Obasa congratulates President Tinubu on second anniversary, commends economic reforms

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his second anniversary in office. He also commended the bold and transformative economic reforms implemented under the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“It takes ingenuity, courage, and a strong sense of conviction to go through with the reforms initiated by the President, but the whole world can see that these reforms have started yielding manifestly bountiful rewards in the areas of security, infrastructure, and improved investors’ confidence in the economy,” Obasa said.

The Lagos Speaker, in a statement released by his media office, praised President Tinubu’s steadfast commitment to revamping the Nigerian economy through decisive policy actions like the fuel subsidy removal and liberalisation of the foreign exchange market. He highlighted how these policies have helped to stabilise the naira, increase foreign reserves, and reposition the nation’s economic trajectory.

Obasa recalled that previously, fuel subsidies had cost the Nigerian government approximately $10 billion annually, but the removal has led to a significant increase in the monthly disbursement to the three tiers of government by the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

“Unlike the situation in the past, we no longer hear lamentations about state governors owing civil servants or asking for bailouts from the federal government. We can only implore state and local government leaders to double up on the execution of vital and viable economic and social infrastructure development projects at the grassroots for the betterment of Nigerians across the social strata,” Obasa said.

He further cited the recent announcement by the World Bank that Nigeria’s economy recorded its fastest growth in about a decade in 2024; and the declaration by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Nigeria is no longer on its debtors’ list having completed the payment of a $3.4 billion loan borrowed during the COVID-19 pandemic as indubitable proofs of President Tinubu’s economic sagacity and the effectiveness of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

However, he said that every reform comes with responsibility, stating, “Transformative change requires time and collective efforts. The president is not oblivious to the hardships that have trailed these reforms, but he is presiding with a human face.

“President Tinubu increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 and also launched the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) to provide financial support to over 550,000 students, thereby enhancing access to higher education among other socio-economic empowerment programs. I do not doubt that we are on the right path,” Obasa said.

Speaker Obasa lauded Nigerians for their support and perseverance during the crunch that followed and urged all to remain patient, optimistic, and supportive of the president’s initiatives. He concluded by reaffirming the state House of Assembly’s commitment to collaborating with the federal government to ensure the successful implementation of policies that benefit all Nigerians.

NAFDAC ALLEGED EXTORTION OF ₦3.5 BILLION FROM ONISHA TRADERS — IGBOS HEROES FOUNDATION REACTS

By Joseph Monday

The Igbo Heroes Foundation, which has the late President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu CFR, as its founding chairman, has strongly condemned the recent closure of the Onitsha Bridgehead Drug Market by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). In a statement issued by the Foundation’s National Coordinator, Prince Chinedu Nsofor (Kpakpando Ndigbo), the organization reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the values of Igbo heroes past by boldly defending Igbos from undue oppression and intimidation.

The Foundation described the closure as a deliberate economic attack disguised as regulatory enforcement. “What NAFDAC has done is not enforcement but economic warfare against innocent traders in the South East. They have acted more wickedly than the criminals they claim to be pursuing,” Nsofor declared. “Instead of singling out the bad eggs, they’ve chosen to punish the entire market, destroying livelihoods and dignity.”

In an even more alarming revelation, Nsofor disclosed that NAFDAC is demanding ₦700,000 from each trader to reopen their shop—amounting to a staggering ₦3.5 billion, calculated by multiplying ₦700,000 by the estimated 5,000 shops in the market. So far, 1,000 traders have already paid, resulting in ₦700 million being extorted under this guise. “This is not regulation. This is broad daylight extortion. If expired drugs were truly the issue, the agency should focus on legal prosecution. Why demand billions from traders? Are they suggesting expired drugs are okay for the right price?” he asked.

Nsofor further stated, “It is tragic that many traders have already paid, suggesting NAFDAC may be compromising public health standards in exchange for money. This is not just corruption—it’s a betrayal of public trust.” The Foundation therefore calls on President Bola Tinubu to urgently cleanse his administration of what it describes as deep-rooted corruption that is gradually engulfing the fabric of governance.

Decrying the double standards often applied by federal authorities, Nsofor said, “Why weren’t Fulani cattle markets shut down when killer herdsmen ravaged communities? Why is a whole drug market being destroyed because of a few bad actors? This injustice is tailored specifically for Igbos—it would not happen in the North or the West.”

He also praised popular activist Very Dark Man (VDM) for his courageous stance in defending the Onitsha traders despite being neither Igbo nor from Anambra State. “VDM has shown more courage and humanity than some of our so-called leaders. He is a beacon of truth in a time of silent oppression,” Nsofor said.

The Foundation declared its unwavering support for the affected traders, vowing to explore all legal and advocacy avenues to ensure justice is served. “We will not rest until every affected trader gets justice. Legal teams will be raised. Advocacy will be mobilized. Corruption will be exposed at all levels,” Nsofor affirmed. “No Igbo son or daughter will be sacrificed on the altar of federal injustice and impunity.”

The Foundation is now calling on Governor Charles Soludo to rise to the occasion and defend the people of Anambra State. Nsofor also appealed to all well-meaning Igbo sons and daughters, both in Nigeria and the diaspora, to lend their voices and support to the cause. “This is a time for unity. Help secure legal representation for these traders. Let us not allow NAFDAC or any federal agency to make a mockery of justice and due process in Alaigbo,” he concluded.

The Igbo Heroes Foundation, grounded in the legacy of late Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, is mobilizing for a legal and civic battle. The time to act is now.

*Ikorodu Building Collapse: How Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy Was Fulfilled In Nine Hours (VIDEO)

Nigeria still has men of God who see things clearly and warn ahead of time before they occur. In a world where people find it hard to believe prophets because of their experiences, Primate Ayodele has continued to stand out as a major prophetic force nationally and internationally.

His prophetical sagacity was once again confirmed yesterday when one of the prophecies he shared during an early morning church service on Tuesday came to pass at noon of the same day.

While leading prayer at the ‘God will not put me to shame’ prayer service, which runs at his church, INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, every Tuesday by 5 am, Primate Ayodele called on the government and its agencies to be careful of a building collapse that will take lives.

He made the call in Yoruba language and expressed the importance of the message as it was very imminent.

These were his words:

“I am seeing that a building will collapse in this Lagos….”

As the prophet warned, a few hours later into the day, there were reports of a two-storey building collapse in Ikorodu, leading to the death of about three people and counting.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said its operatives rescued nine adult males and recovered three dead bodies in the building that collapsed at the Ikorodu area of the state on Tuesday.

The Agency, however, added that the rescue operation is still ongoing at the site of the collapsed building.

The LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the three people rescued dead were trapped under the collapsed building.

Oke-Osanyintolu, who said this in a statement on Wednesday, added that the rescued nine adult males were attended to bythe LASEMA Pre-Hospital Care Unit.

“Following distress alerts at 14:02 hours, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from Agbowa and Alausa.

“Upon arrival of agency’s response teams at 14:40hours, it was discovered that a two-storey building undergoing construction had collapsed, with three victims trapped under the debris at the aforementioned location.

“Search and Rescue Operation is still ongoing. All the bodies have been handed over to Igbogbo Police Station.

“The cause of the collapsed building is yet to be ascertained,”

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