Flowerbud News

Day: January 13, 2025

  • Tinubu’s recent visit to Enugu is readiness to serve all Nigerians – TMV.

    Tinubu’s recent visit to Enugu is readiness to serve all Nigerians – TMV.

     

    By Majeed Ayofe

    The Tinubu Media Volunteers (TMV) has described President Bola Tinubu’s recent engagements in Enugu state as a positive development indicating his readiness to unite the country and ensure that no part is ignored.

    In a statement signed by its Chairman Chukwudi Enekwechi and Secretary Shedrach Sunday, the group noted that the president’s pronouncement in the course of the visit was reassuring

    TMV said: “For us, the recent visit of President Bola Tinubu to Enugu state has truly shattered any doubts in any quarters about his commitment to serve all Nigerians with equal love and devotion.

    “We note with joy that he used the opportunity of the one-day visit to reiterate the need for all Nigerians to see themselves as one united people.

    His adorning of the traditional Igbo attire with a matching cap was symbolic in many ways and further shows his ability to acclimatize himself in any part of the country.

    “We also applaud the announcement by the President to complete the Eastern Railway project, which traverses all states in the South East Region up to Maiduguri in Borno state.

    There is no doubt that the completion of this rail corridor will accelerate the socio-economic development of the South East and the country in general.

    “It is also commendable that President Tinubu had approved the completion of the Port Harcourt to Aba rail line on his assumption of office.

    “We acknowledge the announcement of Mr. President to support the development of the Anambra oil and gas basin.

    “We believe that the realisation of this project will create jobs for the people of the area, as well as boost the revenue profile of the entire region and the country as a whole. ”

    The President’s one-day visit to Enugu has opened a new chapter in an inter-ethnic relationship among all Nigerians and showed that under his watch, no region of the country would be left behind, TMV said.

    End

  • Tinubu’s position in Ghana, a true reflection of Nigeria’s leadership in Africa -TMSG

    Tinubu’s position in Ghana, a true reflection of Nigeria’s leadership in Africa -TMSG

     

    By Iyiola Olalere

    The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described President Bola Tinubu’s speech on the African renaissance at the inauguration of Ghana’s new President, John Mahama, as the best testament to the continent’s capacity to reinvent itself and build on its potential.

    In a statement signed by its Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG said it was another view of Tinubu as a Pan-Africanist and a true champion of the Black race.

    It read in part, “Looking back at President Tinubu’s speech as a special guest at the inauguration of Ghana’s newly elected President, John Mahama, it was not surprising that he used the platform to showcase Africa’s resilience against its myriad of challenges.

    “This is a line he had constantly pushed at all his international engagements aside from promoting Nigeria’s interests.

    “And using Ghana as a shining example of practical democracy, President Tinubu, who has in recent times vigorously championed the cause in the West African sub-region, was emphatic in noting that “the development lays to bed the question of whether Ghana and Africa are capable of democratic and productive endeavours.”.

    “For us, that message could not have been more appropriate at a time of a resurgent military adventurism in some countries of West Africa.

    “Anyone aware of Tinubu’s antecedents as a pro-democracy activist would not be surprised by his reference to the long years of unbroken democracy in Ghana and Nigeria which we see as a fitting response to Africa’s critics on the strides the continent has made in development of democracy.

    “We acknowledge it as another bold statement of Africa’s readiness to live up to its historical capacity to govern its people and build their economy. It was why, in his speech, President Tinubu maintained that Africa had nothing to prove to anyone again. Africa, he stressed, will build a ‘resilient economy at our own pace.’ Nothing could be more direct and reassuring.

    “It is a reflection of the knowledge that Africa has abundant natural resources which it could leverage to lift its people from abject poverty into refreshing prosperity.

    “Also interesting to TMSG is President Tinubu’s position that African countries should not allow external interests to escalate normal differences and disagreements that could be amicably resolved by sincere brotherly dialogue.

    “This is a statesman-like message that is needed at a time Africa is locked down by a renewed scramble by global players and superpowers contending for influence in the continent.”

    TMSG believes that Nigeria plays a major role in President Tinubu’s watch in championing Africa’s cause in global affairs.

    “It remains therefore to be seen how his brother – Presidents – and leaders in Africa and the entire Black race respectively take his message back home as a collective wake-up call”, the group said.

     

  • N-HYPPADEC inaugurates FOI committee to boost transparency

    N-HYPPADEC inaugurates FOI committee to boost transparency

    By Mohammed Baba Busu

    The National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Commission, (N-HYPPADEC) has inaugurated an 11-member Freedom Of Information (FOI) committee to boost transparency and accountability in its operations.

    The Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, said this during the inauguration of the committee and training of members in Minna on Monday that transparency was vital in meeting public expectations.

    The event which had as its theme: “Empowering Accountability Through Freedom of Information FOI“ held in Minna on Monday.

    Sadiq-Yelwa said that this was in compliance with the Federal Government’s policy which mandated all its institutions to constitute the committee as part of civil service reforms.

    He said accountability and transparency in service would promote efficiency in service delivery among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    The managing director, represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Yasin Abubakar, charged the members of the committee to leave up to their responsibilities.

    He assured them of full support in carrying out its mandate successfully.

    Sadiq-Yelwa said FOI was the vital  key  in achieving the mandates of the agency and urged the members to take the training serious.

    In his remarks,  Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, represented by Head of Freedom of Information Unit, Barr. Godwin Garuba, commended the commission for being among the first to inaugurate the FOI committee.

    He urged the committee members to perform optimally in their duties because FOI was expected to play a key role in the fight against corruption in the country.

    NAN

  • Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jennifer rakes in N1.6bn in cinemas

    Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jennifer rakes in N1.6bn in cinemas

    By Flowerbud News

    Actress Funke Akindele’s new film, Everybody Loves Jennifer, has been declared the highest grossing film of all time in West Africa.

    The movie released to cinemas exactly one month ago has raked in N1.6 billion across cinemas.

    Filmone, the film’s distributor, disclosed this on its Instagram page @filmoneng, on Monday.

    The company wrote: “A billy gang, we’re up! Everybody Loves Jennifer has grossed over 1.6 billion Naira at the box office!

    “We can’t thank you enough for showing this movie all your love!”

     

    Also, Akindele took to her Instagram page @funkejenifaakindele to celebrate  the feat and thank her fans.

     

    She wrote: “Na God do am. I am so grateful to you all.

    “I no know wetin I go write again.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Everybody Loves Jennifer” was released into cinemas  on Dec. 13, 2024.

    NAN

  • Makinde presents instruments of office to new Alaafin of Oyo.

    Makinde presents instruments of office to new Alaafin of Oyo.

    Makinde presents instruments of office to new Alaafin of Oyo.

     

    By Adewale Owoade

     

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has officially presented the instruments of office to the new Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade.

     

    The presentation ceremony took place at the Executive Council Chambers, Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan.

     

    In his remarks, Makinde expressed the importance of the Alaafin stool to the entire Yoruba race, reiterating that under his watch, the Alaafin stool will not be sold to the highest bidder.

     

    He warned that any chief found guilty of collecting bribes during the selection process will be prosecuted.

     

    “The Alaafin stool is very important not just to Oyo Town or Oyo State but the entire Yoruba race. So, under my watch, I made it very clear that the stool would not be for sale. It is not a stool for us to toil with.

     

    “I met Prince Owoade for the first time in my life yesterday. I never spoke to him in my entire life until yesterday.

     

    “Let me also say briefly that those that are still hell-bent on destabilising the traditional institution in Oyo, the government is not letting down.

     

    “We will prosecute them. The money they collected; they will still be prosecuted except they go to Kabiyesi. If he forgives them, I will also forgive them.”

     

    Expressing his gratitude to Makinde and the people of Oyo, Oba Owoade pledged to prioritise the kingdom’s development and welfare of its people.

     

    Oba Akeem Owoade is the 46th Alaafin of Oyo. His coronation will take place in February in Oyo town. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

  • Osun: Work in High Tempo on Lagere Flyover Bridge Project in Ife

    Osun: Work in High Tempo on Lagere Flyover Bridge Project in Ife

     

    – As Residents Wish Gov. Adeleke more administrative successes in 2025

     


    By Biola Lawal
    Ile-Ife (Osun) FLOWERBUDNEWS: As the new year 2025 rolls on gradually, tempo of work has increased on the construction of the Osun state Government’s Mega Flyover Bridge at Lagere Area of the ancient town of Ife.

    Flowerbudnews media team reports that most of the crucial base works, reinforcement and other strategic structural essentials were already being completed.

    The construction work is being undertaken by SAMMYA Nigeria Limited for the Osun State Government.

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    Meanwhile, the Construction of Abutment wall is also ongoing, while the Construction of base for the retaining wall is also undertaking steady progress, Flowerbudnews reports.

    Construction of piers (Columns) and pier caps were also successfully undertaken, with one of the supervising Engineers on the project, Engr. Tosin Osasona, confirming that all the fours piers and piers caps were 100% completed

    Engr. Toyin Osasona, who is in charge of monitoring standard and quality control, was full of commendation for Governor Ademola Adeleke for initiating the mega project for the benefit of the people of Ile-Ife.

    The Supervising Engineer, who is also a native of Ile-Ife, noted that Governor Adeleke’s policy of using local contents on the project had been very beneficial to the indigenes, many of whom are engaged profitably on the project.

    Flowerbudnews learnt that in terms of labour content, Governor Adeleke has earned a commendable goodwill, respect and love among Ife people as scores of indigenes were now earning profitable income from working on the project.

    Project Manager, Engr. Michael Adedayo had told Flowerbudnews in an interview that Governor Adeleke’s local content sourcing policy was being well implemented on the project.

    Engr. Adedayo disclosed that materials being used on the project were majorly sourced from Ife and adjourning areas to boost the local economy through patronage.

    Residents who spoke to FLOWERBUDNEWS generally commended Governor Adeleke with many of them making prayer for more divine guidance, help and support for him.

    Mr. Adekunle Ayodeji, a resident, urged the Governor to intensify his developmental efforts to bring more dividends of democracy to the people of Osun state.

    ”We pray that GOD continue to assist Governor Ademola Adeleke so that he can achieve more success in this 2025,” Mrs. Comfort Ayinde, another resident of Ife said in an interview with Flowerbudnews.

  • Rivers group rejects Mbata’s election as Ohaneze Ndigbo President

    Rivers group rejects Mbata’s election as Ohaneze Ndigbo President

    By Flowerbud News

    The Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM), an interest group, has announced plans to stage peaceful protests in Abuja, Rivers, and at United Nations offices across Nigeria.

    The protest aims to oppose the election of Sen. John Azuta-Mbata as President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

    Azuta-Mbata, an Ikwerre indigene from Rivers, was elected on Saturday, a move that sparked criticism from some of his kinsmen, who argue that the Ikwerre people are not ethnically Igbo.

    Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, RRM’s Director-General, Johnson Georgewill, issued a seven-day ultimatum for Azuta-Mbata to resign, warning of resistance from the Ikwerre people if the demand was not met.

    “We are outraged that the administration of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara supported Azuta-Mbata’s election as Ohaneze Ndigbo President-General purely for political reasons,” Georgewill stated.

    He emphasised that Ikwerres are not ethnically Igbos and questioned why such an important position was given to someone allegedly outside the Igbo ethnic group.

    “The President-General’s primary duty is to represent the interests of all Igbo people within and outside of Nigeria.

    “Are the Ikwerre people Igbos to justify Azuta-Mbata representing them? The answer is a resounding no,” Georgewill declared.

    He noted that the Ikwerre people have consistently rejected claims of being Igbos since the dissolution of the former Eastern Nigeria by Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s administration.

    Georgewill accused Fubara’s administration of trying to use ethnicity to destabilise the Ikwerre people for political gain, vowing that the RRM would resist such attempts.

    “Former Governor Nyesom Wike, who is the political leader in Rivers worked tirelessly to maintain a 50-year political alliance between the Ijaws and Ikwerre’s, which led to Fubara’s election.

    “This move undermines that bond and humiliates Rivers people by attempting to enslave the Ikwerres,” he said.

    Geogewill called on Gov. Fubara to withdraw his congratulatory message to Azuta-Mbata and urged the President-General to step down within seven days.

    He dismissed arguments that Ikwerres are Igbos based on linguistic and cultural similarities, citing examples from the United Kingdom where the Welsh and Scots, despite similarities, do not consider themselves English.

    The director-general also called on President Bola Tinubu, who also congratulated Azuta-Mbata, the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Service (DSS), and political leaders to intervene.

    “Our founding fathers such as Melford Okilo, Obi Wali, Chief Nwaobidike Wonodi, and other great Ikwerre leaders will be turning in their graves by this development.

    “This injustice transcends party affiliation; it concerns the people of Rivers state and their independence within the Nigerian state” Georgewill asserted.

    He urged all true sons and daughters of Rivers to speak out against what he called an injustice.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the rejection of Mbata, an ally of Fubara, may stem from the political disputes between Wike and Fubara.

    Sources suggested that the Wike’s camp views Mbata’s election as a political strategy designed to weaken Wike’s influence among his Ikwerre kinsmen.

    NAN

  • Minimum wage: Lagos State-owned media workers embark on warning strike

    Minimum wage: Lagos State-owned media workers embark on warning strike

    By Flowerbud News

    Workers’ unions in the Lagos State-owned media organisations, on Monday, embarked on a three-day warning strike in protest of non-payment of minimum wage.

    The workers are also protesting  non- inclusion in the state Oracle database for salary payment.

    The workers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union (RATTAWU), Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation, shut down operations.

    The workers comprised staff of Lagos Television, Radio Lagos/Eko FM and Lagos Traffic Radio.

    They said that the strike had become imperative due to state government’s failure to meet their demands.

    The workers, who walked around their various premises, sang solidarity songs for hours. They were also being entertained by a musical band.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesting workers carried placards with different inscriptions to press home their demands.

    The inscriptions include: “Give us Oracle and take the revenue generated”, “Palliatives and subventions are not working”, “Oracle is the answer”, and “All we need is Oracle! Save our today and secure our future”.

    The others are: ” Non-implementation of new minimum wage is anti-labour”, “Minimum wage, a must! Our sweat is drying up”, “Save us from career stagnation”, and “LTV, Radio Lagos, Traffic Radio are not liability, we are asset to the government”.

    Speaking to newsmen, the  Chairman of the Lagos State Council of NUJ, Mr Adeleye Ajayi, said that the media workers were demanding fair treatment and wages for being at the centre of promoting government policies.

    He said that both the NUJ and RATTAWU had given different ultimatums and had exercised enough patience for the government to meet their demands.

    Ajayi noted that the demands included payment of the new minimum wage and inclusion in the state’s Oracle database for salary payment.

    “Both NUJ and RATTAWU are quite aware of this. We have given different ultimatums – a 10-day ultimatum, a 21-day ultimatum, and the last and final one was a seven-day ultimatum.

    “I think these are ultimatums  for the state government to accede to the requests of our members.

    “Our members are very committed, they are very dedicated; they are very patriotic, they have no closing hours, and I think they should be well-remunerated.

    “Our members should be integrated into the Oracle database. Oracle database is like the IPPIS system in the Federal Civil Service that creates a seamless way of paying workers’ salaries and other benefits,” Ajayi said.

    According to him, the government should look into the issue of minimum wage which is being enjoyed by other state workers.

    “Our workers here are not benefiting from the minimum wage like other state workers. Workers of the state broadcast corporations should benefit from the minimum wage.

    “In the last three or five months, they have not benefited a dime from the minimum wage, and this should not be the case,” he said.

    Ajayi said that the state government should be more media-friendly and attend to the needs of the media so that the media could further propagate its policies and activities.

    He expressed the optimism that the state executive council would address the issues.

     

    The Lagos State Chairman of RATTAWU, Mr Ishola Adejumo, said that workers deserved due wages.

    Adejumo said that workers in the state-owned media workers had not been enjoying the N85,000 minimum wage approved by the state government.

    Adejumo said: “This is premised on the fact that the running of these stations is based on IGR (Internally Generated Revenue).

    “This determines what they will do with salaries and other expenses.

    “To us, this is no longer sustainable.
    “For the past 12 years or thereabout, we have been demanding for migration of the workers here to Oracle database to guarantee regular payment of workers’ salaries and other benefits, along with their counterparts in the ministries; yet this has not been done.

    “We are calling on the government and all the agencies concerned to migrate workers here to Oracle. Once they migrate them, we disperse and every problem will be solved.”

    According to him, if the government refuses to meet the workers  demands after the warning strike, the unions will go on an indefinite strike.

    “There is no retreat, no surrender,” Oladejumo said.

    NAN

  • Lagos Speaker impeached, elects deputy as replacement

    Lagos Speaker impeached, elects deputy as replacement

    By Flowerbud News

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has  impeached  its  Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa .

    The House impeached Obasa at an emergency plenary  in Ikeja on Monday.

    The  Deputy Speaker, Mrs Mojisola Meranda(APC-Apapa 1) was  subsequently elected and  sworn in by the lawmakers as new Speaker .

    NAN reports that the Clerk of the House, Mr Olalekan Onafeko ,was also  suspended indefinitely, while the Chief Whip of the House, Mr Mojeed Fatai, was  elected  the new Deputy Speaker.

    NAN reports that security officials have taken over the premises of the Assembly to forestall any breakdown of law and order

    Details surrounding Obasa’s impeachment had yet to emerge as at the time of publishing this  report as  official statements were yet to be issued by the Assembly or its leadership.

    However, insiders suggest  allegations of financial impropriety may have played a significant role in his removal.

    Obasa (APC-Agege I), a sixth term lawmaker, had held the speakership position for years, and had been enmeshed in  controversies in the past over alleged mismanagement of Assembly funds.

    Obasa’s impeachment has opened  a new chapter in the annals of the House

    NAN