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Makinde reveals how next Alaafin ‘ll emerge
The Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde Saturday, declared that the processes that would lead to the emergency of the next Alaafin of Oyo will be strictly based on the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration.
The governor, who stated this while speaking at the state burial ceremony organised for the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, said that the late monarch lived an impactful life.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that the state has lost an irreplaceable king and an encyclopedia of Yoruba history and culture.
“Today is a day of celebration for us as we are celebrating a life that was well-lived and impactful.
“Let me share one or two things with us on my relationship with the late Kabiyesi.
“People may feel we were not on good terms before his departure but that was not true. In 2015 when I was campaigning to be the governor of Oyo State, he was one of the few people that told me the truth.
“There was a particular night I came to meet him and he told me it won’t be possible for me to win that election because I didn’t have structure and trustworthy persons in each zone in the state.
“Truly, when the election came, I lost but it is on record that Kabiyesi was one of those who told me the truth.
“And when I became the governor, I came to meet Baba for some pieces of advice and he explained some certain things to me. I marveled at how he got to know all those stories.
“So, Baba was an Encyclopaedia of our history and culture.
“I can only say that we have lost an irreplaceable king but we have to accept the fact that we cannot question God.
“God was merciful to Baba because it is not easy to spend more than 50 years on the throne of your forefathers.
“So, it is a celebration of life for us today.
“Let me also use this opportunity to let our people in Oyo know that the process to select a new Alaafin will not go beyond the Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy Declaration.
“I have seen people who came to me and said that the first Alaafin gave birth to about 13 children and that only two out of them were recognised and this is an opportunity to bring in the others, and I asked them if it is in the Declaration. But they said it is inside a declaration that was not signed.
“I told them a new Alaafin will be selected only through the Declaration that was signed.
“So, on behalf of the government and the people of Oyo State, I want to greet all of us”, the governor said.
Earlier, the Secretary to State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, had in a welcome address, stated that the monarch was known for consistently blessing governments with quality advice on all issues.
According to her, the event has rightly been dubbed a celebration of life given the eventful life led by the departed monarch.
She said: “It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this unique event, which was put together to celebrate the illustrious life of our departed monarch, a quintessential personality, the Alayeluwa, Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Atanda Adeyemi III, the Iku Baba Yeye, who joined his ancestors on April 23, 2022.
“The state government has tagged this event a celebration of life and that is quite apt because we cannot all gather here in good conscience to mourn a royal father, who lived his life to the fullest and attained immortality by planting his memories firmly in our minds.
“Looking at the trajectory of this unique Oba, one would easily conclude that Oba Adeyemi was born to be a king. He had the vision to be the Alaafin from a young age and prepared himself for that great assignment.
“As we can all see, nature did the rest for him, and he was chosen as the Alaafin on November 18, 1970.
“While he weighted the Alaafin stool thrust on his shoulders at a young age, he carried on with incredible poise and gait, stealing the shows in many of the public events he attended. It did not come as a surprise that he, in no time emerged the repository of Yoruba traditional history.”
She said that Alaafin Adeyemi III was an avid reader who was always in ultimate search of knowledge, adding that the late Alaafin was also a king who never lost sight of the sense of history that birthed the stool he sat upon.
Adeosun added: “His actions always depicted him as one who was ruling not just Oyo town, but Oyo Empire as exemplified by his ancestors, whose realm of authority as administrators of the famous Oyo Empire extended beyond what is currently known as the Nigerian nation.
“He carried himself as one monarch who was responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of the Yoruba people anywhere, they may be found, and the Yoruba nation.
“In that wise, Alaafin Adeyemi III never shied away from making public comments on issues he believed could discomfort his people at any point in time.
“He was a monarch who consistently blessed the governments with quality advice on all issues.
“This flows from his richly endowed wealth of experience. In one breath, one can say that Oba Adeyemi spoke truth to power without reservations and he was passionate about the growth and development of the Yoruba people.
“He was always turning up with invaluable contributions on every aspect of our administration’s Four-Point Service agenda, which encapsulates Health, Security, Education, and improved economy using the agribusiness value chain and Infrastructure development, through which the administration is lifting Oyo State from poverty to prosperity.
“We will continue to celebrate your unforgettable contributions to the development of our people as we pray that the Almighty God receives your soul to eternal rest.”
The event had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan, Osun State Deputy Governor, Mr. Benedict Alabi, Osun State PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi and other prominent royal fathers from Oyo State.
Others were the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, former Oyo State Speaker, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, and other dignitaries.
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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