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Oyo Information Summit: Media stakeholders call for regulation of online publishers.
No fewer than 800 media stakeholders, who converged in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State to attend the maiden edition of Oyo State Government Information Summit, yesterday called for the regulation of Online Publishers through legislation as well as registration of bloggers and online publishers, averring that there is need for synergy between government and media practitioners as catalysts for sustainable development in Nigeria.
The stakeholders also cautioned media practitioners from reporting inciting as well as divisive messages that could lead to chaos and precipitate anarchy in the country.
The summit, which had in attendance Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, his counterpart from Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, Media Chiefs, Media Regulatory Agencies, Government Functionaries, Public Relations Practitioners, Information Officers, Communication Lecturers, Reporters, Online Publishers, Broadcasters, Lawyers, Communication Students and other Stakeholders, advocated for the promotion of language for peace and stability in the country by media organizations.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the summit with the theme: “Managing Information & Communications: the Catalyst for Sustainable Development, the stakeholders called for effective monitoring of media houses by various Regulatory agencies, noting that strict compliance with regulations guiding the ethics of the media profession should be followed.
“After a careful examination of issues addressed on past and current Nigerian socio-political milieu, the Summit condemned inflammatory statements and narratives from different parts of the country on media channels as well as linguistic or extra linguistic acts that can spur hatred and unnecessary tension. Nigerian media should encourage the use of positive languages to promote peace and harmony in the society,” the communiqué committee headed by Dr. Bayo Busari explained.
The participants at the summit, the first of its kind by any state government, commended the Oyo State Government for organizing the epochal summit explaining that it offered the opportunity for Stakeholders to examine the challenges in the practice of Information and Communication management, consequently calling for a regular Information summit of this nature, twice in a year.
According to the communiqué, “there should be periodic training and mentoring for Media Practitioners and Information managers, provision of necessary working tools for media practitioners, in line with modern trend in the industry, in addition to the revival and sustenance of the culture of professionalism among media Practitioners.
The participants charged media owners to pay more attention to the welfare of media practitioners and information managers, with a clarion call for the speedy commissioning of the Oyo State Archive nearing construction.
Governor Ajimobi, while declaring the summit open, noted that being objective is one of the most difficult things to be in life, enjoining media practitioners to ensure that they correctly and factually inform the people so that the government and the people can always walk in the same direction.
He stated that efforts to bridge the information and communication gap, address lack of professionalism and ethical standards is the first Oyo State Council on Information Summit saying, “Our answer is this maiden edition of Oyo State Council on Information Summit with the theme: Managing information and communications: the catalyst for sustainable development. It is convened by the Oyo state government for stakeholders in the media profession, to exchange views and ideas and to seek ways of improvement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I implore all of you here, to please let us correctly, factually, inform our people so that the government and the people can walk in the same direction. As the internet and digital media usage becomes increasingly widespread, it is a matter of strategic necessity for information managers to fashion out practical strategies in the engagement of the various interest groups,” Governor Ajimobi added.
In his short remark, Governor Fayose urged the practitioners to look inwards and lead by example with whatever they are sending to the government and the public, adding that if things get better through the information and communication disseminated, it is in the interest of everybody.
He lamented that most journalists have abandoned their first professional call and have become what he described as “professional-political journalists”, urging them to choose a path to follow out of the two fields.
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
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