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Makinde promises to work for Yoruba unity, integration
Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Monday, expressed his readiness to work for the for unity and integration of Yoruba people across the globe.
The governor, who stated this while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Benin Republic led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, stated that he is ready to work for the enrichment of the culture and economic expansion of the ethnic group.
He maintained that the Yoruba race must remain united if they hope to achieve the much-desired growth in Yorubaland.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor, while speaking at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, declared readiness to work for the unity of the Yoruba people.
The traditional rulers included the Alaketu of Ketu Kingdom, Oba Adejumo Adesina and the Onimeko of Imekoland, Oba Benjamin Olanite Ilufemiloye.
According to Governor Makinde, if the Yoruba could form a stronger bond of brotherhood, even across national boundaries, it would assist in addressing security challenges currently militating against the country, through sharing of coordinated intelligence.
He added that there could not have been a better time for Yoruba across borders to collaborate than now, saying that the rate of insecurity in the country meant that there should be intelligence sharing among neighbouring countries.
The governor equally appreciated the effort of the Alaafin of Oyo for being in the vanguard of fostering cordiality and unity of purpose among the Yoruba, adding that his fatherly role has become admirable to all and sundry.
He said: “When Professor Ijaola said Baba Alaafin is history-personified, I couldn’t agree less to that fact. Baba knows our history and he has never misinformed us. Whoever wants to hear the truth about the history of Yoruba, Nigeria, and some significant events that have happened in the world, you only need to visit the Alaafin of Oyo’s palace and you will be fed with details of any information you require.
“So, we that are Oduduwa descendants, Yoruba, irrespective of where we belong to, we need to ensure that we enrich our culture, even across the divides.
“We must also ensure we uphold whatever that can enhance the economic activities among us to thrive. Under my watch in Oyo State, I can assure us all that it will be done.”
He added: “I am delighted by this visit. When the Kabiyesi called me, I immediately instructed the Protocol Department to make sure they create the opportunity and time for us to meet and interact.
“If you get to all the borders as described by Professor, we are supposed to have gone far on the issue of integration. The Okerete Market in Saki is supposed to be a border market that will serve almost everyone along the West African corridors. There are opportunities.
“I was at the Republic of Benin at the earlier stage of our administration. As a matter of fact, on the agric policies of Oyo State, I visited Songhai Farm to try to know how integration could exist between us, because, for us, it is desirable socially, economically and culturally to come together.
“I salute my father, the Kabiyesi for making this effort a worthwhile experience. I greet the Alaketu for the honour and I congratulate you. May you reign for long, Sir.
“I want to say that you are always welcome to Oyo State.
“So, on behalf of the government and the people of Oyo State, I want to, once again, welcome you to Oyo State. I believe that the visit will be of immense greatness to us and whatever the Kabiyesi has in plan will come to pass.
“I will support Kabiyesi on every step he might want to take on this relationship to ensure that we are more together. Once again, I appreciate you on this visit.”
Speaking earlier, the Alaafin of Oyo equally emphasised that the traditional institution would not relent in its role of assisting the government to guarantee security of lives and properties within their domains.
In his remark, Emeritus Professor Anthony Ijaola recounted the historical antecedence of brotherhood among 0Yorubas from other countries, explaining that harmony should continually be sustained.
Those in attendance at the event included Olori Egbeyemi Adedunloye Akanni; Olori Olubukola Olanife; former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Mosurat Sunmonu; Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola; chairman, Oyo State Advisory Council, Senator Ayoola Agboola.
Others were the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun; Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy and Political Matters, Hon. Babatunde Oduyoye and the Special Adviser on Tourism, Hon. Hakeem Ademola Ige, among others.
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.
More than 50,000 Russian military personnel have died during the Ukraine conflict, the BBC reported Wednesday, citing its own reporters, independent media group Mediazona and volunteers.
They found that more than 27,300 Russian soldiers died during the second year of the war, a 25-percent increase on the first year.
BBC Russian, Mediazona and volunteers have been counting deaths since February 2022, using open-source information from official reports and the media, as well as using satellite images of Russian cemeteries to estimate the number of new graves.
The figure of more than 50,000 is eight times higher than the official toll acknowledged by Moscow in September 2022. It does not include deaths of militia in Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine said in February that it had lost 31,000 soldiers, but that figure is also likely to be significantly lower than the true toll.
Russian losses spiked in January 2023 as it launched a large-scale offensive in Donetsk and again months later last year during the battle for the city of Bakhmut.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” at dawn on February 24, 2022, which has since turned into a bloody and attritional war, isolating Russia from the Western world.
Responding to the report, the Kremlin said it did not disclose any information on military deaths and casualties, which falls under the remit of the defence ministry.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added official secrets laws and those covering what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine meant it was “absolutely understandable” that the ministry did not release the figures.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has disclosed that 95 million Nigerians need to enroll for the National Identification Number (NIN) to meet its target of 200 million enrollments by 2025.
Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, emphasised the importance of this enrollment during an interview on X over the weekend.
He stated, “For NIMC to meet the 200 million target by 2025, 95 million Nigerians need to register for the NIN.”
Adegoke revealed that over 105 million NINs have been issued to Nigerians and legal residents so far.
He assured Nigerians of the commission’s commitment, saying, “We want to assure Nigerians that within the next one or two years, we will reach our target of enrolling all Nigerians.”
“The NIN serves as a unique identifier for each citizen and has become increasingly important for various government initiatives aimed at improving security, governance, and service delivery.”
Adegoke highlighted the efforts to streamline the modification and enrollment processes under the leadership of Abisoye Coker, the director-general of NIMC. He announced the development of a self-service platform, allowing Nigerians to make necessary modifications such as changing names, dates of birth, email addresses, and phone numbers from anywhere, using different devices.
Emphasising the convenience of the self-service modification portal, Adegoke encouraged Nigerians to utilize this innovative solution.
He noted the evolution of the process, citing the past requirement for applicants to visit NIMC offices for data corrections.
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