Oduduwa News

A middle-aged man, Hassan Saka has been arrested for being in possession of two human heads in Ondo State.

Saka was arrested on Monday by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the state.

The exhibits were discovered in a vehicle along Owo/Akure road, concealed in a brown carton.

The State Commander of NDLEA,  Haruna Gagara said the suspect will be handed over to the police.

The Spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Tee-Leo Ikoro confirmed that the suspect has been handed over to the police.

He noted that investigation is ongoing on the incident, adding that the suspect will soon be prosecuted.

The National Association of Nigerian Students NANS has suspended its proposed plan to shutdown tertiary institutions in Oyo State.

This was contained in a statement signed and released by the Chairman of NANS, Oyo State Chapter, Com. Opakunle Mayowa which reads in part:

“As the most ideological axis of the zone we believe in a diplomatic way of resolving issues no matter the amount of pressures and threats from several quarters we won’t deviate from the aims and objectives of our administration. We will keep up with our promises to deliver as at when due.

“After several rounds of consolidation, We are delighted to inform the Student Union Presidents of the schools operating under the PLATINUM institute and the entire Students populace of the pacesetter State, that a meeting has been initiated and it involves a representative of each bodies involved. This window was accepted as a means to dialogue with the stakeholders for all to find a lasting solution to the excesses experienced from exorbitant charges and other anomalies that came with the use of Platinum.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students, Oyo State axis regardless of our differences and the rumors of division and rancor from some quarters we will continue to represent the interest of students in the axis. We have proven several times beyond reasonable doubt that we are reasonable, articulate, and peace-loving Nigerian students and as such we believe in dialogue as a solution more than confrontation, most especially the current security situation of the country this is why we have always reserved the worse for latter.

“In lieu of this, we are suspending the proposed protest and we are pleading with all the supportive Student leaders in the axis that have started acting already, to please sheath their swords and allow the opening of their various campuses for activities and therefore anticipate a positive outcome from the meeting slated for Wednesday, 3rd March, 2021.

“We also use this medium to wish us all a happy new month, and pray that this month will usher us all into blessedness and fruitfulness in all our endeavors, and also bring peace and unity to every sectors of our beloved nation”.

NNPC Says No Increase in Fuel Price in March

…Cautions against Hoarding, Panic Buying

Contrary to speculations of imminent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has ruled out any increment in the ex-depot price of petrol in March, 2021.

A press release by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, stated that the Corporation was not contemplating any raise in the price of petrol in March in order not to jeopardize ongoing engagements with organized labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that will not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship.

NNPC also cautioned petroleum products marketers not to engage in arbitrary price increase or hoarding of petrol in order not to create artificial scarcity and unnecessary hardship for Nigerians.

The Corporation stated that it has enough stock of petrol to keep the nation well supplied for over 40 days and urged motorists to avoid panic buying.

It further called on relevant regulatory authorities to step up monitoring of the activities of marketers with a view to sanctioning those involved in products hoarding or arbitrary increase of pump price.

In a bid to further stem the spread of COVID-19 within the Public Service and other stakeholders, the Lagos State Government has further extended the work-from-home directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to personnel on Salary Grade Levels 12 and below.

A statement issued by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola expressed the government’s delight that measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID in the State has resulted in a steady decline in the number of recorded cases in the preceding weeks.

Muri-Okunola maintained that in order to sustain the success so far recorded, Mr. Governor has reviewed the directive to all Public Servants on Salary Grade Levels 12 and below for four weeks, with effect from Monday, 1st to Friday, 26th March 2021.

The HoS said the directive does not preclude any of the exempted Grade Levels from reporting for duty whenever the Accounting Officer deems it necessary.

His words: “All Public Servants are advised to continue to stay safe by observing all COVID-19 protocols such as Physical Distancing, regular use of face masks and hand hygiene. Also, Accounting Officers are to ensure strict adherence to all extant directives aimed to guarantee physical distancing in the workplace by preparation of weekly Duty Rosters as considered germane to effective service delivery in respective MDAs”.

Recall that Lagos State has witnessed a decline in the number of infections in the recent past due to the government’s regular updates on preventive measures as well as public enlightenment campaigns to create awareness about measures to stem the spread of the deadly virus.

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo state has alleged that some unnamed political associates of Governor Seyi Makinde and leaders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were the sponsors of the recent reported attacks on its members and officials at some venues of the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise in parts of the state warning them “to desist from such reprehensible acts”.

Media reports have it that some identified members of the outlawed Park Managers System (PMS), who were fully harmed with guns, machete and charms, stormed Aliwo location of Polling Units 05 and 06 of Ward 12 in Ibadan North East local government area in early hours of Tuesday and unleashed terror on residents of the area before carting away registration materials of the APC.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by the Secretary of the Oyo APC Committee on Media and Publicity, Olawale Sadare, the opposition party frowned at what it described as unwarranted and unprovoked attacks from the PDP elements “who must have been jolted by the rate at which the good people of the state are trooping to register as new APC members while old members also attach much importance to revalidation of their membership.

“We have had reports of violent attacks against our registration officials and members in places like Olagoke Akano Street of Ward 11 in Ibadan North East local government area, Academy area of Ward 06 in Egbeda, Iyana Bodija Market of Ward 05 in Lagelu, Orita Challenge in Ward 02 of Oluyole, Owode in Ward 06 of Ogbomoso North and many other places where political thugs were mobilized to the venues of the registration and revalidation exercise since the exercise began about two weeks ago.

Governor, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State approved the donation of an 18-seater bus to the Lanase Central Mosque, Aremo, Ibadan.

The governor, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Abdrasheed Abdul-Azeez said that the bus will greatly help the propagation of Islam in the state.

While presenting the bus, Abdul-Azeez said that the governor was highly appreciative of the support and prayers of the Islamic community to the success and stability of his administration thus far.

He also urged the Imam to continue to work for peaceful coexistence among all religions in the state.

The Governor’s aide said that the league of Imams and Alfa’s in the state has a duty to always preach peace and religious harmony, adding that by emphasising such in their sermons, the society will be better for all while the unity and oneness of the country will be enhanced.

According to him, economic growth of the state can only be guaranteed in an atmosphere where there
is tolerance and love, adding that people should support the success of the governor Seyi Makinde- led administration to enable a peaceful environment.

The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for victims of SARS and other related matters has decided to hear petitions filed against the Nigerian Army despite their absence yet again.

The panel had given the army authorities the last opportunity to appear before it on Saturday after failing to appear on four other occasions.

On January 30, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi had held that the petitions against the army would proceed even if they failed to show up.

At Saturday’s proceedings, the army was again absent and they were not represented by any counsel.

The panel moved on to hear the petition of a casual worker, Lucky Philemon who says he was shot by the army at the Lekki toll gate protest on the night of Oct 20, 2020.

He is demanding to be paid compensation of N200m as damages for the inconvenience of losing his limbs as well as another $50,000 for Prosthetic limbs.

Another eyewitness to the shooting on the night, Dabira Ayiuku, who described herself as one of the coordinators of the Lekki toll gate protest also testified on what she witnessed at the toll gate.

She testified that army officials shot at protesters sitting peacefully at the toll gate on the night of October 20.

It has just been confirmed to ODUDUWA NEWS that the Oyo State owned tertiary institutions may be shut down anytime from now by aggrieved students over extort and excesses of gateway payment called platinum.

This statement was made known to the public through the Chairman of the state chapter of NANS, Comrade Opakunle Mayowa in a press statement signed by him. He said the schools affected by Platinum would be shut down time indefinitely.

His full texts reads:

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA STUDENTS
JCC OYO STATE AXIS.

OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN.

Date: 24/11/2020

ALL STATE INSTITUTIONS AFFECTED BY PLATINUM IN OYO STATE TO BE SHUTDOWN INDEFINITELY, until compliance by the State Government on our agitations.

This is in accordance to the meeting held on 24th of February 2021 between the The PRESIDENTs of the affected institutions and the NANs JCC OYO STATE CHAPTER, following series of viral consultations, public appeal and agitations which led to an ultimatum of 72hours given to the Government to find a lasting solution to the exorbitant charges and inefficiencies of the platform(PLATINUM), he introduced to checkmate the financial records of this institutions. It became appalling as the government was not moved and showed insensitiveness, because we have been perceived to be a toothless dogs who only barks but doesn’t bite. It therefore become imperative to reiterate once again to the state government and the entire cabinet that the gentility of a tiger is not of cowardice, but to the rather consolidative approach we have decided to employ to tackling salient issues to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state.

Our being calm and choosing the intellectual engagement in solving issues facing the Students populace in the state was not of incapability, but rather we of thought that the government of today has a listening hear and a believe that it is an intellectual administration who would rather prefer a mutual engagement to violent reaction and has enough hands on deck to aide the growth and development of the Students populace in the state but reversed is the case.

On this note of noncompliance and purposeful negligence of the state government to our outcry, The National Association of Nigerian Students Oyo state chapter and the SUG presidents of the affected institutions has come to a conclusion that all the affected institution should be shutdown from Monday 1st of March,2021 till further notice. And if by the end of Monday nothing is done by the state government, there’s going to be a massive protest on Tuesday.

Signed:
Com. Oluwafunmibi Mayowa OPAKUNLE.
CHAIRMAN NANS JCC OYO STATE.

Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the party’s headquarters to stand firm against those it described as impostors and had decided to use the Judiciary to the platform backwards, even as it restated its readiness for the coming South-West Congress that would produce zonal executive that would be acceptable to the majority of people of the zone.

The zonal congress of the main opposition party has been scheduled to hold, on March 6, 2021, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. This was just as the party chapter affirmed the Oyo State governor, Engnr Seyi Makinde as PDP leader in the zone, saying it also stood by the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) that had the conditional right to fix the date and venue of the exercise.

The State Legal Adviser of PDP, Muyideen Tejumade, made this call, on Friday, at a press conference which took place at the party secretariat, and attended by state officers and local government chairmen, including the national ex-officio member, David Kolawole; Alhaji Segun Sowole, among others.

“We are calling on the National Committee of our great party stand firm against the few impostors, who have decided to use the Judiciary to draw the party backwards; while we restate our readiness in the South-West PDP to have a congress that will produce the zonal executives that are acceptable to the majority of the people of the South-West,” Tejumade said.

ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that one hundred trucks conveying 4,000 tonnes of onion have reportedly left Sokoto for other African countries in the aftermath of the recent crisis at Shasa.

The crisis in Shasa reportedly led to the death of 27 onion dealers while 14 trucks were razed.

However, the National President of Onion Producers and Marketers, Aliyu Isa, denied that the decision to export the products resulted from the recent Shasa crisis.

DailyTrust Saturday learnt that this was the first documented onion export witnessed in the country.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, which took place at Illela border post, Isa noted that the world witnessed a global onion crisis due to the outbreak of purple blotch and Downey mildew in 2019 and the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that in Nigeria, the situation was further complicated by the flooding of 2020, which made it challenging to attain annual onion domestic demands.

According to him, Nigeria produces 1.4 million metric tonnes of onion every year and exports it to all African countries, except Egypt and the Niger Republic.

He said that before now, they were spending not less than N1 million to export their products through the informal way, but now that they have officially documented it, they would spend only N100,000.

In his remarks, the comptroller of Customs in charge of Sokoto and Zamfara states, Alhaji Abdulhameed Ma’aji, said they had provided advanced solutions to ease the exportation of made in Nigeria products.

Also speaking, Alhaji Ahmed Yahya, head of the Export Promotion Council in Sokoto, described the development as a giant lift and great feat because many informal exports were taking place along the axis.