Religion

Group Congratulates New Political Appointees, Judges, Others In Oyo State

By Web News 598

Political Awareness Group, PAG, an Association of Muslim Professionals and Technocrats for Good Governance has congratulated among others newly appointed judges and Commissioners in Oyo State.

In a statement in Ibadan by Chairman, PAG, Barrister AbdWaheed Olowonjaye the group described the appointment of Justice Mashood  Abass as President, Customary Court of Appeal of Oyo State as putting a round peg in a round hole.

The group similarly congratulated Dr Kareem Adedokun on his appointment into the exalted position of High Court Judge in the Stat reminding the two judges of the golden provisions in Chapter 5 verse 8 in the Holy Quran which harped on standing firmly on truth without fear or favour.

PAG also appreciated Allah for Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Professor Misbau Babatunde, Commissioner for Health, Dr Taiwo Ladipo and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Alhaja Kafilah Omolabake Olayiwola for making the list and becoming Commissioners in the pacesetter state.

The group at the same time congratulated the old commissioners, Chief Bayo Lawal, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, Barrister Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Hon Ayansiju Lawal, Barrister Temilolu Ashamu and Alhaja Fausat Sanni for making the final list urging

them to know that Islam is not only in worship but also in good conduct and perfect accomplishment of tasks and responsibilities, 

PAG at the same time congratulated Ambassador Taofiq Arapaja as PDP Deputy National Chairman while the group received the news with the happiness of the promotion of Dr Modinah Akindele-AbdulRaheem to the exalted rank of Professor at the University of Ilorin and the appointment of Ustaz Taliha  Yunus as the Grand Imam of Ogbomosholand.

The group prayed for successful tenure of office for all the appointees.

Ridwan Fasasi

Politics

Group Advises Police To Beef Up Security Around Oyo Deputy Governor

By Web News 766

Following a Save My Soul petition filed by Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, Political Awareness Group, PAG has called on police to beef up security around the second citizen of the state.

This is contained in a statement in Ibadan by the Chairman of the Group, Barrister AbdWaheed Olowonjaye.

Barrister Olowonjaye said the Commissioner of Police in the state should not treat the case of the threat to the life of the Deputy Governor with levity and put in place machinery to ensure the safety of the man, noting that this would clear the police of any ulterior motive.

He said PAG, an Association of Muslim Professionals and Technocrats for Good Governance condemned the attack and destruction by some hoodlums on the property of the wife of the Deputy Governor, Professor Amdalat Olaniyan and called for a thorough investigation to bring the culprits to book.

Barrister Olowonjaye explained that it was high time that riot acts were read to political jobbers and touts who were behind last weekend senseless attack at the congress of the faction of People’s Democratic Party in Oyo State.

He equally described as unwarranted the purported move to impeach the Deputy Governor stressing that it would bring about crisis while pointing out that such experience in the past dragged the state into a state of decadence. 

The PAG Chairman lauded the members of the Oyo State House of Assembly for coming out to deny the planned impeachment, warning them not to be used as agents to destabilize the state.

He urged Governor Seyi Makinde to consider the appointment of more Muslim judges to bridge the widening gaps in furtherance his electioneering promise that he would be fair to all religions.

Barrister Olowonjaye added that PAG would not derail in its objective of ensuring good governance is instituted at all levels of government so as to bring succour to the hapless and helpless masses.

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Judiciary

Group Urges Makinde To Compensate Families Of Lawyers Denied Judges Positions

By Web News 531

Political Awareness Group has called on Oyo State Government to immortalize three Muslim lawyers who were claimed to have been selected as judges of high court but died while awaiting approval.
Vice-Chairman of the Association,  Dr Moruf Yusuf made the call in Ibadan at a news conference . 
He said apart from immortalizing the deserving lawyers who were denied the prestigious promotion from the bar to the bench, their families should also be adequately compensated by Oyo State Government.
“It is painful indeed that the three Judges-denied had eventually, consequentially and miraculously given up the ghost. Now that they have all passed on, it will be of utmost important to  immortalise them and compensate their families.”
Dr Yusuf  said out of the 36 applicants each of the three lawyers emerged first from State Judiciary, Ministry of Justice and  Nigeria Bar Association after rigorous examinations and wondered why their confirmation from National Judicial Council, was stopped by the state government .
He also enjoined the State Government without any delay to install the new Eleruwa of Eruwa whom the Supreme Court  has declared as the authentic monarch.


Dr Yusuf appealed to Governor  Makinde to exhibit fairness to all irrespective of religious affiliations.

“PAG calls for equitable appointment of commissioners, government functionaries and fairness in employment opportunities.”
He enjoined socio-cultural organisations to avoid making derogatory comments about a religion in order to prevent  heating up the polity.

Ridwan Fasasi

Politics

Group Supports Federal Government’s Twitter Ban

By Web News 578

Political Awareness Group, PAG has thrown its weight behind the Federal  Government’s suspension of  the popular micro-blogging platform, Twitter.

In a statement in Ibadan by the Chairman and Secretary of the group, Barrister Abdul-Waheed Olowonjaye and Mr Abass Agbara, the group rejected any attempt by Twitter to undermine Nigeria’s security and its sovereignty; physically or digitally.

PAG explains that the courageous statement  made by the President on Twitter  to warn terrorist organizations informing them of the readiness to handle them in proportion was deleted making the tech giant attempting to regulate or muffle the President on matters of such height of National Security.

“We reject any attempt to corner the President into silence on National Security matter which is his immediate responsibility”.

“We reject any attempt by Twitter and/ or any other organization for that matter  to aid or abet terrorism or any subversive elements within or outside Nigeria to overtly or covertly compromise Nigeria National security”.

The group decried the roles Twitter played during the #EndSARS protest and the tactical support being given to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

“Most observers can recall that Twitter had offered heavy logistics to the #ENDSARS protest in the past.

It is also clearly discernible today that Twitter facilitated financial supports for the unprecedentedly  daring, misguided, and glaring lawlessness that caused avoidable mayhem with its attendant cost fortune in human and material resources in the Country”.

“We recall too that the proscribed terrorist organization, IPOB has enjoyed tremendous support and projection from same Twitter for so long till date. It is unheard of, that the organization (a declared terrorist group maiming and killing innocent Nigerians) find so much support with Twitter that a region of the country is becoming ungovernable”.

PAG believed that the freedom of expression of the people had not been gauged since there are other platforms for people to voice out their minds. 

“We affirm that the freedom of expression of the citizens is not, by the ban, breached as we have many other law abiding digital and electronics media that still abound and remain usefully intact in Nigeria”.

The group enjoined the Federal Government to extend regulation to other social media platforms while commensurate tax should also be worked out. 

“We call on the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to also regulate all other social media outfits operating in the country as a matter of necessity”. “We  also call on the Federal Government to seek enabling tax from all Social Media outfits as she does for conventional media houses”.

Ridwan Fasasi

Politics

Don Advocates Moral Rejuvenation To Reduce Corruption

By Web News 684

The Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Professor Abdulhafiz Oladosu says the nation needs to embark on moral rejuvenation to reduce the act of corruption.

He made the call in Ibadan at a stakeholders’ summit organised by Political Awareness Group, PAG, an association of Muslim professionals and technocrats for good governance.

Professor Oladosu who is a lecturer at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, noted that morally upright ones with God-consciousness would not embark on corrupt activities.

He admonished the political office holders to fulfill their electioneering promises in order to regain the confidence of the people, noting that the current developments in the country have demoralised many Nigerians. 

 In a remark, the former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja emphasized on the unity of Nigeria, warning against secession as being clamoured in some quarters. 

Senator Ladoja who was represented by former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Barrister Sharafadeen Alli decried the idea of tagging a particular tribe with crimes maintaining that every tribe has bad eggs and criminal elements. 

The former governor posited that true federalism would solve the current series of challenges facing the country. 

The former Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education, who is also the chairman on the occasion, Dr Sulaiman Adediran enjoined Muslims to develop themselves politically and be advocates of good governance.

Earlier, the Chairman, Political Awareness Group, Barrister AbdWaheed Olowonjaye, noted that the organisation stands for good governance and was ready to support those who shared PAG’s agenda.

He explained that resolutions at the summit would be transmitted to appropriate quarters and concerned authorities.

Barrister Olowonjaye condemned the call for secession in some quarters stressing that what should be paramount was the need to join hands with the federal government to find lasting solutions to various challenges bedeviling the country.

Ridwan Fasasi