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EDO 2020: BETWEEN MADMEN AND SPECIALISTS

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A social political group, Diaspora Network for Good Governance, yesterday, congratulated the governor of Edo State for his resounding victory at the September 19 poll.


By Iwelunmor Patrick 

There are insinuations in some quarters that the national chairman of the APC has vowed to truncate the second term bid of Governor Obaseki even if he wins the Edo 2020 primaries. The former Governor is hinging his confidence on the instrumentality of his office.

Unfortunately for Oshiomhole, the odds against him and his plethora of political machinations against a performing Governor are enormous. It is Oshiomhole who has many rivers to cross and many mountains to climb in this arduous yet fruitless quest to strangulate justice and fairness. 


Before Obaseki assumed the mantle of leadership in Edo State, Oshiomhole had spoken glowingly about his capacity to turn things around and leave the state better than he met it. He had portrayed Obaseki as someone who would continue the reformist agenda he had reawakened in the collective socio-economic psyche of all well-meaning Edolites. Governor Obaseki, going by the methodical way he has been handling governance, has left no one in doubt as to the populist orientation of his government. Most significantly, his prudence in the management of state funds coupled with a sense of accountability that abhors frivolities has ensured that the many social projects he has embarked upon have been completed or are nearing completion.

To this end, it will be extremely difficult for Oshiomhole and his camp followers to convince Edo people that Obaseki is anything but excellent. 


In psychiatric studies, people who are known to double-speak suffer from certain psychological conditions ranging from common behavioral disorders to incurable megalomania. You don’t praise a man today and try to pull him down tomorrow. It shows that something is mentally wrong with you. All those who were praising Obaseki to high heavens in the earliest days of his administration and are now saying he must be crucified deserve some psychiatric evaluation. How can they say Obaseki has not achieved anything when there are imprints of his performance in virtually all the local government areas of the state. (even if una miss road, una nor know the road to Ogbe Stadium? Una nor see how im transform the place? ) 


Osagie Ize-Iyamu whom Oshiomhole had openly described as someone who cannot be trusted with money is now one of those being positioned to unseat Obaseki. Hmmm. This brand of politics can only be a product of mental illness. I wish to use this medium to advise Governor Obaseki to focus on building more psychiatric hospitals as soon as he returns for his second term in office. Some people should be mentally quarantined so they do not influence the younger generation with their anti-progressive mentalities. As for Obaseki and his retinue of technocrats, they should continue to unleash the specialists in them on every developmental puzzle they come across in Edo State. One of the reasons Obaseki’s political enemies are frustrated is because they have not been able to deceive Edo people who are being daily inundated with the wonderful works their Governor is doing. Thanks to the vibrant media strategy being executed by Crusoe Osagie, Igunbor Sarah and Afolayan Timi, among others. Obaseki’s footprints are all over the social media space and no amount of propaganda can hamper his government’s popularity in terms of the delivery of the dividends of democracy and good governance. 


I remember reading a very superlative article written on Obaseki’s seriousness about changing the Edo development narrative. It was titled OBASEKI MEANS BUSINESS by one Kassim Afegbua and smacked of the highest level of the writer’s appreciation of the Governor’s noble intentions and motivations towards the service of his people. Alas, things have fallen apart, for reasons best known to the cerebral writer, whom I recently read again faulting Obaseki’s approach to governance. Na wah O! Another fellow by the name, Abdul Oro had boasted on one of the privately-owned TV stations how Obaseki has violated party principles by refusing to carry some of them who worked towards his emergence along and how they planned to antagonize him. The most pathetic among these cases of betrayal is the case of one Chris Osa, whom I had followed as an Obaseki loyalist.

Unfortunately, he has joined the wayfarers of the underground – men who have sold their conscience for epicurean ends. 
Obaseki and his pilgrims of ethereal heights (men of good conscience) should not discontinue this illustrious quest for the illumination of the Edo world. The battle is not easy but one thing is certain: light will always conquer darkness. 
Iwelunmor Patrick, a Public Relations and Media Practitioner, writes from Lagos. 

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Lagos Deserves Leaders Like You, UNILAG Tells Speaker Meranda

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Lagos Deserves Leaders Like You, UNILAG Tells Speaker Meranda

– institution pledges support for Lagos Speaker

 

A team from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has promised the institution’s support to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Lasbat Meranda.

Professor Abraham Osinubi Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies of the institution, who led the delegation on a courtesy visit to the Speaker on Thursday, described Princess Meranda’s emergence as a triumph for vision and integrity.

“Your election is not just a personal victory; it is a triumph for vision, integrity, and commitment to the greater good.

“Lagos State stands at the crossroads of boundless opportunities and challenges, and we are confident that under your dynamic stewardship, the Assembly will enact transformative policies that will elevate the state to even greater heights.

“As a state renowned for its innovation, resilience, and leadership, Lagos needs leaders like you who possess the courage to envision a brighter future and the wisdom to bring that vision to life,” Professor Osinubi said.

The Dean said the Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, was excited that the institution had produced the first ever female Speaker of the State’s Assembly.

“As you assume this exalted office, we pray that divine wisdom, strength and clarity of purpose will guide your every decision. May you lead with compassion and fairness and may your tenure be marked by unity, progress, and prosperity for all citizens of Lagos State.

“We also pray that your work inspires future generations to recognise that leadership is a call to service, a sacred trust to uplift lives, and a platform to shape legacies of lasting impact.

“School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos, remains committed to supporting visionary leaders like you by providing the intellectual resources needed to address the pressing challenges of our time. We look forward to witnessing the transformational strides your leadership will bring to Lagos State,” Professor Osinubi added.

Responding, Speaker Meranda said the visit was an encouragement and a challenge for her and the House to meet the yearnings of Lagosians through life-changing laws and motions.

Meranda, who had earlier emphasised her commitment to a happier Lagos, promised to continue to be a source of pride to UNILAG.

“I will definitely make you proud by the special grace of God. I will work to ensure that you see me as a source of pride to UNILAG,” she promised.

A lawmaker and alumnus of the institution, Hon. Lanre Afinni, recalled how UNILAG students made Nigeria proud during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNILAG students produced portable ventilators which assisted Lagosians.
For all that you have been doing for us, we say thank you,” Afinni said.

Lagos Deserves Leaders Like You, UNILAG Tells Speaker Meranda

Media Office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

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Northern Leaders Revolt: No Guarantee Tinubu Gets 2027 Presidency

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Northern Leaders Revolt: No Guarantee Tinubu Gets 2027 Presidency

Northern Leaders Revolt: No Guarantee Tinubu Gets 2027 Presidency

Pro-North socio-political organization, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and prominent voices across the northern region have declared that President Bola Tinubu cannot count on their support for re-election in 2027.

The pushback came after the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, called on northern politicians to step aside until 2031 to allow Tinubu to complete a second term. Ganduje, addressing a delegation at the APC National Secretariat, argued it was only fair for Tinubu to follow in the footsteps of a northern predecessor who served two full terms.

“Our president has come from the south and is going, Insha Allah, for a second term come 2027,” Ganduje said. “After that, it will be the North’s turn.”

However, the ACF firmly rejected Ganduje’s stance. National Publicity Secretary Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba likened Ganduje’s statement to promoting a “cult of personality,” noting voters cannot be coerced. “It’s up to the voters to endorse, reject, or modify what Ganduje said,” Muhammad-Baba remarked. “In 2015, we were sold on anti-corruption. In 2023, ‘Renewed Hope’ turned into a nightmare. What will matter for Tinubu is his policies and their impact.”

Former Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai expressed similar sentiments, warning Tinubu could face a political mutiny akin to the “Goodluck Jonathan treatment.” El-Rufai shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that relations between Tinubu and the North have soured just two years into his presidency.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who has declared his presidential ambition for 2027, dismissed Ganduje’s remarks as “silly.” His commissioner, Maiwada Bello, rallied youths to support Mohammed’s campaign, touting his administration’s record of appointing more youths to key positions than any other governor.

Meanwhile, Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, criticized Tinubu’s policies for turning northern Nigeria into a “refugee camp.” Lawal vowed to help unseat Tinubu in 2027, asserting, “The North is mobilizing with a consensus that Tinubu must give way. If we continue with these policies for another four years, northern Nigeria will collapse.”

Despite Ganduje’s insistence on unity, political fractures appear inevitable. Lawal concluded, “We need a leader who understands one Nigeria. The North and its elites will make sure Tinubu doesn’t have a second chance.”

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Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

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Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

 

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Princess Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, has committed a bill to establish the State’s research trust fund to a sub-committee of the House.

 

Meranda also emphasised the need for tertiary institutions in the state to partake in effective research works for the benefit of the state.

This was as the bill, sponsored by a member of the House, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, scaled second reading on the floor of the House.

The proposed law is aimed at creating a ‘state research trust fund for the allocation, management and administration of the trust fund and for connected purposes’.

Supporting the bill, lawmakers praised the sponsor and noted that it would help advance the state.

Yishawu told his colleagues that the bill was important as it would help drive innovation, economic growth, and technological advancement in the state.

According to him, Lagos, as Nigeria’s economic hub, cannot afford to lag in scientific and technological development.

He argued that a well-structured research and development funding system would enhance governance, stimulate industrialisation, and position the state as a leader in innovation.

He also stressed that the bill, when passed, would touch every facet of Lagos.

Dissecting the bill, some of the lawmakers raised concerns over taxation but agreed that the bill was important.

Hon. Noheem Adams stressed that funding would help to provide a veritable opportunity for researchers to come up with results that help societies.

According to him, when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, “it would have been difficult to visualize that a day would come when we will all have a handset in our pockets.”

The ad-hoc committee is expected to fine-tune the bill ahead of further processes leading to its passage.

Signed:
Media Office Of The Rt. Hon. Speaker

Bill For Research Trust Fund Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

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