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Yiaga Africa inaugurates People’s Assembly in Ekiti
Yiaga Africa, on Wednesday, officially launched the Ekiti chapter of the People’s Assembly for effective communication and deliberation among the citizens, groups and executives of Ado Local Government Area (LGA).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yiaga Africa is a non-profit civic hub of change makers committed to the promotion of democratic governance, human rights and civic engagement.
Yiaga Programme Officers in Ado-Ekiti convened the gathering to enlighten citizens, groups and Ado LG officials on their roles and duties on service delivery, especially on the dividend of democracy.
In an address of welcome, a Senior Programme officer of the group, Mrs Anthonia Onda, commended the people, groups, executive members of Ado LGA for creating time to attend the programme.
Onda said the objective of the People’s Assembly was to bring together citizens, various associations, Ado council officials “to have effective interactions, deliberations and debate on the needs of the people at the grassroots”.
She urged participants to be free to discuss the challenges confronting their communities, streets and local areas “to enable the local government authorities to proffer adequate solutions to them”.
Another Yiaga Programme Officer, Mr Olaniyan Sanusi, described the People’s Assembly in the LGA as apt and necessary to promote public deliberations and improve citizen’s participation in democratic governance.
Sanusi0ĺ said that the People’s Assembly, which was first established in Lagos in 2022, had been replicated in six LGAs of the state.
”We are moving the establishment of People’s Assembly to 12 LGAs in 12 states in the country and six geopolitical zones, starting with Ekiti.
”The People’s Assembly is the initiative of Yiaga Africa, situated within a project called, “Citizens deliver.
“It is a form of deliberative democracy and it is basically public promoted deliberation.
”We are expecting to see citizens under the People’s Assembly group in Ado LGA deliberate on issues identified at the meeting today,” he said.
Sanusi, however, enlightened the participants on what democracy entails, the role of the LG officials and why the citizens must constantly interact with them to enjoy the dividend of democracy at the grassroots.
NAN reports that the leaders of Yiaga People’s Assembly in Ado LGA nominated Mrs Stella Omodele, Mr Gbenga Ariyo and Mrs Isabella Adeyemo to lead the body.
Their role is to always reach out to all groups, such as market women, artisans, residents and officials of Ado LGA for regular deliberations and interactions on the needs of the people at the grassroots.
Some of the issues deliberated upon that affect the citizens and residents of Ado LGA, included the lack of healthcare facilities in Ajebandele Street on Ikere-Ekiti Road and poor road network in Ado-Ekiti.
Others were the lack of good drains in Adebayo area in Ado-Ekiti, the lack of empowerment of small business owners, high levies and double taxation of shop owners and traders in the council area.
The dignitaries that attended the event included the Vice Chairman and Secretary of Ado LGA, Mrs Fausat Bello and Mrs Kehinde Olanipekun. (NAN)
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.