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As Ogun moves to preserve Abeokuta-Sagamu road By Funmi Branco

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Gov. Abiodun's Sun Award Well Deserved -Akume

As Ogun moves to preserve Abeokuta-Sagamu road

By Funmi Branco

 

 

 

 

WHEN in January 2022 President Muhammadu Buhari visited Ogun State to commission projects, he could not help exulting in the sheer beauty of the roads constructed by the Dapo-Abiodun led government in Ogun State. He said: “I arrived early today and commission the 14Km Ijebu-Ode, Mojoda Epe road which is reconstructed to a modern expressway by your administration. This impressive road will complement the Shagamu Benin expressway that the FG is presently reconstructing which is also due commissioning this year. Just across the road is the 42-km Shagamu Interchange Abeokuta road which the state government has reconstructed and equipped with street lights and other modern furniture which I will commission shortly. I am particularly impressed by the quality and standard of the road projects.”

 

 

As Ogun moves to preserve Abeokuta-Sagamu road
By Funmi Branco

 

 

 

The president was not being facetious; he was being very real. What he called the “constructive engagement cooperation and collaboration between the state and Federal Government” was evident for all to see. Travelling on the 42 km Abeokuta-Sagamu road had a delightful feel. Electric polls dotted the road, with clear lighting making driving at night such a beauty. The road was adjudged the best in the country given the modern furniture. The fact is well known that the Abeokuta- Sagamu Interchange road, the ceremonial route to the Gateway state capital, Ibara, Kuto, MKO Abiola Stadium, Oke Mosan, Laderin, Kobape, Siun to Sagamu interchange, links the Lagos Sagamu expressway to Lagos and the South-East. With the replacement of new asphalt overlay of both binder and wearing course, the replacement of cleared road shoulders and median with layby, reconstruction of existing earth drains with adequate turnout where necessary, and provision of new street lights for illumination at nights for safety and security purposes, the road was such a soul-lifting sight. Industries and housing estates sprang up and blossomed very quickly. They are now deeply entrenched in the Ogun ecology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving on the road, now in September 2023, is still a great experience, but beyond the beauty lies a huge cost to Ogun State in financial terms. Knowing the strategic importance of the road, the Ogun State government, this week, took a great step to arrest an unsavoury development, reiterating its commitment to ensuring that it remains in good condition for motorists and other road users. It announced a plan to collaborate with truck owners and other stakeholders on the road. Lamenting the continuous deterioration of the road due to the pressure daily put on it by the obvious increase in the number of heavy duty trucks servicing the large number of quarries and housing estates in the area, the state government, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, said it would continue to seek ways to continue maintaining the road in spite of the huge financial implications to the state government.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s why: there are currently about 40 quarries in Abeokuta, the state capital, while another 20 operate along the road. The weight of the trucks bearing the granite, cement, stone base, laterite and other materials, with some of them often overloaded, continues to cause immense damage to the road, making the government to rehabilitate it at huge costs. That is not all: further pressure is exerted on the road by trucks and other heavy-duty machinery deployed by estate developers in the area. Said Akinsanya: “We all can attest to the growing numbers of housing estates and other companies on that axis of the state…Everyday, you also hear of accidents that leave street lights damaged by overspeading drivers. This, coupled with the incessant vandalism of street lights and other infrastructure on the road by hoodlums, makes constant rehabilitation a must.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If motorists take advantage of the smoothness of the road and engage in speeding, that can only lead to accidents. It is a fact that most of the vehicular accidents witnessed on the road affect the road furniture. This gives room to vandals to cut the cables and cart away iron. The government is then forced to move in and replace them. While security agents have the mandate to enforce traffic rules, the government has to do much more, which is why it now wants a collaboration with the truck owners implicated in the constant damage to the road. They will be required to pay mere stipends when the trucks use the road, with the proceeds used to augment the government’s financial investment in the maintenance of the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As our elders say, if soup is delicious, money has played its part in the story. The Abeoluta-Sagamu road has transformed the Ogun environment, but great care must be taken to ensure that motorists from Ibadan and other parts of the country plying that road continue to escape the hassles that defined travelling to Ogun State till the Dapo Abiodun administration came on board and spawned a new reality. A road of such strategic importance, equipped with state-of-the-art furniture, can only take so much damage. With a network of industries attracted by the road, with developers and estate owners within that corridor doing brisk business, the road will need to be in prime, unblemished condition. If those whose trucks and big lorries leave the road in an unpleasant state are being asked to be part of the conversation on its maintenance, which the Ogun State government has hitherto ensured in order to deliver a pleasant driving experience for the road users, even at night, it is the right thing to do. The truck owners service the construction companies within Sagamu-Ibadan corridor, and within the Sagamu-Ore corridor. The road is overused and this means that the government must continually spend money on it, a responsibility it has undertaken so far without fail. But its resources are not infinite, and the new initiative targeted at sustainable maintenance of the road deserves to be applauded by all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Branco sent this piece through [email protected]
.

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NNPP Chieftain, Ajadi Says Nobody Can Turn Nigeria To One Party State

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NNPP Chieftain, Ajadi Says Nobody Can Turn Nigeria To One Party State …Visits Olopoeyan In Ibadan

A Chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, ( NNPP) in the South West, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo has said that nobody can turn Nigeria to a one party state because Nigerians are too wise, too sophisticated to belong to one party.

 

Ajadi made this known, while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday when he paid a courtesy call on the Ibadan strong and grassroots politician, Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeeyan.
He said that if President Bola Tinubu refused to change the current narrative to favour the people, the All Progressives Congress (APC), he will receive a shock during the from the opposition in the 2027 general elections.

“It is not possible to have a one party system in Nigeria. A single person cannot change the country’s party system. We are a multi party state. I am very sure that by the next election something will happen, except President Bola Tinubu changes the narrative positively to favour the masses,” he said.

He added that he decided to pay a courtesy call on Alhaji Olopoeeyan because he is his political leader and father.

Speaking on the visit, Ajadi said that Alhaji Olopoeeyan has been calling on him to visit him in Ibadan.

 

He said, “I am surprised today that the whole discussion has been centred on a call on me to shift my politics to Oyo State. I am an Ibadan indigene. My father is a known figure in Oja Igbo in Ibadan North East Local Government.

 

“Alhaji Olopoeeyan admonished me to come to Ibadan, my home town to practice politics. He said though my mum is from Ilaro in Ogun State, I should come to my state of origin to practice politics.

 

“You may want to ask how I feel about that. To me, it didn’t make any difference, politics is about serving the people and I have interest in turning a son of nobody to somebody. I love to serve the masses.

“Politics is about serving the people. When you have the passion to serve, anywhere you are, you are good to go. We have a lot to do and we keep doing our best for the people.”

In his response, Olopoeeyan, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that he dragged the former governorship candidate of the NNPP in Ogun State, Ambassador Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, to Oyo State politics so that he can contribute to the development of his fatherland, Ibadan and his state of origin, Oyo.

Olopoeeyan said that though Ajadi has returned to the PDP, he will soon officially announce his return to the party with a funfair, adding that he wouldn’t know if Ajadi would join his new party.

“But I think he has done enough politically and in terms of empowerment for the people on the side of his mother’s state of origin in Ogun.

I believe he will follow me to wherever I am going. He has been a good sibling, a loyal party man in NNPP. We hardly disagree. I believe he will continue to go where I ask him to go politically.
“But he is an accomplished person in his own right; I can’t force my opinion on him. He will take his decision. But I said he has to come to Ibadan to help in building his state of origin too after contributing to the development of Ogun where his mother hailed from.

 

“We are politicians, and I am not unmindful of the need for him to identify with his roots. He has been involved in many philanthropic activities in Yewaland and Ogun State in general. Let him help Ibadanland too. He is from Oja’gbo in Ibadan. We need him. He will tell me his decision,” Olopoeeyan said.

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Israel–Iran War: Why Should Africa Care When Nigeria Is Bleeding?

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Israel–Iran War: Why Should Africa Care When Nigeria Is Bleeding?

 

 

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

 

 

As Israel and Iran plunge into open war, global powers are on edge and international newsrooms are in overdrive. Headlines scream about nuclear threats, oil prices, and regional instability, but here’s a harder question we Africans must ask:

 

 

Israel–Iran War: Why Should Africa Care When Nigeria Is Bleeding?

 

Why are Nigerians, Africans, and even our governments more concerned about Tel Aviv and Tehran when corpses are piling up in Benue, Borno, Katsina, and the Congo?

 

 

We have not only failed to secure our borders but have also normalized our own bloodbaths. Yet we stretch our necks toward the Middle East like loyal houseboys watching the master’s house burn while ours is already in ashes.

 

Israel–Iran War: Why Should Africa Care When Nigeria Is Bleeding?

 

1. The Israel–Iran War: Yes, It Matters Globally

To be clear, the Israel–Iran conflict is no small fight.

 

Israel has launched massive air raids on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.

 

Iran responded with ballistic missiles, drones, and cyberattacks.

 

Global oil prices are soaring. Security analysts warn of possible regional implosion involving Hezbollah, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and even NATO states.

 

This war threatens global stability, from energy markets to international diplomacy.

 

But for Nigeria (and for Africa) is this where we must channel our loudest outrage?

 

2. Meanwhile in Nigeria: The Massacre Nobody Notices

 

Israel–Iran War: Why Should Africa Care When Nigeria Is Bleeding?

 

Benue State: Land of Blood and Abandonment

On April 7, 2023, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen slaughtered over 134 people in Benue State, mostly in the villages of Umogidi, Apa LGA, and Mgban in Guma LGA. Survivors told horror stories of children butchered in their sleep and bodies burned beyond recognition.

 

Governor H. Alia cried to the Federal Government. The Presidency said… nothing.

 

Borno: Home of Endless Terror

In Konduga LGA, Borno State, at least 18 farmers were beheaded by Boko Haram insurgents in November 2024, their bodies left on farmland as warning signs. In the same period, several bombings and raids by ISWAP killed civilians and soldiers in Damboa and Dikwa.

 

Yet media houses barely flashed these images across screens. No candlelight vigils in Lagos. No flags flying half-mast.

 

Katsina: Bandits Reign Supreme

On May 9, 2025, armed bandits stormed the Gidan Boka and Kankara areas of Katsina State. The death toll? More than 50 villagers. Several others were abducted. They killed, looted, and vanished into forests like ghosts of anarchy. It’s no longer even shocking.

 

Where were the GLOBAL TEARS? Where were the DIPLOMATIC CALLS for CEASEFIRE?

 

3. Congo: The Forgotten Holocaust of Our Time

While Israel gets $14 billion in U.S. aid and Iran threatens nuclear revenge, Congo remains the world’s most deadly, most ignored warzone.

 

In Eastern DRC, over 6 million people have died since 1996, a figure greater than Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria combined.

 

On January 3, 2024, M23 rebels backed by Rwanda slaughtered at least 37 civilians in Kishishe village in North Kivu.

 

In March 2025, over 300 civilians were massacred in Ituri Province by the CODECO militia, many hacked with machetes.

 

The United Nations calls Congo a “SILENT GENOCIDE.”

Nobel Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege calls it “The RAPE CAPITAL of the WORLD.”

 

So, tell me, where is our outrage? Why aren’t African leaders calling emergency summits? Why are we silent while our people rot?

 

4. The Hypocrisy of African Diplomacy

When Israel struck Iran, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned it with immediate urgency. Still, when Nigerians are killed in Benue, Borno, or Katsina, and in the Eastern parts of Nigeria, our leaders issue vague “WE WILL INVESTIGATE” press statements and return to Abuja cocktail parties.

 

We condemn Gaza bombings but ignore Zamfara villages burnt to ashes. We mourn Israeli civilians but scroll past 10,000 Congolese displaced in one weekend.

 

This is not foreign policy. This is colonial mimicry. We weep for Paris when our own cities are bleeding.

 

5. Expert Voices: Wake Up and Look Within

Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, former NHRC Chairman:

“You cannot lead in foreign affairs when your backyard is ablaze. Africa must fix its own hemorrhaging wounds before trying to bandage the Middle East.”

 

Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, Columbia University:

“Congo is the heart of Africa and its destruction is our moral indictment. No nation can outsource its conscience and survive.”

 

Dr. Akinyemi Adesina, Nigerian Conflict Analyst:

“The biggest war Africa is losing isn’t military. It’s the war of attention. We let CNN tell us what to cry about.”

 

6. What Should Nigeria Do Instead?

Face our own fires

We must strengthen local intelligence, rebuild our police system, fund border protection, and invest in modern technology, not donate statements to Tel Aviv or Tehran.

 

Convene African solutions

Instead of echoing Western fears, Nigeria should call for African-led peace missions in Congo, Sudan, and Burkina Faso. Let us form our own “AU Peace Shield,” not wait for France, China, or America to babysit our chaos.

 

Build a Pan-African Media Voice

If Al Jazeera can project Qatar’s voice, why can’t Nigeria lead the charge in building a Pan-African media bloc that puts Congo, Benue, and Borno on every screen in Africa and beyond?

 

7. The War of Narrative: Who Gets to Be a Victim?

Let’s be blunt: the world does not value African lives the same way it values Israeli or Ukrainian lives.

 

40 CONGOLESE VILLAGERS DIE? It’s “tribal conflict.”

 

3 ISRAELIS DIE? It’s “a terror attack against civilization.”

 

This racist double standard is echoed even by us, the victims.

 

Until we value our own people, no one else will.

 

8. Final take: Charity Begins at Home or It Dies There

Let the world worry about Israel and Iran. Let Nigeria first worry about Benue, Borno, Katsina, Zamfara, and Plateau. And we Africans worry for Congo.

 

We don’t oppose caring about global peace, but how can a man with a bleeding wound argue about the neighbor’s broken pipe? This is hypocrisy dressed as diplomacy.

 

George Omagbemi Sylvester is a political columnist based in South Africa. He writes regularly on African conflicts, diaspora issues, and African international affairs.

 

Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

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“Benue Bleeds, Tinubu Moves: President Visits State Amid Genocide Claims, Public Outcry, and Calls for Emergency Rule

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“Benue Bleeds, Tinubu Moves: President Visits State Amid Genocide Claims, Public Outcry, and Calls for Emergency Rule”

“Benue Bleeds, Tinubu Moves: President Visits State Amid Genocide Claims, Public Outcry, and Calls for Emergency Rule”

In a bold move to address the escalating violence that has devastated communities and claimed hundreds of lives in Benue State, President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to meet with key stakeholders in the state today (Wednesday), following the gruesome massacre of over 200 residents in Yelewata, Guma LGA.

The assailants, suspected to be armed Fulani militia, reportedly used sophisticated weapons and firebombed homes during the Friday night rampage, leaving trails of death and destruction, with women and children among the casualties.

In the wake of the bloodshed, the Benue State House of Assembly admitted collective failure. In a rare moment of self-indictment during a Tuesday plenary, lawmakers declared that Governor Hyacinth Alia, Deputy Governor Sam Ode, and all 32 legislators had failed the people.

Emotions ran high as members wore black in mourning and unanimously condemned the killings, describing them as genocide and acts of terrorism “comparable only to the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust.”

Adding to the pressure, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), and several other political groups have called on President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state. They accused the federal government of neglect and demanded urgent security reform.

Opposition leaders slammed the President for acting swiftly in Rivers State without casualties while remaining silent on the carnage in Benue. “He plays politics with lives,” said ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, calling Tinubu’s response to national security “hypocritical and dangerously slow.”

But ahead of his visit, President Tinubu dispatched top security and government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, and the National Security Adviser, to Benue. According to presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, the President’s visit aims to “assess firsthand the recurring crisis” and engage traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, and community stakeholders in a town hall to find lasting peace.

Security has been beefed up in Makurdi, and roads are being hastily rehabilitated for the presidential convoy. Most hotels in the city are fully booked.

Meanwhile, lawmakers passed a series of resolutions:

  • A three-day mourning period from June 18 to 20.

  • A call for full enforcement of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Law.

  • Demands for increased funding and autonomy for local governments to combat insecurity.

  • Urging Governor Alia to lead a high-powered delegation to the President to present the realities of the crisis.

Responding to criticism, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mathew Abo, defended the governor, saying, “You don’t expect him to carry guns and go to the bush.” He emphasized that Governor Alia had supported security agencies and facilitated their operations.

Despite mounting calls for a state of emergency, Benue PDP and APC leaders pushed back, arguing that more troops, not suspended democracy, are what the state needs. “We believe in solutions, not sensationalism,” said PDP spokesman Tim Nyior.

As Benue mourns, the nation watches. President Tinubu’s response to this crisis could define not only his commitment to national security but his legacy as Commander-in-Chief.

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