₦airaland Forum

The Yoruba Community in Enugu State has unanimously selected Alhaji Abdulazeez Adebayo as its new traditional ruler.

Adebayo, who hails from Osun, became the first ever Oba of the community since the history of Yorubas living in Enugu.

Speaking during the community’s meeting on Tuesday in Enugu, the new traditional ruler, said that seven states of Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, Kogi and Kwara, made up the Yoruba community in Enugu.

Adebayo revealed that Yoruba ethnic nationality in the state comprised Ibadan Progressive Union, Ede Descendants, as well as Olateji, Ekiti, Ondo, Ilorin Descendant Unions.

“Today, the Ibadan Progressive Union decided to associate and join the Progressive Yoruba Community in Enugu state since what we have been yearning for many years–to have an Oba– has come true.’’

On how he was chosen, Adebayo said the process entailed looking for somebody with good record, good behaviour and who could take care for his people.

According to him, the person must also be trustworthy and ensure quality representation of Yoruba people in the state.

Explaining how the clamour for Yorubas in Enugu to have an Oba started, he said some people indicated interest to contest for the position in 2018.

Adebayo added that after screening, a report about the aspirants was submitted to the Yoruba community.

“We lost about three persons in the process of waiting to choose who will be our Oba.

“This is what the Yoruba elders saw and decided to bring a neutral person who is trusted and I was called upon to take the position.

“I came to Enugu on Feb.7, 1979 and since then, I have lived peacefully in the state,” he said.

While urging them for support, love and unity, Adebayo appealed to other Yorubas, who were not in the fold, to join the community.

In his remarks, one of the aspirants, Chief Valentine Adesina, noted that there had been leadership tussle among the aspirants.

“After the general meeting, they agreed to have a committee that will look into that; we were about seven including me but it was reduced to three.

“We didn’t do an election but we considered certain criteria like age and character; at the end of the day, the elders came up with Adebayo.

“He has been one of the pioneer members piloting the affairs of the community for about 35 years now.

“For that singular reason, he knows more than most of us; most Yoruba elders that started with him had gone back home, while others had died.

“I decided to step down for him to move the community forward,” Adesina said.

Sirmwill:
Their President leads
They follow


Meanwhile

The name you are looking for
You shall see

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Softmirror:
Where is Yahaya Bello?!

“Do Not Set Foot in America” – President Tinubu Orders, Limits Gov’t Officials at UN Meeting

President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern directive to government officials, warning them not to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York, United States, unless necessary.

According to a statement by presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngalale, the President has ordered a reduction in the size of Nigeria’s official delegation to the UNGA meeting, citing the need to reduce the cost of governance and ensure prudent management of resources.

The directive was disclosed by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila during a one-day retreat for heads of government agencies in Abuja.

The statement reads further:

Addressing participants at the retreat, the Chief of Staff said the decision to streamline Nigeria’s delegation to the 79th session of UNGA in September is part of the administration’s commitment to ensure prudent management of resources and reduce the cost of governance.

Highlighting the need for the State House and agencies under its supervision to ensure that its functions are guided by statutes, regulations, policy decisions, and presidential directives, Honourable Gbajabiamila hinted at upcoming policy announcements aimed at ensuring efficient service delivery in government operations.

”I just discussed with the President this afternoon. In the next few weeks, we are going to see a test of this policy during UNGA in New York.

”During recent protests, there were talks about reduction in cost of governance. Everyone is waiting to see if Nigeria, as in the past, will send the ‘largest delegation’ to UNGA.

”From experience, we know that some individuals use the opportunity of such international meetings to go about their personal businesses.

”I have received a directive from Mr. President that this time, we will be strict. If you have no business at the UN General Assembly, do not step foot in America, and this is a directive from Mr. President,” he said.

The Chief of Staff urged heads of agencies at the retreat to comply strictly, adding that the President is listening to the concerns of Nigerians and is committed to addressing them diligently.

On the retreat, Honourable Gbajabiamila noted that it will facilitate collaboration and coordination among government agencies, particularly those under the direct supervision of the State House.

”The idea is to ensure coherence as we jointly work together to achieve the objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

”Coordination is not just a choice but a necessity for the government to succeed and for us to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people,” he said.

He said the retreat would be a continuous exercise, as governance is an evolving process that requires regular adjustments.

The Chief of Staff also urged the State House management and chief executives of agencies under its supervision to lead by example by ensuring compliance with statutes, laws, regulations, and various policies designed to enhance governance.

”We must demonstrate excellence in our compliance with the Public Procurement Act, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act, the Finance Act, and various appropriation acts in operation.

”Compliance with the civil service rules and the scheme of service guidelines, especially regarding recruitment, promotion and presidential approvals is also non-negotiable,” Honourable Gbajabiamila said.

The theme of the one-day retreat was ‘Strengthening Institutional Mechanism for Effective Delivery.’

Kobojunkieee:
So, all the billions of Naira wey im chop as a result, na mistakenly him take chop am as well? Abegi, throw the man in jail and throw away the ke. Sell the Presidential planes and pay off the debt already make we hear word!

I mistakenly signed away Ogun multibillion-naira trade zone to dubious Chinese investors, Ibikunle Amosun confesses

Former Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Saturday said he was deceived into handing over a free trade facility in Ogun State to an investment group from China, introducing a disturbing dimension to the ongoing legal battle that threatens the depletion of Nigeria’s assets abroad.

Mr Amosun, governor of the southwestern Nigerian state from 2011 to 2019, admitted in a statement personally signed by him that he didn’t do even a cursory assessment of facts before asking a Chinese team to take over the Ogun-Guandong Free Trade Zone in 2012. His decision marked the onset of a protracted legal crisis that led to aggrieved Chinese investors’ recent targeting of Nigeria’s assets in Europe and the United States.

The free trade zone was conceived in 2007 between Ogun State under Governor Gbenga Daniel and Guangdong Xinguang International China Africa Investment Ltd (or China Africa) to facility seamless trade between Nigeria and China in Igbesa, Ogun State. China Africa, the major investor at 60 per cent of the stake, was developing the 10,000 hectares facility when, in 2012, a year after Mr Amosun assumed office, another firm that identified itself as Zhongfu International Investment Ltd came in with tales about how the place was being poorly administered and thereafter sought to manage it.

Mr Amosun, in his statement, said he subsequently asked Zhongfu investors to take over as the interim managers of the trade zone before his administration could find time to investigate the allegations.

“Zhongfu International Investment FXE, pretending to be a concerned and genuine tenant and Zone stakeholder, volunteered very damaging and destructive information about the official representatives of Guangdong Province, the Joint Venturer and lawful Zone Managers, China Africa Investment FXE and subsequently requested to be appointed as Interim Zone Managers.

“Based on the information at the government’s disposal at the time, Zhongfu International Investment FXE was appointed interim zone manager on March 15, 2012, pending further evaluation. The whole idea was to ensure that someone was in charge and thereby prevent unwholesome and untoward development in the zone pending the completion of our fact-finding exercise.

“It was later discovered that the information and claims volunteered by Zhongfu International Investment FXE against China Africa Investment FXE were tissues of lies.

“Unknown to Ogun government at the time, Zhongfu International Investment FXE merely sought to de-market China Africa Investment FXE and to surreptitiously covert the state-owned assets of Guangdong Province in China together with the zone ownership and management rights of their business rival,” Mr Amosun said.

The former governor said Chinese authorities later directly intervened through several notes from the country’s mission in Nigeria.

“It was further discovered – much later – through the intervention of the Chinese Government via Diplomatic Note 1601, dated March 11, 2016,” Mr Amosun said, saying the Chinese government told him the company he had terminated was the rightful owner of the investment.

Mr Amosun said that after he ousted Zhongfu International Investment, the company approached Nigerian courts in different jurisdictions to ventilate its legal and business rights but lost all four cases filed. He didn’t list out the cases.

Consequently, the former governor urged the federal government and Ogun State to continue desisting from entering into any resolutions that would benefit Zhongfu.

“Nigeria should not give Zhongfu International Investment FXE any listening ear as doing so would amount to indulging and, encouraging an unlawful entity without locus standi to appropriate our common patrimon,” Mr Amosun said. “This matter of Zhongfu International Investment FXE should be treated the way Nigeria treated the P&ID case. There is no basis for negotiation.”

Mr Amosun has recently been criticised as the source of Nigeria’s confrontation with Chinese investors before international arbitration panels. The Chinese have been trying to seize private jets used by President Bola Tinubu in France.

On August 9, an appellate judicial panel in the United States authorised Zhongfu’s parent firm Zhongshan to proceed with its legal efforts to seize Nigeria’s assets in the U.S. Zhongshan had in 2021 obtained a compensation judgment in the United Kingdom to the tune of $60 million, which it has since been trying to enforce in France, the U.S. and other countries where Nigeria’s assets could be targeted.