Akinkunmi via a post on his Facebook page.
Samuel in the post wrote “Life is indeed transient; I can say boldly you lived a life with a landmark. Continue to rest on, my father! Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi (O.F.R) Great Man has gone.”
The late Pa Akinwumi who hails from Owu in Abeokuta, Ogun state was born on May 10, 1936.
He attended Baptist Day Secondary School, Ibadan for his Primary education and Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan for his Secondary education.
He took up an appointment as a Civil Servant at Secretariat Ibadan.
After some years of service, he travelled overseas to study Agricultural Engineering at Norway Technical College.
In 1958, during his stay abroad, late Pa Akinkunmi stumbled on an advertisement in a national daily calling for submission of designs for the Nigerian national flag in view of the imminent Independence from British governance.
He immediately began work on his own entry which was eventually selected as best among the roughly 2000 entries submitted.
The original design of the flag featured a white band flanked by two green ones; a red sun with streaming rays was located on the white band.
The sun was eventually done away with by the overseeing committee to produce the present design.
Akinkunmi’s design was selected because of its ingenuity and profundity (the green bands represent the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country, while the white band represents peace).
The flag was officially hoisted on Independence Day (October 1, 1960) instead of the British Union Jack.
Akinkunmi was awarded 100 pounds by the government when his design was selected.
He has also been honoured with the MON (Member of the Order of the Niger) Award by President Goodluck Jonathan.
To mark his 77th birthday, a Christian organisation called G-Next did a home makeover in his Ibadan residence.
A 29-member Central Working Committee (CWC), headed by the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, saddled with the mandate for the distribution of palliatives in the state has been empanelled by Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The composition of the Committee is aimed at ensuring that the palliatives reached every strata of the society, in line with the promise made to the people of the state by Governor Abiodun.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr Lekan Adeniran, noted that there will be a similar Committee at the local governments to ensure the seamless distribution of the palliatives.
According to the statement, the Committee has the mandate to implement the various palliatives put in place by the state government for the citizens.
Members of the CWC were drawn from the 20 local government areas. They include Alhaja Salmot Badru, a former deputy governor in the state; Senator Shuaib Afolabi; Hon. Dewunmi Onanuga; Chief (Mrs) Yetunde Onanuga; Hon. Latifat Ajayi (Deputy Speaker, OGHA); Hon. Lukman Adeleye, (Minority Leader, OGHA; Alhaja Selimot Ottun; Oyindamola Oyelese Adesina; Hon. Femi Ilori-Oduntan; Ayo Shomide; Hon. (Mrs) Motunrayo Adijat Oladapo-Adeleye; Adewale Adeshina; Angel Adelaja; Ola Oresanya.
Others are Mrs Ogunremi; Mrs Abbas (Iyaloja General); Feyikemi Egbeyemi; Yemisi Dawodu; Mr Aiyelagbe Abduljabar; Damilola Otubanjo; Job Akintan; Kolawole Lawal; Biodun Akovoyan; Ayo Somide; Dr Fred-Omojole Omolayo; Mokesioluwa O. Seun-Adedamola; Hon. Oladele Kayode, Mr Sola Arobieke and representatives of labour unions.
The Committee at the local government level, according to the statement will include the council chairmen; members of the state House of Assembly; Leader of the House; secretary to the local government; former GLOs; two members from the CDAs; representative of the market women association; four nominees from non-governmental organisations and representatives from traditional rulers.
The inaugural meeting of the committee has been slated for Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
A group of senior military officers has gone on national television in Gabon saying they have seized power because elections held over the weekend were not credible.
The officers, appearing on Gabon24 in the early hours of Wednesday morning, said they had cancelled the elections, dissolved all state institutions and closed the country’s borders.
They said they represented all security and defence forces of Gabon.
The announcement came shortly after the state election body said President Ali Bongo Ondimba had won a third term in office in Saturday’s disputed elections.
“In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officers said.
The Gabonese Election Centre said Bongo had secured 64.27 percent of the vote compared with 30.77 percent for his main challenger Albert Ondo Ossa, after a process beset by delays.
Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Kenya, said that “there are lots of uncertainties” surrounding the military action.
“There is a lot of tension as well. They [military leaders] are claiming that the government has not been respecting the will of the Gabonese people for so many years and they say that has to change,” said Soi.
On Saturday, the opposition camp said the election was a “fraud orchestrated by Ali Bongo and his supporters” after the internet was cut and a curfew imposed. French media outlets France 24, RFI and TV5 Monde were also banned, accused of “a lack of objectivity and balance … in connection with the current general elections”, the government said.
President Bongo was the candidate for the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), the party founded by his father, Omar Bongo, who led Gabon from 1967 to 2009. After his death, his son, then the defence minister, took his place as president and has been in power ever since.
“We have no idea where President Bongo is. The military did not say where the president is. Things are moving very fast,” reported Soi.
The ten kingmakers arrived the palace at ten in the morning after security men have cordoned off the place to forestall any break in law and order since early Tuesday morning and voting process started, as planned by the officials of the Iseyin local government and security agents.
Reports emerging from the selection process of the new Aseyin of Iseyin at the king’s palace indicated that Prince Olawale Semiu Oyebola has emerged as the preferred candidate of the kingmakers.
The ten kingmakers arrived the palace at ten in the morning after security men have cordoned off the place to forestall any break in law and order since early Tuesday morning and voting process started, as planned by the officials of the Iseyin local government and security agents.
The outcome of the votes cast showed majority votes in favor of the 53year old.
Prince Oyebola is the 30th Aseyin after the demise of late Dr. Abdganiy Salawudeen Adekunle Oloogunebi Ajinese 1.
