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HCSF reaffirms commitment to staff welfare, open-door leadership

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, has reaffirmed his commitment to an open, inclusive and people-centered leadership approach, assuring junior officers in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) that their voices, welfare and contributions remain important to the effective functioning of the Service.

Abel gave the assurance during an interactive engagement with junior officers on Salary Grade Level 07 and below, organised as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen staff welfare, deepen workplace engagement and promote a responsive and harmonious work environment.

Director, Press and Public Relations Mrs. Eno Olotu, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja said the Head of Service, while addressing the officers, emphasised that every cadre of the workforce has a vital role to play in the success of the Civil Service, noting that junior officers deserve to be heard, recognised and carried along in the collective pursuit of organisational goals.

He encouraged them to engage constructively with management, share ideas and offer practical suggestions that could further improve the effectiveness of the Service.

The HCSF also urged the officers to support management programmes and initiatives by placing the collective interest of the Service above personal interests, while discharging their duties with diligence, responsibility, professionalism and a strong sense of commitment.

Abel commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the Administration’s sustained and expanding commitment to the welfare of Civil Servants under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He noted that the broader range of welfare interventions being introduced by the present Administration, including the introduction of the exit benefit and the Renewed Hope Mass Transit Schemes, underscores Government’s recognition of the critical role of Civil Servants in national development.

He assured the officers that the government would continue to pursue measures aimed at improving their well-being within the framework of extant policies, rules and regulations.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Dr. Danjuma Usman Kalba, described the engagement as a valuable platform for direct interaction between the leadership of the Office and junior officers.

He noted that constructive dialogue and open communication were essential to understanding staff concerns, strengthening workplace relationships and fostering a more supportive and productive working environment.

The Director, Human Resources Management and Administration, Mrs. Jennifer Sharang, in her vote of thanks, expressed appreciation to the HCSF for creating the opportunity for direct engagement with junior officers.

She also commended the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, and all participating officers for their openness, contributions and commitment to the success of the engagement.

The interactive session provided an opportunity for junior officers to openly share their concerns, observations and suggestions on issues relating to welfare, workplace experience, career progression and professional development.

The engagement is part of the broader efforts of the OHCSF to foster a Federal Civil Service that is efficient, productive, professional, people-centred and responsive, while creating an enabling environment in which every officer is valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Data centers are strategic infrastructure

On September 7, the Department of Trade and Industry through the ASEAN Committee on Business and Investment Promotion hosted the second ASEAN Business Media Exchange in Makati City. The forum coincided with the Philippines’ chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Present at the forum were Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim. The discussions revolved around the country’s priorities as leader of the regional bloc. The chairship has three pillars: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.

During the forum, government and industry leaders discussed the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), a deal that seeks to provide a roadmap to empower businesses and stakeholders across the region. This will be done ‘through accelerating trade growth, enhancing interoperability, creating a safe online environment, and increasing the participation of MSMEs.’

The DEFA aims to create an integrated digital market that would unlock some P2.3 trillion worth of trade by the year 2030. It signals that ASEAN is moving from broad commitments toward an integrated digital market. This will increase demand for cloud computing, digital payments, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cross-border data services.

Data centers are front and center in this regard. They are the modern equivalent of roads, ports, and airports. Physical transport corridors were responsible for powering the earlier stages of regional trade integration. In this day and age, data centers are seen to power the next phase of ASEAN’s digital expansion. They form the fundamental backbone for financial services, government systems, telecommunications, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and the emerging AI economy.

This sector represents a significant source of big-ticket, long-term investment.

Meanwhile, the ‘cloud’ is never an abstract concept. Instead, it is grounded on heavy industrial assets. Digital services, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, and real-time payments do not exist in a vacuum; they operate through data centers backed by reliable electricity, redundant connectivity, secure facilities, and specialized technical talent.

It was only fitting that the discussions during the ASEAN Business Media Exchange 2026 revolved around how the DEFA could translate regional integration into practical economic opportunities.

A fundamental fact is that the DEFA’s promise hinges entirely on backend infrastructure. The trade goals sound good and are lofty, but achieving them will depend on whether we could have adequate physical facilities on the ground.

Data-center developments require substantial capital and can generate wider demand for energy, construction, engineering, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and professional services. Absence or inadequacy in these aspects will prevent the Philippines, and the region, from realizing the objectives that ASEAN had set out.

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There are several aspects of data centers that need closer attention.

For instance, data centers are usually associated with bigger corporations. But while building a data center requires massive capital investment beyond the reach of individual small businesses, this shared infrastructure underpins scalable digital platforms that could enable true regional inclusion for MSMEs.

Micro, small, and medium enterprises represent 97% of Southeast Asian businesses and 85% of regional employment. Proper data infrastructure ensures that a local entrepreneur in Davao can sell to a buyer in provincial Thailand and receive instant local currency settlement safely and reliably.

Data sovereignty and cybersecurity must also be addressed clearly. The Philippines needs policies that protect national and consumer interests without unnecessarily restricting trusted cross-border data flows or discouraging investment.

Finally, there are valid concerns on energy consumption that are inseparable from data-center policy. Data centers require continuous, high-capacity electrical power at competitive rates; moreover, global operators increasingly require access to renewable energy to fulfill corporate sustainability mandates.

As such, the pursuit of a stronger digital economy must necessarily go hand in hand with building up the country’s energy security.

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Regional competition is intensifying. Other ASEAN economies are actively positioning themselves as data-center hubs, so the Philippines must move decisively if it wants to capture a meaningful share of future investment.

In order to stay competitive amid this regional dynamism, the Philippines needs to have decisive national coordination. Rival ASEAN economies are already aggressively positioning themselves as digital and data center hubs. The Philippines must move rapidly to align energy policy, telecommunications, land-use planning, workforce development, and investment incentives into a unified national strategy.

The Philippines already has several distinct advantages to be competitive on the regional and even global stage: a large and digitally engaged population, growing demand for cloud services, strong business-process and technology sectors, strategic regional positioning, and an expanding digital economy.

But these advantages will only translate to concrete economic gains if the country takes on a strategic perspective to attracting and sustaining investments. This is where political will and consistency play a pivotal role. Investors need reliable and competitively priced power, sufficient transmission capacity, redundant connectivity, efficient permitting, available industrial sites, regulatory consistency, and confidence in the country’s data-governance framework.

Specifically, the government should develop a coordinated national strategy that aligns digital infrastructure, energy, connectivity, investment promotion, workforce development, cybersecurity, and land-use planning.

As this year’s chair of the ASEAN, the Philippines is in a good position to lead the bloc in the charge toward digitally powered economies. Data centers are a significant part of this. However, simply uttering that we would like them to drive economic activity is never enough. We have to invest in the infrastructure that would support them. We have to work toward a level of energy security that would support this requirement while also responding to the current energy requirements of the country.

Indeed, data centers must be treated as strategic economic infrastructure-alongside energy, transport, telecommunications, and logistics-and incorporated into the country’s long-term investment strategy. Only then could we lay claim to being the leaders in the region, and to leading the region, in this economic priority.

Laws, guidelines causing difficulty in our operation in Nigeria, CSOs lament

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s civil society sector have lamented the difficulties organisations face navigating the country’s increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment, demanding clearer laws and practical guidelines to help them understand and comply with their obligations.

The stakeholders made the demand at a Scoping and Experience-Sharing Session organised by the LEGIS360 Centre for Advocacy, Development and Public Enlightenment Initiative in Abuja as part of its project, ‘Know the Law, Stay Safe: Strengthening CSO Legislative Literacy and Digital Resilience Against Restrictive Frameworks in Nigeria.’

The session brought together representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs), activists, journalists, human rights defenders, community-based organisations and legal practitioners to examine the legal and regulatory environment affecting civic action in Nigeria.

Participants shared experiences of navigating laws, regulations and administrative requirements governing their activities, highlighting the challenges posed by the volume and complexity of applicable rules.

In a communique signed by LEGIS360 founder, Samuel Folorunsho, the participants also identified difficulties in accessing clear and reliable information on what organisations are required to do to remain compliant.

The communique noted that smaller and grassroots organisations were particularly affected by the situation because of their limited access to legal and compliance support.

According to the participants, the regulatory environment would be easier to navigate if relevant laws and guidelines were clearer and compliance information was readily accessible to civic organisations.

They called for practical tools to help CSOs understand their legal obligations and also proposed the creation of a one-stop regulatory resource bringing together relevant compliance requirements across different legal and regulatory frameworks.

‘Participants also proposed the creation of a one-stop regulatory resource consolidating relevant compliance requirements across different legal and regulatory frameworks,’ the communique read in part.

The proposed resource, according to the stakeholders, would reduce the administrative burden on CSOs and make it easier for organisations to understand and meet their legal obligations without having to rely on multiple, scattered sources of information.

The discussions examined provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, the Cybercrimes Act 2024, as well as emerging proposals relating to the regulation of non-governmental organisations.

Participants also identified knowledge gaps to be addressed through LEGIS360’s forthcoming Legislative Literacy Guide on Civic Space Restrictions in Nigeria.

Folorunsho said the insights gathered from the session would inform the scope, structure and content of the Legislative Literacy Guide to ensure that it responds to the practical challenges faced by civic actors.

He said the project formed part of the organisation’s broader efforts to strengthen informed civic participation, institutional accountability and democratic resilience by making legal and legislative information more accessible to citizens and civil society actors.

He added that consultations with stakeholders across Nigeria’s civic space would continue in the coming months, with the engagements expected to contribute to the development of practical tools aimed at strengthening legislative literacy, regulatory compliance and digital resilience among CSOs and community-based organisations.

Why I asked EFCC to investigate Atiku, says ex-lawmaker

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has said he petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate corruption allegations against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Agbonayinma said he filed the petition as a concerned Nigerian and in the interest of public accountability.

He also faulted Senator Dino Melaye’s criticism of the petition against Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, Agbonayinma challenged Melaye to produce any official EFCC decision or court record that cleared Atiku of the allegations.

‘Rather than attacking my person, character and integrity, why not address the substance of the petition?’ he asked, challenging Melaye to allow the EFCC to perform its statutory responsibilities.

‘You cannot defend Atiku Abubakar from an EFCC petition by attacking me,’ he said, adding that if the former Vice President had nothing to fear, he should be allowed to respond to any questions the commission considered necessary.

‘If you have evidence against me, bring it forward. If you have facts concerning the petition, present them,’ he stated.

‘Defend the facts, not personalities,’ he said, reiterating that nobody should use political friendship or loyalty as a shield against lawful investigation.’

No justification for China Coast Guard to ram BFAR vessel – DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs said there was no justification for a China Coast Guard vessel to ram a Philippine civilian vessel conducting a humanitarian mission in the West Philippine Sea.

The DFA condemned the incident involving the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ BRP Datu Magat Salamat, which sustained damage after being struck by China Coast Guard vessel CCG-21585.

‘There is no justification for the CCG vessel to undertake aggressive actions against a Philippine civilian law enforcement vessel, and cause damage to the ship and endanger the safety of the civilian crew,’ the DFA said in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday night, September 18.

“The Philippines emphasizes that the BFAR vessel was merely conducting routine and lawful humanitarian activities to support Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea,” it added.

BFAR vessel damaged

The Philippine Coast Guard said the incident happened at around 11 a.m., about 54 nautical miles off Palawan, while the BFAR vessel was carrying out a mission to assist Filipino fishermen in the Kalayaan Island Group.

The vessel was delivering fuel subsidies and food packs to Filipino fisherfolk following weeks of monsoon rains, according to the PCG.

PCG spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said the Chinese vessel intentionally rammed the BFAR ship.

‘To call this unprofessional or bullying would be an understatement. What we are seeing here is pure evil,’ Tarriela wrote on Facebook with a video of the incident.

The impact damaged the BRP Datu Magat Salamat’s main railings on the starboard side, metal stanchions and support structures, as well as deck fixtures and equipment. No injuries were reported.

Tarriela said the CCG vessel later made another dangerous maneuver, passing behind the BFAR vessel at a distance of about five meters.

The BRP Datu Magat Salamat was refloated Thursday after running aground at Hasa-Hasa Shoal while approaching Filipino fishing boats to distribute fuel.

Tarriela said the vessel would be brought to Coron Port for an assessment of its seaworthiness.

DFA cites international law

The DFA said the Philippine vessel was conducting routine and lawful humanitarian activities to support Filipino fisherfolk.

‘The CCG vessel’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and dangerous acts are inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law,’ it said.

The department noted that the Chinese vessel’s actions were inconsistent with China’s obligations under international law, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 2016 Arbitral Award, the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea Convention.

‘The Philippines calls on China to respect Philippine sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone in accordance with UNCLOS as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award, exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions in the region,’ it added.

Beijing blames Philippine vessel

The Chinese embassy in the Philippines disputed the Philippine account of the incident in a statement posted on Facebook.

Jiang Lue, a spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, said the Chinese vessel Sanzhou’ao was conducting what Beijing described as rights-protection and law-enforcement operations near Xianbin Jiao in China’s Nansha Qundao on September 18.

According to the statement, the Philippine vessel No. 3015 ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese side, deliberately altered course and suddenly accelerated before cutting across the bow of the China Coast Guard vessel, resulting in a collision.

‘The Philippine side’s actions seriously violate international law and the basic norms of international relations and threaten the safety of China Coast Guard vessels and personnel,’ the statement said.

The Chinese Coast Guard said its vessel operated ‘in a professional and standardized manner, reasonably and lawfully’ and placed full responsibility for the collision on the Philippine side.

It also demanded that the Philippines stop what it described as ‘infringing and provocative acts,’ warning that consequences arising from such actions would be borne by the Philippine side.

“The China Coast Guard will continue to carry out rights-protection and law-enforcement operations in waters under China’s jurisdiction to safeguard national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” it added.

Typhoon threat looms over Asian Games 2026 opening in Nagoya

Aichi-Nagoya, already grappling with an accommodation crisis ahead of the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony, is now bracing for a possible typhoon that could disrupt the early days of the multi-sport event.

Tropical Storm Dujuan was, as of Thursday, positioned off Japan’s Pacific coast and moving northwest towards central Japan, where Nagoya is located, with maximum sustained winds of 90 kmph and gusts of up to 126 kmph. The storm is forecast to approach Japan’s central Pacific coast on 21 September, days after torrential rain flooded parts of the city, disrupted train services, forced school closures and pushed several hundred athletes and officials into temporary evacuation.

Japan’s Chef de Mission for the Games and Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) executive board member Kosei Inoue said organisers were preparing for possible severe weather. ‘Due to the heavy rain and severe weather, some competitions have already experienced delays or postponements, and there is also a possibility that a typhoon could approach on 21 September,’ Inoue said, adding that the JOC was holding detailed meetings to ensure it could respond appropriately to changing conditions.

Nagoya Mayor and Games Deputy President Ichiro Hirosawa said competition would continue under normal rainy conditions, but that emergency measures would be introduced if severe weather posed a risk to athletes. ‘Under normal rainy conditions, the Games will carry on as usual. However, in the event of torrential rain that triggers emergency alerts, we will arrange for the athletes to evacuate temporarily,’ he said.

Organisers have also prepared a contingency plan for the Costa Serena, the Italian cruise ship accommodating thousands of athletes and officials, which will move offshore to safer waters if winds reach typhoon strength. ‘If we encounter typhoon-level strong winds, the cruise ship will move offshore. We already have clear protocols in place for situations like these,’ Hirosawa said.

The Games officially open today, though football, basketball and volleyball events are already under way in the region.

Rivers oil community demand roles in Ogoni oil resumption talks

The people of Kegbara Dere in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State have demanded direct representation in ongoing efforts to resolve the controversy surrounding the proposed resumption of oil and gas operations in Ogoniland.

The community led by its Paramount Ruler, HRH Chief Donald Kpegemona Gberesuu, said no decision concerning Kegbara Dere’s oil and gas assets should be taken without the participation of its duly constituted leadership and institutions.

In an open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and copied to relevant Federal Government agencies, the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, MOSOP, KAGOTE and other stakeholders, the community declared: ‘No decision about Kegbara Dere without Kegbara Dere.’

The community said it was not opposed to responsible petroleum resumption, but insisted that any return to oil production must be accompanied by comprehensive environmental remediation, community participation, transparency, accountability, safety and tangible economic benefits.

Kegbara Dere also demanded the immediate inclusion of Gberesuu and representatives nominated through the community’s legitimate institutions in all strategic and stakeholders’ meetings on the proposed resumption.

It said: ‘Government engagement must follow this lawful leadership, not personality-based representation.’

The community based its claim to legitimate representation on a series of court judgments, which it said culminated in the June 29, 2026 judgment of the Bori Division of the Rivers State High Court affirming Gberesuu as the lawful Paramount Ruler of Kegbara Dere and restraining interference.

Beyond representation, the community called for independent verification and publication of petroleum assets, infrastructure and environmental liabilities associated with Kegbara Dere.

It also urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to formally retrieve and review its Kegbara Dere Engagement Master Plan and Development Blueprint, which it said was submitted to the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2025.

According to the community, the blueprint proposes a broad economic framework for petroleum operations, including community participation, employment, local content, infrastructure, healthcare, education, environmental monitoring, technology and investment.

The blueprint also demanded the establishment of an oil and gas development institute in Kegbara Dere, equity participation in the petroleum value chain and representation on the management and directorate boards of companies, joint ventures and regulatory bodies involved in oil and gas operations.

The community also demanded the location of operators’ headquarters in Kegbara Dere, the establishment of petrochemical and LNG facilities, large-scale refineries and a community-based GMoU framework.

On the environmental front, it demanded the complete decommissioning of obsolete facilities and ‘holistic restoration’ of contaminated soil and groundwater.

It further called for compensation and settlement of families who, it alleged, suffered fatalities and permanent deformities during the repression of the Ogoni struggle.

The community said the proposed petroleum resumption must go beyond extraction to establish a transparent host-community economic and development compact.

‘No exclusion. No tokenism. No representation without mandate. No petroleum resumption without environmental responsibility. No extraction without meaningful host-community participation,’ it declared.

Kegbara Dere also maintained that its petroleum assets required authoritative verification, while asserting that the community had historically played a significant role in Nigeria’s oil industry.

According to the statement, Kegbara Dere Well 1 was drilled and completed in 1958 and produced what the community described as the first commercial volume of crude oil lifted from the area.

It listed numerous wells, flow stations, pipelines, gathering infrastructure, marine bases, tank farm and manifold sites and other petroleum facilities said to be located within the community.

The community, however, acknowledged that precise petroleum statistics should be confirmed through authoritative petroleum records and independent technical verification.

It also warned individuals and groups against making representations in its name without express authorisation from its recognised institutions.

‘While we appreciate the fact that several persons are Ogoni leaders born in Kegbara Dere and may be eligible if authorised to speak for Ogoni, at this time and in this instant case, nobody has the mandate to discuss on behalf of Kegbara Dere except this legal authority,’ the statement said.

The community said it was dissociating itself from positions attributed to individuals or groups without its mandate, insisting that its Master Plan and Development Blueprint remained its official framework for engagement on oil and gas resumption.

It further reaffirmed its support for the constitutional process for the creation of an Ogoni State, also known as Bori State, with a minimum of two local government areas for Kegbara Dere.

The statement was endorsed by Gberesuu and other members of the Kegbara Dere Contact Group on Oil and Gas Resumption, including the Chairman of the Kegbara Dere Town Governing Council, Chief Elder Enoch T. Gbarabe; Chairman, Community Development Committee, Capt. Rogers Dum Mbaka; Women Leader, Mrs Eunice Deenor; Youth President, Comrade Jerusalem Dumka; and spokesperson, Chief John T. Gaage.

Yemi Alade reveals why new album breaks musical boundaries

Yemi Alade is stepping outside some of the musical territories that have defined her career with her new album, ‘It’s Yemi Alade,’ embracing sounds ranging from Kompa and disco to techno and rap.

The singer said the album was deliberately designed to challenge expectations about what listeners might associate with her music.

At the heart of the project is a simple creative formula: ‘something new, something old, something borrowed.’

The ‘something old’ takes Alade back to her musical roots and some of the sounds that helped establish her career. Rather than simply recreating those influences, however, she said she wanted to push them forward.

The ‘something borrowed’ represents perhaps the most adventurous part of the experiment.

Alade ventured into musical styles outside the Afrobeat and Highlife sounds with which she is widely associated. She explored Kompa, experimented with disco and incorporated techno-inspired sounds reminiscent of music heard in Ibiza.

Then came ‘something new’: a return to rap.

Long before she became known as one of Africa’s prominent Afropop singers, Alade said she fell in love with music through rap.

Her new album therefore provides an opportunity to reconnect with that early influence while incorporating it into the artist she has become.

The singer described the overall creative journey as ‘audacious’, explaining that she has become increasingly comfortable making decisions based on her own artistic instincts.

‘I’m making music on my own terms, enjoying the process on my own terms, and allowing myself the freedom to explore,’ she said.

That philosophy extends beyond genre.

Alade said she hopes the album connects with people who are also navigating personal growth, individuality and self-discovery.

For her, musical experimentation is ultimately connected to personal freedom.

The album therefore represents not just a change in sound, but an attempt to demonstrate that an established artiste can continue to reinvent herself without abandoning the influences that shaped her.

2027: Ondo APC sets up 162-member committee, takes reconciliation move to grassroots

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has constituted a 165-member committee to take its ongoing ‘reconciliation efforts’ to the grassroots ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee in the state, Prince Biyi Poroye, disclosed this at a meeting with the party’s local government and council chairmen and stakeholders.

He said the committee would engage party members in all 18 local government areas to address grievances and strengthen unity within the party.

Poroye explained that the initiative was part of efforts to deepen reconciliation in the party and ensure members at the ward and local government levels were included in the process.

According to him, the committee would work with stakeholders across the state to identify areas of disagreement, listen to aggrieved members, and seek solutions that would promote cohesion within the party ahead of the 2027 poll.

He added that the reconciliation committee’s focus would go beyond electoral victory, stressing that it also aimed to rebuild unity, discipline, and inclusiveness within the party.

‘The reconciliation is not just about winning an election. It is about establishing discipline within the party. It is about encouraging contributive leadership.

‘People have responded by embracing the principles and ideals of the reconciliation committee. They have decided on the number of members that will replicate this committee at the local government level.

‘So, there will be nine members. They are going to send the names to us and, by next week, we will constitute an enlarged reconciliation committee from the 18 local governments that will continue to work at the local government level,’ he said.

Poroye explained that the committee had encountered several grievances from party members, including complaints about a lack of inclusiveness in the distribution of appointments.

He said the reconciliation process was also intended to change members’ mindsets and discourage attacks, divisions, and entrenched factional positions within the party.

‘That is why the reconciliation is about addressing the mindsets of party members so that people can change from their former positions to new positions, bearing in mind that there is nothing to share in losing.

‘This is how we will reach the grassroots. Our people must not just read the news; they must hear directly from our leaders so that all of us can go into the election united and, after the election, still have an established party that everyone will be proud to belong to.’

The Chief of Staff to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Olusegun Omojuwa, described the decision to extend the reconciliation process to the grassroots as a step that could strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Omojuwa, who commended Aiyedatiwa’s leadership, urged party members and leaders to cooperate with the reconciliation committee and support its efforts to resolve internal disagreements.

He said extending the committee’s structure to the local government level would give grassroots members the opportunity to participate directly in the reconciliation process.

Chairman of Idanre Local Government, Hon. Smart Omotadowa, said taking the reconciliation process to the grassroots was necessary to achieve lasting unity within the party.

Omotadowa urged APC members across the 18 local government areas to support the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections, stressing that unity remained critical to the party’s campaign.

‘The best way to make the reconciliation process work is to take it to the grassroots level. There is no way we can do better than to work in unity,’ he said.

A member of the reconciliation committee, Erelu Modupe Martins, also called for genuine reconciliation, warning that unresolved internal grievances could affect the party’s electoral fortunes.

She urged all party members to support the reconciliation initiative and ensure it reached loyalists at the grassroots.

‘There is no second in any election. We can’t afford to lose any position to the opposition,’ Martins said.

Global oil prices dip for third day

Global oil prices fell on Friday as investors weighed fresh strikes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis against signs that additional Saudi crude could reach global markets and help ease supply concerns.

International benchmark Brent crude futures with November expiry were last seen down 2.2% to $ 102.57 per barrel, on track for a third consecutive session of losses. US West Texas Intermediate futures fell 1.9% to $ 100.05, having briefly dipped below $ 100.