OFFICIAL: Osun Government Approves the Appointment of Owa of Igbajo

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The Osun State Executive Council has today Monday morning, 11th March 2024, approved the appointment of Prince (Dr) Ademola Stephen Kayode Makinde as the new Owa of Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government of Osun state. 

At the Executive Meeting held at the Exco chambers, the nomination, as forwarded by the Boluwaduro Local government, was approved in line with due process, chieftaincy law and tradition.

The kingmakers had earlier approved Dr Makinde in line with chieftaincy laws and tradition.

Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Executive Meeting congratulated the new Owa of Igbajo and tasked him to heal the wounds of the selection process by ensuring inclusive traditional governance.

“I congratulate the new Owa of Igbajo. I urge him to embark on reconciliation and restore the dignity and integrity of the traditional institution”, the Governor was quoted as saying

Signed:

Oluomo Kolapo Alimi,

Honourable Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment

Ooni of Ife Commends EFCC on Tackling Illegal Foreign Exchange Operators

The Ooni of Ife,  Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi  has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on its focused sting operations against currency speculators and street hawkers operating illegal foreign exchange markets across the country.

He gave the commendation on Friday, March 1, 2024 while receiving the Acting  Ibadan Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Halima Mustafa Rufa’u who paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Ile-Ife,  Osun State.

According to him,  “the EFCC promptly swung into action and for the mere fact that the EFCC acted, the dollar came down in favour of the naira. This shows that the situation is artificial and deliberate but can be controlled if the EFCC, in collaboration with other government agencies consistently face and tackle the situation”.

He said the EFCC, "as the most vibrant anti-graft agency in the country, under the leadership of the Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede must not be discouraged from working towards sanitizing the economic space in the country".

The foremost monarch, while appreciating Rufa’u for the visit, urged Nigerians to stop amassing illegal and unexplainable wealth but  focus on growing and developing the country’s economy.

In her response, Rufa’u thanked the Ooni for receiving her despite his busy schedule. She decried the level of damage being done by illegal miners and the sabotage of solid mineral resources meant for the economic growth of Osun State. She, therefore, called for effective collaboration in tackling the miners in the state.

 She also sought  the monarch’s support and  collaboration in tackling the scourge of cybercrimes among students of tertiary institutions in Osun state and Nigeria at large.

She was accompanied on the visit by top officials of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Commission.

Source: EFCC

Birthday: Governor Adeleke Adulates Timi of Ede, Tags Monarch ‘Pillar of Wise Counsel

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has on Saturday described HRM, Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal, Laminisa I, the Timi of Ede Land, as a strong pillar of wise counsel in the ongoing extraordinary delivery of good governance across Osun state and a royal father of impeccable finesse.

Mallam Olawale Rasheed, who is the spokesperson to the Governor confirmed this in a statement.

Adulating the frontline monarch as he celebrates his birthday today, the state Governor who is the awaiting Asiwaju of Edeland affirms that Oba Lawal is ‘a repository of wisdom’ and 'a manifestation of the best in the nation's traditional institutions, declaring "our royal father embodies all that is good in the royal class, within and outside the country.”

"His carriage is royalty per excellence; his outing is that of the finest of blue blood; his style is people-centered. Our King is a leader devoid of selfishness. At every point, his viewpoint is never narrow but broad minded.

"Our Oba  wakes me up at odd hours. Early morning linkage is not left out. At every point, his admonition is fair to all. Deliver on your promises. Show the world the best of Ede through the state and Nigeria as a whole.

"A broad minded king with a deeply cosmopolitan outlook, his royal majesty is a persistent advocate of pan-Osun agenda, a Kabiyesi who always warns against narrow minded programmes and policies. In our infra upgrade projects, he insisted on spread and accommodation of all segments of the state.

"In difficult state matters, Kabiyesi is ever ready with impartial recommendations. In several cases, I gain a lot from his depth of wisdom, spread of experience and his novelty of ideas. We are proud to have Baba on the esteemed throne of Timi of Ede Land.

"On your birthday, I am therefore short of words as no clause or phrase can express my commendation, congratulations and felicitations with his royal majesty. You are God sent to Edeland and Osun state. In this historical space, Kabiyesi, we are blessed to have you as "Baba Gomina" at a time the state is witnessing unrivaled development.

"As you mark your birthday today, I join the good people and well wishers of Edeland and that of his royal majesty to pray for more blessings and prosperous more years on the throne. You are a pillar of this administration. We will surely have more years to rejoice on the throne under the Imole good governance model", the Governor was quoted as saying.

Official: Olu of Awolowo Remains in Office says Governor Ademola Adeleke

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has on Friday affirmed that the Olu of Awolowo town (Garage Olode), Oba Yekinni Olayemi Olasoji Omisore, remains in office

The Governor urgede members of the public to ignore any rumour of the monarch’ s suspension or removal from office.

The spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed in a statement issued in Osogbo, Osun State capital, the State Governor said the insinuation that the monarch has been suspended following the release of the white paper, is not true and mere fabrication.

"White paper is about due process and rule of law"  

The Governor posited that the release of the white paper on chieftaincy issues is to foster peace, progress and serenity in affected communities and not about confusion.

"It therefore became imperative to emphasize that the status quo in Awolowo town must be maintained since the chieftaincy issues around the stool are before the court of competent jurisdiction."

The already installed Monarch of the town, Oba Yekinni Olayemi Omisore remains valid until otherwise pronounced by the courts of competent jurisdiction.

"Every insinuation, rumour or hearsay concerning the stool should be disregarded as it does not reflect the true position of the state government."

The Governor noted that the state is aware of  an amended writ of summons by Prince Adeposi Adewusi, since 11th May 2022, held at Ifetedo, in the Ifetedo Judicial Division in the High Court of Justice, Osun State but that the status quo should remain until conclusion of the court process.

It would be recalled that Oba Yekinni Olayemi Omisore was previously elected by the kingmakers and his name forwarded to the Ooni of Ife, HIM Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who approved and forwarded it to Osun State Government through Ife South Local Government.

Governor Ademola Adeleke Pays a Condolence Visit to Ogiyan of Ejigbo,Family of Dr Adeoriokin

The Governor of Osun State Ademola Adeleke on Sunday visited the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, HRM Oba Omowonuola Oyeyosin and the families of late Prof Richard Idowu (Adeoriokin), describing the incident as “a highly disturbing occurrence”

According to a statement signed by the spokesperson to the Governor Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said, “ Kabiyesi, I’m here with mixed feelings. We are supposed to be celebrating but the sad event is a sorrowful dent. I am short of words.

“ I was on a national assignment as a member of the National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee at the time of the 50th anniversary. The next thing I heard was the unfortunate incident.

“ I am here on a condolence visitation. I will still come back”, the Governor told the frontline traditional ruler.

At the family house of the deceased, the Governor prayed to God to grant the families the strength to bear the loss.

“ What can I say? The whole affair is beyond shocking. We return everything to God and law enforcement. The good Lord will comfort you and grant his soul eternal rest”, the Governor told the grieving family.

Responding, the Ogiyan of Ejigbo said he never expected his 50th anniversary to end up with such unfortunate happening.

“ The deceased is my son, from a royal family also. I have asked why and why even as I look up to God over the entire matter”, the royal father who was short of words noted.

The Governor was accompanied on the visit by the Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Adewale Egbedun, Commissioner for Lands, Hon George Alabi; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Dosu Babatunde, the Special Adviser to the Governor in Security Matters, Mr Samuel Ojo and other top advisers and permanent secretaries.

Adedoyin, his son, others kill Timothy in Hotel room (Video)

According to Oriyomi Hamzat in the above video, the Nigerian police confirmed after retrieving of the deleted CCTV footage of the hotel where Timothy Adegoke was killed .

The police have established through the footage that Prince Ramon Adedoyin who is the chairman and owner of the Hilton Hotel in Ile Ife, Osun State, his Son and one other, both currently at large physically involved and masterminded the killing of the MBA Student Timothy Adegoke.

Our other sources also confirmed that some traditional rulers in Yorubaland who may later be implicated by this eventuality are working round the clock to ensure that the case die down. A traditional ruler has reportedly reached out to the one of the elder brothers of Adegoke asking for settlement. 
 

RE: MY DAUGHTER ADEOLA OGUNWUSI AND OONI ADEYEYE OGUNWUSI’S ATTACK ON THE TRUTH

 OMOLARA TUBOSUN’S FULL STATEMENT

TO THE NIGERIAN PRESS, AND ALL OTHER CONCERNED

November 24, 2021

My name is Omolara, and I am Adeola Ogunwusi’s mother. She was born in Akobo, Ibadan, in May 1994 as a result of a teenage relationship I had with Adeyeye Ogunwusi, now the Ooni of Ife, who was then also a teenager, neighbour, and family friend.

The relationship was short and uneventful, but certain matters of late have forced me to break a silence I have held since 2015 when, shortly before his coronation, Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi concocted a self-serving tale about his role in our daughter’s life. A couple of weeks ago, on his Instagram and Facebook pages, he once again wrote that he was a “single father” to my daughter — a mendacious claim that has no basis in fact, but has gone on for too long.

I want to put it on the record now in public that there’s not an iota of truth to that claim, and I challenge him to prove me wrong.

Yeye Ogunwusi was never present in Adeola’s life for the first ten years of her growing up which makes the “single father” narrative shocking, annoying and disrespectful to hear by all who know the truth of the story. I, Omolara, took care of my daughter physically, financially and emotionally, with the moral support of my mother and my siblings.

I was a pregnant teen, but he was nowhere to be found, and I bore the responsibilities for our child, and paid the physical and social cost of raising her alone in my mom’s house.

Yeye Ogunwusi saw Adeola for only five minutes at the hospital when she was born. The next time he saw her was when she was already four years old and ten years old respectively.

I got NO monetary or material support from him or ANYONE while raising my child. I could not have, because he was also just finding his way in the world.

Adeola started spending holidays with Yeye Ogunwusi and his then wife (Bukola Bombata) in Lagos when she was thirteen in 2007, and started living with them when she was fifteen in 2009. This was when he began any financial and personal involvement in her life at all.

All these years, I have kept quiet in the belief that all is well that ends well. I decided to be an adult in this situation for the sake of my daughter. I have also kept quiet since the first time he made this outrageous claim because I hate unnecessary publicity, and I wanted to keep my private life out of public glare.

However, it appears that Yeye Ogunwusi has taken my silence for stupidity.

In spite of every private outreach to him to stop repeating the lie that he “raised my daughter as a single parent since she was born”, he has continued to say so. It is not true, and no amount of repeating it will make it so. I was the single parent. He was, until our daughter was old enough, an absentee father. Unfortunately, a lie goes a long way around the world before the truth gets a chance to tie its shoes. So, this is my attempt at correcting the record.

If Yeye Ogunwusi has any photos of him and our daughter, or the receipt of any expense he bore on her, before the age of ten, let him present them to the public right now.

I refuse to let someone else define me or tell my story. It is a story of triumph over fear, over shame, and over doubt. It is a success story, but with several bumps and obstacles along the way. But it is mine, and no one else’s to tell.

If Yeye Ogunwusi is proud of the daughter we have raised, he can say so without any attempt to minimize or denigrate the very foundation on which he’s now attempting to build, and from which he cowardly fled when the going was tough.

For our daughter’s sake, enough is enough. For the sake of truth and justice, enough is enough.

I will not allow ANYONE to disrespect a lifetime of hard work that I put into raising my child no matter how powerful, famous or seemingly influential they claim to be.

I am also making this public to put on notice any media organisations to stop repeating Yeye Ogunwusi’s lies without proper verification and qualification. You, also, have a duty to be truthful and factual. And now, you can.

Omolara Olatubosun

Adeola’s mother

ISESE DAY: Osun govt. Declares Friday work-free day

The Osun State Government has declared Friday, a work-free day in marking this year’s Isese Day, even though the celebration would be without fanfare as Covid 19 pandemic still remains a threat.

According to a statement on Wednesday signed by Osun state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal, the celebration would be low-key because of the increasing cases of COVID-19.

The statement congratulated the traditional worshippers in the state on the occasion of this year’s Isese Day and appealed to them to be peaceful and law-abiding in their conduct before, during, and after the festival.


Also the statement enjoined them to continue to support the Oyetola administration and emphasised the need for the residents to continue to embrace Omoluabi ethos.

 “On the part of the “Isese Day” participants, we urged
them to observe the COVID-19 Protocols especially the use of nose mask, social/physical distancing among other safety protocols before, during and after this year’s celebration.”

Ooni Of Ife: Nigerian Youths Are Neglected, Hungry and Therefore Angry, Let Us Listen To Them And Solve Their Problems

The Arole Oduduwa, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II Ooni of Ife, has reiterated the fact that the insecurity challenge in the country is premised on the fact that the youths are neglected and in deprivation which is culminating in restlessness and agitation. 

The Ooni in his goodwill message intoned that Nigeria’s foundation was wrong. He emphasized the inclusion of Nigerian youths in the system to help salvage the country.

“As traditional rulers, they are the most active in our system. Let us tell ourselves the truth, they are hungry and they are angry. I repeat: they are hungry and they are very angry.’’ He said

 “Our dear country Nigeria is the binding force for each and every one of us here today. We don’t have any other place. The nation belongs to all of us. We are here talking. 

 “In our dear country that has brought all of us together here, the youngest serving governor is only 46 years old. And we all know the demography of this country. 

“The demography of this country is above 50 all the way to the age of dependency is less than 30 per cent. But between the age of 18 and under 40, we have them in numbers of more than 70 per cent. And we are talking about security here. 

 “Who are the active participants whenever we have a breakdown of law and order? It is the average age of 18 and 39, and that is the truth. Are they ghosts? Are they invisible? The answer is no. They are human beings. “But every time we are talking the talk, the Number 2 man, Number 3 man, Number 4 man, they are all saying the same thing the way His Eminence said it. And the participants are not faceless; they are not ghosts. It is very idiotic and stupid for us to be doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. We will continue to get the same results. 

“Let us be very truthful and honest to ourselves in this country, we all know the problems. How well are we carrying along with these people in that age bracket? Who is representing that age bracket in this hall? The answer is no one. We are not engaging them at all. But whenever we want to go for political posts and appointments, we go back to them. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly in their category. 

“As traditional rulers, they are the most active in our system. Let us tell ourselves the truth, they are hungry and they are angry. I repeat: they are hungry and they are very angry. All of us that are here, I will be very happy if anybody can raise up their hand and say ‘I can go to my constituency, my local government area, and I can stay there in peace for one week.’ Who can do it here? Including our gatekeepers, who can do it here? Including the Senate President, including the Speaker. 

“But you left the traditional rulers; you left district heads, the baales to continue to stay there. And you are saying all will be well in this country. We are the ones facing these youths; we know their problems and we have been talking every time. You sit in beautiful offices and you all think all will be well? Let us be very truthful in this country. Look at this beautiful building; as beautiful as this building is, if the foundation is wrong, the entire building will collapse because the foundation has a problem. 

“In this gathering, the Senate President mentioned the key factor – the collapse of local government. It has collapsed. Let us be very truthful to ourselves, it has collapsed completely. That is the only arm of government that is the foundation of this country; you don’t have any other foundation. We are only building on a castle that has completely broken down. That is the foundation that will gather the most active age bracket for you in this country. You say we have 774 local governments and several wards. Where do we have the wards being put together? 

“It is under the local government’s constituency. They are underfunded; you don’t even reference them for anything; you don’t even care about their administration. Where did we get it wrong in this country? We all have faults – all of us here. If we keep talking, we will not get any results. It is getting worse. 

“They are getting more emboldened. They are not very bold and they are ready to face anybody because they are hungry and they are angry. Let us change our strategy. Let us change our style. You leave this age bracket. If there will be problems, you give them guns to start to move around. You will never see anybody above our age in our comfort zone here that is really ready to face the music. 

“It is very important for all of us to know that we are not all safe; we are not safe at all. Let us engage a lot of youth organisations that are very relevant; that understand the local government administration and governance within every district and locality of this country. It is very important for us to continue to engage them in every programme we do in this country. You have neglected that category completely. In the hall we are right now, you have neglected them because they are not represented here; they are not at all. So, what are we going to come out here to talk about? And that is our foundation. It is our foundation. 

“We should be very serious in this country. We should talk very seriously. This issue of security is not the problem of the service chiefs; it is not the problem of the lawmakers; it is not the problem of the executive arm of government; it is a problem of all of us. 

“How many of this active population that is under you that you are taking care of? What is the essence of you being a politician that you cannot even move around freely? You cannot! Do you think only Abuja is Nigeria? Or Lagos? Thirty-six states of this country, people are there and you left them. You abandoned them. And you are making laws and administering. What are you administering? I do not know. 

“So, let us talk to ourselves very seriously. The people that are not ghosts; these people that are agitating left and right, we need to engage them. We need to actually engage them and separate the corn from the chaff. We know the good and the bad amongst them. 

“We can easily separate them by engaging them. Draw them closer. If we engage the people that are active, it will be a lot easier for us. On this note, I want to thank the organisers and I want to tell is that enough of talking the talk, let us walk the talk”, he said.