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Aje festival 2021: Ooni charges govt. to direct economic policies at Nigerians
The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has charged the federal and state governments to direct economic policies and other laudable programmes at the entire citizenry.
Ooni Ogunwusi, the Co-Chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) gave the charge during the 2021 edition of the annual celebration of Aje Festival at his Ile-Oodua palace, on Monday in Ile-Ife globally accepted ancestral home for Yoruba race and all the descendants of Oduduwa home and abroad. .
The Ooni who lauded Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government over several economic programmes and policies like the, recent employment of 774,000 Nigerians across the country and other interventions also advised the government to do more for the Nigerian masses by using cultural tourism as a veritable means for economic revolution.
“For us to progress as a country, we must ensure that our wealth goes round especially to the poor and other vulnerable members of the society. We cannot keep having strikingly rich few Nigerians and uncountable ones wallowing in abject poverty. To do this, the government must look at cultural tourism as a veritable tool for revolutionizing the economy before its too late. The Ooni decried.
While explaining the basis for the Aje Festival celebrations, the African foremost monarch who is also the Natural overall father for the Oodua race worldwide explained that it is a unique way through which the Yoruba people globally remember the deity which is known for wealth and riches.
“Aje is a deity which is known for wealth and riches. Its annual celebration as you have witnessed today is to acknowledge its relevance to us as people, especially its indispensable nature to us.
“Did you see the struggle for it during the procession to and from the Aje temple? That is the spirit of Aje, all of us are not rich because it is not easy to accumulate wealth.
“We are not devaluing the currency by spraying it to our people, we only do it on a special day like this to spread happiness. In the olden days, it was cowries, sometimes ago it was coins, nowadays it is naira notes and we hold it in a very high esteem.” The Ooni noted.
Coordinator of the annual Aje Festival, Princess Oluwatoyin Kolade expressed happiness for the massive turnout of participants from within and outside Nigeria without even pre publicity. Toyin Kolade, the Ilesa born international trader and great philanthropist gave all credit to Ooni Ogunwusi for the opportunity given her to contribute to cultural development of the Oodua race, pledging her continued loyalty and commitment to the development of the prestigious Yoruba cultural heritage.
“My father the Ooni is loaded with productive dynamism and great innovations for our race and African continent as a whole, especially in the area of cultural tourism revolution. He appointed me as his cultural ambassador in charge of Aje festival 4 years ago and with his unflinching support I have so far enjoyed, this Aje festival which was merely a local affair before 5 years ago has today become one of the important Nigeria cultural festivals with participants from all over the world. This Ooni is God sent, Wallahi!! “. Toyin Kolade said.
The Oore of Otun-Ekiti & Paramount Ruler of Mobaland, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, the Obaro of Kabba Oba Joseph and Onisale of Isale who led the delegation from Republic of Benin were among the traditional rulers joined other dignitaries including Nollywood stars like, Iya Rainbow, Lanre Hassan (Iya Awero) and others to witness the event while the Fuji music maestro, Abass Akande (Obesere) thrilled the guests.
AJE OLOKUN the goddess of wealth is among the loved ones out of the 401 deities(Irunmoles) that formed the first dynasty of mankind known as Ife Oodaye. These deities are still being celebrated in lle-lfe and globally till date.
The main capacity and strength of the goddess of wealth is to provide sufficient wealth and greater economic benefits for whoever worships the Almighty God through her.
AJE can be found everywhere; waters, air, land, trees, fire, among others. It is a deity synonymous with cowries which were being spent globally before the advent of present currencies.
Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has raised concerns over widespread corruption in Nigeria’s electricity sector, attributing frequent national grid failures to fraudulent practices involving substandard materials.
Olukoyede made these remarks on Tuesday during a visit from the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
He revealed that ongoing investigations in the power sector had exposed disturbing levels of malpractice, often resulting in compromised infrastructure and recurrent grid collapses.
“As I am talking to you now, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears,” Olukoyede stated.
He further explained that contractors awarded projects to supply electrical equipment were substituting recommended materials with cheaper, inferior alternatives.
“People who were awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment, instead of using what they call 9.0 gauge, they will buy 5.0,” he said, noting that such fraudulent practices contribute significantly to the country’s unstable power supply.
“So, every time you see the thing tripping off gets burnt, and all of that, it’s part of our problems.”
The EFCC boss disclosed that the agency would be intensifying efforts toward crime prevention rather than focusing solely on asset recovery.
He emphasized that future scrutiny would prioritize spending by government ministries and agencies to curb misappropriation at the source.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a record revenue collection of N5.7 trillion as of November 12, 2024, surpassing its yearly target by 10 percent.
This was disclosed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the ongoing 2024 Comptroller-General of Customs Conference in Abuja.
Themed “Nigeria Customs Service: Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,” the conference showcased the Customs Service’s progress in modernizing its operations and fostering collaborative partnerships.
“Today, I stand before you to demonstrate how our commitments in 2023 have evolved into tangible achievements,” Adeniyi stated.
He attributed the revenue growth to a series of reforms, including the implementation of a one-stop solution for cargo alerts, a revamped ICT infrastructure, streamlined inspection procedures, and enhanced automation.
Adeniyi explained that these changes reflect the agency’s commitment to elevating operational transparency and efficiency.
“We pledged to re-align our free trade operations, elevate cargo integrity standards, and expand our scanning capacities,” he said.
“Above all, we promised to usher in a new era of customs operations—one built on transparency, efficiency, and genuine collaborations with our partners.”
As of Tuesday, November 12, Adeniyi confirmed that the NCS collected N5.07 trillion, achieving the anticipated 10 percent revenue surplus.
“This performance validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation,” he added.
Adeniyi also highlighted recent strides in trade facilitation, revealing that six companies have been selected to benefit from the Authorised Economic Operators programme, which provides fast-tracked customs clearance and other trade facilitation benefits.
Similarly, the NCS has processed 21 requests under an advance ruling programme, designed to expedite customs decisions on import and export cargoes before they reach Nigerian ports.
The Comptroller-General expressed optimism about the NCS’s potential to drive further economic growth, citing the agency’s commitment to fostering partnerships and advancing innovative practices within the customs sector.
Nineteen out of the thirty-eight directors who were shortlisted to fill permanent secretary vacancies within the Federal Civil Service have failed the qualifying examination, a memo from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) revealed on Tuesday.
The memo, signed by Dr. Emmanuel Meribole on behalf of the examination committee, disclosed that the qualifying exam was conducted on Monday, November 11, 2024.
The Federal Government, through the OHCSF, launched the recruitment drive in October to fill permanent secretary vacancies in eight states.
Providing insights into the progress, Eno Olotu, Director of Press at OHCSF, stated, “Of the 38 eligible directors who sat for the exam, 19 have passed the first stage and will move on to the second stage, which will assess their competency in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in government operations on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.”
Olotu highlighted the rigorous three-stage selection process, designed to ensure that only the most capable individuals are appointed to these high-ranking civil service roles.
This comprehensive approach, according to OHCSF, aims to elevate the quality of leadership across federal ministries.
The directors who advance beyond the ICT proficiency test will face a final stage on Friday, November 15, 2024, where a panel of senior government officials and private sector experts will conduct a final evaluation to determine their suitability for the permanent secretary positions.
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