The Eselu of Eselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi has called on the federal government to ease the present economic hardships being experienced by citizens by opening all borders in the country for importation of goods into the country.
Oba Akinyemi, who made the call during the inauguration of the new executive members of the Integrity Obas Forum said that this became necessary because of the hunger and poverty in the country.
The monarch urged the government to consider the reintroduction of marketing boards and price control to address and regulate the incessant increase in the prices of food commodities.
The traditional ruler affirmed the widespread hunger in the land and advised the government to always be mindful of policies that could put the country into jeopardy.
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.
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 just as he commended 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 first class traditional ruler 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.
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In the remarks of one of the Forum’s patrons, the Alawowo of Awowo, Oba Abdulgafar Tijani charged the new executive members of the forum to be united, remain focused 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’s 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, explained that the vision and mission of the forum is to assist all the forum members and 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, added 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 inmates whose cases are minor by 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 on the plot of land donated by Alawowo of Awowo to the Forum.
The highlight of the ceremony was the decoration of some traditional rulers as patrons of the Forum.
The patrons are 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.
