News
How I benefited from Ajimobi’s ‘stubbornness’ – Festus Adedayo
A former Media Adviser to late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Dr Festus Adedayo has revealed how he benefitted from the former Governor of Oyo state’s policy of being ‘stubborn’.
Adedayo made the revelation on Tuesday while featuring on Parrot Xtra Hour On Radio, in Ibadan, the state capital.
The popular columnist said he was almost dropped from the team that worked with ex-Governor Ajimobi during his first term in office.
According to the experienced journalist, “Governor Ajimobi had gone to see his political mentor, Alhaji Lam Adesina with the list of his first set of appointees during his first term and the list had my name as the Media Adviser, Dr Adeolu Akande as the Chief of Staff and the name of the Secretary to the State Government. My name was singled out to be dropped because I had been hard on Alhaji Adesina when he was the governor of Oyo State.
“It is important to note here that since 1998 when I started writing my column, I wrote to constructively criticize all the governments including that of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, a military administration.
“So, when Alhaji Lam asked Senator Ajimobi to drop my name, he simply told his political leader that he had made up his mind and he had already asked me to resign from where I was working. He asked his leader to forget and allow things to be. If it was another person that was not stubborn, I would simply have been dropped. I dare to say here that I benefitted from Ajimobi’s stubbornness.”
While speaking on the demise of his former boss, Adedayo, a scholar and lawyer further submitted, “It is really painful to me, I feel pained that we have to be referring to Senator Abiola Ajimobi in ‘past tense.’ He was a great man in his own way. He was also a workaholic”.
When asked how he feels about the post-burial media outings of the late Ajimobi, Adedayo used the opportunity to appeal to both the widow of the deceased, Chief (Mrs) Dr Florence Ajimobi and the present Engineer Seyi Makinde-led administration in the state to allow the spirit of the dead to rest in peace adding that the deceased will not be happy that people are now passing blames and exchanging words.
“In my own small way, I will like to appeal to the two parties to forget their differences to honour the departed. I will also like to humbly call on Ibadan elders to quickly intervene so that the bad blood will be neutralized. The differences between the two parties should be worked out amicably.
Adedayo was also asked to talk about how he felt when his appointment as the Media Adviser to the present Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan was cancelled.
“It was not God’s plan for my life. And I thank Him because I am better off. If I had taken up that appointment, I would not be a Lawyer today and I would not have been able to write that book on late Ayinla Omowura that people are now talking about.
“Moreover, the lesson I learnt from that experience was that I must never again allow sentiment or people to take my projection for my life and plans away from me. I must remain focused and always follow my mind”, he added.
The headquarters of Heritage Bank at Victoria Island, Lagos, was besieged on Thursday by members of the labour union, protesting the recent dismissal of 1,000 support workers.
The National President of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, Comrade Anthony Abakpa, led the demonstration, condemning the bank’s management for what he deemed a lack of adherence to due process in the termination of employment contracts.
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Abakpa asserted that the leadership of Heritage Bank failed to follow established protocols before executing the mass layoffs.
He emphasised the union’s commitment to pursuing justice for the affected workers, vowing to escalate their demands until the bank’s management rectifies the situation.
“We will intensify our demands for justice,” declared Comrade Abakpa, urging the bank’s management to take corrective action to address the grievances of the dismissed workers.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, clarified that Nigeria is not utilising its foreign reserves to bolster the naira, despite recent fluctuations in reserve levels.
Speaking from Washington DC, where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings, Cardoso highlighted the influx of $600 million into Nigeria’s reserves account within the past two days.
While the naira has experienced a notable appreciation against the dollar in recent weeks, climbing over 40% from approximately N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have been dwindling. As of April 15, reserves dropped to approximately $32.29 billion, marking the lowest level in over six years.
Cardoso emphasised that the shifts in reserves are typical for any country, where various financial obligations, such as debt repayments, necessitate withdrawals.
He stated, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where, for example, debts are due and certain payments need to be made. They are made because that is also part of keeping your credibility.”
Continuing, Cardoso underscored the dynamic nature of the market, advocating for a system driven by willing buyers, willing sellers, and price discovery.
He emphasised, “The shift in our reserves has really little or nothing to do with defending the naira, and that is certainly not our objective.”
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has made headlines by announcing a further reduction in the price of diesel, dropping it from ₦1200 to ₦1000 naira per litre.
The refinery’s decision comes on the heels of its recent supply at a significantly reduced price of ₦1200 per litre, which was introduced three weeks ago, signifying a remarkable 30 per cent decrease from the previous market price of approximately ₦1600 per litre.
This substantial reduction in diesel prices at Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to reiterate positively throughout various sectors of the economy, potentially serving as a catalyst in alleviating the persistently high inflation rate in the country.
In a statement last week, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual and the owner of the refinery, expressed his optimism regarding the potential impact of the price reduction on inflation in Nigeria.
“I believe that we are on the right track. I believe Nigerians have been patient, and I also believe that a lot of goodies will now come through. There’s quite a lot of improvement because if you look at it, one of the major issues that we’ve had was the naira devaluation that has gone very aggressively up to about ₦1900,” he remarked.
As anticipation builds around the implications of this move by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, stakeholders and consumers alike remain hopeful for the positive effects it could bring to the Nigerian economy in the coming months.
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