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Oyo unveils plans to digitise street, house numbering

Published

3 weeks ago

July 31, 2025

The Oyo State government has expressed its plans to embark on a digital address system for street and house numbering across the state.

The Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Funmilayo, made the disclosure on Wednesday at a meeting with Smart City Development Konsult Limited, held at the ministry’s conference room.

He said that the plan is part of Governor Seyi Makinde’s Omititun 2.0 Sustainable Development Goals, saying the project is part of the promise made by the Governor.

Akin-funmilayo maintained that the presentation made by the Smart City Development Consult is part of the preliminary stage that would lead to the presentation to the exco level.

He explained that when the project is eventually implemented, it would ensure easy identification, the location of buildings, and an emergency response for the state.

He said, “As the saying goes, a promise made is a promise kept. His Excellency, in his Omituntun 2.0 Roadmap to Sustainable Development, made several promises. One of the tasks that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development is house numbering. Out of all the promises made, which serve as a covenant between His Excellency and the good people of Oyo State, house numbering stands out, and we, his lieutenants, are doing all we can to ensure its actualisation.

“House numbering involves assigning a unique number to every building. The importance of this exercise cannot be overemphasised. Among its numerous benefits, it helps in easy identification and location of buildings. More importantly, it plays a crucial role in emergency response, be it fire outbreaks or health emergencies requiring an ambulance.

“Without house numbers, how would emergency responders locate the building? It becomes a case of confusion, repeated calls, and potentially fatal delays. We all understand how critical time is during emergencies. Delays could lead to the loss of properties or, worse, lives. If fire services or ambulances cannot locate the right building on time, the consequences could be tragic.

“These, among many other reasons, are why we are committed to this house numbering project. Although this administration has less than two years remaining, we believe it is essential to start the process before we leave the office. The commissioner for budget and Economy planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde and I have discussed this move with the Governor, and he has given his support. So this presentation is part of the preliminary of what we have to do before pushing it out to the executive council level,” he added.

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Every Nigerian should learn combat skills for self-defence – CDS Gen Musa

Published

3 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has urged all Nigerians to learn combat skills to protect themselves in the face of danger.

General Musa gave this advice on Thursday when he appeared as a guest on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

He likened the acquisition of combat skills to driving, swimming, and other essential survival skills.

When asked whether he would advise Nigerians to learn combat skills for self-defence, General Musa said, “That one should be taken as learning driving, learning how to swim. Whether we have war or not, it is a survival instinct.

“In Europe, swimming is compulsory; [so is] Learning and teaching about security because you have to learn what security is.”

According to him, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, should train Nigerian graduates in unarmed combat skills for day-to-day survival against dark-hearted men.

The defence chief further explained that security is the responsibility of all Nigerians, even as he urged citizens to remain situationally aware of their surroundings to identify strange and suspicious individuals.

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Uganda reaches agreement with US Govt to take in migrants

Published

15 hours ago

August 21, 2025

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Uganda has entered an agreement with the United States to take in nationals from third countries who may not get asylum in the U.S. but are reluctant to return to their countries of origin, the foreign affairs ministry said on Thursday, August 21.

President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, and his administration has sought to increase removals to third countries, including by sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini.

“This is a temporary arrangement with conditions including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,” Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said in a statement.

Waiswa added that Uganda would prefer to receive people from African nationalities under the agreement.

“The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented,” he said.

On Wednesday, another Ugandan foreign affairs official had denied a U.S. media report that the East African country had agreed to take in people deported from the United States, saying it lacked the facilities to accommodate them.

Uganda, a U.S. ally in East Africa, also hosts nearly two million refugees and asylum-seekers, who mostly hail from countries in the region such as Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.

In July, five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba, who Washington said had been convicted of serious crimes, were flown to Eswatini, where they are now in a high-security prison. The deportations are being challenged by a group of Swazi and southern African NGOs, with a high court hearing scheduled for Friday.

Also in July, eight men from various countries were deported by the US to South Sudan, via Djibouti, where they were held for weeks in a shipping container. Meanwhile, more than 250 Venezuelans were repatriated to Venezuela after being sent to a notorious El Salvador prison in March without due process.

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FRSC rewards officer for rejecting 104 bribes in one month

Published

15 hours ago

August 21, 2025

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has honoured Assistant Route Commander Babatunde Owoeye of the Osun State Sector Command for his exemplary integrity in July 2025.

The commendation was held during a ceremony on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at the Osun State Command headquarters.

Records show that Owoeye rejected bribes from traffic offenders on 104 separate occasions.

He also turned down bribe attempts 18 times in May and 38 times in June, reflecting a consistent commitment to ethical conduct in service.

Speaking during the ceremony, Sector Commander Leye Adegboyega lauded Owoeye, stating that his conduct mirrors the FRSC’s long-standing policy against corruption and extortion among its personnel.

Adegboyega added that the recognition aligns with the anti-corruption agenda of the Corps Marshal, Sheu Mohammed, as well as the commission’s broader efforts to promote professionalism and accountability.

“For his exceptional integrity, Assistant Route Commander Babatunde J. Owoeye has been awarded a commendation and a cash gift of N250,000. He recorded 104 ‘Attempt to Corrupt Marshal on Duty’ (ACS) cases in July alone — a feat that is unprecedented in the command’s history,” Adegboyega said.

The FRSC reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on bribery and assured the public that honesty and discipline within its ranks would continue to be recognised and rewarded.