The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of packaging lies as his administration’s achievements in office.

It warned voters to beware of his alleged deceit.

But the governor said the party must be living in denial for it to claim that his tenure has not affected the state positively.

The APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olawale Sadare, urged voters to be wary of “fake and deceitful record of achievements which Governor Makinde and his team have packaged with a view to using it as campaign documents and thus mislead the public, including the hapless electorate.”

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The statement said: “Governor Makinde’s quest for another term in office is an affront targeted at the good people of Oyo State, who have gained little or nothing from his administration in the last 40 months.

“The governor has left no one in doubt of what his priority would be when he abandoned preparation of governance blueprint for inauguration day rehearsal as well as euphoria of occupying the governor seat. He would later nail it with his uninspiring inaugural address, which got many people disappointed as he failed to convince the world that he was prepared to raise the bar from the legacies of the sage – Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Bola Ige, Lam Adesina, Abiola Ajimobi and others.”

Reacting through the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the governor said: “Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State must be living in denial for them to claim that Governor Makinde’s 40- month tenure has not affected Oyo State positively.

”The governor’s monumental achievements across the four pillars of his administration are visible even to the blind.”

As the 2022 Olojo Festival began yesterday, with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, entering seven-day seclusion; violence free 2023 general election and end to prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have topped the prayer requests of the first-class monarch.

Oba Adeyeye, while on his way to the seclusion at Ilofin in Ile-Ife, to pray to God, addressed reporters yesterday. He said the government must as a matter of urgency end the strike to avert the looming anger of youths.

He said: “The youth are angry and no one can blame them for that. Just imagine the number of months they have been kept out of school. ASUU and the Federal Government must unite and end this strike because we cannot handle the anger of youths if they go out of control.

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“They have started blocking highways and even threatening to lock airports. This is an indication that they have been pushed to the wall.

“This is my seventh year on the throne and I have been serving humanity with special focus on youths. Besides investing in human capital development and capacity building, I have engaged many of the youth as handlers of my firms and they have shown excellence in leadership. So, I appeal to our government to look at this direction and make the necessary amendment.

“During the recruitment process at the newly-unveiled OjajaMore, over 50 per cent of applicants are undergraduates; which speaks to the fact that the ASUU strike has done a lot of damage. It is avoidable and it should be ended by the government and ASUU for the benefit of the youth.

“Next year’s general election is equally another strong prayer request I will make during the seclusion. I am praying that the process goes smoothly, acceptable to all for peace and prosperity of our land.”

Explaining the potency of the seclusion, the Ooni, who will be incommunicado and not grant audience during the seclusion, said: “There has never been anytime my prayer request during seclusion is not answered by the Almighty, it has never happened. It is a period of fasting and prayer to appease God and seek blessings for our land.”

Lagos State Government has said it would shut down traffic at the Maryland/Mende underpass, beginning from tomorrow, in continuation of the Opebi/Ojota link bridge, Transportation  Commissioner Frederic Oladeinde has said.

Oladeinde, who made this known in a statement yesterday, advised motorists to make use of the Ojota interchange to connect Maryland and its environs during the period of the diversion, saying alternative routes had been mapped out by the state’s traffic management agency to ease the movement of motorists during the reconstruction of the underpass.

He urged motorists heading for the inner streets of the axis to make use of Mobolaji Bank Anthony to access Emmanuel, Aderibigbe Shitta and Adeoye Adeyemi streets; while those heading towards Mende and its environ can make use of Mende Street to link Ajose Street and connect Oki Lane to continue their journey.

The Transport commissioner said the repair of a section of the Lagos bound lane at Iyana Era/Badagry Expressway scheduled for September 17 had been postponed till further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. He said a new date for the diversion would be communicated to the public.

Oladeinde, hailing motorists for their patience and cooperation, said personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority would be deployed in the affected routes to minimise inconveniences.

He sought greater understanding from Lagosians during the road rehabilitation/construction, saying “the objective of these projects is to ameliorate traffic challenges in the state.”

He said the Opebi/Ojota link bridge, when completed, would bring much needed relief to commuters and motorists.

In what could be described as self-reversal, the Oyo Traditional Council also known as Oyo Mesi has said all the 65 aspirants eyeing the stool of the Alaafin will be presented before the Ifa Oracle for consultation.

This decision was a shift from the earlier directive by the council, which announced that 10 aspirants have been shortlisted out of the over 65 who appeared for screening, which ended last Thursday.

The council denied any form of rift between its members, but confirmed that there was “little disagreement” on the 10 shortlisted names.

The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Mr. Bode Durojaiye, confirmed the development to The Nation yesterday.

Speaking about the new development, the Acting Regent, who is also the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yussuf Ayoola Layinka, said the decision became imperative following a minor disagreement among the council members.

He said whoever emerged among the 65 aspirants would be the candidate and the next Alaafin of Oyo.

Read Also: ‘Agunloye family, not Alaafin Atiba is the next ruling house’

The Regent said: “Following minor disagreement among some members of the Oyo Traditional Council (the Oyo Mesi), over shortlisting of some aspirants, who qualified for the interview, there will no longer be shortlisted contestants.

“All contestants who appeared for the interview are qualified for the next level, which is Ifa consultation, after the meeting of members of the Oyo Mesi.

“Whoever emerges among the aspirants will be the candidate and the next Alaafin of Oyo.

“There is no rift among members of the Oyo Mesi, contrary to insinuations and misinformation milling around. We are as united as ever.

“Misunderstanding can happen at any time. It is natural. What is important is the amicable resolution, in order not to let the misunderstanding degenerate into violence.

“None of the Oyo Mesi members has a favoured aspirant, as all the contestants are equal before us. For the umpteenth time, we are conscientious, thorough, not money conscious and greedy.”

Signs of crack in the council surfaced at the weekend when the Iba Saamu of Oyo, High Chief Lamidi Olayanju and three other chiefs distanced themselves from the 10 persons shortlisted for the vacant stool, saying he knew nothing about it.

He said he confirmed the news on the 10 shortlisted aspirants from the Bashorun, adding that the decision was not jointly taken by the council members.

“I called Basorun and he told me that he was the one behind the news that 10 persons had been shortlisted. Four of us know nothing about it. When we completed the interview on Thursday, we all agreed that we would meet next Tuesday to do that but hearing that 10 persons had been shortlisted on the radio is news to me. I called Basorun and he told me he authored the news.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State yesterday described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Jandor Jide Adediran, as a desperate politician.

The ruling party lamented that Adediran and his deputy, Funke Akindele, have graduated from playing politics with human lives to blatantly encouraging breakdown of law and order.

Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo said their visit to citizens who paid the price for violating state traffic laws, compensating, inducing and encouraging them is an act that is totally unacceptable in any decent society.

He said: “The move of Jandor amounts to turning compassion and charity on its head.

It was pathetic that he simply interpreted the loss of his hosts to having their means of livelihood taken away from them when in  fact, people have lost their lives to accidents as a result of driving against traffic.

“However, we are not surprised by the promotion of lawlessness by the opposition party, as it remains consistent with their desperation as we count down to the next elections.

Read Also; Jandor: Why I’m running for governor

“Their role in the spread of COVID-19 with the promotion and sponsorship  of needless mass gatherings- ENDSARS- during pandemic and the social events hosted by his deputy, Funke Akindele, are pointers to the lawlessness of the duo and their party.

We expect Funke to be eternally grateful to the state governor for receiving less than a slap on her wrist for a life threatening crime against the state.

“There’s no doubt that good governance can only thrive where law and order prevail.

We recommend the recent honest admission of the former national deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, that the opposition party has no hope of winning elections in the Southwest to the political neophytes so that they can put their desperation in check.

“They may wish to note that Lagosians are not fooled by their constantly playing to the gallery because they have nothing to offer.

Our government has the political will and duty to uphold the state laws at all times without succumbing to needless blackmail in the name of irresponsible politicking.”

Ex-Minister of Defence Prince Adetokunbo Kayode has backed an appeal by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu that men of the Amotekun Corps be allowed to carry sophisticated weapons, to tackle kidnappers and other criminals.

Adetokunbo, who also served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, said the Federal Government should support Amotekun Corps.

He spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the inauguration of newly elected executives of the Ondo State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.

Read Also: Why Amotekun Corps should bear arms, by Akeredolu

Adetokunbo said the support for Amotekun should be in form of equipment, training, provision of technology and drones so that they could do the job for which they were established.

He called for reengineering of the approach through which Small and Medium Enterprises were funded.

Adetokunbo said SMEs as drivers of the economy across the world needed to be properly funded.

He said: “Private sector has to work with the government to ensure the SMES are properly funded, but not funding that will choke them. The Bank of Industry cannot fund them because all their facilities are in double digit. SMEs must be funded by a single digit.

“Private sector has suggested that support for SMEs should not be in cash, but in machinery. We must redouble our efforts to get SMEs to work. Without SMEs, there will be no employment.”