Author: The Nation

A Lagos ruling house, Oloto Royal Family of Iddo and Lagos Mainland, has cautioned against imposition on candidates on the people.

In a statement signed by the Odofin Oba and Secretary Oloto Royal Family, Chief Mohammed Bashir, Chief Lamina Akinlolu, the Ojomo  Oba and Head Baalo Ruling House,  the Eletu Oba  and Head of Eru Ifa

Ruling House, Chief Shamuideen Adisa Pedro, and Aro Oba and Head of Olupejobi Ruling House, Chief Jubril Adebayo Oloto, the ruling house said: “Prior to the installation of His Royal Mejesty Oba Ganiyu

Okeyide Odesanya, the chiefs, kingmakers, branch heads, and entire Oloto Royal Family identified three ruling houses in Otto. They are Olupejobi Ruling House, Balo Ruling House, and Eru Ifa Ruling House.

“Succession to the throne was to rotate from Olupejobi through Balo to Eruwa Ifa ruling houses. This position was confirmed as a declaration made under customary Law regulating the section of Oloto of Otto and was duly signed by the relevant authorities in Lagos State, including the then governor of the Lagos State.

“The family is therefore dismayed that some people are attempting to impose a candidate from the family that just produced that last oba.

This is not only against the culture and tradition of Oloto Royal Family practiced over six centuries ago but against the express provisions of the aforementioned declaration. We do not want any form of interference or imposition of an oba in Otto.”

By Kunle Akinrinade

The present federal structure of Nigeria is not good enough for the country, Odua People’s Congress Reformed has said.

National President of the group, Chief Oludare Adesope also said the creation of Odua nation was long overdue.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday, Adesope noted that no Yoruba person would not want to support the call for the self-determination of the people of the Southwest region.

He said: “I personally have been hammering on restructuring but the Nigerian government or should I say this present leadership doesn’t want to hear about it. The present (federal) system of governance is not the best for Nigeria, it is not working and can never work.’’

Adesope noted that attacks on farmers by herdsmen had jeopardized farming and free movement of people in the southwest.

“The major problem every state is facing now in Nigeria is insecurity and all eyes centered on the herdsmen to be precise. People of Southwest used to move freely from town to town without fear but it is now a different ball game . Our people can’t perform cultural rites with each other because of fear of been waylaid by herdsmen.

“ Our farmers have been rendered useless, they fear to go to their farm and in Yorubaland we all know that farm is the soul of a farmer”. One will begin to imagine why herdsmen would rape another man’s wife, kidnap, destroy our property and kill people even after collecting ransom.’’

The Atiba University (AU), Oyo, Oyo State has been granted full operational license by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

This was communicated to the Registrar of the university in a letter dated April 8, 2021, and was signed by Mrs. Lydia T. Imoroa, the Director, Inspection, and Monitoring, for the Executive Secretary of the NUC.

The letter read in part: “Having fulfilled all the requirements laid down in Educational (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Cap E3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and satisfactorily completed the mandatory probationary period, the Atiba University is fully licenced to operate as a private university in Nigeria.

“I forward herewith the Full Operational Licence to the University. On behalf of the Board, Management and staff of the National Universities Commission, I congratulate you on this achievement. Please accept the assurances of the Executive Secretary’s highest regard.”

Ogun Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has intercepted no fewer than 19.000 bags of rice and arrested four suspected smugglers in the first quarter of the year.

The command also generated a total of N12, 321,075.00 revenue from January to March 2021.

The Command’s Area Controller, Comptroller Peter Kolo who made the closure during a press briefing on Tuesday also revealed that a total of N8, 627, 750.00 revenue was generated in March alone.

Kolo said: ‘’The four smugglers also attacked our officers on duty. One of them even took part in the killing of one of our officers during the EndSARS protest.’’

He said the suspects have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, on a five-count charge.

The customs controller disclosed that his men also intercepted some bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each concealed in two trucks belonging to a soft drink manufacturing company along Denro-Olorunda-Abeokuta road.

Kolo also noted that operatives of the Command ‘’in March alone made a total number of 167 seizures of various contraband goods with a Duty Paid Value of one hundred and sixteen million, five hundred and eighty-six thousand, six hundred and seven Naira, zero Kobo (N116,586,607.00).

‘’Over 7,000 bags of 50kg parboiled foreign rice equivalent to 2 trailers were seized in the month of March,’’ he said.

He said other seized contraband items include; imported foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, petroleum products (PMS) made for exports, used (Second hand) Clothing’s, Cannabis Sativa, Vehicles and Motorcycles used as means of conveyance of prohibited goods, Tomato paste, vegetable oil, medicaments, etc.

He refuted reports alleging compromise on the part of his men by allowing about 60,000 bags of smuggled rice into the country within a week.

By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

Governor Abiodun has received the report of committee on farmers/herders conflicts, declaring that “never again should the people of Ogun allow misunderstanding descend into violence as witnessed in the relationship between indigenes and settlers in all the communities in the state”.

Abiodun had set up the Peace Committee on Farmers/Herders Conflicts in the wake of bloody clashes between farmers and herders in the state, particularly in the Yewa North and Imeko Afon Local Government Areas of the state.

Receiving the report on Thursday evening from the committee headed by the former House of Reps member, Kayode Oladele, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the governor noted that the recent farmers/ herders conflict in some parts of the state negatively affected the peaceful nature which the state was noted for.

While saying urgent steps needed to be taken to address the menace, the governor urged indigenes and the settlers in the state to continue to live in peace as they had done for ages.

He wondered what would have caused disaffection among them, leading to a face-off, loss of lives, properties, livelihood, while many sustained various degrees of injuries in the three affected local government areas – Imeko/Afon, Yewa North and Yewa South.

He restated that the committee was set up with a mandate to find out the immediate and remote cause of the crisis, quantify the loses from all sides and come up with recommendations on how government could pre-empt similar occurrences in the future, maintaining “now that we have resolved this, never again should such dastardly skirmishes be allowed.”

According to the Governor, “this Committee was set up by government to basically look into what happened, quantify the loses from both sides and make recommendations to government on how to pre-empt similar conflict from occuring in the future.

“We realised that this axis has a communication problem which prevented our people from communicating especially in times of crisis. We are solving this problem because telecommunication companies have started erecting their masts and very soon communication will improve in these areas”. He added.

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Kayode Oladele, noted that farmers/herders clashes were the major security challenges facing the state, saying that apart from having negative impact on food security, it also brought hardship to the inhabitants of the affected areas as their sources of livelihood had been destroyed.

He pointed out that in carrying out the assignment, the Committee adopted participatory approach where traditional rulers, community leaders, victims and their relatives as well as other relevant stakeholders were involved.

While thanking the state government for the confidence reposed in them, the Chairman said the report includes recommendations which if implemented, would go a long way in finally settling the crisis once and for all.

By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor

The Local Government Election Commitee of the Lagos State All Progressives  Congress (APC) was yesterday inaugurated by its chairman, Tunde Balogun, at the party secretariat, Ogba, Ikejà.

It is headed by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.

Other members are former Deputy Governor  Oluranti Adebule, Lanre Ogunyemi (Secretary), Hon. Olawale Oshun, Ademola Sodiq, Daramola Abayomi, Ganiyu Sodiq, Ademola Onisa, F.O. Lasisu, Adeniyi Kehinde, Olabode Olaniyan, S.A Sekoni,  Tunde Lawal and Ganiyu Bello.

The state electoral agency headed by Justice Ayo Philip, had announced Julu 24 as the poll day. No fewer than 18 political parties are participating at the exercise.

Balogun said the inauguration of the committee underscored the importance attached to council elections by the chapter.

He said the panel will map out the party’s electoral programme covering the declaration of intention by aspirants, sensitisation, sale and buying of forms, conduct of primaries and campaigns.

He said:”We have taken a step forward in the democratisation of our party and local councils. We are inaugurating the committee, following the release of time table by LASIEC; that elections will hold across 20 councils and 37 LCDAs.”

Hamzat said: “Our party takes election serious.  We like to improve on our democratic credentials.  We want to make the election seamless.  We will work with all our members and make sure there is no division.”