News

Osun APC, PDP Trade Words Over Adeleke’s Security Alarm

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2024

Editor

The Osun State chapters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, on Wednesday, traded accusations over the security alarm raised by the governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke, on the alleged plans of hoodlums to attack schools and farm settlements in the state.

Adeleke had earlier said intelligence reports indicated plans by hoodlums to attack schools and carry out abductions, as well as attack farm settlements.

The governor also noted that he had summoned a security council meeting to address the situation.

Reacting to Adeleke’s alarm, the APC in a statement by its chairman in Osun, Tajudeen Lawal, accused the governor of raising a false panic regarding security in the state.

Lawal stated that it was disheartening that a governor would descend into pettiness by planting hoaxes in the media in order to divert the attention of the public.

Lawal said, “Governor Adeleke should sit up for once and give the people of the state the quality governance he promised the people during his campaign instead of engaging in the creation of another phony agenda meant to have a diversionary motive.

“We are not politically inexperienced not to have an understanding that the Adeleke-invented security threat against the state is a ploy to shift their attention from discussing his ill-thought out N100 billion white elephant projects when hunger is working on four legs in all the streets in the nooks and crannies of the state.

“There is nothing wrong in a government being proactive on security issues, but it is criminal and an express admission of failure for any government to use same as a weapon of deceit to confuse the governed.”

Reacting, Osun PDP chairman, Mr Sunday Bisi, described Osun APC as inhumane, unpatriotic and delusional for denying reports of threats to peace and security in the state.

The statement reads, “We find it reprehensible and condemnable for the state APC to deny reports that have been confirmed by virtually all the security agencies in the state. Must the APC play politics with everything?

“A patriotic governor raised the alarm on security threats and he summoned the state security council meeting. The council meeting attended by top security and service commanders reviewed the situation in the light of their field reports and mapped out preemptive measures.

“The resolution of the state security meeting was made public including a list of steps the state is to take to stop the threats from materialising. Instead of commending the Governor for his foresight, the opposition has chosen to play bad, sore loser again, leveling unfounded allegations and playing games with the lives and properties of our people.

“As a party, the PDP government is too well focussed on delivering on its infra and social programmes designed to restore the state from the depth of under-development the state was plunged into for 12 years.”
PUNCH

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

18 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

24 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

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.

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

News

JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

24 hours ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

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.

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.

“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.

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.