Month: February 2022

Categories
Africa Education Nigeria

NIGERIA EXCLUDED FROM 10 MOST LITERATE COUNTRIES IN AFRICA

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL: FEBRUARY 28th, 2022

If you grew up in a developed country, you took the education luxury for granted and never thought about millions of people around the world who can’t read or write. The World Population Review shares the literacy rate for most countries around the world each year and their recent report was published. If you are looking to see which are the most educated countries in Africa in 2022 or the highest literacy rate in Africa, keep reading. In this post, we’ll talk about the top 10 most educated countries in Africa.

Equatorial Guinea is the most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 1,402,983, Equatorial Guinea has a literacy rate of 95.30%.

Education in Equatorial Guinea is free and compulsory until the age of 14. Primary education is for five years followed by four years of secondary in the first stage and three subsequent years of secondary education in the second stage. In 2001, about 35% of children between the ages of three and six were enrolled in some type of preschool program.

South Africa is the second-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 59,308,690, South Africa has a literacy rate of 94.30%.

Education in South Africa is continuing to take strain as the government attempts to achieve equal opportunities for all. The system is divided into 3 strata, namely general education and training, further education and training, and higher education and training. The process is compulsory through to grade 9, and spans 12 grades in total. The first 6 years are spent in primary school where literacy and numeracy are established.

Seychelles is the third-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 98,347, Seychelles has a literacy rate of 91.80%.

In Seychelles, education is compulsory up to the age of 16, and free through secondary school until age 18. Students must pay for uniforms, but not for books or tuition. Primary school attendance statistics are not available for Seychelles. As of 2002, 99 percent of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.

Libya is the fourth most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 6,871,292, Libya has a literacy rate of 91.00%.

Education in Libya begins with primary education, which is both free and compulsory. Children in Libya between the ages of 6 and 15 attend primary school and then attend secondary school for three additional years (15- to 18-year-olds).

Mauritius is the fifth-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 1,271,768, Mauritius has a literacy rate of 90.60%.

Primary education was made compulsory and offered for free. Education at the secondary level was not compulsory but offered free. Higher education was provided through the University of Mauritius. Education has been free through the secondary level since 1976 and through the post-secondary level since 1988.

Botswana is the sixth-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 2,351,627, Botswana has a literacy rate of 88.50%.

Education in Botswana is free, but it is not compulsory. The Ministry of Education has authority over all of Botswana’s educational structure except the University of Botswana. Schooling in Botswana is not mandatory. The first ten years, starting at age six are however free. There are seven years of primary school, the first four of which are taught in Setswana. After that, classes are taught in English.

Cape Verde is the seventh-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 555,987, Cape Verde has a literacy rate of 87.60%.

Education in Cape Verde is organized into a six-six formal education structure, meaning that children enter primary school at the age of 6, and then are required to attend school for six years. The small island-nation of Cape Verde could become one of the most educated countries in Africa.

Zimbabwe is the eighth-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 14,862,924, Zimbabwe has a literacy rate of 86.50%.

Zimbabwe’s education system consists of 7 years of primary and 6 years of secondary schooling before students can enter university in the country or abroad. The academic year in Zimbabwe runs from January to December, with three-month terms, broken up by one-month holidays, with a total of 40 weeks of school per year.

Burundi is the ninth-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 11,890,784, Burundi has a literacy rate of 85.60%.

Education is compulsory in Burundi for six years between the ages of seven and 13. Theoretically, primary education is free at the point of use. Primary education in Burundi spans six grades between the ages of 7 and 13. The next educational tier, known as Lower Secondary, comprises an additional four grades.

Gabon is the tenth-most educated country in Africa.

With a population of 2,225,734, Gabon has a literacy rate of 83.20%.

Education in Gabon is largely based on the French educational system. Education is compulsory for children ages 6 to 16 years under the Education Act. Most children in Gabon start their school lives by attending nurseries (Crèche), then kindergarten (Jardins d’Enfants). At age 6, they are enrolled in primary school (école primaire) which is made up of six grades. The next level is secondary school (école secondaire), which is made up of seven grades. The intended age at graduation is 19 years. Graduates of secondary school can apply for universities or other institutions of higher learning, such as engineering schools or business schools.

Push News 24 International …we speak your mind!

Categories
Africa Education Nigeria USA/Europe

USA : DATA SHOWS NIGERIANS REMAIN THE MOST EDUCATED IMMIGRANTS

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL: February 28th, 2022

Nigerians are enrolled in more than 1,000 institutions in 51 states and territories in the United States, out of which eighteen percent are studying in Texas.
Data shows that Nigerians are the most educated in the U.S.

Although they make up a tiny portion of the U.S. population, a whopping 17 percent of all Nigerians in this country held master’s degrees while 4 percent had a doctorate, according to the 2006 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, 37 percent had bachelor’s degrees.

To put those numbers in perspective, 8 percent of the white population in the U.S. had master’s degrees, according to the Census survey. And 1 percent held doctorates. About 19 percent of white residents had bachelor’s degrees. Asians come closer to the Nigerians with 12 percent holding master’s degrees and 3 percent having doctorates.

The Nigerian numbers are “strikingly high,” said Roderick Harrison, demographer at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank that specializes in researching black issues. “There is no doubt that these are highly educated professionals who are probably working in the petrochemical, medical and business sectors in Houston.”

Stephen Klineberg, a sociologist at Rice University who conducts the annual Houston Area Survey, suspects the percentage of Nigerian immigrants with post-graduate degrees is higher than Census data shows.

Of all the Nigerian immigrants he reached in his random phone surveys 1994 through 2007 — 45 households total — Klineberg said 40 percent of the Nigerians said they had post-graduate degrees.

“These are higher levels of educational attainment than were found in any other … community,” Klineberg said.

There are more than 12,000 Nigerians in Houston, according to the latest Census data, a figure sociologists and Nigerian community leaders say is a gross undercount. They believe the number to be closer to 100,000.

Chronicle Article –> http://bit.ly/1vSDMCC

BLACK IMMIGRANTS ARE A GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC THAT YOU SHOULD NOT IGNORE IN YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.

As the U.S. Black population grows, so does its diversity. Since 1980, the number of Black immigrants has more than quadrupled, reaching a record 3.8 million living in the U.S. today. Black immigrants now account for 8.7% of the nation’s Black population, or one in every 11 Blacks, which is nearly triple their 3.1% share in 1980.

The Black immigrant population is diverse. While the Caribbean
population accounts for almost 50% of Black immigrants, African immigrants are driving recent growth. African immigrants now account for more than a third (36%) of the total foreign-born U.S. Black population, up from 7% in 1980 and up from 24% in 2000.

Nigeria and Ethiopia are the African countries with the greatest numbers of immigrants arriving in the U.S. Smaller growth is also coming from European countries.

A surge in the Black immigrant population will continue. By 2060, the U.S. Census predicts that one out of every six U.S. Blacks, or 16.5%, will be immigrants

Ft. Bend County Black Foreign Born Statistics
Total Population 15,493
Africa [69.2% or 10,721]
Latin America [22.2% or 3,495]
Europe [6.2% or 960]

http://thehoustonblackpages.com/

Push News 24 International …We speak your mind!

Categories
Nigeria Politics

ASIWAJU’23 : SANWOOLU PARLEYS PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS, PARTY LEADERS, LAGOS TO BENEFIT

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : February 22nd, 2022

Infrastructure Delivery: ‘Lagos in Its Harvest Period’ – Sanwo-Olu

…Governor Rallies Support for Tinubu’s Candidacy at Executive-Legislative Forum

Diversity of culture and ideas took the centre stage at the opening session of the 17th Executive and Legislative Parley organised for all elected public office holders in Lagos State.

The forum offered Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu an opportunity to share the strides recorded by his administration in the previous year and jointly review programmes in the pipelines with the delegates for more impactful results.

All members of the National Assembly from Lagos, State House of Assembly, the Executive Council, Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and members of the State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) executive are attending the three-day event holding at Marriott Hotels in Ikeja, with the theme: “Mobilizing Citizens as a Social Capital Towards 2023 General Elections”.

Sanwo-Olu said the parley was organised with the ultimate goal of seeking inputs of critical public sector stakeholders and create strategic ways to implementing ideas that would alleviate the suffering of masses, while also improving life quality, as well as economic development.

The Governor said the executive arm, which he leads, had consistently thrown its doors open to diverse opinions and views, noting that the forum had become a part of the Government’s effort towards distributing development across all parts of the State.

He said: “This administration, from the outset, did not delude itself into thinking it had the monopoly of knowledge with regards to finding the right solutions to the myriad challenges confronting the State. This explains why we have consistently thrown our doors open to diverse opinions and views from various sources, while also creating a forum to rub minds with all critical stakeholders with a view to achieving the Greater Lagos of our dream.

“The remarkable strides attained in the last two and a half years would have been impossible, but for the efforts of everyone gathered at this forum today. The past year was particularly remarkable for us in our aspiration to improve infrastructure across the State, many of which have been commissioned, thus giving Lagosians a new lease of life. As a forward-looking Government, we are more focused on the present and the future than the past, because, no matter the level of successes it had brought to us, the past is no longer as important as the present and the future.”

Despite the challenges faced by the State in the early months of the current administration, including the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the destruction orchestrated by the EndSARS protests, Sanwo-Olu said his Government had raised its head high and had not let down the electorate. He said his administration had visible achievements with great impact to showcase as the first four-year tenure of his Government draws to the end.

Sanwo-Olu said the current year and 2023 would be a harvest period for Lagos to reap more dividends of democracy, stressing that the State Government had fast-tracked the completion and delivery of key infrastructure, which includes Imota Rice Mill, 27-kilometre Blue Line and 32-kilometre Red Line rail projects.

The Governor also galvanised and rallied the participants for a common purpose of boosting the political capital of the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ahead of the next general election by showcasing the progressive ideals and transformation championed in Lagos by Tinubu.

Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu said, possesses the competency and magic wand to turn around the nation’s fortunes for general good.

He said: “Let me stress the importance of working together as one family, especially as we approach 2023, which is an all-important electioneering year. There is a whole lot we can achieve together as a united bloc. I enjoin all of us to come together and rally round our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as he gives the nation’s presidency a shot.

“He has given himself to the good people of Lagos, and now he wants to replicate his progressive ideas at the national level. It is time to pay him back with our unwavering support. He is, no doubt, the right and best man for the job. He knows the issues plaguing our nation like the back of his hands and he has the magic wand to fix it.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said legislators, who are the closest to the people, must give in their best to ensure the executive succeeds.

Gbajabiamila, represented by the Leader of Lagos Caucus in the Green Chamber, Hon. Dolapo Badru, described lawmakers as “party’s eyes at the grassroots”, as he urged them to partner with the executives in enhancing development and mobilising people for the party’s success.

Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said the parley would help the participants to bond under a common vision and mission, as well as projecting beneficial political discussions.

Obasa charged the executive and legislature to continue to work together for the progress and development of the State.

Leader of GAC, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, stressed the responsibilities imposed on political parties by the Constitution, advising all public officers under the APC to roll out their programmes in line with party manifesto.

Categories
Entertainment

PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE BOY-CHILD – LAGOS FIRST LADY TO PARENTS

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : February 22nd, 2022

Lagos First Lady Holds Inaugural Residential Workshop for Boys

…Says It’s Time to Pay Closer Attention to Issues Affecting the Boy-Child

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has organized an inaugural 3-day residential workshop for about 160 boys selected from secondary schools, special correctional centres, and orphanage homes across the state, saying it is time to pay closer attention to the issues affecting the boy-child.

The workshop, with the theme: “The 21st Century Boy Child: Creating a Vision for Transformation,” is an essential component of the novel Boy Child Initiative of the Office of the Lagos First Lady designed to bring issues affecting boys to the front burner and proffer workable solutions.

She said the objectives of the initiative are to raise awareness on the rights and welfare of the boy child, promote educational opportunities to male children, especially the indigent, facilitate the rehabilitation of the vulnerable boy child through referrals, and build a new generation of transformed male children who will contribute positively to the society.

“The idea is that we want to catch our boys young and make them be part of the solutions and not add to the challenges confronting our nation.

“Also, by the nature and perception of the Boy Child as being strong and resilient, it has been observed that society tends to pay little or no attention to issues affecting male children.

“There is a lot happening out there. We have children committing suicide; we have youths involved in all sorts of social vices and so on. This is why we have decided to put issues of the boy child on the front burner with this initiative,” the First Lady said.

As part of the workshop, participants were taken on a tour of the Lagos State Agricultural Training Institute, Araga in Epe to stimulate their interest in farming and agricultural value chains which are critical to guarantee food security, while they thereafter proceeded to the Lagos State Model College, Badore, Ajah for the residential training which was facilitated by seasoned subject-matter experts.

Topics include “Security and You, Drug Abuse and Cultism, Counseling and Mental Health, Vocational Education, Media Literacy, Family Values, Civic Responsibility, Entrepreneurship, Career Path Finding, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, and Child Rights, Self-Esteem, Personal Hygiene, and Etiquette,” among others.

Also, there were two-panel sessions on the “Role of Community in Education and Boy Child Advocacy,” and “Equipping Yourself for the Future.”

Other activities include mini-football tournaments, table tennis competitions, basketball, and indoor sports including soccer table games, chess board games, monopoly, scrabble, magic cube, skating, waste ring game, skipping rope game, Ludo and others.

In their goodwill messages, Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Dr. Olugbemiga Aina; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Abayomi Abolaji respectively harped on the need for participants to shun social vices and concentrate on their academics.

They said it was important for the boys to focus on their academics in order to gain the necessary skills that would create essential value for them in the future, adding that it was crucial for them to abstain from vices that could impede their education and negatively impact their future.

The First Lady also seized the opportunity of the workshop to renovate the senior school dormitory, dining hall, and clinic of the Lagos State Model College, Badore, Ajah, while some sporting items were donated to both the senior and junior school of the college including two table tennis boards, new football goal post net and field linings, as well as basketball stand, among others.

Categories
Entertainment

LASG, COMMITTED TO QUALITY SERVICE TO GOD AND HUMANITY – SANWOOLU

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : February 22nd, 2022

LASG Committed to Quality Service to God, Humanity, Says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday said his administration is committed to rendering quality service to God and humanity, making life better for residents and supporting a unifying platform to promote unity among the residents of the State.

He called on Lagosians, especially public office holders to serve God and humanity, saying his administration is making life better and comfortable for the residents of Lagos State in line with the THEMES developmental agenda for Greater Lagos as its own way of serving God and humanity.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made the statements at the Interdenominational Divine Service organised by the Lagos State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) held at The Apostolic Church Headquarters, Ketu,

Speaking on the theme of the service “Choose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15), Governor Sanwo-Olu said there was no better service than the one to humanity and therefore urged leaders, especially spiritual and political leaders to use their offices to serve the people.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who is the Grand Patron of Lagos State CAN, said rendering service to humanity is also rendering service to God, noting that “As Christians, there is no better service to God than the one you render to humanity. It is only through this that you can serve God. There is no better service than that given to mankind.”The

In his Sermon, the Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr, Alfred Adewale Martins, stressed the need for the people and leaders to embrace unity and fidelity in their lives, state and nation, as well as service to humanity.

Bishop Martins, who was represented by Rev. Fr. Jacob Usman, said a total commitment to serving God and humanity demands devotion, discipline and holiness. He, therefore, charged religious leaders, public office holders and people of Lagos and Nigerians, in general, to serve God faithfully.

The Cleric, who noted that it is impossible to serve two masters together, urged people to choose God irrespective of what they may be passing through in their life, family and nation.

In his address, the Chairman of Lagos State Christian Association of Nigeria, Rt. Revd Dr. Stephen Adegbite, said leaders in the Church and State have a tremendous responsibility to prepare young people and old to serve God better than before.

He said: “As in the days of Joshua, so it is with us today. As parents, one of the choices we must make is whether or not we are going to prepare our young ones to serve the Lord.

“It is part of our responsibilities as leaders in the Church and State to prepare our young people and old to serve God better than before, especially in these challenging years of the pandemic.

“Let us ask God to give us the grace to serve Him better and let us be ready and prepare to surrender all our life to God as a nation, as a people and pray for our children to serve God wholeheartedly.”

Categories
Nigeria Politics

LAGOS RIDE ADORNS STREETS AS SANWOOLU PARTNERS GAC MOTORS

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : February 21

Lagos Ride is closer than you think🧐, Anticipate the Official Launch of the new LagRide Hailing Service.⏱️

The Lagos state government has signed a partnership agreement with CIG Motors Company Limited for the take-off of Lagos Ride, a new e-hailing taxi scheme, with pilot fleet of 1,000 units of brand new sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

The signing and flag-off ceremony was held on Thursday at the Lagos state house in Marina.

Speaking during the ceremony, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, said the new ride-hailing taxi scheme will redefine road transportation in the state, and is expected to create jobs and economic opportunities for residents.

He said the scheme, which is expected to fully take-off in the next six months, has been structured along a profitability model and designed to be self-sustaining for expansion and growth.

…Download the App for Latest Updates!

What is Lagos Ride ??

The Lagos Ride Scheme is firstly aimed to take off all rickety cars being used as taxis on our roads by providing alternatives to the operators who are not owners of the vehicles to become owners through the “lease to own scheme”.

The Lagos Ride Scheme provides the driver/operator with right to own the car after the car is fully paid for within 3-4 years.

How to Apply for Lagos Ride ??

Application details and processes are online through lagosride.com and further links on android & IOS play stores by searching lagosride.

Operator’s office – Lagos Ride Limited at 2nd Floor, 62 Campbell Street, Lagos Island.

Tel: 01-3438161
Email: support@lagosride.com,
Info@lagosride.com
Socialmedia: @mylagosride (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)

Is Govt Running A Taxi Business ??

NO: This is an empowerment programme for the citizens of the State who fall into any of these categories.

The Unemployed or Workers under the present taxis scheme who are not owners of the taxis they are operating.

The Maintenance Question ??

The vehicles are from GAC Motors that is presently located in Lagos with over five present maintenance centres and creation of addition 6 centres through construction of new service centres & partnership with existing LACVIS test centres.

LASG signed a joint venture with GAC Motors in 2020 to establish an assembly plant for local assembling of vehicles thereby making the cars readily available/affordable. Plant is at 60% completion with an annual capacity for over 5,000 cars.

Why is This Different from The Present Taxi System in Lagos ??

It is an empowerment scheme for the residents of Lagos State which guarantees ownership of the car after full payment is done with low access deposit.

Features:

It is security embedded with dashboard cameras installed in each car for real-time monitoring of the car, passengers and drivers activities for safety purpose.

All the cars are uniformly painted with unique number on each car for identification and safety.

Ride Sharing:

With the technology its operations will be deployed on, ride-sharing is possible for passengers (who agree to share ride) thereby reducing commuting costs.

The scheme provides brand new cars and not used cars which provides dignity for the ridesr and low emission rate to the environment thereby reducing the impact of emission on climate.

More Cars on The Road ???

The Lagos Ride aimed to take off all rickety cars being used as taxis on our roads, providing alternatives to the operators of these vehicles who are not owners of the vehicles to become owners.

Type if Vehicles Available:

Two forms of GAC vehicle will be used for the scheme

i. GS3 model – a mini SUV
ii. GA4 model – a full saloon car with full options

More Features:

  • Comprehensive Insurance Policy
  • LASG E-Hailing Levy
  • An android phone given to each driver/operator loaded with the apps.
  • Full vehicle registration cost
  • Dashboard camera that gives audio and video feed accessible remotely
  • 360 coverage inside and outside the car.
  • A physical panic button that can be used by any body inside the car in case of assault or emergency which is connected to the control command centre
  • A SOS button on the driver’s app and the user’s app that all connected to the command centre for action
  • Training and Certification with Lagos State Drivers Institute for the operators.
Categories
Entertainment

OSUN APC GOV PRIMARIES : AREGBESOLA SPEAKS AFTER OYETOLA ‘S CRUSHING DEFEAT

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL: February 19th, 2022

Rauf Aregbesola

In life you wonder sometimes, why certain things unfold as they do. The philosophers summarize these, as mysteries. The scientists described them as the dynamics of nature. In Yorubaland, it is known as ‘adiitu’ meaning ‘the complex waiting to be revealed’. By whatever nomenclature, it is not a straight forward thing.

Psuh News 24 International can confirm that the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reacted to the outcome of the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary election held in Osun on Saturday (today).

Aregbesola in a press statement signed by his Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, urged the supporters to remain calm despite the outcome of the election.

The full statement reads below:

HOLD YOUR HEADS HIGH

On behalf of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to thank you most sincerely for heeding the call earlier this morning to participate in our party’s governorship primary and conduct yourselves most peacefully. You adopted a non-violent posture, even in the face of sore provocation.

You have demonstrated your loyalty to the party and democratic ideals. You have comported yourselves as Omoluabi in the true essence.

We have received and continue to receive the reports of the shenanigans of the officials who conducted the sham of an election. We have been inundated with reports state-wide of how your names were expunged from the party’s voters register, which was not made available until this morning, contrary to the convention of making the list available to the candidates before the election.

We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor.
We have also received reports of how accreditation was not done at all in many wards and how people without the party identification just participated and queued behind the governor in many polling units.

We have received the report from our members and independent observers, how government officials and notable supporters of the governor officiated in the election, how votes were farcically counted in favour of the governor and how the votes recorded for him were more than the number of voters accredited ab initio in many units.

We have heard of the absence of result sheets and other vital documents for recording results and vital data. We note also the absence of INEC officials in most wards, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the election.

We note with shame and much regret the consternation of local and international observers on what they regard as a travesty of an election.

I will urge you to maintain your cool and calm. Be not downcast, be not agitated. Hold your head high. We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them.

You are urged not to take laws into your hands. Please leave the rest to the Almighty God and let us explore all peaceful and legal means for addressing the matter in order to obtain justice.

Please remain committed to peace and the rule of law. Be unflinching in your commitment to the democratic ideals. Democracy is for the long haul. As you all know, we never tire and we never give up on the cause we believe in. Be rest assured that victory is ours.

I thank you all.

Sola Fasure
Media Adviser to the Minister of Interior
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

For and on behalf of
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola
Minister of Interior

Categories
Nigeria Politics

AREGBESOLA /ADEOTI LOST WARDS AS OSUN APC GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARY RESULTS TRICKLES-IN

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : February 19th, 2022

Reports from the Osun APC gubernatorial primaries election indicated that the former governor and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola the self assumed godfather of Osun Politics who anointed Mr Moshood Adeoti has lost his ward to the current governor,H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola.

Read results below 👇

Prof. Isaac Adewole’s Ward, Ward 7, Ilesa East LG
Oyetola 808
Adeoti 46

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola ward, Ward 8, Ilesa East LG
Oyetola 309
Adeoti 124

Hon. Timothy Owoeye, Speaker House of Assembly, Ward 10, Ilesa East LG
Oyetola 741
Adeoti 30

Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, Ward 10, Atakumosa East LG
Oyetola 483
Adeoti 15

Engr. Remi Omowaiye, Commissioner for works and Transport,
Ward 6, Ilesa West LG
Oyetola 892
Adeoti 53

Additional Story from Osun Reporters.

Categories
Nigeria Politics

ELECTORAL ACT : INEC HAVE JUSTIFICATION TO POSTPONED 2023 ELECTIONS IF PMB SIGNS BILL AFTER NEXT WEEK

Push News 24 International : February 18th, 2022

Indications have emerged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may have to postpone the scheduled conduct of the 2023 general elections if President Muhammadu Buhari acts on the electoral bill sent to him after February 22, 2022.

The Media Friday reports that immediately after the 2019 general elections, INEC, which is the electoral umpire empowered by law to fix dates of elections, scheduled the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections for February 18, 2023.

But barely a year to the presidential election, INEC is yet to issue guidelines for the conduct of the election on the ground that it is waiting for a new electoral act.

According to Section 28 (1) of the Electoral Bill 2022, INEC is required to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for an election.

INEC had already scheduled the 2023 presidential and National Assembly election for February 18, 2023.

LEADERSHIP Friday reports that the Electoral Bill 2022 stipulates that the deadline for INEC to issue the notice of election for the 2023 general election is February 22, 2022.

The executive director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said, “In line with the Electoral Bill 2022, the deadline for INEC to issue the notice of election for the 2023 general election will be 22nd February 2022 and not February 18, 2022 – the reasons being that the total number of days from February 22nd, 2022, to February 17th, 2023, is 360 days.”

The Electoral Bill 2022 was transmitted to President Muhammadu President for assent on January 31, 2022., and by virtue of Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, he has a timeline of 30 days to give or decline assent to the Bill.

On the contentious 2022 electoral act amendment bill sent to Buhari, he has up to March 2, 2022 to indicate where he stands on the bill.

“If the president gives assent to the bill on or before February 22nd, 2022, INEC will be legally bound to issue Notice of Election, and the dates for the 2023 elections will be maintained,” Itodo said.

“However, if the president acts on the bill after 22nd February, 2022, the dates for the 2023 election and other subsequent electoral activities will be affected, which will force INEC to reschedule the 2023 general election dates.

“Granting presidential assent to the Electoral Bill, 2022, on or before 22nd February 2022, is in the best interest of our electoral democracy,” Itodo added.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have reiterated their call on President Buhari to sign the electoral bill transmitted to him by the National Assembly bureaucracy on time if the dates of elections are to remain unchanged, warning that time was running out.

According to the CSOs, if the president signs the bill on time, it will help the INEC to issue guidelines for the 2023 general elections and make all the necessary preparations as required by the new law.

The CSOs urging Buhari to sign the bill are: Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), The Albino Foundation, CLEEN Foundation, Institute for Media and Society (IMS) and Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF).

Others are: Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Partners for Electoral Reform (PER), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organisations (NNNGO) and Inclusive Friends Association (IFA).

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Friday, the executive director, Yiaga Africa Samson Itodo said the CSOs are happy the errors they found in the bill earlier rejected by Buhari had been corrected.

Itodo also pointed out that the issues raised by the president had also been addressed, and now it is for him to sign the bill on time to enable smooth preparations for the 2023 general elections.

“The National Assembly should be commended for accelerating the entire process of the review. We are glad that they reworked the bill and the drafting errors might have been resolved. We hope that there are no errors and there are no cross-referencing gaps.

“Now that it has been transmitted, we hope that the president will assent to the bill on time because we are running out of time. All the issues that he raised have been addressed and we expect him to sign the bill within one week.

“The law said that within 360 days to election, INEC is required to issue the notice of election. We don’t want the president to waste any further time because this is a critical moment for democracy,” Itodo added.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which raised a fresh concern over plans to scuttle the signing of the 2022 electoral act amendment bill, said President Buhari must side with the majority of Nigerians.

IPAC chairman, Yabagi Sani, said like most enlightened Nigerians, they had expected that following the withholding of assent by the president when the Bill was first transmitted to him by lawmakers, the reworked version submitted afterwards would have been such that possible areas of conflicts were avoided.

The umbrella body of all political parties said it is loath to buy into the opinion held in many quarters that all the controversies over the electoral bill might have been a deliberate and conscious conspiracy by powerful interests in the Executive and the Legislature who are averse to positive changes that make it difficult for them to continue in their old game of manipulating the electoral process.

“If that is the case, all democrats and patriotic Nigerians owe it a duty to stand up against these retrogressive forces who are bent on retarding the progress of our hard-won democracy.

“IPAC is calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to go ahead and give his assent to the Bill as presently transmitted by the National Assembly.

“This will be demonstrating his avowed commitment to bequeathing a culture of transparent and credible elections to the country. The Bill can afterwards be revisited and amended again if compelling reasons emerge to do so, either before or after the 2023 elections.

“In other words, IPAC is of the standpoint that under no circumstances or pretext must we throw away the grains with the chaff which will be the case if the Electoral Act, for reasons of some clauses in it, is thrown away in its entirety,” Sani added.

INEC had earlier said that it could not issue guidelines for the 2023 general elections if the electoral legal framework was not ready.

Even though the commission could not respond to inquiry yesterday, the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had said that the commission would not release the 2023 general elections timetable until the Electoral Act Amendment Bill was signed into law.

He made the comment during a consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja last month

“As soon as it is signed into law, the commission will quickly release the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election based on the new law,” Yakubu told heads of political parties during a meeting on January 18, 2022.

LEADERSHIP Friday reports that with INEC required to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the day appointed for an election, if Buhari acts on the bill after February 22, 2022, INEC may have no option than to postpone the 2023 presidential election to a later date.

Additional story from Leadership.

Push News 24 International ..we speak your mind!

Categories
Nigeria Politics

AREGBE RETRACTS : WE NEVER INSULTED TINUBU, THISDAY WAS MISCHIEVOUS WITH TRANSCRIPTION

PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : February 17th, 2022

We are compelled to bring to the attention of the general public, the ongoing deliberate twisting of stories and peddling of falsehoods on behalf of our political tendency by some unscrupulous characters in the other Caucus within the Osun APC.
We note that this lazy attitude to wrong-foot us in the eyes of right thinking members of the public is undoubtedly being perpetrated by the Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s men who are clearly afraid of our capacity that they never can match.
They have taken to this irresponsible and wicked tactics since they have found out that we are resolved at succeeding in our focus and they are incapable of stopping us.
We note that we have skipped all the landmines which they put on our ways and survived all human errors that could have put us down hence their resort to blackmail through peddling of falsehoods and ascribing negativity to us.
Among many of such story twisting was a planted story sequel to our federal constituency meeting of Monday February 14, 2022.
The story quoted our principal, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to have allegedly impugn on the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu which was absolute false.
Yes, Ogbeni is a consummate oratorical speaker but we are sure that he is mindful of his language. He is definitely not a loose talker.
It was with awe and confusion that we start to wonder where the malicious story emanated from during his speech in Ijebu-jesa.
Somehow, and fortunately, the THISDAY newspaper did a raw transcription of the Ogbeni’s speech unsolicited and we discovered that the said story was a part of mischief makers ploy to paint us in bad light in the eyes of the members of the public.
We are grateful that THISDAY newspaper took it upon itself to do the transcription and there is no place where Ogbeni said anything about the story in question.
We present below the transcribed speech of Ogbeni to sustain our submission that we are not frivolous in our ways pls read:
THISDAY’s transcription and translation of Aregbesola’s address, which was made in Yoruba is provided below:

Push News 24 International retrieved the transcripts

“I’m happy that we sent for you all and you honoured our invitation. Those we specifically asked to be invited here are leaders from the ward level to the state. They are the critical stakeholders and I’m certain they are the ones here.

“Although some, who are not with us would be here also – the informants to the other camps. But we’re no longer afraid of no one at this stage except God. You’re at liberty to listen to whatever we say here and go to share with them over there. And I’m happy you’re here.

“However, if we have to throw the cards open and start all over again, this party is ours. Let me repeat myself for clarity: this is the core Afenifere – a progressive group, that genuinely loves the people, the society and also loves itself. I’m not talking about cosmestised good. This is Awolowo’s group; it is Bola Ige’s group. It is also Baba Akande’s group, before he partly left us.

“We joined you in this same group in 2004; the group we laboured in pain and anguish to put together from 2004 to 2010, November 26, before court gave us victory. This is the same group. Therefore, stop calling yourselves a faction; you are the main APC. Let me put it more succinctly, if our great leaders, who had passed on, had the opportunity of returning to this life, it is this same party they would join. They would not join a party that is not theirs.

“It would be almost impossible for Bola Ige to return to this same life and refuse to be part of this party. It would be very difficult. It would be impossible for Papa Awolowo too to come back to life and elect to join another party in Osun other than ours. It would be difficult. And those of us who are still living are also here in this same party.

“There’s no latter-day member here. Everyone here started with us from day one. Even if some had left at some point, we knew why they left. There’s no one here, who did not suffer with us. That’s the summary of my submission; that they have returned to where they’ve always belonged, and to also return the party to where it should be, because we had hitherto followed the instructions of our leader, whom we thought was true to type.

“We followed and served this leader with all our might. In fact, our loyalty to him had caused some people to start wondering if we were no longer Muslims. But we were with him and served him according to the admonition of our forefathers, who said when serving anyone, we should do so with sincerity and loyalty; that if you regard anyone as your principal, you must serve him wholeheartedly.

“Sadly, we didn’t know that while we wished him well, he didn’t think good of us. However, because we placed him higher than where he ordinarily should be, he started to think he is our god. Unfortunately, for him, we had sworn to God that whoever compares himself to him, we’d beg Him to bring down such a fellow.

“God says he does not have a rival, and if you heard what I said in Arabic, God said, ‘He is God and he didn’t have to start procreating before He’ll assume His place as God; that only humans procreate. You are the ones, who attach importance to procreation.

“As God, He doesn’t need a child to dwell in his glory. He does not need any family member or younger siblings to regale in His majesty. That He does not even need a group to be who He is. That He is God and that’s who He is. So, whoever puts himself in place of God, well, let him be his own god.

“With suffering, pains and perseverance, we nurtured this party to the stage it is – with sweat, tears, blood and even lost lives. It is by God’s grace that someone like me didn’t pay the supreme price too. May those who lost their lives to the struggle find peace with the Lord. (He mentioned names of some of those who died). As tough as it was, we did not seek revenge.

“We took over government on November 27, 2010 and by 28th, we announced that whoever sought revenge would be struck down by God. We only handed over to God, those who made us suffer. After we served for eight years, it wasn’t only party members that benefitted from our administration, the entire state did. I went everywhere in Osun with projects.

“However, by the time my successor was handed over to me around July or May 2018, I was told, ‘Rauf, this is the ideal successor that would stand by you. He would further showcase your efforts. He would not betray you; he would not dim the light of your glory’. That was what the person, who handed him over to me said. If the person is listening to me, it would resonate with him, if he said so or not.

“But, did he do as he was vouched for? And when he reneged on these promises, did the person, who handed him over to me draw his attention to these failings? Anyway, isn’t the person the one we now see today?

“Meanwhile, we are here at this station on three grounds and if we go about it honestly, we’d never regret this. First is, God detests hypocrisy. That He is above all things, but hypocrisy, he’d never go close to. However, our prophet, Mohammed (SWA), said: ‘Assist the hypocrite and the victim of hypocrisy.

“But when asked to clarify the logic behind such a statement, he answered and said, ‘Listen, it is possible for a hypocrite not to know he is one. However, those of you around should endeavour to join forces with the victim of hypocrisy to prevail over the hypocrite and that way, you would have assisted the hypocrite to change his ways. That’s the first reason we are here and once we can do that, we’d be good to go and they would be the loser. It’s God’s commandment.

“Second, we are the ones looking after the people in every way possible. However, those we put into position of authority to drive the project of caring for the people, have since abdicated this responsibility and we would never share space with such fellows. God says whoever is against the needy is His enemy. To that extent, we have to move away from these people, because we can’t because of our association with them offend God. If we stick to this, we’d prevail.

“The third reason is, the things we did that the people wanted, which unfortunately, this man has turned away from and which formed the pride of our government, and which has been the thrust of our party since the days of Awolowo, we would not sit by and watch a fellow, who had no clue about this task, to destroy our efforts.

“We will never assist such a fellow. In a worst case scenario, we’d move away from them. Interestingly, in every group, everyone has a right to their choices. But in making those choices, you must be sure a majority of the members align with you.

“It is possible some share your ideals and it’s also possible some do not. This happened in Lagos recently. There was a governor, who wanted to seek re-election and the party declined and showed him the way out with their votes. So, the same way it was in Lagos then, is exactly the way it is in Osun today. What is good for the goose, is also good for the gander. It cannot be the turn of your younger brother now and you change the rules.”