100-year-old Tree Falls In Oyo, Kills Four

Published

3 years ago

October 5, 2021

Editor

Four persons were feared killed and another seriously injured when an ancient majestic ‘Odan’ tree fell to a heavy windstorm in the Saabo area of Oyo town on Monday.

According to reports, the ancient tree provided shelter for butchers, mini buses and commercial motorcycle operators with its far-spreading branches at a popular foodstuff market in Oyo town.

Akeebu Alarape, chairman, Saabo Market, Oyo town, told NAN that the tree was about 100 years old.

Mr Alarape said four different sawyers invited to cut the tree did not succeed until a fifth sawyer was able to cut parts of it for rescue operation to begin.

A resident trader in the area, Kareemot Ejide, 65, said she had known the tree since her childhood days.

According to Akeem Ojo, Head Operations of the Western Nigeria Security Network, “Amotekun’’ in Atiba Local Council Development Area, the tree fell at about 6 p.m.

“A female student of Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, a woman with a baby strapped to her back and a boy she was holding were pulled out from under the tree.

“One person was seriously injured and was taken to a private hospital in the area, while motorcycle and mini bus parks under the tree were damaged,’’ Ojo said.

He added that Amotekun’s presence at the scene was to prevent rioting and looting of goods in the market.

Seun Oguntona, chairman, Sooro Local Council Development Area, Oke-Isiwin, Oyo, confirmed to NAN that those affected were people who took shelter under the tree during a heavy downpour.

He added that those trading under the tree would be relocated.

He urged people in the area to always stay in-doors and not to take shelter under trees when it rained.

He debunked the rumour that the tree was fetish, adding that the person that planted the tree died 30 years ago.

Mr Oguntona said that though the man was a “Sango’’ traditional religion faithful, he planted the tree to provide shade for people.

Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, Adewale Osifeso, to react were not successful as he did not pick his phone calls.

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Finalise Regional Alliance Project

Published

27 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have finalised plans to form a confederation after turning their backs on former colonial ruler France to seek closer ties with Russia.

Their foreign ministers met Friday in Niger’s capital Niamey to agree on a text establishing the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

“The objective was to finalise the draft text relating to the institutionalisation and operationalisation of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)”, said Niger Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare as he read the final statement late Friday.

He said the text would be adopted by the heads of state of the three countries at a summit, without specifying the date.

“We can consider very clearly, today, that the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has been born,” Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said after meeting General Abdourahamane Tiani, the head of Nigerien military regime.

The third foreign minister at the meeting was Burkina Faso’s Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore.

The Sahel region has been subject to deadly jihadist violence for years, which they accused France of not being able to curb.

The three countries said late January they were quitting The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which they said was under French influence, to create their own regional grouping.

AFP

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Paul Kagame, Chimamanda Adichie, Aig-Imoukhuede, Other Africans Make Top 100 Influential Global

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Combo of Paul Kagame, Chimamanda Adichie, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede,Remi Dairo.

Rwanda President, Paul Kagame, Nigeria’s Chimamanda Adichie, and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, have been listed among top 100 influential global voices 2023/24.

Others list are president, the president , Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation, Africa and the Chief Operating Officer of Productivate Plus LLC, headquartered in Houston, Texas, Mr Remi Dairo; Adebayo Ogunlesi; Jumoke Adenowo, Ibukun Awosika; Malala Yousafzai, Strive Masiyiwa, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.

In recognition of this groundbreaking record, Dairo was honoured by the Leaders Without Borders Development Centre at the event which took place on 19th April at House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, United Kingdom in recognition of being a global voice.

Commenting, Dairo said, “I feel so excited and motivated for the journey of my efforts and contribution to productivity in the community is globally recognized. The journey started in Nigeria as the School of Productivity in 2007 and metamorphosed into the Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation (IPBiM) in 2017.”

Remi Dairo is the president of the Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation Management (IPBIM), a distinguished African institution with global outreach that globally focuses on African institutions of productivity and innovation learning. The institution is in partnership with some of the world’s best institutions around the globe.

Headline

Disregard Claim Of Me Bringing Investors To Nigeria – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied sending a WhatsApp message claiming she’s bringing investors to Nigeria due to Tinubu’s “commendable policies”.

A message had been circulating on Whatsapp alleging that former Minister of Finance has been contacted by President, respected instutitions and investors who congratulated her because Nigeria has finally found a “focused leader.”

Anything forwarded to you purporting to be a WhatsApp message from me is fake – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala debunks news claiming she?s bringing investors to Nigeria due to Tinubu?s ?commendable policies?

Reacting via her X handle, Okonjo-Iweala described it as fake. She wrote;

‘’It’s been brought to my attention that another FAKE message has been manufactured and is being forwarded on WhatsApp in my name. I want to make clear that this fake message is not from me. I am pleased that those who know me instantly recognized this as fake.

“Thanks to friends who brought this to my attention. Please be aware that I do not use WhatsApp broadcasts, thus anything forwarded to you purporting to be a WhatsApp message from me is FAKE.

“This is a bad example of the use of social media. I want to warn those in the business of manufacturing FAKE messages, that they will not succeed.”