From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The Imole Campaign Council has slammed the misinterpretation and falsification of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s clarion call on President Bola Tinubu to enforce free and fair elections in Osun state, denying accusations that the governor attacked the president.

Reacting to the opposition claim, the Director General, Imole Campaign Organisation, Akogun Lere Oyewumi, said “In a rebuttal to the fake news from the Osun APC, the campaign council restated the Governor’s passionate pleading to Mr President to wade in as the father of all to stop the killings and maiming of residents and Accord members, affirming that “at no point, did the governor attack or deride the president.

“Governor Adeleke only called the attention of President Tinubu to the ongoing repression and intimidation of Osun residents and urged the President to call the Marine Minister, Gboyega Oyetola to order so as to stop recurrence of political violence of the past.

“The state governor only informed the president of constant killing that is driving towards genocide. The Accord party has lost seven members with more than 20 suffering various gun injuries in the last three months. Presently, more than 60 Accord members are languishing in illegal police detentions.

“In 2022, the governor lost 45 of his supporters in the cold hands of APC thugs. The police did not raise a finger to prosecute suspected APC thugs who killed our members during the 2022 elections. APC thugs are daily raiding towns and houses of Accord leaders. The facts are in the public domain.

“The governor also referenced the Osun local government crisis in which over N350 billion of Osun local government funds have been diverted and been used by illegal APC operatives whose falsely claimed tenure has also lapsed.

“The governor only spoke the truth about the illegality across Osun local government and urged the President to intervene for APC illegal occupants of the councils to vacate.

“The State Governor only repeated what the Campaign Council has severally documented that APC sponsored thugs are daily terrorising the residents of Osun including Accord members.

“The lies and concoction on Osun finance levelled by the Osun APC falls flat because Osun has won several awards on budget transparency and came third nationally on auditing responsiveness.

“The Adeleke administration runs a due process and transparency based government with massive good governance delivery across all the sectors”, concluded.

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

The member representing Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disaster Management and Preparedness, Hon.Joseph Bassey, has called on National and international response to the devastating landslides and other climate-induced disasters affecting Cross River State, warning that the scale of the crisis is beyond the capacity of the state government alone.

He made the call while reacting to the recent landslide incidents that claimed lives and destroyed property in parts of the state, describing the tragedy as a stark reminder of the growing impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.

Bassey disclosed that Cross River had long been identified through early warning systems as one of Nigeria’s most flood- and rainfall-prone states, prompting his committee to initiate preventive measures well before the peak of the rainy season.

According to him, the House Committee on Disaster Management and Preparedness formally notified the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of the impending risks, leading to the deployment of emergency officials to Cross River State for disaster preparedness exercises, risk assessments and public sensitisation campaigns in vulnerable communities.

He noted that President Bola Tinubu had been fully briefed on the situation, adding that the National Assembly had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility and the governor demonstrated exemplary leadership by personally inspecting the affected communities despite the heavy rainfall and immediately initiating emergency remedial measures.

He said the governor’s prompt intervention helped reduce the overall impact of the disaster, even as he acknowledged that the loss of lives remains a painful tragedy for the state.

While describing the landslide as one of the most severe ever witnessed in Nigeria, Bassey said the complexity of the environmental challenge demands sustained investment in erosion control, slope stabilisation, drainage infrastructure and disaster risk reduction.

He explained that Cross River’s topography, coupled with its high annual rainfall, makes several communities particularly vulnerable to landslides, stressing that the ongoing reconstruction of the Calabar–Itu Highway with reinforced concrete pavement reflects the unique engineering solutions required in the state.

“The resources required to address this disaster are enormous. This is not something the state government can handle alone. It requires strong support from the Federal Government, development partners and international organisations if we must provide lasting solutions,” he said.

The committee chairman revealed that consultations were ongoing with relevant federal institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Environment, to complement the intervention efforts already initiated by the Cross River State Government.

He also assured residents that the House of Representatives would push for enhanced funding for disaster preparedness and ecological intervention projects during the next budget cycle to strengthen resilience in disaster-prone communities.

Bassey urged residents occupying identified high-risk areas, particularly within the Calabar metropolis and surrounding communities, to heed official warnings and relocate where necessary, noting that preserving lives must remain the foremost priority.

He commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for intensifying public enlightenment campaigns on disaster preparedness and emergency response, describing community awareness as a critical component of disaster risk management.

The lawmaker said he was confident in the collaborative efforts of the Federal Government, the Cross River State Government and emergency management agencies.

By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

House of Representatives Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, on Tuesday, told aged politicians and political heavy wigs in the country to retire and allow the Nigerian young people to take over governance.

The Speaker insisted that it was a high level hypocrisy to continue tagging young people leaders of tomorrow, while older people continue to recycle themselves in positions.

He declared that Nigeria must deliberately prepare young people for positions of leadership, insisting that they must be active participants in shaping the country’s future today.

Speaking at the launch of the LEAD Fellowship organised by the Gender Mobile Initiative at the National Assembly, Abuja, Abbas said the country’s large youthful population must be equipped with the knowledge, ethical values, institutional exposure and leadership skills required to transform ambition into meaningful public service.

The Speaker who represented the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon Kafilat Ogbara, said leadership goes beyond occupying political office, stressing that it is fundamentally about responsibility, accountability and respect for democratic institutions and the rule of law.

“It is high time we prepared young people for power. As the trustees of our tomorrow, they must understand how the government works and how to use political office to change society for the better. Without this preparation, they risk squandering the opportunity to effect real, lasting good,” he said.

The Speaker commended the LEAD Fellowship for targeting students in tertiary institutions, describing the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s democratic future.

“The youths are no longer merely the leaders of tomorrow; their time has come. As voters, innovators, entrepreneurs and community leaders, they deserve the power to influence the decisions that shape their lives today,” Abbas added.

He said the fellowship would help build a new generation of leaders capable of understanding public policy, questioning the use of power and strengthening institutions that outlive individuals.

Abbas also praised the fellowship’s inclusive approach, saying the deliberate inclusion of women, persons with disabilities and other historically marginalised groups was essential for strengthening democracy.

“The inclusion of women, persons with disabilities, and historically marginalized groups is not an act of benevolence. It is a matter of basic justice, democratic legitimacy and institutional effectiveness. A democracy that excludes large sections of society cannot be said to be representative,” he stated.

The Speaker reiterated the House of Representatives’ commitment to improving women’s political participation through the proposed constitutional amendment seeking the creation of special seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

He explained that the proposal was designed to address the long-standing under-representation of women without preventing them from contesting existing elective positions.

“Let me be absolutely clear: we are not attempting to lower the standard of leadership. We are attempting to remove the barriers that prevent capable women from even reaching the starting line,” he said.

Abbas identified inadequate campaign finance, exclusion from party structures, cultural stereotypes and electoral violence as major obstacles confronting women seeking elective office.

He challenged beneficiaries of the fellowship to focus on solving societal problems rather than merely seeking political offices, urging them to become ethical, technologically driven and institutionally minded leaders.

“Nigeria does not need a generation that is simply more ambitious than the one before it. Our nation needs a generation that is wiser, more ethical, more inclusive, more technologically advanced and more institutionally minded,” he said.

To ensure the programme’s long-term impact, the Speaker proposed the establishment of a LEAD Alumni Policy Network to enable fellows to continue mentoring one another, conduct policy research and collaborate on initiatives that promote national development.

He also reaffirmed the House of Representatives’ commitment to partnering with the Gender Mobile Initiative to strengthen citizen engagement, promote inclusive governance and support reforms aimed at widening political participation.