General
2019: Williams Scores Buhari, Ambode, Badru Low
**Says PDP Not Dead in Lagos
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives hopeful, Ms Violet Olaitan Williams, on Sunday presented a detailed report to Lagos Island leaders on the poor performance of the lawmaker representing Lagos Island Constituency 1, Mr Enitan Dolapo Badru.
She also engaged the leaders with a larger vision for job creation to reduce unemployment in Lagos State.
“Well, people have different ideas to positions. Firstly, the incumbent is not from my constituency but a product of the leader says (Baba Sope). He is not a man of the people. Does he know the history of this community? The answer is no. He is a product of godfatherism. He hasn’t done anything. He is a failure,” she said.
Ms Williams, in an hour long meeting with the political leaders on Sunday, accused the lawmaker of contributing to stagnation of the area.
“There is nothing to show for the many years in the House of Representatives. It is not about summer school but empowerment. His constituency office is here. Has he ever been there? You won’t blame him much if his impact is so negligible. I’m an indigene of the community. I know the people and I know our challenges, hence my maritime education advocacy. Badru represents stagnation,” she said.
The politician, a stakeholder in the maritime sector, stated that the PDP was not dead in Lagos State contrary to the belief in some quarters.
“To Salvador, PDP is dead because he has left. He didn’t go with fifteen thousand people from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is just a figment of his imagination. From each local government, we have minimum of two aspirants jostling for one seat. How can you now say PDP is dead? Our leaders are intact. APC has so many factions.”
Ms Williams, who defected to PDP with Engineer Funsho Williams, promised to improve the coastal locations in Lagos Island.
“Nigeria is a maritime nation. Lagos state is a maritime hub. Why should we be talking of unemployment? I’ll eradicate joblessness amongst our teeming youths by advocating the use of our water ways effectively, creating cottage industries for our women and encouraging tourism.
“Since the global community is talking entrepreneurial skills, boat building will be encouraged. I’ll engage the youths to careers of the 21st century that will eradicate the menace of the area boys,” she stated.
Ms Williams said her chances of winning in the 2019 election in Lagos Island Constituency 1 remain very bright.
“My chances of winning the House of Representatives election in 2019 are bight. I am not a stranger here. This is the first time a native of the community, a grassroots politician and a mother will be offering herself to bring the past glories of the famous Olowogbowo back to her constituents. I contested in 2007 and came second in PDP primaries. So this time around, I know I’ve gathered enough skills to improve the lot of my people.”
She urged the leaders to support her ambition.
“It’s about genuine service to the community. They should know that it’s a four year mortgage if they don’t get it right and if they get it right, it will transform their lives. They should vote wisely for a better change and representation where prosperity will come into the community.
Ms Williams also spoke about the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
“Governor Akinwunmi Ambode must improve the waste management services we have now. We’ve never had it this bad. It is near epidemic state. The trailer menace has crippled businesses and the bridges are becoming weak by the day. These two problems were addressed by Babatunde Fashola with promptness He is just after amassing wealth at the expense of the masses.”
“President Muhammadu Buhari is living in past glory of Mr No Nonsense. Sycophants are taking advantage of him. In the civil service rules, 65yrs is the statutory retirement age. Why is he clinging to power like most African leaders when we have the younger generation that can turn around the economy of the nation? I personally feel pained that a maritime nation with so many opportunities is talking about recession and unemployment. Our GDP should be one of the best because be it solid minerals, agricultural products and good weather. We are richly endowed but we lack strong, effective institutions that can curb the excesses of our people. The wrong person is in the right office all because of the Nigerian factor. We need proactive, dynamic youths that can compete with the global younger generation presidents.”
“We are looking at ideas and representation. It is not about political party. It is about the individual and the development of the community,” she added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
