Category: South West

No fewer than 5,000 registered members of the Kwara state Textile Dealers Association of Nigeria (KWSTDAN) have been driven out of business due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, state chairman of the association Alhaji AbdulAfeez Laaro has said.

The development led chieftains of the association to converge on Ilorin, the state capital to raise about N50 million from members and others donors to save indigent members from being sent out business in the state.

The event was themed ‘uplifting the less privileged members.’

Speaking with our correspondent on the sidelines of the event, Laaro said that: “The reason for the event is to assist some of our indigent members that were badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic led to the global economic meltdown. The meltdown affected businesses all over. In the aftermath of the COVID-19, no fewer than 5,000 registered members of our association were severely

affected. Many of our members are currently out of business as a result of the adverse effect of the pandemic on our business.

“Before this time the association decided to be giving soft loans to cushion the effect on the less privileged members of the association.

We have been doing that, but with the current hike in the price of everything in the country such loans might not suffice.

The essence of the programme is to solicit support from well-to-do

members of the association and public-spirited members of the society to raise funds for our members that have been driven out of business because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We hope to raise a sum of N50 million and the funds would be used to assist members who are out or almost out of business.

Duly registered members of the association that were affected in Kwara central alone is well above 5,000. our membership cuts across other senatorial districts of the state.”

He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the opportunity.

The state Commissioner for Enterprise, Hajia Arinola Lawal represented by Director, Commerce in the ministry Ibrahim Sani had put in place windows of opportunity to assist traders in the state.

The commissioner revealed that the government recently resuscitated the bureau of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that his administration was planning to design an estate for retired judges in the state.

He said that a law to that effect would be worked on and forwarded to the State’s House of Assembly for consideration.

Abiodun stated this on Friday when he received the delegation of the Nigeria Bar Association led by its president, Olumide Akpata, in his office at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

According to the governor, the law would among other things, ensure that the judges and their offsprings continue to leave in the houses allocated to them even after their retirement.

Abiodun, while noting that the state would have the first right of refusal whenever those allocated houses are to be sold, added that judges in the State High Courts, Appellate Courts as well as the Appeal and the Supreme Court would benefit from the arrangement.

He commended the National Judicial Council for the role it played in ensuring that punitive measures were taken against judges that are fond of issuing counter injunctions and orders, adding that such steps would definitely make the administration of justice smoother.

In his remarks, President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, disclosed that the body was meeting in the state to investigate issues bordering on conflicting court orders and the role played by lawyers and judges in the process.

He added that while the Nigeria Judicial Council has sanctioned those judges found culpable, the Nigeria Bar Association would also refer some of its members found wanting  to the disciplinary committee to determine if they should be sanctioned for abusing court process.

Operatives of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS, Lagos have intercepted contraband worth N30 billion in the last 3 months.

A breakdown of the seizure showed that foreign parboiled rice topped the list of contraband seized with more than 25,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, with a singular seizure of the product standing at almost 13,342 bags early this month.

The unprecedented seizure which topped the list of seizures recorded by any zonal unit was attributed to water-tight anti-smuggling strategies initiated by the Controller of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu.

It was learnt that the value of hard drugs alone surpassed N5 billion in the period under review with Indian hemp worth more than N1.7 billion handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) two weeks after the controller took office.

More than 50 suspects linked to smuggled items were also recently arrested with some of them already released on bail while others are still in Customs custody getting ready for prosecution.

On the strategies to stem the tide of smuggling especially during the yuletide, Ejibunu stated that “this period of the year usually has the tradition of springing high level smuggling activities all over the country especially in the South West”.

‘’In view of the tremendous support the Unit has enjoyed and is still enjoying, with the provision of new operational vehicles, it has translated into huge seizures which include also Tomato Paste, Chinese drinks, bales of second-hand clothing and medicaments without NAFDAC certification.

‘’Others are poultry products, used compressors, containers of rough and semi-processed wood meant for export which causes deforestation in the country.’’

Ejibunu disclosed that two prime suspects linked to the killing of some of his men and officers have been arrested.

“ The import of this message is that smugglers will no longer kill any of our officers and get away with it no matter how long it will take.’’

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun command, on Friday confirmed the death of three persons in an accident that involved two vehicles around the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway interchange.

The Ogun Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr. Ahmed Umar, who confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun, said two others sustained various degrees of injuries.

Umar explained that the unfortunate accident, which occurred at about 7. 02 a.m. involved four male adults and a lady waiting by the roadside to board a vehicle.

He said the lady, who was hit by one of the vehicles involved in the accident, died instantly.

He explained that in the course of making a U-turn at the interchange on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a Lexus ‘Tokunbo,’ used vehicle, with no registration number rammed into a Toyota Tundra pick-up with registration number AGL 254HB.

”The corpses of the victims have been deposited at Idera Hospital, Sagamu, while the survivors are receiving treatment at the same hospital,” he said.

The Sector Commander, who blamed the accident on speeding and dangerous driving, cautioned motorists against speed violation and other critical offences, especially with the increase in vehicular movement at this period.

He also commiserated with the families of the crash victims and enjoined them to contact FRSC Sagama command for more information about the crash.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba yesterday ordered the posting of Oyediran Adesoye Oyeyemi to Ondo State Command as the new Commissioner of Police (CP).

The posting, the police authority said, followed the retirement of CP Bolaji Salami, the erstwhile commissioner of police in the state, having meritoriously completed the statutory years of service in the Nigeria Police Force.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, said: “ Oyediran, who was until this deployment, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Railway Police Command, was appointed into the Nigeria Police Force in 1990.”

Lagos State Government has said it will enforce and review its safety regulations, to ensure safer hotels.

The Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Mr. Lanre Mojola, made this known yesterday at a stakeholders’ forum on hotel safety with the theme: “Towards safer hotels in Lagos”.

It was organised by the commission to have safer hotels.

Mojola said: “There is need to have our hotels safe and make them more attractive to people.”

The Executive Director, Vic Lawrence Associates, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Osineme, called for more innovative process on the side of the hoteliers, to achieve the desired safer hotels in Lagos.

The Technical Adviser, LSSC, Mr. Seun Awojobi, urged the collaboration of stakeholders, to achieve the desired result.

The Head, Events and Hospitality, LSSC, Mrs. Olubunmi Jegede, said the forum would help in achieving safer hotels.

Members of the Hotel Owners Association supported the commission to ensure safer hotels.

Eminent educator and politician, Chief Joseph Babatope Folayan, is dead.

The pioneer chairman of Efon Local Council in Ekiti State died after a brief illness. He was 83.

Folayan was a school principal for many years before he was elected as chairman of Ekiti West Local Government.

He was until his demise, the Saba of Obalu Quarters, Efon-Alaaye; Otunba Agunsoye of Efon and Otunba Muagun of Erinjiyan-Ekiti.

A statement by his younger brother, Prof. Adio Folayan, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said he will be buried at Efon on January 15, 2022, after a funeral service at St. Paul Anglican Church, Idagba.

He is survived by many children, including Dr. Temidayo Afolabi-Ige, grandchildren and relations.

Senator Ademola Adeleke and a businessman, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, are warming up for yet another battle for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2022 Osun State governorship election.

The two politicians were yesterday at the Abuja national secretariat of the PDP to submit their nomination documents for the election.

Speaking with reporters shortly after they submitted their papers, the two contestants boasted of having what it takes to defeat the incumbent governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While Adeleke alleged rigging of the 2018 election that produced Oyetola, Ogunbiyi also alleged that the 2018 PDP primary election was rigged in favour of Adeleke.

The two politicians had slugged it out in a fierce battle for the party’s ticket in 2018, with Adeleke clinching the ticket.

Deploring what he described as the mortgaging of Osun with huge debts by the Oyetola administration, Ogunbiyi said he was on a mission to change the narrative through investment in agriculture and industrialisation.

He said: “I possess the quality and experience required to harness the vast resources of Osun State for productive and developmental purposes. I am an entrepreneur and a businessman, a professional corporate guru that understands the needs of our state. From debt burden and debt management to job creation for our teeming unemployed youths. “

“The greatest challenge facing Osun today is the huge debt burden without any corresponding wealth creation output. We will resolve this problem and put Osun State back on the path of prosperity.

“We can create gainful employment, using agriculture and agric related industries. Osun State can actually be developed into a food basket, at least for the Southwest, if not for Nigeria as a whole.”

Adeleke called on the people of Osun to use the next election to kick out the ruling party, which, according to him, has denied the citizens the benefits accruing from democracy.

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has assured the citizens that he would hand the state over to the incoming administration in a manner better than what was handed over to him in 2018.

Dr. Fayemi, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti yesterday during the 2021 Christmas Carol, said that the ‘Ekiti Project’ would never be completed, but that he would at least complete his own aspect before leaving office in October 2022.

The governor, who noted that the 2021 Christmas Carol was his last as the chief executive of the state, said his prayer to God was for a leader that would love Ekiti people with passion as well as serve them with every fibre in his vein to the greater glory of God Almighty.

He said his government was never unmindful of the challenges the state faced in the course of developing it, adding that he weathered the storm and took the state to a safe abode through the grace of God and support of the people.

Fayemi thanked God for all he had accomplished, as well as the relative peace and security being experienced in the state, despite the high level insecurity in several parts of the country.

Thanking the committee that organised the 2021 end of year programme, headed by his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the governor said: “We have a lot to thank our people for. We have a lot to thank God Almighty for because we have a state in which we have managed to make a difference in the lives of our people.”

President Muhammadu Buhari will visit Ogun State next Tuesday to inaugurate some of the legacy projects of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Some of the projects to be inaugurated include: the Gateway City Gate (GCG), Sagamu Interchange-Siun-Abeokuta Road, Kobape Housing Estate, King’s Court Estate and Ijebu-Ode-Mojoda-Epe Road.

The visit to the state promises to be a fun-filled and fulfilling one, according to the state government.