News
Oyo government, stakeholders explore 16 tourist sites
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism led a multi-sector team on a 4-day tour to about sixteen Tourism locations in Oyo State.
The team, led by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Oyedele Oyesola; the Conservator of National Park, Sepeteri, Mr. Adeniyi Kareem and other Tourism stakeholders in Oyo State, expressed optimism that the sites could generate huge revenue for the state.
The 4-day Domestic Tourism tagged “Know Your State, Enjoy Your State and Feel Your State”, took tourists to some historical sites at the National Park; Igbeti; Sepeteri and Ibadan.
Speaking on the significance of the site visits, Mr. Oyesola said the visits were with a view to enhancing Oyo State’s Tourism products and carefully harness their potentials.
He added that Oyo State is endowed with unique integrated culture and heritage as inherited from its forebearers.
Oyo State’s unique cultural identity is known worldwide as evident in many of the tourist sites visited, he said.
He noted that the hills in the Oke-ogun area of Oyo State must be given wide publicity, considering their heights and the amazing views one can experience from that vantage point.
Oyesola added that most of the historical sites have ancient stories that accompany their existence, dating back to the Old Oyo empire.
He said the Tourism sector of the State shares the view of local tour operators that the sites would be awesome for visitors, adding that they could be money-spinning potential.
Oyesola said, “we look forward to working with all of the relevant agencies to make this a reality”.
“Oyo state is amply endowed with unique tourism potentials scattered in its nooks and crannies in all 33 local governments which are unquestionable”, he said.
“Tourism is money-spinning, if we go by retrospect you will be able to learn from past experiences considering the Irefin palace we visited today, nobody knows when the Oba that reign in Irefin was reigning in Ibadan and we are told that it has 200 rooms it’s shown there is a cohabiting nature for 200 women to live within same roof successfully, it’s something that requires in-depth learning to see our forebears that they have native intelligent.”
Speaking, the Conservator of National Park, Adeniyi Karim called for partnership on eco-tourism and its facilities with relevant authorities.
He said the Park has facilities that have blended the past with nature, with about 6 ranges containing historical/archeological sites.
Some sites visited were Ali-Iwo palace, National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye, Ibadan; Irefin Palace which belongs to one of the Royal families of Ibadan land; Bowers Tower.
Others visited were African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre, Adeyipo Village, Ibadan; Old Oyo-Ile in Igbeti; Mejiro cave; Kosomonu hill; Ibu-iya lake; Agbele hill; Iya-Mapo hill; and the Agbaku cave.
Member representing Biu/Bayo/Shania/Kwaya/Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno State, Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara has disclosed that he shared $5,000 with members of his committee as a “Sallah gesture”.
Betara who is the Reps Committee Chairman on FCT said the money was not a bribe to pass resolution declaring a state of emergency in Rivers as being insinuated.
The was posted by a Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar on his X handle.
Jaafar said Betara explained this to him after the lawmaker reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was merely a “Sallah gesture” and not an inducement.
He quoted Batara to have said the gesture was a long standing g tradition and has nothing to do with the state of emergency I Rivers.
Jaafar wrote:
“The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 with each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah gesture,’ not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
“According to him, he maintains the tradition—like Santa Claus—every year.
“As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg.”
The clarification by Betara came amid strong speculations that Senators received $15,000 bribe to pass a resolution to sustain declaration of state of emergency rule in Rivers.
The bribe was reportedly shared on Tuesday before they voted on Wednesday.
News
INEC holds crucial meeting to look into petition recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Senate
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proceeded into a crucial meeting to study and look into a petition submitted to it by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
CAPITAL POST gathered, it a top management meeting as it was claimed that over 250,000 constituents signed the petition out of 480,000 registered voters.
The meeting was confirmed on Monday by the Acting
Director of Publicity, Esther Chibuikem, stating that the meeting held at a committee room at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
It was also confirmed that the Secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on received the petition against Natasha on Monday.
The petition follwed the nod given by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja on Friday where the earlier judgement restraining INEC from accepting the petition was set asid3.
Last week, constituents from Kogi Central were said to have i initiated a recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, but some constituents claimed that they were d3ceived into exercise as they were told to gather with their voters card for 3 powerment.
However, the Court, in a judgement delivered in Lokoja, affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and aligns with the civic rights of the constituents.
The court urged the constituents to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.
The development was after the court on Thursday granted an interim injunction restraining INEC, its staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting on any petition containing signatures of members of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
As at press time, INEC hasn’t release information on the next action as signatures may have to be critically compared with its register to determine validity.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Monday received a petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Uduaghan from the 10th Senate.
The petition was submitted by the constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to recall Natasha having signed the petition which claimed to have met the requirements as stipulatedby the Constitution 1990 as amended.
Our correspondent who monitre the development at the Maitama headquarter of INEC report that th3 petition was submitted with over 250,000 signatures out of 480,000 registered voters.
The Constitution however required above 50% register3d voters’ recall signatures before it could be recognised and acceptable.
Senator Natasha is currently on suspension for six months for breaching Senate Rules and has proceeded to Court to challenge the Senate decision which was yet to determined.
She also alleged sexual harassment by the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio.
CAPITAL POST gathered that the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has highjacked the recall which is being pursued through proxies disguised as constituents in order to contest for the Senate if the exercise succeeds.
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State of Emergency in Rivers: $5,000 shared to Reps as ‘Sallah gesture,’ not bribe – Hon.
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