Hunger: Eselu urges Tinubu to open land borders, charges IOF on accountability, transparency

Integrity Obas Forum

Speaking during the installation of the new Executive Members of the Integrity Obas Forum (IOF) held in Abeokuta on Saturday, 14th September, 2024, Oba Akinyemi stated that the call became necessary because of the hunger and poverty that have been ravaging the country.

Members of IOF

The first class traditional ruler stressed  that the government should reintroduce marketing board and price control to address and regulate the incessant increase in the price of essential commodities.

Oba Akinyemi however urged the government to always be mindful of policies that could put the country into jeopardy.

On the implementation of the new National minimum wage, Oba Eselu pleaded with the federal government for quick implementation of the new salary structure for Nigerian workers, commending the Governor of Ogun state, Prince Dapo Abiodun for holding meetings with labour leaders in the state for quick payment of the N70,000.00 minimum wage for the state workers.

The monarch also commended Governor Abiodun for approving three working days for civil servants in the state, indicating that the governor is concerned about the welfare and wellbeing of the state workers.

Oba Akinyemi charged the new executive to allow transparency and accountability be their watchword adding that they should live and act by their name which is Integrity.

In the remarks of one of the forum patrons, the Alawowo of Awowo, Oba AbdulGafar Tijani charged the new Executive Members of the Forum to be united, remain focus and show spirit of transparency and accountability while performing their duties.

Oba Tijani who later donated a plot of land for the construction of the forum secretariat urged members of the forum not to entertain any fear in the discharge of their duties in their various domains.

In his acceptance speech, the new president of the forum, Oba Adewunmi Adeniji Odutala, the Onibudo Aiyetoro Ibudo, in Ado-Odo/Ota local government of the state, said that the vision and mission of the forum is to assist all the forum members and the society at large among others.

Oba Odutala who disclosed that since the formation of the forum five years ago, it had assisted some primary school pupils in their domains with the presentation of books to schools, saying that the forum members have embarked on massive agricultural programmes to compliment the efforts of government in food sufficiency.

The traditional ruler stressed that the forum is engaging lawyers to visit correctional homes in their domains to help those whose cases are minor aimed at offering little assistance to such inmates.

He therefore assured that construction work on the secretariat of the forum will begin in January 2025 at Awowo at the one plot of land donated by Alawowo of Awowo to the forum.

Some traditional rulers were decorated as patrons of the forum which include Oba Mufutau Adebayo Lawal, Onipe of Ipe, Kwara state and Oba Najeemdeen Oladele Odugbemi, Olu of Lisa Kingdom, the Royal Patron of Ogun NUJ and South West, among others.