Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

Following rising tension between the Osogbo and Ede communities over a boundary dispute, the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Lawal, met with the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, on Friday.

 

They resolved to establish a 14-member committee aimed at strengthening peaceful coexistence between the two communities.

 

The committee, consisting of seven members from each community, is tasked with the amicable resolution of boundary disputes that may arise between Osogbo and Ede.

 

The recent installation of the Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Oba Jelili Olaiya, by the Timi led to an uproar, particularly on social media, with accusations against the Ede community of plotting to annex parts of Osogbo.

During a meeting at the Ataoja Palace attended by chiefs and prominent indigenes from both communities, Oba Lawal stated that the allegations against him and his community should be disregarded.

Oba Lawal, recalling the harmonious relationship between past traditional rulers of Ede and Osogbo, pledged to work with the Ataoja to maintain the current amicable relationship.

“What we are here to do today is to clear the air regarding the allegations against us in Ede on social media. The allegations are untrue.

 

am very pleased with what we have heard today. The people of Osogbo have expressed their commitment to peace. We in Ede are also committed to peace. The two communities are closely knit, and we must uphold the peace inherited from our ancestors. The media should help communicate that Osogbo and Ede are united. We are for peace.

 

“As stated by the Ataoja, we will work on the inter-community committee. We will select seven people from Ede. The committee will work to strengthen existing peace and address areas of difference, thus preventing disputes.

 

“This committee existed in previous years. We will revive it. On behalf of the Timi Council, we are here to assure you that Osogbo and Ede are friends. The Ataoja and Timi are friends. I appreciate his support, and I hope one day Ede will reciprocate the gesture to Osogbo. We assure you that nothing can come between Ede and Osogbo,” Oba Lawal said.

 

Earlier, Oba Oyetunji emphasised the need to avoid spreading false information, which could jeopardise peace.

Oba Oyetunji, who revealed plans to revive the inter-community committee, directed Chief Ajadi Badmus, the Asiwaju of Osogbo, to consult other prominent indigenes and propose the names of seven individuals to represent his community on the committee.

 

He further stated, “In the past, we had a committee of 14 members, co-chaired by representatives from both towns. When the committee met in Osogbo, an indigene of Osogbo would chair the meeting, and when it met in Ede, an indigene of Ede would chair.

 

“This meeting aims to ease tensions over an alleged land dispute. Additionally, the two towns share a historical relationship that cannot be destroyed.

 

“With the cooperation of my chiefs and elders of Osogbo, we are ready to resuscitate the inter-community committee comprising members from both towns. I urge the Timi to also select members to represent Ede on the committee.

 

 

 

 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has denied claims that it is responsible for the recent hike in Premium Motor Spirit, commonly called petrol, in the country.

 

The company said the pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including the Dangote Refinery Ltd, is determined by global market forces, stating that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining of the products in the country.

 

The NNPC stated this on Saturday in reaction to rumours it is attempting to monopolise the offtake of all products from the Dangote refinery.

 

In the statement titled “NNPC Ltd Not the Sole Offtaker; Market Open to Lower Prices from Any Domestic Refinery”, the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said, “The attention of the NNPC Ltd has been drawn to a press release by the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, which claims that the Dangote Refinery Limited (DRL) is being undermined by actions of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd).

Specifically, MURIC asserts that recent changes to the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) will prevent the Dangote Refinery from offering lower prices and that NNPC Ltd. has become the sole off-taker of all products from the refinery.”

 

The company said to set the records straight, “The pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including the Dangote Refinery Ltd. (DRL), is determined by global market forces.”

 

NNPC said, “The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on the DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market,” adding that “In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.”

 

The NNPC further emphasised “that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL.”

 

“The NNPC Ltd. will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products.

 

“NNPC Ltd. has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole off-taker does not arise,” it said.

 

The NNPC said it cannot undermine a business in which it holds a billion-dollar stake.

 

“As an advocacy group for fair and just treatment, MURIC should have verified the facts before making statements that are entirely flawed and has the potential to incite ordinary Nigerians against the NNPC Ltd,” the company said

The Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has appointed Mr. Ige Oluwasegun Ebenezer as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Civil Society Engagement.

In a statement signed by the Spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said the appointment was in line with Gov Adeleke’s commitment to robust partnerships with civil society organizations and to ensure effective engagement with all stakeholders across the state.

The Governor has also reiterated his zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and corruption, emphasizing that any individual found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the law

President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Beijing, said he was ready to take the hard decisions to move the nation forward, adding that it is not always easy for a leader to have a national consensus on issues.

The President stated that when he met with Nigerians living in the People’s Republic of China to round off his official engagements in the country.

 

TInubu described his visit as “very good and successful”.

 

Addressing members of Nigerians in Diaspora Organization in China, NIDO China, and the Nigerian community at the China World Hotel, President Tinubu emphasized his efforts to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, trade, finance, energy, green economy, and mining during his discussions with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and his participation at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

 

The President, in a statement by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, said: “What is uppermost in my mind is for you to continue representing Nigeria as good citizens. And I urge you all to be good ambassadors of our nation in China.

 

“We will always celebrate our diversity. We cherish it, but this diversity is our commitment to serve. If it is about service, we must be good citizens.”

 

He emphasized the importance of discipline and commitment to national service, citing China’s disciplined society as an example for Nigerians to follow.

 

“I cannot tell you more, except from the embassy, that China is a very disciplined society and we have to be disciplined too. Without discipline and commitment, we cannot build a nation that is respected everywhere in the world.

We must exploit our diversity and be ready to do everything required of us within the laws of the communities that we live in and reflect a good image of our country,” the President said.

 

Reforms

Highlighting the impact of investments in China’s economy, President Tinubu assured Nigerians in Diaspora that Nigeria’s Bank of Industry is prepared to collaborate with them to leverage opportunities back home.

“Nigeria is going through reforms, and we are taking very bold and unprecedented decisions.

“For example, you might have been hearing from home in the last few days about fuel prices.

“But, can we help it? Can we develop good roads like you have here? You see electricity being constant in quantity and quality. You see water supply, constant and running, and you see their good schools.

And we say we want to hand over a banner without stain to our children?

 

“What is the critical part to get us there if we cannot make hard decisions to pave the way for a country that is blessed and so talented?

 

“So many of you are so talented, speaking very fluent Mandarin. It is what you contribute and tell them at home that will reflect in the attitude of our people.

 

“The more you want everything free, it will become more expensive and long-delayed to achieve meaningful development,’’ the President said.

 

Take-away from China

 

To the applause of the audience, President Tinubu stated that one key takeaway from his visit to China is the commitment to replicate China’s infrastructure back home.

 

 

We want our children to be in good schools, not tattered huts and dilapidated buildings. We must make our teaching innovative and allow businesses of all kinds and sizes to flourish.

“One economic action leads to another, and it is in your hands to build our nation. Mine is to provide the leadership, and I am committed to doing just that,” the President stated.

According to the statement, ” The President noted that while it is not always easy for a leader to have a national consensus on issues, he is ready to take the hard decisions to move the nation forward.”

He said, “We are focused, and I have a very good team.”

In his remarks, Dr. Oche Barnabas, President of NIDO China, commended President Tinubu for his commitment to strengthening Nigeria-China relations, particularly in trade, investment, and people-to-people collaboration.

He expressed NIDO China’s support for Nigeria’s 4Ds initiative, launched by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, earlier in the year.

He pledged that the organization is eager to drive the initiative forward within the diaspora community.

Mr. Barnabas requested President Tinubu’s assistance in advocating for Nigeria to be officially recognized as a native English-speaking nation, which would open up job and educational opportunities for Nigerians in China.

”Your Excellency, I wish to indulge your kind attention and use this rare opportunity to share a key challenge on behalf of the Nigerian community in China.

“Due to the peculiar nature of this country, the Nigerian community is mainly composed of students, expatriates, and businessmen

 

 

 

The Federal Government has said only public servants with duly registered National Identification Numbers (NIN) will be allowed to purchase as it flags off the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari while flagging off the exercise, said the move is to curb racketeering, and is part of efforts to crash the prices of food in Nigerian markets.

 

Represented by President Bola Tinubu, Kyari said the intervention will be sold strictly “one man to one bag or one woman to one bag”.

 

He said the rice — which is to be sold at a flat rate of ₦40,000 naira only for 50kg — is the federal government intervention for the sales of subsidised milled rice to ameliorate the prevailing food crises in Nigeria.

 

“This food intervention can be said to be timely considering the times and challenges we are in as citizens of this great nation,” he said.

 

As one of the numerous efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of high cost of food commodities, kindly join me to applaud the immense efforts of the present administration such as the release of 42,000MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable and the 30,000MT of milled rice which is being flagged-off for sales to Nigerians today 5th September, 2024.”

 

The minister blamed COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change amidst other localized factors/challenges for the high cost of food prices.

 

“This has led to increase concern and risk of food insecurity and general decline in the standard of living globally. I therefore urge us to understand that the present challenges are not peculiar to our great country,” he said.

 

He added that the federal government being aware of the potential challenges associated with the sales of an important staple such as rice, at this critical period has deployed a multi-disciplinary machinery of Government, as well put in place certain processes and conditions to ensure the transparency, wider reach and success of this exercise.

This includes one man one 50kg of rice, others are the verification of intending beneficiaries using relevant identification mediums such as the National Identification Number (NIN) and phone numbers to forestall multiple access to this food commodity by fraudulent individuals at the detriment of other citizens,” he said.

 

He implored citizens to cooperate with the relevant citizens to achieve the initiative.

 

“Let us work together to ensure that the dream of the present administration to uphold the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians is achieved. It is expected that with the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each of these important staples into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives.”

 

He called on Nigerians to remain steadfast and be patient with Mr. President as his numerous efforts to enhance Food security will soon begin to pay off.

 

The director, food and strategic reserve of the ministry, Haruna Sule Abutu outlined the procedure to buy the subsidised rice.

 

“To qualify for the one person one bag, you must have National Identification Number, of course you have phone numbers and those in public service are all registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform,” he said.

 

“Once you have any of these three, at the point of sale, with the NIN logged into the system, a code number and a Treasury receipt will be generated, and with that the buyer can get to the collection center and pick up his bag. The receipt will indicate, time and point of collection to eliminate stampede

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has called states in the central and southern regions of the country brace up for imminent floods that would soon affect communities downstream.

The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, listed the states to be Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa.

 

 

 

According to her, the alert followed the recent flood that impacted many communities across some states and the rising water levels in River Benue and River Niger.

She said the advice became imperative to activate the state, local government authorities and communities to take necessary actions to mitigate against the risk of flooding, adding that it is also important to avoid the scale of losses recorded so far in areas that have been impacted.

 

Umar listed some of the actions to be taken to include immediate clearing of blocked drainages, constructing temporary flood barriers, and evacuating from flood plains to safe higher grounds.

 

The D-G advised communities to stay informed through weather updates and flood warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

Residents are advised to avoid crossing flooded areas, relocate from flood-prone zones, and cooperate with local emergency services.

 

“We urge all residents, especially in vulnerable areas, to heed our warnings and take immediate preventive measures to safeguard lives and property.

 

“Preparedness is key in reducing the impact of flooding,” Umar said.

 

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima to summon the Minister of State, Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari and the National Security Advisor, NSA, over the recent increase of petrol pump price and the scarcity of the product in different parts of the country.

Also at the meeting was the Executive Director of Nigeria Mainstream, Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Kalu Okuoha.

 

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting with the Vice President, Lokpobiri said “We were summoned by the Vice President who was directed by Mr. President to summon this meeting and we have been with him to brief him about what is going on across the country.

 

“The Vice President summoned us and we’ve been with him to brief him about what is going on across the country. And what is important is for us to convey to Nigerians that the President is empathetic about what is going on in the country. He is concerned about the hardship of Nigerians, and that was why he directed the Vice President to call this meeting, for us to reflect on what is going on in the country.

 

“What is important is that products are available in the country, and we believe that between now and the weekend, there will be availability of products across the length and breadth of the country.

 

“The price could be high in some other areas, much higher in some other locations, and in some locations, much more than you know other areas.

 

“But we believe that by the time there is availability of products across the country, the price itself will stabilise.

 

“But what is important is that the government is not fixing prices. This sector is deregulated. And we believe that with the availability of products, the price will find its level. And this is important for Nigeria to know.

 

The summary is that the President is empathetic about what’s going on. That’s why he directed this meeting. There is enough product in the country to be able to meet the demands of Nigerians. There should be no panic buying. And we also believe that Nigerians need to know that the government is not fixing prices. That is what I want to convey to Nigerians.

The Executive Director of NMDPRA, Kalu Okuoha, while briefing also said, “All regulatory efforts are now geared towards stabilizing supply, with a resultant impact that it will be positive also on the stability of price.

 

“To that objective, the regulator is ensuring that there are increased operating hours from all loading depots; vessels are being cleared promptly and extended hours where safety can permit for truck-outs as well. More important also is the reinforcement of the support being given to local refiners because with increased production from them, we, indeed, like the minister, has said, there will be a higher supply, which will stabilize the price. That’s the effort that the regulator is making.”

Omobola

 

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, nahco aviance, has given a staff of the company, Mr Auwal Dankode, who found and returned the sum of $10,000 while cleaning an aircraft in Kano.

Kano.

 

Dankode, who was assigned alongside other colleagues, to clean the MS 878 operated by EgyptAir, found the money left behind by the passenger on seat no 25H and promptly turned the money over to the airline’s station manager.

 

The Group Managing Director of the company, Mr Indranil Gupta, commended Dankode for being a true NAHCO ambassador, noting that he has put into use the training he received in the company.

 

Announcing a handsome cash reward, instant promotion and appointment as NAHCO brand ambassador in Lagos, Gupta said: “We are truly proud of the exemplary character exhibited by Auwal. He is a true NAHCO ambassador and an embodiment of what NAHCO stands for, honesty, integrity, diligence and hard work. We celebrate your being and we want this to be just the beginning.

 

“Let the values which have been instilled by your family, guide you and groom you into an ideal leader which everyone will be proud of. We urge you to continue working the same with very high integrity, diligently and continue being a good NAHCO ambassador.”

 

Also speaking at the occasion, Chief Financial Officer of NAHCO, Mr Adeoye Emiloju, said: “The integrity you’ve displayed is not something that anyone can pretend to have. You’ve shown that it is something that is innate to you.”

 

The Chief Operating Officer, Mr Didier Steullet also encouraged Dankode to stay on the good path.

 

Steullet advised: “What you have done is very good. You’re the example not only of the week, but probably of the year. My only recommendation is that please keep going on the same way. Remain yourself and don’t get carried away with the adulation that you are receiving on social media. You need to remain grounded and make a difference in the world. Stay on the nice side of the ‘force’ and your life will be good.”

 

Group Executive Director, Dr Sola Obabori, on his part, added: “You’ve become a poster boy of NAHCO not only in Nigeria but all over the world because the internet makes things global. You have done something that makes us proud. In today’s Nigeria, where the value of dollars is so very high, by returning so many of them, you’ve done something commendable. For you to have seen something as valuable, and give it up, it shows that you’re a man who has purity of heart. This is very commendable and appreciated. Every well-meaning Nigerian will appreciate what you have done.”

 

Expressing his appreciation, Dankode said: “No one in my area has ever worked at the airport. I am very grateful to NAHCO for the training they gave us and also for the opportunity to work and earn a decent living. I am greatly thankful of the NAHCO Management for the honour and recognition of my effort.”

 

As brand ambassador, Dankode would grace all NAHCO major events anywhere in the country, promote its brand and have the chance to travel and interact with top officials and stakeholders of the company

*Irewole PDP Nominates Akinyele as Replacement For Babalola as College of Education Governing Council Chairman*

Members of the People’s Democratic Party in Irewole Local Government area of Osun State have nominated Mr. Akinyele Sarafa Adeyemi as Chairman Governing Council of the College of Education Ila-Orangun to replace the Elder Peter Babalola.

 

The party in a letter of nomination addressed to the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke described Mr. Akinyele as a round peg in a round hole considering his academic and work experiences.

 

The newly nominated Chairman holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from University of Ibadan and had his NCE from Osun State College of Education, Ilesa.

 

The letter jointly signed by Irewole PDP Chairman, Alhaji Basiru Ogundele, Commissioners for Energy, Hon. Ademola Adeyemo and Akogun Lere Oyewumi, the Senator representing Osun West Senatorial districts described Mr. Akinyele as a qualified educationist considering his work experience as a retired Principal at the Federal Government Girls College, Ipetumodu in Ife North Local government area of Osun State.