Category: South West

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has urged the state’s Internal Revenue Service to brace up its revenue generation drive through involvement of more people in its operations, to move the state forward.

He stated this in Ado-Ekiti during the Treasury Board meeting organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in preparation for the 2023 budget.

The governor said government would need more money to drive its agenda aimed at bringing succour to the people of the state.

He enjoined revenue generating agencies to look inward and ensure that more money came to the coffers of the state, saying the budget was crafted in a manner that would speak to the state development plan.

The governor pledged his support for the Board of Internal Revenue Service to enable it to perform effectively.

He called on them to harness windows of opportunities open to the state to improve revenue generation.

Oyebanji urged public servants to be transparent and as much as possible cooperate with the Board of Internal Revenue Service to use technology in driving revenue generation in the state.

The Governor, while expressing his commitment to improved welfare of workers, also threatened to be hard on any Mimistry, Department and Agencies that refused to use the technology platform to drive revenue generation.

He said his administration would continue to try its best to ensure that workers were treated with decency, urging them to brace up and work hard to achieve the lofty agenda of the administration.

“We are not going to put pain on our people but there are lots of opportunities that you can harness to increase the IGR.

“I need your cooperation, I need your help. I can only do what I promised you if I have money. I can be well-intentioned but when I don’t have resources what can I do.

“I’m committed to improved welfare for workers, I’m sure you got your salaries and I must commend the Accountant General’s office for ensuring that happened,” he said.

The governor said further that his administration would not subscribe to increase in subvention to tertiary institutions until all stakeholders held a conference to chart a way forward.

“Subvention will not increase until all stakeholders sit down and agree on the way forward, once we do that, government will do its own bit, management will do its own as well as students and union; until we get to that junction, no increase.

“The truth of the matter is that at a point, subvention will stop, I’m not saying it is going to stop now but we must prepare our minds that a time will come that state will not be able to give subvention to institutions.

“Management should start preparing for that, it is a hard fact. What we are paying now we will continue to pay until we agree on a roadmap to ensure that we have world class institutions,” he said.

The Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) has concluded plans to inaugurate the fully translated Holy Bible in Okun, a Yoruba dialect spoken in Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti states.

The event will hold tomorrow at the Apostolic Church, Nigeria, Agirigbon, Ayetoro-Gbede, Kogi State.

The General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of BSN, Pastor Samuel Sanusi, made this known yesterday at a news conference in Lagos.

He said with the completion of the Okun translation, the society had set another record in Bible translation, as the exercise was achieved in a record time of five years.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has recorded another first, as he addressed people live on the first-ever radio station in Kwara North.

The Notia FM (90.7), a baby of the Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, is a project of his administration, which the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) recently approved to begin transmission from Okuta town, Baruten.

Until now, residents of Kwara North could only listen to or get the services of radio stations from either Benin Republic or Oyo State – a jinx the governor pledged to break.

“We thank Almighty God for this feat. I thank the people of Baruten and Kwara North for their support for this administration. We are glad to have made this good history and impact in the lives of our people,” AbdulRazaq said in a brief live interview conducted by the Director of Programmes at Radio Kwara (Midland FM 99.1), a sister platform of Notia FM.

The governor was accompanied during the visit to the radio station by Senator Umar Sadiq (Kwara North); Speaker of the House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu; House of Assembly members; executive council (exco) members and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

AbdulRazaq had addressed a town hall meeting in Okuta, attended by top government officials, community leaders led by Emir of Okuta, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Sero, civic groups, the public and APC apparatchiks from far and near.

Lagos State Government, through the Office of Public-Private Partnerships, will today hold a stakeholders’ forum on environmental, ecological and social challenges with residents of Lekki Free Trade Zone.

The forum, which is being organised by Global Impact Environmental Consulting (GIEC) Ltd, is to help the government develop a high level safeguards template for the developments springing up along the Lagos FTZ, to tackle environmental, ecological and social challenges along the Lekki Free Zone Corridor.

GIEC Managing Director Dr. Babatunde Osho said the forum was to inform stakeholders about the imminent commencement of the assessment with a view to developing necessary instruments to mitigate against environmental, ecological and social challenges that might be thrown up in future.

“The zone boasts of local and foreign investments running into several billions of dollars, among which are the largest oil refinery in Africa, a fertiliser plant, petrochemical plant, a sub-sea gas pipeline project under construction and the largest deep-seaport in West Africa, also under construction, and the newly approved Lagos International Airport, all of which are primed to open up access for export to West Africa and beyond,” he said.

Opeluwa Onido of Lagos High Chief Lateef Ajose’s 25th year coronation anniversary celebration begins today with a prayer session by Islamic clerics at the palace of Opeluwa Onido of Lagos, at Ilogbo, Apapa Road, Ebute-Meta, Lagos, by 10am.       

The Coronation Anniversary Planning Committee said the reign of Ajose began on November 2, 1997 when he was formally crowned by the then Oba of Lagos, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan of blessed memory.

It said: “The traditional title is significant in Lagos, as he is the head of Lagos White Cap Chiefs (Olori Ogalade-cum-Olori Oloye of Lagos). hence, the 25th year coronation anniversary is worthy of a grand celebration.

The committee, comprising top professionals, businessmen and versatile civil servants, is headed by Otunba Adedapo Alli-Balogun.

It is expected to organise interesting activities and programmes to honour and celebrate the monarch.

Other activities will come up on Sunday with Woro procession from Apapa Road to some palaces and back to the palace of the Opeluwa Onido of Lagos, while there will be a visit to the orphanage on November 12.

Ekiti State former governor Ayodele Fayose was yesterday arraigned at a High Court in Ado-Ekiti.

He was brought before the court for his alleged inability to offset N900million he owed his former Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, as legal fee.

Ajayi was Fayose’s Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner during his first and second terms as governor of Ekiti State from 2003 to 2006 and from 2014 to 2017.

In the case brought before the court, the ex-Attorney-General claimed he handled eight cases through his law firm for Fayose, with each costing N50million as professional fee, which he alleged were not paid.

He said the cases were prosecuted for Fayose between 2006 and 2014, which bordered on his impeachment in 2006 and the corruption case filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), among others.

In the writ of summon deposed to by the claimant, Ajayi asked the court for an order compelling the former governor to pay the professional fee without delay.

He also sought an order compelling the defendant to pay 20 per cent interest on the debt from October 5, 2018, and 10 per cent from the day of judgment.

Fayose, in his preliminary objection, urged the court to dismiss the case on the grounds that it was statute-barred, improperly constituted and that the claimant failed to comply with the conditions precedent.

The former governor, while being cross-examined, described himself as a full-time politician. He admitted to his statement on oath of April 16, 2019 that the suit was ill-conceived and lacked legal validity.

Speaking about his relationship with the former AG, Fayose said: “Yes, I knew him; he did some work for me. Between 2006 and 2017, he was working with me and also keeping documents for me.”

Justice Olukayode Ogundana adjourned the case till December 13 when the parties are expected to adopt their final replies and written addresses.

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has urged residents to explore Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) the multi-door courthouse provides.

He spoke when he signed the Multi-door Courthouse bill into Law.

He said the law would help promote easier access to justice in line with global trends in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

The governor said the multi-door courthouse would boost administration of justice and allow litigants to settle matters without going through the conventional court process.

He enjoined judges and other stakeholders in charge of administration of justice to encourage litigants to make use of out-of-court settlement and explore alternative dispute resolution for the peace and progress of the society.

Akeredolu said: “Encourage people to explore alternative dispute resolution. Please, take advantage of this alternative dispute resolution. Look at ways of settling matters for them. Make the environment convivial. Don’t let them see themselves as adversaries.”

Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Paul Ananaba, SAN, has denied the documents certified by the commission, which was issued to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola after the 2022 governorship election, at the Election Petition Tribunal.

At the hearing of the tribunal yesterday, counsel for Oyetola, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, tendered INEC Regulation and Guideline for the election, INEC Manual for Electoral Officials and Forms EC8As, which are election results for Osogbo, Ede North and Ede South local governments, among others.

After the documents were tendered at the court chaired by Justice Tertse Kume, INEC’s counsel, Ananaba, raised an objection to the documents, which had already been certified by the commission.

He declined consent to the documents issued as Certified True Copies (CTC) by the commission. Ananaba insisted by objecting to the documents as listed in the schedule, hinting that he would give reasons for his objection in the final written address.

Counsel for Adeleke, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alex Izinyon (SAN), also objected to the admissibility of the evidence and indicated that they would give reasons in their final addresses.

Responding to their objections, Fagbemi sought to tender another evidence, which contained the ‘Schedule of the Documents’ to be tendered, but Ananaba again objected on the grounds that it was never pleaded.

Ruling, Justice Kume admitted the documents tendered by counsel for Oyetola and marked them as exhibits.

After the ruling, the petitioners’ counsel informed the tribunal that the tendering of other documents would be continued on Wednesday (today) and Friday, as the list of the documents to be tendered in the next sitting had been given to the respondents’ counsel to cross-check.

The tribunal then adjourned till the following day (Wednesday), for continuation of hearing.

Kwara State Government at the weekend offered free transportation to 900 university students of the state origin heading for northern states.

The benefiting students were conveyed in over 50 18-seater buses to their institutions.

Following the suspension of the eight-month strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the state government announced its plans to offer free transportation to university students from the state schooling in the North.

Commissioner for Tertiary Education Alabi Abolore said government’s gesture was to relieve parents after the much awaited suspension of ASUU strike.

The Ministry of Tertiary Education, however, witnessed an upsurge in the number of students that appeared for documentation beyond the targeted volume that had earlier signified interest for the journey.

Abolore said the ministry made provision for 13 arrival destinations, which included Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna, Borno, Katsina, Kano and FCT, among others.

“The students have successfully boarded the buses and are on their way for resumption in their schools.”

The Welfare Director of the National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS), AbdulAfeez Saheed, thanked the ministry for assisting the students.

The JKA Aggey Foundation has begun plans on upgrading Aggey football field in Ilasamaja, Mushin, Lagos to a model standard mini stadium in memory of the late Archbishop John Kwao Amuzu Aggey.

Speaking at the launch and fundraising of the foundation, the President, Aggey Foundation, Sir Albert Fadonougbo, said the foundation was a non-political organisation with the drive to promote the legacy of the late Archbishop, adding that the foundation supported the proposed establishment of Archbishop Aggey Technical College.

“We are all about charity and this is what we are about to do right now. My uncle, Archbishop JKA Aggey, has a special legacy for all people, whether you’re a Muslim, whether you’re Catholics, he believed in unity. So right now, we are trying to pass on his legacy.

“I have been dreaming about my uncle for the past 50 years and there are lots of things about him that are still in my memory. This is why I want to pass the memory to the new generations.”

“We want to make sure our youths are given the best education. That’s why we start with this technical school. Technical school will tell you what you can do in your future. We don’t want to give them the fish, but we want to show them how to fish,” he said.

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, described the launching of the foundation as apt, noting that the contributions of the late archbishop could not be quantified.

The speaker, represented by the lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency 1, Sanni Okanlawon, said setting up the foundation would ensure that the archbishop was remembered and his legacy preserved.

He said: “Going by what Archbishop Aggey stood for; setting up a foundation like this for him is the least that can be done to keep remembering this man who stood for the truth. It is also an opportunity to review his contributions to the lives of God’s people within the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos and beyond.

“The contributions of Rev Aggey could not be quantified. He worked assiduously to stabilise the transition from the missionaries to the indigenous priesthood in the Catholic Church. Apart from this, he had strong belief that leaders should get closer to the masses, rather than just distributing money and food when election is close.

“His plethora of legacies have passed on to many lives he touched who have in turn carried on his legacies by setting up foundations, schools and other charitable causes in his memory.”

The head coach, FC Robo Queens, Emmanuel Osahon, hailed the efforts of the foundation at ensuring that youths in the Mushin community were kept busy.

He urged the government to complement the efforts of the foundation in sporting activities, especially in Mushin area of Lagos.