By tradition the Oba of Benin is the chairman of the Benin Traditional Council. However, two Enigies allegedly wrote to the Edo State Government that it should create another Benin Traditional Council.
The people of the areas that the Enigies oversee wrote to the Oba of Benin to complain about the behaviour of the Enigie. The Oba of Benin summoned the Enigies to his palace to find out what the problem was. The Enigies did not go to the palace, so the Oba of Benin suspended them.
The Enigies then sued the Oba of Benin and the Edo State Government. They say that the Oba has no power to suspend them and only the government can suspend them.
On Wednesday night, Obidients began circulating a rumour that the Edo State Government had sued the Oba and summoned him to court. This forced the Edo State Government to release a statement on Thursday that it has no lawsuit against the Oba and in fact, it is a defendant in the case.
Video: Massive crowd at the High Court as chiefs, priests and many other people try to enter the court.
Court Joins Traditional Council in Suit against Oba of Benin
*Edo govt says no hand in raging dispute
The Edo State High Court in Benin City, has admitted the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) as a party in a suit instituted by suspended Enigies (dukes) against the Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin.
Two suspended Enigies of Evbuobanosa and Egbaen Siluko dukedoms in Benin Kingdom, Prof. Gregory Akenzua and Chief Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen had on behalf of others, sued the Oba of Benin at the Edo State High court, challenging their suspension from office.
Besides, the duo on behalf of others, had claimed that it was only the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and not the monarch who can pronounce them suspended or remove them from their positions.
Ruling in a motion on Thursday May 9, 2024, Justice Peter Akhihiero granted the 1st defendant its plea to include the Benin Traditional Council as the 3rd defendant in the suit marked B/250os/2023, while Oba Ewuare II and Edo State Government, were the 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.
The ruling was in response to an application filed by the 2nd defendant’s lead counsel, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), Prof. Edoba Omoregie and his team against the claimants.
Justice Akhihiero directed parties in the suit, Edo State Government represented by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), Oba Ewuare II, Akenzua and Ogiegbaen, who were both represented by their counsel led by Dr. Osagie Obayuwana who had objected to the motion through the Counsel of Oba Ewuare II, to amend their relevant documents in the case to reflect the decision.
While other parties in the suit aligned with the position of Oba Ewuare’s counsel to join Benin Traditional Council in the suit, the claimants Akenzua and Ogiegbaen through their counsel, Obayuwana prayed the court not to list the traditional council as a party in the suit. He urged the court to award cost against Oba of Benin in favour of the claimants.
The judge, however, turned down the prayers, and held that Obayuwana should not worry about the timing, insisting that: “The race is not for the swift, or the battle for the strong”.
“If they were bringing in the traditional council as necessary, I don’t see this as a problem since you people have brought the Oba to court. “I don’t think I can shut down any party. Let them come in and file their processes”, Justice Akhihiero said, before adjourning hearing in the case to July 15, 2024 in the absence of any objection.
Meanwhile, the Edo state government yesterday said it was not involved in the suit involving the Oba of Benin and Enigies in the state. The government also noted that it was only a defendant in the suit like the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II and as such has no interest in the matter as being insinuated in some quarters.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare, who stated this in a press briefing in Benin City, on behalf of the government, called for out-of-court settlement.
However, Nehikhare said that government was concerned that such a matter among brothers could be allowed to degenerate to the extent that it has become a court case.
According to him: “The Edo state government has appealed to the parties involved to reach a peaceful settling out of court”.
Nehikhare also promised that government would like to be part of resolution of the ongoing dispute, so as to bring the matter to an amicable resolution.
Picture 2) The former assistant secretary for African affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, visited the AES Barge power plant. Mrs Thomas-Greenfield is now the US ambassador to the United Nations.
naptu2: Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, the Baba Adinni of Nigeria
The late Baba Adinni of Nigeria, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, was a member of the donation circuit. He was one of the wealthiest Nigerians of the 1970s, '80s and 1990s and he donated enormous sums of money to charity. He also had a noticeable impact on the development of Lagos State, both through his business activities and through his philanthropy.
Chief Folawiyo attended the University of North London in 1951, where he read Management, specialising in Ship Brokerage. In 1957, he founded Yinka Folawiyo & Sons, which has become the parent company of the Yinka Folawiyo Group of Companies. The group imported cement and sugar from the former Soviet Union, then later introduced building materials from Romania and Bulgaria into the Nigerian market. In 1967, the firm was incorporated as a limited liability company. When Folawiyo and Sons' revenues increased, the firm began chartering vessels to bring in commodities including cement, building materials, frozen fish and fertilizer.
Shipping
To provide logistics support for the firm's trading operations, the group established Maritime Associates (International) as a vessel chartering, clearing and forwarding company. The company was later invited to bid for shipment of agricultural produce from Nigeria to Europe. In 1972, the group established Green Lines shipping company when demand for chartering of ocean liners increased. M.V. Ahmodu Tijani, a 10,826 dead-weight ton carrier was purchased in 1973 as the first ocean liner. By 1980, the firm owned six vessels and had joined the UK/West Africa Lines Joint Service and the Continental West Africa Conference. In the 1970s, regular service was provided between Hamburg/Antwerp and Lagos. The firm later acquired M.V. Bello Folawiyo and M.V. Yinka Folawiyo in the mid 1980s.
Trans-Atlantic International Lighterage was established in the 1970s, it operated within the Lagos Port Complex providing lighterage service with the use of pontoons and barges.
This (shipping) was the business that Folawiyo was most famous for.
Other businesses
In 1971, the United Property Development Company was founded as a real estate investment vehicle. The Nigerian Spanish Cement Company was founded as a bulk cement bagging operation with its own deep water berth. The firm also invested in farming projects across the country including a rice farm in Rivers State which was established as a cooperation between the group and the Rivers State government. The firm also owned farm estates in Oyo involved in livestock and cultivation of fruits.
Electricity and the Lagos Power Project
In 1999, Yinka Folawiyo Power, a subsidiary of the group entered into a partnership with Enron for the development of an independent Power Project. This was the first privately funded power project in Nigeria since the country's independence and after legislation liberalized the sector in 1998. The 270 MW plant became operational in 2001, by then Enron had sold its remaining equity to AES and the Folawiyo Group.
The power plant is located on a barge which is moored off the shores of Ikorodu, near the Egbin Power Station. It is a thermal power plant and it receives gas from the Escravos-Lagos pipeline system. At the time only the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) was permitted by law to sell electricity to consumers. The Lagos State Government said that it had a deal with NEPA that the power that was generated on the barge would be distributed in Lagos. However, the power was actually fed into the National Grid when the plant became operational.
Crude oil and the Lagos Aje Oil Field
In 1982, the group incorporated a natural energy company, Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum, to focus on gas recovery and gasoline sales. In June 1991, the company was granted an Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 309 as a Sole Risk Contract under the Nigerian government's Indigenous Allocation Programme, put in place to encourage the development of a locally owned and operated Nigerian upstream Oil industry.
Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum owns a 60% interest in the Aje Oil and gas field on OML 113, 24km offshore of western Nigeria. The field is located off the coast of Badagry in Lagos State.
In 2016, Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum announced its first production of crude oil from the Aje Field, the first producing field outside of the Niger Delta in Nigeria.
As a result of the good standing of the company and its commitment to develop the gas potential of the field, the authorities renewed in August 2018 the OML 113 license for a further period of 20 years.
Video: The managing director of the Folawiyo Group, Mr Tunde Folawiyo, visited Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at Lagos House Marina in 2016 to inform him that production had started at the Aje Oil Field and that Lagos had become an oil producing state.
Folawiyo Energy is a midstream Oil and Gas Company focusing on delivering storage solutions for refined fuel products through its privately owned deepwater jetty in Lagos, Nigeria.
Enyo Retail & Supply was established in 2016, following the growing liberalization and evolution of oil and gas industries in Nigeria. It owns a chain of fuel stations across the country.
Philanthropy
Chief Wahab Iyanda was a member of the Donation Circuit.
[quote author=naptu2 post=69122609]The donation circuit was not a formal organisation, but it’s the way that I refer to a phenomenon that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s (the Babangida era).
Some of Nigeria’s wealthiest men were often invited to specific events in which they donated large sums of money. These events included fund raising in churches and mosques, university convocations, book launching and fund raising activities by universities, secondary schools, community development associations and charities.
It was usually the same set of people that were invited to these events. The president was usually the special guest of honour (when he was invited), the governor was usually the chief host, the head of the institution was usually the host, Chief Abiola was usually the chief launcher and other members of the donation circuit were usually special guests.
There was a day that I watched the 9 o’clock news and there was an advert for one of these events and the invited guests were listed. There was another advert immediately after and the list of invited guests was almost exactly the same as the list in the previous advert.
The members of the donation circuit included Chief MKO Abiola, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, Chief Sunny Odogwu, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, Chief Razak Okoya, Prince Adedapo Tejuosho, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, Prince Adekunle Ojora, Chief Onwuka Kalu (Onwuka Inter-Biz), Chief Michael Ibru, Dr Alex Ibru, Chief Sunny Okogwu, Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu, Dr Olusola Saraki, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, etc.
Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo donated huge sums of money to schools, charities and similar causes. He endowed the professorial chair in Physics at the University of Lagos, and contributed to virus research at the University of Ibadan. Folawiyo, in June 1998, also became the first private individual to put together a physical structure at the University of Lagos when he upgraded the University's Health Centre to a full-fledged hospital complete with an X-ray Unit. In sports, he was the sole philanthropist of the Yinka Folawiyo U 15 Athletics Championships and the National Amateur Wrestling Championships. He also funded the Bab Es Salam Home for orphans in Lagos.
Lagos Central Mosque
Chief Folawiyo contributed almost 90% of the funds that was used to rebuild the Lagos Central Mosque. The new mosque, which was opened in 1988 by President Ibrahim Babangida, was several times bigger than the old mosque which was built in the early 1900s. He was also instrumental in the construction of the Surulere Central Mosque and the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna.
Folawiyo also sponsored very many Islamic programmes on radio and television during Ramadan.
Honours
Chief Folawiyo was installed as the chancellor of the Lagos State University, Ojo in 1999. He was given the national honours of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) by President Shehu Shagari in 1982 and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000.
He was also honoured by many universities, for example, he was given the honorary degrees of Doctor of Law by the University of Calabar in 1991, Doctor of Letters by the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1992, Doctor of Science by the Lagos State University, Ojo, in 1998 and Millennium Award of Doctor of Science by the University of Lagos.
He was given the key to Dade County, Florida, in the U.S. and he was also a patron of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce.
He was (obviously) the Baba Adinni of Nigeria, he was the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Muslim Council and he also served as the chairman of the Executive Council of the Lagos Central Mosque
Personal life
Princess Abba Adesanya was one of the most popular fashion designers in Nigeria in the 1980s and early 1990s. Her fashion house, Labanella, was probably the biggest fashion house in the country and they made expensive clothes for the elite. She had been married to Segun Awolowo (the son of Chief Obafemi Awolowo) in the 1960s and she bore a son, Segun Junior, for him. However, Segun Awolowo Senior died in a car crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Road before his son was born. He was 25 years old at the time (this was in 1963).
She got married to Evangelist Lagun Adesanya in the 1970s, but they later separated.
Rumours emerged in the early 1990s that Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, was dating Princess Abba Adesanya. It was in all the gossip magazines, but the pair denied that they were dating. However, a few months later, it was announced that they were married. The marriage lasted until Chief Folawiyo's death in 2008.
The Baba Adinni of Nigeria, Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, passed away at his home on Queen's Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos in the early hours of 6 June 2008. He was buried the same day at the cemetery of the Lagos Central Mosque (which is usually reserved for imams).
Chief Folawiyo's son, Mr Tunde Folawiyo, took over the running of the company after his death. There was an extremely funny thread about Tunde Folawiyo on Nairaland. King Sunny Ade celebrated his 70th birthday in 2016 and as part of the activities that were held to mark the occassion, his guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, was auctioned. Tunde Folawiyo bought it for 52.1 million naira. People on the Nairaland thread said that he must have made a mistake and that he must have regretted paying that amount of money for the guitar. They obviously did not know who Tunde Folawiyo was.
LASG TO SET UP FIVE ADDITIONAL HUBS FOR ALTERNATIVE POWER SUPPLY
… Receives Over N3.78bn As Oil Derivation
As part of measures to sustain its drive for an effective 24-hour economy, the Lagos State Government has concluded plans to set up five additional power hubs across the metropolis in a bid to give residents other alternative sources of clean energy.
The state government said that these additional power hubs earmarked would complement the six solar POCs (Proof of Concept), giving Lagosians a better alternative to power supply across Lagos.
The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye, who disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2024 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, stressed that renewable energy is the cornerstone of the government’s clean electricity plans for Lagos.
Ogunleye added that there are plans to develop One Gigawatt of grid-scale solar energy capacity for the clean Lagos electricity market and over 10 sites considered for the project including Egbin thermal plant site, Ikorodu, Badagry, Agbara, Ogudu and others.
Aside from this, the Commissioner further disclosed that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has distributed over 10,000 gas tubes to petty traders to reduce their dependence on firewood and other unclean sources in Lagos.
He said: “We have distributed over 10,000 gas tubes to the residents to abandon other unclean energy. We believe that this source is better and healthy for the traders and other Lagosians patronising them”.
“While we are encouraging this, the government will be intensifying enforcement to curb haphazard establishment of gas plants and shops in the state. This is to ensure that everyone adheres to safety”.
The Commissioner revealed that the Lagos state government would be partnering with the Federal Government to ensure both gas and fuel stations do not cause harm to the people in the state. We want to ensure that our people are safe in Lagos”.
Ogunleye stated that the government would be embarking on other research works to discover new mineral resources that could boost Lagos’ revenue annually.
He noted that the oil discovery in Lagos has assisted the state to join oil producing states and receipt of derivation from the Federal Government.
He said: “Between 2018 and 2019, the state government received from the Federal Government N131 million as part of oil derivation. Also, within 2020-2021, the Lagos state government received N3.78 billion.
“However, presently, the owners of the assets have been having issues among themselves. And as long as they could not produce, there would be no money for Lagos. The state government is engaging them to ensure that they return to the field. And we hope that before the end of the year, they will find new technical partners and they can go back to production”.
Tinubu Resumes Office A Day After Returning From Foreign Trip
The President walked from his residence to his office accompanied by his security aides, his Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other aides.
By Emperor Simon Updated May 9, 2024
President Bola Tinubu has officially resumed work at the Villa, a day after returning from his trip abroad.
The President walked from his residence to his office accompanied by his security aides, his Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other aides.
President Tinubu traveled to the Netherlands on the 23rd of April at the invitation of the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. While in the Netherlands, he also met with the Nigerian-Dutch business community.
He proceeded to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum (WEF) where he engaged global leaders with the view to winning more investors in Nigeria.
After the meeting in Saudi Arabia, President Tinubu was said to have proceeded to Europe on a private visit.
He returned to the country on Wednesday, after over two weeks of being away.
The governors of Kaduna and Plateau states, Uba Sani and Caleb Mutfwang paid a visit to the President on Thursday.
The reason for their visits could not be ascertained at the time of filing the report.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back at his desk this morning, receives briefing from HM @bosuntijani , NCC EVC and HM Wale Edun, HM of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy at the State House
EDSG has no matter in court against Our Royal Father, Oba of Benin
The Edo State Government has no case in court against our revered Royal Father, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin.
The rumour making the rounds on social media of an impending court case is the handiwork of enemies of the State and should be disregarded.
As a matter of fact, in the matter being referenced by the purveyors of the fake news, Edo State Government is a defendant, which means the State government is being sued.
The State Government maintains a cordial relationship with the Royal Palace and holds the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Ogidigan, in high esteem.
The rumour is fabricated, fake and should be discountenanced in its entirety.
It is election season again and fifth columnists are at work.
The State Government is committed to sustaining a harmonious relationship with all stakeholders in the State and will always work to ensure cordial relations with the all critical institutions in society as part of its mandate to maintain a stable environment for the growth and progress of the State.
Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser on Media Projects May 9, 2024
naptu2: This is a perennial mode of propaganda in Benin because it is one of the most potent forms of propaganda.
Dear diary, I told you that most of the influential people in Benin and Warri were completely opposed to the Mid-West invasion. They created resistance forces and many Biafran soldiers were killed. It was so serious that Biafran soldiers became afraid to eat in Benin.
Then they deployed their most potent weapon. A rumour went round that the Biafrans had kidnapped and detained the Oba of Benin. Some rumours said that the Biafrans had killed the Oba. There was going to be a major uprising and the Biafrans had to get the Oba to appear on radio and announce that he was alive and well.
You might remember that the present Oba, who was in school in Lagos, told his father that he wanted to drop out of school and join the Nigerian Army in order to go and defend his grandfather.
This power was used against Lucky Igbinedion in the 1991 Edo governorship election and he lost the election.
Today some people (some people? well I can tell you that it's the Obidients) are trying to use it against Governor Godwin Obaseki and Asue Ighodalo. Will they succeed? Time will tell.
A massive and well coordinated campaign began yesterday night with many handles that are linked to the Obidient movement claiming that the Edo State Government and the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, had summoned the Oba of Benin to appear in court.
No Court Matter Against Oba Of Benin, Says Edo Govt
The Edo State Government on Thursday said it has no court matter with the Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo.
Social media reports suggest that there is a current court case initiated by the government against the revered traditional ruler, a situation the state government described as the handiwork of enemies of the state.
But in a statement, the Special Adviser (media projects) to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, urged residents of the state and the general public to disregard the reports.
“The Edo State Government has no case in court against our revered Royal Father, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin,” the statement read.
“The rumour making the rounds on social media of an impending court case is the handiwork of enemies of the State and should be disregarded.
“As a matter of fact, in the matter being referenced by the purveyors of the fake news, the Edo State Government is a defendant, which means the State government is being sued.
“The State Government maintains a cordial relationship with the Royal Palace and holds the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Ogidigan, in high esteem.”
According to the governor’s spokesman, the rumour is fabricated, fake, and should be discountenanced in its entirety.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to sustaining a harmonious relationship with all stakeholders in the state.
Culture › Re: Court Hears Lawsuit Against Oba Of Benin (Video) by naptu2(op): 9:42am On May 10, 2024*. Modified: 10:20am On May 10, 2024
