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New Year Message: Adeleke Assures Osun, Lauds Tinubu
The Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has assured the citizens that he will continue to strive to deliver the dividends of democracy.
The governor took to his new year message, a statewide address delivered in Osogbo on Monday, monitored by Biztellers to count his achievements and share his vision for the state.
While lamenting the level of economic hardship confronting the people, the governor lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and assured the citizenry that he would remain focused on the implementation of the 2024 budget.
Sen Adeleke expressed appreciation for the mass support and high approval ratings he enjoyed among the populace and posited that he and his team are challenged to expand delivery of good governance across the sectors of the state.
He said, “Our administration has big ambitions to develop our dear state. We seek to bridge the developmental gap, to combine human and physical development. We are in a hurry to achieve both human and capital growth. My people, it is achievable. It is doable.
“In the new year, we will refocus attention on cushioning current economic hardship while at the same time building the state’s economic base. Both goals are achievable as we have demonstrated in the last one year.
“We seek your continued support to achieve our common agenda for collective prosperity. We promise to continue to be a listening and responsive administration, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
On the ambitions and plans for the state, Gov Adeleke told the people that his “dream is for an Osun economy that gradually moves away from its civil service status to a modern agro – industrial based, creative industry focussed economy”, stressing that such “diversification with a functioning cargo/commercial airport will grow Osun as an export oriented economy as well as a global tourist destination, being the host of important Yoruba cultural assets.
According to the Sen Adeleke, “we remain firmly focused on the Five-Point-Agenda under which you, Osun people, elected us into office. We reaffirm our faith in the principles guiding the five-point-agenda which are transparency and accountability, open government, localisation, responsive leadership and attunement to citizens’ aspirations”
He maintained that his administration achieved a lot in the last one year by ensuring belt tightening, reducing cost of governance and denying ourselves many perquisites of office, adding that “as a Governor, my official expenditures are covered through the approval process rather than security votes, thereby assuring transparency and accountability.
“As of today, our administration is struggling to purchase official vehicles for the state cabinet because the officials of the previous government bolted away with state vehicles. So our cabinet and other top officials have been using their private cars since we appointed them into office. Also, we are still working to renovate the official quarters vandalized by the officials of previous governments. Many of our top officials still operate from their private houses.
“Despite the above handicap, our team is determined to continue to deliver on our electoral promises. I am glad to report with gratitude to God that we have remained responsive to the will and aspirations of our people. We get positive feedback and we are satisfied with our high approval ratings.
“We are challenged to do more. We are prepared to make corrections where necessary as much as we will remain uncompromising when it comes to anti-corruption drive, transparency and accountability as well due process. As I always affirm, our tenure is married to due process, rule of law and fear of God”, Gov Adeleke stated.
He assured of his administration’s willingness to intervene to ameliorate the economic hardship confronting the masses.
While lamenting the harsh economic challenges facing Nigeria, Gov Adeleke commended President Tinubu for his concerted efforts to solve the knotty questions of high inflation, high cost of living and general dislocation in the national economy,which he described as “macro and micro economic issues largely beyond the purview of the state governments.
“We, as a state government, commend President Bola Tinubu for his relentless actions towards economic restoration. But as we all know and as we are still experiencing, the economic crisis continues unabated despite the best of efforts. Osun, through the National Economic Council, is collaborating with the central government to support federal initiatives targeted at reducing inflation, cost of living and stabilising the national economy”, he stated.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has inaugurated a 21-member Ad-Hoc Committee that will oversee the administration of Rivers State during the six-month State of Emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.
The committee, which will be led by the House Leader, Rep. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, with Rep. Ali Isa J.C. serving as Deputy Chairman, was officially unveiled on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja.
According to Speaker Abbas, the creation of the committee demonstrates the National Assembly’s commitment to constitutional order, good governance, and the protection of national unity.
READ MORE: Rivers Women Stage Solidarity March In Support Of Emergency Rule
“This marks a critical milestone in our constitutional mandate and is a reflection of our dedication to transparent governance and the rule of law,” the Speaker declared during the inauguration ceremony.
President Tinubu’s declaration, which came into effect on March 18, was made under Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The President described the situation in Rivers State as a “grave crisis threatening public order” and emphasized the need to safeguard the welfare of the citizens.
Referencing previous cases of emergency rule, including those in Plateau (2004), Ekiti (2006), and the North-East (2013), Abbas reminded lawmakers that the National Assembly had always played a stabilizing role during such interventions.
He clarified that the appointment of Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd.) as the caretaker administrator for Rivers State is a stopgap arrangement designed to restore basic governance and maintain public safety.
“The Administrator’s role is limited to maintaining law and order until democratic governance is fully restored,” Abbas said, adding that the administrator would be reporting directly to the National Assembly.
The Speaker urged committee members to carry out their duties with professionalism and neutrality, warning them to avoid partisan conduct.
“You must avoid partisanship and ensure that your actions strictly align with the Constitution,” Abbas stressed. “Beyond oversight, you are also expected to support reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts in Rivers State.”
In response, Committee Chairman Ihonvbere expressed confidence in the team’s ability to carry out the assignment with excellence, citing the members’ collective experience and commitment.
“If I am not wrong, this is probably the strongest ad-hoc committee ever set up since 2019,” Ihonvbere noted.
“With the experience, exposure, and dedication of this team, I assure you on behalf of my colleagues that we will not disappoint the Speaker, the National Assembly, or the Nigerian people.”
He added that the committee would begin work immediately and promised that all activities would be guided by transparency, diligence, and objectivity.
The committee’s responsibilities will include monitoring the implementation of federal directives in Rivers State, ensuring that the caretaker government stays within constitutional boundaries, and submitting regular reports to the House of Representatives.
Former Kano State Governor and 2023 Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has condemned the recent spate of deadly attacks in Plateau State, calling on the relevant authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.
Kwankwaso, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, expressed deep sadness over the attack on the Zike community, Kimakpa, in Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area, which claimed the lives of 51 people and left several properties destroyed.
READ ALSO: 40 Killed In Fresh Attack On Plateau Community As Violence Escalates
The NNPP chieftain described the incident as a tragic addition to the wave of violence that has rocked the state in recent weeks.
He noted that the Zike attack came shortly after over fifty other residents were killed across five communities within the space of a week.
“It is important that Plateau State must not be allowed to become a hotbed of violence and wanton destruction again after the relative peace it has enjoyed in recent years,” he stated.
Kwankwaso called on the Federal Government to rise to its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, while urging residents and stakeholders to embrace peace.
“I extend my condolences to the Government and people of Plateau State. I also urge the authorities to ensure that justice is served by bringing the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to book,” the former governor added.
The recent attacks have continued to fuel concerns over security lapses in the region, as calls for decisive action and lasting solutions grow louder.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council has commended Dangote Refinery for its consistency in the price reduction of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol.
The NUJ was reacting to the latest reduction in the ex-gantry loading cost of PMS from ₦880 per litre to ₦865.
Biztellers reports that the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos State Council, Adeleye Ajayi, noted that the Dangote Refinery had projected itself as a huge partner in progress to all Nigerians.
The gesture, the Council Chairman said had endeared the business mogul to Nigeria as a saviour of the masses in the face of the present hardship.
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Recall that the Dangote Refinery had announced a reduction of its ex-depot price per liter by N15 ostensibly following reduction in the price of crude oil in the international market.
“I want to emphatically say that the Dangote Refinery is indeed a blessing to all Nigerians. The roll out of petroleum products from Dangote Refinery has indeed changed the game and the fuel market is now liberalized,” he stated.
Urging other industrialists to take a cue from Dangote’s good heart towards Nigerians in the face of present economic hardship, the NUJ boss added, “In the last few months, we are all aware that Dangote Refinery has crashed the price of PMS at different interval and we are very optimistic that such gesture will be extended to other sectors by other industrialists.
“We need more Dangotes in this country so that Nigeria can be great again. Imagine if we have three or four Dangote in other sectors of Nigeria’s economy, Nigeria’s economic progress would have been fastracked.”
In a related development, Ajayi lauded the move by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) which gave an express approval for the full implementation of the suspended Naira-for-Crude agreement with local refiners on Wednesday.
He opined that the move would boost the confidence of the citizenry, as the output was expected to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
Reps Moves To Ensure Order In Rivers, Inaugurates 21-Member Committee
‘Plateau Must Not Become A Killing Field’ — Kwankwaso Mourns Victims, Seeks Justice
NUJ Lauds Dangote For Crashing Petrol Price
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