Latest news with #Obasa
BBC News
14-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Charity leader helping to tackle domestic violence in Witney
A charity leader from Nigeria wants to help the police and councils overcome cultural barriers when tackling domestic Mojisola Obasa, who now lives in Witney, set up Jewins Women2Women in 2012 following her own experience of being in an abusive faced years of financial and emotional abuse during her marriage but struggled to seek help - which she attributes to her the charity is offering cultural training to councils, the police, faith leaders and other organisations to help them support victims. 'Patriarchal culture' Ms Obasa said: "I had internalised financial, psychological and emotional abuse for seven years."In my case, [my husband] was diverting funds back to Nigeria and we never had a plan as a husband and wife. It was a singular marriage and he made all these decisions with his parents, excluding me and the children."Because I was a pastor at the time, I had to endure, because in my African culture domestic abuse is seen as a cultural thing. It's patriarchal, so women are seen and not heard, and if you speak out you are ostracised and shamed."The abuse she experienced culminated in Ms Obasa and her two children staying at a women's refuge in Banbury. Jewins Women2Women provides coaching, counselling, advocacy and cultural support to women in the UK – and is now extending its offering to include training for other her time leading the charity, Ms Obasa found that many UK services lack the knowledge required to fully support women from different ethnic and faith said: "A few years ago the police contacted us and said they were struggling with ethnic minority women [suffering abuse]."When they call them for help, they remove the abuser. But they don't understand why the women don't make a statement."The reason they don't make a statement or follow through the process has to do with culture and faith."The training will be officially launched during an event at the Saïd Business School in Oxford on in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, according to charity Refuge. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Lagos Speaker Meranda resign as Obasa return to power
Di Speaker of di Lagos State House of Assembly Mojisola Meranda don resign as di removed Speaker Mudashiru Obasa return to power. Meranda wey dey represent Apapa Constituency I bin announce her resignation on Monday as lawmakers re-elect her as di Deputy Speaker of di Lagos State House of Assembly. Dis dey come following di internal crisis wey shele for di House afta majority of di lawmakers remove Obasa on 13 January. Dem remove Obasa sake of allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers bin elect and swear-in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. Earlier, di impeached Speaker bin maintain say im removal no hold water and e dey illegal as lawmakers no follow constitution to remove am, and e declare say im remain di legitimate speaker of di house. "I don resume and I still remain di Speaker of di Assembly," Oga Obasa tell tori pipo for di Assembly complex on Thursday 27 February. "Nobody remove me. Impeachment or removal na democratic and constitutional, but if you wan do am, you gatz follow due process. We get rules for dis house and house rules wey all state assemblies for di south-west dey follow, but dem no follow am," e tok. Also, for one interview wit Channels TV on Thursday, Obasa claim say madam Meranda don agree to resign as di Speaker during one peace meeting wey leaders of di party for di state arrange. "One meeting hold for Marina wia we get in attendance all di party leaders and all di members [of Lagos Assembly] and openly Meranda hersef tok say she don step down and she don resign."
CBC
03-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Saskatoon city council seeks federal funding that could change city's AirBnB, VRBO landscape
Saskatoon city council is seeking money to crack down on unlicensed short-term rentals in the city, like those on AirBnB and VRBO, amid an active moratorium on licensing certain new short-term rentals. Last year, Ottawa created a Short-Term Rental Enforcement Fund, which was a way for communities across Canada to use federal dollars to crack down on short-term accommodations that consume rental supply and can result in fewer long-term rentals on the market. The City of Saskatoon applied for $380,000 from the fund, expected to cover most of the costs for an enforcement program in a three-year period, with $25,000 coming from the city to cover management and supervision of the program. Adam Clarkson, who hosts an AirBnB in Saskatoon, said the short-term rental market in the city is small and he believes short-term rentals are "such a miniscule part of the problem." "I think it's a political move to say that cracking down on them is going to make an impact in a positive way," Clarkson said. The potential renewed enforcement efforts come alongside an existing roadblock for some AirBnB owners in the city. Those looking to make their rental a legitimate business and avoid the steep fines are not able to obtain a licence, unless the unit is a homestay — when the owner lives in the home where the unit is being rented — because of an active moratorium in Saskatoon. In January 2024, Saskatoon stopped granting business licences to short-term rental properties, which provide tenancies for less than 30 days. Under the city's Business Licence Bylaw, once the rental vacancy rate drops below three per cent it cannot permit new licences to standalone short-term rentals, which are separate residences from where the owner stays. That includes rentals hosted on platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, and Obasa Six-Three Suites. Clarkson would not comment about whether he has obtained a licence. According to city council documents, there are about 230 licensed units in the city. While there is not a precise number of unlicensed units operating in the city, it said there are about 700 listings on AirBnB and 150 on VRBO. The documents also say the city will contact property owners in violation of the bylaw to provide them a deadline to either stop operation or obtain a licence. If they're found to be non-compliant, they could face fines up to $25,000 per day for each day the "offence" occurred, as determined by the courts. Darren Hill, a former city councillor who has had a pair AirBnB rentals in his home for several years, said the short-term rentals generate two to three times more revenue than a long-term rental — though it's more work. Hill says he's in support of the city's plan to crack down on short-term rentals because they "wreak havoc on the housing stock" and help further compound the shortage of rental units because they're not available on the long-term rental market. He defended his rental situation by stating that it is a homestay rental, rather than a standalone that would take an entire apartment, condo or home off the rental market.
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Latest on Lagos state house of assembly crisis and wetin law tok on impeachment of a speaker
Di kasala wey dey rock di Lagos House of Assembly no be like say e go end anytime soon as e enter anoda level on Thursday, 27 February wen di impeached speaker Mudashiru Obasa bin return to di assembly wit entourage of unidentified men and declare imself as di substantive speaker, days afta dem remove am from di position. Reports say e seize control of di office of di Speaker and hold wetin dem fit describe as plenary session wit four lawmakers wey dey loyal to am. Oda lawmakers wey dey present for di 40-member assembly bin boycott di session. Na on 13 January, majority of di lawmakers of di Lagos state assembly vote to remove di speaker, Mudashiru Obasa ova allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers come elect and swear in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. However, di impeached Speaker don maintain say im removal no hold water and e dey illegal as lawmakers no follow constitution to remove am, and e declare say im remain di legitimate speaker of di house. "I don resume and I still remain di Speaker of di Assembly," Oga Obasa tell tori pipo for di Assembly complex on Thursday. "Nobody remove me. Impeachment or removal na democratic and constitutional, but if you wan do am, you get to follow due process. We get rules for dis house and house rules wey all state assemblies for di south-west dey follow, but dem no follow am," e tok. Also, for one interview wit Channels TV on Thursday, Obasa claim say madam Meranda don agree to resign as di Speaker during one peace meeting wey leaders of di party for di state arrange. "One meeting hold for Marina wia we get in attendance all di party leaders and all di members [of Lagos Assembly] and openly Meranda herself tok say she don step down and she don resign." Although, Ms Meranda neva react to dis latest tok about her resignation, but one interview she get wit tori pipo on Friday, 28 February, show say she still be di speaker of di assembly. 'Obasa action na invasion' - Mojisola Meranda Meanwhile, di speaker of di assembly don react to Obasa action, she tell tori pipo say "Invasion and breaking into my office na big one." Madam speaker also torchlight on di issue of her security details wey tori pipo report say dem withdraw from her. "I get three or four policemen whereas my normal convoy on my team consist of 12 policemen, four DSS and two anti-bomb. But as I get am dis morning I no get dat," she tok. Earlier, di Lagos state assembly for dia reaction condemn Obasa action. "Di Lagos State House of Assembly wish to bring to di attention of Lagosians, Nigerians and di global community one incident wey occur on Thursday, wey involve one unsanctioned attempt to convene a plenary session by di former speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, plus three members," tok-tok pesin for di house, Steve Ogundipe tok for statement. Di statement add say di rules wey govern plenary sessions of di house dey clear. Valid sitting, require say dem go don send formal notice to all members, di presence of a quorum, an approved agenda, plus di mace – wey be essential symbol of legislative authority. But dis meeting lack dis requirements. "Dem no meet any of dis procedural requirements during di purported sitting, as only five out of di 40 members dey present, and dat render di sitting unconstitutional and without legislative effect." How di crisis for di Lagos state assembly take start Na on 13 January, majority of di lawmakers of di Lagos state assembly vote to remove di speaker, Mudashiru Obasa ova allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers come elect and swear in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. Afta majority of di lawmakers elect her as speaker, Madam Meranda bin visit di state Govnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and di Governing Advisory Council, one body wey dey recognised as di topmost group for di Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek dia blessings. Dem elect di new speaker wen Oga Obasa dey out of di kontri, wey e tok say dey wrong. E say di house bin dey on recess, and dem move motion to adjourn sitting to 18 February, wen di impeachment occur. "We adjourn properly, so if time reach to reconvene, e get to go through di majority leader, di clerk and di speaker and according to di rule, na only di speaker fit reconvene. So if you no follow dat, e no mata di forgery you dey try to perpetrate," Obasa tok for one recent Channels TV interview. However, since e return, na one crisis or di oda. Di first time na wen some alleged security officials lock di assembly for several hours and dem no let sitting hold. Dis mata make di speaker cry. Den, di most recent na wen Obasa storm di assembly and preside ova di plenary as speaker wit four lawmakers present. Oga Obasa don tok several times say im no get issues wit im removal but wit di process wey dem take remove am, e say due process no dey followed. However, di issue of di legality of im removal dey for court. Court adjourn case wey Obasa file against di assembly to March Di Lagos High Court wey sit for Ikeja on Friday, 28 February rule say make all members of di Assembly dey joined as parties for di suit wey di impeached speaker file. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro also adjourn di case to 7 March to hear all pending applications for di mata. Obasa bin drag di assembly go court ova wetin e call unlawful removal. Di lawsuit, wey e file for February also name di current Speaker, Lasbat Mojisola Meranda, as di defendant. For di application wey dem date 12 February, wey im lawyer Afolabi Fashanu SAN file, di plaintiff bin claim say 36 lawmakers bin remove am from im position on 13 January wen e dey out of di kontri. Obasa application dey based on nine grounds, wey focus on di interpretation of various sections of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and di Rules and Standing Orders of di Lagos State House of Assembly. Di plaintiff dey challenge di constitutionality of di Lagos State House of Assembly to sit and carry out proceedings during recess without di Speaker convening di House or delegating authority to someone else to do so. Wetin di constitution tok about di removal of a speaker? Section 92 of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, create di offices of di "Speaker and Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly wey members of di house go elect from among themselves." Section 92 (2)c state say di speaker or di deputy go vacate im seat "if e dey removed from office by a resolution of di House of Assembly by di votes of not less dan two-third majority of di members of di house." Ogbonge legal practitioner Deji Adeyanju wey follow BBC Pidgin tok shed more light on wetin di constitution tok and di standing order of di Lagos state house of assembly. Adeyanju explain say according to di constitution, di removal of a speaker na internal process, dis one mean say, na members of di house fit decide to remove di speaker, and na 2/3rd of di members fit comot di speaker. Di constitution no also tok di offence wey fit warrant members to vote for di removal of di speaker. E add say, di Lagos assembly dey operate on standing order wey tok how speaker or im deputy fit dey removed. Firstly, bifor dem comot speaker, lawmakers wey wan remove am for don present am wit formal notice or motion. Under di house rules, dem also dey give notice period. Although di notice period, no dey mandatory, na for members to prepare for debate, and di time for di notice na at di discretion of those wey dey call for di removal. Also, dem go give di speaker opportunity to defend any accuse against am. Adeyanju add say wetin di constitution tok na say members of di house must reach a resolution to impeach di speaker, and na two-thrid of di members of di house fit vote for di removal of di speaker or im deputy. Speaker or deputy speaker need to dey di house bifor dem impeach dem? One major concern to Obasa na di fact say di impeachment happun for im absence. "If you wan do anything, do am well. Dem remove me becos I dey out of di kontri. Lagos na special place; we no fit belittle di state. "Wen dem remove former speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi, e dey for di assembly, and we no invite policemen. Wen dem remove my sister, former deputy speaker of di house, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, we no invite di police," di embattled lawmaker tok. Adeyanju say di constitution dey silent on if di speaker need to dey present for di plenary during im removal. E tok again say wetin di constitution state na two-third majority of di members of di house fit initiate di impeachment process of a speaker. Although, di lawmakers tok say dem give Obasa di notice, however, Obasa tok say di house dey on recess wen dem impeach am, but di standing order no give room for recess, Adeyanju add. Dis no be di first time, speaker of di house of assembly go dey removed. For January 2024, Ogun State House of Assembly bin impeach Speaker Kunle Oluomo. Na 18 out of di 36 members of di state Assembly bin vote for di impeachment for dia plenary session on Tuesday. Dem impeach Oluomo for alleged embezzlement of funds, high handedness and oda type offences like dat.
