Category: South West

A Professor of Constitutional Law and Election Matters, Rasheed Ijaodola, SAN, has frowned at rotating the position of president among ethnic nationalities.

He said such practice was not democratic.

Ijaodola spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as the guest speaker during this year’s celebration of Ondo State at 46 Hall of Fame and Leadership Colloquium, organised by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Akure and GroundBreakers Resources Limited.

Speaking about the topic; “Nigeria: The imperatives of Leadership and Governance”, he noted that the ongoing clamouring for zoning of the presidential office to a particular ethnic group “is not democracy. In a good democracy, leaders should emerge through democratic processes and not imposed.”

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, was the special guest of honour. He was represented by his deputy, Lucky Ayedatiwa.

Also in attendance were the governor’s, wife, Betty, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Dr. Remi Olatubora, SAN, Prof. Adekunle Olatunmile, the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladelusi, former Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. J. K. Naiyeju, among others.

The Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI), Ekiti State has emerged first among teaching hospitals in the country in terms of financial management and administrative systems.

The tertiary health institution in the rating by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) also came top in management culture and structure.

The development was contained in the ICPC Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard of Ministry, Department and Agencies of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2021.

The Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adekunle Ajayi, attributed the feat to the selfless and altruistic services rendered by the members of staff of the hospital.

He also described the recognition as a call to do more in terms of quality health delivery to Nigerians.

The CMD, it would be recalled, on assumption of office in 2018, promised to work with the members of staff to make the hospital one of the best 10 teaching hospitals in Nigeria, when objective appraisal methods are used.

The Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard was conceived and developed as an evaluation tool by ICPC, which had promoted and driven preventive measures against corruption as provided by its (ICPC) establishment Act 2000.

Lagos State Government has installed and presented staff of office to two monarchs. They are Oba Najimu Akinwunmi Fashola as the second Ologudu of Oguduland in Kosofe Local Government and Oba Nojeemdeen Abidemi Aberejo as the second Alakesan of Akesanland in Alimosho Local Government.

The installation and presentation of staff of office held at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, was done by the Commissioner, Dr. Wale Ahmed, on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Ahmed noted that the process went through due process, from the local government to the state, before arriving at the final presentation.

He enjoined the subjects to support the monarchs in preserving the sanctity of the throne.

The commissioner also urged the royal fathers to see the traditional institution as a development partner with the government in ensuring communal peace and social development.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Matters Prince Bayo Osiyemi described the installation as noble, grand and historic and worthy of celebration.

The monarchs thanked Sanwo-Olu and the executive council for recognising them and giving them the authority to rule their domains.

While Fashola sought more government involvement in developing the grassroots, Aberejo praised the governor’s leadership qualities and efforts towards ensuring growth, particularly in Alimosho

After seven years of endurance, reprieve came the way of former elected and appointed local government officials in Ogun State, as the National Industrial Court (NIC) yesterday ordered payment of deductions from the salaries totalling N3.5 billion.

The former political office holders, who served from 2112 to 2015, had approached the court to determine if they were not entitled to be paid the sum deducted from their salaries and allowances during their time in service, being a form of planned retirement savings.

Sen. Ibikunle Amosun was the governor at the time.

According to the suit, Amosun had, via a memo, deducted one-third of the salaries of the political office holders under the guise that the money was being saved for them. But they were not paid after leaving office.

They said the action contravened the Ogun State Local Government Law 2008,

The aggrieved politicians instituted the suit in May, 2020, according to them, after unsuccessful attempts to have an audience with Governor Dapo Abiodun.

In his judgment, Justice Dele Peters of the NIC sitting in Ibadan held that deducting the salaries of the appointees via a memo was illegal; adding that anything against statutory law was obnoxious, null and void.

He ordered the state government to pay the deducted salaries of the political office holders with 15 per cent interest within 30 days to the day the judgment was delivered.

Politicians yesterday pushed aside their political differences to honour one of their own, as the final journey of the late ex-Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala began with a Day of Tributes in Ibadan.

A retired federal permanent secretary and lecturer, National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos, Prof Tunji Olaopa, said what Nigeria needed ahead of the 2023 general election was motivated politicians, not mere political jobbers.

The ceremony, held at Jogor Event Centre, Liberty Road, Ibadan was organised by the Oyo State political class, in collaboration with the state government.

The programme kick-started week-long funeral activities lined up to pay last respects to Alao-Akala, who will be buried on Friday in Ogbomoso.

Alao-Akala died on January 12 at his Ogbomoso home at the age of 71.

Olaopa, the founder of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), described the deceased governor as an example of a motivated politician.

He said: “Whatever motivates anyone running for office, the critical matter is that such a person must be ready to do whatever it takes to make life more abundantly richer than what exists before he or she gets there. This is what it means to make politics the act of the possible, and Alao-Akala was our exemplar.

“The question for the political class, taking a cue or the baton from him (Alao-Akala) is therefore to keep pushing the political interest of their constituencies, while forging alliances that are critical to the fruition of a political culture and resilience that are required to build a strong and prosperous Nigerian state, overall, with sensitivity to better harness our diversity to not only position the Southwest in the larger federation, but also to salvage our ailing and failing Nigerian nation-state.”

Dignitaries at the event included former Minister of Sports and Youth Development Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state Isaac Omodewu, senators Kola Balogun (PDP Oyo South) and Abdulfatai Bihari (APC Oyo North), legal luminaries Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Akin Onigbinde (SAN), and Alhaja Bose Adedibu, wife of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.

The roll call also included stalwarts of PDP and APC, including Dr. Saka Balogun (former member, Board of Trustees of PDP), Remi Oseni (a business mogul), Lowo Obisesan (former Commissioner for Environment), Ademola Ojo (former Chairman, Ibarapa Central), Kunle Ishola (former Commissioner for Agriculture), Lanrewaju Otiti (former aspirant of Oyo South Senatorial District.)

One week after dumping the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Ekiti State Governor, Segun Oni, has declared that he has not moved to a new party yet.

Oni denied the speculation that he has pitched his tents with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as absolute falsehood and the handiwork of mischief makers.

In a statement yesterday by the Director of Media and Publicity of Engr Segun Oni Movement, Jackson Adebayo, the former governor said that was ‘party-less’ at the moment.

The former Vice Chancellor, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun, has described Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi as a patriot committed to the task of building a strong and united Nigeria, where the safety, security and well-being of the citizenry, irrespective of region, religion and political inclination, are guaranteed.

Soremekun, who made the remarks in a statement where he congratulated the governor on his 57th birthday, said it is heart-warming that Dr. Fayemi since 1993 has devoted his life as a youth to the fight for the enthronement of democracy and good governance in the country.

Soremekun, the Chairman, Editorial Board of Business Day Newspapers, acknowledged the bridge building efforts of the governor as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, “helping to give succour and confidence to Nigerians, especially during this trying period of emergencies in all critical aspects of the country’s life.”

“Dr. Fayemi no doubt is an invaluable asset to the country as a whole. A role model to his generation and youths generally. I therefore wish him more decades of celebration in good health and continuous service to his father-land,” he said.

Lagos State has received eight customised state-of-the-art Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulances and a Mobile Clinic Truck from two donor partners – Global Fund and Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) Nigeria.

The donation is to ensure improved emergency medical services and primary health care outreach services in Lagos communities.

The ambulances are equipped with essential medical and built-in emergency equipment, including stretcher with washable mattresses, stainless steel stretcher support, trauma kit, urinal plastic wedge, silicone resuscitator, immobilisers, ECG, Sp02, NIBP, respiration, pulse oximeter and IV hooks, which are necessary to provide first aid on-the-spot treatment, stabilising and supporting patients in transit, and safe transportation of patients for further medical management.

The Mobile Clinic truck donated by MTN Nigeria is intended for medical outreaches and primary health care service provision in 14 local governments of the state as part of MTN’s Yello Doctor Project, which is aimed at strengthening primary health care services to underserved communities across Nigeria.

Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi, while receiving the items at the weekend, said the government had continued to enjoy support from its development partners, donor agencies, philanthropic organisations and well-meaning individuals.