Flowerbud News

Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

  • Auchi Poly grants amnesty to four repentant cultists

    Auchi Poly grants amnesty to four repentant cultists

    The Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State has granted amnesty to four repentant cultists.

     

    The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Salisu Umar, made this known on Wednesday while addressing the repentant cult members.

     

    Umar urged the students of the institution to renounce their membership in cults.

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the former cultists renounced their membership of secret cult groups at a renunciation programme organised by the management of the polytechnic in Auchi,

    Edo.

    Renouncing cultism means abandoning reckless lifestyle and evil ways, no good thing comes from the devil.

     

    “Auchi Polytechnic in a bid to establish zero tolerance for cultism has organised this renunciation programme.

     

    “This renunciation programme is a kind of amnesty to enable staff and students who are cultists to renounce membership of such cults.

     

    After the renunciation programme, any staff or students who gets involved in any cult related activities, will face appropriate penalties and punishment,’’ the rector said.

    The fight against cultism, he said, was a collective one.

     

    “Churches and mosques are not left out in the fight against cultism. They should also establish strong youth departments and programmes where youths can be mentored regularly,“ he said.

     

    He urged other students who didn’t want to publicly renounce their memberships to do so.

     

    Earlier, Mr Daniel Osita, who gave his testimony as a renounced cultist, commended the students for renouncing cultism.

     

    ”By this decision, you have opened positive doors to your futures,” he said.

     

    He advised the students to be mindful of the decisions they make in life, pointing out that choices made by humans in life either make or mar their future.

     

     

  • Breaking: Atiku files 35 grounds of appeal against Tinubu at Supreme Court

    Breaking: Atiku files 35 grounds of appeal against Tinubu at Supreme Court

     

    ABUJA– Determined to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, lodged 35 grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court.

    Atiku, through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, is praying the Apex court to set aside the judgement the Court of Appeal delivered on September 6, which affirmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the valid winner of the presidential election that held on February 25.

    He told the apex court that the verdict of the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the President Election Petition Court, PEPC, which dismissed his petition against the outcome of the presidential contest, was not only perverse, but occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice against him.

     

    The PDP candidate, who is a former Vice President, maintained that the PEPC panel erred in law, when it failed to nullify the presidential election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, even when evidence that was adduced before it, showed that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, acted in breach of extant laws and regulations guiding the conduct of elections.

     

    He accused the PEPC of reaching its unanimous decision based on gross misconstruction and misrepresentation of provisions of both the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act, 2022.

     

    More details soon

     

  • Mohbad: Ibadan radio stations ban Naira Marley songs

    Mohbad: Ibadan radio stations ban Naira Marley songs

    Some radio stations in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have placed a ban on all songs from Afeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, on all their platforms,

    The radio stations explained on Monday that the decision was taken due to the ongoing investigation into the mysterious death of a Lagos-based musician, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, also known as Mohbad.

     

    Recalls that the news of the death of the musician was announced last Tuesday at 27.

     

    The radio stations that have announced their decision included Splash 105.5 FM and Agidigbo 88.7 FM.

     

    Splash FM, in an internal memo that was sent to its staff on Monday, noted that the decision was taken in view of the sensitive nature of the death of the musician.

     

    “In view of the sensitive nature around the death of Mohbad and the criminal procedure the police have commenced, I will urge us all to exercise discretion.

    To this effect, Naira Marley’s songs have become NTBB (Not to be Broadcast) on our stations until further notice. This is with immediate effect,” the statement said.

     

    Agidigbo FM, in its own declaration, announced that it has ceased to air all songs from Marlian Records, owned by Naira Marley

     

    Agidigbo FM founder Dr. Oriyomi Hamzat made this announcement Monday night.

     

    “From today, all songs from Marlian music are forbidden at Agidigbo.

     

    “We did not say they were the ones who killed him (Mohbad), but all songs from their music label have been henceforth cancelled,” he said

  • Cult killings: Ogun govt imposes curfew on Sagamu

    Cult killings: Ogun govt imposes curfew on Sagamu

    Following recent clashes among rival cult groups, the Ogun State Government has announced a seven-to-six curfew on Sagamu town.

     

    The government said all forms of movement in Sagamu would be restricted from 7pm to 6am.

     

    The government urged residents of Sagamu to abide by the restriction order pending when security agencies restored normalcy.

     

    This was made known in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Lekan Adeniran, on Monday.

    This is to notify residents of Sagamu and its environs of total restriction of human and vehicular movement as a way of taking firm control of the security architecture of the area and protect the lives of the people and their property,” the statement said.

     

    He implored residents of the Sagamu to cooperate with security agencies in order “to restore normalcy and bring perpetrators of these dastardly acts to book.”

     

    No fewer than 20 persons were said to have been killed by cultists between Saturday and the early hours of Monday in Sagamu.

  • Obasanjo disowns ‘wife’ who apologised to Obas, says he stands by his action

    Obasanjo disowns ‘wife’ who apologised to Obas, says he stands by his action

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied Madam Taiwo Martins, who apologised on his behalf for commanding some monarchs in Oyo State to stand up for Governor Seyi Makinde.

    Obasanjo had, while issuing the command to the monarchs at a public event, noted that a governor is more powerful than any king.

     

    Following the development, Madam Taiwo Martins, who claimed to be Obasanjo’s wife, issued an apology on behalf of the former President.

    However, reacting to the apology, Obasanjo disowned the woman and insisted that he stands by his comments.

     

    In a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Monday, Obasanjo expresed annoyance that “one Ms. Taiwo Martins” has authored a statement, appealing to Obas and Yorubas to forgive him as her husband.

     

    While conceding that the he and the woman gave birth to two children, Obasanjo stressed that she is not his wife, neither is she a member of his family.

    For the records, Ms. Martins has two children, Jonwo and Bunmi, for Chief Obasanjo but to say emphatically she is not his wife nor a member of the Obasanjo family.

     

    “Her posturing as Chief Obasanjo’s wife is false and that of an impostor. Nobody makes statement on behalf of the Obasanjo family except Chief Obasanjo or people delegated by him to do so.

    The state of health of Ms. Martins is known to all and sundry and whatever she says or does has nothing to do with Chief Obasanjo as an individual or the Obasanjo family as a whole,” the statement said.

     

    The statement added that Obasanjo has affirmed that “he stood firmly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly on the position that the Governor of a State holds the highest office in the State.

    The state of health of Ms. Martins is known to all and sundry and whatever she says or does has nothing to do with Chief Obasanjo as an individual or the Obasanjo family as a whole,” the statement said.

    The statement added that Obasanjo has affirmed that “he stood firmly, unapologetically and uncompromisingly on the position that the Governor of a State holds the highest office in the State.

    By that position, the respect, protocol and dignity that must be given to the Office by virtue of the Constitution must not be denied. To do otherwise is to deride the Office and the Constitution,” the statement added.

     

    Obasanjo incurred the wrath of many Yoruba people when he ordered the Oyo monarchs to stand up for the governor

  • Operation sweep FCT arrests 400 persons, impounds 50 vehicles in Abuja

    Operation sweep FCT arrests 400 persons, impounds 50 vehicles in Abuja

    The newly-inaugurated Operation Sweep in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has arrested 400 persons and impounded 50 vehicles for various offences.

     

    The Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, Umar Kadiri, made this known while briefing journalists in Abuja on Monday, during an operation to destroy illegal structures and dislodge illegal traders selling items on the street.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the operation also dislodged illegal motor parks, removed illegal structures on the streets, demolished scavengers’ shanties and set them ablaze.

    The operation took place between Friday and Monday at Utako Ultra-Modern Market and down through A.E Ekukinam Street to Jabi Motor Park and environs, among other locations, to keep Abuja city clean.

     

    Kadiri added that some of the offenders have been prosecuted.

     

    He explained that the operation was part of efforts to strengthen environmental sanitation in the FCT by clearing hawkers, demolishing illegal structures, unauthorised car parks, and activities of scavengers.

     

    “We have impounded not less than 50 vehicles from Friday to date and arrested not less than 400 people. Some were prosecuted and others will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

     

    “The clearing of illegal traders by the roadside around the markets became necessary because they were constituting obstacles to the free flow of traffic and defacing the city.

     

    “Beyond keeping the city clean, clearing them would also ensure a free floor of traffic on Abuja streets, including market areas where traders and their illegal strictures have taken over the roads.

     

    “Most of these traders were associating themselves with scavengers who are allegedly stealing people’s valuables in the name of scavenging,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Kaka Bello, Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), said that the operation was part of ongoing exercise to Keep Abuja clean.

    Bello said that Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the FCT, had recently inaugurated the Operation Sweep FCT to ensure effective sanitation in the Federal capital city.

     

    “As you can see, we are here with different security agencies to provide the needed support for a hitch-free exercise.

     

    “We have been here several times, but the illegal traders and scavengers return after some time to continue their illegal activity,” he said.

     

    He advised owners of properties in Abuja to take over their properties and develop them to prevent miscreants from using undeveloped areas for illegal and criminal activities.

     

    NAN reports that operation sweep FCT is made up of the representative of the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Immigration, Nigeria Security and Civil Défense Corps, and Department of State Services.

     

    Others are the Nigerian Army, Navy, and the Airforce, as well as the Federal Road Safety Corps and AEPB.

     

    One of the affected scavengers, Mr Mohammed Sani, whose shanty was destroyed around Jabi Motor Park, confirmed that they had been vacated from the area a long time ago but returned.

     

    “I know that we have been warned to leave the place, but we are just trying to survive,” he said.

     

    Also, a resident, Ismail Haruna, commended the government for clearing the streets to restore sanity on Abuja streets.

    He lamented that illegal traders have taken over major streets, built illegal structures for selling all kinds of items, including drugs.

     

    “I am very happy that the FCT administration has taken steps to keep our city clean,” he said. (NAN)

     

  • Hakeem Baba-Ahmed To Serve As Shettima’s Aide, Says No To ‘Fence-Sitting

    Hakeem Baba-Ahmed To Serve As Shettima’s Aide, Says No To ‘Fence-Sitting

    Hakeem Baba-Ahmed To Serve As Shettima’s Aide, Says No To ‘Fence-Sitting’

    The NEF spokesman is the elder brother of Datti Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi’s running mate under the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.

    The spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on Monday, announced his appointment as the Special Adviser (Political) to the Vice President, saying it was no time to be “fence-sitting”.

     

    The NEF spokesman is the elder brother of Datti Baba-Ahmed, who was Peter Obi’s running mate under the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.

     

    The northern elder revealed this in a post on X, formerly Twitter, describing the appointment as an honour.

     

    It is time to make it public that I have accepted the call to serve as Special Adviser (Political) to the VP, @KShettim,” he stated.

     

    “This is not the time for fence-sitting or criticism when you can be useful in turning the country round. I am honored and humbled. Please pray for me & Nigeria

  • FG, NLC Meeting To Prevent Indefinite Strike Ends In Deadlock

    FG, NLC Meeting To Prevent Indefinite Strike Ends In Deadlock

    The meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to avert an imminent strike action ended on Monday without a concrete resolution to the union’s demands.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, met with the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja in an effort to stop organised labour from embarking on another industrial action.

     

    The meeting is expected to continue at a later date.

     

    However, the minister is also expected to hold a meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) today.

  • Tinubu approves appointment of 18 aides in Vice President’s office

    Tinubu approves appointment of 18 aides in Vice President’s office

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 18 Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants to actualise the agenda of the Federal Government across the different sectors of the economy.

     

    The Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Mr Olusola Abiola, made this known in a statement, on Monday in Abuja.

    Abiola said that the team comprising six Special Advisers and 12 Senior Special Assistants would work in the office of the vice president, Kashim Shettima, to support the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the Tinubu administration.

    He said that the appointments in the vice lresident’s office include; Rukaiya El-Rufai, Special Adviser to the President on National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change as well as Tope Kolade Fasua as Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters.

     

    He said that Aliyu Modibbo was appointed as the Special Adviser, General Duties; Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Special Adviser, Political Matters and Jumoke Oduwole, Special Adviser to the President on Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment.

     

    Abiola said: ” Others include: Sadiq Wanka, Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure; Usman Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Office Coordination and Kingsley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications.

     

    ” Also appointed were; Ishaq Ningi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Media and Emergency Management; Peju Adebajo, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Investment and Privatisation and Mohammed Bulama, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political/Special Duties.”

     

    Similarly, the director said Mr Kingsley Uzoma is the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Agricbusiness and Productivity Enhancement and Gimba Kakanda, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Research and Analytics.

     

    Abiola also said that Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, is the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Job Creation and MSMEs, Nasir Yammama, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Innovation and Zainab Yunusa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on NEC.

     

    ” Others are Mariam Temitope, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Regional Development Programmes, and Bashir Maidugu, Deputy State House Counsel (Senior Special Assistant to the President).