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Adeleke to Upgrade Osun’s Cultural Tourist Sites

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Four gang-killed two in Osun, destroy N8M properties

 

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has approved a series of programmes and projects in line with his administration’s tourism and creative industry expansion agenda.

This was detailed in a government statement in Osogbo on Wednesday, which asserted that the target is to expand tourist inflow to the various cultural sites in the state by over 60 percent in the next one year.

Aside from direct government intervention, the state government has also adopted a public private partnership model to develop tourist sites such as the Erin Ijesa waterfall among others located at Oriade local government. The goal is to expand financing and sustainability of upgraded tourism sites.

The cultural tourist sites approved for phased upgrade spread across the state with further compilation presently being anchored by the state’s ministry of arts and culture. The sites are being prepared to meet UNESCO recognition.

Among the first set of approved sites include the Ifá Agbaye Temple at Ile Ife to cater for the annual global inflow of tourists for the annual Ifa day celebration. Land allocation has been secured and further processes are ongoing.

The second is the Iwude Ijesa project which was designed to attract tourists and attract the attention of UNESCO and other local and international investors and donors.

The third is the Sango Timi Shrine project, a site fitting for UNESCO recognition. It encompasses the sacred groove itself, an auditorium, a pavilion, art and craft workshop, museum kitchen among others.

The Osun Osogbo shrine is another UNESCO site that is a continuous state focussed intervention area. The state governor has marked the Osun Osogbo as a global event of statutory state support.

Gov Adeleke is, however, enforcing observance of the budgetary and procurement process to ensure that the various upgrade and expansion projects are captured within the budget, processed through the procurement process and posted on the procurement website.

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The governor believed that observing the above due process will ensure budgetary and financial transparency. Osun has a good record of financial transparency since Governor Adeleke took over the leadership of the state.

Gov Adeleke notes as follows: “Expanding tourist inflow is a cardinal programme within our agenda. As the cradle of Yoruba nation, we have a lot to showcase to deepen the tourism industry.

“We have identified many cultural sites and I have directed phased implementation of the upgrade across the state. There are many potential sites for UNESCO recognition in Osun. We want to ensure we implement the upgrades and expansion of those sites to widen global recognition and UNESCO support.

“Our administration is focussed on diversifying Osun economy by boosting tourism. We have adopted a strong partnership with the private sector to achieve this goal.

“Our administration is however enforcing due process in all we do. Our website contains project updates from award to implementation. We are committed to fiscal, budgetary and procurement transparency”, Gov Adeleke stated.

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NEWS

‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out

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Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.

The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.

Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.

SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case

“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.

Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”

“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.

The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.

Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”

The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.

“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.

The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.

They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.

“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.

“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”

The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.

Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.

No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.

 

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‘Military Gets Huge Budgets, Yet Air Crashes Persist’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Military Conducts Mass Burial For Slain Soldiers In Niger Ambush, Air Crash

Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.

Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.

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He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.

“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.

According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.

“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.

Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.

He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.

The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.

Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.

He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.

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‘NYSC Has Outlived Its Usefulness, Should Be Scrapped’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Gombe NYSC Prioritises Safety of Corps Members

Rights activist and public affairs analyst, Shehu Mohammed, has called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the scheme has outlived its usefulness amid growing security concerns across the country.

Shehu made the call on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, while reacting to the kidnapping of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Anambra states.

He described the incident as “one incident too many,” noting that kidnapping, maiming and the detention of victims in kidnappers’ camps had become frequent in several parts of the country.

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“I think it is just a case of one incident too many. There are more unreported cases of kidnapping and maiming and detention in kidnappers’ den, almost all over the country, especially in the northern part of the country: the Middle North West, North East, and North Central. It’s a daily, daily happening,” Sani said.

He said the security situation had made him question the continued relevance of the NYSC scheme, which was established to promote national unity.

“When Bukola was saying that she objects to the scrapping of NYSC, I tend to take a different view. My view is that the entire NYSC was meant to unite Nigeria, but if in uniting Nigeria you lose your daughter, you lose your son, you lose your uncle, you lose your sister, you lose your neighbour, then it’s not worth the trouble,” he said.

Shehu argued that corps members should instead be allowed to serve in their respective states, eliminating the need for young Nigerians to travel long distances to orientation camps.

“This NYSC issue should be scrapped, removed from the constitution, allow each and every corps member to serve in his own state, traveling with all the dangers, with all the costs,” he said.

He also highlighted the financial burden placed on families when corps members are posted far from their home states.

“If a child is going from Katsina to Anambra State to report to the camp, minimum that you give him is three hundred thousand naira for transfer cost, three hundred. How many parents have three hundred thousand naira to give their wards?” Sani asked.

He said the financial burden was only one aspect of the problem, with corps members also facing security risks and possible trauma during interstate travel.

“Minus all the dangers, the consequences, the uncertainties, the traumas involved. If your child has to go through a trauma, through uncertainty, through pain, through kidnapping, through raping, eventually through killing, why do you have to go for NYSC?” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, the NYSC project has outlived its usefulness. It should be scrapped.”

Shehu also warned that kidnapping in Nigeria was taking a new dimension, with criminal groups increasingly targeting vulnerable groups.

“Corps members are vulnerable groups. Travelers for commercial purposes all over the country are vulnerable groups. Therefore they are now going for soft targets,” he said.

According to him, kidnappers also use abductions to blackmail victims’ families and government authorities into paying ransom.

“The next one is blackmailing either the parents or blackmailing government to collect money,” he said.
Sani alleged that ransom payments were subsequently used to finance criminal activities.

“So they can finance their arm purchase. They can finance their purchase of hard drugs to enable them operate without pity and compassion, and to send permanent fear into the community,” he said.

He added that the kidnappers were using their activities to create fear within communities, despite being relatively few in number.

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