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LASTMA @25: Former GM Oyedokun Hails Tinubu’s Vision

Published

8 months ago

July 17, 2025

Eric

A former General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Peter Ayodeji Oyedokun, has commended President Bola Tinubu, for his courage to dare all odds to set up the traffic management agency while he was governor of Lagos State, despite that odds that he faced at the time.

Oyedokun, who served as the second General Manager of LASTMA, after Mr. Adegboyega Coker, of blessed memory, described Asiwaju Tinubu’s leadership as visionary and forward looking.
The former General Manager spoke at the sideline of the Second Lagos Traffic Conference at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island. The event also marked the 25th anniversary of LASTMA.

While expressing his gratitude to President Tinubu, for giving him the opportunity to serve as General Manager of LASTMA, despite not having met me personally, he described his time in LASTMA as a very difficult one.
Oyedokun who was also recognised at the event for his pioneering efforts, said; “I was appointed as GM LASTMA at a time when it was very rough, that was because of the altercation between Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and LASTMA at the time, it was so bad that I nearly ran back to Abuja, because I never expected that level of violence between an agency of the Federal Government and another agency of a state, at the time they were claiming superiority.

“At that time there was no week that they will not carry at least two of my officers to my office drenched in blood, it was terrible.
“At that time too if you remember, uniformed men will sit beside Danfo drivers who will drive against traffic to ensure that LASTMA officers do not arrest them, it was tough then, but we thank God that today it is calm.
“We were able to solve the FERMA problem by daring to go to their camp. they had a camp at Iganmu and the head of the organisation then was Commissioner of Police retired Oyenuga, I dared to go there with my driver to go and meet them there, I was able to get into his office, sat with him for one and half hour to discuss why they should not be injuring and killing themselves and since then the problem was solved.
“We were really very traumatised at the beginning, because we were not really properly accepted at the time, but I was happy when I came back to Lagos after 10 years to see that the tension is gone and there has been a lot of improvement both in technology and human capacity.”

He also expressed appreciation to the men and officers of the agency and honoured the memory of those who lost their lives in the course of their duty.
He expressed appreciation for his recognition by the agency, noting, “This recognition is a humbling reminder of a journey that was not walked alone. It belongs just as much to the brave and selfless men and women of LASTMA, past and present, who stood on the frontlines to restore order and discipline on our roads.
“I pay special tribute to the first General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Adegboyega Coker of blessed memory, whose pioneering and groundbreaking work laid the foundation of this great organisation under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Permit me also to honour the memory of those officers who paid the ultimate price, those who lost their lives or suffered unjust brutality, sometimes in the course of enforcing traffic laws. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten.”

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

1 hour ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

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Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

6 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

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DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

9 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.