NEWS
Ondo Govt Pledges Ongoing Support To Families Of Owo Attack Victims
The Ondo State Government has expressed its commitment to providing ongoing support to the families affected by the tragic gunmen attack that took place on June 5, 2022, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo which resulted in the loss of 41 lives and numerous injuries.
In remembrance of the victims who lost their lives within the church premises, a memorial park was inaugurated.
On Saturday, the State’s Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, along with other members of the state executive council, attended a memorial mass held at the church in Owo.
During the service, Aiyedatiwa acknowledged that the day held a mix of emotions, as people still vividly recalled the loss of their friends and loved ones during the attack.
He further stated that the incident marked a somber and tragic day for the people of Ondo State and Nigeria as a whole.
In his address, the State’s Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, expressed gratitude towards Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for his unwavering support and efforts on behalf of the victims and survivors.
Aiyedatiwa shared that each survivor had received a total of N500,000, distributed in two installments.
He emphasized that the Ondo State Government had taken care of all the medical expenses incurred by the injured individuals, expressing his gratitude to all those who contributed and donated in various ways to support the victims during their recovery.
He said “It was indeed a black Sunday for us in Ondo State. The unfortunate incident happened when they were doing one of the things the Lord has mandated us to do – worship him.
“We commiserate with those that have lost their loved ones. They are saints of the Lord now. We need to get closer to God and fulfill His purpose.
“Ondo Government since this incident happened have done so much in a way to support the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We appreciate the governor for all he has done on this disaster”, he added.
Aiyedatiwa assured the public that the state government would remain dedicated to safeguarding and supporting all individuals, regardless of their tribe or religion, emphasizing that the government valued and prioritized the lives and dignity of every human being.
During his homily, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo, conveyed that the purpose of the gathering was not to rekindle anger but to demonstrate to the world how the victims had found healing through their faith in Christ.
Arogundade urged the government to fulfill its responsibilities by taking decisive action against the perpetrators of the heinous act.
He also emphasized the need for introspection and self-reflection as a means to advance the progress of Nigeria as a nation.
The bishop reaffirmed that the unwavering love of Christ would prevail over any malicious intentions, emphasizing that the Ondo State Government had fulfilled its duty towards the victims, just as any responsible government would have done in a similar situation.
He appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that the culprits responsible for the attack were identified and held accountable.
Mrs. Jumoke Veronica, who tragically lost her mother in the attack, shared that life had drastically changed for her since the incident occurred.
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
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The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
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