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Ogun Govt Reaffirms Commitment to Fixing Ota Roads, wants Protesters to be wary of Blackmailers

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The Ogun State Government yesterday reiterated its commitment to rehabilitating major roads in the Ota axis, assuring residents that construction work will commence soon on several critical routes.

 

The government restated this position during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ota Branch, who paid a visit to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN).

Speaking on behalf of the government, Ogungbade said that six major roads—Joju, Koro Otun, Navy, Isikola, Ilo Awela, and Oju Ore—have been awarded to reputable construction firm, Craneburg, with mobilisation to site expected shortly.

He explained that additional road projects within the corridor have been segmented into four phases: the Itele–Ayobo link road to Lagos (5.3km); Ayobo Mopol–Lafenwa Junction boundary road; Koro Otun phase; and Itele–Lafenwa Junction. According to him, work on the first and second phases will begin immediately.

The Attorney General acknowledged the concerns that led to the NBA’s peaceful protest on 25 October 2025 and assured that the Bar’s agitation would receive a positive response.

He encouraged the lawyers to utilise their privileged access to government for faster and more effective engagement, noting that the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun has constructed or rehabilitated over 1,500 kilometres of roads across the state, many of which are in Ota.

The government team, which included the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusegun Olaotan; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Oladimeji Yusuf; and the Special Adviser on Media, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, further stressed that several of the roads under public scrutiny are federal roads.

They explained that repairs on these routes were delayed for years because the Federal Government had restricted the state from intervening until President Bola Tinubu approved the rehabilitation, now ongoing.

Also speaking, Hon. Akinmade commended the NBA delegation for engaging constructively but urged them to be wary of political adversaries attempting to hijack the genuine concerns of residents for self-serving motives.

He noted that such actors have been hiring individuals to spotlight bad roads and malign the government, even when the affected roads fall under federal jurisdiction.

Earlier, the NBA Ota Branch Chairperson, Chief Mrs. Kelubia K. Ajose, and a senior advocate and elder of the Branch, Mr. Sola Ojutalayo, SAN, said the protest was driven by widespread frustration among Ota residents.

They stressed that the Bar had taken deliberate steps to prevent external forces from hijacking its initiative and highlighted human activities that contribute to rapid road deterioration in the area.

The government, however, reaffirmed its openness to continued dialogue with stakeholders and disclosed that, beyond the ongoing works, eleven new road projects were approved in November 2025.

It assured the public that while temporary discomforts may persist, a lasting transformation of Ota’s road infrastructure is underway.

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Transfer: Real Madrid , Cucurella Reach Verbal Agreement 

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Chelsea reliable defender, Marc Cucurella may join Spanish giant, Real Madrid before the end of the current transfer window.if information from transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano are anything to go by.

 

Romano In a latest transfer update, said Real Madrid has reached verbal agreement to sign Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.

“Verbal agreement in place between all parties, player too — he’s the left back wanted by Mourinho” the update read.

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Hakimi, Vinicius Barred From Speaking Spanish At World Cup

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FIFA has come under scrutiny after several high-profile players, including Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior, were discouraged from speaking Spanish during media engagements at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

 

The issue first surfaced ahead of Morocco’s Group C clash with Brazil when a Spanish-speaking journalist attempted to question Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi in Spanish.

Despite Hakimi, who grew up in Madrid and speaks the language fluently, indicating he was comfortable answering in Spanish, event officials reportedly insisted that questions be asked in English.

Hakimi attempted to reassure organizers that language would not be a barrier, but officials maintained that no Spanish translator was available for the session. A compromise was eventually reached, with the reporter asking the question in Spanish while Hakimi responded in English.

The controversy intensified during Brazil’s media session when Vinicius Junior was also interrupted while responding to a question in Spanish.

The Real Madrid forward, who is more comfortable speaking Portuguese or Spanish than English, was reportedly asked by organizers to switch languages.

Rather than continue in Spanish, Vinicius opted to answer in Portuguese before turning his attention back to Brazil’s World Cup preparations.

The incidents sparked widespread debate among journalists and fans, many of whom questioned why Spanish—a language spoken by millions across North America—was effectively restricted at a tournament being hosted largely in the United States.

According to Spanish media outlet El País, FIFA only provides Spanish-language translation services at World Cup press conferences involving Spanish-speaking nations such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay.

For all other teams, questions and answers are expected to be conducted either in English or the official language of the participating country.

The policy has generated criticism online, with many supporters arguing that multilingual communication should be encouraged at a global event like the World Cup.

The backlash was particularly strong in Vinicius’ case, as the Brazilian forward appeared visibly uncomfortable being asked to communicate in English.

The controversy overshadowed what was otherwise a highly anticipated encounter between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

With the issue now drawing international attention, FIFA may face increasing calls to review its media language guidelines as the tournament progresses.

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It’s Illegal’…Falana’s Bombshell Indicts Govs, FG.

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Human rights advocate, Femi Falana, has warned federal and state governments against negotiating with and rewarding terrorists.

 

According to Falana, the practice is illegal.

He stated this while delivering the keynote address at the Amnesty International Second Annual General Meeting in Abuja on June 13, 2026.

Falana claimed it is public knowledge officials of the Federal Government and some State Governments have been holding meetings and negotiating with terrorists and bandits, which has led to thousands of ‘repentant’ criminals being forgiven and given cash gifts of undisclosed sums of money.

Asserting that the “satanic Boko Haram sect and similar bodies have been proscribed” under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, Falana insisted that “their members and allies shall be prosecuted and not pampered and forgiven by the Nigerian State.”

Highlighting the legal consequences, he quoted Section 22 of the Act, stating: “A person who knowingly—(a) arranges, manages, assists in arranging or managing, participates in a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, (b) collects, or provides logistics, equipment, information, articles or facilities for a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, or (c) attends a meeting, which in his knowledge is to support a proscribed entity or to further the objectives of a proscribed entity, commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of at least 20 years.”

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