Osogbo Sons and Daughters Mark 5th Anniversary with Awards, Political Undertones

The 5th anniversary celebration of Osogbo Sons and Daughters drew prominent indigenes, political office holders, traditional leaders and stakeholders to a colourful gathering focused on the development of Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Members of the Osogbo United Youth Forum were also in attendance at the event, which featured the presentation of meritorious awards to distinguished sons and daughters of the town in recognition of their contributions to community growth.

Among the award recipients were the member representing Osogbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Alhaji Moruf Adewale Gangari; the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye; and the member representing Osogbo in the Osun State House of Assembly. Others honoured included the Chief Executive Officer of Mars Filling Station, Alhaji Eniafelamon, the Head Baale of Osogbo, as well as several other eminent indigenes.

The awards, according to the organisers, were aimed at appreciating individuals who have demonstrated dedication and service toward the advancement of Osogbo.

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, used the occasion to stress the importance of collective support for the administration ahead of the August 8 governorship election.

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In his address, the commissioner noted that Osogbo and Ile-Ife are strategically positioned in ongoing political discussions concerning succession politics toward 2030. He stated that the town which records the highest number of votes in the forthcoming election could stand a stronger chance of producing the governor’s successor in 2030.

He also highlighted developmental projects executed by the present administration in Osogbo and urged residents to remain united in order to attract more dividends of democracy to the town.

Speaking earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, outlined several initiatives he said he had facilitated for Osogbo through his office. According to him, over 100 indigenes of Osogbo have secured employment opportunities since the inception of the current administration.

He added that arrangements were at an advanced stage for more Osogbo indigenes to occupy principal officer positions across tertiary institutions in the state. Igbalaye promised to provide the leadership of Osogbo Sons and Daughters with the names and phone numbers of beneficiaries to ensure transparency and verification.

He also pledged to donate a bus to the association, following a request by its President, Saheed Akinyemi.

The programme further provided an avenue for elected representatives from Osogbo to present their scorecards before the audience, promoting accountability and engagement with constituents.

In his closing remarks, the President of Osogbo Sons and Daughters commended dignitaries and participants for their presence and reiterated the organisation’s commitment to the continued progress and unity of Osogbo.

Osogbo Sons and Daughters Mark 5th Anniversary with Awards, Political Undertones

Afenifere Calls for Immediate Take-Off of State Police as Terror Threats Rise in Yorubaland

The pan‑Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere has warned that escalating terrorist attacks in states bordering the South-West are heightening fears of a full-scale incursion into Yorubaland, calling on governors to urgently implement robust security measures and push for the take-off of state police.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere expressed deep concern over repeated attacks in Kwara, Kogi, and Niger states, as well as kidnappings in Ondo, Ekiti, and Oyo states. The group cited the recent Woro and Nuku attacks in Kwara State, where nearly 200 people were reportedly killed and several others abducted, as a warning of the growing threat.

“This is a very disturbing development as cases of abduction seem to be on the increase in Yorubaland. Terror acts are no longer confined to rural areas; even cities like Ibadan have witnessed incidents,” the statement read. Afenifere highlighted the broad-daylight abduction of a schoolgirl in Ibadan’s Challenge area as a chilling example of the insecurity affecting urban centres.

Ajayi urged governors of the six South-West states — Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Lagos — as well as neighbouring states including Kwara, Kogi, Edo, and Delta, to implement practical security arrangements that will allow residents to “sleep with their two eyes closed.”

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The group recalled that during a November 24, 2025, meeting in Ibadan, the South-West governors had agreed to strengthen regional security through measures such as the South-West Security Fund and the creation of monitoring centres to track potential terrorist activity. Afenifere noted that recent steps, such as Ogun State’s inauguration of CCTV monitoring centres, are commendable but insufficient.

Ajayi stressed that the persistence of banditry and terrorism is not due to a lack of intelligence, but rather the failure to effectively utilize available information. He insisted that state police should take off immediately, while communities must be empowered to develop local security arrangements, including support for the Amotekun Corps and other regional security initiatives.

“It is high time governors in Yorubaland went beyond sermonisation and swung into decisive actions that will make the region truly secure,” Ajayi said.

Afenifere’s warning comes amid growing concerns over security across southern Nigeria, where the spread of banditry, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks is increasingly threatening both rural and urban communities. The group’s call reinforces longstanding advocacy for state-level policing as a critical measure to combat rising insecurity.

Afenifere Calls for Immediate Take-Off of State Police as Terror Threats Rise in Yorubaland

UN Chief Calls Africa’s Security Council Exclusion Unfair, Outdated

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has described Africa’s continued exclusion from permanent membership of the UN Security Council as “indefensible”, calling for urgent reforms to reflect today’s global realities.

Guterres made the remarks while addressing world leaders, stressing that Africa—home to more than 1.4 billion people and a major focus of the Council’s peace and security agenda—remains without a single permanent seat in the UN’s most powerful decision-making body.

According to him, the current structure of the Security Council no longer reflects geopolitical realities of the 21st century and undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations.

“Africa is dramatically under-represented. This is not only unfair, it is indefensible,” Guterres said.

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He noted that while Africa accounts for a significant proportion of issues discussed by the Council—including peacekeeping operations, sanctions, and conflict resolution—it remains excluded from permanent decision-making power, including the veto.

The UN chief reiterated his support for long-standing African demands for at least two permanent seats and additional non-permanent seats on the Council, in line with the African Union’s Common African Position on UN reform.

Guterres also warned that failure to reform the Security Council risks eroding trust in multilateral institutions at a time when global cooperation is most needed to address conflicts, climate change, terrorism, and humanitarian crises.

Calls for reform of the Security Council have intensified in recent years, with African leaders, alongside countries from Latin America and Asia, arguing that the current structure—largely unchanged since 1945—reflects post-World War II power dynamics rather than present-day global realities.

Despite widespread agreement on the need for reform, progress has been slow due to disagreements among UN member states, particularly the five permanent members who hold veto power.

UN Chief Calls Africa’s Security Council Exclusion Unfair, Outdated