Category: South West

AN Ondo State High Court sitting in Ikare-Akoko has stopped installation of a new Oludaja of Daja-Ajowa community in Akoko Northwest Local Government.

It ordered that processes for selecting or installing a new monarch in the community be stopped.

The order came after some members of the community fixed May 13 to install Chief Yahya Obaniyi as the Oludaja.

Presiding judge Justice O. Abe directed the state government, Chief Obaniyi and other parties in the suit to maintain status quo ante pending the determination of the case challenging the eligibility of Obaniyi to the throne of the Oludaja of Daja Ajowa-Akoko.

Lagos State Government has organised a two-day retreat for outstanding teachers and 22 semi-finalists of the 2021Teachers Merit Award.

The shortlisted semi-finalists, who are teachers and school administrators from public schools across the state, were treated to the special retreat, which ended yesterday in Ikeja.

Education Commissioner Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo hailed the exceptional teachers for making it to the semi-final.

She said those who made it to the stage were winners.

Adefisayo praised them for their performance after the screening by the award committee comprising private and public education stakeholders.

She said: “In the last edition, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu rewarded outstanding teachers and school administrators in categories with cars and other gifts.”

The commissioner said the governor had invested in all facets of the education sector in the last three years, stressing that the coming teachers’ merit award was part of the governor’s commitment to enhance the welfare of teachers.

Said she: “Lagos State Government will continue to create a level playing field, support teachers’ capacity development with relevant skills acquisition and exposure to international best practices.”

Encouraging the semi-finalists,  Adefisayo advised them not to relent as the government had noted the impact of their commitment, efforts and the consequential development of pupils in public schools.

Chairman of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board Wahab Alawiye-King said the retreat was part of Sanwo-Olu’s way of appreciating and encouraging teachers to put in their best in improving the standard of education.

The retreat, with the theme: “Leadership”, gave the semi-finalists opportunities to be trained in topics such as transformational leadership traits, personal and professional etiquettes, breaking the culture of corruption and other administrative techniques and teamwork.

The annual merit award is an initiative of the Samwo-Olu administration to reward hardworking, committed and exceptional teachers and school administrators in public schools.

The Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Osun State Governor, Dr. Charles ‘Diji Akinola, has received the 2022 Cocoa Lifetime Achievement Award.

The presentation of the award was made recently at the 2022 edition of the Nigerian Cocoa Awards held on Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to the organisers of the award, the Eti-Oni Development Group, Dr. Akinola was honoured on account of his tremendous personal contributions to the development of the cocoa industry in Nigeria.

“This award has been given in recognition of Dr. Akinola’s work over the last 27 years in the area of cocoa development during his time as the Country Director of Technoserve between 1993 and 1998, Founder/CEO of Entreprise for Development International (EfDI) between 1999 and 2008, Nigerian National Coordinator of the Sustainable Tree Crop Programme (STCP) – an innovative multi-agency, public-private sector effort involving the USAID and the chocolate industry in facilitating the improvement of smallholder agricultural systems focusing on cocoa and cashew in West Africa between 2001 and 2005.”

The Ogun State Council of Obas yesterday described the late Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, as a “strong stabilising voice in culture and governance.”

It credited the deceased with bringing peace and development to his kingdom during his reign.

Oba Lamidi, who ascended the throne on November 18, 1970, died on April 22 – a nearly 52-year reign.

The Ogun monarchs, in a statement signed by Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman Ogun State Council Of Obas, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, said: “The Ogun State Council of Obas, commiserate with the Executive Governor, families and people of Oyo and indeed the whole Yoruba race on the passing away of HRM Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, Alafin of Oyo. His long reign brought peace, stability and development to his Kingdom.

“Nigeria has lost a strong stabilising voice in culture and governance. Oba Adeyemi’s repertoire of history and valuable advice shall be sorely missed. While we condole with the family, people and government of Oyo State, we take pride in the life of Oba Adeyemi that was well lived and which positively impacted many lives within and without his kingdom.

“It is noteworthy that Kabiyesi left us during this holy Ramadan, We pray that Almighty Allah will grant him Aljanah firdaus while giving those he left behind the fortitude to bear the great loss.”

Ex-national vice chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Isa Aremu yesterday said banditry had assumed a ‘pandemic’ dimension.

Aremu, the Director General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to curtail the banditry ‘pandemic’ with the seriousness with which he contained the COVID-19 pandemic.

He spoke in Ilorin at this year’s World Day for Safety and Health, organised by the institute: The theme is: ‘To build a positive safety and health culture: Let’s act together’ Aremu said: “It is clear that Nigeria and indeed Africa managed the COVID-19 pandemic better than Europe and America. The statistics are clear. If America could lose almost a million lives to the pandemic, Nigeria lost 3,125 lives and the entire Africa lost 6.5 millions. The facts are clear that we managed COVID1-19 better.

As the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) draws near, members of the party in Oyo State have begun move to address the leadership crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

The leaders yesterday met behind closed doors at the Oluyole, Ibadan home of former governor, the late Abiola Ajimobi.

The meeting, facilitated by the wife of the late two term governor, Dr. Florence Ajimobi, was attended by party chieftains, embattled state Chairman, Isaac Omodewu, elders, leaders, among other warring stakeholders.

Members at the meeting said the development was long overdue and was in the interest of the party and people of the state.

It was gathered that the gladiators at the meeting expressed willingness to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign, to have a formidable front ahead of the 2023 general election.

Some of the leaders at the meeting include Mrs. Ajimobi, Omodewu, former Deputy Governor Alake Adeyemo, Senator Ayo Adeseun, former Commissioner for Health Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, ex-Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG) Olalekan Alli, former Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly Lowo Obisesan.

Others are, Bolaji Afeez, Adigun Hammed, Lekan Afuye, Shina Alabi, Mabel Williams, Folake Olunloyo among others.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mr. Saheed Ganiyu, yesterday praised Governor Adegboyega Oyetola for sustaining the state’s economy despite the paucity of funds.

Ganiyu, who is aspiring for Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency seat, addressing leaders and stakeholders of APC in Iwo, enjoined them to work for the victory of the governor to ensure his re-election on July 16.

He said within three years, Oyetola had performed well in human and infrastructural development, adding that there was no sector the governor had not touched.

Ganiyu, an engineer, said: “I respect our indefatigable governor for his financial prudence. Governor Oyetola can be better described as a financial wizard who has turned the state around within three years despite the meagre resources and slim allocation accruing to Osun monthly as a result of inherited debts.”

Speaking about his aspiration, he said if given the ticket, he would complement the governor’s efforts in his constituency.

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, has appointed a seasoned journalist and major stakeholder in the party, Mr. Moses Jolayemi, as the spokesman for his campaign and chairman of Segun Oni Media Committee.

A statement by Oni said Jolayemi would direct the affairs of the media team, to reengineer the communication architecture, as the campaign for the election entered a crucial stage.A team of seasoned journalists grounded in aspects of communication has also been inaugurated.

Oni told Jolayemi to ensure that his members adhered to developmental journalism and ensured that their public communications were issue-based.

He urged the team to avoid the use of abusive language associated with the two other leading parties.

The SDP candidate said none of the candidates of the other parties should be called out for personal abuses or humiliation, adding that members of the media team should use their experience to communicate the party’s programmes and manifestos to the public.

Ekiti people, he said, were knowledgeable individuals who could not be swayed by the pranks and propaganda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).Oni expressed confidence in the leadership of the media team and advised them to perform to expectations.

Jolayemi brings along a wealth of experience spanning over 30 years as a reporter, correspondent, line editor, title editor, editorial board member and editor-in-chief and managing director of a national newspaper.He has worked in top newspapers, including The Guardian, Daily Independent, Thisday and Newswatch.

Within that space of time, he was a stringer for Daily Mirror of London and Washington Post in the United States.

Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun has said the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is not a threat to the second term ambition of Governor Seyi Makinde.

He noted that the governor had started engaging people at the grassroots and not just relying on the love the citizens had for him.

Speaking in Ibadan while addressing ‘GSM Teachers Support Marine’, who trooped out en masse to support the re-election of Makinde, the commissioner said although there were some indicators that determined the success of an election in the state, the governor would emerge victorious with the support of the people.

He said Oyo State politics was dynamic; adding that someone could not use the winning strategies used in 2015 and 2019 elections for the 2023 poll and believed they would work.