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Chieftaincy Reforms Law: Group congratulates Makinde, Oyo Assembly for making history
A socio-cultural group, under the aegis of the Ibadan Renaissance Reform Mandate, has congratulated the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, and members of the State House of Assembly on Wednesday’s passage of an executive bill on the reform of the age-long Chieftaincy Matters.
The group, on Thursday, added that both the governor and the state lawmakers have recorded their names in the history book as they would be remembered ‘for replacing the retrogressive and an archaic law’ with a new document that would allow the Governor to exercise his discretion as provided by the new Law on Chieftaincy-related matters.
Chief Olutola Ogungbade, the convener of the group in a press statement hours after the passage of the bill by the State legislature, urged the State Governor to immediately assent to the bill to become law without further delay.
His words, “We must congratulate the State Governor on his mission to reposition the Chieftaincy system in the State.
“Engr Seyi Makinde employed the due process of the law as the executive came up with the bill to the State Assembly some weeks ago and the latter in its wisdom, thoroughly debated the matter at the second reading stage and even made room for a public hearing where stakeholders submitted a memorandum to express their views on the matter.
“The State lawmakers thereafter considered the outcome of the bill ‘by the Committee of the whole house’ and they have now endorsed same through its passage on Wednesday.
“This is a great feat and welcome development. Though some minority stakeholders expressed dissenting voices against the passage of the bill the generality of our people across the State has shown their preference for the reformation of the existing law.
“We should recall that Olubadan-in-council members; traditional rulers in some parts of the State alongside senior chiefs and Mogajis in Ibadan including Market men and women across the State commended the Governor on this move and are therefore happy to see the bill scaling hurdles to become law.
“It, therefore behooves on the State Governor to immediately sign this bill into law. We are impressed with the Governor and believe that his second term would be a blessing for traditional rulers and the people of our State,” Ogungbade added.
Penultimate Friday, it would be recalled that the Olubadan-In-Council, backed the Chiefs law of Oyo State, saying ‘it is time to amend the Chiefs law to have more Obas’ under the Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Majority of the Olubadan High chiefs in their memorandum to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, during a public hearing of the bill on the reform which recently entered the second reading stage, copiously advanced reasons why the need for chieftaincy reform in Ibadan which can only happen after the Chiefs Law of the State has been amended.
According to one of them, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola, ‘I need to report why the Government of Oyo state should reform the Oyo State Chieftaincy Reform visa-s-vis Ibadan Municipality in the Eleven Local Government within its Municipality and how to go about it.’
Ajibola said ‘The Ibadan has been long governed by 1957 Declaration Law whereby the High Chiefs under the Olubadan are subject to ridicule and lack of respect at public functions until during the era of Late Senator Abiola Ajimobi who abolished the 1957 Declaration Law and upgraded the High Chiefs to the Status of Royal Majesty why Olubadan himself was upgraded to the Status of Imperial Majesty.
‘He also cut the line to 12 steps at Otun line and 13 steps at Balogun line, the situation which was later reversed by Governor Seyi Makinde
‘The Ibadan High Chiefs were not respected and given necessary regard within and outside governmental functions like other Obas from outside Ibadan like Oke Ogun, Oyo, and Ogbomoso axis who have no higher domain status or a size bigger than Foko, Agbeni, Oje, etc. in Ibadan.
‘The defect leading to the derailment of the attempt of the Late Senator Ajimobi to upgrade the Ibadan hierarchy was a failure to amend the Chiefs Law to give it the status it deserved.
‘Now that the incumbent Governor Engineer Seyi Makinde has now deemed it fit to put the record straight and give Ibadan a befitting status, we solidly support the Amendment to section 28 of the Chiefs Laws of Oyo State.
‘It is a kudos to His Excellency Governor Makinde who has deemed it fit to correct the long time defects to the Chiefs law politically created during,’ Ajibola added.
In his contribution, the Onpetu of Ijeru Kingdom, Oba Sunday Oladapo Oyediran
Stated that the amendment of the Law is a good development.
He, however, said the exercise of the Governor’s discretion in respect of the chieftaincy holders that are entitled to wear beaded crowns should be exercised based on the historical antecedent of the chieftaincies, the peculiarity of a given area and doctrine of necessity.
Oba Oyediran said, ‘In exercising his discretion, the Governor should carry out due diligence to ensure that territorial identities are respected, avoid overlapping of areas of traditional authorities and draw a distinct line between traditional Chiefs and honorary ones. The beaded crown so approved by the Governor should be annotated with the inscription of Obas created by statute.’
The monarch said with this amendment, the Governor is now placed in the position of a Judge of the Court in respect of entitlement to wear a beaded crown and he must exercise his discretion judiciously and judicially,
The reform sought to amend the current Chiefs Law particularly Section 28 of the Law which provides that ‘The Governor may from time to time after consultation with the Council of Obas and Chiefs of the State by order specify the chieftaincies, the holder for the time being of which are entitled to wear the beaded crown.’
The wearing of a beaded crown by chieftaincy holders in the State is at the discretion of the Governor by the provision of the present law and the Governor can only exercise his discretion after he must have consulted the Council of Obas and Chiefs. This has now become history as the State Governor can now exercise his discretion as provided by the new Law, unfettered.
The Minister-designate for Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has firmly clarified that he never promised to fix Nigeria’s national electricity grid within three months, describing such claims circulating in sections of the media as a misrepresentation of his Senate screening remarks.
A statement issued after his appearance before the Senate stressed that Tegbe was deliberate and cautious in his presentation, avoiding unrealistic timelines while outlining a structured reform pathway for the power sector.
According to the clarification, Tegbe explained that while Nigerians can expect early signs of progress, particularly in grid stabilisation within his first 100 days in office, comprehensive reforms will be guided strictly by technical assessments, stakeholder consultations, and sector realities.
He noted that critical challenges such as gas supply constraints, metering gaps, infrastructure decay, and commercial inefficiencies require coordinated interventions that cannot be resolved through arbitrary timelines.
“My commitment to this distinguished chamber and to Nigerians is clear: we will deliver visible and measurable improvement in the power sector,” Tegbe stated during the screening.
He assured that his focus would include stabilising the national grid, modernising transmission and distribution infrastructure, strengthening commercial frameworks, and enforcing accountability across the electricity value chain.
On tariff policy, the minister-designate reaffirmed that reforms would be carefully designed to balance sustainability with social protection, ensuring that vulnerable households are shielded while also restoring investor confidence in the sector.
The statement further emphasised that Tegbe’s approach reflects discipline, technical understanding, and a reform-minded agenda aimed at delivering lasting solutions rather than short-term political promises.
It added that he remains open to responsible media engagement and constructive clarification where necessary, noting that accurate reporting is essential to public understanding of ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s power sector.
Tegbe reaffirmed his readiness to lead a transparent, results-driven reform process anchored on accountability, realism, and measurable progress.
A grand cultural renaissance celebrating the enduring legacy of legendary Yoruba war hero and statesman, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, will take centre stage as the 2026 edition of Ogedengbe Fiesta holds from July 29 to 31 across Osun State and Ekiti State.
The three-day heritage festival, unveiled by organisers on Wednesday, is themed, “Ogedengbe Agbogungboro Legacy: Leadership, Security, and Statecraft for Modern Governance in Nigeria.”
The event is designed to preserve Yoruba cultural heritage, deepen historical consciousness, promote tourism and stimulate national conversations on leadership, peacebuilding and governance.
According to the organisers, the fiesta will commence with traditional homage at Atorin and heritage excursions to notable Kiriji War historical sites in Imesi-Ile, where participants will relive significant moments in Yoruba military and political history.
The programme will also feature guided visits to the historic Ogedengbe Cave, Ibu Latoosa Site and the Yoruba Peace Treaty Grove, all regarded as symbolic monuments of Yoruba resilience, diplomacy and unity.
As part of activities lined up for the celebration, participants will tour the gardens of renowned legal icon and elder statesman, Afe Babalola, in Okemesi-Ekiti.
The organisers further disclosed that a Legacy Awards and Hall of Fame Investiture ceremony would hold in Ilesa to honour individuals who have contributed immensely to the promotion of Yoruba culture, leadership and community development.
A distinguished personality lecture in honour of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, OFR, CON, and Arole Fabunmi of Okemesi-Ekiti is also expected to headline the event, with scholars, traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts and public intellectuals billed to discuss pathways to strengthening governance and security through indigenous values and historical lessons.
The organisers noted that all activities would commence daily by 11am, adding that the festival would serve as a rallying point for lovers of Yoruba culture, history and tourism across Nigeria and beyond.
They described the fiesta as not only a celebration of the heroic exploits of Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, but also a strategic platform to inspire a new generation of leaders through the ideals of courage, unity, patriotism and visionary leadership.
The Federal Government on Tuesday ruled out any plan to reinstate fuel subsidy despite worsening economic hardship and mounting public pressure.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, stated this in Paris, France, during a meeting with global investors alongside President Bola Tinubu.
Oyedele said the government would also not introduce price controls, stressing that market forces remain the preferred mechanism for determining petrol prices.
“We will not bring back fuel subsidy because it creates distortions for the economy, and we won’t introduce price control because we believe in the market,” he said.
The minister argued that the subsidy regime had long undermined economic efficiency, adding that emerging global energy shifts, including developments in Iran, present fresh investment opportunities for Nigeria.
The removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023 triggered a steep rise in inflation, worsening the country’s cost-of-living crisis.
Nigeria’s headline inflation climbed from 22.41 per cent in May 2023 to 34.19 per cent by June 2024 — its highest level in nearly two decades — driven by surging fuel, food, and transportation costs.
Food inflation further accelerated, exceeding 39 per cent by October 2024, while transport fares soared by nearly 300 per cent, compounded by currency devaluation.
Despite the economic strain, Tinubu defended the policy, saying it had stabilised the foreign exchange market.
“Subsidy that was a burden to the entire country was removed, and ever since we have achieved FX stability,” the President said, according to his Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun.
In a related statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the administration’s reforms were aimed at eliminating structural distortions, strengthening macroeconomic stability, and laying the foundation for inclusive growth.
He added that the government remained committed to fiscal discipline and transparency.
Highlighting economic progress, Oyedele disclosed that Nigeria recorded an 11.2 per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product in dollar terms in 2025, describing it as a major step towards the country’s ambition of building a $1tn economy by 2030.
He also pledged that the government would begin publishing quarterly financial reports to enhance accountability and public trust.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, assured investors of Nigeria’s commitment to prudent borrowing and sustainable debt management.
The Federal Government has continued to defend its reform agenda despite growing public discontent, insisting that the long-term gains will outweigh the current economic pains.
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