Flowerbud News

Author: Ibrahim Abusadiq

  • Why Nigeria needs sustainable procurement— BPP D-G

    Why Nigeria needs sustainable procurement— BPP D-G

    FlowerbudNews/ Dr Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), says Nigeria needs sustainable procurement to reduce waste, promote social equity, minimise environmental harm and strengthen governance and transparency.

    He spoke on Monday at the International Conference on Sustainable Procurement.

    The event was organised by the  Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Centre of Excellence (SPESSCE), University of Lagos.

    The conference had the theme:  “Enhancing Sustainable Development Impact through Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SPESSCE,  UNILAG, is an initiative of the World Bank and the Federal Government through the National Universities Commission.

    It  is one of the six of such centres  in Nigeria.

    Adedokun said sustainable procurement would ensure economic efficiency, social responsibility and environmental protection, aligning national practices with global development goals and long-term value creation.

    He noted that while the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 did not expressly mention sustainability, its objectives supported fairness, efficiency and prudent resource use.

    He added that procurement accounted for up to 17 per cent of global gross domestic product, making sustainability an urgent priority for responsible governance worldwide.

    According to Adedokun, the Bureau’s core roles include policy formulation, regulatory oversight and ensuring compliance with approved procurement thresholds.

    He said the BPP also drove capacity building for procurement officers and maintained a national contractor database to promote integrity and transparency.

    On 2025 strategies, he said all MDAs must upload procurement plans on NOCOPO and publish contract awards to ensure accountability in public spending.

    He warned that  BPP would not process 2025 procurements if MDAs failed to upload records for the past two years.

    Adedokun listed offences under the PPA to include collusion, bid rigging, fraudulent documentations, contract splitting, and refusal to provide procurement records.

    “Between January 2025 and now, recent reforms have led to 350 billion naira in potential savings.

    “We have also improved transparency, and expanded the participation of local and women-led enterprises.

    “Also, for the first time, a debarment process has been approved by the current administration to debar contractors who do the wrong things.”

    He, however, identified capacity gaps, noting that budget constraints, resistance to change and manipulation of bid processes were barriers to sustainable procurement.

    He stressed the need for improved cash backing, strict enforcement of sanctions, updated contractor databases and sector-based procurement frameworks to address the challenges.

    Adedokun also urged partners, including the University of Lagos, to support research on sustainability metrics and help  to develop training programmes for environmental sustainability and governance-focused procurement.

    On the role of local governments, he said the BPP was developing a procurement framework that would bring the three tiers of government on the same page.

    This, he said, would enable the bureau to effectively monitor projects being done at the local government level.

    “We are also working closely with financial bodies to ensure that monies released to local governments are implemented with the project they are meant for.

    “Interestingly, we are also developing what is called Community Based Procurement that is targeted toward people at the grassroots level to be able to give them a sense of belonging in procurement processes for this country,” he said.

    Adedokun reaffirmed BPP’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the academia, innovators and global partners to advance sustainable procurement nationwide.

    Earlier, in her welcome address, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, said the conference came at a critical moment in the country’s national, regional and global development journey.

    Represented by Prof. Muyiwa Falaiye, her Deputy (Management Services), Ogunsola said the world was witnessing unprecedented investments in infrastructure, climate adaptation, social protection and technological transformation.

    She, however, said that setbacks from environmental degradation and  social conflict, among others,  had continued to emerge where procurement, environmental and social safeguards were weak or inconsistently implemented.

    “This gathering provides an important platform to reflect, learn and collaborate on how we can strengthen the procurement environmental and social systems that underpin sustainable development.

    “At the University of Lagos, we firmly believe that knowledge institutions must serve as engines of national transformation,” she said.

    According to her, the establishment of the UNILAG SPESSCE positions the university, not only as a hub for capacity building, but also as a regional leader advancing research, policy innovation and professional training.

    She lauded the diversity of the conference participants, saying that sustainable procurement and safeguards would not exist in silos.

    She said that they would require collective ownership, shared accountability and a harmonised vision.

    NAN

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  • NAFDAC to enforce alcohol sachet ban by 2026

    NAFDAC to enforce alcohol sachet ban by 2026

    Flowerbed News/ National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced in Abuja on Tuesday that enforcement of the total ban on sachet and small PET bottle alcohol will begin January 2026.

    NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said this at a press conference, reaffirming the agency’s unflinching commitment to protecting public health and emphasising that its responsibility to safeguard the nation’s wellbeing remained sacrosanct.

    Adeyeye said the enforcement would ensure full compliance with the total ban on production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml by December 2025.

    She explained that the move aligned with the recent Senate directive and was fully supported by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to protect Nigerians from harmful alcohol consumption.

    According to Adeyeye, the measure underscores NAFDAC’s statutory duty to safeguard public health and shield vulnerable groups, especially children and young adults, from the harmful consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.

    She warned that proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers made them affordable and concealable, contributing to addiction, misuse, and reckless behaviour among minors and commercial drivers.

    Adeyeye added that the menace had been linked to increased domestic violence, road crashes, school dropouts, and several social vices, which had continued to destabilise families and communities nationwide.

    “In December 2018, NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).

     “The agreement initially set Jan. 31, 2024, as the deadline but was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers reconfigure facilities and exhaust existing stock, Adeyeye explained.

    She said the new Senate resolution aligned with that agreement and Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, adopted in 2010.

    “This ban is not punitive but protective. It aims to secure the health and future of our children and youth, based on scientific evidence and global public health standards.”

    She stressed that NAFDAC could not continue to compromise Nigerians’ wellbeing for short-term economic gains, emphasising that a nation’s true wealth lied in the health of its people.

    Adeyeye clarified that only spirit drinks packaged in sachets and small PET or glass bottles below 200ml were affected by the regulation to be enforced by January 2026.

    She urged all stakeholders, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, to comply fully with the December 2025 phase-out deadline, warning that no further extension would be granted by the agency.

    She said NAFDAC would collaborate with the Ministry of Health, FCCPC, and National Orientation Agency to intensify national sensitisation campaigns on the social and health risks linked to alcohol misuse.

    Adeyeye reaffirmed that NAFDAC remained resolute in ensuring that only safe, wholesome, and properly regulated products were available to Nigerians in line with its mandate to protect public health.

    NAN

  • FCT fixes deadline for payment of 2026 Hajj

    FCT fixes deadline for payment of 2026 Hajj

    Flowerbud News/ The FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (MPWB) has fixed Dec. 1st as deadline for the payment by intending pilgrims for the 2026 hajj.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Board, Muhammad Aliyu, in a statement in Abuja, said the Board has also released the reversed fare for Hajj.

    He said that the new fare is now N7.69 million as released by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

    “Intending Pilgrims who have the intention of performing Hajj through the Board should complete payment before the deadline to book for a seat to be part of the religious journey.

    “All payment to the Board must be via a bank draft as no cash transaction will be entertained.”

    Lawal said that payments before the deadline would enable the Board compile the actual list of Intending Pilgrims for the exercise.

    He said this would also enable the Board remit all funds to NAHCON on schedule.

    He stated that the Board was negotiating with service providers in Saudi Arabia for the provision of feeding and befitting accommodation in Makkah during the 2026 Hajj.

    According to Lawal, the negotiation is inline with the desire of the Board to render the best services to FCT contingent.

    NAN

  • Adeleke presents 2026 budget to assembly on Wednesday

    Adeleke presents 2026 budget to assembly on Wednesday

    Flowerbud News/ Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun will present the 2026 draft budget before the State House of Assembly on Wednesday.

    Mr Adewale Egbedun, Speaker of the Assembly, made this known at the plenary session on Tuesday in Osogbo.

    Egbedun said the governor had forwarded a letter to the assembly confirming his decision to present the draft budget before it on Wednesday.

    He said the governor indicated that all preparations and approval on the budget had been concluded by the State Executive Council.

    “I am pleased to inform Mr Speaker and the distinguished members of the Osun State House of Assembly of my intention to lay the 2026 Draft Estimates of the State before the House on Wednesday, Nov. 12, having concluded its preparation, and approved by the State Executive Council.

    “This is to conform with the extant rules and regulations which stipulate that such Draft Estimates should be presented to the house for approval before the end of the year preceding the commencement of the Budget implementation,” the letter reads.

    The assembly also passed the ‘Osun State Research Integration and Innovation Implementation Bill 2025’ for first reading.

    NAN

  • Nigeria on U.S. watchlist: Chief Imam, Academic propose solutions

    Nigeria on U.S. watchlist: Chief Imam, Academic propose solutions

    FlowerbudNews/ A university don, Prof. Amidu Sanni, has described U.S. President Donald Trump’s war rhetoric against Nigeria as “the misadventure of a reckless outburst.”

    Sanni, the immediate past Chief Imam of Lagos State University, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

    The renowned cleric, however, added that the impending invasion could be prevented if the government acted with urgency.

    NAN reports that the Trump administration recently announced that Nigeria would be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under U.S. law for alleged religious freedom violations.

    But Sanni said It was ironic to turn a sudden human rights activist while ignoring the massacres in Gaza or Sudan.

    He nonetheless added: “The sleepless nights being ‘enjoyed’ or suffered by the Nigerian government are self-inflicted; they are the outcome of systemic failure.”

    According to him, the failures include poor international relations, uncoordinated security architecture, poor media engagement by state actors at local and international levels, and mischievous or uninformed interpretations by local and foreign non-state actors.

    He added that the pervasive, senseless killings ravaging Nigeria over the years—especially since the Boko Haram onslaught in 2000—had claimed lives irrespective of faith.

    Sanni blamed the systemic failures of successive civilian administrations since the 1999 return to democracy for their inability to address economic, political, and security challenges, which he said were at the root of the killings across the country.

    He noted that failure of state and non-state actors to tackle security challenges had fueled banditry, kidnapping, illegal mining, diversion of security funds, and impunity for offenders.

    “Trump becoming more Catholic than the Pope, or more Anglican/Protestant than the Archbishop of Canterbury, should be rightly seen in light of the economic reforms being pushed by the Nigerian government in the oil and financial sectors,” he said.

    “These reforms are dislodging the American and Western stranglehold on our economy and denying free petrodollars and unearned foreign exchange to the round-tripping bourgeoisie who had hitherto enjoyed free funds and influence.

    “Trump’s proclaimed war threat is simply economic and political.

    “Unfortunately, some of our religious opinion leaders seem to endorse Trump’s suicidal and less-than-altruistic military or missionary misadventure.

    “Many people fail to realise that war is not about who is right, but who is left after the bitter engagements.”

    He also criticised the government’s diplomatic lapses, noting that Nigeria had yet to appoint substantive ambassadors to key world capitals almost three years into the current administration.

    “That the President has not fully utilised international platforms such as the UN General Assembly and the G20 to tell Nigeria’s true story and rebrand our economic and political profiles is unacceptable,” he said.

    Sanni, however, faulted the government’s media strategy, saying the presidency had not institutionalised periodic presidential parleys with local and international media, a gap that, he said, worsened misinformation about the country.

    He urged the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to jointly tell the world that Muslims and Christians in Nigeria stand united against all violations of human rights.

    Meanwhile, Prof. Freedom Onuoha, has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately assemble a high-level diplomatic contact group to hedge against possible U.S. intervention.

    Onuoha is the Coordinator of the Security, Violence, and Conflict Research Group at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN),

    In a telephone interview with NAN, Onuoha said the diplomats should engage more intensely with Washington to identify areas of disagreement and work out more beneficial strategic responses to Nigeria’s security concerns.

    “The issuance of terse, ambiguous official statements or responses is not enough right now,” he said.

    “It needs to be matched with clear-eyed, follow-through bilateral diplomatic contact and engagement.”

    Onuoha added that the Nigerian government must reset its approach to dealing with non-state actors by properly resourcing the military and reforming the police.

    “The president must urgently reform the police to assume its rightful place in providing internal security so the military can focus on confronting non-state actors,” he said.

    “This will enable the military to be more aggressive and offensive in tackling these groups, irrespective of their ideological, religious, or ethnic leanings.”

    He further advised President Tinubu to establish a high-level Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address injustices and deprivations fueling violent conflicts across communities.

    “Nigeria’s security crisis did not start today and will not end any time soon, whether or not the U.S. designates Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern,” Onuoha said.

    “For too long, the Nigerian state — under successive administrations since 1999, especially from 2008 — has proven incapable of protecting its citizens from brutal attacks by armed non-state actors.

    “The inconsistent approach of granting amnesty to some groups while being unjustifiably brutal to others gives the impression that state officials are complicit in the persistence of violence and killings.”

    NAN

  • Rivers hits 95% HIV testing rate in pregnancy — IHVN

    Rivers hits 95% HIV testing rate in pregnancy — IHVN

    By Rachael Abujah

    The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) reports significant progress in Rivers State’s Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, achieving more than 95 per cent HIV testing acceptance among pregnant women between 2020 and 2023.

    Dr Stanley Idakwo, Project Director of the Rivers ASPIRE Project at IHVN, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday, noting that the achievement reflected years of strategic community engagement and consistent peer mentorship efforts.

    Idakwo said data from the District Health Information System (DHIS) indicated that HIV testing among pregnant women had remained between 95 and 100 per cent since 2020, following intensive counseling and mentorship.

    “This achievement is largely driven by effective counselling, strong peer support, and the mentor mother model that encourages adherence and emotional support.

    “About 98.6 per cent of clients also expressed satisfaction with PMTCT services,” he said.

    However, Idakwo acknowledged challenges remained.

    “Around 31.7 per cent of women cite distance to facilities as a barrier, 20.1 per cent mention transportation costs, and 16.5 per cent report long waiting times,” he noted.

    He explained that those challenges were being mitigated through task-sharing among healthcare workers, improved case management, and integration of PMTCT with broader maternal and child health services across the state.

    “Improved staff attitude and shorter waiting times have encouraged more women to seek antenatal care, ensuring better access to HIV testing and follow-up treatment for both mothers and their babies,” Idakwo added.

    He emphasised that although maternal and infant ARV prophylaxis had reduced HIV transmission, uptake of follow-up services like facility-based deliveries and antiretroviral used during labour still needed improvement.

    “To address this, we’re strengthening health workers’ capacity, improving drug supply chains, and ensuring mentor mothers and midwives jointly monitor pregnant women through delivery and the postnatal period.

    “IHVN is also collaborating with the Rivers State Ministry of Health to expand PMTCT services closer to communities and improve access for women in hard-to-reach rural and riverine areas.

    “With PEPFAR-CDC and Global Fund support, we’ve trained more than 400 Traditional Birth Attendants across 319 wards, linking them to 115 facilities under a hub-and-spoke service delivery model,” he said.

    Idakwo said continuous training for counsellors, expansion of PMTCT coverage to more primary healthcare centres, and enhanced safety for healthcare workers were key strategies for sustaining the recorded progress.

    “Our ultimate goal is to ensure no child in Rivers State is born with HIV. Every pregnant woman deserves quality, stigma-free healthcare regardless of her location or social status,” he affirmed.

    He added that the IHVN Rivers ASPIRE Project would continue strengthening community partnerships and supporting Nigeria’s goal of eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmission through sustained innovation and collaboration.

    NAN

  • Bago has put Niger on global map, says Ex-SSG, Kuta – Yahaya

    Bago has put Niger on global map, says Ex-SSG, Kuta – Yahaya

    By Mohammed Baba Busu

    The former Secretary to the Niger Government, Prof. Mohammed Kuta-Yahaya says Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago has now put the state on a global map.

    “Bago is taking Niger to greater heights and it is now at par with its contemporaries across the globe,” the Pro-Chancellor of the Abdulkadir Kure University told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)in Bida on Sunday.

    Kuta-Yahaya further said, “He has taken the bold step to push agriculture to the zenith of excellence.

    “A lot of developmental works are going across the state and the trajectory of growth is unprecedented.

    “In terms of infrastructural development,the consciousness of the people of the state has soared on a positive level.

    “The people e happy and they have hopes and goodwill towards so that he can logically compete the good works he has starred across the state.”

    The don particularly cited the colossal giant strides recorded by Bago in Bida, Headquarters of Bida Local Government of the state.

    Kuta-Yahaya said, “For instance, I have happily seen the Bida Ring Road project and it is marvelous.

    “It will drastically ease the traffic flow on the ever-busy Lagos to Abuja to Northern states road that crosses the city of Bida

    “Niger is on the verge of making history I terms of governance, development and grassroots mobilisation.”

    The former SSG also commended the Governor for making the Ward Development Committees in the str more diligent and impactful.

    “Each of the 274 ward development committees in the state receives N3million monthly, making it a total of N822million for the execution of various projects.”

    “With this development, the people in the grassroots will have a feeling of what governance is all about and not only in the State Capital, Minna or the LG Headquarters.”

    According to Kuta-Yahaya, Bago is showing a classic example of the devolution of power and governance to the people.

    He said, “i am sure that is a good example that is worthy of emulation by other states.

    “I must also commend President Bola Tinubu for initiating a similar ward development initiative across the 8,700 wards in the country.

    “Democracy has taken its full grap in our systems.”

    Kuta-Yahaya commended Bago and the State Independent Electoral Commission for conducting free, fair and transparent local governments polls on Saturday.

    He declared , ” Niger will be a shining example in this direction and it is good omen for peace,unity and sustainable development.”

    NAN

  • LG polls: Ndarani, SAN urges Nigerlites to vote APC for continuity of development.

    LG polls: Ndarani, SAN urges Nigerlites to vote APC for continuity of development.

    By Mohammed Baba Busu

    Bar. Mohammed Mohammed-Ndarani, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the Hukunchi Nupe, has urged the people of Niger to vote massively for all All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the Nov. 1 chairmanship and councillorship elections.

    Ndarani who made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bida on Friday, said the electorate should ensure the victory of all 25 chairmanship and 247 councillorship candidates to sustain and accelerate development across the state.

    According to him, electing all the 25 chairmanship and 247 councillorship candidates of the APC would fast-fast development at the grassroots level and further advance the governor’s “New Niger” vision.

    He noted that voting for the APC would further strengthen Gov. Mohammed Umaru-Bago’s “New Niger” development agenda and align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope initiative.

    According to him, Gov. Umaru-Bago has brought an unprecedented level of development to the State and remains committed to doing even more.

    “Voting APC candidates in Saturday’s election is a way of showing appreciation to the governor, who is not relenting in his developmental strides,” he said.

    The learned silk also charged APC members, supporters and stakeholders in the state to work assiduously to ensure the party’s success in the Saturday’s polls.

    He appealed to the electorate to come out en masse, vote peacefully, and exercise their civic rights to ensure continued progress across the state.

    The Senior lawyer expressed confidence that with sustained APC leadership, sectors such as security, health, education, and agriculture would receive greater attention, ensuring that all citizens benefit from the dividends of democracy.

    NAN

  • I am in politics to serve, not to enrich myself – OmoBarca

    I am in politics to serve, not to enrich myself – OmoBarca

    Flowerbud News/ Philanthropist and ADC stalwart Hon. Francis Barthlomew Chima, popularly known as OmoBarca, speaks on his commitment to service, empowerment, and unity in Ajeromi-Ifelodun

    For philanthropist and community leader Hon. Francis Barthlomew Chima, known across Lagos as OmoBarca, politics is not a means to personal wealth but a platform to serve humanity. In this exclusive interview, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) stalwart discusses his record of empowering widows and youths, promoting religious harmony, and his vision for a united and prosperous Ajeromi-Ifelodun.

    “My love for people is what drives everything I do. I was helping long before politics . Politics only gives me a wider platform to do more.”

    Championing Widows and the Less Privileged

    OmoBarca’s humanitarian work began long before he joined politics. Known for his consistent support for widows and the less privileged, he says helping others is his calling.

    “Some people want to set up their own businesses but lack the funds, and God has used me to help some of them,” he said.
    “The widows especially need help, and God is the husband of the widows. I do more charity work for them than for the youth. I give them food regularly and financial support to grow their businesses. The widows know that OmoBarca takes good care of them — you can ask them to confirm.”

    A Political Journey Rooted in Faith

    Speaking about his political path, OmoBarca said joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was a divine direction.

    “I am in ADC now because that is where God has directed me to be,” he stated.
    “Our prayer is to be among those who will repair this country. Whatever God gives us the power to do, we will do it well.”

    He added that his track record of youth empowerment will continue if given the opportunity to serve officially.
    “I have done a lot for the youth, and if elected, I will do even more — and do it well,” he said.

    Service to Ajeromi-Ifelodun

    OmoBarca insists that his work for the people of Ajeromi-Ifelodun predates his political ambition.

    “The things I have done for my people were not because of politics. My love for people is what drives everything I do,” he explained.
    “Now that I am in politics, it is an opportunity to do more. When I call the people to come out and vote, they respond because they know my record. That’s why my name is well known — OmoBarca.”

    “If they ask who has done the most for Ajeromi-Ifelodun, I should be number one — not because I am proud, but because I have served faithfully.”

    Inspiring the Youth

    Beyond philanthropy, OmoBarca sees youth empowerment as the foundation of community development.

    “I always tell the youth that if they don’t work, they won’t eat. They must be willing to work hard,” he said.
    “There is nothing God cannot do, and He never forgets those who work diligently. I have been working, and so have they, and I believe God will remember Ifelodun.”

    Preaching Unity Across Tribes and Faiths

    Known for his inclusive style, OmoBarca says he does not believe in tribal or religious politics.

    “I am not a tribalistic person. I bring everyone together — Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba — as long as you are a Nigerian,” he said.
    “My politics is for the masses. Many people think all politicians are liars, but that’s not true. I have been serving people long before politics, and I continue to do so with humility.”

    A Calling, Not a Career

    When asked why he joined politics, OmoBarca said it was simply an extension of his humanitarian work.

    “I joined politics to have a bigger platform to do what I’ve always done — serve people. I don’t want the youth and children of Ajeromi-Ifelodun to suffer what we suffered,” he said.
    “I am not in politics for selfish reasons. Some politicians come into it for their own gain, but I am in it to serve.”

    “Politics is not for selfish gain. It is a tool for service. I am in it because of my people.”

    Overcoming Opposition

    OmoBarca has faced resistance from political rivals, but he says his focus remains on service.

    “I have faced opposition since joining this race, mostly from people who don’t like the good I’m doing,” he recounted.
    “One serious incident had to be resolved by our leader, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. They tried to paint my name black because of their selfish interests, but God has been faithful. The same people who fought me know the good I’m doing.”

    Promoting Religious Harmony

    OmoBarca is well known for his generous support of all religious communities.

    “I celebrate every religion — Islam, Christianity, and traditional faiths. I support all and do what God gives me the power to do,” he explained.
    “During Ramadan, I slaughter one cow each day for 30 days so people can eat. From 2015 to 2023, I’ve sponsored between eight and seventeen people each year to Hajj — even when I was dragged to court, I still sponsored 17 pilgrims.”

    He also supports Christian communities with food, donations, and sponsorship of church programmes.
    “For Christians, I give out numerous bags of rice and support church programs. I also do things for traditional rulers and Obas quietly because I believe in unity and respect,” he said.

    Empowering Traders and Supporting Health Initiatives

    OmoBarca’s philanthropy extends to the health and business sectors.

    “In the health sector, I’ve done a lot. There was a woman who lost her baby and was detained in the hospital because she couldn’t pay her bill — I paid it,” he said.

    “For market people, I have empowered traders in Boundary Market — pepper sellers, palm oil sellers, and others. I’ve also helped with signage and billboards in the markets. I visit them personally because I believe in connecting with the people directly.”

    A Final Message to the People

    As the 2027 elections approach, OmoBarca urges residents of Ajeromi-Ifelodun to take their civic responsibility seriously.

    “I am pleading with my people to go and get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) — everyone from 18 years and above — because their votes count,” he said.

    “I can never deny my people. If they vote for me, I will not disappoint them. I am doing politics to help the masses. I love my people, and by God’s grace, we will continue to build Ajeromi-Ifelodun together.”