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Makinde admits epileptic performance of light-up Oyo project, promises permanent solution

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Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has assured residents of the state that his administration will find a permanent solution to the challenges facing the light-up Oyo project after the ongoing audit.

The governor, who gave the assurance while speaking during a special service held at Maranatha Lord Cometh Ministries International, Abayomi, Iwo-Road, Ibadan, said that his administration was also reviewing environmental laws to clean up the environment and remove beggars from the streets.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that there will be a permanent solution to the epileptic performance of the light-up Oyo project and the traffic congestion being experienced by the people of the state.

He added that the traffic gridlock experienced in recent months must have been the result of influxes of people seeking a conducive environment in Oyo State.

He explained that residents should not be afraid of whether the light will come back or not, as according to him, it will come back sustainably.

Similarly, the governor vowed to get beggars and the destitute off the streets as soon as possible.

He warned lawbreakers, to turn a new leaf by obeying environmental and traffic laws, adding that violators of state laws would not go unpunished under Omituntun 2.0.

He promised to fix the road that leads to the church as quickly as possible.

He said, “You know, it is one thing to be here and another thing to do something that you can remember. So, your request to fix this road is approved. And let it be on record that this is done under Omituntun 1.0.

“Let me also say that we have been blessed with the message this morning of mercy and grace. For the beggars, we are thinking about them and will take them off the streets. Two days ago, I visited the camp at Akinyele but it did not perform as envisaged, but we will take another approach to it. So, between now and May 29th, you will see us taking the beggars off the streets.

Speaking on the light-up project, he said: “So, an audit is going on right now, and I have asked the Commissioner for Energy to put out a notice. It will take about four to six weeks to complete the audit process, and we will have a permanent solution immediately after that audit. “So, you don’t have to be afraid of whether the light will come back or not. They will come back and stay there sustainably.

“The second issue is about the investment on the road. As you can see, we have traffic situations here. Well, let me say this: many people are coming into this state from other states because things are being done right here.

“When we came in, we were in a hole. Now, we are out of the hole and yet to start working or running, but we are crawling along and being proactive in how we are situating our infrastructure.” Many people are coming in, and we have to stay ahead of how we provide the infrastructure. If you look at the airport road coming into Ibadan, it is not the same situation as we have in Lagos. We are looking at multiple routes to get to the airport. Not only have we dualized the airport road itself, but the airport road is now going to Ajia to burst out at the Ajia junction. So, if you are going to Ife, you don’t need to get to the junction.

“We also have a new road now going through Oremeji, Agugu, which is right after the gate of the airport.” So, if you are going to the center of the city, you don’t have to come to Iwo Road. You turn in right after the gate to get to Oremeji, Agugu, and beyond. Also, on that road to Ajia, we made a spur to Amuloko, and from Amuloko, you can turn left and go towards Akanran and Ijebu-Ode, and you can turn right and come to Olorunsogo. Not only are we fixing the road, but we are also dualizing the biggest portion, which is about 3.5 km.

“For example, if you want to come to Secretariat, Gate, Total Garden, and all those neighbouring areas, you don’t have to come in through Iwo Road. The Old Ife Road is being fixed. I was there yesterday night around 9:30 p.m. and inspected the underpass at Onipepeye. You know it is connected to the Ogbere River, and we have expanded that place. We can never experience floods at Onipepeye again. If you want to go to Gate, you take the old-Ife road, which has been dualized. No bottleneck. That underpass will be open for traffic before the 29th of May. All of these are under Omituntun 1.0.

“You also touched on waste management. Yes, we have moved from where we used to be but still need to do more, and we are constantly looking at the means to achieve a very clean and presentable environment. I can say we are well on our way. We know the solution, and we are trying to implement it. So, I look forward to a cleaner and saner Ibadan.

“If you look at the roadmap for sustainable development 2023–2027, Section 6, it deals with the rule of law. We have the grace period now, too. Between now and May 29, people will have grace. But starting May 29, I will make the pronouncement and put big billboards at all entry points to Oyo State that will suggest that this will be a state where you will be responsible for your actions.

“We will engage with all stakeholders whose markets are flowing into the roads and causing traffic logjams. We will ask them to be confined within the space provided for buying and selling. I will not go after the sellers, but the buyers. If you want to buy things, go inside the market. We will provide parking spaces and organization within those marketplaces. But if you stay on the road to patronize people who are not supposed to be on the road, you will pay the fine for both of you the buyer and the seller. We will show mercy on the seller, but the grace will not cover the buyer. We will sensitize the people first.

“We had the last Exco meeting about a week and a half ago, and we tasked the Exco and they harmonized the Environmental Bill. It is with the Oyo State House of Assembly now, and once it is passed, then there is a law. We will ask people to obey our laws, and we will all be better for it. We have connected almost all of our zones. I went for inspection in three zones of Oyo State, and we did it within five hours and got to Oyo, Oke-Ogun, and came back to Ibadan to inspect projects. So, we have put in the handwork but left it to people to obey the law and let the rest also enjoy the benefits of the money we have put into our infrastructure.”.

Earlier in his message, the presiding pastor of the church, Bishop Samuel 1 Olumakinde Alawode who read from the Bible Ephesians 4:7, admonished people to repent of their sins and seek divine grace from the Lord.

While commending the unprecedented feats achieved by the governor in Omituntun 1.0, the cleric charged Governor Makinde to be more active in his second term in office and strive to leave a lasting legacy in the history of the state.

 

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Iran War Disrupts Oil Supply, Global Loss Hits $50bn

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The global oil market has recorded losses exceeding $50bn following massive supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran war, which has now stretched to nearly 50 days.

Data from energy analytics firm Kpler showed that more than 500 million barrels of crude oil and condensate have been wiped off the global market since the crisis began in late February, making it the largest energy supply disruption in modern history.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened after a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon.

However, tensions escalated again on Saturday as Tehran warned it could shut the strategic waterway if the United States sustains its blockade of Iranian ports.

Also, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be reached “soon,” although he did not provide a definite timeline.

Analysts warned that the scale of disruption could have prolonged effects on global energy stability, with shocks expected to linger for months or even years.

Providing context, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Iain Mowat, said the 500 million barrels lost is equivalent to grounding global aviation demand for 10 weeks, halting all road transport worldwide for 11 days, or shutting down the entire global oil supply for five days.

Further estimates showed that the lost volume is nearly equal to one month of oil demand in the United States or more than a month’s supply for Europe. It also represents about six years of fuel consumption by the U.S. military and could power global shipping activities for approximately four months.

The crisis has significantly affected oil-producing nations in the Gulf, with output losses reaching about eight million barrels per day in March—roughly equivalent to the combined production of two of the world’s largest oil companies.

Jet fuel exports from major producers, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, dropped sharply from 19.6 million barrels in February to just 4.1 million barrels recorded across March and April combined. Analysts said the shortfall could have powered about 20,000 round-trip international flights.

With crude prices averaging around $100 per barrel since the onset of the conflict, the lost volumes translate to an estimated $50bn in revenue. Experts noted that this figure is equivalent to about one per cent of Germany’s annual Gross Domestic Product, or roughly the size of the economies of smaller European countries.

Meanwhile, global onshore crude inventories have declined by about 45 million barrels in April alone, while total production outages have risen to approximately 12 million barrels per day since late March.

Industry experts cautioned that unless a lasting resolution is reached, the disruption could intensify volatility in global oil markets, worsen inflationary pressures, and further strain fragile economies worldwide.

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Oseni Secures Prestigious City People Political Award Nomination

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A member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has been nominated for a Special Award in Politics at the 2026 City People Political Awards.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Oseni’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.

According to the statement, the lawmaker earned the nomination in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to politics in Oyo State, particularly in Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency.”

The organisers noted that Oseni emerged as a nominee following a comprehensive review of performances across sectors by the award’s selection committee.

Part of the letter read, “Having performed creditably well in your sector last year, the Organising Committee presented you as a nominee in your sector.”

The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Etal Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, at 4pm.

The City People Awards is an annual event that recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves in governance, public service and other sectors of national development.

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Kaduna Electric to prosecute, expose attackers of staff

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The Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced a crackdown on individuals who assault its staff, warning that offenders will face prosecution and public exposure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company expressed concern over what it described as a “disturbing surge” in attacks on its field workers and third-party partners.

It noted that the affected personnel were mainly engaged in meter installation, revenue collection and maintenance of electricity infrastructure.

According to the firm, the increasing cases of harassment, physical assault and unlawful detention of its workers pose a serious threat to employee safety and the stability of electricity service delivery across its franchise areas.

The Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, said the company would no longer tolerate any form of aggression against its workforce.

“Let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who engages in the assault of our staff. Kaduna Electric will pursue every case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

“We will work closely with security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice and face the full weight of the law,” Mohammed added.

He further disclosed that the company would publicly reveal the identities of individuals found culpable.

According to him, names, photographs and other details of offenders would be published on the company’s official platforms as well as in national and local media.

“This measure is intended to ensure accountability and serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who chooses to attack our personnel should be prepared not only to face prosecution but also public exposure,” he added.

The company stressed that assaults on utility workers attract serious legal and financial consequences, noting that offenders risk criminal charges that may lead to fines or imprisonment.

It added that perpetrators could also face civil liabilities, including compensation for medical treatment, psychological trauma and loss of work hours.
While condemning the attacks, Kaduna Electric urged customers to adopt peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes.

It advised aggrieved customers to channel complaints through its customer service units or appropriate regulatory bodies.

The management reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its workforce and partners, stressing that a safe working environment is essential for delivering reliable and efficient electricity services.

Although disputes between electricity providers and consumers are often linked to billing issues, metering challenges and service delivery concerns, the company maintained that such matters must be resolved through dialogue, insisting that violence against its staff will no longer be tolerated.

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