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Stop Breaching Broadcasting Codes, Adeleke  Warns  Radio Stations

Stop Breaching Broadcasting Codes, Adeleke  Warns  Radio Stations

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Governor Ademola Adeleke has warned radio stations in the state to desist from allowing incitement to violence and constant breach of the national broadcasting codes.

The governor also cautioned opposition figures against inviting the public to violence on the recent judicial pronouncement on the local government leadership question.

In a statement Signed and made available to THISDAY in Osogbo by Spokesperson to the State Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed,  the governor expressed displeasure at the activities of some radio stations who allowed guests to incite the public to violence and also manifest disdain for fair hearing to stakeholders.

The statement condemned refusal to caution guests who made libelous and sedition allegations against public officials while at the same time blocking the right to fair hearing for affected people.

 The governor has therefore, directed the Commissioner for Information to summon the General Managers of all affected stations for a briefing before further action will be taken.

While drumming support for freedom of press, the governor said observance of broadcasting codes is key to responsible broadcast journalism, vowing to impose sanctions on any station that refuses to obey broadcast rules and codes.

 Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke has cautioned opposition politicians against current trends of promoting violence in the wake of the recent pronouncement of the Court of Appeal.

He frowned on the recent interviews by some opposition politicians to take laws into their own hands, warning that law enforcement agencies will descend heavily on any trouble makers.

According to the governor, the commitment of the administration to rule of law is unwavering, warning that those threatening violence to achieve political goals are enemies of the people.

The governor noted that the judicial process is the panacea to resolving political disputes, urging people of Osun state to remain peaceful and reject calls to violence by some opposition figures.

“We task our people to be law abiding. The local government question is being resolved without any further bloodletting. Those promoting violence will face the law at the right time,” the governor was quoted as saying.

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Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Governor Ademola Adeleke has warned radio stations in the state to desist from allowing incitement to violence and constant breach of the national broadcasting codes. The governor

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APC Members Petition Ganduje, Accuse Wike of Hijacking FCT Party Structure

APC Members Petition Ganduje, Accuse Wike of Hijacking FCT Party Structure

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and  accused the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike of hijacking the party.

The aggrieved members protested at  the party’s National Secretariat lamented what they described as ill-treatment by new entrants to the party.

Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as: “We don’t want Aduda, we don’t want PDP members,” “We say no to PDP agents in FCT APC,” “Stop PDP agents from hijacking APC FCT election,” among others,  the members condemned the takeover of APC structures in each of the area councils of the FCT by defectors  from the PDP between January and May this year.

Addressing newsmen during the protest, the Spokesman of the group, Mallam Idris Jibril, condemned what he called the open romance of the APC national leadership with PDP members, especially Senator Phillip Aduda, a loyalist of Wike.

The petition submitted by Jibril on behalf of the aggrieved members read in part: “We write as loyal, concerned, and committed stakeholders of our great party, the APC, under the banner of the APC Consolidation Group.

“This petition is borne out of deep concern over the dangerous infiltration of the FCT APC by individuals who neither reflect the values of the party nor meet the constitutional requirements for nomination, yet are being positioned as candidates in a brazen attempt to hijack our internal processes.”

The members drew the attention of the national chairman and others to the violation of Article 20.1(iii) of the APC Constitution.

It stated: “No person shall be eligible to contest for any elective position or be nominated as a candidate unless he/she has been a financial member of the Party for at least three (3) months and has fulfilled all party requirements.”

In flagrant violation of this provision, according to the protesters, “Mr. Danjuma Samuel Shekwolo, an aspirant for the Kuje Area Council Chairmanship, was a delegate at the PDP Zonal Convention held on Saturday, 24th May 2025. Barely 48 hours later, he obtained the APC nomination and expression of interest forms. This is not only a direct affront to Article 20.1(iii), but also exposes a clear case of opportunistic carpet-crossing and deceit.

“Mr. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, a sitting PDP Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), who is also reportedly contesting under the APC platform for another tenure, has not met the mandatory three-month membership requirement. His sudden entry into our party is strategically calculated and violates both the spirit and the letter of our constitution.

“These actions, if unchecked, will set a dangerous precedent — one that allows political turncoats and saboteurs to undermine our platform, frustrate long-serving loyal members, and turn APC into a safe haven for rejected opposition elements.”

“We further bring to your attention the alleged and troubling activities of former PDP Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, who has not only refused to publicly align with the APC but is actively working behind the scenes to install his loyalists in strategic Area Councils under our party.

“Information reaching us indicates that Senator Aduda is leveraging the name of the Honourable Minister of the FCT, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, to intimidate party executives and force the imposition of these aspirants. We find this not only deceptive but also dangerous, as it fuels political tension within the FCT.

“We want to categorically state that the Honourable Minister has not publicly endorsed any candidate, and therefore, Senator Aduda’s actions amount to blackmail, manipulation, and an abuse of political privilege.”

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Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and  accused the

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Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Seeks Nigeria’s Support on Referendum

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Seeks Nigeria’s Support on Referendum

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has approached Nigeria to join other friendly nations across the world to pressurise Morocco into agreeing to convocation of referendum to determine the political status of Western Sahara.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, who was in Nigeria to state the position of his country on the Western Sahara issue and plead for support on resolution of the crisis, paid a visit to the National Assembly and had discussion with his Nigerian counterpart, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja after the meetings, Beissat said for the peace of the Maghreb, Morocco must be compelled to respect the political wish of the people of Western Sudan which can only through a referendum.

He said: “Morocco’s colonial adventure is very costly. America, with all its might and its richness, couldn’t continue its colonial adventure in Iraq or in Iran or in Afghanistan or in Somalia. It’s very costly to oppress people.

“You think it will end this year, but it will never end. So it costs Morocco from 3.5 per cent to 4.0 per cent of its gross domestic Product (GDP).  Annually, it’s costing this military exercise.

“Morocco has the longest berm in the world. It’s longer than the berm between the US and Mexico. It’s longer than the two berms France built in the Algerian War, Charles and Maginot.

“It’s longer than the Berlin Wall. The wall that Israel built to protect Sinai. It’s the longest wall in the world, 2,700 kilometres, running from South Morocco to North Mauritania. In this wall, stationed there are more than 120,000 soldiers to occupy this land.

“It is going to double the salary of the soldiers, buy very sophisticated drones and satellites, all to continue its illegal occupation of Western Sahara, which cannot be continued. So  the economic and finance and political costs in the terms and image of Morocco and its relations with its neighbours. It’s very, very costly.

“Now, the whole of the region of the Maghreb is blocked. There is no regional cooperation or regional integration because of the position of our three neighbours. Two of them recognise us, which is Algeria and Mauritania.

“And Morocco is the only one who doesn’t recognise us from our neighbours. And this really causes Morocco a big problem. Their relation with Europe is frozen because of the European court ruling on Western Sahara.

“It cannot continue a relation ignoring this, and he cannot stop a relation because Europe is so important for them. Their relation with the United Nations, their relation with the world, Morocco is the biggest prison of its colonial adventure, its failure of its colonial adventure. Now they are making a lot of noise about autonomy, but it’s a cul-de-sac.”

“It’s a closed road, anyone cannot accept one single, one-sided position to be imposed on a people. No one can support that.

“Every man or woman in their right mind, cannot say we have to oblige the Sahrawis and handcuff them and deliver them because the king said autonomy. This is nonsense. This is another world.

“Not the king can rule people. It’s a time of democracy, time of legality. People have to have choices, people have to choose freely what they think is right for them.”

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Michael Olugbode in Abuja The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has approached Nigeria to join other friendly nations across the world to pressurise Morocco into agreeing to convocation of referendum to determine

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Day of the African Child: UNICEF Urges FG to Prioritise Children in Budget Implementation 

Day of the African Child: UNICEF Urges FG to Prioritise Children in Budget Implementation 

Funmi Ogundare 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Tuesday, called on the Nigerian government, particularly the Lagos State Government, to prioritise children in budget planning and implementation, warning that insufficient and inefficient budgeting is undermining the realisation of children’s rights across the country.

Speaking at a media dialogue on public spending for children’s right in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Planning and Budget, to commemorate the 2025 Day of the African Child ( DAC), the Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office for Southwest Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, explained that while budgets are often allocated for children, the real issue lies in whether those funds are reaching the intended beneficiaries and whether children’s welfare is truly being prioritised in Nigeria’s fiscal strategy.

“Budgeting for children shouldn’t be treated as a separate exercise,” Lafoucriere stated. “It should be embedded in the core planning for Nigeria’s population, guided by concrete data on where the most vulnerable children are, and what their needs are in terms of clean water, education, healthcare, nutrition and protection.”

She revealed that UNICEF has been working closely with the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning to improve transparency and accountability through the creation of a dedicated budget code. This system allows for every naira spent on child-related programmes to be tracked, ensuring visibility and helping to monitor real impact.

She stressed that allocation alone is not enough. “Once the budget is attributed, it must be spent. Lagos and UNICEF are working together on this, but we all know it’s not sufficient.”

Despite ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991, Nigeria continues to grapple with stark indicators of child welfare. Lafoucriere cited persistently high rates of malnutrition in the South-west, among the worst in the country alongside alarming levels of school dropouts and child abuse, as signs of a serious implementation gap.

“In a place like Lagos, education is still largely self-funded by schools and families,” she said. “Where is the investment in protecting children, in giving them a fair start in life? These are not luxuries, these are human rights.”

She appealed to the media and civil society to hold governments accountable while calling for unified advocacy.

“The Lagos State Government has a social contract not only with its adult population but with every child. We must remind them of that duty. If children and youth are not prioritised today, then the Lagos of tomorrow is at risk,” she stated.

Speaking with journalists, the UNICEF Programme/Social Policy Manager, Muhammad Okorie, emphasised that while most Nigerian states are budgeting for children, wide disparities exist in how effectively those budgets are translated into tangible benefits for children.

“Every state in Nigeria budgets for children in one form or another,” Okorie noted, “But the issue is not just about allocation, it’s about actual spending, equitable distribution, and evidence-based decision-making. Many states may meet or exceed budget benchmarks on paper, but the real test is in what gets implemented and how it impacts children.”

He acknowledged that Nigeria is on the right path in terms of intent and that many state governments have integrated child-focused policies into their development plans and medium-term sector strategies. However, Okorie pointed out that intentions must be backed by strong financial commitment and implementation.

“For a government to be judged serious about child rights, it must reflect in how it budgets and spends,” he said. “Until all the rights of all children are fulfilled, we cannot rest. The principle is simple: leave no child behind.”

Okorie urged governments to adopt a ‘child rights lens’ when making fiscal decisions, noting that even well-intentioned plans can fail if they are not inclusive or data-driven and  investments are not reaching the most vulnerable children in every community.

He also stressed the need for full engagement of children and youth in the budgeting process, saying: “Children know what they need. When you involve them in decisions, it leads to better outcomes and greater accountability.”

The programme manager emphasised on monitoring and evaluation, saying: “We shouldn’t wait until the end of the year to ask what was done. From day one, the media, civil society, and the public must track projects, follow the money, and report what they see. Budgeting is not just about money, it’s about the lives of real children, and every naira must speak.”

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Funmi Ogundare  The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Tuesday, called on the Nigerian government, particularly the Lagos State Government, to prioritise children in budget planning and implementation, warning that insufficient

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PoPAN’s Biennial Conference Rallies Psychologists to Embed Resilience in National Dev’t

PoPAN’s Biennial Conference Rallies Psychologists to Embed Resilience in National Dev’t

Funmi Ogundare 

The President, Positive Psychology Association of Nigeria (PoPAN), Prof. Adebayo Oluwole, has called on scholars, practitioners and the broader psychological community to move beyond theory and engage actively with Nigeria’s evolving mental health landscape.

Oluwole made this call at the second biennial conference of the association themed, ‘Thriving in a Changing World: Harnessing Resilience and Connection’, held at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) Epe Campus, to commemorate the 2025 Day of the African Child. 

The conference brought together academics, mental health professionals and policy advocates to explore how positive psychology can help Nigerians adapt and thrive in a changing world.

The president praised the increasing integration of positive psychological principles  such as gratitude, hope and purpose into Nigerian research, education and practice since the association was founded in 2020.

“This conference is more than a gathering of minds; it is a space for renewal,” Oluwole said. “Our mission is not just to understand how individuals thrive, but to use that knowledge to make a tangible impact in communities across Nigeria.”

He highlighted key challenges still facing the country such as rising mental health concerns, growing social isolation, and the emotional struggles of Nigerian youth. “We are called to action,” he stated. “To inform practice with science, to listen deeply, to promote dignity and equity, and to ensure our systems support holistic well-being.”

The Head of Department, Clinical Unit of the Psychology Department at Lagos State University, Prof. Kayode Onaolapo Taiwo, called for a national commitment  to building systems that foster psychological resilience and authentic human connection. 

He described these two factors as essential for societal survival and thriving in today’s turbulent world.

He  emphasised that thriving in a changing world goes beyond individual strength. “Resilience is no longer about just bouncing back, it’s about growing through adversity. And connection is not a luxury, it’s a social and psychological necessity,” he stated.

Drawing on decades of psychological and neuroscientific research, Taiwo challenged policymakers, educators, health professionals and community leaders to embed resilience and connection into the very design of Nigerian schools, workplaces, urban infrastructure and governance systems. 

In her keynote, a Counselling Psychologist from the University of Lagos, Prof. Ngozi Osarenren, emphasised that resilience and meaningful social connection are essential tools for individuals seeking to navigate today’s fast-changing, unpredictable world.

She underscored the urgent need to shift from merely coping with challenges to intentionally cultivating resilience and nurturing supportive relationships.

“To truly thrive, not just survive, in our ever-changing world, individuals must build resilience and strong connections,” she stated.

Resilience, according to Osarenren, is not a fixed trait but a dynamic process that can grow over time with the right strategies and support. Citing Metais (2022), she explained that resilience fluctuates in response to stressors and adversity, and must be actively nurtured through intentional practices such as mindfulness, self- awareness, emotional regulation, continuous learning and problem solving. 

She urged participants, especially those in psychology and counselling professions, to move beyond simply building resilience in clients and communities, and to instead nurture it intentionally and continuously.

“Let us all prioritise resilience and connection in our own lives and the lives of those we serve,” she said. “They are not just helpful tools, they are essential infrastructure for thriving in the face of change.”

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Funmi Ogundare  The President, Positive Psychology Association of Nigeria (PoPAN), Prof. Adebayo Oluwole, has called on scholars, practitioners and the broader psychological community to move beyond theory and engage actively

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Ekiti 2026: Wake from Your Slumber,  CNPP  Charges Oppositions Parties

Ekiti 2026: Wake from Your Slumber,  CNPP  Charges Oppositions Parties

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Political parties in Ekiti state  have been charged to wake up from their slumber and be alive to their responsibilities ahead of the gubernatorial elections in the state.

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) made this call in Ado Ekiti the Ekiti state capital  during its monthly meeting.

 CNPP said the it was high time the oppositions in the state woke from their slumber and get into action by making their relevance felt.

Speaking, CNPP leader, Pastor Victor Akinola,  said it is  dangerous and unhealthy for the oppositions to go and sleep like they are doing currently in the state.

The  Ekiti CNPP observed that political situation in the state is currently look warm and not good enough for the democracy in view of inactiveness of the opposition in the state, adding that the situation, if allowed to continue, may give room for insensitivity on the part of the ruling party and thereby lead to situation whereby the government in power will be reckless, neglect its primary duties and responsibilities to the people in the state. 

The group, however, pointed out with commendation to the state Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji whom they described  as committed welfarist, who they have seen to have the love of the people of the state in heart in view of his pro-people’s programmes that his government has been seriously committed to in the state 

They   hailed Governor Oyebanji  on the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects initiatives across the 16 local governments but advised him to reintroduce the five  km road project as it would add more value to the lives of people in rural communities. 

In a related development, the body showered encomium on the duo of Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Air Vice Marshall Niyi Ojuawo for their recent empowerments and charged them to look beyond this and not to limit further empowerment to Party members alone for the Party belong to all. 

The political pressure group also extended hearty congratulations to His  Excellency, President Bola Ammed Tinubu, on his second year anniversary of his transformative leadership  on his bold economic reforms to strategic global engagement, from repositioning our national image and his love for Ekiti  State.

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Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti Political parties in Ekiti state  have been charged to wake up from their slumber and be alive to their responsibilities ahead of the gubernatorial elections in the