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‘Everybody Becoming Poor,’ Onaiyekan Laments, Seeks Policy Review To Reverse Economic Hardship
The former Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has called for a policy review to minimise the current economic hardship in the country.
He made the call in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of a Marian Concert, organised to mark the 2024 feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Abuja.
The concert which was orgnaised by the Madonna Choir of St. Charles Lwanga parish and partner societies was titled “The Four Dogmas of the Blessed Virgin Mary.’’
Onaiyekan who decried the economic hardship in the country, urged Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for leaders at all levels to always make the right decisions to curb the tension in the land.
“if the nation is ruled well, there is more likely to be peace, by ruling well we mean, when there is a sense of justice and equity; that our common resources are equitably distributed not equally because we cannot all have the same salary.
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“There is a limit to what that people can handle. You can’t tell someone to be patient with poverty while we see the people who are supposed to address our poverty, live flamboyantly, building huge mansions and having fleets of cars without caring how they are fueled whereas, the rest of us are queuing to get a few litres of fuel,” he said.
He said: “There’s need to review some of the policies that are giving rise to the kind of pain and poverty that we are not familiar with, we are not used to this, the middle class is now being completely whipped out, everybody is now becoming poor.
“We are praying especially now that we are celebrating a Marian Concert, that Mother Mary who is the Queen of Peace and Queen of Nigeria, will help us handle the nation so everyone will live in peace with one another and enjoy the good that God has given to this country”.
In his remarks, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Thomas Edogbanya urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the face of difficulties bedeviling the country.
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He said that Mary, whose nativity the concert celebrated, was faced with so many setbacks in life but her faith and hope in God never failed.
“That means we can have setbacks in our lives, but the hope that at the birth of our mother Mary will give us peace no matter how difficult things are, especially for Nigerians, there is hope that the future will be bright.
“The best has been brought through that is the saviour of the world, that is the hope of every Christian it is not the moment we celebrate but the future,” he said.
On his part, the Music Director, Mr Charles Arua, said that the concert was in honour of the roles of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the salvation of humanity.
According to him, Mary who is the mother of Jesus Christ is not celebrated enough, hence, the need to organise the concert to mark her birthday.
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“We are celebrating a great woman who also had her tribulations, especially at the birth of Jesus Christ and being there when Christ suffered and died at Calvary.
“The greatest takeaway here is that no matter the challenges you are passing through, once you seek the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the problem will be solved.
“I use this opportunity to encourage everybody, when you have any problem and you believe in the power of the rosary, the power of the intercession of our blessed mother, say the rosary, go to her,” he said.
According to him, as she did at Cana at the wedding feast, she will intercede for you, I am a living witness to that.
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JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.
READ ALSO:Ladoja Coronation Date As 44th Olubadan Revealed
The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.
Details later…
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JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.
These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.
The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.
The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.
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By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.
The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.
“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”
Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.
“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.
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“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.
He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.
“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”
In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.
He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.
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He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.
Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.
According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.
This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.
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