People of Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State, on Wednesday, got a taste of democracy dividends when the lawmaker representing them at the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Samson Olasunkanmi Oguntade, decided to give back to them.
The ceremony was attended by Accord Party national leader, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; Senator Olufemi Lanlehin; Accord Party National Secretary, Mr Nureni Adisa; Oyo State chairman of the party, Bashir Lawal; members of Oyo State House of Assembly, including the Minority Leader, Honourable Gunju Ojo; Accord Whip, Honourable Kehinde Ayinla Oloya, Honourable Muideen Olagunju, representing Oyo East/ West, Honourable Ademola Ige, Honourable Adebiyi Omikunle and Honourable Adebiyi Adesina,.
Oguntade, accompanied by his wife, said the empowerment was meant to appreciate his people.
He expressed appreciation to Senator Ladoja and all stakeholders in Accord Party, especially from Egbeda state constituency and all residents of Egbeda Local Government Area of the state.
He charged all politicians to be honest in all their dealings.
He said it was in fulfilment of his campaign promises that he decided to give back to his constituents.
He said he had reached out to various communities in Egbeda and also decided to reach out to his constituents. He added that 10 constituents from each ward will also benefit financially from his gesture.
Materials distributed included: insecticide sprayers, grinding machines, generating sets, sewing machines and hair dressing implements.
Accord National Secretary, Mr Adisa expressed happiness to witness the empowerment programme and also thanked Oguntade for the good gesture he extended to his people, despite the fact that the state government was hugely indebted to lawmakers.
Senator Ladoja, applauded state lawmakers for their unity of purpose in the House, without regard to party affiliation, despite the economic recession.
He berated the ruling APC for its failure in delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
Honourable Peter Oyetunji, a member of the state legislature, said despite not belonging to the same party, Honourable Oguntade had remained steadfast in what he believed in and has never wavered in his membership of Accord.
Senator Lanleyin congratulated Oguntade for reaching out to his constituents, despite the economic situation of the country, adding that voting for Accord was not a misplaced action.
Bashir Lawal, Accord state chairman, said the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, is deceiving the people with his decision to conduct local government polls.
, not only in the state, but also nationally, adding that the state government has failed in its promise to conduct local government election.
Globacom tasks youths on promotion of culture, values
Telecommunication giant, Globacom, on Tuesday, called on youths not to neglect their cultural heritage and values which had become synonymous with their African identity.
Mr Folu Aderibigbe, Commercial Coordinator, Globacom Business Enterprise, made the call during a press conference to announce the company’s sponsorship plans for the 2016 edition of the Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu-Ode.
He said it was imperative not to allow the wave of modernisation erode age-old cultural activities which many young people tag as primitive.
Aderibigbe said if this trend was left unchecked, Nigerians would eventually become alien to the sound moral values which were the hallmark of the traditional African society.
“Unfortunately, unbridled modernisation has so much influence on our youths negatively that the equilibrum which allows the complete integration between our culture and westernisation has been lost.
“What is prominent now among our youth are borrowed cultures and poor imitations of Western ways which are detrimental to our identity as a race.
“This trend has also culminated in near annihilation of our local languages in a way that parents would rather teach their children English than our own language.
“Mothers no longer use our language, proverbs and local ballads to tell the stories of our past which underscores their importance towards charting a path for our future,” he said.
The Globacom boss added that the challenge was further compounded by the decision of educational authorities in the country to abolish the teaching of History as a subject.
Aderibigbe said the company aligned with the clamour for the re-integration of History into the school academic curriculum.
“It is often said that someone who does not know where he is coming from will not know where his destination truly lies.”
He said this was why Globacom backed the custodians of culture across the country by creating a platform for them to fully express their traditions and showcase their ingenuity.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Ojude Oba Planning Committee, Wahab Osinusi, said that the organisers of the festival were working with the Ogun State government to fully maximise the potentials inherent in tourism.
Osinusi, the Otunba Fidipote of Ijebuland, said the tourism sector was an untapped gold mine which had the potential to alleviate poverty, create employment and generate revenue for development.
He said this year’s festival, which ran with the theme; Ojude-Oba: Our Culture, Our Pride, is a cultural heritage that transcends religious divides thereby promoting peace and aiding socio-economic development.
and then