Home Blog Page 2779

Ekiti Lifts Restriction On Worship Centres, Waves Curfew |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

Religious centres in Ekiti state are now free to conduct their activities anytime and anyday as government has lifted the restrictions placed on them.

Also, the curfew which was  imposed on the state in the wake of endSARS protest has been waved with effect from 6am on Sunday, November 1, 2020.

The restriction on worship centres, clamped on them in the wake of the corona virus pandemic, compelled them to carry out religious activities only on Fridays and Sundays from 10. am till noon.

In a statement, the State Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Akin Omole explained that the decision to lift the curfew was taken after an assessment of the security situation and the restoration of relative peace in the State.

The commissioner added that the State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi also approved the lifting of the restrictions placed on religious gatherings during the corona-virus pandemic with effect from the same date, November 1, 2020.

According to him, churches and mosques are now free to open for worship without restrictions and emphasized the need for worshippers to continue adhering to the Covid-19 protocols which include wearing of face-masks, maintaining social distancing and properly washing their hands or sanitizing their hands before joining their respective congregations.

He also stressed the need for residents in the State to be law-abiding, vigilant and promptly report suspicious movement to relevant authorities, assuring that the state government would leave no stone unturned towards ensuring the safety of lives and property of the people in the State.

Black Saturday As Trailer Rams Into Market In Ondo Community, Ten Dead, Still Counting |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Trailer Accident in Ondo State

By Ayodele Oni

The restive university community of Akungba Akiko in Ondo state is in a mourning mood.

As the residents of the community were preparing to enter the new month with pomp, the unusual happened, which left them mourning.

A trailer loaded with rice descending from Ikare end of the hilly road lost control and rammed into traders at a market at Ibaka Area of  Akungba Akoko, late Saturday.

It was a gory site as the market was littered with broken human ribs, arms and skulls as well as bags of rice and the reminants of the truck.

Eyewitnesses explained that the trailer loaded with bags of rice might have lost control due to brake failure, and eventually swerved off road and into the market where people were shopping, preparatory for Sunday.

“The accident occured at about 7.30pm, when the trailer loaded with bags of rice rammed into the stalls into the market. As I am talking to you, not less than 20 persons must have died as over 10 dead bodies trapped under the trailer have been removed and many are still trapped.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), of the state police command,  Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro,  who confirmed the crash said about eight/persons  have been confirmed dead.

“As we speak now eight people have been confirmed dead in the accident and we can still have more because we still have many people trapped under the trailer,” Ikoro said.

Gov Fayemi, At Arewa Forum, Identifies Bane Of Nigeria’s Development |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has identified distrust and suspicion among socio ethnic groups in Nigeria as major bane of the country’s development.

Dr Fayemi, in a lecture titled; Unfinished Greatness, Towards More Perfect Union in Nigeria, on the 50th Anniversary of the

Centre for Historical Documentation and Research (Arewa House), Kaduna on Saturday, was of the view that the amalgamation of Nigeria by British imperialists was a right step in a right direction.

Dr Fayemi, noted that “despite the challenges that we have faced as a nation, which we sometimes unfairly exaggerate, it is important for us to constantly bear in mind that nation building is a slow and dynamic process.

“The awareness that nothing in nation-building is finalised should give us hope and challenge us to do better and constantly look for ways and means to build a better country, by experimentation and learning, trial and errors, setting and resetting.

“And this is why the operative framework of any nation is never intended as a divinely inspired scripture. Most of the challenges that we face today could not have been envisaged in 1999. But we must see these challenges as opportunities to test our governance system and its responsive capacity to issues of national co-existence.

 

“The integrity of our governance and administrative system must be continually measured in terms of its ability to deliver the greater good to the greatest number of our people. If it is not able to do this, we must be willing to press the reset button and ask ourselves why is the system that we all must submit to not working for us all?

“However, for us to constructively confront these issues, we must start by first conquering the demon of mutual suspicion and distrust that has poisoned our politics and subverted our will to achieve the necessary consensus that is so crucial to marching confidently towards our destiny as a great nation.

“If we do this, we would have scaled the major obstacle to forging a great nation out of this colonial creation and show the world that we are finally ready to embrace our true destiny as the hope of all black people everywhere.”

According to him,  important as the power of leadership is, until and unless we recompose the Nigerian State and make it derive her original consent and legitimacy from the people, then we labour in vain.

“Contrary to the pretensions of neo-liberal economists, without a modern state there cannot be an economy or society; therefore, before public governance, there must be a modern state in the real sense. A predatory state cannot give birth to proper public governance and a sense of justice and fairness.

“Those of us in public office may delude ourselves, but the events of the past few weeks have brought the contradictions of the Nigerian state into a sharper focus.

“Whether your immediate concern is police brutality and the need for police reform or you reflect upon the rationale and the challenges of those who insist that until Nigeria becomes a theocracy, there shall be blood and tears unlimited; whether you look towards the Niger Delta where, despite the amnesty and the industry of graft and greed that it has re-produced, there is a continuous and bloody demand for justice and equity.

“You may also want to examine the endless pretexts for ethnic strife and blood-letting between the indigenous people and the “settlers” in the Middle Belt; whether you scrutinise the regular apocalyptic predictions of highly placed Nigerians about the fate of the country, or you contemplate what would happen if measures are not taken to arrest the drift, you cannot but come to the conclusion that Nigeria needs to be re-imagined and re-created.”

“Over the years, I have heard even presumably informed analysts referred to our country as the mistake of 1914. But was the amalgamation really a mistake?

“Therefore, it is possible to argue that the toxic legacy of their ‘divide and rule’ strategy may be the reason that we have remained divided even 60 years after their rule has ended. However, to describe this amalgamation itself as a mistake would be wrong, both historically and conceptually.

“The hands that drew the map may not have been ours, but the map was possible only because we are here in the first place.”

Fayemi is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF.

Police Officers And Men Are Demoralised – IGP |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0
Mohammed Adamu - Police IG
Mohammed Adamu - Police IG

By Akinwale Kasali

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu says Police personnel are demoralised. And worried by the attacks, killings, and maiming of Police Officers and the destruction of their Stations, Adamu has called on his Officers and Men to defend themselves by fighting back when attacked.

The call by the IGP was imminent following series of attacks on the Police personnel since the #EndSARS protest was hijacked by hoodlums, killing and setting Police Stations around the country ablaze. Arms and ammunitions were also stolen.

The IGP said men and officers have the right to defend themselves in case of physical danger.

He made this declaration during an assessment tour of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command in Abuja, on Friday, where he also encouraged the operatives who had abandoned the streets in the past five days, following the killing of, at the last count,  22 policemen in the violent protest that rocked the country.

The police boss alleged that the #EndSARS protesters were out to demoralise the personnel, adding that the Government and the Nigeria Police Force would soon roll out packages for the families of the deceased officers.

His words: “The unity of this country lies in the support that is given to police officers because if you are demoralised, the tendency is for criminals to take over the public space and the country is relying on us to make sure that the public space is not taken over by the criminals. So no amount of provocation, no amount of insult would make us shy away from our responsibilities.

“Inasmuch as we are aware that the government is behind us, we would encourage you to keep performing your duties. We would encourage you to be professional, to be civic, but if anybody touches you, if anybody comes to assault you, you can also protect yourself.

“When we talk of human rights, the police are human; so, the rights of police officers would also be protected. So, we are sending the message that legally, we have the right to protect ourselves. But while we are doing that, we make sure that it is until we are endangered.”

Alaafin On A Surprise Visit To Oluwo Of Iwo Says Osun State Capital Should Have Been Iwo, Not Osogbo |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0
Alaafin Visits Oluwo

By Akinwale Kasali

The Alaafin of Oyo, HRM Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Iku Baba Yeye, has stirred the hornet’s nest with his statement that the Capital of Osun State should have been situated in Iwo and not Osogbo where it is at present.

The renowned King and Paramount ruler in Oyo State made this controversial statement that will be at the front burner of discourse in the coming days, when he surprisingly visited Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi in his Iwo palace.

Alaafin, alongside Oba Akanbi, condemned the disunity in Yoruba traditional Institution, with the Oluwo of Iwo calling on the Alaafin to engineer a process of reunification to the advantage of the Yoruba rich, respected heritage on the world map.

The Oluwo of Iwo described Alaafin as a foremost traditional ruler, not only in Yorubaland, but also in Nigeria, saying his words and actions are needed at this critical time of unity challenge in the institution.

Reacting to the words of his host, the Alaafin affirmed disunity in Yoruba traditional council, saying it was invited by political infiltration into the ranking of the council by politicians of the old Oyo Empire, as he assured Oluwo to handle the assignment with all his utmost traditional strength.

He further disclosed Iwo as the supposed seat of Osun State capital should traditional, political and cultural sagacity be considered while carving out Osun out of Oyo .

Oba Lamidi related his relationship with Iwo as cordial and always symbiotic, saying his visit will further cement the affinity between the two ancient city.

He commended Oluwo for his tenacity despite numerous distractions, saying his first 20years  as Alaafin was turbulent and rough, even than Oluwo’s case.

“Yoruba traditional institution is porous, one without unity and lacking the strength to protect and secure Yorubaland. It is disheartening there was no formidable central council of Obas to issue statement of appeal and command where necessary most especially as it relates to the recent destruction that accompanied the recent EndSARS Protest in the South Western Nigeria”

“Our unity is not only strength but also greenlight to the security, protective and progressive hope of Yorubaland and her generations. I want to charge and appeal to the respected Alaafin of Oyo to use his traditional paraphernalia and stronghold to bring out olive branch branch and unite actors in the council”

“Baba Alaafin, I appreciate your visit, it is a gesture that must be reciprocated. Your worth is unquantifiable. I’m ready to complement your efforts at fashioning a new map for the progress of Yorubaland”

Alaafin was quoted as saying “Iwo is an ancient city with cordial and understandable relationship with Oyo. I’m not new to Iwo. I visit occassionally. Iwo is rich in culture, tradition and religion. Ordinarily, Iwo should have been the capital of Osun State following their traditional, political and religious sagacity”

“The bridge of peace in Yourbaland was affected through the infiltration of politicking into the Institution by politicians of the old Oyo Empire. The challenge from every quarter as it equally comes from Oluwo is a challenge to rise to that occassion and do the much needful without retraction”

“I commend Oluwo for his courage, tenacity and zeal in standing tall despite enormous distractions stage managed by his few subjects. I had tougher experience in the first 20years of my reign, cry rough and turbulent. It is what Yoruba will call “Ojumo kan, ogun kan- one day, one war”

“I’m pleased to visit Oluwo again, felt at home and give him words of encouragement in shaping new course of hope for the Yoruba race”

Joining Oluwo to receive the Alaafin were : The Aagberi of Iragberi, Akire of Ikire Ile, Adatan of Asa, The Waziri of Yorubaland, Chief Imam of Iwoland, Prof. Lai Olurode, Queen Iyabo Lamuye and many dignitaries cutting across traditional, religious and academic circles.

Protests: IGP Tackles Amnesty Int’l |The Source

By
The Source
-
0

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu, has affirmed that officers of the Nigeria Police Force acted professionally, exercised commendable restraints and some paid the supreme price for peace during the recent protests in some parts of the country. The IGP made this observation following report by Amnesty International dated 21st October, 2020 that Police personnel shot at peaceful protesters. He described the Amnesty Int’l report as untrue, misleading and contrary to all available empirical evidences.

The IGP noted that during the protests, officers of the Force used legitimate means to ensure that the protests were carried out in a peaceful manner and in most cases, physically protected and walked side-by-side with the protesters. He reiterated that even when the protests turned violent in some parts of the country, the officers still maintained utmost restraint and did not use excessive force in managing the situations.

According to a release signed by Force Spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, available Reports show that twenty-two (22) police personnel were extra-judicially killed by some rampaging protesters and scores injured during the protests. Many of the injured personnel are in life threatening conditions at the hospitals. Two hundred and five (205) Police stations and formations including other critical private and public infrastructure were also damaged by a section of the protesters. Despite these unprovoked attacks, our police officers never resorted to use of unlawful force or shooting at the protesters as alleged in the report. It also beggars imagination that Amnesty International failed to mention or pay tribute to Police officers who were gruesomely murdered during the protests while serving their fatherland. The Force decries the discriminatory tendencies exhibited by Amnesty International as seen in the report. One wonders if in the estimation of Amnesty International, police officers are not also human beings equally entitled to the protection of their fundamental rights to life and dignity of human person.

The IGP, while noting that the Force is committed to the Federal Government’s ongoing holistic reforms of the NPF targeted at improving service delivery, positive police-citizen relationship and respect for human rights, enjoins Amnesty International to ensure they subject their reports to adequate scrutiny and proper verification of facts before making the reports public.

Protests: IGP Inaugurates 9-Man Committee To Assess Police Losses |The Source

By
The Source
-
0
Abubakar Mohammed Adamu - IGP

Appreciates Sacrifices by Police personnel, delegates to visit families of deceased and injured officers

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has inaugurated a 9-Man Committee for the assessment of losses suffered by the Nigeria Police Force during the ENDSARS Protests across the country. The IGP, during the inauguration program which held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, today, Friday, 30th October, 2020, noted that the setting up of the Assessment Committee is informed by the need to properly document the losses suffered by the Force for the purposes of strategic planning, re-construction and re-equipment as well as for future reference. He observed that the Force encountered huge losses in terms of human and material resources during the ENDSARS protests which commenced on a rather peaceful note but unfortunately degenerated into violence, loss of lives and wanton destruction of property.

The Committee, which has CP Abutu Yaro as Chairman, according to Force Spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, was charged by the IGP to see the assignment as a call to service which must be undertaken with purposefulness, empathy, dedication and sacrifice. The terms of reference of the Committee include: that the delegation should physically visit the scenes of incident and capture the pictorials of all damages done to police infrastructure and personnel; verify the fatalities suffered by the police; establish the weapons holdings that were lost during the incidents, amongst others. The IGP particularly emphasized that the delegates should visit families of deceased police officers and the injured on behalf of the Force.

The IGP, while appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, GCON and Government at all levels for their support and commitment to the holistic reforms of the Force, reassured the families of the deceased police officers and the injured their losses and sacrifices would continually be remembered by the Force and the nation. The IGP also appreciated the professional conduct and restraints by Police personnel during the period, even in the face of imminent threats to their lives.

At least, 22 Policemen were reportedly killed during the two-week protest, with several Police Stations burnt and looted.

Looting: Lagos Lawmaker Says Nigerian Youths High On Drugs, Sees Bleak Future |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0
Mojisola Alli-Macaulay

By Akinwale Kasali

Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Amuwo Odofin constituency 1 of Lagos State, has condemned the looting and arson of Public and Private Properties by hoodlums who hijacked the Peaceful and Coordinated #EndSARS protest against Police brutality and extra judicial killings.

Alli-Macaulay alleged that many Nigerian youths are high on drugs all the time, which makes them misbehave and act abnormally.

The Lawmaker said this during a plenary at the Lagos State House of Assembly on the looting and arson in the wake of the #EndSARS protest.

She said the National Orientation Agency needs to be alive to its responsibilities and help change the attitude of the youths.

“The National Orientation Agency needs to get to work. We need to begin to orientate our young people. They need people who can talk to them from time to time. They are high on drugs all the time, most of them. They go to social media and say all sorts of things. I’m even scared to give my young children phones because I am scared of what they may see on social media. It is that bad.”

She stressed that unemployment shouldnt be the yardstick or an excuse for looting, adding that unemployment was not exclusive to Nigeria.

“It is not unemployment that should be the reason why youths should come out and begin to misbehave. There is unemployment across the world, even in the United States.

“I schooled in the UK, and I saw a lot of young people who were not employed but they didn’t become hoodlums. Why can’t we look inwards and look for solutions to our problems?” she asked.

The lawmaker argued that an unemployed graduate could get a job in the informal sector instead of complaining about joblessness.

“Why can’t the young people look within themselves, look for their talents? Even if you are a graduate, what stops you from being a designer or a professional tile man and make a brand of it? There is no excuse for being a hoodlum. With this action from the youth, the future of the nation looks bleak” she said.

Ondo Governorship Poll: PDP’s Eyitayo Jegede, Heads For Tribunal |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Eyitayo Jegede

By Ayodele Oni

At last, the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the October 10 election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the poll.

He has decided to challenge the victory of Govenor Rotimi Akeredolu, a fellow SAN, at the tribunal.

Joined in the petition are the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and the Deputy Govenor- elect, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Ifedayo Adedipe is the lead counsel for the  Governorship candidate of the PDP.

Jegede is challenging the election on four grounds.

He said the election was marred by irregularities and pockets of violence and intimidation.

Jegede also faulted the emergence of Akeredolu during Party’s primaries.

Akeredolu won the Governorship election, defeating closest rival, Jegede, with 93,000 votes.

WTO: Okonjo-Iweala Expresses Happiness, Exudes Hope |The Source

By
The Source
-
0
Ngozi-Okonjo-Iweala

By Gideon Njoku

The preferred winner for the office of the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has expressed happiness for the success made so far in her quest to clinch the high profile job.

Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s candidate for the office, beat 13 others in a highly competitive Sreening and interview for the job.

She beat her closest rival, South Korea’s Minister for Trade and Investment by 104 to 60 votes,  thus securing the broadest acceptance among member nations.

As is the tradition in the WTO, she needs a consensus to win, something that has already been taken for granted. A formal announcement of her choice was being expected when the US Government threw a spanner in works.

The Donald Trump Government which never backed her from the onset refused  to endorse her clear victory, preferring the South Korean to her, even though the European Union, the African Union, China and more back her. This may force a vote on November 9. If it gets to that, it will be a first in the history of the WTO.

But in a tweet on Thursday, Okonjo-Iweala exuded happiness and an infectious confidence. She tweeted: “Happy for the continued success & progress of our @WTO DG bid. Very humbled to be declared the candidate with the largest, broadest support among members & most likely to attract consensus. We move on to the next step on Nov. 9, despite, hiccups. We’re keeping the positivity going!”

For the records, this is not the first time the Trump Government would oppose  Nigeria’s chances for an international job. The country also opposed the second term bid of Dr Akinwumi Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank, AfDB. Adesina got his re-election.

1...2,7782,7792,780...3,162Page 2,779 of 3,162