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Southwest Speakers: Why We Converged On Lagos

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Speakers of state Legislatures in the Southwestern part of Nigeria on Monday gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly for discussions aimed at the progress of the zone.

The gathering comes few days to the Abuja meeting of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria where a national chairman is billed to emerge.

State Speakers at the meeting hosted by Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, include Rt. Hon. Taiwo Oluomo of Ogun, Adebo Ogundoyin of Oyo, Adeoye Aribasoye of Ekiti, Adewale Egbedun of Osun and Olamide Oladiji of Ondo.

The Speakers held a closed-door session after which Dr. Obasa told journalists that different issues relating to the growth and progress of Southwest were discussed.

“We looked at the progress of the legislature in the Southwest. Let me remind you that during the last Assembly, we all adopted a single Business Rules and Standing Order, which we have reviewed at this meeting.

“We also discussed the coming election of the Conference of Speakers. We deliberated on that because we have to be there with one voice. We have two Speakers, Ogun and Oyo, running for the position. So we have to harmonise our position before we go for the election.

“We also discussed the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) as it relates to the economic progress and development of Southwest. I am happy to tell you we made tremendous progress in our discussion and we have concluded that we will meet again to continue our deliberation. But in all, we have discussed in the interest of the Southwest,” Dr. Obasa said.

Confirming discussions at the meeting, Rt. Hon. Aribasoye, said: “We met to discuss the Southwest, the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, the coming election, the security of our zone, and the need for cross-fertilisation of ideas among the legislatures in the Southwest.”

Earlier, while being received at the legislative chamber of the Lagos Assembly, the Speakers told the State lawmakers that their visit had opened their eyes to further directions they needed to take for the progress of their individual states.

They commended the Lagos lawmakers for standing firm in their support for democracy, true governance and the leadership of Speaker Obasa noting that their activities have helped to sustain a virile legislative arm in the State.

“What we have seen at the Lagos State House of Assembly will guide us going foward, Rt. Hon. Aribasoye said while describing Lagos as a true ‘Centre of Excellence’ and thanking Dr. Obasa for being a worthy leader to Southwest Speakers.

Rt. Hon. Oladiji, who said it was his first time visiting the Lagos Assembly, described what he had seen as a true reflection of why the State continues to make legislative progress under Speaker Obasa.

Stressing that the Southwest remains the leading democratic light in Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Egbedun added: “I want to use this opportunity to tell you that Speaker Obasa is our leader.”

On his part, Rt. Hon. Oluomo commended the Lagos lawmakers for standing with Obasa, who he described as making history for being the longest serving Speaker in Nigeria.

Further addressing the Lagos lawmakers, Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin thanked Dr. Obasa for always helping the Southwest Speakers with his knowledge and experience.

In his response, Dr. Obasa described his colleagues at the Lagos Assembly as dedicated, loyal to positive causes and passionate for the progress of the legislature and the State.

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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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