General News
IWD: Babagbemi Applauds Women, Commends their Contributions To Democratic Practices
A House of Representatives aspirant for the Yagba Federal Constituency, Pastor Babagbemi Joseph Adejola, has applauded the resilience, strength and invaluable contributions of women, describing them as the “light of the world” and key drivers of democratic governance.
Babagbemi made the remark in a statement on Sunday to commemorate the International Women’s Day 2026, where he emphasized the vital role women play not only in families and communities but also in shaping leadership through their voting power.
He noted that women constitute a significant portion of the electorate across Nigeria, pointing out that in the Yagba Federal Constituency comprising Yagba East, Yagba West, and Mopamuro local government areas female voters account for nearly half of the registered voters.
According to available electoral statistics, the constituency has about 168,012 registered voters, with approximately 83,000 to 84,000 of them being women, representing nearly 50 percent of the electorate.
Babagbemi said the figures demonstrate the enormous influence women wield in determining electoral outcomes and shaping governance in the constituency and beyond.
“Women are the light of the world. Their nurturing spirit, wisdom and strength illuminate homes, institutions and society at large.
“They are pillars of support and agents of transformation whose impact continues to shape a better future for humanity,” he said.
He stressed that women’s participation in governance goes beyond voting, adding that they play important roles in leadership, policy advocacy, community mobilization and nation-building.
Babagbemi also commended women across Nigeria for their courage and perseverance despite various social and economic challenges, noting that their commitment to progress remains indispensable to national development.
The aspirant further urged governments, institutions and community leaders to intensify efforts toward empowering women through education, economic opportunities and policies that promote gender equality and inclusion.
According to him, supporting women is crucial for sustainable development and democratic growth.
“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I encourage women to remain confident in their abilities and continue to contribute meaningfully to governance and nation-building,” he added.
Babagbemi wished women a fulfilling celebration and reaffirmed his commitment to initiatives that will advance the welfare, participation and leadership of women in society.
The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Felix Mujakperuo, has suspended the proposed amendment of the Sapele-Okpe Community constitution and the creation of a controversial fifth quarter that recently sparked tensions within the community.
Mujakperuo, a retired major general and traditional ruler known as Orhue I, issued the directive during a stakeholders’ meeting held at his palace in Orerokpe, Delta State, aimed at resolving the leadership dispute within the Sapele-Okpe community.
The monarch, who also serves as Chairman of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, directed that all actions relating to the constitutional amendment and the recognition of the alleged fifth quarter be halted indefinitely.
The meeting followed rising tensions after community leaders on March 1, 2026, passed a vote of no confidence on the community chairman, Onoriode Temiagin, and his executive over allegations that they secretly amended the community constitution and created a new quarter without proper consultation.
However, the monarch set aside the vote of no confidence and allowed Temiagin and his executive to complete their tenure, noting that they have about four months left in office.
The dispute was further fueled by claims that the executive attempted to recognise Otonyasere as the fifth quarter of Sapele-Okpe Community without consulting the existing quarters or members of the Sapele-Okpe Community Land Trust Association.
The controversy triggered protests on March 4, when hundreds of youths marched through the streets of Sapele, carrying placards with messages such as “We Don’t Have a Fifth Quarter” and “Temiagin Must Go.”
Addressing the stakeholders at the palace meeting, the monarch urged both the chairman of the Sapele-Okpe Community Land Trust Association, Ede Dafinone, and the community chairman, Temiagin, to work together to resolve the dispute and restore peace in the community.
Several prominent leaders attended the meeting, including Professor Sam Oyovbaire and other community elders.
The Orodje’s intervention is expected to calm tensions and pave the way for dialogue aimed at resolving the leadership crisis within the Sapele-Okpe community.
The Dangote Refinery has reduced the prices of petrol and diesel by up to ₦100 and ₦190 respectively, according to its latest pricing template released on March 10, 2026.
Under the new pricing structure, the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, has been lowered by ₦100, bringing it down to ₦1,075 per litre from the previous ₦1,175 per litre.
The refinery also announced that the price of PMS for coastal supply has been adjusted to ₦1,050 per litre, reflecting slight changes associated with maritime distribution costs.
Similarly, the price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, has been reduced to ₦1,430 per litre at the gantry, marking a ₦190 drop from the earlier price of ₦1,620 per litre.
However, the refinery clarified that the gantry prices do not include statutory charges imposed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The latest price adjustments are expected to influence fuel supply and distribution across the country as stakeholders in the downstream petroleum sector monitor market reactions.
General News
FERMA RESCUES OKE-OGUN ROADS: MOTORISTS HAIL REHABILITATION AS AGENCY TACKLES DECADES OF NEGLECT
Motorists and other road users have commended the Federal Road Maintenance Agency as it stepped up action on the rehabilitation of federal roads in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State. Maintenance of the federal roads in the area was put on hold for a while due to reported cases of kidnapping, banditry and other vices. But the agency, disturbed by the reported cases of road crashes and other occurrences attributed to the deplorable state of roads in the state, resumed the rehabilitation of roads in the Oke-Ogun axis.
FERMA, at weekend, kicked off rehabilitation works on Kishi and Ago-Are/Saki roads, a project that is being executed through direct labor. The rehabilitation exercise, according to some of the motorists, would drastically reduce the reported carnage on the roads and as well reduce the cost of transporting farm produce to the various markets in the area.
A leader of the motorists, Abdulraman Maruf Abiola, commended FERMA for its decision to resume rehabilitation of federal roads in Oke-Ogun, described the intervention as a welcome development. “The state of the roads in the Oke-Ogun area is appalling. The situation has resulted in the geometric increase on the prices of commodities as well the reported cases of the crashes on the roads. The cost of transporting the farm produces to the neighboring markets, in recent times, have witnessed a geometric increase as a result of the deplorable condition of the roads. Also, most of the road crashes recorded in the area have been attributed to the deplorable condition of the roads. However, with the intervention of FERMA, there will be drastic reduction in the reported cases,” he said.
Abiola further stated that periodic rehabilitation of some of the roads in Oke-Ogun will reduce reported cases of road accident, high cost of transportation and other mishaps. He said there were other bad portions of the Kishi/Igbeti Road that needed to be fixed, and pleaded for the intervention of FERMA and other relevant agencies, both at the state and federal levels.
In his remarks, Engineer Olutunde Adepoju of FERMA, Oyo State Field Office, blamed the neglect of the federal roads in the Oke-Ogun axis on insecurity. He lamented that most of the roads being rehabilitated were constructed around 1979 and 1980, adding that they have not been adequately maintained by the users. “Maintenance is one of the things that we are lacking in anything that we do. We need to come back to that basis to ensure that all these items are being attended to at the appropriate time,” Adepoju said.
He stated that the President Bola Tinubu administration was already working on roads to ensure that things are done the way they ought to be. “The main constraint is finance and I believe that the House of Representatives Chairman on FERMA, Honourable Remi Oseni, together with all other members of the Senate Committee on FERMA are already working on how to increase the allocation given to the agency. There is nothing we can do if fund is not available and I believe that all those who are concerned are already advocating for it. We just pray that God will continue to help the president with the reform the New Hope Agenda is pursuing.”
Providing details of the ongoing work, Adepoju explained, “We are currently working at Kishi Town and the total area we are covering is about 1,110 square meters which is approximately about 111 meters of asphalt. More or less, what we are doing here is sectional repairs. Our own concern is how to make the road motorable for the community. So we have to carry out the rehabilitation of the place. Like I told you, it is a sectional repair within the corridor as you all know. From here, we will move to Ago-Are. Ago-Are axis spans from Iseyin. The total kilometer is about 306 kilometers of road. The section we are repairing currently is about 268 kilometers and our own work we have only covered approximately two kilometers that we are currently repairing.”