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Oyo Assembly to investigate alleged violent attack, vandalization of five operational vehicles of OYRTMA by Soldiers

The Oyo State House of Assembly has directed its Committee on Transportation to commence investigation into allegations of violent attacks on officers of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority, OYRTMA by personnel of the Nigerian Army.

The Speaker, OYHA , Hon Adebo Ogundoyin gave the directive after a Save Our Soul letter from the Executive Chairman of OYRTMA, Mogaji Akin Fagbemi was read at the plenary.

According to the letter, series of unprovoked attacks on officers of OYRTMA by Army personnel reached crescendo lately with the destruction of five operational vehicles of the Road Traffic Management Authority and the injuring of some of the officers of the Authority.

The letter read in part ” The frequency at which our officers are being seriously attacked has really come to a stage for the authority to raise alarm. We have earlier written letters of complaints to those concerned especially the Nigerian Army on the atrocities being committed by its personnel which resulted in the vandalisation of our five operational vehicles beyond repair. The photographs of our injured personnel and the Army officer that led the assaults are here with attached as evidence. “

The latest incident was said to have happened at Saki in the Okeogun area of Oyo State.

The Speaker urged the House Committee on Transportation to investigate the allegation and report to the house as soon as possible.

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2023: I Won’t Turn Down Those Asking Me To Run For President – Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said he will not turn down the calls of those asking him to contest for president in 2023.

Tinubu stated this after a meeting with leaders of the Northern Alliance Committee in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the former Governor of Lagos said he would, however, make consultations before officially announcing a decision on the matter.

“I’m not going to turn them down but I will still effectively and widely consult, particularly brainstorm with my friends and find a date to come out openly to tell Nigerians.

“But the president is still in office. I don’t want to distract him from all the challenges that he might face today.

“So, don’t muddle the political water. Consult, make our programme known to the people later,” Tinubu said.

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Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Olusanya Dosunmu, Amororo (II) dies

The Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Olusanya Dosunmu, Amororo (II), is dead.

He died on Monday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital after a brief illness.

Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu joined the Nigerian Civil service in 1956 and later the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, where he rose to become the head of the drama department.

He was the producer of the popular Nigerian Television series, The Village Headmaster that held the record as the longest running popular television series for over 20 years.

In 1975, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu left the Nigerian broadcasting corporation to establish a private film production outfit

Years later in 2005, he ascended the throne of his forefathers.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, has expressed shock at the death of the monarch.

In a condolence message issued on his behalf on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin in Abeokuta, Gov. Abiodun described Oba Dosunmu as “a quintessential monarch, a man of peace and a passionate supporter of development”.

While condoling with his immediate family and the people of Owu, the governor urged them to take solace in the lasting impact he had on his domain.

“God Almighty grants Kabiyesi’s soul eternal repose and the people he left behind the fortitude to bear this loss”, Governor Abiodun said.

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Seven dead as commercial bus catches fire after colliding with billboard in Osun

Seven persons were reportedly killed as a commercial bus collided with a billboard along Akure-Ilesa express road in Osun State.

The white Toyota Hiace bus conveying passengers from Zamfara state collided with a big billboard on the road median after losing control around 4:00 am.

The bus, which also carried two motorcycles in its trunk went up in flame after the collision around Osu junction, Ilesa.

The Osun State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Paul Okpe, who confirmed the incident said, seven-person were killed in the accident and four of them burnt beyond recognition.

“The accident happened around 4:40 am at Osu in Ilesa, 2kilometres from Brewery Junction.

“It is a Toyota Hiace, white in colour and 7 people died and four burnt beyond recognition,” he said.

Meanwhile, Osun Amotekun Field Commandant, Amitolu Shittu said the incident happened while the corps was on patrol of Ilesa highways.

Shittu said the bus driver lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding and collide with a giant billboard on the median before going up in flame.

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Extortion: Commercial Drivers Set For Showdown With NURTW, Issues 2-Week Ultimatum To Lagos Govt

Commercial Drivers in Lagos, under the aegis of Self-Employed Commercial Drivers Association of Nigeria (SECDAN) have issued two-week ultimatum to the Lagos State Government to stop the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) from extorting them.

SECDAN vowed that after the expiration of the ultimatum, it would be forced to use all existing peaceful means to encourage a change in the transport sector for other states to follow.

Lagos State Chairman, SECDAN, Alhaji Job Abifarin, in a statement on Tuesday said the NURTW and RTEAN agents were harassing and forcing each of its drivers to pay N30,000 to them on a daily basis.

Abifarin lamented that over the years, the activities of NURTW/RTEAN in Lagos roads had been discovered to be alien, illegal and as one that did not conform with any known economic logic or political explanation in the world.

“Even as we don’t want to comment on the existence and acceptability of the 2 organisations in the State, we believe that their role in the transport sector of the State should by now be seen as an embarrassment and unfortunate in Lagos State, the so called Centre of Excellence in the country and a Mega City in the world.

“Today, no one is unaware of the louts’ activities across all bus stops, and garages in the State. They are violent, they maim, they destroy, they have no respect or any regard to the laws of the State, they are irresponsible and very embarrassing to everything the Transport Sector represents to Lagos State.

“For record, drivers and owners in Lagos State today are frustrated and amazed of the annoying silence of the State Government to the glaring violent and illegal extortions of the Unions’ Agent in the State, even in the midst of the fact that most drivers do not belong to their Unions or are actually members of different Associations and or Unions,” he said.

According to Abifarin, in a situation where each commercial driver is made to forcefully pay over N30,000.00 daily to these unions and with no clear reasons or for which purposes, is painfully baffling and alien in a Mega City.

The chairman said the dangerous refusal of the state government to arrest the ugly trend and accept the fact that the operations and agents of the two unions had become an embarrassment to the image of Lagos State and a clog in the crusade to make Lagos a truly safe place for all businesses, is worrisome.

Abifarin challenged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take another look at the transport sector of the State economy and do a sincere and open assessment of what the touts of the two unions had become in the State today.

“Because of the silence of the government and due to our teeming members’ frustration and complains, we have resolved to sound out a clear warning signal to the Government and good people of Lagos State through a 2 Days Warning strike (today 13th December and tomorrow 14th December) and withdrawal of our vehicles from the roads starting first in the Ikorodu axis of the State.

“This action becomes more unavoidable due to the activities of various Agencies of Government, who seem to always give the unions more room to further continue their illegal activities with violence and of no fear or regard to any existing law(s) in the State,” he said.

“We hope to see a sincere and radical masses-friendly change in the Lagos State Transport Sector in the next two weeks, failure of which we dare say may create a serious issue in the State as we will be left with no choice than to explore all existing peaceful means to encourage a change in the Sector for other States to follow,” he added.

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Govs Akeredolu, Oyetola, Others Join Fayemi To Commission Road, Polytechnic Building In Ekiti

The Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu SAN and his Osun State counterpart, Gboyega Oyetola have joined Ekiti State Governor to commision a road project as well as blocks of building at the Ekiti State Polytechnic.

This was contained in a statement the governor made available yesterday via his official Facebook account as read in part:

“I had the honour of receiving my brother Governors from Osun and Ondo States, H.E. Gboyega Oyetola and Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu at the commissioning of the Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo road, as well as the blocks of Faculty Building at Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan Ekiti (formerly Ekiti State College of Agriculture & Technology).

“These are strategic projects with socioeconomic importance and agribusiness advantage. For instance, 30.5km Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo road will serve as a shorter link from the Northern part of Nigeria, through Kogi State to Ekiti State Capital, and an additional feeder route into the Ekiti Agro-allied Cargo Airport and Ekiti Knowledge Zone (under construction).

“The two blocks of Faculty Building at the Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan Ekiti is fully equipped to accommodate two Faculties, Dean and HODs Offices, Laboratories, Classrooms, Conference Room, Faculty/Data Room, Offices for Lecturers and Conveniences. This Polytechnic is designed to drive technical and commercial agriculture in our dear state.

“Our administration will not relent in moving Ekiti State to the next level of sustainable development in all sectors”.

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Gov Sanwo-Olu Commissions Newly Built Secondary School In Elemoro, Lagos

Earlier yesterday, the Lagos State Governor has commissioned newly built secondary school in Elemoro Community in Lagos State.

This was made known via a statement he shared on his Facebook account as read in part:

“I commissioned Elemoro Community Junior Secondary School today to ensure pupils from the community no longer have to walk long-distance before they have access to schools.

“The school, a state-of-the-art edifice at Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area is built with a college-size football pitch completed with 50mm-thick pile of grass and soft infills to ensure playability and fall absorption impact.

“The school is built on 1.54 hectares of land and is designed to offer leaning services, recreational activity and extracurricular leisures.

“Our administration conceived and initiated this school project as an intervention to address a shortfall in access to education in the community. Before the school was built, pupils in the town usually had to walk long distance to schools outside their community.

“The infrastructure installed in the premises offers the platform through which the pupils can fulfill their dreams and ambitions for the future.

“Apart from 18-classroom block, the Elemoro Junior Secondary School also has 12 standard classrooms, six special rooms for Home Economics, Technology room, a studio for arts and music, science laboratory, library and ICT room. It also has teachers’ offices, sickbay, standard canteen block and over 30 toilet facilities.

“Other recreational facilities built in the school include a six-lane sandwich athletics running track and a spacious seating arena.

“Our administration’s vision in education is to ensure every child in public school has unrestricted access to quality education”.

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COVID-19 Restrictions: Christmas Carol Back In Aso-Villa As Osinbajo Hosts Kumuyi, Gospel Artists, Others

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, hosted the annual Christmas Praise Concert last night at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, commemorating the Christmas season.

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, who delivered the Christmas message, preached on “the divine revelation, divine realization and the glory of the destined restoration that Christ brought to the world.”

The Carol service also featured gospel artistes including Mercy Chinwo, Ernest Dades, and choirs drawn from different geopolitical zones across the country.

Besides the Aso Villa Chapel Choir, other choral groups that ministered last night at the old Presidential Banquet Hall were the Kaduna Metropolitan Choir, Kaduna State; Unity Choir, from the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State; De Avon Chorale and Orchestra, Cross River State; Royal City Chorale, Owerri, Imo State; Lagos City Chorale and the Hallelujah Nigeria African Carol.

Apart from the rendition of Christmas Carols, there were also the reading of selected Scriptures by the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan; the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, and His Royal Majesty, the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, from Gboko, Benue State.

The yearly Praise Concert did not hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant restriction protocols.

In his sermon, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, spoke about the story of the desired expectation, song of divine visitation, symphony of delightful jubilation, and sanctity of dutiful proclamation.

Referencing the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, the guest preacher spoke on the fact that the angels came to announce joy and peace (which is personal and perpetual) on earth. He said, “the message is the angel’s announcement from on high to meet us, this nation and to every nation of the world at this time until Christ comes again.”

He went on to say that “there is the irreversible decree that the Saviour would come, as we believe in Him, the decree is fulfilled in our lives” as well as “the irresistible dominion that God has remembered us… by giving us a saviour.”

The State House Chaplain, Pastor Joseph Seyi Malomo, who led a brief special prayer for Nigeria and its leaders, quoted from the Psalms that “it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, to proclaim His loving kindness in the morning, and His faithfulness every night.”

“We thank God for bringing us to the end of this year; also, for the fact that last year, we could not gather physically, it means therefore that now we are overcoming the war against COVID-19. Eventually COVID-19 will be history by the grace of God,” he prayed.

Aside from the Vice President, other dignitaries who also graced the Carol service included his wife, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr Emmanuel Akabe; Federal Ministers; members of the National Assembly; heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies; members of the Diplomatic Corp; His Royal Majesty, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, and his wife, Olori Atuwase III, His Royal Highness, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, Bayelsa State amongst others.

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Lagos Residents To Start Paying Monthly Rent To Landlords From 2022 – Gov. Sanwo-olu says

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has disclosed that a new policy for monthly tenancy on property occupancy would commence in Lagos State in 2022.

The Governor said this at the Lagos Real Estate Market Place Conference and Exhibitions organised by the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) this week.

In a statement signed by the Governor’s spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile, the Governor explained that the new policy is not intended to negatively affect landlords or reduce the expected revenue of the property owner.

“By next year, Sanwo-Olu said a new policy on ‘monthly tenancy’ on property occupancy would kick-off in Lagos. The concept, he said, is not to punish the landlord or reduce the expected revenue of the property owner.

“He said monthly tenancy would ease off the pressure of yearly rent on tenants, as the new policy is designed to make people pay their rents according to their monthly earnings. The policy, Sanwo-Olu said, emanated from an agreement reached by the association of tenants, a consortium of financiers, and the Government,” read the statement.

This new monthly tenancy plan is designed to enable tenants to pay their house rent as they earn monthly, which will ease the burden of paying huge sums for annual rent at once.

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Interior Ministry Reacts To Ruling On Ikoyi Marriage Registry, Read Full Reaction Here

The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to news making the rounds on social media claiming that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared all Marriages conducted by Ikoyi marriage registry to be illegal and invalid.

We would like to state that this statement is false, misleading and a deliberate distortion of the decision of the Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/816/18 between Eti-Osa Local Government Council & 3 others v. Honourable Minister of Interior and 2 others, where the Honourable Court held that only the Local Government councils can conduct valid marriages in Nigeria.

It is noteworthy that, the same Federal High Court situated in Ikoyi, Lagos in Suit No. FHC/L/870/2002 between Prince Haastrup and Eti Osa Local Government held that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior is constitutionally empowered to conduct marriages in Nigeria and heldthat the Local Governments were delegated by the Federal Government to conduct marriages, by virtue of Legal Notices issued pursuant to the Marriage Act.

In that case, the learned trial judge held that nothing in the role of local governments, as defined in the Constitution, suggests that local governments can conduct or contract marriages as alleged in their pleadings. The Court affirmed that powers of the local governments to contract statutory marriages is derived from the Legal Notices issued by the President. The Court also confirmed that the role of local governments, as enshrined in the Constitution is limited to registration of all forms of marriages (including Islamic and customary marriages).

Rather than appeal this decision, the same claimants instituted another action in 2016 Suit no. FHC/L/CS/1760/16 Egor Local Government, Eti- Osa Local Government and 2 others V Hon, Minister of Interior and 2 Others. The Court held that the Suit was an abuse of court process, as it could not be invited to make another pronouncement on the same point of law, which would lead to conflicting decisions coming from the same court and therefore struck out the case.

The same issue was adjudicated in the case of Olumide Babalola vs Ikeja Local Government and the Registered Trustees of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Suit No. LD/1343/GCM/2016 delivered on 15th May, 2017. The Court held that while registration of marriages are regulated by local governments, being under the concurrent list, formation of marriage is under the Exclusive Legislative List, within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, regulated by the Ministry of Interior.

It is further worthy of note that the issue of formation, annulment and other matrimonial causes are by virtue of item 61 of the 1st Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria exclusively reserved for the Federal Government.

The General Public is invited to note that these judgments are all still subsisting, competent and havenot been appealed against till date.
Further to the above, the current decision of the Federal High Court delivered by Hon. Justice D. E. Osiagor of Court 6, cannot set aside a previous decision of the same Court, which is of coordinate jurisdiction, as that would amount to the court sitting on appeal over its own judgment.

In the circumstances, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior, has applied for a certified true copy of the judgement and will take appropriate further action including but not limited to filing of an appeal in respect of this conflicting and confusing decision, in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

We would like to appeal to the general public, the international community, to couples who had hitherto had their marriages solemnized at Federal Marriage Registries by duly licensed places of worship and to all intending couples to be calm and continue transacting their normal businesses at all Federal Marriage Registries subsisting throughout the federation in line with statutory and constitutional provisions.

The general public is to please note the foregoing and maintain status quo ante.

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