News
Lawmakers give Commissioner, Lagos monarch 7 days to remove traditional ruler


Lagos lawmakers on Tuesday asked the Commissioner for Local Government, Mr Muslim Folami, and a monarch, Oba Rafiu Salami, to revoke installation of a new traditional ruler in the state.
The call followed the adoption of the recommendations of a report on a chieftaincy petition presented by Mrs Funmilayo Tejuosho, Chairman, Adhoc Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Petition and LASIEC.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the petition was titled: “Complaint against the Representation of One Mufutau Olamiji as the Baale of Okegun-Ladeseso, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area.”
The House said that failure to comply with the recommendations would attract disciplinary action, saying Okegun-Ladeseso never existed in the area.
Presenting the committee’s report on the chieftaincy tussle between Baale Ismaila Ogunkoya of Okegun-Odofin and Olamiji of Okegun-Ladeseso, Tejuosho said that the committee’s recommendations were taken after thorough examinations.
“That the motive behind the creation and carving out of the newly created Okegun-Ladeseso out of Okegun-Odofin, mainly was to checkmate the influence of Baale Ismaila Ogunkoya, and this is absurd and unacceptable.
“Hence, the Baaleship of Mufutau Olamiji be rescinded in order to bring lasting peace to that community; accordingly, Baale Ismaila Ogunkoya remains the only Baale of Okegun-Odofin which also comprises the purported created Okegun-Ladeseso.
“That consequent upon (i) above, the Commissioner for the Local Government and Community Affairs should take appropriate action by revoking the gazette given to Mufutau Olamiji as Baale of Okegun-Ladeseso who was maliciously installed after the coronation of Ogunkoya by Oba Salami himself.
“That the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Muslim Folami and other top officials in the ministry observe due diligence and try not to subvert the system in the course of their duties.
“That all unlawful and reckless land transactions at Okegun-Odofin by Oba Salami and Mufutau Olamiji should stop forthwith.
“That all the Obas or Baales that have been nominated under such anomaly and wrongly endorsed by the tribunal be reversed and sent back to the Ibeju-Lekki LG Chieftaincy Committee for fresh processing,” she said.
The House, which maintained that Okegun-Ladeseso was unknown in the original layout of Ibeju-Lekki, directed the commissioner to revoke the gazette within seven days.
Tejuoso had maintained that the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki, Oba Salami, maliciously installed Olamiji, who was his Personal Assistant, as Baale to override that of Ogunkoya, who was seen as not being submissive to Onibeju.
The Chairman also disclosed that the commissioner connived with Onibeju to install Olamiji to bypass Committee for Chieftaincy Affairs.
She added that Folami had also proceeded to the tribunal while the House committee was conducting its findings despite given the order to take rescind.
The lawmakers took turns to condemn the procedure of the ministry in installing traditional rulers, saying that most times due process was not followed.
Mr Yinka Ogundimu, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, said that the activities of the commissioner should be looked into by Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode.
Also speaking, Mr Bisi Yusuff, Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local) said: “It is not enough for the governor to look into the activities of the commissioner, but also expedient for the House to pass a vote-of-no confidence in him.”
The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, told the lawmakers that failure of both Folami and the Onibeju to adhere to the recommendations of the House within a week would determine the next action.
“We will give them (Commissioner and Onibeju) the opportunity to rescind. We will use this as a test case and I am sure they will comply. They should ensure sanity in Okegun,’’ he said.
The House said that there was a need to review the law on chieftaincy titles and the remuneration in order to regulate the way and manner Obas and Bales emerge in every nook and cranny in Lagos State. (Source: NAN)
News
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
ORJI ISRAEL reports that the group accused ANC of maintaining silence on religious persecution, while deepening ties with ideological extremists in Tehran


Recent reports indicate that over 4,400 Christians were murdered for their faith last year, while over the past decade, jihadist violence has driven 16 million Christians from their homes, millions of which are African citizens.
This is according to global Christian charity, Open Doors, which also confirms that for every five Christians, one will face persecution in Africa specifically.
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List reveals the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians are dominated by Islamic states in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Nigeria. A more detailed UK Parliament briefing recently noted that 70% of Christians killed in 2024 were indeed in Africa.
Over the last six months, the brutality against Christians in Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with a series of devastating attacks across the continent. Just last month, ISIL-affiliated rebels stormed a Catholic church in Komanda, DRC, murdering close to 50 worshippers, including women and children. That same month in Mozambique, Islamic State fighters captured and beheaded six Christians from Natocua village, just across South Africa’s border. A month earlier, in June 2025, armed militants in Nigeria massacred nearly 200 Christian civilians in Yelwata village.
“What we are witnessing is not random violence or isolated attacks. It is a deliberate, coordinated campaign by jihadist networks to wipe Christianity from vast regions of Africa and the Middle East,” says SAFI spokesperson, Bafana Modise. “These acts of terror are the early stages of a genocide against Christians, and history will record who spoke out and who shamefully looked away. Tragically, the ANC has chosen the latter.”
This silence is even more damning in light of last week’s news that South Africa’s military chief, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami in Tehran to discuss deepening military and strategic ties, when Iran remains one of the world’s most notorious persecutors of Christians.
A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warned that Pretoria’s deepening ties with Tehran has compromised South Africa’s democratic foundations by defending Iran at the UN and IAEA, downplaying its human rights abuses, and potentially benefitting from covert support, including speculation around the ANC’s repayment of a multi-million-rand debt shortly after filing the ICJ case against Israel.
“These atrocities are not just crimes against individuals; they are part of a war against the freedom of religion itself,” Modise warns. “This is religious genocide, and it is gaining momentum as it edges closer to South Africa’s borders.”
Instead of defending religious freedom, the ANC government has remained silent. It has issued no meaningful condemnation or rallying call to protect persecuted Christians: “The ANC has done nothing to defend the rights of Christians,” says Modise. “Instead, it has squandered South Africa’s moral standing on discredited genocide charges against Israel – the one country in the Middle East where Christians live in safety and equality.”
This betrayal is even more unforgivable in a nation where 80% of South Africans identify as Christian. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, but the ANC, once the global champion of human rights, has made its bed with regimes and groups that have used Islamic law to suppress and destroy those freedoms.
“The ANC’s alliances make it clear: they have abandoned South Africa’s Christians, choosing friendship with the very forces driving this campaign of genocide,” Modise concludes. “Silence in the face of such evil is complicity, and the ANC is guilty of both. They have aligned themselves with Jihadist Islamic ideology, without further thought.”
We call on every pastor, every congregation, and every believer to demand that the ANC account for its indifference and betrayal. The blood of persecuted Christians cries out from across the African continent. If South Africa will not stand with them now, the day may come when their fate becomes our own.
News
Government Should Support Media with Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties – Soneye
….Media Sustainability: Soneye Advocates Tax Reliefs, Independent Fund for Journalism


Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called on the Federal Government to support the Nigerian media with targeted incentives, including tax reliefs and import duty waivers on essential media tools.
Soneye made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday after receiving the NUJ FCT Excellence in Corporate Communications Award, conferred on him by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
The NUJ leadership, led by Chairperson Grace Ike, alongside the Deputy Chair, Secretary-General, and other executives, described Soneye as a consummate professional who has distinguished himself with tact and excellence in the communications field.
In his remarks, Soneye noted that while the Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, it continues to grapple with systemic challenges that weaken its effectiveness.
“The Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, but it also faces systemic challenges, financial, political, legal, and technological that weaken its effectiveness. The government can play a supportive role by granting tax incentives or relief on import duties for newsprint, broadcast equipment, and digital infrastructure,” he said.
He also urged the Federal Government to establish an independent media development fund to support investigative journalism, community radio, and newsroom innovation, drawing parallels with models in South Africa, the United States, and Canada.
The award underscores Soneye’s long-standing contributions to journalism and corporate communications, as well as his advocacy for a stronger, independent, and sustainable Nigerian media.


… GFD Executive Director emerges chapter Vice Chairperson*
The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has elected a new executive council at the close of its flagship Lagos PR Fest 2025, reinforcing its commitment to professionalism, innovation, and societal impact.
In elections supervised by NIPR Registrar, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue, Samuel Ayetutu emerged as Chairman, while Eniola Mayowa was elected Vice Chairman in a closely contested race.
Other members of the executive include Secretary Samuel Adeyemi, Assistant Secretary Rita Ali-Nock, Public Relations Officer Ogochukwu Okeke, Financial Secretary Bassey Nta, Treasurer Olabamiji Adeleye, Welfare Officer Funmilola Akintola, and Ex-Officio Provost Marshal Quadri Adeleke.
In his acceptance remarks, Ayetutu pledged to drive professional standards, promote inclusiveness, and foster collaboration among members to enhance the chapter’s influence locally and nationally.
This year’s PR Fest, themed “Urban Farming for Food Security: The Role of Communication”, convened communication professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore innovative strategies for tackling food security through effective public engagement.
Over the years, the Lagos PR Fest has evolved into a leading platform for advancing the role of public relations in societal development, with the 2025 edition underscoring the Institute’s mission to position communication as a driver of sustainable development in Nigeria.
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