Oduduwa News

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has congratulated a Nigerian Medical Doctor, Boubini Miyensinte Jones-Wonni on her emergence as the best graduating student in the Howard University Medical School, class of 2022, at the age of 22.

The Governor also celebrated Boubini on her admission into the prestigious Harvard University Medical School as one of the only two members of her class admitted for residency (Post Training) training in internal Medicine.

Boubini is from Arogbo-Ijaw Kingdom in Ese- Odo local government area of Ondo State.

While commending Boubini for her exemplary display of brilliance and intelligence, Governor Akeredolu said she has exhibited the ethos and values the people of the Sunshine State are known for-resilience, hardwork and dedication.

“The young Boubini is our pride in Ondo State. The people of the Sunshine State are known for alluring values and ethos. She has displayed the brilliance we are known for in her exploits even from elementary stage.

“Undoubtedly, Boubini has carved a niche for herself. She is evidently cruising on an excellent path of greatness to the future with a clear vision to render nothing but excellence. The numerous laurels to her credit in the course of her academic pursuits, even at a very young age, underscores her zeal to unleash her outstanding potentials on the world.

“On behalf of the people of the sunshine state, I celebrate our own Boubini. I congratulate the good people of Arogbo-Ijaw Kingdom, and most especially, her parents, who have built her a strong academic background and provided the needed encouragement. We are indeed, proud of her. She is our collective pride.

“On our part, we shall continue to prioritise education and celebrate excellence when it is achieved. It is our belief, that the young Boubini will continue to inspire our young people to strive for excellence. We shall always remind the people of our dear state of our core values. We must not lose focus.

“With her academic trajectory, we are sure that Boubini will continue to make the state and indeed, the nation proud. We are very elated that this star is shining on the world from the sunshine state. “ the governor said.

Governor Akeredolu wishes Boubini a very successful career, while praying to God to grant her long life and good health to reach her full potentials.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned the killing in Sokoto of a student, Deborah Samuel, over allegation of blasphemy.

In a statement released by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday, 13th May, 2022, MURIC described the killing as outrageous, illegal and unlawful.

The full statement reads :

“A female student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Deborah Samuel, was on Thursday killed for allegedly blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The blaspheme statement was reportedly posted on a whatshap group. She was asked to withdraw the statement but she allegedly refused to do so. The school’s security unit and police were overwhelmed by the crowd when they tried to rescue her.

“MURIC strongly condemns this killing and all others that have been happening in Nigeria in recent times. Those aggrieved by the student’s post should have reported her to the security agencies or to the Shariah police, the hizbah. Mob killing is archaic and bohemian. It belongs to the Stone Age. Nobody has the right to take the law into his hands.

“The Glorious Qur’an compares the killing of a single person to the killing of the whole of humanity just as it compares the saving of a life to the rescue of all homo sapiens (Qur’an 5:32) In like manner, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself condemned all acts of violence and advocated peaceful conduct at all times.

“But this incident should not be condemned in isolation. The recent trend whereby Nigerians now freely shed their brothers blood should be condemned by all patriots. In this regard, we also strongly denounce the killing of several Northern Muslims in the South East in the past few months.

“We frown at the recent burning last week of a truck fully loaded with cows in the South East as well as the killing of many Muslims of South East origin by their Igbo brothers in the same South East. We note with keen interest that Muslims in the North did not retaliate when these killings were taking place.

“MURIC calls on the Sokoto Police Command to do everything within its power to get to the bottom of the yesterday’s killing of the female student over alleged blasphemy. We appeal to members of the public to remain calm and law abiding. Nigerians should allow the police to carry out its investigations on the case. The Sokoto Police Command has started well as it already has two suspects in detention for the killing.

“Meanwhile we remind Nigerians to always exercise restraint on matters of religion. Free speech is no longer free if it amounts to religious provocation. Even the European Court has ruled that the utterance of derisive statements against the prophet of any religion is a crime.

“We affirm clearly, categorically and unequivocally that there is a symbiotic relationship between provocation, violence and extremism. While MURIC will not condone extremism and violence, the anatomy of terrorism is becoming clearer day by day. We must all ponder over the causal-effect theory. Violence and terrorism are mere symptoms. The real disease is provocation. Violence and terrorism are mere smoke. Provocation is the fire and we all know that there is no smoke without fire.

“We therefore appeal to Nigerians to desist from insulting, deriding or abusing the prophets of other religions. Muslims should continue to respect Jesus (peace be upon him) whom the Christians hold very dear. In the same vein, Christians should avoid casting aspersion on the person of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). We have experienced enough religious crisis in the land.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state has raised a security alert over the brazen open display of sword which was described as an invite to anarchy in a democratic setting calling on the state security agencies particularly the Nigerian Police to immediately call the senator to order.

The party said such flagrant show of indicorum in public exposes the deep thought and mission of the senator who was once remanded in Agodi prison by the Court over his alleged involvement in the death of factional leader of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Oyo State branch, Alhaji Lateef Salako, a.k.a Eleweomo.

According to a press release by the Oyo state publicity secretary of PDP, Akeem Olatunji, and made available to newsmen, the memory of Eleweomo’s gruesome murder is reawakened by the sight of such action which the party said is capable of creating an impression of a violent electioneering season in the state as the nation prepares ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general election.

Enraged by the video that has since been trending on social media, the ruling party alleged that reckless and unguarded comments and remarks emanating from the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state must have been engineered from sources within the opposition camp to cause mayhem in the state against members of the ruling party under the guise of playing politics.

“We want to immediately and urgently call the attention of the security agencies in Oyo state particularly, the Nigerian Police, Oyo state command, to the indicorous act of brazen open display of a weapon at the venue of official declaration of Senator Teslim Folarin’s governorship ambition.

“The world must be urgently put on alert based on Folarin’s political antecedents with regards to political violence especially as involving the gruesome killing of Eleweomo in cold blood. The people especially security agencies in the state must also be reminded that this same Folarin had in past threatened to unleaseh terror on the good people of the state via his mischiefs and treachery plots in form of his failed traps (pakute) against Governor Seyi Makinde, which he and his cotravelers on their path of political perdition attempted and failed.

“We in the PDP strongly believe in the spirit of sportsmanship in our evolving democratic process. The ultimate sovereign power lies with the people and any informed politician with genuine motives will understand that to gain such power he or she must adequately sell him or herself to the people to secure their mandate.

“It is therefore, unimaginable to say the say the least unthinkable, that a serving senator of the federal republic seeking to govern the good people of Oyo state will resort to the garage politics of violence showing might of violence instead of selling ideas and personal image to the same people he is seeking to govern.

“The alleged involvement of this same Folarin in the gruesome killing of Eleweomo readily comes to mind with such ugly sight that greatly ridicule the image of the Nigerian Senate being a member of the hallowed chamber.

“From the time Oyo state government through the ministry of Public Works and Trabsport created the Park Management System (PMS) with a view to develop the transport sector and improve its revenue base, and also appointed Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, a.k.a Auxiliary, as the agency’s Chairman, the APC in Oyo state has particularly engaged itself with increased and endless false propaganda and blackmail against the state government.

“After relentless criticism and several failed ‘pakute’ by our ‘Mr pakute setter’, Senator Folarin, both the party has since lost its voice to criticize Lagos and other APC controlled states in the south west for adopting Makinde’s performing template in the transport sector.

“It is on record that after the proscription of NURTW in Lagos by the Lagos state government, the Lagos state Park Management System was established with MC Oluomo as the Chairman. Sadly, Folarin and his other ignoramus about the workings of government have continued to exposed their ignorance by relentlessly trying discredit the Oyo state PMS and its workforce.

“We must educate Folarin and his cotraveler that playing opposition is not being foolishly blind to laudable government policies and programs, it is infact an act of political naivety by political opportunist who in their very narrowed mind believe that it is only by brazenly displaying a sword to the people that would communicate what Folarin in this case is capable of in terms of political violence and causing fear in the minds of innocent residents.

“We call on the pragmatic and proactive Oyo state Commissioner of Police, CP Ngozi Onadeko to immediately call Folarin to order with his unrestrained desperation to govern the state after his woefully failed attempt in 2015. We as the ruling party will not fold our arms and watch a man who should know the implication of sending violence signals to scare the electorates from coming out to perform their legitimate civic duties at the forthcoming polls.

“We want to state that Folarin and his cotravelers should not mistake our full respect for decorous politics and respect for all political aspirants in the forthcoming general election for weakness, we shall not hesitate to as a party use every legitimate means within the confines of the law to tame Folarin’s unrestrained desperation to govern Oyo state by all means.” The Oyo PDP’s statement said.