society
Tajudeen Abass: A Symbol Of Parliamentary Stability By Toby Prince
Published
9 months agoon
Tajudeen Abass: A Symbol Of Parliamentary Stability
By Toby Prince
To whom much is given, much is expected, so they say. But if much is given to you and you’re empty, you will dash the expectations of the waiting public.
For Rt. Hon Tajudeen Abbas, much was given to him and daily, he has continued to surpass all expectations. The number of votes he garnered to emerge Speaker of the 10th Assembly and the 15th Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, 353 out of 359, speaks volumes about his personality and his acceptability by his colleagues. He left his other two challengers with only six votes to share among themselves to preserve their dignity.
For every election circle in the last 13 years, of which we have had 4 of them, Hon Abbas has been consistently elected by the people of Zaria Federal Constituency to represent them in the Green Chamber. Coming from the Zazzau Emirate in Kaduna State that boasts of so many intellectuals and electable materials, the confidence reposed in him by his people is a testament to his strength of character and expertise in the management of human resources and relations.
Rt. Hon Abbas was first elected in 2011 on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) at a time when the ruling Party in Kaduna State was PDP and one of their son and former Governor of the State, Arc. Namadi Sambo was the Vice President of Nigeria and running mate of the PDP presidential candidate in that year’s election.
A crown prince of the Zazzau Emirate otherwise known as Zaria, with the traditional title of Iyan Zazzau, Hon Abbas’ organic relationship with his people which he has now deployed in managing the House of Representatives can not be divorced from the career path he chose for himself after school. With all the opportunities available for a prince like him, he waved the privileges and went back to his roots to share the little knowledge he had acquired with the future generation by becoming a primary school teacher. He moved from there to become a lecturer at the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic otherwise known as the Kaduna State Polytechnic and later moved to the Kaduna State University where he taught between 1993 to 2001. Today, there’s no facet of life in his community where you will not find one of his former students. That’s how to lay a solid and lasting foundation.
With a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and a Doctorate Degree in Business Management from the Usman Danfodio University Sokoto, Rt. Hon Abbas is the first Doctorate Degree holder to be elected Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives. Coming from the Northern region believed to be backwards educationally, this is indeed a commendable feat.
Before venturing into politics in 2010, Hon Abbas had a brief stint in the private sector as he worked as a Marketing Manager at the Nigerian Tobacco Company, now known as the British-American Tobacco Company of Nigeria. His vast experience as a classroom teacher saddled with the responsibility of managing pupils and moulding their character and future, and his marketing skills in selling products prepared him adequately for the position he occupies today and the maturity he brings to the job is glaring for all to see.
Of his activities in parliament, between 2015 and 2019, Dr. Abbas is reported to have sponsored the highest number of bills in the 8th Assembly. Coming to the 9th Assembly between 2019 and 2023, he broke the glass ceiling by sponsoring a total of 74 bills out of which 21 were approved by the two chambers of the National Assembly, forwarded to the then President, Muhammadu Buhari for his assent and were signed into law. This is a new record for a legislator in any parliament across the continent of Africa.
He also served in different committees in the House between 2011 and 2023 and has an in-depth knowledge of the workings and functions of every committee in the House. He was the chairman of the House Standing Committee on Land Transport in the 9th Assembly, his last position before emerging as Speaker of the House. As Speaker, he saw the need to create monitoring and evaluation committees to help the House follow the implementation of projects to its logical conclusions which has given the House a handle on their oversight responsibilities.
Considering the amount of peace and tranquillity brought to the House by the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila’s tenure as Speaker of the 9th Assembly, which was a sharp departure from what was obtainable in the 8th Assembly headed by Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Dr Abbas was stepping into a big shoe that many would have thought was oversized for him. But as gentle as a dove, he has raised the bar of leadership by being inclusive and embarking on extensive consultation with his colleagues before making decisions that impact everyone.
Hon Abbas sees himself as primus inter pares. He knows he’s first a representative of a federal constituency like all his other colleagues and his position as Speaker is as a result of the trust of his colleagues. In less than one year into the life of this parliamentary assembly populated by many freshers, Hon Abbas knows every one of the other 359 members by name, thereby giving every member a sense of belonging. This indeed can only be the hallmark of a teacher. As an experienced parliamentarian, the Speaker know exactly what his new colleagues need to know to excel in their legislative and oversight responsibilities and has continued to organise seminars, conferences and workshops for them to acquire these needed skills.
Considering the aloofness of the Executive arm of government to the immediate and peculiar needs of the different constituencies, the honourable speaker insists that constituency projects will continue to be part of the budgeting process. In his words, “By tailoring projects to the local context, we ensure that development is not just a concept discussed in the halls of the legislature but a reality experienced in the streets, villages and towns in Nigeria”. He made this statement at the inauguration of some constituency projects attracted by his predecessor and current Chief of Staff to the president, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila in Lagos. He derided critics of the scheme and promised to revive the ”Constituency Development Fund Bill” to institutionalise the scheme. This indeed gladdens the heart of his colleagues who know that without the Zonal Intervention Projects otherwise known as constituency projects, government presence will never be felt in their various communities that are not very visible on the national map.
At the presentation of the 2024 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly which was President Tinubu’s first since assuming office, Hon Abbas emphasised the importance of a peaceful working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government. He promised that “the national assembly will support the government’s policies and programmes targeted at alleviating poverty, economic restructuring and diversification, as well as general social sector reform and development”.
But in working with the executive, Mr Speaker knows that the ultimate goal is the people and that’s why he informed the president and his entourage that “while we’ll give the budget accelerated consideration, we will diligently scrutinize it alongside Nigerians to ensure that when it is passed, it will be a budget that best addresses the most critical needs of our people”.
To the delight of his colleagues, Rt Hon Abbas has pushed over 50% of votes allocated to his office as Speaker to his fellow members and has continued to dip into his reserves to intervene on behalf of any member in critical or urgent need of a project. The Speaker considers the constituents of his colleagues as his and goes the extra mile to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.
As we approach the first anniversary of this stable and inclusive session, members of the 10th Assembly could not have asked for a better leader than what they have got. With Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas as Speaker, Members are guaranteed a memorable tenure as the focus of his leadership is to help his colleagues achieve their set goals.
With Rt Hon. Abbas as Speaker, Nigerians are assured of progress, peace and prosperity. The nation will continue the trajectory of transformation and consolidation. All we can do as citizens is to pray and support this God-sent leader.
Toby wrote this piece from Abuja.
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Royal Tussle Looms in Ijesa Kingdom as Ofokutu Royal family challenges Haastrup’s Coronation
Published
22 minutes agoon
January 31, 2025Royal Tussle Looms in Ijesa Kingdom as Ofokutu Royal family challenges Haastrup’s Coronation
Palpable royal tussle and internal crisis is currently threatening the peace, stability and tranquility of Ilesha, a renowned cultural and industrial town in Osun State.
Information made available to the
media affirmed that the choice of Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup from the Bilaro Oluodo Ruling House as successor to the now late Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, as the 40th Owa Obokun of Ijesa land is being vehemently challenged by the The Ofokutu Royal Family.
Additionally, the Ofokutu ruling house has also filed a suit against the installation of Prince Clement Haastrup, a former deputy governor of Osun State who served under the administration of the late Isiaka Adeleke, elder brother to the incumbent governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke at the court of law.
However, as a thoroughbred investigative media organization, we conducted a survey about the issue with one of the traditional and royal think tanks who is a stakeholder in the schemes of this matter. It was clearly stated that since the late Owa Obokun of Ijesa land, HRM Oba Dr. Adekunle Aromolaran passed on in the year 2024, the Ijesa kingmakers called on all bonafide royal families entitled to the throne to present their preferred candidate. The kingmakers also called on all qualified and interested princess from royal houses to throw their hats in the ring of being crowned the next Owa Obokun of Ijesa land.
Moreover, the onus of presenting the next king fell on the Bilaro Oluodo Royal Clan and under this clan are four ruling houses namely, the Ofokutu ruling house, Ajimoko also known as the Haastrup family, the Fajemisin Ruling house and the Arimoro ruling house. These are all the ruling houses that are entitled to present candidates for the next Owa Obokun of Ijesa land.
In a jiffy, two families presented their sons for the throne. The candidates were all asked to collect their forms and at the end, ten forms were collected by the princes who all displayed their deep interests in becoming the new Owa. Meanwhile, information gathered by our intelligent team is that, immediately the procedures for the selection of the new monarch commenced, there began to emerge, suspicious interventions, most especially from the Osun State Government which does not have any role to play, traditionally or constitutionally in the selection of a new Owa for the people of Ijesa land. The town’s kingmakers popularly known as the ‘Agba Ijesas’ are the ones traditionally mandated to pick the new Owa Obokun of Ijesa land.
We gathered further, that ever since the selection process started, it was initially smooth and well organized until the Osun State Government allegedly hijacked the peaceful procedure precisely in December, 2024. This move by the Senator Ademola Adeleke’s government to intrude into a traditional matter that is not under his jurisdiction coerced the Ofokutu ruling house, who suspected a foul play to head to the law court for proper legal intervention into the issue. The Ofokutu family headed to the High Court situated in Ilesa, urging the court to immediately order the state government headed by His Excellency Senator Ademola Adeleke and all other stakeholders involved in the selection of a new Owa to suspend their activities because it’s crystal clear that the state government has suspiciously imposed a candidate on others and that is, the present Owa Obokun Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup. The court granted the wishes of the Ofokutu family and ordered the Osun State Government to step down on its move to forcefully impose a candidate on Ijesa land.
It was reported however, that on Friday 27th of December 2024, a directive came from the Ilesha West Local Government summoning five kingmakers for a meeting and these kingmakers are all loyal to the Ademola Adeleke-led state government and the imposed Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup who is believed to be currently acting as regent to the Owa Obokun throne. We gathered that, the five kingmakers were actually summoned by the Osun State Government through the leadership of Ilesha West Local Government. When the five kingmakers got there, they were told that they have to conduct an election which is a directive from the Osun State Government. However, in actuality, thirteen kingmakers are traditionally entitled to the selection of Owa Obokun of Ijesa land. At the meeting, it was alleged that the state government upturned the initial agreement with the kingmakers and disqualified seven of them, saying they have no right to take part in the electoral process of the new Owa Obokun.
Practically, only five out of the thirteen kingmakers were allowed to vote for the Owa Obokun at a closed door session as no one else beside the five kingmakers and state government representatives were allowed access to the electoral meeting. Suddenly, a woman rose from the meeting and introduced herself as representative of Ilesha West Local Government and said, the five kingmakers have conducted the election and have unanimously chosen Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup as the new Owa Obokun of Ijesa land.
However, while conducting a vox-pop with those that matters in the Obaship issues of Ijesa land, our correspondent gathered that the people are amazed, surprised and saddened that how on earth would only five out of thirteen kingmakers be allowed to conduct an election of that magnitude to the detriment of other seven kingmakers who were ‘illegally’ accused of not qualified to vote for the new Owa Obokun.
Moreover, we gathered that ever since the installation of an Owa Obokun of Ijesa land commenced historically, the Owa Ofokutu was first installed in 1846 and reigned till 1858 before he passed on and while searching for who would succeed the late king, the kingmakers later arrived at calling on the Haastrup family and this was because the Haastrup family played a significant role during the Ijesha and Ekiti Parapo war against the Ibadan. According to information gathered, the Haastrup family were slaves back then. The Haastrup family went to their master who is the real Haastrup to demand for fighting weapons which he granted them. So, that name Haastrup has no meaning in Yoruba land and the name implies nothing but slavery. Then, after the war was over and conquered, the reigning king died and the kingmakers decided in 1896 to look inwards to the family of Bilaro and the last king that reigned in Bilaro ruling house. Then the kingmakers began searching for a family link of Haastrup with royalty in Ijesa land but could not find one. We have Bilaro, Biladu, Bilagbayo and Bilarere royal families and all the four royal families in Ijesa land, yet no root for the Haastrup family. The kingmakers now went to the Bilaro Oluodo Royal and told them that they should allow the Haastrup family to be king over Ijesa land so as to appreciate their gallantry efforts during the victory over the Ibadan at the warfront. So, in 1896 the first Haastrup Ajimoko 1 was installed as Owa Obokun of Ijesa land. The Ijesha kingmakers took this step so as to help elevate the standard of the Haastrup family and in 1946, the onus again fell on the Bilaro Oluodo family to emerge Owa Obokun and again, the Haastrup family was given the right to emerge as Owa Obokun for the second time consecutively. It was never their turn, they took it by force, they forcefully hijacked the kingship because they used money to hijack the throne. Therefore, the same thing is happening today. When you give people too many chances and opportunities, they will overtake the possession of anything you offer them. You know, our forefathers back then easily overlook things, saying there is nothing bad in allowing them to become kings, and see the consequences today.
Now that it is the third time the Owa Obokun obaship is coming to Bilaro family, the Haastrup family is alleged to have connived with the state government and said, this same Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup is the man they want as Owa Obokun of Ijesa land and constitutionally, the Owa Obokun throne should be shared accordingly and now that we have four ruling houses under Bilaro which are Ofokutu, Ajimoko, Arimoro and Fajemisin and you neglected the other three. That is why the people concluded that this is cheating at the highest level. They are of the view that making the Haastrup family king over Ijesa land for the third time is a disgrace and dent to the royalty history of other three royal families in Bilaro ruling house.
Now, in order to set the record straight and for all stakeholders to do the needful for the benefits of Ijesha land, the Ofokutu and the family head, called on all family, Ijesa, youths and elders not to be at war with anybody or take to violence but head straight to the court of law and the court ordered on December 12 that the Osun State Government should desist from installing an Owa Obokun of Ijesa land. So, on December 27, 2024 when the Osun State Government announced that they had chosen a prince, Clement Adesuyi Haastrup as the man to sit on the throne, someone whose case is still pending in the court of law. The state government was allegedly accused of saying that the same High Court at Ilesha asked them to go ahead with the declaration and installation of Prince Clement Haastrup as the Owa Obokun. We gathered that lawyers to the Ofokutu ruling house then asked the state government when they got another exparte motion from the court that they should go ahead with the installation of anybody as Owa Obokun.
It was thereafter reported that on Friday January 10, 2025, when the lawyers to the Ofokutu family got the court judgement, it was back dated to December 13th, 2024, that the High Court in Ilesha granted the Osun State Government the power to go ahead with the installation process of a new Owa Obokun, a day after the Ofokutu family got the power to instruct the state government and other stakeholders from installing an Owa. Lawyers and elders of the Ofokutu family now asked why is it that after gotten a judgement of enforcement on December 12 and the state government purportedly got its own judgement on December 13, why is it that the Osun State government and its allied delivered the court judgement to the Ofokutu royal family lawyers on January 10? So, surprisingly, the same judge that gave the Ofokutu royal family their own exparte motion is the same judge that gave the state government permission to go ahead with the declaration and installation of a new Owa. However, the legal team of the Ofokutu family outrightly pointed out that the judge should have sought for the attention of the Ofokutu lawyers to know about the prayer of the state government.
On January 14 this year when the case was to be heard by the court, the lawyers of the Ofokutu royal family prayed that the Judge should recuse himself from the case for another Judge to hear the case. The Judge, however told the lawyers to the Ofokutu royal family to put their request in writing and adjourned the case till the 6th of March, 2025 for further hearing.
In conclusion, the other seven kingmakers who were denied their right to vote for a new Owa Obokun of Ijesa land also vehemently rejected the decision of the state government, and in the same Bilaro ruling house, the Arimoro and Fajemisin royal families are also against the action of the Osun State government, concerning it’s support for Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup who they believe is illegally declared and installed as the Owa Obokun Adimula, the paramount ruler of Ijesa land.
As the situation stands now, there is an obvious pointer that trouble is looming in Ijesa land, a royal brouhaha that has never occurred in the historical town in the past. The people are vehemently against the decision of the Osun State Government led by His Excellency Governor Ademola Jackson Adeleke to declare and installed Prince Clement Adesuyi Haastrup as the Owa Obokun of Ijesa.
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US-Based Society Lady, Fehintola-Brat Donates Public Toilet To Oke-Aje Market
Published
3 hours agoon
January 31, 2025*US-Based Society Lady, Fehintola-Brat Donates Public Toilet To Oke-Aje Market*
…As Council Chairman, Hon Dare Alebiosu Hails Initiative
The Chairman of Ijebu Ode local government, Hon Sikiru Dare Alebiosu yesterday commissioned a public toilet for the use of market women at Oke-Aje area.
The project was donated by Balogun Egbe Obaneye Obinrin Akile Ijebu, Chief (Mrs) Ayoola Fehintola-Brat.
Hon Alebiosu speaking during the project commissioning asserted that the kind gesture exhibited by the donor is very unique, highly commendable and a challenge to other Ijebu sons and daughters in diaspora.
The Council helmsman added that the government will welcome any idea and support in a bid to improve the infrastructural development of Ijebu Ode local government, stressing that no government could meet the yearnings and aspiration of the people in a day.
In her remarks, the donor disclosed that the public toilet project was designed to enhance hygiene and sanitation in Oke Aje Market.
According to her, the project was constructed in honour of his father, Pa Adewale Abiodun Fehintola, whose life was dedicated to giving back to the community.
“As I hand over this project to the Council’s care, I do so with confidence that it will continue to make a difference in the general wellness of the community, and trust that it is in good hands and continue to thrive,” She concluded.
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Ramanthle Molope Foundation Paves the Way with School Shoe Donation Drive
Published
5 hours agoon
January 31, 2025Ramanthle Molope Foundation Paves the Way with School Shoe Donation Drive
Since its inception on July 8, 2022, the Ramanthle Molope Foundation has remained steadfast in its mission to uplift and empower communities. Living by its slogan, “Phela o Phidishe,” the foundation has consistently given back through various impactful initiatives.
In 2024, the foundation launched a school shoe giveaway initiative, recognizing the critical need for proper footwear among underprivileged students. Understanding the challenges faced by learners without adequate school shoes, the foundation embarked on a drive to collect and distribute 100 pairs of shoes to deserving students.
The beneficiaries of this generous donation were Mlokotwa-Dube Primary School and Goakganya Primary School in Pretoria’s Winterveld area. The initiative was carried out in partnership with Miss Akasia South Africa and the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD), ensuring a well-organized and secure distribution process.
The impact of this initiative was profound, as students expressed their gratitude for the much-needed support. Teachers and community members also applauded the foundation’s efforts, recognizing the positive influence it had on the learners’ confidence and ability to focus on their education.
Through this school shoe giveaway and many other initiatives, the Ramanthle Molope Foundation continues to be a beacon of hope and transformation. By fostering partnerships and mobilizing resources, the foundation ensures that its mission of empowerment and generosity reaches every corner of the community. With each passing year, its impact grows, proving that small acts of kindness can create waves of change for generations to come.
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