Oduduwa News

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has emphasized the need for positive projection of Nigeria’s culture and image to the outside world by the players in the nation’s entertainment industry.

This is just as the Speaker stressed the need for the combined efforts of patriots working together to make real the vision of a prosperous and peaceful country.

According to Gbajabiamila, players in the nation’s entertainment industry, popularly known as Nollywood, have a critical role to play in not only shaping the society for the better but also influencing how the nation is viewed by the outside world through the content of their trade.

A statement by his Media Adviser, Lanre Lasisi, said the Speaker made the call in his address at the opening of a two-day Leadership Master Training for Nollywood Celebrities and Stakeholders under the platform of Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) in Abuja on Friday.

He said, “Beyond the questions of economics and profit, there is the issue of the critical role of Nollywood in influencing culture, defining national character, and promoting national identity.

“You also have a responsibility to tell the best stories of our beloved country. I do not propose to turn you into cheerleaders for a Nigeria that does not exist. But the stories of men and women thriving through adversity and innovating for prosperity needs to be told, and it falls to you to tell those stories.

“I hold in my heart a fundamental belief that our highest aspirations for Nigeria can only be achieved by the combined effort of patriots working together to make real the vision of a prosperous and peaceful country”.

To emphasise the importance of Nollywood to the nation’s socio-economic development, the Speaker noted that the entertainment industry in Nigeria has grown to become a critical part of the economy.

He, however, stressed that by addressing the challenges confronting the industry, much more can be achieved, saying, “With adequate investment, a supportive regulatory environment, better training and capacity development, Nollywood will grow beyond our present dreams and surpass our highest ambitions.

“It falls to all of us, in government, in the private sector and across society to identify the ways we can help the industry reach the heights we all know is possible”.

Gbajabiamila said the training was apt, particularly at this moment in the national history when the challenges we face require leadership, creativity and innovation in bounds.

“One of the other reasons this event is especially timely is that it provides an opportunity to answer the question of how to rebuild the industry after what has been a difficult year.

“Additionally, we can lay the groundwork for future collaboration and acquire the leadership resources that will stand the industry in good stead for the future,” he added.

The Speaker also assured the actors of his continued support for the upliftment of their trade towards ensuring that the industry continues to contribute to the socio-economic advancement of Nigeria

Earlier, House Minority Leader, Rep. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, expressed delight at the event, noting that “The much needed strategic multisectoral efforts to guarantee the desired rebound and repositioning of the movie industry in Nigeria, though long overdue, has begun”.

According to him, the country’s movie industry, more than any other social platform, remains critical in the moulding of the character of members of the society, especially the youths, women and children, as well as the outside world seeing the nation from the plots, setting and narratives of the movies.

He said it is incumbent on the Guild to be deliberately nationalistic in what they produce to the world.

“Our films must deliberately promote our unity as a people as well as encourage actions that spur mutual understanding, harmonious co-existence and forcefully show our quest for a peaceful society where economic and social activities thrive”, he added.

The two-day event saw the convergence of Nollywood actors across the country in Abuja for the training.

Oduduwa News has gathered that thousands of women drawn from Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, United Kingdom, Papua Guinea, Venezuela, Spain, France, and other countries on Wednesday visited the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in his palace to canvass for the creation of Yoruba Nation.

The women who were clad in traditional rural attire including body wrappers and beads, under the aegis of Obinrin Oodua Agbaye, stormed the palace of the Ooni of Ife on Sunday.

Details later.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Oyo state chapter has described comments credited to Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello over the present PDP government under Governor Seyi Makinde as ‘uncharitable, unfair, inspired by the Tafseer royalty he received from organizers of the event noting that everything the cleric said against the present administration were against true teachings of Islam, spirit of Ramadan, the present rapid infrastructural developments being undertaken by Governor Seyi Makinde adminstration & the various developmental policies the people of Oyo State are enjoying.

The ruling party in a press statement signed by its State publicity Secretary, Engr Akeem Olatunji, on Thursday 15th April and made available to newsmen, condemned the sermon by Sheikh Bello, describing it as “sermon inspired by royalty”.

The party explained that it was very unfortunate that the cleric who failed to speak up during the dark days of Oyo state under the last administration when the 1 milion boys reigned unabated, civil servants and pensioners were dying in droves due to unpaid salaries & entitlement, contractors failed to or shodilly undertake projects due to kickbacks collected by Government Officials and also lost his voice to speak up for the suffering masses when the people of Oyo state were subjected to unspeakable hardship under the last APC administration despite the huge available resources available then is now expressing his political leanings and sentiments at the detriment of the people’s interest.

Oyo PDP stressed that despite the absence of COVID-19, EndSARS protest, Fulani herdsmen crisis and other security health and security challenges during the last administration era, APC government still owed not only workers reward for their labour but also the aged and retired workers who served the state meritoriously throughout their productive years without being considered for their retirement benefits by the last administration.

According to the statement by Oyo PDP, all of the aforementioned security challenges were fallouts of government failure at the federal level with exception to COVID-19 which is a global pandemic noting that if APC government have had to deal with a snippet of what the PDP government under Governor Seyi Makinde is dealing with, Oyo state would probably have been sold out to maybe China out of borrowings.

The party maintained that the cleric has openly abused and overstretched the privilege due to anyone called or identified as a true cleric since he preferred money by commercializing his sermon above the true gospel of Islam which preaches love, peace and truth at all times.

“Our attention as a party has been drawn to some very uncharitable, unsubstantiated, unfair, and financially inspired sermon credited to Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello at the annual Abiola Ajimobi memorial Ramadan lecture which held on Wednesday 14th April in Ibadan.

Osun State government has dissociated the state from a seditious group going round some public schools across the state disseminating a secession message of the Yoruba nation to students in the schools.

This is just as the state government through the Ministry of Education has suspended the Principals of the three schools who allowed the seditious group into their school premises to speak with the students.

Reacting to a viral video that showed the group talking to the students about the plan of the Yoruba nation to secede from Nigeria, Commissioner for Education, Hon. Folorunsho Bamisayemi said the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was not aware and never gave consent to the group to speak with public school students in the state.

Bamisayemi who emphasized that the administration of Governor Oyetola frowns at any move to disunite the country maintained that the state had never at any point in time associated with such group on what he described as a move that is capable of hindering the unity of the country.

He said, “Nigeria is one entity and will continue to remain so. The state government of Osun never gave consent to any group to speak with students of public schools on a matter we know can cause disunity and chaos in the country.

“As a Nigerian state, we believe in the Nigerian dream. We urge every Nigerian to pray and work that Nigeria should not break up. As for those principals that allowed such group into the premises of our schools, be ready to face the consequences of their actions.

Also reacting, the Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Education, Hon. Jamiu Olawumi said it is unfortunate that some unscrupulous elements are going about polluting the minds of young children because they know that they are still naive.

While warning such seditious groups to henceforth stay away from the State of Osun, the Special Adviser to the Governor said students of secondary schools in the state and across the country will continue to be a symbol of Nigeria’s unity at all times.

A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged irregularities in the recently conducted South-West Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, describing the exercise as a scam.

The PDP held its zonal congress on April 12 where the candidate backed by the camp of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman.

Arapaja polled 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist to ex-Governor Fayose who scored 330.

But reacting to the exercise during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Fayose said he conceded and accepted the outcome not because the process was transparent, but because the PDP must not lose its quest to take over power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the South-West.

While the PDP is currently holding the grip of Oyo State with Governor Seyi Makinde at the helm of affairs, other states like Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Ondo and Osun are being controlled by the APC.

“I have conceded, I conceded not because they won. I conceded because the PDP is a bigger picture. I want to say that conceding does not amount to defeat, it is sheer exhibiting leadership,” he said.

“Take a look at the result and the characters behind the result before I will tell you the issue. I am on one side alone; I have on the side of Governor Makinde, two former governors – Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. They have on their side seven deputy governors and two speakers and serving senators.

“The results in quotes, Arapaja scored 343. My candidate Eddy Olafeso scored 330, a difference of 13 votes. I’m glad because that is a show of strength. Whether the result is right or wrong, the world can see in the one-man army that has faced them all and without rigging, they lost.”

When asked if the election was rigged, Fayose replied in the affirmative saying: “Very clearly.”

The ex-Ekiti governor said he approached the court to obtain an order to prevent the PDP from conducting the congress in Oyo State over the fear of violence.

He alleged that the violence came from Oyo to Osun with 200 buses bearing the number plates of Oyo, adding that they blocked the venue of the exercise.

Fayose added, “They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge.”

Speaking further, he accused the collation officer, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State of discrepancies while counting the votes cast.

Despite his reservations for the zonal congress, Fayose insisted that he wouldn’t be a party to those who will say the PDP will not move forward.

“For me, as to that election, it was a scam but I must agree as a leader of the PDP. I have been working for this party. I am one of the voices that cannot be forgotten in the PDP.

“And I will not sit down here and say because of 13 votes, because of manipulation the party must not move forward,” he added.