Business
*Osun 2018: East and Central Senatorial zone, A Factor To Consider by Any Gubernatorial Aspirant As Politics Gather Momentum*
_*unheard Music, who is to dance*_
It is no longer a secret that each of the political parties in Osun state is by now thinking towards Osun West for their governorship ticket.Most of the gladiators within the two leading parties are presently jostling covertly to succeed the Incumbent governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola an uncommon personality who by now appeared not tired to plant his legacy in the state as he remain a workaholic.This zoning appeared convenient and an easy ride for Apc but not so palatable or a laughing matter for pdp,for Sen Iyiola Omisore to be sidelined in the scheme of things may mean total collapsed of the empire called PDP in Osun State. Head or tail,Apc is still the party to bit and they are also putting such possibility in to their consideration ..
Meanwhile, If there are any communities or persons,every gladiators in Osun state should also watch closely by now as possible place to pick their running mate towards realising their governorship ambition for Osun State ,then it’s Osogbo axis,Ife or Ilesha (Central or East) and that is where Hon Oluwole Oke, Hon Rotimi Makinde and Barr Basir Ajibola who is the current Attorney General of the state and Hon Rotimi Makinde a former member of the house of representatives,Hon Oke is a serving federal legislator from Ilesha axis, these personalities readily comes to mind,incidentally both Ajibola and Makinde are close lieutenants of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and incidentally both are Islam by faith. Makinde is a great grassroot politician from ile ife, a renowned artist and a discipline very public figure in the state. He hail from Ile Ife the community who ordinarily deserves the governor seat but for the zoning and marriage of convenience in the state, Dr Ajibola Basir is a technocrat per excellence and he is from Osogbo,he is the current attorney general of the state, highly referred as defacto gov .Hon Wole Oke is a third timer in the federal house of Reps. The outgoing governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is from Ilesha,in the east senatorial district, the same axis with Ile ife, the cradle of Yoruba race who had not been so privileged to occupy the governor seat despite their enormous resources contribution to the economy of the state. Analyst believed the pendulum of governorship is very much likely to go in the way of Osun West in either of the party going by records of precedence…
Presently, no fewer than 15 gladiators has indicated their interest to take over from Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Apc and pdp. Notably among them are Hon Najim Salam,Mr lere oyewumi, Dr Adewopo, Alh Moshood Adeoti,Hon Gafar Ameere, Proff Mojeed Alabi,Mr Alabi Olugboyega ,Elder Peter Babalola and may be the current Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji: Commissioner for Finance.
Also we have some highly placed gladiators showing interest from other zones such as KRad,Rt Hon Lasun Yusuf and the likes of Prince Dr Ayoade Opeyemi Adewopo, Honourable Wole Oke, Dr Iyiola Omisore, Prince Tunde Eso, Senator Adeleke, Fatai Akinbade who has always been making embryonic move to declare ambition but stylishly advancing spontaneously on social media to prepare the minds of the electorate in terms of awareness and to create avenue for consultation but yet to officially declare their ambition to govern Osun State.
Some are even of the opinion that the governor is all bent in looking towards the direction of Osun central and thinking in the direction of Alh Gboyega Oyetola the current Chief of staff,a complete gentleman. In this regard,many analyst believe jettisoning a grass root like Alhaji Moshood Adeoti would be an uphil task and so also a political stalwalt like Elder Peter Babalola whose silence has been very worrisome in the recent.
Meanwhile, scores of individuals has so far shown interest in the plum job, which has relatively polarised the party in the last few months.
Honourable Rotimi Makinde, the former member of House of Representatives,Ile Ife constituency is among the top players every political calculator must keenly observed and put into permutation as gubernatorial election draws nearer day by day. The development has since pitched him against many interests in the party hierarchy, and this became a substantial clog in the wheel of his ambition in the party.
He has displayed a political version of biblical Peter by being vocal, having excitedly divulged many of his past in governance publicly in the euphoria of finding a suitable political office to serve his good people diligently.
While many in his political family consider him as a loyal member, many others like Maye of Ife, Dr Adedoyin, Dele Mohammed and others not even in his party sees him as an outstanding politician who should be watched closely with a sensitive and bigger assignment based on his leadership experience.
It is on records that the Osun East Senatorial District produced the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola through a ruling of an appeal court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on November 26, 2010. With this analysis, If the party should finally go to West as been predicted in picking it’s Gubernatorial candidate, then the Deputy Governor is definitely going to the Central or East area of the state.Meanwhile the current Deputy Governor is from Osun Central in the person of Mrs Titi laoye Tomori. What however would also be placed in consideration is the voting strength and culture of the two communities. Ile Ife is predominantly opposition in nature,almost all contestants under APC platform lost in that axis unlike Osogbo, apart from this city enjoying the best of everything under the present government,it can easily be predicted that the indigenes would kindly be ready to return their love for the progressive party any time any day unlike ife people who seems to keep dancing to the unheard music of their son .This is the point and this is why the dangling ace is mostly favoured to go in the direction of Osun Central Senatorial District!.
Makinde has not hide his strong appetite to return to the Federal House of Representatives with serious intention to secure a principal position or chairmanship of any committee to better his people as a returnee or in the alternative becomes the Deputy Governor of his dear State. The waiting game therefore is that anyone who picks the party ticket has to face the task of preferences in the deputy ticket slot.
All in all, both the ruling APC and PDP has a big and onerous task ahead ,most especially if APC really wants to retain the governorship seat, going by its array of errors and miscalculations in the recent past. They must be reasonable in their permutations.
It is no more news that APC and its popularity has abysmally waned and its influence geometrically dwindled, especially in the wake of its ignominious defeat during the Osun West Senatorial District bye-election, in which the ailing PDP defeated the party with a wide and unimaginable margin.
The waiting game continues……
Obadimu Dekunle Veron, Political Analyst
Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs have collectively created 1.5 million jobs and generated $4.2 billion in revenue — Over 2 million Africans lifted out of poverty.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading philanthropy empowering entrepreneurs is set to announce the 11th cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
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No other organisation is implementing entrepreneurship development at this scale across Africa. We have learned, we have refined, and we continue to improve, ensuring that African entrepreneurs—women and men—are at the forefront of solving our continent’s challenges and creating wealth for themselves and their communities. Entrepreneurship is the key to Africa’s prosperity. I wish the 2025 cohort of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs success, as they chase their ambitions, and play their part in Africa’s transformation.”
The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation across all 54 African countries and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment.
Since the launch of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, TEF has lifted over 2 million Africans out of poverty, provided 2.5 million young Africans with access to training on TEFConnect, and disbursed more than $100millon in direct funding to thousands of African entrepreneurs who have gone on to create over 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs and generate over $4.2 billion in revenue.
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Business
Federal Government Moves to Slash Sky-High Airfares as Minister Keyamo Exposes Airline Tactics
Federal Government Moves to Slash Sky-High Airfares as Minister Keyamo Exposes Airline Tactics
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has vowed to tackle the exorbitant cost of air tickets for both domestic and international flights, revealing major efforts to cut costs, enhance airport safety, and address airline pricing manipulations.
Speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Keyamo exposed a series of economic and policy-based factors that have led to the skyrocketing price of flight tickets, making air travel increasingly unaffordable for Nigerians.
Why Are Airfares So Expensive? The Inside Story
Keyamo broke down the root causes of excessive ticket pricing, which include:
🔹 Limited access to affordable aircraft leasing, forcing Nigerian airlines to either lease aircraft at exorbitant rates or buy aircraft outright—a cost that ultimately burdens passengers.
🔹 Foreign airlines deliberately inflating ticket prices for Nigerian travelers due to fears of trapped funds and currency depreciation.
🔹 Heavy government-imposed airport taxes, which are among the highest in Africa, further pushing up fares.
Foreign Airlines Caught in the Act? Keyamo Exposes Pricing Tricks
In a shocking revelation, Keyamo unveiled how foreign airlines had been exploiting Nigerian travelers by restricting them to only the highest-priced tickets.
“We called international airlines and asked what they used to do. They said if you want to buy international tickets, you will see business class Z, grade J, different grades, but it’s all the same. One can be N2 million cheaper than the other. Those ones, they opened for countries where they could get their money immediately. But they now opened only the high fare for Nigerian passengers,” he disclosed.
He explained that because foreign airlines feared currency depreciation, they set high fares in anticipation of inflation affecting their trapped funds.
“They said because they were taking into account inflationary rates of the money that will be trapped, they didn’t know when they would get it back. So instead of selling a ticket for N2 million or N3 million, they sold it for N7 million. Meanwhile, Ghana had lower ticket prices,” he added.
Government’s Response: No More Exploitation!
The government, according to Keyamo, is actively engaging foreign airlines to adjust their pricing in line with the recently cleared backlog of trapped funds.
“President Bola Tinubu, being very smart on this, cleared that first. But even after clearing the backlog, they were still enjoying the high fares. So we told them, ‘No, you cannot continue to do this. The excuse is gone. Nigerian passengers must now get fair pricing like other countries.’”
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is leading discussions with these airlines to force a price adjustment, ensuring that Nigerians no longer face inflated airfares.
Airport Taxes: Another Major Culprit
Keyamo acknowledged that Nigeria’s airport taxes are among the highest in Africa, further worsening ticket prices. However, he emphasized that reducing these taxes is not solely within his power, as it requires collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
“The Nigerian Airspace Management Authority and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria are reviewing these charges, but I cannot singlehandedly reduce them. It involves the Minister of Finance,” he clarified.
He stressed that airlines pass these high taxes directly to passengers, further inflating ticket costs.
What Lies Ahead? Promises of Cheaper Flights Soon
Keyamo assured Nigerians that with ongoing government interventions—including negotiations with foreign airlines, new aircraft leasing agreements, and possible tax reductions—airfares will soon become more affordable.
“We are addressing these issues. The results will soon be visible with the Cape Town Convention and the Dublin Conference. The deals are coming in, and we will see the results soon,” he promised.
Final Verdict: Relief in Sight or Another Empty Promise?
While the Federal Government’s efforts signal hope for Nigerian travelers, many remain skeptical about whether these promises will translate into real, affordable ticket prices. Will Keyamo’s intervention finally ground the exploitative pricing system, or will passengers continue to pay the price for policy failures? Nigerians are watching closely.
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