KWARA – OSUN GIST

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq penultimate Wednesday flagged-off the distribution of a total sum of $250,000 (N350m) interest free loans to 1,000 Kwarans to empower small business clusters across Kwara communities, strengthen grassroots economies and scale up sustainable development.

Beneficiaries were drawn from across community interest groups, each of which has received a sum of $25,000. Powered by the World Bank under the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) initiative, the project is being implemented under the Kwara State Agro-Clomatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (Kwara ACReSaL).

The governor said his administration is partnering with the World Bank under the ACReSAL project to positively touch lives and improve the local economy while urging the beneficiaries to use the funds judiciously to achieve its objectives, and to repay it promptly so that other persons can benefit.

‘This World Bank-supported initiative has been designed to provide our women, youth, farmers and cooperatives with access to resources that will enable them to create wealth, generate employment and uplift households.

Hence it is a practical step towards reducing poverty,” the Governor said in Ilorin during the flag-off ceremony.  I congratulate all the pioneer beneficiaries. You are leading the way with these dedicated funds which you would be required to refund to enable it to reach more lives’ he said.

At the event were senior government officials and heads of government establishments, community leaders, market women, and various support groups.

The Imams Ratibi and Islamic Scholars Association, Central Mosque, Iwo, Osun State penultimate week honoured an APC chieftain, Alhaji Kazeem Adio with a chieftaincy title.

He was turbaned as KANZU AL GINAH by the association. Alhaji Kazeem Adio, a former Secretary to Osun State Government is a prince from Iwo.

The message contained in one of Chief Ebenezer Obey’s songs, ‘maa gbe keke e lo awa o ba e sere mo’ easily comes to mind as leadership and members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State council, penultimate week suspended relationship with the State Council with immediate effect.

The chapel issued a communiqué at the end of the monthly congress held at the chapel Secretariat where members described the decision as a necessary measure to protect their integrity and that of the chapel leadership.

The communiqué, jointly signed by the chairman and secretary, ‘Biola Azeez and Mosunmola Ayobami respectively, said that the Congress also resolved to boycott all press conferences and media-related activities organised by the state council until further notice.

The communiqué emphasized that the decision was also taken “based on the stand of the state council of the NUJ not to recognize leadership of the Correspondents’ chapel after a constitutional and widely accepted chapel election of November 1, 2025 and inauguration of the chapel exco.”

The communiqué, which recalled that several efforts had been made to resolve the lingering issues surrounding the election of the new Executives of the Correspondents’ Chapel, listed the efforts to include intervention of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Counsellor to the governor, the national leadership of the NUJ and other well-meaning individuals, saying: “all that yielded no positive outcome”. Following extensive deliberations at its March congress, members of the Correspondents’ unanimously resolved as follows:

Suspension of Relationship:

Congress unanimously resolved to suspend all forms of relationship with the Kwara State Council of the NUJ with immediate effect.

Reason for Decision:

This decision was taken as a necessary measure to protect integrity of the chapel leadership and members, especially, on the decision not to recognize leadership of the Correspondents’ chapel by the leadership of the state council of NUJ after a constitutional and widely accepted election of November 1, 2025 and inauguration of the chapel exco.

Efforts at Resolution:

Congress acknowledged that several efforts had been made to resolve the lingering issues surrounding the election of the new Executives of the Correspondents’ Chapel. These efforts included intervention of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Counsellor to the governor, the national leadership of the NUJ, and other well-meaning individuals, that yielded no positive outcome.

Source of Animosity:

Congress observed that the strained relationship largely stems from the actions and disposition of the Chairman of the NUJ Kwara State Council and the Secretary.

Solidarity from Members:

Congress commended the overwhelming majority of NUJ members who have shown solidarity and support for the Correspondents’ Chapel in the face of what was described as the overbearing attitude of the Council leadership.

Boycott Resolution:

Congress further resolved to boycott all press conferences and media-related activities organized by the NUJ until further notice.

Alhaji Yahaya Sulaiman Al-Ameen, a former Secretary of Ifelodun local government has joined the House of Assembly race and he is seeking to become the representative of Omupo state constituency in the state parliament.

Alhaji Yahaya Al-Ameen has promised quality representation if elected representative of Omupo state constituency in 2027. ‘At this stage of our political development, Ifelodun local government especially Omupo state constituency B, is in dire need of a person with proven integrity, loyalty, experience, adequately proven functional  literacy and openheartedness so as to stem the tide of mistrust, disunity and politically motivated crisis plaguing our democratic activities.

It is the realization of this visible and existential disunity that I felt it duty bound to enter into our constituency’s political space, to reinvent a new coexistence philosophy that will herald peace, civil orderliness, mutual respect for individuals, groups, communities, religions and other stakeholders.

And if given the opportunity to represent my constituency in Kwara State House of Assembly in 2027, I will foster the required unity in conjunction with the member from the second constituency.

With my experience as a former Secretary of Ifelodun local Government and having once served on the board of Radio Kwara, I will bring this to bear on the quality of my representation.As I prepare to start my campaign and reach out to all the stakeholders in my constituency, I beseech the most High God to continue to protect all of us and my co-aspirants’ he said.

Governor  Ademola Adeleke penultimate week  presented the Staff of Office and Instrument of Appointment to the new Akire of Ikireland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Olanrewaju Tajudeen Akinola, Akintula 1 in Ikire, Irewole local government.

The governor has also submitted that he is an adopted son of Ikire while urging them to support his candidacy ahead of the August 15, 2026 guber election. He also said he has activated the peace agreement that stakeholders signed a few years ago.

From the main Ibadan-Ilesa expressway to the palace, residents jubilated as the governor who spent his early school days in the town acknowledged cheers from them as they chorused ‘Imole’. ‘In filling the vacant stool of Akire of Ikire, the Terms of Settlement made at the Appeal Court, Akure in the year 2025 was used. It is pertinent to mention that the stool of Akire of Ikire generated crisis in the year 2021 over the Supreme Court Judgment of 2014 which affirmed that Lambeloye Ruling House that produced late Oba Olatunde Falabi had no legal right to Occupy the stool of Akire of Ikire as at the time it did when a vacancy occurred in 1987.

The aftermath of the crisis made the last administration in the state in collaboration with all the Five (5) Ruling Houses of Ikire resolve and jointly agree on the amendment of 1958 Akire Chieftaincy Declaration which paved the way for Aketula Ruling House to be the next Ruling House whenever a vacancy occurs. In order to uphold and affirm the efforts of government in resolving the crisis, the Terms of Settlement made was affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Akure in 2025 which clearly stated that Prince Olanrewaju Tajudeen of Aketula Ruling House shall be installed as the next Akire of Ikire whenever the stool becomes vacant provided that he is alive’ the governor said.

‘Kabiyesi, you are a son of destiny. I particularly congratulate you and felicitate your fellow Royal Fathers who are also here to celebrate this occasion with you. Now that you are on the throne of your forefathers, the period of administering the community has begun.

See yourself as the father of all indigenes of Ikire at home and in the diaspora. Do all you can to unite everyone behind you and daily seek the growth and development of Ikire. Irewole Local Government, Osun State and Nigeria as a whole. Cooperate with my administration and mobilize your people to contribute their quota to the growth and development of the state.

My administration has brought a lot of development to Ikire and I urge you all to troop out massively on August 15, 2026. Kabiyesi, I am a son of Ikire by adoption. My early days while growing up were spent in this great town. So, I enjoin Ikire people to vote for my party, the Accord, the first on the ballot, to ensure the continuity of the good governance we are all enjoying’ he added.

A group, the Kwara Elite Advocate for Good Governance (KEAGG) has not only drummed up support for a gubernatorial aspirant, Mr Bolaji Omar Gambari but also asked the state PDP to ensure fairness, justice and inclusivity in the state chapter by allowing Ilorin South local government to produce the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

Mr Bolaji Omar Gambari is from Ilorin South local government. Secretary of KEAGG, Mr Ahmed Bolaji Babatunde noted that having former governor Mohammed Lawal from Ilorin East LG, Dr Bukola Saraki from Ilorin West LG and Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed from Ifelodun LG had reflected efforts at balancing political representation within the party.

The group added that in 2019, the PDP zoned its governorship nomination to Asa Local Government as part of efforts to promote inclusiveness and broaden participation within its ranks while the party’s most recent candidate, Alhaji Shuaib Yahman from Edu local government had further demonstrated its commitment to presenting credible candidates across the state.

Mr Ahmed Bolaji Babatunde said Ilorin South Local Government has not yet produced a PDP governorship candidate, despite its electoral strength and loyalty to the party. Mr Ahmed Bolaji Babatunde also called Mr Omar Bolaji Gambari a uniquely qualified candidate while adding that he has the interest, the determination and the  capacity to solve the myriads of challenges facing the state.

NRM Presidential Aspirant, Faduri Joseph, In Ilorin

National Rescue Movement (NRM) presidential aspirant, Mr Faduri Oluwadamilare Joseph, was in Ilorin penultimate week and he has submitted that the decision to remove petrol subsidy was poorly made adding that if elected president in 2027, he will reverse the decision in question and restore petrol subsidy without delay.

Mr Faduri Oluwadamilare Joseph, a state-certified healthcare professional in the United States of America, added that ‘I will return petrol subsidy if elected president because it was designed to ease things for the poor. The way it was removed made the situation favour only the rich’.

The National Rescue Movement (NRM) presidential aspirant also said the 2027 presidential election is an opportunity for Nigerians to take a major decision that will either change things for the better in the country or sustain the hopeless situation.