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Executive Recklessness : Oyo Assembly Orders Arrest of un-screened LG Chairmen.
•Summon SSG, Perm Sec, Ministry of LG and Chieftaincy Matters.
THE Oyo State House of Assembly has ordered the Divisional Police Officers in charge of Asabari Local Council Development Area, Irepo Local Government Area and Lagelu West Local Council Development Area respectively to arrest and detain anyone parading himself as caretaker chairman for these council areas.
The House gave the order following a point of order raised by Hon. Gbenga Oyekola from Atiba State Constituency who drew the attention of the lawmakers to the imminent risk on the inauguration of two (2) rejected nominees and substitution of the screneed nominee for Lagelu West LCDA.
Oyekola who called the attention of his colleagues to some reports in the online media noted that, the house screened 55 nominees but the executive arm led by Governor Abiola Ajimobi went ahead to inuagurate 57 nominees by not taking into consideration of the two nominees who had earlier been dropped for the positions by the house.
The lawmaker further disclosed that there is looming crisis in Lagelu West LCDA over who is the legitimate chairman because the person who was screened has been swapped with another person without the consent of the house.
Oyekola recalled, “the house screened 55 nominees and rejected two, but to my utmost dismay the two were swear-in.
“Also, we screened Akeem Aransi for Lagelu West LCDA but unfortunately another person was swore-in and assumed office. On that note I want the house to produce the copy of the letter we sent to the executive. We sent the name to the executive and they received it”.
Refreshing your memory, the State House of Assembly, had last week dropped Mudasir Agbaje (Irepo LGA) and Taiwo Adeleke (Asabari LCDA) for issues of certificate and poor performance at the screening exercise.
Similarly, other lawmakers who spoke include Hon. Olusegun Olaleye (Ibadan North 2), Hon. Olawumi Oladeji and Hon. Muideen Olagunju, all condemned the action of the executive arm describing it as “illegality”.
Responding, the Speaker of the house, Hon. Micheal Adeyemo at the plenary asserted, “the issue raised has come to the knowledge of the house and actions would be taken on it to invite the Secretary to the State Government, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs. We cant say yes or not.
“We have the right to screen, we don’t nominate, the fault is not from us”.
Adeyemo, also read a letter from the Governor dated 6th April 2017 notifying the house on the replacement of Akeem Aransi for Abiodun Oladeji. He said the letter was received last week but could not be read because it was received during plenary days.
The Speaker, however ordered the DPOs in charge of these areas to arrest those parading themselves as the chairmen in these areas to the Commissioner of Police in the state to prevent outbreak of law and order in the areas.
He then seeked the attention of the lawmakers to summon the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli and the Permanet Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Mrs. Hanna Ogunesan for questioning over the abnormalities.
Adeyemo stressed that the SSG who is in charge of the state correspondences and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry should be called to answer the questions bothering on the swearing in of the rejected nominees and the substitution of names.
“Anybody that is parading himself as Chairman for Asabari LCDA, Irepo LGA and Lagelu West LCDA shoud be arrested. The two, Asabari and Irepo, there is no chairman there. On the issue of Lagelu, the person that was swore-in but not screened should also be arrested and the man that was screened but was not inagurate should stop parading himself as the chairman, doing so he should be arrested.
“We as the legistlative arm, we have to uphold the principle of rule of law. Members have said their own, we have to invite and get across to others”, the Speaker reechoed.
Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon. Josuha Oyebamiji while briefing journalists after the plenary session said that the order takes effect immediatly.
“We screened 55 people but to our dismay, the two people we rejected were also swore-in. At Lagelu, the candidate we screened was replaced by another person. And the house resolved that those people for the 3 councils should stop parading themselves until the committee we set up come up with their report.
“We said that DPOs in those areas should arrest them and hand them over to the Commissioner of Police.
“The Committee will find out who and those who caused it, you can fell the heat in the house today.
Similarly , Oyebamiji said “The person has been swore-in before screening. It is a belated issue. The house has passed the letter to the committee. But there is no Chairman in these 3 councils”.
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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