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Makinde’s foreign trip amid insecurity in Oyo, height of insensitivity, says APC group
A group of media players within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state, The Pacesetter Initiative (TPI), has taken a swipe at Governor Seyi Makinde over his reported trip to the United States of America at a time most parts of the state were faced with some security challenges and social instability.
Although there were no official confirmation on the governor’s overseas trip, impeccable sources have it that he (Makinde) left Nigeria on December 31, 2020 to unite with members of his immediate family who are permanent residents of Houston, Texas in the United States and returned to Nigeria on Monday.
In a statement issued on Monday and made available to newsmen in Ibadan by the Group’s Coordinator, Hon. Afeez Bolaji Repete, and Director of Organization, Olawale Sadare, TPI frowned at what it called a height of insensitivity and ineptitude on the part of Gov. Makinde who it accused of abandoning his people when they needed him most.
“How can a Chief Executive Officer and Chief Security Officer of an important state like Oyo leave his hapless people to the mercy of hoodlums, kidnappers and other criminal elements in the name of an unofficial foreign trip? And to make the matter worse, the governor sneaked out without doing all that was necessary as laid down in the Constitution of the land.
“Gov. Makinde’s trip to the United States, this time, came at a time his government needed to arrest the surging challenges of insecurity bedevilling virtually every part of the state as residents of Ibadan, Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso and Oyo were gnashing their teeth on account of coordinated hoodlum attacks, kidnappings, killings and other organized crimes.
“As a Group of patriots, we could have expressed little or no worries if the situation had not degenerated to the point of ceaseless loss of lives and property in the affected areas. But our independent investigation revealed that those responsible for the crime surge in the state had taken advantage of Gov. Makinde’s poor handling of the security issues since he came on board in 2019 as against what was experienced during the eight year reign of his immediate predecessor, late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
“The situation took a turn for the worse immediately the governor traveled last month and it became known to the perpetrators of crime that nobody was in the saddle again because Gov. Makinde did not hand over the baton to his deputy as expected. As a result of this, the PDP administration in the state became leaderless and rudderless since the governor who has been running a one-man show found it appropriate to abandon his duty post at a critical time and without allowing anyone to act in his capacity as necessary for no known reasons.
“It is equally appalling to note that none of those expected to take the bull by the horn and mobilize all the necessary actions to quell the ugly situation are not visible at all. Only the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor reels out half truths and propaganda to create a fake impression that all is well with the state. The question in the lips of the people is whether the governor’s blanket ban on all officials of the state to speak up also affect the Speaker and members of the State House of Assembly.” TPI submitted.
In another development, The Pacesetter Initiative (TPI) has also warned the Makinde administration to cancel its alleged plans aimed at silencing members of the public, especially APC faithful, who have been found to be critical of the present administration in the build-up to the 2023 general election.
“We have uncovered plans by the trusted aides and allies of Gov. Makinde to unleash a terror gang populated by members of a faction of the proscribed NURTW in the state who have been decorated as Park Managers and Amotekun officials to hound and attack some identified critics of the state government, especially those belonging to the APC, with a view to silencing them ahead of the next general election.
“We urge Gov. Makinde to halt such plan which is capable of throwing the state into untold political turmoil and social crisis”. TPI stated.
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.
Engr Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has disclosed that the nation’s oil and gas reserves have risen to 37.50 billion barrels as of January 1, 2024.
This marks an increase from the 37.046 billion barrels recorded in May 2022.
Komolafe emphasised the implementation of robust policies aimed at enhancing and optimising oil and gas operations across the country.
Notably, gas reserves stand at 102.59 trillion cubic feet (TCF), with non-associated gas reserves reaching 106.67 TCF, culminating in a total of 209.26 TCF of gas reserves.
Addressing concerns during a press conference held in Abuja on Monday regarding crude supply regulation and enforcement, Komolafe underscored the importance of prioritising feedstock supply to local refineries while addressing grievances from oil producers and the Dangote Refinery within specified timelines.
This announcement follows recent reports of a decline in Nigeria’s crude oil production during February and March 2024.
According to data from the April 2024 Monthly Oil Market Report of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria’s crude oil production (excluding condensates) experienced its second consecutive monthly decrease, dropping to 1.231 million barrels per day in March from 1.322 million barrels per day in February.
OPEC attributed this decline, amounting to a reduction of 91,000 barrels per day, to factors communicated directly from Nigeria.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni has commiserated with the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari over the loss of his mother, Alhaja Buhari.
The matriarch, who passed away on Monday, April 8, has left a void in the family that Oseni described as irreparable.
In a condolence message released on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, and made available to newsmen, the lawmaker expressed his deep sympathy, praying for Alhaja Buhari to find eternal rest in the arms of God.
Oseni, who also represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, urged Senator Buhari and his family to find solace in the legacy of achievements left behind by their late matriarch.
He emphasised the importance of cherishing the memories of her life and the successes attained by her children.
The statement read, “Distinguished Senator Buhari, I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Mama, Alhaja Buhari. Please accept my heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy during this difficult time.
“Alhaja was a pillar of strength and a source of love and guidance for your family and community. Her legacy of kindness, wisdom, and resilience will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew her.
“May you and your family find comfort and solace in the cherished memories you shared with her, and may the love and support of friends and well-wishers provide you with strength and courage in the days ahead.
“Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you navigate through this time of grief”, Oseni continued.
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