Author: The Nation

Stakeholders have urged Lagosians to ensure the democratic gains recorded under Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in the last four years are sustained, as they go out to vote in the governorship election on Saturday.

Since his assumption of office in May 2019, Sanwo-Olu has sustained the progressive development in the state through his administration’s THEMES agenda.

THEMES, the agenda for Greater Lagos, represents the six-pillar development plan of the Sanwo-Olu administration. It stands for Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy; Entertainment and Tourism; and Security and Governance.

The stakeholders at a forum in Ikeja last Friday commended the governor for the role he played during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by leading from the front as the incident commander.

They include artisans, professionals, business owners and politicians.

The stakeholders admonished the electorate not to be irrational when making a choice in the governorship election, as the Blue line rail project, which was inaugurated recently by President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Red line rail project, which is almost completed, are part of the signature projects executed by the governor.

Spokesman for the Association of Kwara Traders in Lagos, Alhaji Saliu Orilowo, said his members had enjoyed the facilities provided by the Sanwo-Olu administration and were in support of the governor for a second term.

He said Lagos State was too important in Nigeria’s development for it to be ruled by an inexperienced person.

An educationist at the forum, Mr. Festus Oyalowo, said he scored the Sanwo-Olu administration high in education development.

“Governor Sanwo-Olu has built and remodelled over 1,000 primary and secondary schools in the last four years. Who else can beat this record,” Oyalowo said.

The CEO of Cornerstone Properties Limited, Mr. Okoye Anyaso, who also attended the forum, said Sanwo-Olu had created a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere for businesses to thrive and for the different tribes to feel at home.

“Lagos remains the greatest city in Nigeria and one of the largest economies in West Africa. Despite sitting on only one per cent of Nigeria’s landmass—a third of that being water—it houses 10 per cent of Nigeria’s population,” Anyaso said, adding: “We should all remember that we are Nigerians, as well as Lagosians. We must continue to come together and keep the peace.”

The former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has also endorsed Sanwo-Olu for a second term.

A resident of Lagos, who only recently said he was quitting politics after being in the opposition party for years, Fayose said he believed that Sanwo-Olu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 11 governorship election, should be re-elected to continue the good work of his administration.

“Lagos business is a serious business. There are lots of challenges in Lagos. So, I enjoin everybody in Lagos to return Sanwo-Olu,” he said.

The Akure branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has threatened to order its members to boycott court sittings over demand of what they termed illegal fees at the courts’ registries.

It issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to address the issue.

In the letter signed by NBA Chairman, Akure branch, Olabanjo Ayenakin, it called for the intervention of the chief judge to the infractions emanating from the registries.

According to the letter, “most of the registries and courts in the High Court and Magistrates’ Courts always complain of lack of files for originating processes and exhibits.

“The officers in the registry always resort to collecting money from counsel and litigants for the purchase of files for keeping exhibits and commencing cases.

“These officers always inform litigants and counsels that they have the backing of the court to so do and that files were not officially provided for their use.

“The assessing officers in the registries always charge counsel and litigants who file written statement on oaths and supporting affidavit for motion additional cost for red wafers.

“The additional costs for red wafers are not contained in the Ondo State High Court Civil Procedure Rules. The said fee is a hidden charge and same is unacceptable and illegal.

“We have resolved to boycott the courts in Ondo State, and this we shall do in agreement with other branches of the Bar.”

The Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, has enjoined sons and daughters of Yewaland to support the re-election bid of Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.

He spoke when he received Governor Abiodun and his campaign train at his palace in Ilaro at the weekend.

The monarch said the March 11 poll should not be about voting for the son of the soil, but about voting for the continued prosperity of the state under the leadership of the incumbent governor.

He noted that the forthcoming election would not be only about politics, but about what could be seen on ground.

He urged the people of Yewaland to reject the candidacy of someone, whose support was coming from a former governor, who, during his eight-year tenure, did not finish the projects he started across Yewaland.

“It is not a matter of politics, it is about what is on ground. For eight years before you came, I can’t point to anything that your predecessor started and completed, yet, he is saying we should vote for someone. Except if we want to lie to ourselves, that type of person cannot come out and tell us what to do.

“We can’t afford to give the governorship to another party, it is not this time when we have the All Progressives Congress at the federal level, that all our National Assembly members are also from the All Progressives Congress, and that someone will be saying it is another party. It is clear to us, it is not about someone being our kinsman, let us think about it, don’t vote for kinsman, even our ancestors are not in support, vote for continuity through Dapo Abiodun.

“The election on Saturday should surprise them, we are doing politics of development, it is not about us, it is about development. Let Dapo Abiodun do his second term, let us support him,” he said.

Oba Olugbenle while calling on the senators and members of the House of Representatives elected from Ogun West to come together and help look at the issue of Idogo rail line, said the rail line, if completed, would help boost the socio-economic development of the people of Yewaland.

“You will have to work together, our senator and members, House of Representatives elected from Ogun West, Idogo rail line from Ifo has been taken away again, what is our sin? Your Excellency, help us to ask them what we have done again in Abuja.

“It is part of the national network of rail lines, why was it abandoned? Are we not part of Nigeria again? That rail line is viable to link some African countries,” the monarch said.

Governor Abiodun, noting that he would continue to be just, fair and equitable, added that his promise not to develop any part of the state at the expense of others would still be respected.

Abiodun, who noted that the Ilaro-Owode road would soon be completed by his administration, said his administration through its transport master plan was determined to ensure that all parts of the state were connected by adequate road network.

The governor, who said the monarch and the people of Yewaland would soon see his administration begin work on the Idogo rail line as well as other rail lines in the state, informed the monarchs that the reconstruction of the Sagamu-Papalanto-Ilaro-Ogbele road had been approved by the Federal Executive Council.

He said the contract for the reconstruction of the road had been awarded, noting that the project, which was in partnership with the Ogun State Government, Aliko Dangote and the Federal Government, would be done using the tax credit scheme.

“You will soon get our invitation to join us in doing the groundbreaking of the Sagamu-Papalanto-Ilaro-Ogbele road, which has finally been approved by the Federal Executive Council.

“It is a partnership between the state government, Aliko Dangote and the Federal Government, using the tax credit scheme.”

“By the grace of God, once we finish our elections, I will inform you so that we go there and perform the ceremony. That road is going to be a dual carriage way all the way from Sagamu to Ogbele and it’s going to be in reinforced concrete, that will be the first reinforced concrete dual carriage way in the state.

“That will mean that those travelling from Lagos-Ibadan coming to Ilaro will no longer need to come to Abeokuta, they will just come straight all the way to Papalanto to Ilaro, connect to of course the new Ilaro-Owode road. Very soon the entire Yewaland is going to be wearing a new look,” he said.

He added that more of such partnerships would be entered into for the overall development of the state, stressing that the sincerity of purpose and commitment shown by his administration would ensure the overall development of the state in partnership with the private sector.

“Kabiyesi, one would wonder how this didn’t happen before, it is a question to answer. There were administrations here in the state, Kabiyesi, the answer to that is that we have shown a lot of commitment, we have demonstrated sincerity of purpose, we have earned the trust between us and the private sector, they now believe in us.

“Dangote is doing roads in Lagos, he is doing different things everywhere else, but as soon as I assumed office, I beckoned to him and requested that he partnered us to do this road and he accepted because he believed in this administration. And we have also been in partnership with so many other private institutions to construct roads, build hospitals, primary health care centres, donate ambulances, the list is endless.

“Kabiyesi, by the grace of God, we will continue to see this kind of partnership that will further strengthen and help us in building the future of this great state together,” he stated 

Abiodun, while calling on the people of Yewaland to vote him for a second term, disclosed that the script being acted by the former governor, who did not complete any project started in Yewaland, should be thrown away.

“How can someone be saying he is the person that is going to determine who is going to be your governor from Ogun West, I mean, it doesn’t happen like that.

“This same character did the same thing in 2019 when he was in office and he failed woefully because his intentions were not noble. Now you dropped that person used in 2019 and picked someone else again and said this is the person he wants to use to be governor in 2023. Obviously he is still seeking to see how he can extend his tenure in office after finishing his eight years.”

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Oyo State, Southern for Tinubu BAT Democracy, Yoruba Campaign for BAT and Tinubu Campaign Movement have backed re-election bid of Governor Seyi Makinde.

The groups, during their visit to Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal in his home, said declaration of support for Makinde and his deputy was as a result of their outstanding performance.

A statement by the National Coordinator of the groups, Adebayo Moronsole and Public Relations Officer/Director of Strategy, Emmanuel Adesanya, said Makinde should continue for the betterment of lives of the people, promising their support for him and his deputy.

“We have no fewer than 372,000 members, who have their permanent voter cards (PVCs). Our grassroots mobilisers are on house-to-house campaign for the re-election of the governor.

“We have enjoyed many good programmes by Makinde’s administration, including peace and security in the state. We urge Oyo State citizens to support this administration’s re-election for the continuation of the good work,” the statement said.

Lawal thanked the groups for their thoughtfulness and readiness to work for the continuity of good work in the state, saying Makinde would remain one of the best governors the state had produced, considering his achievements in office.

He said the state had recorded development, making it to remain unbeatable among Southwest states.

One of the leading support groups of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Women Arise 4 Tinubu, has congratulated the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju  Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for winning the presidential election.

The group, in a statement by its National coordinator, Princess Oby Onu, congratulated Tinubu and described his victory as well deserved.

She said the victory of the flamboyant politician showed his preparedness, which, according to her, was harnessed from the political mileage he had built over the years.

Onu said she was optimistic that Tinubu would perform, stressing that he had a track record of excellence and under his leadership, Nigeria would have a breath of fresh air.

The woman leader called on opponents who lost in the election to embrace peace and join hands with the winner to right the wrongs of Nigeria.

She said in every contest someone must be in the front.

She urged Lagosians to come out en masse on Saturday to re-elect Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu “because this will help him consolidate the modest achievements of his government in the first term.”

She called on women and youths of Ndi-igbo extraction, specifically resident in Lagos, to vote for APC in the governorship election.

Rainstorm has destroyed property worth millions of naira in Oke-Ako, Ikole Local Government of Ekiti State.

It was gathered that the downpour, which was accompanied by a heavy whirlwind, occurred last Friday evening.

The rainstorm destroyed over 105 residential buildings and shops, as well as electric poles.

Some of the victims said the rain, which lasted for over two hours, started normally, but later began blowing off rooftops and destroying electric pole, thereby subjecting the sleepy community to total blackout.

One of the victims, Elder Ilesanmi Elijah, lamented that the rainstorm damaged his property.

He appealed to the state government for assistance.

“I was called by other residents that my house had been destroyed by the rainstorm. It blew off the rooftops, thereby rendering my family and I homeless. I will appreciate it if the government can assist us,” he said.

Inspecting the level of damage yesterday, Governor Biodun Oyebanji condoled with the residents, describing the incident as devastating. 

The governor, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Monisade Afuye, expressed delight that no life was lost during the incident.

She said the government would assist the victims.