Category: South West

The leadership of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has said the planned boycott of local government election by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not stop the exercise.

PDP had vowed to boycott the process, saying the conduct of council poll was illegal and would amount to wastage of state resources.

The Chairman of the commission, Segun Oladitan, speaking with The Nation yesterday, said: “We have not received official message from PDP to boycott the process. Even at that, they shouldn’t have boycotted the election because the sections of the Electoral Act the party is laying claims on that we do not have right to conduct the election, we are aware of those sections.

“Instead of boycotting the election, they should have participated and let us go and try that in the court of law. Before we fix date for the conduct of local government election, all political parties were involved and PDP representative was present.

“We are not deterred by the action of PDP, we are going ahead with the conduct of the election. Boycotting the election will not stop the process.”

The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Prince Gboyega Famodun, has cautioned the state chapter of the PDP to stop its threat to plunge the state into crisis over the conduct of the local government election.

Famodun in a statement issued by his media adviser, Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, decried the threats by the PDP at a news conference addressed by the Caretaker Chairman of the party, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, yesterday in Osogbo, where he threatened the readiness of his party to promote chaos.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi yesterday said Lagos is leading in the exclusive breastfeeding rate in the country.

Abayomi, represented by the Director of Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludare, spoke at the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week organised by Reals Pharmaceutical Ltd at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.

He said currently, Lagos’ exclusive breastfeeding rate stands at 51. 8 per cent according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2018 NDHS), which is one of the highest in the country compared to the national figure of 29 per cent.

”There is still a lot of work to be done by everyone to get to the national target of 65 per cent by 2025.”

He added: “The theme for the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week, ‘Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and support,’ was carefully selected as it focuses on strengthening the capacity to protect, promote and support breastfeeding across different levels of the society. These actors make up the warm chain of breastfeeding support, and they include policy makers, health care providers and influencers in communities.

“Breastfeeding prevents hunger and malnutrition in all its forms and ensures food security for babies. Breast milk is readily available, pure, safe and in the right mixture that is adequate for babies.”

The national leadership of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has hailed Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing 25 mini-buses for its members in the state.

It said AbdulRazaq’s administration has been fair to all in the distribution of amenities and commonwealth.

”We are highly delighted to most profoundly appreciate your altruistic act of providing 25 shuttle buses to our organisation in Kwara State,” RTEAN said in a statement jointly signed by its Executive National President Alhaji (Dr) Musa Muhammed and the National Secretary General Comrade Yusuf Ibrahim Adeniyi.

”As the people’s governor, your liberality is not in doubt as you have always been opened to all and sundry in fairness and equity in the distribution of amenities and commonwealth.”

RTEAN appreciated the support the AbdulRazaq administration has rendered to its members over the years.

“Against this backdrop therefore, the National Executive Council (NEC) of our great association wishes to further appreciate your various cooperation and support rendered to our members in Kwara State over time,” the group said.

Test run of the blue rail line train service will start in late December, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said yesterday.

He spoke at the launch of the last T-beam for the blue line rail mass transit project.

Sanwo-Olu said the two trains bought in China for the project would arrive in October.

He said his administration is committed to ensuring that the project is completed in time.

The governor said his administration will ensure the trains begin commercial operations in the first quarter of 2023 as earlier promised.

He described the launch as historical because it showed the project would be delivered on schedule.

Sanwo-Olu said the T-beam launched was the 984th for the project.

He added that there were plans to discuss with his Ogun State counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, on extending the blue line rail project to Agbara from Okokomaiko.

Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Abimbola Akinajo said the 27-kilometre rail line from Okokomaiko to Marina has been one of the most difficult projects the government has embarked on, given the challenges it has had to overcome.

She said: “To get to this point, we have had disturbances and delays in the relocation of submarine cables, submarine natural gas pipelines and removal of underground ship wreckages. The submarine geological conditions are complex, thus making construction in the lagoon extremely difficult.

“On a number of times, barges have collided with the trestle supporting our construction activities, while the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the long transportation cycle of imported equipment and materials have contributed to delays in the prompt completion of the rail project.”

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has promised to give N50,000 as reward to anyone who provides information that can lead to the arrest of kidnappers and other criminals.

The governor spoke yesterday through the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, after the weekly State Executive Council.

He said the move was aimed at encouraging people to give useful and timely information about criminal activities in any part of the state.

“From now on, anyone who reports a crime and we follow the trail, and it leads to a successful prosecution of the criminal, that person will be offered a reward of N50,000.

“We want people to say something when they see something. We want our people to be proactive in the area of security, to rid Ondo State of bandits, terrorists and other criminals.

“The Toll Free line is 0800-555-5555. Anybody can call to give security tips and report any criminal activities in his or her area,” Akeredolu said.

He said government would protect anybody who reports or gives useful information about criminal activities in his area.

Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), Research on Improving System of Education (RISE), Africa School of Economics and other stakeholders in education yesterday sought collaboration to resolve education crisis in Nigeria, particularly in Oyo State.

Speaking during the RISE Nigeria Regional Dissemination event in Oyo State, the Director, RISE, Dr. Adedeji Adeniran, lamented the setback in the educational system, saying education as the bedrock of development should not be taken for granted, hence the need to prioritise it.

He said although the problem of education was global, what mattered was for the government to recognise that there was crisis in education, to find solution to it.

Speaking on behalf of CSEA, Mr. Austine Iraoya said opinions of stakeholders after the event would be harnessed to bring about solution to learning crisis in Nigeria, particularly in Oyo State.

The Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Prof. Fakolade Aremu, said mentorship, funding and budgeting for education from the primary to tertiary levels should be looked into.

Oyo State Commissioner for Education Mr. AbdulRaman Abdulraheem praised the organisers of the event for their initiative targeted at overcoming learning crisis.

He said four years existence of RISE had been proactive and remarkable in proffering solution to educational challenges, pledging state government’s assistance in supporting research work to improve education through provision of teaching and learning facilities in schools across the state.

Ekiti State Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi has instructed the Eleese of Ilara Quarters at Ilamo-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government, Chief Ezekiel Olanipekun, to remain a chief under the Alamo of Ilamo-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Awoseyila.

Otunba Egbeyemi made the resolution during a peace meeting in his office in Ado-Ekiti with the duo and some chiefs from Ilamo and Ikole-Ekiti.

Crisis broke out a few months ago at Ilamo-Ekiti as a result of the resolve by members of the community to remove a certain Ezekiel Olanipekun as Eleeshe of Ulara Quarters over insubordination and unruly behaviour, which threatened the peace of the ancient town.

The deputy governor, who supervises chieftaincy matters in the state and has been on the matter since inception, said government’s resolution became expedient following claims and counter-claims on the chieftaincy title, its holder and domain.

He explained that according to the evidence presented to him through the State Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs, which included the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Declaration Law, official gazette of Ilamo Ekiti, as well as pictures of traditional rites performed on Eleese, Chief Olanipekun remains in Ilamo-Ekiti and second in command to Oba Awoseyila.

Egbeyemi backed the decision through a copy of a High Court verdict on the issue, which ruled that Elese is under Alamo.

He said the government would not fold its arms and allow a peaceful community to be in chaos, urging the chief to work with the Oba for the development of the town.

Olanipekun had aligned his chieftaincy title with Ikole-Ekiti, the claim which some chiefs from Elekole’s palace came to explain.

Egbeyemi, however, maintained government’s position, saying with the facts submitted to the Bureau of Chieftaincy Affairs, the said chief should maintain the status quo.

According to a government source, the deputy governor had acted on pure evidence before him in arriving at the resolution.

Concerned stakeholders have warned that the public should avoid  politicising the issue or spread unnecessary sensational news on social media.

They have also appealed to reporters to always strive to get their facts right before going to the press on such a traditional matter, to avoid crisis in the community.

Lagos State Public Works Corporation on Monday said it had started carrying out maintenance work on sections of the third mainland bridge as part of its ongoing state-wide road maintenance and rehabilitation operations.

According to a statement by the Head of Public Affairs at LSPWC, Samuel Ayetutu, the Corporation’s General Manager, Engr. Lateef Somide, during an inspection of the work, noted that even though maintenance of the bridge is under the purview of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), the Lagos State Government decided to provide the one-off intervention on critical sections which are not only slowing down traffic but also lead to accidents in some cases.

He said further that “this effort is in furtherance of Mr Governor’s commitment to the unhindered movement of persons and goods in Lagos in order to promote its status as the commercial nerve center of the country’’

Somide said that his agency chose to fix the third mainland bridge between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm on Sunday when traffic is usually lighter on the corridor.

This, he said, is in line with the Corporation’s sensitivity to minimizing inconvenience on road users whenever its men are on the road.

Read Also:LASG announces traffic diversion to repair failed portion of Third Mainland Bridge

Speaking on maintenance work recently carried out across the state, Somide said that since the break of heavy downpour witnessed in the past weeks, the Corporation has continued to extend its operations to many parts of Lagos.

Somide said: “Within the last two weeks, LSPWC’s presence have been felt in many parts of Lagos which include Emmanuel Keshi Street, Kosofe; Abdul Quadri Street, Kosofe; Sabo Roundabout, Ikorodu; Haruna Akintola Street, Ikorodu; Herbert Macaulay Street, Lagos Mainland; Barikisu Iyede Street, Lagos Mainland;

Abiodun Sobajo Street, Lagos Mainland; First Foundation Street, Opebi, Ikeja.

‘’Other roads that have received the attention of the Corporation are Shade Street, Epe; Adeyemi Ajera Street, Epe; Humami Street, Somolu; Oguntolu Street, Somolu; Imaam Dauda Street off Bode Thomas, Surulere; Johnson Street off Bode Thomas, Surulere; Itolo Street, Surulere; Ozumba Mbadiwe (inward 1004), EtiOsa, Mushin Road; Oke Afa junction, Oshodi-Isolo; Okota Road, Oshodi-Isolo; as well as Ikotun-Igando Road, Alimosho.’’