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Adeleke’s Men Looted Osun Govt House Not Oyetola – Aide

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Just in: Adeleke defeats Oyetola in Osun governorship election

 

The media aide to the immediate past Osun Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s men of looting Government House, Osogbo.

He expressed disappointment at the false alarm raised by Adeleke’s men who, according to him, should have been ordinarily guided by the record of the inventory taken before the formal handover of the items in Governor’s lodge and Presidential quarters in Government House respectively.

Omipidan averred that it was ungodly for Adeleke’s stooges to have raised empty alarm over an illicit action taken by them, saying it is on record that the new government took over the possession of the Government House a day to the inauguration of Ademola Adeleke.

Addressing a Press Conference on Wednesday in Osogbo, Omipidan described the looting allegation as not only ridiculous but sarcastic as it was intended to soil the reputable image of his principal.

Omipidan slammed Adeleke and his men for their failure to protect all the items bequeathed to them by the administration of Oyetola, just as he queried why it took them 72 hours after they had formally taken over the property to raise the obnoxious allegation of looting.

He asserted that all the items alleged to have been carted away were intact as at the time of handing over, saying “if there was any looting as being claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.”

Omipidan who described his principal as a man of impeccable character, asked “how on earth any right-thinking person will accuse him of stealing things as cheap as spoons, methylated spirit, cooker and emptying the First Aid Box?”

He said his principal stopped sleeping in the Government House on Saturday, November 19, 2022 and by November 26, 2022, an inventory was conducted in company of DSS officials who were attached to the Government House at the time and security operatives attached to the new Governor, particularly A. Umale and Pius Akpan.

According to Omipidan, in the DSS report dated November 26, 2022, and titled: “INVENTORY OF ITEMS IN OSUN STATE GOVERNOR’S AND PRESIDENTIAL LODGES,” it is reported that, “On 26th November, 2022, about 1400houre, a team of the Protocol Department, Osun State Governor’s Office, Abere, led by Mr. FALODE, in company of two(2) officers of the Department of State Services (DSS), namely Usman ADEDIRAN and Sunday Posu, painstakingly took the inventory of items in the above mentioned places.

“The items were thereafter handed over to A. UMALE and Pius AKPAN, DSS personnel and security details of the new Governor, ADEMOLA ADELEKE without any complaint.

“It is further noteworthy that nothing suggests that any of the items in the buildings was carted away, as all were intact as at the time of handing over. Attached herewith is a list of items in both buildings. And they went further to list the items one by one, covering 8 pages. In the inventory, among the items listed are: 6 Face Big Gas Cooker with Oven and 4 Face Kenstar Cooker with Oven among others.

“It is, therefore, ridiculous to accuse my Principal of taking away spoons, cooker and methylated spirit. From the foregoing, if there was any looting as being claimed by the agents of the new government, then we should look in their direction.

“They cannot take over, and then come to raise alarm 72 hours later that there was looting in the same place where they held their inauguration party on Sunday, November 27.

“If they think this is how to pay a man who gave his all for four years so that Osun could be back to reckoning, God our Creator, who is not a God of hypocrisy, will pay them in their own coin appropriately,” Omipidan added.

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Nigeria’s Debt Service Ratio Falls To 65% As Tinubu Tackles Economic Woes

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In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden and stabilize the economy, President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday that the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 97 to 65 percent over the 17 months since he took office.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for seven new ministers at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the government’s progress in stabilizing the economy despite challenging conditions.

READ MORE: Ibadan Man On Why He Used 76 Women For Ritual, Ate Others

“For us, it was a challenge when the nation was servicing its debt with 97 percent of its revenue. It was nothing but the edge of the cliff,” Tinubu said.

“But today, I can report to you that we have brought that down to 65 percent, and we have never defaulted in meeting all obligations, both foreign and domestic.”

His remarks follow Afreximbank’s recent projection that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio could reach 110.4 percent by 2024.

Afreximbank’s 2024 Nigeria Country Brief warned of a troubling upward trend in debt servicing, which could see the ratio surge from 33.8 percent in 2017 to a projected 110.4 percent next year.

However, with continued reforms, the report suggested the ratio might decline to 62.6 percent by 2025.

In the first nine months of 2023, debt servicing consumed 66.9 percent (₦5.79 trillion) of Nigeria’s total revenue, a slight improvement from 99.3 percent (₦4.23 trillion) during the same period in 2022.

Tinubu, while optimistic about economic recovery, acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerians due to a sharp increase in the cost of living triggered by recent economic reforms.

“We have taken the bull by the horns,” the President asserted. “We have stopped the scavengers. We will fully put an end to the profiteers and smugglers of our resources across the country. We are not shirking our responsibility; we are confronting it head-on.”

He further expressed confidence that Nigeria was on a “good path” toward recovery, emphasizing that the government remains committed to re-engineering the economy.

He cited the introduction of a new minimum wage as one measure aimed at mitigating rising living costs.

Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of seven new ministers, part of a recent cabinet reshuffle.

In two batches, ministers including Idi Maiha (Livestock Development) and Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment) took their oaths.

The reshuffle, which saw 10 ministers reassigned, five discharged, and seven new appointments confirmed by the Senate, reflects Tinubu’s stated commitment to reshaping his cabinet to meet Nigeria’s evolving challenges.

As the administration continues to implement reforms, President Tinubu emphasized a long-term vision for economic sustainability, not only for the current generation but also for future ones.

“Despite the challenges, we must undertake the job of re-engineering and retooling this country’s economic path,” he said.

 

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Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.

Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

READ MORE: Bobrisky Flees Nigeria Amid Legal Turmoil

The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.

Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.

Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.

Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.

In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.

In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.

He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.

“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.

It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.

 

 

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Presidency Fires Back At Atiku

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On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.

This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.

The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.

In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.

The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR

“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit  President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.

“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details,  were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.

“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.

“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends.  Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.

“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.

“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.

“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.

“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.

“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.

“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.

“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.

“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.

“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.

“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”

 

 

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