Author: The Nation

The Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has urged Nigerians to patronize locally made products, stating that such gesture is required to grow the country’s economy.

Ooni Ogunwusi made the call recently at his Ile Oodua Palace Ile-Ife, while playing host to management of Titan Multi-business investment Ltd.; producers of Titan Rice who paid a courtesy visit to the  monarch to formally invite him as the Special Guest of Honour at the commissioning of the Titan Farms Corporate Head office and rice factory located in Ibadan.

The Ooni who is the Co-chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, commended Titan management for their patriotism and originality, while rendering qualitative services to Nigerians.

“We should commend the management of this great company and  few others across the country for standing up to the challenges in the competitive market, it is obviously not easy. What I want to encourage our people to do is to patronize this brand and I assure Nigerians that they’ll be proud,” the Ooni said.

Earlier in his address, Founder and the Chief Trader of Titan Multi-business investment, Mr. Gbenga Eyiolawi, thanked the Ooni for the kind words, affirming his organisation’s readiness to uphold its efficient service delivery mechanism.

“Your Highness, let me use this opportunity to explain that Titan is an agro-commodity processing and trading outfit, buying farm produce directly from Nigerian farms and process them with our partner-mills and processing facilities using High-Tech equipments in the Northern part of the country.

“These processed goods are packaged in our brand and sold directly to distributors across South West Nigeria.

“Pioneer of such goods is our rice brand known as Titan Rice which is produced and packaged in the North and then sold in the south. We started recently and presently have presence in Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Kwara states.

By Gboyega Alaka

CLEEN Foundation in conjunction with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taken its case to Hon. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairperson, Committee on Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State House of Assembly.

This was as CLEEN also held a Two-day Capacity Building Workshop for Community-based Women-led organisations in Lagos State at the R&A City Hotel, Ikeja.

The visit to the Lagos lawmaker was in furtherance of the two organisations’ battle against human trafficking and forced labour.

CLEEN, represented by its Assistant Programme Officer, Segun Ayodele, listed some of the challenges of the battle to include funding, with specific reference to Victim of Trafficking Trust Fund; Laws and Policies, with particular reference to enforcement; and Referral Mechanism.

The NAPTIP Lagos Zonal Commander, Ganiu Aganran, also listed some of its activities in the state designated as a transit state, even as he apprised the legislator with its activities in the battle.

Responding, Mrs Alli-Macaulay appreciated the effort of the two organisations and pledged her support, even as she pointed out that the team’s first port of call should have been the office of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and First Lady of the State.

Facilitators at the capacity training included Afegbai Omolere and Hajara Osho-Tunde, who represented the Lagos NAPTIP Zonal Commander.

By Toba Adedeji, Osogbo

The Osun State Police Command, Osogbo on Saturday has confirmed the arrest of three teenagers and five other serial kidnappers in Osun State on Saturday.

The Nation gathered that the syndicates had kidnapped a 65-year-old woman named Mrs Akiishi Catherine in Benue State and was demanding ransom.

It was learnt that they moved to Osun State in bid to negotiate and collect ransom and cover their heinous crime. The syndicates had killed the 65-year-old woman and three of their victims before relocating to Osun State in recent time.

It was said that they were arrested in Omo Ijesha village in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, where they were using as hide out.

The spokesperson of Osun State Police Command, SP Yemisi Opalola confirmed in a statement that the command arrested eight members of a high-profile, serial kidnapping syndicate on Friday, 7th May 2021.

She noted that  Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode led his men to the village upon credible intelligence the command received about the syndicates.

“They came to Osun State to hid but they were arrested. The suspects are: Orikashima David (AKA Cash money) ‘m’ aged 22years, Teryange Demenogo (AKA Small) ‘m’ aged 22years, Terngu Tortindi (AKA Kareen) ‘m’ aged 25years, Anawuese Akough ‘f’ aged 19years, Mbalumulum Kaorga ‘f’ aged 18years, Comfort Terdoo ‘f’ aged 22years, Michael Msendoo ‘f’ aged 19years, Aondoaseer Terver ‘m’ 21years, all Tivs from Benue State.

“Police investigations revealed that the suspects have murdered the kidnap victim, Mrs. Akiishi Catherine, in Benue State before relocating to Osun State. The suspects also revealed to the Police team how they have murdered three other victims in their previous operations. The suspects would be handed over to the Benue State Police Command as soon as preliminary investigations are concluded.”

By Innocent Duru

The Rotary Club of Lagos, Festac Cosmopolitan, has  donated birth kits to expectant mothers at the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Secretariat,  Festac.

Receiving the items from the club, the Council Chairman, Valentine Buraimoh, described the humanitarian gesture as life saving, adding that it would go a long to solve health challenges in the area.

He expressed appreciation to the club and enjoined other associations of the same calibre to emulate the kind gesture.

President of the club, Uzoamaka Akaneme, said the club decided to make the donation, particularly to pregnant women, who are due for delivery, because most of them are low income earners, who might not be able to afford some of the birth kits.

“This is also to celebrate maternal and child health, which is celebrated by Rotary Club in this month of April,” she added.

About 25 pregnant women who were at the health centre for their ante-natal care received the kits. The health centre also received two fetal doppler machines used to check the heartbeat of an unborn child from the club.

Akaneme noted that items such as cotton wool, delivery blade, delivery pads and other materials were contained in the branded bag, which she said would also be useful to the women as nursing mothers.

In his speech, the Project Director and Past Assistant Governor, Ik Ugwu, said the project would bring about reduction in maternal and child mortality, enhance safe and hygienic delivery, as well as alleviate poverty in the area.

He said the donation, which was to mark the Rotary celebration of maternal and child health, was equally a practical demonstration of the Club’s commitment to assist the Primary Health Centre to continue to provide quality care and services.

He promised that it would be a continuous project. “We will be praying for the mothers for safe delivery. We want the unborn child to know that even before he/she was born, there were people who were already caring and those people are the members of the Rotary Club of Lagos, Festac Cosmopolitan,” he said.

By Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

The  Igbemo-Ekiti community in Irelodun/Ifelodun Council Area of Ekiti State has commended Governor  Kayode Fayemi for citing in the town the Cargo Airport which is currently under construction.

The community also praised the governor for the ongoing rehabilitation of roads project linking the town to other adjoining towns which include Ilupeju- Ire-Igbemo- Ijan Road and Iworoko-Are- Afao- Igbemo- Iluomoba road.

The commendation was contained in a statement jointly signed by Onigbemo of Igbemo, Oba Adewumi Daramola and the National President of Igbemo General Assembly, Chief Bola Olowojeje.

The community said the cargo airport would boost and improve the economic and investment profile of the town when completed, adding apart from creating job opportunities for unemployed youths, it would also ease movement and change the face of the town.

While commending the government for the payment of compensation to those affected by the location of the airport, it implored the government to look into cases of those who have not been paid compensation.

It equally called on those who are yet to be captured in the ongoing exercise to cooperate with enumeration officials and make available required documents that will facilitate their compensation.

The community added that the ongoing construction of the roads which links the town to communities across the three senatorial districts in the state would enable indigenes and commuters have ease access to other parts of Ekiti.

It noted that the project when completed will enhance effective transportation of agricultural produce to cities and reduce mortality rates of expectant mothers as well as those with ailments in the town.

By Raymond Mordi

Residents of Ocean Bay Estate, Lafiaji, in Lekki Peninsula, Lagos State, took the streets recently to protest against what they described as poor services being provided by the managers of the estate, Octo5 Holdings Ltd.

They lamented the poor power and smelly water being provided at an exorbitant cost and the security challenges in the estate. Speaking with reporters during the protest, the chairperson of Ocean Bay Resident Association, Mrs. Jite Titiloye condemned the quality of service provided by the company. She said residents not only have to put up the poor service delivery but the lack of transparency and horrible communication from managers of the company.

Titiloye added: “We are here as members of our residents’ association. We say no to this oppression, no to poor service, no to lack of transparency and no to lack of accountability.”

Victoria Igwe, who said she has lived in the estate for almost half a decade, said the brazen attitude being exhibited by the facility managers must stop. “First and foremost, I will like for the brazen impunity to stop. We are paying for the services; we are not your servants. I don’t want you to handle me like we are toddlers or slaves or whatever. You don’t communicate properly, then you give me smelly water and you give me haphazard power that damages my appliances. This is upsetting”.

The Chief Executive Officer of Octo5 Holdings Ltd, Babajide Odusolu absolved himself of the allegations leveled against him and his company. His words: “We are in Lekki. I redeemed this entire place in 2003; it was a swampy area. This is a water area, so there will always be water. This estate has one of the best drainages of any location in Lekki.