Category: South West

An Ogun State High Court has restrained the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Riders & Owners of Motorcycles Organisation (ROMO), Articulated Motorcycles Owners & Riders Association of Nigeria (AMORAN) and other six respondents from forcing members of  All Nigeria Autobike Commercial Owners and Workers Association (ANACOWA)  to purchase their associations’ tickets, materials or insignias except the government revenue ticket which currently goes for N300.00.

Joined in the suit were the police, the Ogun State SO Safe Corps, Ogun State Internal revenue Service, Attorney-General & Commissioner of Justice, Ogun State and Commissioner for Transportation, Ogun State.

Delivering the judgment, Justice O. S.Olusanya of the State High Court 1, Ijebu-Ode, explained that it was a breach of fundamental human rights and an act that was tantamount to encroachment by these unions and associations to force the members of ANACOWA to obtain their tickets and materials.

The judge added that ANACOWA members can only be compelled to obtain the Ogun State Government’s tickets, which was N300.00.

The State Chairman of the victorious association, Comrade Lawal Sikiru Adetola, urged his members to relate with other members of the sister unions peacefully and display magnanimity in victory, adding that any act of provocation and unwarranted tantrums which can lead to showdown and breach of peace should be avoided or reported to the appropriate security and government agencies.

The National Old Students Association of Nazareth High School, Imeko has commended the decision of the Ogun State government to upgrade the status of the institution to a model school.

In a communiqué issued in Abeokuta, the association acknowledged the prompt response of the state government to the collapsed block of dilapidated classrooms that led to the death of a student, Muinat Ilebiyi.

The collapsed block has since been demolished with reconstruction set to commence soon.

The association urged the state government to complement the upgrade of the school with provision of adequate teachers .

A politician, Chief Olumide Aderinokun has promised cash support for 5o traders affected by the fire incident at Lafenwa Market on Sunday.

The People’s Democratic Party chieftain visited the scene of the inferno on Wednesday alongside party leaders where he interacted with the market leaders and victims who lost countless properties.

After he was briefed about the fire incident which started after a fuel-laden truck fell, Aderinokun  demanded a list of the affected traders which was put together by the market leaders and he later inspected the affected shops in the vicinity.

”I heard about the news when I was in the middle of a business trip and I urgently had to make plans to visit and condole with my people. It is a very sad event,” Chief Aderinokun said.

”We need to act urgently because the festive period is upon us and the affected sellers have families that depend on them.

“My foundation, Olumide, and Stephanie Aderinokun Foundation – already has a plan to start our interest-free loan in Abeokuta North Local Government which include Lafenwa Market but as a result of what happened on Sunday, we will start the project as soon as possible in January.

”In addition, I will give 50 traders who lost goods and property a non-refundable worth N50,000 each.”

Chief Aderinokun’s support package did not go without gratitude and prayers from the market leaders and the traders.

Earlier this year, the Aderinokun Foundation commissioned a borehole project in Lafenwa market to support the people in the environs with easy access to potable water.

The Apapa Area Command has generated an unprecedented revenue totaling N89,097,888,609.00  for November 2021.

According to the spokesman of the Command, Abubakar Usman , the revenue was the highest monthly collection by any command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

In a statement issued in Lagos, Usman, a Deputy Superintendent of Customs said: ‘’This feat is coming after the command generated N86B in the month of October following improved inter-agency synergies, enhanced trade facilitation, speedy dispute resolution and prevention of revenue loss.

‘’Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf who described the N89b collection as the beginning of improved outputs for the command, also said the tempo for rising revenue profile will be sustained.

‘’He (Yusuf) thanked the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) for his support, the direction in the deployment of artificial intelligence tools and  improved logistics which has cumulatively added to the command’s productivity level.’’

The statement quoted  Yusuf saying ‘’ We are gradually making Apapa Port a no go area for perpetrators of illegalities because all recent attempts at smuggling prohibited items through the port were uncovered.

“While we are facilitating trade , collecting revenue and promoting ease of doing business, our attention will also be focused on issues of national security too. This will continually be evident in our mode of cargo examination and intelligence sharing with sister agencies.’’

 

A 53-year-old woman, Abosede Adejoro, has cried out for assistance over an attack on her son by suspected gunmen.

Adejoro made the complaint while speaking with newsmen in Ekiti State where she had gone to visit her mother.

She said: “Trouble started with my son, Ayodeji, a journalist in 2020 when he covered the 2020 governorship election in Ondo state.

She explained that Ayodeji, had covered and aired the election during which he witnessed massive vote-buying by two prominent political parties in the state.

”He never knew he had stepped on the toes of some political leaders, who saw his news coverage, as an affront to them, until he started receiving threat calls from miscreants, who were suspected to be hired, political thugs.”

Adejoro added while her son was still interviewing people for their opinions on what happened at the polls, two men came behind and hit her son’ s head with planks and some other dangerous weapons.

”Ayodeji, after the attack fell on the floor, lying face down. He was however assisted by sympathisers who saw him when he was being humiliated.

She said that her ‘’son’s residence on 17 Ala close, Akure was visited by strange faces, who destroyed and looted property worth several thousands of naira.’’

She added that more than four times recently, the suspected assailants told her that her son would face the music  for exposing some politicians in the state, for their complicity in election rigging,

Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Lagos State, Princess Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf on Friday distributed job tools to members of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area(LCDA) of the state.

The empowerment tools were presented to the beneficiaries across seven Wards of the LCDA at the party secretariat on Ekoro Road, Abule-Egba.

Items distributed include grinding machines, generators, hairdryers, sewing machines, among others.

‘’This is the continuation of my empowerment programme to uplift residents of Alimosho Federal Constituency towards eradicating poverty in our society,’’ Akinbile-Yussuf said.

 

Following the abduction of a couple on farmland in Osun by gunmen, the wife identified as Blessing Omoru on Friday escaped from the gunmen.

 The Nation reports that London and Blessing Omoru were kidnapped on their farmland at Ori-Omipupa village in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State on Wednesday night.

 A security source who confided in our correspondent said:  “The abductors demanded N37 million to free their victim but the wife has escaped from them this morning.”

 Speaking with our correspondent, the leader of a cultural security outfit, Kiriji Heritage Defender, Dr. Ademola Ekundayo, who had volunteered to rescue the victims with the support  of the police said: “The wife of the man has escaped through Ijebu-Jesa forest this morning.”

No fewer than five persons comprising three male adults and two female adults were killed on Friday in an accident involving two vehicles in Ogun state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 11 persons, comprising six male adults and five female adults, were involved in the accident, with an Opel Safia car and a Madza bus.

Ahmed Umar, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Command, said the crash occurred at about 12.56 p.m. on Friday on Ago-Iwoye-Ibadan road, around Arebi village in Ogun.

Umar noted that six others sustained various degrees of injuries in the incident.

He stated that a total of 11 persons, comprising six male adults and five female adults, were involved in the accident, with an Opel Safia car, with registration number FN 73 APP and a Madza bus, marked FST 877 YC.

“The corpses of the victims have been deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, while the survivors are also receiving treatment at the same hospital,” he added.

Protest rocked Ota-Efun area of Osogbo on Friday after a yet-to-be-identified  policeman killed a drill operator and shot the company’s driver.

The Nation gathered that the incident happened around 11 am when a truck belonging to Shekeenah Zelter Global Concept developed a fault around Ota-Efun police station and a team of policemen plying the road challenged the operator and truck driver.

Amid an altercation, one of the policemen shot the driver named Harisu Musa on his arm while he shot the drill operator identified as Kabiru Bapai on his chest.

An eyewitness who made available footage of the incident told our correspondent that, “after the policeman shot the two staff of the company, a mob gathered and were angry, they beat the officer mercilessly and took the corpse of drill operator to the police station at Ota-Efun. Police were shooting sporadically to scare them away.”

“the person that was killed was our Chief operator and they shot the driver in his hands. He left Ede this morning after finishing a job and he was going to Igbajo for another job when the incident happened,’’ the Executive Operating Partner in the company the two victims work for, Bayo Daudu said:

”We demand that justice must be done and nothing must be covered up, it will cause other trigger-happy police officers to desist from doing all sort of nonsense.”

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, a Superintendent of Police (SP)  said: “Investigation has commenced over the matter.”

The Ogun State Government has pledged continued support for private organisations in after taking delivery of an 80-bed isolation centre donated by Unilever Nigeria Plc and Lafarge Africa Plc.

The donation was to keep fight against COVID-19 strengthened in the State.

Commissioning the centre recently, the Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun commended the companies for their doggedness and renewed fight against COVID-19.

Abiodun, who was represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, promised that the centre would be manned by qualified health personnel, expressing that the gesture would nip the spread of COVID-19 in the bud in the state.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker expressed delight at the intervention.

He said: “Through our strategic engagements, we were able to collaborate to deliver this facility for managing cases of COVID-19 and other possible health outbreak in the state. We appreciate the two companies for this gesture.”

Managing Director of Unilever West Africa, Mr Carl Cruz, stated that the collaboration of Unilever with Lafarge to donate the facility was part of the company’s vision and commitment to make sustainable living commonplace.

He said: “A huge part of our operations is domiciled in Ogun State. Through the years, we continue to have a close relationship with the governor, the government and citizens of the state.

“As the state with one of the largest congregations of industries in Nigeria, we have enjoyed support from the state. It is not surprising that we are here today to further push the boundaries of providing state -of -the art health care facility to support the government and its people, in their drive to achieve a novel healthcare system to combat COVID and other health challenges”.

“Our response to the pandemic was through our hygiene products that were donated to State Governments (with Ogun as one of the leading beneficiaries), NGOs, religious bodies, and UN agencies, valued at N1.5 billion.

” In addition, we donated over 16,000 COVID tests and 6 ventilators to support the healthcare system at a time when there was a scarcity of test kits during the pandemic”.

Cruz avowed that the company would keep partnering with government and multinationals to make the state achieve its full potential as an investment destination of choice.

Describing the centre, he said,” This isolation centre is a purpose-built medical facility equipped with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It has an in-house facility for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Testing, an ambulance response, a Computed Tomography (CT) scan facility, Operating theatre, mobile x-ray machines and multi-parameter patient monitoring equipment, amongst other facilities.

Managing Director and Country Chief Executive Officer at Lafarge Africa, Mr Khaled El Dokani, reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to building sustainable cities, while also supporting initiatives that would promote good health and well-being.

“As a firm that is committed to building progress for people and the planet, Lafarge resolutely stands side by side with the government and the people of Ogun state in combating the spread of coronavirus and relieving its impact on people.

“This Isolation Centre is a continuation of our support to communities and the Government of Nigeria to limit the human and economic impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“As we fully hand over this facility to the Ogun State Government, we believe that it will strengthen the resilience of our communities by enhancing the capacity to isolate and treat new cases of infection and Covid-19.

“The donation of the facility also reminds us that the new coronavirus is still with us, so we should continue to adhere to all necessary precautions to prevent contracting and spreading the virus.”

He added that as cases of coronavirus infection decline, the company is now focused on working with the government and communities to reduce infections and eventually eliminate the new coronavirus.

“This would allow the Nigerian economy to enter a post-pandemic phase, thus boosting investment, productivity and jobs creation”, he said.

Lafarge Africa has committed N500 million ($1.28m) as part of the company’s intervention programme for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The provisions consist of medical infrastructure including ambulances and essential personal protection equipment (PPE) for medical professionals.