Category: South West

Ogun State Government has given financial support to the people who lost their properties to the rainstorm, which occurred earlier in the year at Ilara in Imeko-Afon Local Government.

Governor Dapo Abiodun said the compensation was part of his administration’s determination to improve people’s welfare.

Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr. Femi Ogunbanwo, said the government, through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in collaboration with the Community Development Council (CDC), Ilara and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had carried out an impact assessment of the affected communities before presenting the financial assistance to them.

“Following the rainstorm, the governor had directed that SEMA should partner NEMA to carry out an impact assessment on affected communities and give succour to the people,” Ogunbanwo, a lawyer, said.

The governor assured the citizens of his administration’s commitment to providing an enabling environment that would guarantee individual prosperity and collective development of the state, in line with the ‘Building our Future Together’ agenda.

A member of the House of Assembly representing Imeko-Afon Constituency, Akingbade Jemili, thanked the governor for assisting his constituents, as well as carrying out developmental projects in the local government.

The Chairman, Imeko-Afon Local Government, Mr. Yahaya Fadipe, noted that the compensation was an indication that the governor was a sympathetic and a caring person.

He advised the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously, to achieve the desired goal of the programme.

SEMA Director Mr. Olufolarin Ige said that stakeholders were carried along in the course of the assessment on the scene of the disaster.

The beneficiaries of the programme, Mr. Patrick Odeyemi and Mrs. Alao Oluwadamilola, hailed the government for the support, urging it not to relent in ensuring that citizens enjoyed more dividends of democracy.

 

Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete has dismissed a lecturer, Mr. Pelumi Adewale, for alleged sexual harassment of Miss Tosin Adegunsoye, a student in the Department of Pure and Applied Sciences.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mustapha Akanbi, made this known yesterday in Ilorin while addressing a news conference to herald the eighth and ninth convocations.

He said Adewale had ceased to be an employee of the school for bringing the institution into disrepute.

“The security agency has taken up the case and it is in court already, but I am informing you officially that the man is now an ex-worker of the institution.

“He is a disgrace to our great institution and we won’t condone such acts,” the VC said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adewale was on September 11 arraigned at a magistrates’ court in Ilorin, over accusation of sexual harassment.

The suspect was arrested by the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) over offences bordering on criminal intimidation, sexual harassment and examination malpractices.

According to the First Information Report, a petition dated October 15 by Adegunsoye alleged that sometime in September, Adewale, a lecturer assigned to teach her a course, MLS 212 Cell and Molecular Biology, called her and threatened to fail her in her coming examination if she refused to have sex with him.

In view of the threat, she subsequently reported the matter to the police, who instructed her to play along with the lecturer, to obtain raw evidence.

The lecturer thereafter lured the student into his bedroom around 8:30pm on Taoheed Road, Basin Area, Ilorin, where he gave her a new question paper and KWASU answer script to rewrite her examination with a promise to have sexual intercourse with her till day break.

The suspect was, however, apprehended in the process by the detectives, who hid at a secure location to monitor the development.

In his ruling, Presiding Magistrate Ibrahim Mohammed, however, obliged the application of the defence and granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000.

He thereafter adjourned the case till tomorrow for further mention.

 

Osun House of Assembly yesterday adopted the N129.7 billion 2022 proposed budget report, after it was worked on and submitted by its Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

The Finance and Appropriation Committee Chairman, Mr. Olodo Taiwo, before submitting the report, read all the recommendations and adjustments his committee made on the proposed budget.

He stated the need for the state government to fund and equip its revenue generating agencies, so that the financial capability of the state can be boosted.

He also stated the need for the state government, from the budget, to fund and employ more officials in the health and education sectors, so as to improve the health and lives of citizens of the state.

Mr. Timothy Owoeye, the Speaker of the Assembly, said there is the need for the budget to be expanded and increased, to accommodate the financial needs of some of the state revenue generating ministries and agencies.

Owoeye said he had a meeting with Governor Gboyega Oyetola, where he explained that all the revenue generating agencies needed to be well equipped for them to perform maximally.

He said during the budget defence of the state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, some revenue generating agencies complained of shortage of staff.

He said there is also the need for the state government to purchase a drilling machine for the state water corporation, to enable it provide potable water for the people and therefore generate revenue for the state government.

He said the governor has, however, agreed in principle for the budget expansion, adding that there would possibly be an increase to the budget size before it is finally passed by the Assembly.

 

 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Mr. Akogun Oyedepo, has hailed the judgment of an Ilorin High Court sacking caretaker committees in the 16 local governments.

Oyedepo said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Ilorin.

He described the constitution of caretaker committees for local governments as illegal.

“If the court did not sack the illegally constituted caretaker committees, it could have been a wrong decision because Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution is not ambiguous at all about who should rule in the local government council.

“The Constitution says that local government administration should be democratically constituted, government at the level must be democratically determined.

“Secondly, there are plethora of authorities, there is a Supreme Court pronouncement that states that constitution of local councils through any other means other than election is illegal.

“There are so many, so I don’t really know why any government in this country should just constitute any form of transition implementation committees or caretaker committees to govern local councils,” Oyedepo said.

He, therefore, called on the state government to conduct election into the 16 local government councils.

“I discovered that even among APC states in Nigeria, we are perhaps the only one that is still toiling without properly constituted local councils.

“I mean look at Oyo State, look at Niger, look at Nasarawa, look at Kaduna. Everywhere, they have done their local council elections, and some of these states are just purely APC states.

“So whether you talk of APC or PDP; Oyo is PDP, Bauchi is PDP, they conducted local council elections, so why is Kwara different?” he said

 

 

Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) has cautioned the Federal Government not to divide Nigerians over the proposed N5,000 grant as palliative to 40 million people, to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.

It said this would compound their problems.

The union said the move would enrich a few people at the expense of the majority, adding that the N5,000 should be used to subsidise the prices of cooking gas and kerosene and provide mass transit buses to ease transportation for the masses.

Speaking in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of SSAUTHRIAI with the theme: ‘Challenges of Labour Management in a Distress Economy, COVID-19 Impact and the Way Forward’, acting President Dr. Benjamin Akintola urged the government to restrain from removing subsidy on petroleum products so as not to further impoverish the citizens.

He said instead of the N5,000 grant, the refineries should be made to work at full capacity, to provide enough petroleum products for the populace, thereby discouraging importation of the products.

 

Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has said his focus is to give democracy dividends to the citizens.

He added that service to the people should be paramount to every responsible government because it will determine its fate when election is held.

The governor spoke through his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, during a rural engagement programme held at Ajeoku, Tafia, Kajola and other rural communities in Obokun East Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Oyetola, who assured the citizens that he would not spare any effort in advancing good governance, which his administration had instituted for the masses, stressed that people had remained behind him and would return him to office in next year’s election.

He said he would never be distracted by political machinations, but would focus on quality service delivery to the people, adding that the will of God would prevail through the support of the people.

Oyetola said: “In the last three years, the current administration has improved the social well-being of our people through the revitalisation of general hospitals and over 300 primary health centres out of 332, as well as the building of 120-bed ward and doctors’ quarters at the state Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro.“

Church)-Our Lady School-Police Divisional Headquarters, Famia Road, Nike Gallery-Ido-Osun Township airport with palace spur, Ikirun-Eko-Ende Road and Gbogan Township Road, to mention but a few among several others.

“Equally, Olaiya flyover in the state capital is 85 per cent complete; an infrastructural provision to reduce the current traffic hassles in the area, which will also help to contain the offshoot of the current administration’s drive towards sustainable industrialisation, while efforts are being expended on the continuation of projects inherited from the last administration.

“Because of our quest for rapid infrastructural development, we have concluded plan to start constructing and rehabilitating roads in areas such as Iree, Inisa, Ife, Ijesa land, Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun, Orolu, Oba Ile, Oba Oke and Ikire; among other critical roads that will be considered as the state’s financial base improves; while this does not exclude our collaborative efforts with the Federal Government to complete the state airport.

“As a matter of fact, we have been committed to human development and capacity building by empowering nothing less than 18,000 youths through schemes, as well as execution of social intervention programmes for the socially vulnerable. Salaries and pensions are fully paid as and when due.

“Other important sectors such as agriculture, mining and tourism are being developed to give an appreciable level of boost to the state economic index.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Leader in Obokun Local Government, Chief Jumoke Ogunkeyede, thanked the governor for his laudable performance.  He hailed him for his ingenuity in reaching out to the grassroots and urged the people not to relent in giving their support to his administration.

Others at the event included APC chieftain Alhaji Nasiru Komolafe, Chairman Obokun Local Government Ogundipe Maruf, his counterpart in East LCDA Saliu Bello, among others.

 

 

 

The Southwest chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun moves to ensure the party emerges victorious in the coming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, slated for June 18 and July 16, 2022.

The PDP Southwest, which disclosed this in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, said that the party was resolute to reclaim the remaining Southwest states in 2022 and 2023.

He said that part of party’s move with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s support included ongoing consultations, meetings and rapports with aspirants of the party in Ekiti State and other party leaders and stakeholders to get assurance that the primaries would be free, fair and credible.

The Southwest PDP spokesperson said a meeting of the three zonal executive members from the state – National Ex-officio, Adeola Ogunrinde; Zonal Ex-officio, Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi and the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Atofarati with Ekiti PDP aspirants and leaders last week took far-reaching decisions.

Although Atofarati did not disclose the resolutions reached at the meeting, he said: “Our efforts are on the order of the PDP Southwest leadership and in line with the quest of Oyo State governor and PDP leader in the zone, Governor Makinde, to return the party in all states in the zone to winning streak.

“Even as the consultation continues, this will fast-track a hitch-free process of elections. We have less than two months to the January 2022 governorship primary in Ekiti. Our priority as one united party is to serve the people and we shall leave no stone unturned to ensure that our best foot is put forward,” the zonal PDP spokesperson said.

 

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State yesterday said the philosophy of a group, the ‘Lagos-for-Lagos,’ is indefensible and unsustainable.

APC conceded to the group the right to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying it has sought refuge in a homeless party.

Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo said in a statement that the group will join the PDP to lament defeat in future elections.

He said: “We acknowledge the constitutional right of the leaders and members of the group to associate with any party of their choice without sparing a thought for morals, principles, antecedents, perennial history of political defeats and inconsistency in their selling point.

“We watched with utter amusement and amazement as they were received by a symbol of democracy, in their own reckoning , a proven fighter against god fatherism who literally turned  his state to his fiefdom before the revolution of the people burst his bubble.

“It’s such an irony to the well-mouthed battle cry by the group against god fatherism and undemocratic practices that they chose a curious personality as their political undertaker.

‘Perhaps it’s a case of an expired and foreign god father posing less danger to a group that is desperate for a home and power.

“It is important to note that our suspicion of the group acting as a mole in the ruling Lagos APC has come to pass.

During their short stint, they were perpetually rabble rousing, ungovernable and would only live by their own set of rules and regulations.”

It’s also interesting and contradictory to note that their leader is also a god-father of some sort, who also emerged as their leader without any electoral conduct. He continues to mislead his largely misguided followers for his selfish ambition.

“We note with keen interest the confirmation of their new god-father of their long period of association and their boast to win the next elections.

Perhaps they need to be reminded that Lagos State has always been a progressive state even in the face of well- orchestrated threats and power play. Their new hosts should be honest enough to tell them that losing elections since the advent of democratic governance has been their lot which they have accepted as their destiny.

“We also note their assurance to resurrect the PDP in Lagos, which no doubt is uncomplimentary to their new soulmates.

“We want to congratulate them for finally finding a home in a homeless party. However, our doors in APC remain open to receive and rehabilitate them, true to the proven characters of our leaders, after burning their fingers as expected.

“I guess the transfer season towards 2023 elections has commenced in earnest.

We will meet at the polls and I can assure you that Lagos State APC remains undaunted by a group whose departure is a good riddance to bad rubbish.

“Our party will definitely not be distracted as we continue to support our government to finish strongly.”

 

 

 

The Centre for Disability Issues has hailed the lawmaker representing Lagos Central, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for helping people living with disabilities.

It urged the Federal Government to enact a bill empowering local governments to cater for their needs.

The centre spoke at the weekend in Ebute-Meta, Lagos, through its Convener, Comrade Kehinde Oshilaja, at the celebration of this year’s World Disability Day. The theme was: ‘Not all disabilities are visible’.

Oshilaja said there was no doubt that Nigerians had data, but noted that millions of people living with disabilities were yet to be documented.

He said that their inability to be documented had denied them opportunities such as accessibility to education, health care services and other amenities.

Oshilaja said there was no doubt that the federal and state governments were already saddled with many responsibilities, but added that once the local governments were empowered to cater for people living disabilities, they would heave a sigh of relief.