Oduduwa News

One Lateef Popoola has told the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, is plotting to deny a former governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, his (Ladoja’s) status as Otun Olubadan.

In an affidavit he deposed to before the court, Popoola, who lives in Bodija, Ibadan, claimed that the alleged plot by the Olubadan to strip Ladoja of his title started after Ladoja rejected Governor Seyi Makinde’s offer to elevate Ibadan High Chiefs to crown-wearing Obas.

ODUDUWA NEWS reports that Ladoja, an Ibadan High Chief, was supposed to be elevated to the status of a crown-wearing Oba, alongside 10 other Ibadan High Chiefs by the governor on July 7, but Ladoja shunned the coronation ceremony.

The ex-governor had earlier stated publicly that he was not interested in the elevation of Ibadan High Chiefs by Makinde, saying his ambition had always been to become the Olubadan of Ibadan.

Following the elevation of the High Chiefs, Ladoja headed for court, seeking a declaration that the elevation of Ibadan High Chiefs to Oba was an illegality and an attempt to balkanise the Olubadan in Council.

In the suit filed before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, Ladoja joined the Olubadan as the first defendant. The 10 newly-elevated High Chiefs were joined as 2nd to 11th defendants. Oyo State Governor, Makinde, was listed as the 12th defendant, while the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice was listed as the 13th defendant.

Popoola is one of the witnesses to testify in support of Ladoja’s suit.

In his affidavit filed before the court, Popoola stated, “Traditionally, Ibadan is known to have only a king, which is the Olubadan of Ibadan land (the first defendant), and all the other chiefs are cabinet members of the Olubadan of Ibadan land. It is only the Olubadan of Ibadan land that is to wear a crown, while the chiefs are identified with their beads.

Justice Christiana Obadina of an Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire on Monday, July 17, sentenced a clergyman with the Cherubim and Cherabum Church, Solution Chapel, Ikoyi-Ile. Phillips Segun, to death by hanging for conniving with one Owolabi Adeeko, 23, to kill a final year student of Lagos State University, Favour Daley-Oladele,who was Adeeko’s girlfriend.

The court while delivering judgement sentenced Adeeko, 23, to death by hanging for the brutal murder of the final year Sociology student after luring her to Ikire from Lagos while his mother, Bola, 46, was convicted for eating human flesh.

During the trial, the prosecution team from the Ministry of Justice led by Mrs Adekemi Bello, called nine witnesses, including the police investigating officer and tendered several exhibits before the court, while the convicts testified in their respective defence without calling any other witness. The prosecutors told the court that Owolabi and Favour had been dating for about a month before he lured her to Ikire under the pretense that she should come visit his uncle while Owolabi, his mother and Prophet Segun had concluded plans to kill her and use her body parts for money ritual.

The prosecution team said unknown to Favour that her boyfriend had planned to kill her, she agreed to follow him to visit his Uncle. However when they got to Ikire, Favour was killed in the church after Owolabi smashed her on the head with a pestle and her organs used for ritual before her remain was buried in a shallow grave outside the church on December 8, 2019.

The prosecution team told the court that few weeks later, the body was exhumed by the police after arresting the suspects who confessed to the murder and they were first arraigned before the court in November 15, 2021 on two counts bordering on conspiracy and murder contrary to sections 324 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Laws of Osun State, 2002.

In her judgement, Justice Obadina said that prosecuting counsel has proven her case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ogun State Government has reiterated it’s determination towards ensuring conducive and safe learning environment for students across the state, as it constituted a committee to conduct integrity test on various school infrastructure.

Speaking during the inspection of a collapsed building at Agbado District Comprehensive High School, Ifo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, who led the team from the Education and Housing Ministries said the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun had earlier directed that a formidable committee be put in place to cater for school maintenance and rehabilitation.

Prof. Arigbabu said the committee would quickly move round the schools across the state to carefully evaluate the viability of existing structure to ascertain the possibility of usage alongside the newly rehabilitated and constructed ones.

He noted that the construction of the collapsed eight-classroom building started since 2007 and has not been put into use because the present administration in the state could not guarantee it’s desirability for usage.

Arigbabu, therefore, gave assurance that the present administration in the state would not entrust its projects into the hands of any contractors without requisite capacity to meet up the with the standard required by the government.

He said, ”The incident happened on Saturday and there was no casualty of any sort, there would be quick intervention soon to replace the collapsed structure.

“We are setting up a technical committee to quickly ascertain the viability of similar structure in our schools which we inherited and still meticulously working to confirm their desirability for usage because we are so conscious about the safety of our children and would stop at nothing to protect them and make them comfortable in the course of learning.

“I appreciate the school management and the entire staff for being diligent, hardworking and supportive”.

At the plenary today, 17 July 2023, the Osun State House of Assembly passed the Osun State Anthem, Crest and Flag Bill 2023 into law.

Shortly before the passage, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, admonished his colleagues to read through the bill to ensure that it reflects what transpired at the Committee of the Whole at the last plenary.

The sponsor of the bill, who is also the Majority Leader of the House, moved the motion for the third reading of the Bill and the motion was seconded by the Hon. representing Ife Central, Hon. Abiola Jeremiah Awoyeye.

After the passage, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun commended his colleagues for the accelerated passage of the Osun State Anthem, Crest and Flag Bill 2023 into Osun State Anthem, Crest and Flag Law 2023.

He noted that the new law was re-enacting the spirit and character of the repealed State of Osun Anthem, Crest and Flag Law, 2012 but with vital amendments that reflect the evolving identity and aspirations of the State.

He added that the new law was also in compliance with the Judgement delivered on December 14th, 2017 by Hon. Justice O. D. Afolabi of the High Court of Osun State in Suit No. KIL/M47/2016.

Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun affirmed that the law was also to ensure consistency and clarity in the naming conventions of States in Nigeria as prescribed by the Constitution.

According to him, “We have by this law, returned the State to its factual and constitutional description as ‘Osun State’ across all legislation passed by this esteemed House from 2012 to 2022. This adjustment ensures accuracy and facilitates seamless interpretation, implementation, and reference to the laws of our State.

“Furthermore, we have by this law, amended the name of the House itself, reverting to the constitutionally designated “Osun State House of Assembly.

“This adjustment preserves the integrity and coherence of our legislative institution while aligning it with the form prescribed in Schedule 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Additionally, the law makes for the evolution of our State’s appellation, shifting from ‘The State of the Virtuous’ (IPINLE OMOLUABI) to “The State of the Living Spring.” This change not only encapsulates the dynamic spirit, vitality, and vibrancy that our State embodies but also resonates deeply with the soul of our people and the founding fathers of our State. It reflects harmony with nature, acknowledging the abundant springs and water bodies that grace our landscape, symbolizing purity, resilience, and a source of blessings.

“Instructively, the new law retains the old Osun Anthem. This means that the State Anthem shall continue to be rendered at all public functions in the State, alongside the National Anthem. We recognize the role that the rich Yoruba anthem can play in cultural and value orientation, and thus, it has been retained to continue to play this critical role.

“Lastly, the new law adopts the Nigerian National Flag and Coat of Arms as the sole flag and crest to be utilized across all public spaces within our State. This adjustment represents a commitment to our national identity and unity as one vibrant and indivisible entity under the Nigerian Federation.”

The Theatre Arts and Motions Pictures Practitioners in Nigeria (TAMPAN) is set to honor veteran, Charles Olumo better known as Baba Agbako.

the Yoruba actor turned 100 and had many Nollywood celebrating him.

To celebrate his milestone age, TAMPAN is set to celebrate the veteran on Thursday, 20th of July, at the Excellent Event Centre, Mosan, Abeokuta.

The news was made known on the association’s official Instagram page.

The Deputy National Chairman (North) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abubakar Kyari, has taken over the leadership of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Kyari’s takeover comes after the widely reported resignation of the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Adamu was reported to have tendered his resignation with the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, on Sunday.

On Monday morning, Kyari led a team of seven other members of the NWC to a meeting in his office.

This newspaper learnt that the official car of the Deputy National Chairman was parked in the slot reserved for the National Chairman.

Kyari came in with the Deputy National Chairman (South) Emma Enukwu; National Vice Chairman (North West) Salihu Lukman; National Vice Chairman (North East) Salihu Mustapha; National Vice Chairman (North Central) Muazu Bawa; National Vice Chairman(South West) Issacs Kekemeke; National Vice Chairman (South East) Ejoroma Arodiogu and the Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter

The National Secretary, Senator Omisore, arrived at the secretariat later in the morning and joined others in the meeting.

The meeting was held behind closed doors, and security around the national secretariat has been heightened.

President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have appealed to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal not to invalidate the results of the February 25 presidential election. Their plea specifically concerns the controversy surrounding the attainment of 25 percent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In their final address, presented by their lead counsel Wole Olanipekun, Tinubu and Shettima argued for the dismissal of the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Olanipekun dismissed the challengers’ arguments and testimonies as baseless, exaggerated, and reliant on hearsay.

The lead counsel called on the court to reject the petition entirely, as it lacked substance and merit. He emphasized that the petitioners’ argument, suggesting that Tinubu and Shettima’s election should be nullified for not achieving 25 percent or one-quarter of the votes in the FCT, had no legal basis. According to Olanipekun, the use of the conjunction “and” in the constitution is to be interpreted as connecting rather than separating.

“The appellant failed to recognize that judges do not possess the power of clairvoyance, which involves making predictions and subsequently proclaiming a new leader in place of a deceased one,” Olanipekun stated. He further asserted that judges cannot perform miracles when handling civil claims, nor fabricate evidence to assist a plaintiff in winning their case.