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Lessons from Kigali: Transforming Osun State for a Sustainable Future

Published

2 years ago

August 28, 2023

Eric

By Bamikole Omishore

Effective governance has proven to be an essential phenomenon in today’s world. This is the reason the journey of transformation started by the government in Osun State draws a striking parallel with the remarkable progress witnessed in Kigali, Rwanda. I was privileged to accompany Governor Ademola Adeleke on a leadership retreat to Kigali, Rwanda, and he was no doubt impressed by the level of orderliness and organization right from the airport. As the airport gates opened in Kigali, it was impossible not to notice the seamless order and organization that guided the process. This experience sets the stage for lessons that will shape the basis of learning for Osun State.

The hallmark of Kigali’s transformation is not merely its infrastructural advancements but the leadership mindset that propelled it forward. Rwanda’s leaders dared to dream big, inspiring unity and a shared vision of growth. In a similar vein, Governor Adeleke has committed himself to leading by example in Osun State. From improved healthcare services to enhanced education initiatives, the Governor is already sowing the seeds of positive change. And this is only the beginning.

One cannot help but be impressed by the lush greenery that envelops Kigali. The city’s commitment to climate sustainability is a testament to responsible governance. It is heartening to note that just a few days ago, Governor Adeleke pledged to plant over 100,000 trees in Osun State. This will not only help to beautify the state, but also help to combat climate change. Besides, this isn’t just an environmental gesture; it’s a solid commitment to a healthier, greener future for the good people of our state.

To further catalyze growth, Adeleke recognizes the importance of fostering an environment that nurtures innovation. According to Governor Adeleke during the visit, “We are taking steps to improve the ease of doing business in Osun, ensuring that startups with groundbreaking ideas have the support they need to flourish. These startups hold the potential to address local challenges with fresh solutions, driving not just economic progress, but social betterment as well.

“To encourage start-ups that will address local problems in Osun State, I have identified five steps that we need to take to improve the ease of doing business. These steps include: Simplifying the process of registering a business in Osun State, providing access to funding for start-ups, creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive, providing training and mentorship for budding entrepreneurs and encouraging collaboration between businesses and the government,” the Governor said.

Furthermore, the governor’s aspirations don’t only stop at the state’s borders. By initiating a culture of peer review and challenge, it is hoped, the visit will spark a nationwide revolution in leadership, starting with his counterparts that also undertook the trip. “Just as Rwanda’s success story inspired me, I believe that our commitment to change will inspire the other governors across Nigeria. Together, we can set the stage for a new era of cooperative governance that transcends political boundaries,” Governor Adeleke said.

But the journey doesn’t end there. Governor Adeleke intends to harness the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint for innovation and development in Osun. According to him, the SDGs provide a framework for driving development in Osun State.

He said: “Here are four ways that we can aggressively use the SDGs to drive development in Osun State in the next seven years: We will focus on providing access to quality education for all children in Osun State. This will help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living in the state.

“We will work to provide access to clean water and sanitation for all residents of Osun State. This will help to improve health outcomes and reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases.

“We will focus on promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls in Osun State. This will help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living for women and girls in our state.

“Above all, we will work to provide access to affordable and clean energy for all residents of Osun State. This will help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living in the state. Besides, by aligning our efforts with these global objectives, we will not only foster growth but also contribute to a more sustainable world.”

As a leader of impact, Governor Adeleke understands the profound impact of setting a personal example. Just as Rwanda’s leaders led the way in creating a clean, green city, he has committed to leading Osun by example.

“By ensuring that our cities are clean and sustainable, we’re not just building a better environment; we’re instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in our citizens.

“From Rwanda’s orderly airport to Osun’s pledge for a greener future, the lessons are clear: visionary leadership, sustainability, and innovation are the cornerstones of progress.

“As we navigate this path of transformation, I am confident that Osun State will emerge as a shining example of positive change – a testament to what’s possible when leadership is driven by a passion for growth, a commitment to the people, adherence to due process and rule of law and an unwavering belief in a better tomorrow.”

Moreover, it is hoped that as Governor Adeleke focuses on creating enabling environments, businesses will find Osun state as the most suitable destination in Africa to do business.

He said: “From investing in the value chain of agriculture such as cassava to starch, to opportunities in energy and mineral sectors, to driving an agrotech-led agricultural transformation, to building on the tourism opportunities, to investing in sports as a business, Osun State is open and ready for investments and we welcome investors home and abroad to come to our dear state.”

Governor Adeleke at the leadership retreat organized by United Nations Developmental Partners and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, reiterated his administration’s readiness to drive sports development through public-private partnerships. The Governor made this known while responding to an address by Masai Michael Ujiri, a British born Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball executive and President of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ujiri, during his brief interaction with the Nigerian delegation described sports as an important sector that needs proper attention by the government in order to drive the needed development in the sector. He said the government needed to bring in private investors and cited examples of how commercializing sports had helped many developed countries. Governor Adeleke, who assured the delegation of the readiness of his administration to develop sports in the state, extended an invitation to Ujiri to further consolidate his administration’s plans and efforts for the sector. “I will invite you to Osun state in Nigeria. Come with sports’ investors. Osun is open for sports as a tool for economic development,” Governor Adeleke said.

Instructively, during a workshop session at the retreat, Tolani Alli, ex-aide of former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, referenced Governor Adeleke’s giant strides of completing multiple projects by his predecessor and embarking on groundbreaking projects without taking any loans.

In conclusion, Governor Adeleke’s visit to Kigali remains a lesson in leadership and development, and he is committed to implementing the lessons learnt in Osun State to make it a shining light among the league of states. It therefore behooves all residents of Osun State to join hands with the performing Governor on this journey towards a better Osun State.

Bamikole Omishore is the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals and Multilateral Relations to Governor of Osun State.

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Sanusi Lamido Remains Emir, Kano Govt Insists, Says Appeal Court Can’t Contradict Itself

Published

10 hours ago

March 15, 2025

Eric

Kano State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Haruna Isa Dederi, has insisted that the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on the lingering emirship tussle has not invalidated the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir.

Besides, Dederi declared that having passed a landmark verdict on January 10, 2025, reaffirming the power of the Kano State Government to reappoint Sanusi, it is impossible for the Court of Appeal to set aside or quash its own decision on the same matter.

The Attorney General made this position known to journalists while reacting to Friday’s ruling of the Appellate Court on the application for a stay of execution filed by Alh. Aminu Baba DanAgundi, one of the kingmakers loyal to the 15th Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero, pending the determination of the appeal at the Supreme Court.

According to Dederi, the matter is functus officio, adding that only the Supreme Court has the power to set aside the decision of the Appeal Court handed down by Justice Mohammad Mustapha on January 10, 2025.

“The Appeal Court today, after hearing their application for a stay of execution, ruled that the status quo should rather be maintained as it is now until after the judgment of the Supreme Court. They have filed an appeal at the Supreme Court.

“It doesn’t mean that the judgment delivered on January 10, 2025, has been quashed. That judgment is still standing, still in place, and subsisting. The Court of Appeal cannot reverse its own decision. It is not possible. Only the Supreme Court has the power to set aside the judgment given by a lower court.

“So, the Court of Appeal, Abuja, today has just said that execution of the judgment has been stayed pending the outcome of the appeal, which has been filed at the Supreme Court by Aminu Baba DanAgundi on behalf of Bayero,” Dederi noted.

It would be recalled that on January 10, 2025, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, led by Justice Mustapha, set aside the judgment of Justice A. Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano, which nullified the steps and actions taken by the Kano State Government pursuant to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024, including the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.

The Appellate Court also dismissed the decision of the Federal High Court judge to hear the matter relating to the emirate council, ruling that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to do so. This decision upheld the removal of Bayero as the 15th Emir.

Dissatisfied with the verdict of Justice Mustapha’s panel, DanAgundi proceeded to the Supreme Court to seek the overturning of the lower court’s verdict. He also filed a motion for a stay of execution of Justice Mustapha’s judgment pending the hearing and determination of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.

The application was also moved on the grounds that the applicant initially instituted the suit in Kano to protect his fundamental rights and argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit.

In a unanimous ruling, the three-member panel of Justices led by Justice Abang on Friday held that the application was meritorious and deserving of the court’s discretion in the interest of justice.

“The law is settled. The court is enjoined to exercise its discretion judiciously and in the interest of justice,” Justice Abang said

Justice Abang held that the mandatory injunction ordered that the status quo ante bellum be maintained by the sheriff of this court and the trial court as it was before the trial court’s decision on 13/6/2024 in Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024.

In granting the injunction, Justice Abang emphasised that the applicant’s process was competent and had met all the necessary legal conditions required to obtain the relief sought.

He noted that a valid appeal was already pending before the Supreme Court, reinforcing the need to preserve the subject matter of the litigation.

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Obi Employs Sarcasm, Mocks Tinubu on Prevailing Hardship

Published

1 day ago

March 14, 2025

Eric

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu, sarcastically praising him for fulfilling his promise to continue where former President Muhammadu Buhari left off.

Speaking during a visit to Governor Bala Mohammed in Bauchi on Thursday, Obi criticized the current administration’s handling of the economy, stating that Nigeria must now move beyond ethnic and religious politics to focus on competence and capacity.

“Tinubu promised to continue where Buhari stopped. If you look at it, Buhari left the dollar at about N400, today it is about N1,500. Rice was about N40,000, it is now over N100,000. Fuel was about N300, it is now over N1,000. I can go on and on—everything has doubled and tripled. So, he has done exactly as he promised,” Obi remarked.

Obi contrasted Nigeria’s economic performance with that of Indonesia, citing how their government transformed the country’s economy over the past decade.

“In Indonesia, a president was sworn in about the same time as another one in Nigeria. Ten years later, Indonesia moved their GDP from $800 billion to $1.3 trillion, and their per capita income from $3,000 to $5,000.

Here in Nigeria, our GDP fell from $500 billion to $200 billion, and per capita income dropped from $3,500 to below $2,000—that is the difference,” he explained.

He further emphasized the need to revive Nigeria’s industries, invest in education and healthcare, and steer the nation towards productive governance.

Obi stated that his meeting with Governor Bala Mohammed was part of a broader discussion on addressing the country’s challenges.

“We have just started discussions. You can’t consummate a marriage in one day. But the most important thing is that our thoughts are centered on issues that affect the ordinary Nigerian.

We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can become somebody. We will eliminate the elite conspiracy that uses tribalism and religion to divide the people. We have voted for tribe and religion before; now, we must vote for competence and capacity,” Obi declared.

Governor Bala Mohammed affirmed that their collaboration transcends party lines, religious affiliations, and geopolitical interests for the betterment of Nigeria.

“Our collaboration is beyond party, religion, and personal interests. The government in power thrives on division, but we will use knowledge, strategy, and unity to build a better Nigeria,” the governor stated.

Obi’s visit signals a growing political alliance among opposition figures, with a focus on economic recovery, national unity, and leadership accountability ahead of future elections.

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Fubara Bows to Pressure, Invites Pro-Wike awmakers to Peace Meeting

Published

5 days ago

March 10, 2025

Eric

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara has extended an olive branch to lawmakers loyal to his rival, Nyesome Wike.

The governor invited the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly members to a peace meeting, following the Supreme Court’s judgement on the state’s political unrest.

The invitation was made through a letter from Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Secretary to the State Government, to Speaker Martins Amaewhule.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday at 10 am at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

The agenda includes addressing lingering issues, presenting the 2025 state budget, and discussing payment of lawmakers’ allowances.

The letter read: “I hereby write in furtherance of His Excellency’s promise stated in my letter dated 5th March 2025 to notify you that His Excellency has received the Supreme Court Judgment, and has therefore directed me to invite you and your colleagues -the Honourable members of Rivers State House of Assembly, to a meeting to discuss:-

“Provision of a befitting space for the Assembly’s sittings. Payment of all outstanding remuneration or allowances of the Honourable members. Presentation of Budget and sundry matters;

“Any other matter(s), as may be necessary, to chart the way forward in the best interest of the State. Sequel to the above, I hereby humbly invite the Rt. Hon. Speaker, and all the Rivers State House of Assembly members to a meeting with the Governor as follows.”