Category: South West

The All Progressives Congress (APC) leader and former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, has declared that Governor Dapo Abiodun did not abandon governance, contrary to erroneous claims in some quarters.

Osoba, who said he was glad to set his feet, feeling hale and hearty, again on Abeokuta soil, after staying abroad for months in a United Kingdom hospital, where a knee replacement surgery was performed on him, said the governor is doing well, citing road works, housing projects, health sector, among others, as examples of the giant stride achievements of Abiodun

The Akinrogun spoke on Wednesday night when he received in his Ibara, Abeokuta, GRA home, the elected local government chairmen.

He said it was wrong for some people to take Abiodun’s visit to London in September and November, to see him when he was in hospital, to mean abandoning government or governance in Ogun State.

The council chairmen led by their leader and Chairman, Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Tunde Emilola-Gazal, were in Osoba’s residence to further identify with him as their leader and father as well as rejoice with the former governor on his successful recuperation after a knee replacement surgery abroad.

The Aremo hailed Abiodun for his care, love and prayer for him and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu when both of them were in hospitals for knee surgeries, saying besides visiting to cheer them up, Abiodun also regularly monitored the situation on the phone from Nigeria.

He urged the local government chairmen to support and cooperate with the governor, to further bring quality governance and development to the nooks and crannies of the state.

Emilola-Gazal praised Osoba for ensuring that the progressives retained Ogun State during the last general election.

He said they would leverage on his fatherly advice, wisdom, knowledge and experience to cater for the people at the grassroots.

THE burial rites  for High Chief Michael Olusesan Ogunremi, the Barafon of Ado-Ekiti, will begin today with a wake at his L17, Idolofin Street, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State home. Time is 4pm.

According to a statement by the family, the burial service will hold tomorrow at St. Paul Anglican Church, Odo-Ado, Ado-Ekiti at 10.00am. Interment at his Idolofin, Ado-Ekiti home.

Reception will take place at Ekiti Parapo Pavilion Secretariat, New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, the statement added.

Pa Ogunremi died at the  age of 92.

The latest ranking of Nigerian universities has confirmed Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as the best state university.

It returned it as the fourth best overall.

The university, owned by the Oyo State Government, is coming after the University of Ibadan, Redeemers University and Covenant University.

Titled 2021 ranking of Nigerian universities, the ranking, instituted by the National Universities Commission (NUC), as one of the several drivers of quality improvement of Nigerian university system, was powered by the League of Directors of Academic Planning (LDAPs) of all universities in Nigeria.

It is one of the several projects of Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, the Executive Secretary of the NUC and implemented under the auspices of the NUC Strategy Advisory Committee (STRADVCOM).

One hundred women and youths drawn from wards in Oshodi/Isolo II Federal Constituency yesterday received N100million grant from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), to improve their businesses.

The grant, facilitated by a federal lawmaker, Ganiyu Johnson, was credited directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries by MICROVIS Microfinance Bank at the Hillcrest Event Centre, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.

The Nation reports that small business owners were in October invited for verification and biometric exercises at the lawmaker’s office, preparatory to the disbursement of the fund.

Speaking at the event, Johnson said the selection process encompassed traders and youths across tribes and religions in the constituency.

He urged the beneficiaries to invest the funds in their businesses and avoid using same to celebrate Christmas or other social functions.

“I want to congratulate the beneficiaries of this programme, who have been meritoriously selected among numerous constituents of Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency 2. It is not wise to use the money for Christmas or New Year celebrations. It is required of you to invest this money in whatever you are into so that your business will have a facelift in the coming year.

“I have designed this programme to give financial support to our SMEs, which will automatically accelerate the economic growth of Oshodi /Isolo after the strike of COVID-19 pandemic,” Johnson said.

On plans to address environmental challenges, especially among airport host communities, he said he has sponsored a bill to amend the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) act CAP F5 to allow airport authorities capture Ejigbo, Ikeja, Isolo and Alimosho in their Corporate Social Responsibilities plan.

He said: “I have been able to sponsor a bill for an act to amend the FAAN act CAPF5 to empower the authorities to recognise the environmental challenge facing the communities around Nigerian airports, therefore engaging and involving the communities in their development plan.

“We are asking FAAN to empower communities around Ejigbo, Isolo, Ikeja and Alimosho in Lagos. We are hoping that President Muhammadu Buhari passes it. That will mean that you will be considered for CSR and engagement.”

As the governorship primaries of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti State draw near, some members of the House of Assembly and local government chairmen have endorsed former Secretary to the State Government, Biodun Oyebanji, as their candidate.

The endorsements were done in Ikole, Oye and Iye Ekiti yesterday by the lawmakers and council bosses when Oyebanji’s campaign train visited the APC secretariat in Ikole and Ilejemeje local governments.

Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, the legislators representing Ikole constituencies I and II, Gboyega Aribisogan and Adeoye Aribasoye, said their support was based on the fact that Oyebanji was the most qualified among the aspirants jostling for the APC ticket.

Aribisogan said the former SSG had the requisite experience and credentials to continue with the agenda of Governor Kayode Fayemi, who he said had placed Ekiti on a rocky pedestal.

Aribisogan, the Majority Leader, said: “These supporters you are seeing here confirms how acceptable Oyebanji is in Ikole Local Government.”

Also endorsing Oyebanji, the Chairman of Ikole Local Government, Sola Olominu, his counterparts from Ajoni and Ikole West local council development areas, Michael Ogungbemi and Kayode Ogunsakin, said that the ex-SSG possessed the sterling qualities that would make him a good governor.

Lagos State Government has trained and empowered 733 retirees, to serve as a catalyst for maintenance and proper functioning of bodies, minds and souls.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, at the end of a two-day workshop on fish farming, organised for the retirees by the Post Service Department, Office of the Head of Service, at Alausa, Ikeja.

The HoS, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Mr. Samson Ajibade, said the programme was part of the social and economic relief initiatives aimed at equipping retirees on a quarterly basis with requisite competencies and entrepreneurial skills needed to run profitable business ventures in retirement.

“The programme began about a year ago and to date, 733 retirees have been trained and empowered in vocations,” he said.

The Director, Post Service Department, Office of the Head of Service, Mrs. Bukola Durodola, urged the participants to count themselves lucky.

She encouraged them to take advantage of the government programmes and facilities aimed at such purpose.

Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote, has said the government is developing strategies that will address petroleum tanker explosions and accidents on roads.

He spoke at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, at a stakeholders’ forum for oil and gas transportation sector of Lagos State, organised by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, with the theme: “Sanitising Lagos State roads of petroleum tanker explosions and accidents.”

The commissioner said the ministry has set up a working committee, which is developing a legal framework in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, based on Physical Planning Environmental and Safety Laws, to address the issue.

He said the committee comprising Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NLPGAM) and other stakeholders in the LPG sector, was formed to develop integrated checklist for safety audit on LPG installations, to address safe and ethical practices by stakeholders in the LPG sector.

Odusote added that the committee would also develop operational audit checks for LPG plants/facilities and ensure certification process for storage tanks and trucks.

He said regulations and standards had been put in place to guide operations and haulage of petroleum products.

The Chairman, Lagos State House Committee on Mineral and Energy Resources, Jimi Muhammed, hailed the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for organising the forum.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Miss Sholabomi Shasore, said the forum would find solution to the incessant tanker explosions on roads and minimise or eliminate the ugly occurrences.

The National Executive Director, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation, Mr. Paul Ndibe, stressed the need for the government to find an alternative means of transporting petroleum products within the state, besides road movement by truck drivers.

Oyo State Government has approved new road projects totalling 10.8km at a cost of N4.9billion.

The project, which is to be delivered in six months, is to be funded through direct payment.

The approval forms part of the decision reached at the weekly Executive Council meeting, held at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan.

The meeting was presided over by Governor Seyi Makinde, who is also the president of council.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin, said the stretch includes dualisation of 3.8km Ibadan Airport Road and adjoining routes, with some others in other areas of the capital city.

He noted that the newly approved roads would assist the residents in the areas of expansion of the economy and ease of doing business so that movement of goods and people around the axis would be more rewarding.

Sangodoyin said: “This afternoon, at the 15th session of the Oyo State Executive Council meeting, we approved the award of the dualisation of Ibadan Airport Road, which is 3.2 kilometres and the adjoining access roads along that axis, that is about 19.45 metres, including the road from Oludare to Bishop Phillips, which is two kilometres.

“These roads will actually assist in the expansion of our economy and also ease of doing business.

“Before now, the Federal Government had awarded Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha Road to Messrs Kopek and we also used that opportunity to award the same dualisation of the Ibadan Airport Road and the adjoining routes to Messrs Kopek Nigeria Construction Limited at the value of N4.9billion.

“In totality, the work-scope for this is about 10.8 kilometres, including service-lanes which is by the Iwo-road bus terminals.

“The dualisation of Airport Road is 3.2 kilometres. The adjoining routes, especially the one close to Alakia, behind Jeje Oil and Gas Station that is about 1.45 metres. Oludare to Bishop Phillips, 2.0 kilometres. All these routes are at the cost of N4.9billion.

“They extended the Ibadan-Adegbayi by 400 metres left and right, Iwo-road interchange to Adegbayi by 400 metres left and right for 7.3 metres carriageway, which means that apart from the 10.3 metres for the standard federal route, going from the Iwo-road interchange to Ife we also at that end, where we have the bus-terminals, have an extension of 400 metres to Ife with a scope of 7.3 metres. “

“So, it’s going to be a very wide place for traffic and vehicular movement.”

The ‘South-South in APC’, a group comprising people from the Southsouth geopolitical zone resident in Lagos, has declared support for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the group, Mr. Amans Napoleon, while addressing the people at a news conference and launch of the South-South in APC at Amuwo Odofin Local Government Secretariat, urged Nigerians to validate their voter card for the presidential election in 2023.

He advised the group to support the APC, noting that the party has impacted lives positively.

“The purpose of this is to work for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. To make sure that at the end of the 2023 general election, we will be proud that we have taken the right step. This is why men and women of Southsouth have abandoned what they are doing, to show their solidarity for our leader because he has touched lives. It is time for us to reciprocate his good gesture. We have agreed to support the APC.”

A leading governorship aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Mr. Femi Bamisile, has said he is not worried about the endorsement of former Secretary to the State Government Biodun Oyebanji for the governorship race by Governor Kayode Fayemi.

He said he was ready and not afraid to challenge Oyebanji for the governorship poll, adding that he remained one of the most experienced grassroots politicians.

He stated this yesterday in Ado-Ekiti while donating fertilisers worth N200 million to farmers across 177 wards in Ekiti State.

Bamisile said the endorsement of Oyebanji could not be a source of threat to his ambition to govern the state, adding that his strong political network would be an advantage for him.

“I am not disturbed by any unpopular endorsement. I am a veteran in politics and one of the most experienced grassroots politicians in Ekiti politics.  I know what politics entails.

“In the last governorship election in 2018, Governor Fayemi won with less than 19,000 votes, which was the least margin in the history of governorship in the state. So, someone like me can’t be troubled by any imposition or endorsement.

“If Nigerians are saying that after eight years of presidency in the North, power should return to the South, I see no reason why after 24 years of democracy in Ekiti, a particular zone is still being sidelined. This really baffles me,” he said.

Bamisile said he had hopes because the leadership of the party under Governor Mai Mala Buni had promised a free, fair and credible primary.

He called on the leadership of the APC to zone the governorship ticket to Ekiti South Senatorial District, in the interest of fairness, equity and justice.

He boasted that he would win the party’s governorship ticket during the primary slated for January 22, 2022 to give the people of Ekiti South their deserved reckoning in Ekiti politics.