Category: South West

Osun State Government yesterday raised the alarm that criminals were planning to adorn the fez caps, T-shirts and other materials bearing the insignia of the All Progressives Congress (APC), its government and that of its governorship candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola, to unleash mayhem during today’s primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Ismail Omipidan, made the allegation and urged the opposition PDP to watch out for the activities within its fold, just as security operatives had been enjoined to deal with real and potential troublemakers before, during and after the primaries.

The statement said: “We are compelled to raise this alarm as an early warning sign of the clandestine schemes being put together by some unscrupulous elements to tarnish the image and reputation of the APC, the governor and its candidate, Government of Osun and to cause trouble and paint the picture of a volatile state, and to blame its doorstep.

“As a government, we held a peaceful, credible, free and fair direct primary without rancour and violence. We shall therefore have no reason to instigate or support violence anywhere within the state.”

“But the fire and brimstone coming from the warring parties within the opposition PDP are scary. The intelligence at our disposal confirms the plot to cause violence is indeed real. However, as a responsive and responsible government, we are already taking steps to deal with it.

“We, therefore, want to warn those behind this nefarious plot to jettison the idea, as security operatives have been put on the alert and mandated to deal with anyone bent on causing violence and destruction in Osun.

“We also appeal to parents and guardians to check their children and wards so that they will not be used as tools by merchants of violence and destruction.

“Our state is renowned for peace, and we are ready to take every legitimate step to keep it so before, during and after the opposition PDP primary.”

The police yesterday assured the people of security before, during and after the PDP’s governorship primary election.

Spokesperson Yemisi Opalola urged politicians to operate and conduct their affairs in line with the Electoral Act, while warning against thuggery and hooliganism during the exercise.

Residents of Isikan, Akure, the Ondo State capital, affected by last weekend’s rainstorm, have sent a save our soul to the state government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to assist them to rebuild their houses.

Several buildings in the area were affected by the rainstorm that was said to have lasted about 30 minutes.

Princess Olamide Ajijo, whose property was affected, said the havoc caused by the storm was devastating.

“In fact, my husband had planned to go to a meeting with his car, but he couldn’t, due to the lingering fuel scarcity.

“Everything happened in a jiffy. The rainstorm came suddenly and I was trying to save my children from danger, as the whole building was vibrating.”

There was nothing I could do to move the car to safety. I only came out when the rainstorm had subsided and found out that our only car was in ruins.

“We really need help, hence my appeal to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to come to our aid in order to put our only car back on the road as quickly as possible because the hardship will be unbearable.”

A patent medicine dealer, who gave her name as Mama Victor, said the roof of her shop was blown off, which made the rain to destroy most of her drugs.

The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) has begun integrity tests on Eko, Ijora and Marine bridges.

The General Manager of LSMTL, Mr. Olufunsho Elulade, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the checks on the three bridges were to determine their structural stability, to prevent collapse.

He said the checks were

requested by contractors handling rehabilitation works on the facilities.

Elulade explained that samples were being taken from the bridges to test and ascertain if previous fires that gutted them at various times weakened any of their components or not.

He said the technicalities behind the tests were to ensure that the bridges were safe for use.

“Our input is very key because it will be based on our recommendation and the solution we proffer; that is what they (contractor) will do.

“So, as I speak, we are testing three bridges because the contractor just felt he will rather come to Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory because of their integrity. We work conscientiously and we have expertise.

“I have builders, geologists, civil engineers, materials engineers, name it. So, the expertise is there. The worst case scenario, it will come to me, I am a COREN registered engineer, a civil engineer and project manager with 30 years’ experience.

“So, whatever it is, we will fix. We are testing three bridges, Ijora Courseway, Eko Bridge and Marine in Apapa; work is ongoing and we started on February 28 and we have 14 days, so we are working through the 14 days,” he said.

Elulade said the results from the laboratory would determine the advice to be given concerning the bridges.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday told protesting members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council, that he would attend to their grievances.

Leaders and some members of all branches of the NURTW in Lagos State stormed Marina, Lagos House at 6:30am to protest the interference of the union’s national body in the Lagos Council affairs.

The union members, who were received by the governor, passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo).

Sanwo-Olu hailed the union members for not taking the law into their hands.

He said: “I have received all your messages and it will be given due consideration. As you come here peacefully, I urge you to go back to your destinations peacefully. It is paramount as a government to address to the issues with the urgency they deserve.”

In a letter submitted to the governor by a team led by the state Treasurer, Alhajl Mustapha Adekunle (aka Sego), the union members described the recent query issued to Akinsanya as unfair.

They urged the National President of the union, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, to allow the Akinsanya-led executive run their Lagos State Council affair without “meddlesomeness.”

According to them, the interference in the management of the state tricycle operations is not within the power of the President (Baruwa), “as it is strictly within the internal competence of the State Executive Council.

“The power to create, recreate, cancel, merge branches, units, zones is exclusively granted under Article 17[2] iv to the State Executive Council of each state and Lagos State is not an exception. The current zonal arrangement of the tricycle and motorcycle operations of the union, which has ensured peace, is indeed commendable and should not be jettisoned.”

The branches’ chief accused TOOAN Zone C Chairman Alhaji Azeez Abiola of trying to be the NURTW state chairman without going through election.

“The only known method of removing an elected State Executive member is by impeachment. We, therefore, frown at the query issued to our Chairman (Akinsanya) in the performance of his duties by the National President, Alhaji Baruwa, who did not appoint him. As an elected Chairman, the tenure of Alhaji Akinsanya for four years in the first instance is sacrosanct

“We hereby pass a vote of confidence in Alhaji Akinsanya and warn that this state shall not allow anyone for political considerations to tamper with her peace as is currently the situation in the midst of the NURTW state councils in the Southwest,” they said.

In line with its empowerment initiatives for youths, the Executive Director of Activate Success International Foundation (ASIF), Mrs. Love Idoko-Uloko, in partnership with Nestle Nigeria PLC, has presented grants to corps members at the headquarters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.

Five corps members were given cheques with the sum of N400, 000 each.

In attendance were the Director General of the NYSC, Maj.-Gen Ibrahim Shuaibu, directors and other management officials of the NYSC.

Also in attendance were the representatives of Nestle Nigeria PLC led by Mr. Segun Oloidi, Director, SAED, Mr. Hilary Nasamu, the team members of Activate Success International Foundation (ASIF) led by the Executive Director, Mrs. Idoko-Uloko, the award recipients, other corps members and guests.

Idoko-Uloko said that the partnership with the NYSC started in 2018 and had grown over time.

She thanked Nestle Nigeria PLC for making the grant price available and for their consistent support in the past three years.

The representative of Nestle Nigeria PLC, Mr. Segun Oloidi, stated in his address the commitment of his organisation to youth development. He pledged the continued support of Nestle Nigeria PLC to ASIF and NYSC.

Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu encouraged other organisations to support the NYSC scheme.

He hailed Activate Success International Foundation and Nestle Nigeria PLC for their support to the scheme and encouraged the recipients to utilise the funds to grow their businesses and set examples for others after them to follow.

The Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, has appealed to the public, particularly motorists, to desist from indiscriminate storage of premium motor spirit (petrol) in view of the current fuel scarcity.

The appeal, she said, became necessary, considering the rate of fire incidents recorded in recent time.

Adeseye said the agency recorded 249 emergency calls between January and February, adding that the development was putting undue pressure on the agency.

She said since the beginning of fuel scarcity, some people had devised illegal means of storing the petroleum product, including in inappropriate places.

This practice, according to her, was responsible for the increase in the number of outbreaks.

“I am bothered by this figure despite the huge resources already committed to enlightenment campaign,” she said.

She described the current fuel scarcity as regrettable, noting that it should not be an excuse for illegitimate and inappropriate storage of fuel to the detriment of human lives and avoidable loss of properties.

Adeseye warned the public to avoid using jerry cans that had been used for petrol to store kerosene and any other flammable liquids.

Motorists, especially commercial drivers, she said, should not store petrol in their boots.

Six aspirants are to battle for the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State in the primary election scheduled to hold tomorrow.

Senator Adeleke beat the Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance PLC, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, in 2018 to get the party’s ticket and since then, PDP has been battling with crises.

The Chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo, was removed and replaced with Sunday Bisi by the national secretariat of the party, after which cases were filed in court over the issue.

Adagunodo was accused of maladministration, anti-party activities, among others by the disciplinary committee. It was learnt by The Nation that his removal was caused by his loyalty to Osun State former Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

There have been several court orders and counter-rulings as to who is the authentic chairman of the party despite that Adagunodo was elevated to be the new Southwest zonal chairman, replacing Taofeek Arapaja.

The party on February 23 elected 996 delegates for the primary election. The exercise was marred by violence, as two people were killed and a vehicle was torched.

The primary election will take place in the 332 wards of Osun State and members will elect three people in each of the wards.

However, an Osun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ijesa presided over by Justice A. Aderibigbe has given nod to the eligibility of 215 ward executives loyal to the faction of former chairman and deputy national chairman, Southwest, Adagunodo, to participate in the primary.

The motion exparte was filed by Edmund Biriomoni on behalf of 31 ward chairmen from 25 local governments elected at the September 25, 2021 ward congress supervised by Adagunodo against the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Osun PDP Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Oluwabamiji, speaking with The Nation, said despite the court order, the primary would hold tomorrow and the national secretariat would decide on the delegates’ list.

Six aspirants, including Senator Ademola Adeleke, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade, Dele Adeleke (Senator Ademola’s cousin) and Sanya Omirin are battling for the party’s ticket.

The indigenes of Odo-Odo, a section of Iworoko-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government of Ekiti State, yesterday protested to demand autonomy.

The protesters, carrying placards, held a procession in the community to express their displeasure about the alleged relegation of Arinjale title to a mere chieftaincy status, instead of a full-fledged monarch and denial of the town of autonomy.

The indigenes, who are descendants of Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, said failure to grant them autonomy by successive governments, despite being the first settlers, had caused a setback in terms of development and enjoying the dividends of democracy.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Prince Julius Babalola said granting autonomy to Arinjale of Odo-Odo and the community was overdue.

He said the Intelligence Report of 1933, Ondo State Chieftaincy Review Commission of 1978 and a book written by the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, rated Arinjale as a full-fledged monarch, wondering why the title was being relegated by the government.

Babalola said Arinjale of Odo-Odo settled in Iworoko-Ekiti since 1891, with a well-established royal dynasty before being joined in 1932 by Alaworoko, who now superintends over the community as the only recognised king.

He regretted how the community was politically manipulated out of recognition and denied autonomy by the Justices Silas Oyewole and Jide Aladejana-led chieftaincy review commissions of 2014 and 2020.

“Our progenitor, Gberubioya, a prince from Ado-Ekiti, came to this place in 1891 with his crown and people. We didn’t meet anybody here. Alaworoko came from Ila Orangun in Osun State to join us 41 years after.”

Babalola stressed that during the proceedings of the old Ondo State Chieftaincy Review Commission of 1978, the then Alaworoko confessed before panelists that there were two broad sections at Iworoko, but pleaded that he wanted the town to remain united, instead of being divided.

“Despite the evidence of our established monarchy here, the Justices Silas Oyewole and Jide Aladejana-led commissions of 2014 and 2020 said the memoranda we submitted to grant us autonomy lacked merit.

“Autonomy is part of democracy dividends. We have always been supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) government and we have a rich history supporting our case. So, we appeal to Governor Kayode Fayemi to grant our request before leaving office on October 15, 2022,” he said.

The Special Adviser to Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Civic Engagement, Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said the policies and programmes of the state government are people-oriented and based on the demands and needs of the residents.

He spoke yesterday in Osogbo during an engagement programme with members of the Black Smith Welder Iron Benders and Metals Technician Association of Nigeria, Osun State chapter.

Oyintiloye said the governor’s drive was tailored towards bridging the gaps between the government and the people, thereby creating a platform and means of getting feedback for effective policy formulation through civic engagement.

He said the current administration believed in a government, whose affair was run in tandem with the tenets and opinions of the masses.

The special adviser said the people would remain the critical stakeholder and the driving force in the state governance system.

He emphasised that the institution of civic engagement was a framework aimed at engendering participatory and inclusive governance.

Oyintiloye said through this, popular feedback that would stimulate better policy outputs, which could have direct positive impacts on the people.

He said: “The Oyetola administration has been placing premium on the masses, as all policies and programmes in education, infrastructure, health, security and human-capacity building, among others, are an offshoot of people’s demands and yearnings.

“The life-changing policies and programmes made so far by this administration are not unconnected to our series of assessments of people’s needs through the civic engagement initiative programmes taken to the doorsteps of the people at the grassroots.

“As a government, we will continue to adopt a system theory approach in our policy formulation.

“This will allow people to make input into the system and get better policy outputs that can have positive impacts on their lives.”

Oyintiloye said the ingenious and astute leadership of the governor had brought about a tremendous development in all the sectors of the economy, adding that the current administration would not relent in its quest to make life better for all.

He urged all and sundry to support the people-centred administration of Oyetola.

The Chairman of the association, Mr. Gabriel Obidokun, hailed the government for its developmental projects across the state and unique approach to governance through engagement with the people.

Obidokun, who also commended the civic engagement centre on its outreach programmes to social strata, pledged the association’s support to the governor.

He said the peaceful and friendly business environment provided by the government was one of the many reasons members of the association would continue to uphold its support for the governor.