General
Oyo to Compensate Victims of Shasha Ethnic Clash
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Victims of the ethnic clash at the Shasha Market in Ibadan, Oyo State have been promised compensation by Governor Seyi Makinde.
The Governor was at the community on Sunday to have talks with the warring groups as well as their leaders. He was accompanied by his Ondo State counterpart, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, who was there on behalf of the South West Governors.
During the visit, Mr Makinde appealed for calm and peaceful coexistence between the Hausa community and their Yoruba hosts, urging them not to take laws into their hands.
“Please, I want you to listen to me clearly. You cannot resort to self-help to solve the issue on ground. All of you who are here are doing business with one another in one way or the other.
“The last time I came here, about six weeks ago, some shops belonging to Hausa and Yoruba people got burnt.
“So, you have been living together peacefully and all I am pleading to you is, no matter what is making anyone angry, we will solve it with patience.
“I was reluctant to declare curfew here because I feel the economic wellbeing of everyone here is important, and because this is where you get what you use to feed yourselves. I will engage with your leaders this evening.
“One thing is if you allow those who don’t have anything to lose here to blow this matter out of proportion, no one will be able to say where the crisis will end. By the grace of God, I pray we don’t lose any more lives.
“We must not lose any life needlessly anymore. What the government will do to ensure that those whose houses, shops were burnt, we will rebuild immediately.
“But please, I beg of you, let us stop fighting with ourselves. I can assure you that we will deal with the situation.
“We must continue to maintain the peace here. Those who are hoodlums here will be dealt with but those who are law-abiding will be compensated for what they have lost,” he said.
On his part, the Governor of Ondo State said all the aggrieved parties must stop fighting and allow peace to reign, noting that “I have come here on behalf of my colleagues in Ekiti, Lagos, Osun and Ogun.
“All of them have sent messages. Ogun has its own crisis it is battling with, so does Lagos. But as the chairman, I decided to come around to appeal to us.
“Though we are here in our fatherland, our own sons and daughters are in another person’s fatherland. So, let us think about this and continue to live in peace with one another. We don’t need to fight ourselves.
“We have security agencies that you can call their attention to any issue that could cause a crisis. Let us not take the law into our hands. I have a brother in Abuja and others living in Hausaland.”
He urged residents to cooperate with the governor of Oyo State and not to take laws into their hands.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, peace, and unity, urging citizens of all faiths to reject violence and intolerance amid ongoing security challenges across the country.
In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President emphasised that no Nigerian should suffer discrimination or violence because of their religious beliefs, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of worship and national cohesion.
“As your President, I remain committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect all people of different faiths from violence,” Mr Tinubu said, noting that all Nigerians have the constitutional right to live, worship, and pursue their aspirations in safety and dignity.
The President acknowledged growing concerns around religious intolerance and insecurity, revealing that he had engaged extensively throughout the year with leaders of Nigeria’s two major faiths.
In the last few months, the country faced a spate of attacks including kidnapping of school children and armed terror, involving the death of a high ranking army personnel.
He also said the government would continue to build on these engagements to strengthen collaboration with religious institutions, prevent conflict, and promote peaceful coexistence.
President Tinubu described Christmas as a period for reflection on the message of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, urging Nigerians to draw inspiration from values of love, compassion, and goodwill that cut across all major religions.
He commended Christians in Nigeria for their contributions to national development, particularly their role in caring for the vulnerable and promoting harmony within communities.
“The love for God and love for humanity is at the heart of all the great faiths. These shared values must continue to bind us together as one indivisible and resilient people,” he said.
Reiterating his administration’s stance on security, the President said the government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s unity and stability has remained unwavering since he assumed office in 2023. He stressed that the state would not tolerate violence targeted at any group on the basis of ethnicity or belief.
President Tinubu also appealed to Nigerians travelling during the festive season to exercise patience and discipline on the roads, wishing them safe journeys and returns.
Expressing optimism about the country’s future, the President said that with faith in God and collective resolve, Nigeria would overcome its challenges and build a nation that future generations would be proud of.
He concluded by wishing Christians in Nigeria and around the world a Merry Christmas and Nigerians a happy New Year in advance.
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