News
Oyo: Group Wants Makinde To Intervene In Iseyin Religious Crisis
A socio-political interest group under the aegis of Ebedi Frontliners, Iseyin (EFI), has called on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state to intervene in what they termed ‘a brewing religious crisis’ in Iseyin town before it result to killings and vandalization of properties.
The group made this call in a letter sent to the governor and made available to journalists on Monday, referring to a court summon in which Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Ganiy Adekunle Oloogunebi (Ajinese 1), the traditional council of Iseyin local government and the leader of Oro sect in Iseyin were respondents.
In the summon, as contained in the letter, the Islamic group was seeking an injunction to stop the celebration of Oro Festival which had been billed for 22nd, September 2019.
Iseyin community has been known with the celebration of the Oro festival among other traditional celebrations, but during the Oro festival, women were not to be seen in the public to avoid seeing the Oro masquerade.
The Publicity Director of the group, Alhaji Segun Fasasi further disclosed that the Islamic sect went to court to seek injunction to stop the celebration of Oro festival, averring that the move was an attempt to create crisis in the peaceful community.
Members of Ebedi Frontliners, however urged Governor Makinde to look into the case and put all security agencies on the alert to avert possible breakdown of law and order by those they described as intolerant of other people’s religion.
“Our attention was called to a brewing religious crisis in Iseyin community recently as an Islamic religious sect was said to have approached a court in Ibadan, the State capital to get an injunction for the purpose of preventing the adherents of Oro to celebrate their annual Oro festival.
“Sir, we heard this action was premised on the fact that the Oro traditional worshippers have picked 22nd of September as the day that was sanctioned by the Royal father, Oba (Dr.) Abd-Ganiy Adekunle Oloogunebi (Ajinese 1), Aseyin of Iseyin and other stakeholders, regarding security issues.
“We write as a socio-political organization that believes in peace as a pre-requisite for growth and social development and as well share the lofty idea that Your Excellency’s administration holds high and sacred so that Oyo State will not go back to the days of the dark.
“It is a known fact that Nigeria is a secular State and allows for freedom of religion, but in the years past, the people of the community have witnessed violent attacks by some religious zealots who claimed to be fighting for Islam against the Oro worshipers, resulting in loss of lives and valuable properties.
“We will be happy if your administration makes haste to pre-empt any plan to cause havoc in the community, which may lead to loss of lives and destruction of properties as our people have been enjoying relative peace since the emergence of your administration,” Fasasi said.
The group, thereafter pledged its loyalty to the progress of the State.
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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