Author: The Nation

The Oyo State House of Assembly has appointed its principal officers. The names were announced yesterday during its first plenary.

 The officers are Sanjo Adedoyin (Majority leader – Ogbomosho South), Olasunkanmi Babalola (Deputy Majority Leader – Egbeda); Gbenga Oyekola (Chief Whip – Atiba), Yusuf Adebisi (Deputy Chief Whip – Ibadan South East I) and Salami Ayinde (Minority Leader – Oorelope).

The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, said the officers were unanimously appointed.

The House also announced a seven-man ad hoc committee to conclude ongoing investigation of some suspended local government chairmen over misappropriation of funds.

The investigation was started by the House committee on Local government and Chieftaincy Matters in the Ninth Assembly but was not concluded before the Assembly was dissolved.

The ad hoc committee is chaired by the lawmaker representing Ibarapa North/ Central, Peter Ojedokun. Other members are Olajide Oparinde, Tunde Kehinde, Babajide Adebayo, Sando Adedoyin, Adeola Bamidele and Akande Opeyemi.

• Chairman suspended

The crisis rocking Labour Party (LP) in Osun State took another turn yesterday as the Cchairman, Prince Bello Adebayo, was suspended over anti-party activities and alleged embezzlement of N34 million allowance for polling agents in the 2023 general election. 

Adebayo’s suspension was conveyed by party executives in his Ward 12, Osogbo Local Government Area, chaired by Hammed Sheriff.

Addressing reporters yesterday, Sheriff said: “Our suspending Bello Adebayo is hinged on Article 19(1B)(2B) sub-sections 2,3,4 and 5. He carried out anti-party propaganda and his failure to attend ward meeting about 10 times without cogent reasons.”

Subsequently, chairmen of the party across all local government areas, led by Raheem Taiwo-Ojo, passed a vote of confidence in the Acting State Chairman, Chief Sussan Ojo, and dissociated themselves from the ‘illegal’ suspension of the party’s National Legal Adviser, Akingbade Oyelekan and Sussan Ojo, by Adebayo.

Chief Ojo also alleged that the N4 million for publicity, released by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to Adebayo, was not paid to the LPPCC and, after the election, N30 million meant for polling agents given to Adebayo was embezzled.

“Comrade Lane Fadahunsi, who is the Southwest Coordinator of Big Tent, and Chairman of Media Committee of the LPPCC, Jimoh Babalola, featured on both radio and TV stations marketing Peter Obi and canvassing for votes. The funds spent on this were not given by Adebayo (as it was promised), it took the intervention of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Spokesman Dr. Umar Tanko, before he released part of the money.

 “Also, polling agents tasked with the responsibility of submitting Form EC8A after the elections were not compensated despite the fact that he was given N30 million to pay them. Now the leaders of LPPCC are being chased around by these agents while Bello had collected and cornered their money.”

But Adebayo debunked the allegations, saying: “There’s no substantial executive for ward 12, all executives in Osogbo local government area are unhappy. Their tenure has expired because they didn’t even make the congress which was May last year. So there is no substantial executive for ward 12, and that is one of their failures.

“The only money sent to us then was N300,000, by Chief Akinosun Tokun, so the evidence is there and they can contact him. Aside that, I don’t know what transpired during the January presidential campaign.  They have no locus standing to suspend any elected officers in Osun.”

• Adeshina: leave me out of your crisis

The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos State has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to call the caretaker committee to order.

The union accused the committee, chaired by the Oniba of Iba, Oba Raji Adeshina, of terrorising its members.

Recall that Governor Sanwo-Olu disbanded the RTEAN and replaced it with a caretaker committee. However, the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division, ruled that the union be reinstated and its officials return to office. The court also gave an order restraining the caretaker committee from molesting, intimidating or harassing members of the RTEAN in the lawful discharge of their duties.

But Oba Adeshina and the committee have consistently harassed, intimidated and molest our union members for no reason. They continue to disobey the court, the RTEAN said.

A statement by the Acting Chairman, Aransiola Qudus, accused the committee of consistently harassing, intimidating and molesting RTEAN members.

 The statement reads: “On June 16, one of our members, Azeez Gbalanga, was attacked and beaten. We reported this to the Ajangbadi Police Station and he was rushed to Badagry General hospital for treatment.

“This action is totally against all the content and context of the court judgement. We hope the commissioner of police will act to nip this nefarious acts of Oba Raji and his cohorts in the bud.”

But Oba Raji denied knowledge of the attack. According to him, the story he heard was that the RTEAN had internal squabbles about Team Lagos which probably escalated.

“I don’t know anything about the matter. I was at the State House on the said date to witness the swearing in of one of our daughters as Secretary to the State Government. How would I, a monarch, be ordering thugs to beat up people who should naturally be my subjects? It doesn’t add up. The RTEAN should go and settle its internal squabbles and leave me out of it.”

Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has urged women to be prudent in the management of resources to survive the precarious situation triggered by the current economic downturn in the country. 

The governor’s wife spoke yesterday at the third edition of the Muslim Sisters’ Seminar, with the theme ‘Holding Fast to the Rope of Allah: Key to Surviving Turbulent Times’, hosted by the Office of the First Lady.

Mrs. Sanwo-Olu, in her keynote address, noted that the seminar is to support the government in the state’s development and of its people, by sensitising Muslim Women on contemporary social issues that affect communities, as well as proffer solutions to them.

The governor’s wife, who reiterated the need for sound mental health, promised to build on the gains of the interaction to positively affect the home and the society at large.

She said: “Since inception, we have kept faith with the objective of using this seminar to sensitise Muslim women on contemporary social issues that affect our communities, as well as proffer solutions to engender sustainable and positive change in our state and country.

 “I am particularly delighted to note the useful and credible intellectual conversations we have had today, and my solemn pledge is to build on the gains of this initiative to continue to serve as the platform to expand the frontiers of the home front, thereby positively impacting the home and society at large. 

“A peaceful home is the bedrock of a peaceful society. When we get it right at home, society is the ultimate beneficiary. Conversely, when we get it wrong at the level of the family, the larger society will be at the receiving end. This is why it becomes expedient and important to sustain a platform such as this seminar to bring Muslim sisters and women generally together to empower them with skills and information to contribute their quota to national development, starting from the home front.”

The governor’s wife also stressed the need to train resilient children who can survive turbulent times, mentally, socially, intellectually, and otherwise. “Children must learn survival skills for precarious time such as this, they must understand that things will not always be rosy, so they should be prepared for any eventuality. Parents can sometimes create artificial scarcity of food and resources to teach the kids resilience and adaptability,” she added.

She also harped on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, saying it is essential so women can have a sound mental health.

Head of Economics Department, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Prof. Jameelah Yaqub, who delivered a lecture on ‘Managing Family Finances in a Period of Economic downturn’, urged Muslim women to manage the family finances well by shunning wastage, planning purchases and trips, encouraging their spouses and children to live within their means, and avoiding unnecessary pressure that can affect their health negatively.

Another Resource Person, Ameenah Yunus-Alli, who listed types of mental challenges to include, anxiety, depression, somatoform, eating disorder, postpartum depression, post traumatic stress disorder and suicide, noted that maintaining mental health balance as Muslimah is fundamental to serving as the bedrock of the home.

Ondo State Acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has condoled with a former Secretary of Afenifere, Pa Sehinde Arogbofa, over the death of his wife, Oluwakemi Elizabeth Arogbofa.

The late Elizabeth died last Sunday. She was 74.

Aiyedatiwa, who led members of the State Executive Council to sympathise with Pa Arogbofa and his family at his Oba-Ile residence in Akure, said the deceased lived an impactful life. He also prayed for the family over the loss.

He said: “We are here representing our Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to commiserate with you on the demise of your wife, Mama Elizabeth Oluwakemi Arogbofa. We know what you represent, not just in Ondo State, but in Nigeria, as a true and patriotic elder statesman that I personally respect.

“We value your contribution to nation-building, as we all hold you in a very high esteem. On behalf of Mr Governor, the people and government of Ondo State, I urge you and the family to take solace in the life of impact that Mama lived.

“It is our prayers that God will continue to strengthen you all, and give you necessary strength and comfort.”

Pa Arogbofa said his wife’s death came as a rude shock. He thanked the government for commiserating with the family.

• ‘Be ready to play opposition role for eight years’

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has chided Governor Ademola Adeleke for allegedly stopping policemen from arresting thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party said ‘Adeleke should limit himself to acrobatic dancing which is his core area of mastery of comparative advantage, instead of poking his nose into a strange terrain of policing’.

Recall that Adeleke had accused Senator Ajibola Basiru of importing unauthorised policemen into the state to arrest chieftains and members of the party, and he urged the Inspector-General of Police (IG) to intervene before it is too late.

A statement yesterday by the Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, cautioned Adeleke against denigrating the police institution, saying: “the governor does not know how the police perform their official duties’.

It reads: “I will advise Governor Adeleke to limit himself to acrobatic dancing which is his core area of mastery of comparative advantage, instead of poking his nose into a strange terrain of policing. Why must Adeleke and his co-travellers be afraid of the shadow of a policeman, if not that they have something to hide which makes them suspected fugitives?

“We support the long arm of the law to deal decisively with whoever has run foul of the law of the land with impunity, as was witnessed before the series of the elections in the state, when no fewer than 30 members and supporters of our party were slaughtered like rams by hired political hoodlums loyal to Adeleke and the PDP.”

But PDP Chairman Sunday Bisi berated APC, saying the party must first apologise to the people for tis failure in office.

He said: “While Senator Basiru and his allies in anger are at liberty to stay in the lane of ruins, which left them as men of yesterday, we have a duty to guard the interest of the good people of Osun, especially when it comes to protecting their lives.

“Therefore, any action capable of disrupting the peace being enjoyed by the people of Osun State under the PDP government of Senator Ademola Adeleke will be resisted by whatever means possible under the law. APC should be active in their opposition role they need to play for eight years, but they should be reasonable and conduct themselves like noble men.”