Category: South West

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested one Tochukwu Nworih for abducting a six-year old toddler and demanding a ransom of N50m.Nworih was arrested on December 31st at a Point of Sales stand while trying to withdraw part of the ransom.

He was said to have kidnapped the victim at Lafe area of Akure from inside a car where the mother left her to get groceries for the family. Ondo Police spokesman, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, in a statement, said the suspect confessed to the crime and that the victim was rescued unhurt. She said the suspect would soon be arraigned in court.

A former Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Justice Kumuyi defected at the presidential campaign rally of the APC held at the Moshood Kasimawo Abiola Democracy Park at Oja Oba in Akure.

He was received into the APC by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who represented National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu.

Senator Omisore who expressed optimism that the people of Ondo State would vote APC promised that the party would change narrative of the country under a Tinubu presidency.

The rally was well attended as the venue was packed full.by party supporters.

Chairman of the Ondo APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, said there was no division in the party in the state.

“Ondo is APC and APC is Ondo. You will see results on elections day. Ondo APC is united. We are well ahead other states. We will produce more votes than Lagos in terms is percentage votes cast.”

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in his remark, described Tinubu as Nigeria’s incoming president.

Akeredolu said the state would vote massively for the APC. Senator Tinubu, in his speech, promised to develop the Ondo Deap Sea Port and develop uninterrupted energy.

Tinubu urged Ondo residents to vote wisely by voting for him on February 25.

According to him, “Ondo is known as progressive state, followed by other states like Ogun, Oyo and I appreciate our progressives governors. This incoming election is our own, it is the vote of inheritance. It is vote of three in one. Don’t lose your PVCs, your PVCs is your right.

“Our rally today is a signal of our renewed hope for Nigeria, that February 25, you will go and make a wise decision, you will vote massively for me, I’m too sure and very sure that you will vote for APC and that’s why I’m very happy.

“I will win this election. Atiku cannot do it, he doesn’t want to build a better nation instead he will rather sell your birthright to the highest builders. Atiku policies and action are nothing.

“Obi has a chance to show up a progressive when he was a governor of Anambra state, all he could do was to boast that he save money when he was the Governor of Anambra state.

“Obi has nothing to be proud of instead he made people of Anambra cries and he claimed to be party labour leader.

“My people, you cannot entrust your future of that of our nation to Atiku and Obi. What has Atiku has brought to Nigeria?.

“Myself and my running mate, Shettima are ready to renewed hope through empowerment for all of you, if you give me your mandate as you promised, I will work so hard, put money in your pocket.

“I love what governor Akeredolu has done in Ondo state, he has improved the infrastructure statues of Ondo state. We will work together with Ondo state to be an economic centre. We will develop the Ondo Deap Sea Port. We will develop uninterrupted energy.

“We will do more to develop Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole. We are a people of peace and prosperity. Our educational sector will receive priority in our government. No children of the poor will be left behind. If you don’t have the money, we will establish student credit loan so that you can go to school. You will be educated, you will be expert.”

Dignitaries present at the rally were Governors of Lagos, Ogun and Kano States , Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dapo Abiodun and Abdullahi Ganduje respectively.

Others were former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, National Secretary of the party, Engnr. Iyiola Omisore,.National Vice Chairman (South-West) of APC, Mr Isaac Kekemeke, the Ondo State Chairman of the party, Mr Ade Adetimehin, Yakub Useni, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Sarah Susan amongst others.

•Oke Ogun people vow to end injustice, discrimination

Hundreds of residents of Oke Ogun region of Oyo State yesterday  trooped out in large numbers to witness the official flag off of the Oyo North Senatorial campaign of Shina Peller .

The people of the agrarian region who converged on Iseyin Adabo Market , Palace Square, the venue of the ceremony,  for over four hours , affirmed that the people of Oke Ogun are determined to put a stop to continued marginalisation and slavery in the forthcoming 2023 election

They explained that the reason to support the aspiration of  Peller and his liberation movement  was to prove their determination to end injustice and discrimination against Oke Ogun axis of the state. 

The venue of the event was covered by sea of heads , wearing yellow caps and waving Accord flags to show their love for thumb party .

Prominent leaders of Accord in attendance are the National Chairman of Accord,  Muhammed Lawal Nalado, Accord National Secretary,  Adebukola Ajaja, Oyo State gubernatorial candidate  of the party in the forthcoming elections, Abdul-Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, and his running mate, Professor Abiodun Ayandele, Accord National Legal Adviser, Bar. Maxwell Ngbudem, House of Representative candidate, Sola Ogunbode ,and Hon Robert Babatunde contesting Saki East,  Saki West and Atisbo federal constituency. 

Others are the Accord state Chairman, Prince Kolade Ojo, all 33 local government party Chairmen, Chief Goke Oyetunji ,  Lekan Salam,  Alhaji Ahmed Ayinla, Bar Dapo Atanda  , Chief Mathew Adeyi ,Oyo state former House of Assembly Speaker, Gunju Ojo, and  Pa Oke Caleb from Kisi.  

In his speech at the official flag off of Oyo North Senatorial Campaign , Hon Peller expressed gratitude to God and the people for their love, and mandate to him to represent them in 2019. 

He stated that his election promises ( under Shinaayo Empowerment Scheme) were holistically implemented for the benefit of the people.

The federal law maker  said “I will be leading a libration mission for the whole Oyo North Senatorial District, where we want the principle of equity, justice to be upheld.

“I represent a constituency that has four local government areas. My local government, Iseyin has been the dominating local government and during my time I want the minority to have a say and by so doing, I said I will not ask for second term so that other local governments can have their turn and that is why I am running for Senate seat under Accord.

“It is a new dawn in our senatorial district, believing in one, I ask for your vote and you surprised me in the 2019 elections by voting for me, then I was in another party, now I’m going for the Senate under Accord and I need your support again.

“When Accord came, we saw that it is party that understands the interest of the people. They understand the interest of the youths, women and the less privileged in our society. The logo of our party is your thumb. Please vote for me”.

In his remarks, the National Chairman of Accord, Hon. Muhammed Lawal Nalado lauded the candidature of Peller, saying “With what I saw today, Peller will win Oyo North ticket and our other candidates will all emerge in the forthcoming election.”

Also, the National Secretary of Accord , Adebukola Ajaja in her speech,  enjoined indigenes of Oke Ogun in Oyo State to use their votes to end what she described as the marginalisation of the zone in the 2023 general elections.

The former member of the House of Representatives, said the only way to end the marginalisation is for the people of the zone to vote for the candidate of the party who is also from the zone.

She said women, youths and other indigenes of Oke Ogun have been clamouring for an Oke Ogun candidate for the Oyo North senator in 2023 and now is the time to use their numerical strength to end marginalisation.

The Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) has explained why it wrote a letter to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Usman Alkali Baba.LERSA, the umbrella association of residents of the Lekki and Eti Osa communities,  was responding to

media reports linking the association’s stance on mandatory mental evaluation of police officers to the #EndSARS protest.

In a statement issued at the weekend LERSA President Olorogun James Emadoye, recalled that the association wrote the letter to the Inspector General of Police following the recent extrajudicial killings of its members, Bolanle Raheem and Gafaru Buraimoh by operatives of the Nigerian Police. 

However, the LERSA President clarified that while reference was made to one of the recommendations of the #EndSARS protest, which aligns with the association’s stance on the need for mental evaluation of police officers, LERSA did not intend to advance the protest as suggested by a section of the media. 

“The attention of the Executive Council of Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) has been drawn to various newspaper publications on the above letter forwarded to the Inspector-General of Police and the Executive Governor of Lagos State. Some of the publication headlines were linked directly to “ENDSARS PROTEST” and therefore gave an incorrect slant to our position. 

“Some of the newspaper headlines may have misrepresented the letter with the #ENDSARS headlines. Though Mr. Governor is deemed the Chief Security Officer of the State, he does not have the constitutional powers to implement most of our recommendations that could have prevented the fatal shootings by the two police officers from the Ajiwe Police Division of our resident, Mrs Omobolanle Raheem, on Christmas day at Ajah; and another resident Mr. Gafaru Buraimoh, on 6 December 2022, in the Sangotedo area of Lekki.

“The substance of our letter is directed at the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission, who are the custodians of the statutory institutions responsible for the management and control of the Nigeria Police Force,” Emadoye was quoted to have said in the statement. 

The LERSA President reiterated the association’s respect for the constituted authority of Lagos State under Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and pleaded with him to deploy his influence along with the Inspector General to devise a lasting solution to police brutality.

•Osun govt planning to unleash mayhem, attack APC members—Oyetola

The Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke has tackled his immediate predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola over alleged vandalisation of posters and billboards in the state ahead of 2023 General Election. 

A statement by the spokesperson of Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed yesterday disclosed that the governor, while receiving leaders in the state alleged that since Oyetola returned to Osun, there have been increase in violence in the state. 

According to him, “I call on politicians and their supporters to remain peaceful. We must imbibe the culture of harmonious campaign devoid of thuggery and untoward activities. Election is not and should not be taken as war. 

“I particularly condemn the increasing vandalization of campaign posters and billboards ahead of the elections. I was a victim during the last governorship election. Politicians should know that the people are the ultimate decider of their leaders”.

However, Oyetola through his media aide, Ismail Omipidan described the allegation as unfounded and mischievous saying Osun government is trying his best to smear his good image. 

He said “I wondered if Oyetola was in town on the December 31st 2022 when Peoples Democratic Party’s thugs openly engaged themselves in a supremacy battle at the venue of the New Year crossover night.

He enjoined Osun security operatives and other discerning Nigerians to be on the alert against violence actions by thugs of PDP. 

“There have been series of attacks in the State before Oyetola returned to the State on Monday, January 2. For instance, on December 23, PDP thugs attempted to assassinate one of our former commissioners in the public glare in Ilesa. I am aware through some of their foot soldiers that they are intimidated by the presence of Oyetola in Osun; hence they have been holding clandestine meetings on how to unleash mayhem on Osun and hang it on our neck. However, this too will fail like all previous plots against us.”

Leading sports betting brand BetKing, has launched a campaign themed ‘Kings Know when to stop’ which aims to encourage a responsible gaming ecosystem by educating players on the importance of betting responsibly. The campaign features a three-part TVC that encourages players to maintain responsible gaming behaviors by recognizing and sticking to their limits.

The videos intelligently leveraged relatable scenarios to communicate the importance of setting and adhering to limits when partaking in any activity, including sports betting. The three films feature BetKing Brand Ambassador and Nigerian Football Legend, Jay Jay Okocha, Reality TV Star, Seyi Awolowo, and social media content creator, Ope Keshinro popularly known as SwitOpe respectively – engaged in different activities including exercise, eating and shopping.

 Each ad film showcases the challenges of not adhering to limits and how sticking to limits delivers better results.  The three creatives present strong proof points to attest to how BetKing is promoting responsible gaming in the local sports betting ecosystem.

Speaking on the campaign, Gossy Ukanwoke, Managing Director for KingMakers Nigeria said, “Responsible gaming is about using betting for fun and entertainment, and at BetKing, we recognize that customer education is critical to upholding best practices. This campaign teaches the importance of self-control and emphasizes on the importance of personal discipline when engaging in various activities, including sports betting.

 ”The launch of the ‘Kings Know When to Stop’ campaign is in line with our commitment to be the brand at the forefront of responsible gaming in Nigeria. It is critical to use our platform to inform and motivate punters to play responsibly. We are also setting an example for other stakeholders in the digital entertainment sector who must also recognize their responsibility to address the drawbacks of sports gaming as much as we all embrace the upside.”, added Ukanwoke.

The campaign will go live across a mix of television and digital platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and leading OTT platforms. This will be complemented with strong on-ground execution to leverage BetKing’s wide agent network through retail displays.

The Lagos State Government has emphasised the need for compliance with financial management kaw and other extant financial provisions as a pre-requisite for a virile public service. 

This, it said, is because the assessment of government performance by the populace is often based on prudent financial management. 

Lagos Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, stated this view on Wednesday at the Year 2022 Career Week Programme organised by the Civil Service Commission. 

The Head of Service, represented by the Permanent Secretary Office of Internal Audit, Mrs. Kikelomo Dawodu, expressed the belief that the Career Week with the theme: “Compliance with Lagos State Public Finance Management & other Extant Financial Provisions”, will serve as a natural follow up to the first edition, given its focus on dwindling Government Revenues globally. 

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While commending the management of the Civil Service Commission for the consistency in organizing the Career week programme, he urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the event to grow in knowledge, skills and competences, stressing that the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu, places a very high premium on strict compliance with due process in the management of public funds.

Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Temitope Hundogan, called on all Civil Servants, especially those in charge of the State’s finance, to desist from actions capable of financial infractions. 

He acknowledged the efforts of the State Government through the Civil Service Commission in investing in the human capacity of the State with the provision of fit-for-purpose learning platforms that would eventually translate to the realization of the State’s vision. 

The Chairman Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo, explained that the choice of the theme for the career week was predicated on the need to improve the metrics of public financial management and entrench the culture of financial efficiency and effectiveness especially at a time like this when resources are very challenged both locally and globally.

Fabamwo, informed that the topics chosen for the technical sessions and panel discussions at the event were not only job-specific but highly relational to core career management matters with spotlights on the statutes, rules, procedures and extant regulations.

She said the career week Programme was designed not just to provide a platform to sensitize officers across all cadres but also to hold strategic discussion in line with the Commission’s commitment to reposition the State workforce as well as to draw the attention of officers to some observed infraction 

She noted that the Commission had earlier in the year organized the maiden edition of the Career Week which was meant for the year 2021 scheduled for Directors and officers in the Administrative and Human Resource cadre adding that the Year 2022 Career Week Programme is scheduled for Directors and Officers in the Finance and Accounts as well as the Audit cadres.

” The Career Week also provides us with the much needed forum to strengthen our collaboration as professionals through continuous peer-review and consultation that can lead to the promotion of the ideals and ethics of Accounting and Auditing as separate profession.” the Chairman added. 

She added that at the end of the various interactive sessions that would be anchored by seasoned and knowledgeable technocrats, participants would have been exposed to contemporary public financial management in line with global best practices.

Chairman, Audit Service Commission Mrs. Oluwatoyin Adegbuji-Onikoyi, said that it is imperative for Accountants, Auditors and other Stakeholders in all MDÁs to be in compliance with the requirements of Public Finance Management and other Extant Financial Provisions.

This, according to her, will improve accountability, State transparency and support the fiscal consolidation efforts of the State government whilst enhancing the independence and objectivity of public Auditors in the discharge of their duties.

Highlight of the event were the presentation of the Accountant-General Mr. Abiodun Muritala, on the Technical Session with the topics Addressing the Challenges in Public Finance Management Law and Public Sector and the Panel Discussion titled; Reforms in Lagos Public Service and Establishment Issues in Finance and Accounts which was moderated by the Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Boladele Dapo-Thomas.

Topic treated at the Day two of the Career Week event was Audit Control and Considerations – Internal Control Mechanisms in MDAs, while Third Day was served was a Clinic Session for issues on Career Management Matters, Discipline and Exit Matters and a lecture on the topic Familiarization with the Public Finance Management Law 2011 and Extant Circulars.