PRESS STATEMENT
From: Okun Development Association (ODA)

The Okun Development Association (ODA), on behalf of Okun sons and daughters worldwide, extend sincere appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
GCFR, for the appointment of Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, as Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission. (INEC). We receive this decision as a clear
endorsement of competence and character, and as a call to national service, anchored on
merit. The confidence reposed in Prof. Amupitan SAN, is an honour to Okunland, to Kogi
State, and to every Nigerian who believes that public office should reward integrity and
capacity.

ODA declares, without reservations, our unflinching support for Prof. Joash Amupitan
SAN, as he assumes leadership of INEC at a defining moment in our nation’s democratic
journey. His public and academic record reflect uncommon discipline, fidelity to due
process, and abiding respect for institutions. In every assignment he has handled, Prof.
Amupitan SAN, has shown the temperament, intellectual depth, and moral courage
required to manage sensitive national duties with fairness and firmness. We are assured
that these qualities will guide his stewardship of the Commission.

Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, personifies the values Okunland holds dear: honesty, hard
work, humility, and service above self. As a scholar, he has raised generations of
Nigerians who today serve in critical sectors of our society. As an administrator, he has
built systems that outlast individuals.

His commitment to strong, impartial institutions is exactly what INEC requires to
consolidate public trust. We are confident that under his leadership, the Commission will
discharge its constitutional mandate without fear or favour, and that his tenure will
strengthen the credibility of our electoral process.

ODA is mindful that the office of INEC Chairman will always attract intense public
scrutiny. While such scrutiny is part of democracy, we respectfully remind all
stakeholders, political actors, and concerned citizens that Nigeria’s constitutional order
provides established channels for resolving disputes. We therefore urge any aggrieved
parties to ventilate their concerns through the appropriate legal and institutional
mechanisms. We call for restraint in public commentary and ask all Nigerians to grant
Prof. Amupitan the calm and institutional space needed to serve the nation with neutrality,
courage and desired result.

The Okun Development Association reaffirms its commitment to national unity,
democratic stability, and the success of the Tinubu administration. We assure the
President and the Nigerian people that Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, will discharge his
responsibilities with honour, will bring credibility and candour to his office, to Okunland,
and to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We request the prayers and goodwill of all citizens
as he undertakes this solemn duty for the nation.

God bless Okunland.
God bless Kogi State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signed:

Amb. (Chief) Akenson Rotimi
President General,
Okun Development Association.
President-General: Amb. Akenson Rotimi
08075259447

Nigerians have unanimously demanded for a combative approach to eliminating corruption in the country for her to record a post 65th independence success, even as it was suggested that, the office of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be made elective instead of being by appointment by the President.

The demand was made this morning on Miliki 101.3 FM ,as listeners made contributions on a program flagging off activities marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary on the station .

On the program monitored by thecolumn.ng, the majority of the speakers stated that the country will only continue to count years without any tangible achievement for as long as corruption continue among the citizens.

Though some guests admonished that moving forward, the country should reduce her concentration on oil, improve on its security status and eliminate touting in the transportation sector to ensure moderate pricing of farm produce, majority of the speakers however insisted that conscious efforts should be made to eliminate corruption in the system failure of which the country will continue to retrogress.

The tone for the zero corruption demand was set by one of the callers, who introduced himself as Kaymus, following which Other speakers maintained the same line, insisting that the anti graft agencies in the country should be well equiped to confront the problem which they claimed has assumed a cankerworm status.

A lone voice among the speakers who advocated that the constitution should be reviewed for Nigeria to progress, also suggested, that Nigerians should henceforth elect the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as against the present practice where occupants of the office are appointed by the president for the country to record a credible electioneering process.

Following the exclusive report of ThePageNews, exposing the unhealthy activities of officers of the CTU Ekiti Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the leadership of the security agency have commenced investigation into the matter, even as all officers mentioned in the report have been summoned to the agency ‘s headquarters in Abuja.

The agency through a memo sighted by ThePageNews, dated 16 / 9/ 2025 and signed by the Commandant, SA Dandaura, ordered that the officers mentioned in connection with the extortion issue report to the headquarters immediately.

Recall that ThePageNews, in a report titled; Ekiti NSCDC Officers In N5m Extortion Mess, had narrated that about three months after the Minister of Interior, sanctioned the head of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) CTU unit, Ekiti State Command, and his team for extorting a motorist at gunpoint, a similar incident re- occurred.
​On Monday evening, a team of officers under the command of Ekiti State Commandant, Mathew Toma, reportedly arrested one Sakiru Haminu Mide, a student of Federal Polytechnic, Ado, at gunpoint.

The officers, Akinola Ayoola, Falodun Temitope, Adeosun Abiodun Emmannuel, Solo and Stephen, all of whom have been ordered to Abuja, were alleged to have arrested a student of Ado Ekiti Polytechnic on the street after which they went with him to his house, ransacked it and later detained him while he was asked to provide N5m to secure his bail.

Following his refusal to part with the said amount, he was locked up aafter which the officers eventually forced him to part with N500, 000 to secure his freedom.

“They demanded for five million naira before I could be released, and because I was eager to leave the cell so that they won’t distrupt my school activities, and one of the officers whispered into my ears that, I would be indicted and implicated through my statement should they decide to take me to Court. I therefore agreed to pay them for 500k.
” They demanded for cash as they said, Commandant Toma ( leader of the team) doesn’t collect transfers, that he deals with cash from innocent victims . I told them I don’t have cash, they now brought a POS man, following which i transfered the sum of 500k, which they said would be collected by cash from the POS man for onward delivery to the Commandant” the Ado Poly student narrated.

There have been talks of recent, about the notoriety of the NSCDC officers, especially in Ekiti.

Close watchers of the agency’s activities in the state have registered the NSCDC, an institution originally tasked with defending the vulnerable, has allegedly become a tool for harassment and extortion under Commandant Toma’s leadership.
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