News
Fresh chieftaincy crisis brews in Orile Igbon
INDICATIONS emerged on Tuesday that the Orile Igbon town is heading for another round of crisis as the Olugbon Royal Family in Surulere local government area of Oyo state accused officials of the state’s Ministry of local government and chieftaincy matters of attempting to “use the backdoor to impose a traditional ruler on the people of Orile Igbon.”
This came just as the dust raised by the controversial review of the Ibadan chieftaincy declaration by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the state is yet to settle.
According to Adesola Akanbi, spokesperson of the Olugbon Royal family, who spoke to journalists on behalf of the family, also accused the authorities of the Surulere Local Government of not following the rule of law in addressing the brewing chieftaincy tussle.
Akanbi stressed: “The local government chairman in incestuous alliance with the Ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs and by extension the Government of Oyo State have constituted themselves into not just King makers, but some sort of alternate Royal family by selecting, presenting and appointing candidate for a vacant royal stool in scornful disregard to ancient customs and traditions of the concerned stool.”
“The people of Orile Igbon and the Oba Olugbon Royal family of Orile Igbon are still in deep disbelief that their protests which culminated in court recorded undertaking by the Lawyers representing both Surulere Local Government and the Government of Oyo State that their clients that is the Surulere Local Government, the Oyo state government as well as Mr. Francis Olusola Alao appointed Oba, shall do nothing to put the court in a helpless position in the ongoing case is consistently been observed in the breach by both the Governments and particularly Mr. Francis Olusola Alao.
“It is an established fact of law that when a case is yet to be decided by the adjudicating court all parties to the case not excluding a government, her agents or privies shall refrain from any act or acts that could present the court with a fait accompli.
“To that end Mr Francis Olusola Alao has been technically directed by law not to parade himself as an Oba and the local government as well as the Government of Oyo State not to address him as or accord him any paraphernalia of office. The police to their credit have so far complied with this tenet of law.
“To the amazement of all and in a flagrant disregard of whatever the court stand for, Mr Francis Olusola Alao a party to the case has set in motion the processes for his ultimate coronation as Oba Olugbon with Mr Ibrahim Gbodeniyi the caretaker chairman of Surulere Local Government as the arrowhead of the processes and the mechanism of the Government of the State particularly those of the Ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs fully mobilized to support an illegal grandstanding.
“It has been shouted times without numbers that Mr Francis Olusola Alao is unknown to the Oba Olugbon of Orile Igbon Royal lineage and at best is a criminal impostor but Mrs Wumi Ogunesan the Amazon and Permanent Secretary in the Oyo state Ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs whom rumors has it exerts humongous influence on the Governor of Oyo State has from the word go refused to listen to the truth about her pet; Oba Olugbon by force project.
“Governor Ajimobi hitherto regarded as a listening Governor with a sense of justice but whom we are told has been relying on his Ministry and Permanent Secretary for quality advice, but the Ministry personified by the Permanent Secretary in this case own a dangerous agenda of minting their own type of Oba; a king that is rootless and therefore has been deceiving the Governor in all purpose by orchestrating and trying to foist what can at best be categorized as a fraudulent precedent upon the throne and people of Orile Igbon as well as the Yoruba race.
“An injustice no matter the mode or color is an injustice and anyone with sense of justice and eyes on history must not be seen to be aiding, talk less of joining in undermining or worse, perpetrating naked injustice.
“The people of Orile Igbon kingdom and the entire history recognized members of the Oba Olugbon royal family are crying for justice today because wherever justice is murdered the immediate casualty is peace.
“There is an unnecessary crisis in Orile Igbon kingdom today because of an unwarranted audacity at rewritten a peoples’ history, Governor Ajimobi must be seen on the side of justice in the crisis, he must act to erase the fraudulent precedent and restore the people of Orile Igbon kingdom’s shattered confidence in him and his government.
“Whatever we do, attempt to or failed to do today is tomorrow’s history and where or whenever we attempt to side with injustice, justice always has a way of getting back at us in a poetic manner. Mr Governor sir, we remain loyal”,
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas amidst festivities and reflections, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has sent a heartfelt message to Nigerians, emphasising the importance of unity, compassion, and selflessness in nation-building.
In his Christmas message on Wednesday, contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker described the season as a time to reflect on the love and sacrifice demonstrated by the birth of Jesus Christ.
He urged citizens to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and shared humanity that Christmas symbolises.
“Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and renewal,” Oseni said. “It reminds us of our shared duty to show love to one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliations. Let us work together to foster unity and peace in our country, especially as we navigate through challenging times.”
The lawmaker also highlighted the significance of collective responsibility in nation-building.
“As we celebrate, we must remember the less privileged in our communities. Acts of charity and kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on someone’s life,” he added.
The APC chieftain expressed gratitude to his constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido for their unwavering support, assuring them of his commitment to delivering more impactful governance.
He also called for patience and cooperation as the government works towards addressing issues affecting the nation, including infrastructure development, economic stability, and security.
“Let this Christmas inspire us to continue building bridges of hope and fostering the true Nigerian spirit of togetherness,” he stated.
As the year draws to a close, Oseni encouraged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future, assuring them that better days lie ahead with collective effort and unwavering faith.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines—two international and three domestic operators—for various violations of its regulations under Part 19.
The offenses include non-payment of passenger refunds within the stipulated timeframe, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, mishandling of luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among other infractions.
Addressing journalists at the NCAA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s spokesman, stated that airlines must adhere to regulations regarding flight disruptions. He emphasized that failure to comply attracts sanctions.
“Although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during such incidents. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions,” Achimugu said.
He reminded airlines of the NCAA’s recent directive mandating refunds to passengers within 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The yuletide season has seen a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, largely attributed to harmattan-induced poor visibility. Achimugu clarified that airlines are not liable for cancellations due to force majeure but stressed that the enforcement actions are for cases where airlines are found at fault.
“This is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” he explained.
Achimugu further disclosed that the NCAA would summon the chief executives of all airlines this week to address flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While the names of the sanctioned airlines were not officially revealed, sources close to the Authority identified them as Ethiopian Airways, Royal Maroc Airways, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.
“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”
Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.
So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.
“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.
Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.
The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.
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