Category: South West

The embattled Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho), has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to order Amotekun to produce a young man, who disappeared since last week in Ibadan or face a large-scale protest.

Igboho issued the ultimatum on his Instagram handle @sunday_igboho1 yesterday.

The young man, simply identified as Bobola, disappeared on December 30, last year after Amotekun personnel allegedly stormed a house in Apata in response to a distress call. Four young men who were inside the house at the time of security operatives’ arrival were said to have fled on sighting them. The family alleged that the Amotekun personnel shot at the fleeing men as they pursued them.

The family further alleged that after the dust settled, only three men returned, adding that Bobola had not been seen since then.

Martins Oreoluwa Obong, who claimed to be Bobola’s brother, wrote to the Oyo Police Command on Instagram: “On Friday 30th of December, 2022, Amotekun broke into my younger brother’s house in Apata, Ibadan and since then we have not seen him…”

Also issuing the threat on his Instagram account, Igboho said it was worrisome that Amotekun had kept mum over the incident, while the family of the victim was agonising.

He wrote: “My attention has been drawn to the mysterious disappearance of this promising young man.

“Although, I was aware of a robbery that happened at the sharp corner area of Ibadan by a blog and the particular blog later updated that one of the robbers was killed, according to the posts by this blog, its looking like the young man has been mistaken for a robber (I’m not concluding, this is an assumption).

“Therefore, l expect @amotekun_ng to provide the young man or explain what happened to the family.

These are the issues I am complaining about.

@seyi_amakinde call your people to provide the young man or explain to the family.

Our people cannot be missing mysteriously and we will keep quiet about it.

“Provide the young man within 24 hours or there will be a serious protest, which may lead to work disruption in Ibadan.

Do the needful immediately, provide the body of the thief you killed @amotekun_ng.”

Contacted, the press officer of the security agency, Mr. Adeniyi Adeleke, said he was yet to get details of the incident.

He promised to provide the details of the incident as soon as available.

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates from Ogun West Senatorial District of Ogun State yesterday resolved to mobilise at least 300,000 votes for the presidential and senatorial candidates of the party; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Former Commissioner for Forestry in the state, Tunji Akinosi, made this known in Ilaro, the headquarters of Yewa South Local Government, at the inauguration of Senator Solomon Adeola Senatorial Campaign Council and Senator Adeola Campaign Team.

The campaign council has physician and former commissioner, Dr. Kunle Salako, as the Director General (D-G), while Baairoyin Kayode Odunaro is the D-G, Media and Publicity.

Akinosi, the APC House of Representatives candidate for Ado/Odo/Ota federal constituency, spoke on behalf of other National Assembly candidates – Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka and Abiodun Akinlade, as well as the seven state House of Assembly candidates from Ogun West.

He urged party leaders, members coordinators and supporters to go and collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs), mobilise others to do same and guard the cards jealously, “as it is the only tool they have to elect APC candidates from the President, National Assembly, Governorship to House of Assembly candidates.”

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore yesterday said Christmas/New Year celebrations are meaningful if people can help their neighbours.

He urged the rich in the society to serve God with their resources by providing for the needy.

The former Osun State deputy governor was at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Osun State, to celebrate the new year with patients.

He said: “Charitable giving should define all we do. It should guide our values and humanity.”

Omisore, who was received by the Acting Chief Medical Director, Prof. Ade Owojuyigbe, paid hospital bills of patients running into millions of Naira.

The eminent politician also donated cash and consumables to the patients, who marvelled at the kind gesture.

Omisore also visited the ‘Renewed Oja Tuntun Market,’ which he donated to Ile-Ife and inspected some of the roads he facilitated in the community when he was a member of the National Assembly.

Owojuyigbe, accompanied by other senior officials of the hospital, said Omisore started showing interest in the hospital 19 years ago.

Thanking him for his philanthropy, he recalled that the party chieftain attracted many projects to OAUTH, the ancient town, the state and Southwest when he served as a senator.

The don said Omisore used his influence as the chairman of Senate Appropriation Committee to attract funds to many institutions in the Southwest.

He lauded him for facilitating the building of roads in the area by the federal and state governments and for being in regular contact with the hospital management.

Owojuyigbe said: “You didn’t limit your kind gesture to Ile-Ife. You extended it to the Southwest. You are so much committed to this hospital. You have so much passion for this hospital. As you are doing something for the hospital, you are also doing something for the campus. The construction of the link road was facilitated by you.

“Your influence will not dim. You will continue to grow politically. I appeal to the rich people in the society to emulate this model and bring relief to the indigent people.”

Lagos State Government has warned against unsafe fuel storage at homes, markets and workplaces, which can result in fire, with resultant loss of lives and property.

This warning was made by the Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, following SOS messages received from residents of Festac Town over unsafe sale of fuel on the road, which could endanger lives.

He said the commission was working with the Lagos State task force on monitoring and enforcement against public safety infractions across the state and would come down hard on defaulters.

Mojola said the dry weather, occasioned by the harmattan, coupled with storage of fuel at homes, markets, workplaces and the careless disposal of cigarettes stubs, adulterated fuel, electrical surges and sparks,  petrol  leakages and illegal wire connections often resulted in fire that could lead to loss of lives and property.

He said the commission as a regulatory agency saddled with ensuring safety of lives and property, carried out its activities through proactive process of policy formulation, setting safety standards, carrying out advocacy programmes to promote safety culture in the state, adding that “this goes a long way to prevent accidents and protect the citizens.”

Mojola highlighted some preventable causes of explosions: “Do not store fuel at home, shops or markets. It is extremely dangerous to place generators on decking of storey buildings; they should be kept outside the building and at a distance.

“Always ensure your generator is switched off before fuelling.

“Endeavour to have a fire extinguisher in your home, shops and markets.

“Do not leave electrical appliances on and unattended to, switch them off when not in use.

“Do not overload sockets with multiple electrical appliances.

“Install smoke alarms/detectors in your homes, offices and stores. In case of emergency, please call 112 or 767.”

He urged the public to support the government to fight fire and gas incidents.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has tackled his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, over a statement that he had a revelation from God that he would retrieve his mandate.

The governor, through his spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, yesterday said Oyetola must stop listening to the devil whispering and claiming that its God’s voice.

He said: “The holy books even noted that devil’s whispering is real and no one should mistake the voice of the devil for God’s. Our Almighty God has spoken resoundingly in favour of a new governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke. Mr. Oyetola should better be reading ‘auzubilahi mina shaytani rajeem’ so he can hear the true voice of God – that a new leader is anointed by divine will for Osun people.”

Former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was yesterday received with fanfare in Osogbo, the capital, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and well-wishers trooped out in large number to welcome him at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office.

Oyetola, who was given a rousing welcome and excitedly ushered into the campaign office, marvelled at the huge crowd awaiting his arrival.

The ecstatic party loyalists sang solidarity songs to express their unalloyed support for Oyetola and his wife, Alhaja Kafayat.

The former governor had attended an interdenominational prayer session organised by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to herald the New Year before visiting the campaign office.

Addressing the party loyalists shortly after the prayer session, Oyetola said he was back in the state to reclaim his mandate freely given to him by God and the good people of the state in July 16, 2022 governorship election.

He said another year of manifestation of God’s promise had come, as he had faith in Him that he would reclaim his mandate soon and lead the party to victory for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima in next month’s presidential election.

“I am happy returning home. I wanted to come in gently and unannounced. That was why I didn’t announce my coming, but to my greatest surprise, you were already here in this huge number to welcome me. I thank you all for your undying love and unflinching support.

“God has revealed to us that this year is a year of happiness and unending manifestation. God doesn’t fail His promises. This year is going to be a year of laudable achievements. We are going to reclaim our mandate.

“God has made us to know that this year is for two victories. We will reclaim our mandate and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“After God is God. I just went to rest a bit. You can see that I am fresh. Part of what God has done that gladdens my heart is that I served this state wholeheartedly without a rest.

“With the little time I was away to rest, I was able to be with my family, particularly my grandchildren. I was able to go to Lesser Hajj with my wife, where I was able to thank God for all He has done and to further beseech His face for mercies upon my life.

“He has returned us back to the state to reclaim our mandate soon.

“I am always glad because God really helped us to raise the bar of good governance, as every citizen of Osun felt the impact of our administration. It is not by my power, it is by God’s. God is the Alfa and Omega of all.

“And for those who are saying I have gone to Lagos to stay permanently, I have not. I am back. We will be here and here fully. By the Grace of God, I am coming back to power. Today’s event is for prayer and I believe God has answered our prayers as supplicated by the clerics of both faiths and all of us.

“We will start our campaigns across the units, wards, local governments soon. So, don’t be intimidated, don’t give up, I will be around. Please don’t abandon the party, let us resume our meetings.

“Osun shall rise again. Please let us jettison our differences and work together. Don’t allow anything to cause unnecessary division. Let us work together as usual. We don’t have another party other than this. I am overwhelmed by what I have been seeing and hearing, and this gives me assurance that our party remains the party to beat. 

“I am particularly very charged and energised by what I have seen, and I want to assure you that I will lead this party to victory by the grace of God. What I see today shows that victory is assured. Asiwaju is the man, he has no rival. Social media is not the issue. We are talking of people that have demonstrated capabilities.  Go to Lagos State and see what he did. Go to Borno and see what his running mate, Shettima, did. With Asiwaju/Shettima ticket, banditry is over; it is going to be fought with technology.

“I am worried by the number of uncollected permanent voter cards (PVCs) in Osun — close to a million. Please, let’s collect ours. This is the only power we have.

“Let us collect them and elect Asiwaju. He has done excellently well and sacrificed a lot for this country. We are all witnesses to his achievements. I could remember that when the opposition party took over the Southwest, he was the one that returned the region to the progressive government.

“We will soon inaugurate our Presidential Campaign Council. Though everybody can’t make the list, we are all important. Let us continue what we have been doing to strengthen the party. We shall continue to support everybody, including our candidates,” Oyetola said.

Ondo State Government has said it has positioned the state to effectively harness its gains in tourism, to boost its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

It said part of the moves was to ensure it increased what it termed Diaspora Direct Investment in the state.

Commissioner for Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations Boye Ologbese, speaking in Akure after a meeting, said part of the plans was to construct the Diaspora Estate so that those in the diaspora would live in the state as if they were in abroad.

Ologbese said MDAs in the state had been tasked to work in collaboration to change the narrative of the state from a civil servants’ status to a business driven state through tourism and other investments

He said the proposed ‘Diaspora Estate’ would boost the hospitality industry as well as create wealth.

He said the synergy was to create business through tourism, as it was operated in Dubai and the United Kingdom.

Ologbese said: “The role of Ministry of Culture and Tourism cannot be underplayed in this regard. We will embrace Public Private Partnerships to ensure realisation of the proposed ‘Diaspora Estate’.

“We have a lot of our sons and daughters abroad who want to come home and relax during their holidays in Akure, but have accommodation challenge. The Diaspora Estate is consequently designed to afford them a serene residence with adequate and relevant facilities where they can relax and have fun on visitation to their home state.”

Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Wale Akinlosotu said the target of the Direct Diaspora Investment would be achieved through adequate promotion of culture and tourism potential of the state.