Category: South West

Civil Society Organisation (CSO) yesterday welcomed Lagos State Governance Advisory Council’s (GAC’s) endorsement of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to contest for a second term.

The GAC – the apex decision-making body of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – encouraged Sanwo-Olu to re-contest as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in next year’s governorship election, at a meeting at the State House, Marina.

The group, in a statement by its coordinator, Mr. Rasaq Olokoba, described the GAC stamp on Sanwo-Olu’s second term bid as a testament to the group’s regular public pronouncements about the governor’s personality and the quality of service he is rendering to the people of Lagos State.

He said: ‘’We have maintained in our communication that the current governor of Lagos State is a round peg in a round hole. It is impossible to satisfy everybody, but you must be seen to be doing your best under any circumstance. This is exactly what Sanwo-Olu has been doing since he assumed office as the Lagos State governor.”

He said the GAC members must have been impressed by the “sterling performances of Sanwo-Olu, which make them, like millions of Lagos residents, to love him.”

Olokoba said the governor’s infrastructure renewal, completion of abandoned projects and revamping of the health sector and educational sector were visible achievements for every Lagosian to see, noting that this might have also added to the reason Sanwo-Olu was allowed to continue his work.

Oyo State former governor Rashidi Ladoja, wife of ex-governor Mrs. Florence Ajimobi and an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant in 2019 general election in the state, Joseph Tegbe, yesterday met with the family of the late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III in Oyo town.

Alaafin’s palace has turned to Mecca, hosting dignitaries from all walks of life, since the demise of the first-class monarch last Friday.

Senator Ladoja said he had misunderstanding with the deceased during his tenure as the governor due to their principles.

He noted that the monarch served many governors meritoriously, describing Oba Adeyemi as one of the best persons to consult when seeking advice.

Ladoja said: “He will be missed for his service to humanity and efforts towards upholding Yoruba custom and tradition.”

Mrs. Ajimobi said she consulted the late king for advice whenever the need arose after the death of her husband.

She prayed to God to give the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Alhaja Abosede Adedibu, widow of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, has described the late Alaafin of Oyo as a pillar of support since the death of her husband.

She described Oba Adeyemi’s death as “the fall of a pillar of support to her family.”

Mrs. Adedibu, the Southwest Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in an interview in Ibadan yesterday, said the death of the monarch was a big blow to her and the household of the late Chief Adedibu.

She prayed for the repose of the soul of the late traditional ruler, saying Almighty Allah, the beneficent and the merciful, should grant him mercy and forgive him his sins.

The Majority Leader of Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, popularly called West, has escaped attack, as he and his entourage were chased out of Iloro community by youths over alleged poor performance and imposition.

Sources said the action was carried out when Ogunmolasuyi met All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the community.

In a viral video, the youth were heard pouring invectives on the lawmaker, while pursuing him and his entourage.

An armed policeman, who was likely to be the majority leader’s orderly and others were seen running in the video.

Ogunmolasuyi, who represents Owo Constituency 1, said he was not chased out, but attacked by thugs mobilised by his opponents in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said he had performed well by giving scholarship to his constituents, providing palliatives and embarking on developmental projects.

Ogunmolasuyi said he was at Iloro for a meeting when a PDP aspirant from the area mobilised thugs to the venue.

He said: “Nobody can chase me away. It can never happen. We held a meeting at Iloro ward and after I left, I was told there was an attack by the PDP members. I was not there for general campaign. I was there to meet my party members. The incident happened after I had left. Those people in the video are hoodlums.

“My contribution is enough to speak for me. If I have not done well, I will not say I want to re-contest.

“I have represented my people well and done many things. This is why I can confidently say I want to seek re-election.”

Ondo PDP spokesman Kennedy Peretei, who dismissed the allegation, insisted that APC members drove Ogunmolasuyi out of the ward meeting.

“It was an APC meeting. PDP members were not there. They (APC members) drove him away because he is seeking re-election,” Peretei said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun issuing permanent voter cards (PVCs) to those who enrolled during the continuous voter registration (CVR) between June and December last year.

Speaking yesterday during the launch of the exercise in Lagos, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC)  Olusegun Agbaje urged those who registered during the period to visit INEC offices in their local governments to pick their PVCs, “because there is no way they can vote in next year’s election without collecting their cards.”

He said INEC had no plan of decentralising the collection of PVCs. Agbaje said about 33,000 PVCs were ready for collection, adding that those involved in double registration would, however, not be able to collect their cards.

He said the PVCs of those who registered between January and now and those who would register before the end of the current exercise in June would be issued later.

INEC yesterday lamented the low collection of PVCs by the electorate, ahead of the 2022 Osun State governorship election.

The REC, Prof. Abdulganiyy Raji, speaking at the implementation programme on voter education organised for INEC electoral officers and assistant electoral officers from the local governments, held in Osogbo, said more PVCs would arrive in the state next week.

He said despite the publicity done by the commission, over 370,000 PVCs produced between 2011 and 2018 were yet to be collected.

Raji said: “A lot of PVCs have not been collected. We don’t know why there is apathy among the people.

“Hopefully by next week we will roll out the cards for those who registered between June last year and March this year.”

A philanthropist, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade (rtd), has declared intention to contest for the Senate to represent Ondo North Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alade, a former Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja, and the Balogun of Akure Kingdom, made the declaration shortly after he was honoured as Ondo State Man of the Year by Hero Magazine and Nigeria Outstanding Leadership Award Platform.

Making his intention public, Alade said he would focus on a four-point agenda centred around youth development, infrastructure enhancement, security and agriculture.

He described himself as capable, willing and ready to add meaningful value to the overall development of Ondo North.

Alade said: “The quest to continue to serve, even after 37 years in the military informed my consideration to participate in partisan politics and the eventual decision to contest for a seat at the Senate on  the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“I intend to represent the good people of Ondo North Senatorial District and the ambition has received overwhelming acceptability in the senatorial district”.

Endorsing Alade, the Deji of Akure and Chairman, Ondo State Traditional Rulers Council,  Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, said the people of Ondo North would not regret should they vote for Alade.

Chairman of the occasion and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, represented by Chairman, Dukia Gold,  Mr. Tunde Fagbemi, described Alade as a  man who truly understood national interest.

Publisher and convener of the award, Dr. Akinbiola Sunday, said the honour was to act as an inspiration to the younger generation to always serve humanity.

A book on Alade titled “Diary of an Icon”, which chronicled his biography,  profile and achievements was presented to the public at the ceremony.

The management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso in Oyo State has denied rumour about a resolution of vote of no confidence allegedly passed in the management and governing council of the institution.

A statement by the Registrar of the university and Secretary to the governing council, Dr. Kayode Ogunleye, wondered why anybody could have said the institution was going through crisis barely five days after the institution concluded its successful week-long convocation.

He said there was no reason for the university to be experiencing any crisis at a period it was determined to do greater exploits, adding that the management had resolved to continue to prioritise workers’ welfare.

Former Ogun State governor and the senator representing Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun, Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Adeolu Akande and a legal luminary, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), were among the dignitaries who yesterday visited the palace of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, to condole with the bereaved family.

Other prominent Nigerians who visited the palace was former Secretary to Oyo State Government (SSG) and 2019 governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Alhaji Sharafadeen Ali, and Senator Ayo Adeseun.

Speaking with reporters, Senator Amosun described Oba Adeyemi as an encyclopedia of Yoruba culture, who upheld Yoruba tradition.

Ogun State House of Assembly’s Committee on Justice, Ethics and Public Petition has urged the Ministry of Justice to tackle land grabbers.

The committee also advised the ministry to implement the state’s anti-land grabbing law to reduce incessant killings and invasion of land by land grabbers.

Mr. Solomon Osho, the committee’s chairman, spoke yesterday in Abeokuta when the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, visited him.

Speaking against the backdrop of on-going budget performance assessment for the first quarter of 2022, Osho decried the slow pace of prosecution of land grabbers.

He said there was the need to ensure enforcement of the anti-land grabbing law to stop the upsurge in land grabbing cases.

Osho challenged the ministry on the need to find a workable means of decongesting prisons across the state.

Ogungbade assured the lawmakers of proper enforcement of all legislations in the state.

He said there was also the need to further sensitise the public on the need to report land-related disputes to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

The commissioner noted that the recent release of more than 100 inmates from custody was facilitated by the Office of Public Defender, either through bail or striking out of cases in which trials could neither begin nor proceed.

The race to succeed the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, will begin soon, the Baba Iyaji of Oyo, Prince Mukaila Afonja, has said.

Afonja, who is the head of princes in the town, told reporters at the palace that he was sure that the succession moves would have started discreetly among the interested princes.

He said the procedure was that interested princes from the next ruling house would submit their applications to him, but he was yet to receive any.

Afonja said he believed that applicants interested in mounting the throne would start bringing their letters after the eight days of the passage of the king.

He said after screening them, he would invite the Oyo Mesi, adding that later, the Ifa Oracle would be consulted to know who among the applicants would be chosen.

Afonja said wealth or status alone would not be used as a criterion for chosen the next Alaafin because there would be negative consequences if the right person was not chosen.

He assured the indigenes that they would be guided by the fear of God and their love for Oyo town to choose the best candidate to ascend the throne.