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‘Despite nature’s blessings, we live in dejection’, Osun community laments
The inhabitants of Atorin, a village housed by Atakunmosa East Local Government Area ( now Atakumosa East Central LCDA) of Osun state, reflect every moment and day, as whether the social contract advocated by Thomas Hobbes, the great philosopher of the ancient time, has been breached. As every partnership agreement are parties to it, so the government and the citizens form the contractual agreement to the Hobbesian law of social contract.
Atorin, the birthplace of late African warlord and the saviour of the Ijesha people, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro successfully accommodates no fewer than nine communities which included Temidayo, Olowu, Opesubu, Alapaede, Ayealuko, Aye oke, Oloko rebete among others.
According to the community, the contract is everlasting and monumental, so long the popular sovereign government respect the sanctity of the contract, and, thereby, provide the necessities for the citizenry. The necessities are expected to be directed towards absolute maximization of pleasure and minimization of various forms of pains.
Ifewara – Atorin Road
Despite nature’s blessings and agricultural prospect, particularly the large deposit of ‘precious metal ‘ popularly known as gold buried in the bowels of Atorin rich soil , which has attracted the activities of illegal miners, the village appears to have been forgotten, as its people languish in relative obscurity.
Because of its arable land, the major occupation of the inhabitants is agriculture as they grow both cash crops ( Cocoa, Teak) and food crops such as cassava, maize, yam, among others.
Sadly, Atorin people are suffering in the midst of abundance.
The village, connected by a deplorable earth road that leads from Ifewara is not only hilly, but dusty and disfigured with steep inclines that cause serious headache to those plying the route. Rainy season is always a period of pain for the inhabitants.
The road has been destroyed by years of neglect and trucks conveying agricultural produce to the market break down often due to the deplorable road. While the dwellers battle for survival without potable drinking water, they also lacks community health center.
Our reporter, who visited the settlement sighted an abandoned water project which was converted to a well; the only source of drinking water.
Source drinking water…
In a related development, the only existing health centre, facilitated by Hon. Israel Famurewa, a two term Federal House of Representatives member, who hails from Atorin Village is yet to be completed and equipped with both personnel, furniture, drugs and medical equipments.
Famurewa represented Atakunmosa East/ Atakunmosa West/Ilesha East/ Federal Constituency between 2011-2019 . During his tenure, he facilitated a block of 3 classroom to LA Elementary School, the only school in the village and a transformer.
Unfortunately,the Alatorin of Atorin (King) recently joined his ancestors, but the Women leader (Yeye Lobirin) and the Youth leader (Olori Omo Atorin) narrated their sufferings. They both cried out loud to any ‘messiah’ who could save them from their present predicament, especially infrastructural deficits and total neglect.
LA Elementary School, the only Education Center in Atorin….
The women leader, Mrs Bolanle Ojo lamented hardship resulting from the dilapidated state of the only major road leading to the settlement. According to her, the bad state of the road had made commuting unbearable for them.
She lamented further, “We are not happy with the deplorable condition of our road, this is really affecting us seriously. It is difficult for us to evacuate our farm produce to the urban communities. In fact, we cannot go to the market during the rainy season to sell our produce at Ifewara or Sabo market in Ilesha.
” We have not seen any government impact in Atorin and this neglect signified total disregard for the memories of Ogedengbe Agbogungboro who is described as the saviour of the Ijesha people. Despite nature’s blessings, we live in dejection”, Ojo added.
The Youth leader, Ayeni Ayodele also decried the living condition of his people, just as he called on the Gboyega Oyetola led Osun state government to help the community. Ayeni, however called on the well meaning sons and daughters of the town, particularly the Ogedengbes to rescue them from untoward hardship they are currently facing.
Mr. Busuyi Makanjuola, the council chairman of Atakumosa East Central LCDA could not be reached as he didn’t respond to telephone calls when contacted for his reactions
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has mourned the death of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo, popularly known as Able, describing his demise as a painful loss to the progressive family.
Oladipupo, who represented Ibadan North-West Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, was widely regarded as a grassroots politician and committed party loyalist until his passing.
Oseni, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, said the late politician’s death had created a vacuum within the party and among those who benefitted from his unwavering commitment to public service.
In a condolence statement issued on Monday by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the federal lawmaker described the late Oladipupo as a dependable progressive, humble political actor and loyal party stalwart whose impact would remain indelible.
He said the deceased dedicated his life to serving humanity, strengthening the progressive movement and supporting the aspirations of many at the grassroots.
Oseni said, “The death of Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo (Able) came to me as a rude shock. Oyo State and the progressive family have indeed lost a committed, loyal and selfless leader whose passion for service, humility and dedication to the people stood him out.
“He was not just a politician but a bridge-builder, a dependable ally and a grassroots mobiliser who believed strongly in the ideals of our great party. His contributions to the growth of the APC in Oyo State and his service to humanity will remain unforgettable.”
The APC senatorial candidate noted that the late former lawmaker remained steadfast in promoting peace, unity and political development, adding that his simplicity and accessibility endeared him to many across political divides.
According to Oseni, the late politician’s legacy of service and sacrifice would continue to inspire younger politicians and party faithful.
He, however, urged members of the APC, associates and family members of the deceased to take solace in the remarkable life he lived and the positive impact he made during his lifetime.
Oseni also prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul and for God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
State governors have proposed a new national minimum wage of N100,000 for Nigerian workers as part of efforts to cushion them from the biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), disclosed the proposal on Saturday in a post by the state government’s official Facebook page. He said the move aims to improve workers’ welfare while ensuring that government finances remain sustainable.
“State governments recognise the urgent need to improve workers’ welfare in response to the current economic realities facing Nigerians,” AbdulRazaq said.
“We are actively engaging with the Federal Government and organised labour to arrive at a wage structure that is fair to workers and sustainable for government finances.”
The NGF chairman explained that ongoing discussions are focused on balancing the need to boost workers’ purchasing power with the capacity of governments to deliver essential public services and development projects.
“The goal is to improve the living conditions of workers while ensuring that states can continue to meet their obligations and sustain projects that directly impact citizens,” he added.
The proposed N100,000 minimum wage is expected to intensify national debates on salaries, inflation, and broader economic reforms as Nigerians continue to contend with rising food prices, transportation costs, and other living expenses.
Currently, Nigeria’s statutory minimum wage stands at N70,000 per month. Some states, including Lagos, Rivers, and Imo, are already paying above the national benchmark to support workers amid the country’s economic challenges.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has continued to call for a comprehensive review of salaries, insisting that workers deserve a living wage that reflects present-day economic realities rather than merely guaranteeing survival.
The average retail price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, rose to N1,532.93 per litre in April 2026, representing a 23.69 per cent increase compared to the N1,239.33 recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, findings by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have shown.
The sharp rise in petrol prices came amid mounting inflationary pressure and worsening living costs, with Nigerians grappling with soaring transportation and food expenses that have continued to shrink household purchasing power.
The NBS disclosed this in its Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for April 2026, released on Friday.
The report further showed that on a month-on-month basis, petrol prices rose by 18.97 per cent from N1,288.54 recorded in March 2026, underscoring persistent volatility in the downstream petroleum market.
A breakdown of prices across states revealed that Yobe recorded the highest average retail price for petrol at N1,599.05 per litre during the review period.
Edo and Bauchi followed closely with average prices of N1,595.74 and N1,589.07, respectively.
However, Niger residents paid the least for petrol at an average of N1,403.89 per litre, while Sokoto and Katsina recorded N1,404.16 and N1,406.28 respectively.
At the zonal level, the South-South recorded the highest average retail price at N1,566.76 per litre, while the North-West posted the lowest at N1,508.81.
The latest petrol price increase comes as millions of Nigerians continue to battle the ripple effects of rising inflation, with higher energy costs worsening transportation fares and the prices of essential commodities.
Similarly, the NBS said the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas, rose by 13.73 per cent month-on-month to N8,706.93 in April 2026 from N7,655.73 recorded in March.
On a year-on-year basis, the price increased by 10.42 per cent from N7,885.60 recorded in April 2025.
Lagos recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N9,745.10, followed by Nasarawa at N9,451.70 and Bayelsa at N9,422.74.
In contrast, Anambra recorded the lowest average price at N7,204.76, while Ondo and Ogun followed with N7,239.49 and N7,825.75, respectively.
At the regional level, the North-West recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at N9,025.07, followed by the North-East at N8,847.16, while the South-East posted the lowest average price at N8,224.37.
Also, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of cooking gas increased by 13.89 per cent month-on-month to N22,382.20 in April 2026 from N19,652.83 in March.
Compared to April 2025, the price rose by 10.43 per cent from N20,268.06.
According to the NBS LPG Price Watch for April, Katsina recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N25,596.71, followed by Kogi at N24,558.25 and Gombe at N24,438.97.
Ogun recorded the lowest average price at N19,564.36, while Bauchi and Anambra followed at N20,178.87 and N20,511.90 respectively.
The North-West recorded the highest zonal average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at N23,276.95, followed by the North-Central at N22,865.29, while the South-East posted the lowest average at N21,060.92.
The latest figures signal growing pressure on household energy costs, raising concerns over the implications for inflation and the cost of living in the coming months.
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