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Why Nigerians may never experience good governance – late MKO Abiola’s wife gives reason

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One of the most visible wives left behind by late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election in Nigeria, Alhaja Sitirat Titi Abiola, on Tuesday submitted that If Nigerians continue with the habit of taking money and other incentives before voting for candidates during elections, the country may never experience good governance.

Alhaja Titi, who made this submission while featuring on this week’s edition of Parrot Xtra Hour on Radio broadcast live on Space FM 90.1 in Ibadan also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for honouring her late husband by recognizing June 12 as a national holiday.

According to the Abeokuta-based business woman, “June 12 was a day Nigerians united to vote for Chief MKO Abiola. It was a day we all forgot our religion and ethnic backgrounds. Abiola was a great Nigerian, he was an unrepentant African fighter. He never saw himself strictly as a Yorubaman.”

While speaking about her experience after the demise of her husband, she said “it has been God. It was after his death that I knew the meaning of life. His friends simply disappeared except for a few ones. I quickly adapted to relating only with God.”

She also took time to speak about her relationship with the head of the family left behind by late Chief MKO Abiola, Alhaji Kola Abiola.

“Let us get something clear, Brother Kola is not the father of my children. He has his own family too. He is only the head of the MKO Abiola Family. It will be wrong to ask him to shoulder all the responsibilities needed to be carried out on my children. Immediately my husband died, I knew the duties I must perform. I thank God that the MKO Abiola Estate played its own role. I thank God that my children are no longer babies.

“Brother Kola has been doing his best. We are on good terms. My children relate very well with him”, she said.

While advising Nigerians on how to institute good governance, Titi Abiola emphasized that,  “Nigerians must learn from what happened on June 12, 1993. Nobody paid anybody to vote for MKO. People from Anambra, Sokoto, Ondo, Oyo, Borno and other states voted freely for the then Social Democratic Party’s candidate (SDP). It was a day democracy was properly defined in Nigeria.

“If Nigerians continue to ask for incentives and money before they vote for candidates in an election, things will never work. Those so elected will never feel responsible to them. They will be sworn in and abandon their constituencies until another four years come around”, she concluded.

 

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From ‘Books to Shops’: Oyo APC Slams Makinde Over ‘Shameful’ Library Conversion

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has criticized the alleged forceful conversion of public reading and learning facilities in Dugbe, Ibadan, into shopping malls and lock-up shops by the state government, describing the development as shameful, ill-conceived, and unacceptable.

 

In a statement released over the weekend by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC also raised concerns about the alleged sale of the modern motor park facility at Wema Area on New Ife Road, Ibadan, built during the administration of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

 

According to the party, the motor park has been sold to a pastor who presides over a popular church near the facility.

 

Residents of Ibadan, the state capital, were reportedly stunned when they noticed the sudden erection of massive private business complexes within the premises of the Oyo State Library Board.

 

The facilities, built by the defunct Western Region government, had served as public libraries and archives for decades, benefitting students, researchers, and tourists until recently.

 

“It is a sad reality that the buildings which used to serve as public libraries and archives in Dugbe axis of Ibadan have now paved the way for the development of commercial and business structures,” Sadare said.

 

“The implication is that education and research development have been relegated to the background in the state by an administration that has done little to address the poor reading culture among young students.”

 

The APC expressed alarm over what it termed the erosion of public heritage under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, alleging that public properties are being sold or leased to private individuals and groups under questionable circumstances.

 

“How can a government wake up one day and convert public reading facilities and archives into lock-up shops in the name of making money, thereby subjecting society to the dangers of illiteracy and ignorance?” the statement queried.

 

The party also cited other instances of alleged mismanagement of public assets, including the concession of OYSADEP Guest House in Saki and Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to the state’s socio-economic development.

 

“Sad enough, the ignoble activities of the governor and a few other characters around him as they involve mismanagement of land and other resources belonging to the state have paved the way for a surge in land grabbing cases in most parts of the state capital. There are many cases involving appointees of the governor, PDP lawmakers, local government officials, and party chieftains,” the statement added.

 

The APC called on well-meaning individuals and stakeholders in the state to demand accountability from the Makinde administration and halt what it described as the systematic erosion of public resources and heritage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Relief as Rep ‘Lafi’ Empowers 300 Constituents Through Skill Acquisition Programme

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Over 300 constituents of Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in Oyo State benefitted from a skill acquisition and empowerment programme organized by their representative in the National Assembly, Hon. Akinmoyede Olafisoye.

The event, held at Faith Joe Event Centre, Alegongo, Akobo, Ibadan, aimed to address the challenges of unemployment and economic hardship by equipping participants with practical skills and financial support.

The programme focused on empowering youths, students, and unemployed graduates to become self-reliant. Each participant was provided with a certificate, a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, an umbrella, and ₦100,000 as a startup grant to kickstart their businesses.

The tools and financial aid were designed to enable beneficiaries to establish sustainable sources of income.

Participants received comprehensive training, gaining hands-on experience to ensure they could effectively utilize the tools provided. The POS machines were configured with the personal details of the recipients, ensuring proper use and discouraging unauthorized transfers.

Addressing the participants, Akinmoyede who is the Chairman House Committee on Nigeria/ Mexico Parliamentary Friendship enjoined the beneficiaries to explore the opportunity for their benefit by ensuring that they use the machines for the purpose it was meant for.

He added that all the machines have been configured with the documents of individual beneficiaries which will make it very difficult to transfer to another person.

In his goodwill message, the Oyo Central Senatorial chairman of APC, Hon. Joshua Oyebamiji said comparing what the lawmaker has been doing in the area of dishing out empowerment and palliatives to his constituents, it is difficult to tag him a first-timer at the national assembly.

While appreciating Akinmoyede for his gesture at the event, former APC Deputy State Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, and Hon. Akinbode Emmanuel said they were yet to discover the magic wand being used by the lawmaker for his constant and habitual empowerment programmes.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the end of the training, Afolabi Kuburat, Akinropo Akindotun, Ajala Abisade Iyabo, and Grace Anuoluwapo Ayinde lauded the lawmaker for giving them the opportunity to be self-reliant at this time when Nigerians are facing economic hardship.

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Oyo: Olafisoye Facilitates Capacity-Building Training for 300 Constituents

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The House of Representatives member representing Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency Oyo State, Hon. Prince Akinmoyede Olafisoye Wasiu has initiated another skill acquisition and capacity-building training for no fewer than 300 members of his constituency.

The initiative which is being organized in partnership with Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan is part of a strategic effort by the lawmaker to foster rural development of cooperative for their economic emancipation and break the shackles of poverty so as to alleviate the impact of the high cost of living among the people in Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency he represents.

The training programme is coming up on Monday 18th November, 2024 at Faith Joe Event Centre hall. Alegongo, Ibadan by 8.00am.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the lawmaker, Alimi Abdullahi stated that the capacity-building is designed to equip participants with essential entrepreneurial skills with a view to building sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of lives of the people of Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency.

All the participants for the training are expected to be at the venue by 8am so as not to miss any part of the training.

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