Category: South West

The Lagos State Chairman-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, said yesterday that plans were on for an overall upgrade of infrastructure across the state.

This is contained in a statement by Mr. Opeyemi Eniola, special adviser to Ojelabi on Communication.

Ojelabi gave this indication during a meeting with some members of the party in Ojo Local Government.

According to him, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured citizens of his commitment to their needs.

“Our amiable governor has assured of his commitment to ensuring that Badagry Division and other areas in the state will soon witness mass development for the benefit of residents.

“The governor is aware of happenings across every nook and cranny of Lagos State. In fact, when I met with him, I was surprised at how he analysed the state of each local government and the need for urgent attention on infrastructure.

“The governor has identified Badagry Division, especially among others, for this infrastructural upgrade and soon, the residents will start to witness more development in that axis,” he said.

He urged members of the party on the need to intensify efforts on the registration of their Permanent Voters Cards.

“We must bring back the glory of Badagry Division by uniting to deliver on our mandate,” Ojelabi said.

Responding on behalf of the group, a chieftain of the party, Alhaji Memud Jinad, hailed members of the party across the state for electing Ojelabi as the chairman.

He restated the commitment of members to work towards the improvement of the voting exercise in subsequent elections.

“We are fully for you and we will do everything to ensure that our party cruises to victory in other elections,” Jinad said.

A Professor of Mathematics at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Ilorin, Kwara State, Olabode Bamigbola, has urged the Federal Government to encourage career in mathematical research through provision of scholarship.

He said the government could do that by making university and research more lucrative.

Bamigbola, delivering the 207th inaugural lecture of UNILORIN titled: ‘Making the best use of what you have: The mathematical approach’, based his submission on the growing importance of mathematics to national and global development.

Said he: “It is common knowledge that many students that are enrolled into mathematics-related courses in tertiary institutions are those who cannot find admission spaces in professional science and engineering courses.

“I suggest the institution of a scholarship programme as a way of attracting talented students to study mathematics. This can be part of the mandate of the National Mathematical Centre.

“There should be regular revision of mathematics curricular at all levels of education to adapt to the rapidly expanding frontiers of mathematical knowledge in concept, content, methodology and adaptation.

“This suggestion becomes necessary so that students may be equipped for work, life and other challenges.”

The mathematician also recommended the use of mathematical optimisation to solve the problems of insecurity, unemployment, economic challenges, unstable electricity supply and others.

A midday inferno yesterday destroyed eight mattress shops in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The incident, it was gathered, was said to have been caused by a fire from a nearby welder’s shop at the popular Ita-Alamu, where fairly-used mattresses are sold.

The intervention by firefighters prevented the inferno from destroying a 40-room building and 20 shops, it was learnt.

Spokesperson for the state Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the incident.

He said that the firefighters saved a building located at Bilewu compound, opposite Oba Ologun compound, Ita-Amondu in Ilorin.

Adekunle added: “The firefighters came to the scene about 12:07pm. They succeeded in putting out the fire in time. Out of the 40 rooms and 20 shops, only eight shops were affected.”

He urged the public not to hesitate to call firefighters in time whenever there is any fire emergency in their areas, “as this will save lives and property.”

Kwara State at the weekend came up for national applause, as it again emerged as the state with the highest number of points in the September edition of the Progressive Strides, the monthly bulletin tracking the performance of the 21 APC states.

Kwara ticked 26 points to top the table, followed by Lagos (21) and Jigawa and Kebbi, which had 16 strides apiece for the month under review.

”The entries for the edition witnessed more improvements as regards developmental strides collated from the (Progressive Governors’) Forum States in 2021,”  Salihu Mohammed Lukman, director general of the forum, wrote in the preface to the 63rd edition of the report.

“In general, there is an all-round increase in the pattern of initiatives introduced by the states with Kwara State recording most initiatives for this month having 26 development strides. These cut across economic development, education, science and technology, health and nutrition, agriculture and rural development, infrastructure, security and sensitisation, empowerment and innovation, environment and hygiene, transportation and finally sports and youths development.

”Lagos State follows with 21 strides, while Jigawa and Kebbi trail with 16 each. Gombe and Kaduna recorded 15 strides each; Nasarawa and Ogun 14 each; Ekiti and Niger 13 each; Kano and Katsina 10 each; while Ebonyi got nine strides. Kogi recorded eight strides; Cross River, Osun and Yobe got six each, as Borno and Ondo had four each. Finally, three strides were recorded in Imo and Zamfara states each.”

Kwara had repeatedly topped the table of the Forum’s Strides since it was introduced.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State chapter, has trained private guards in intelligence gathering.

It organised a seven-day training for private guard companies in preparation for the 2022 governorship election, to tackle insecurity.

The training ended at the weekend with the distribution of certificates to participants.

Speaking about the training, NSCDC Commandant Emmanuel Ocheja said private guards were often posted to sensitive areas.

He added: “Therefore, there is need for them to be a step ahead of criminals.

“Security consciousness on early warning and early response signals for security providers is important, to forestall crisis.

“Most of you supervise sensitive beats where different types of individuals visit for one activity or the other and as such it behoves on you to alert law enforcement agencies to any infraction suspected or noticed for necessary action.”

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), Chief Omobola Odebode, said: “The association is partnering NSCDC to train guards at Civil Defence Colleges, to raise the standard of private security in the country, as it is done in other parts of the world.”

Ogun State Government has promised to attract more local and foreign investments, to boost its Internally Generated Revenue (lGR) through the implementation of sustainable policies and infrastructural development.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kunle Somorin, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja, said the Governor Dapo Abiodun administration is committed to boosting the industrial development and revenue of the state.

“The determination to ensure industrial development of the state is embedded in the mantra of collectivism, driven by public-private partnership initiatives.

“This has, in no small measure, led to an enduring socio-economic development and individual prosperity in the state.

“Some of these genuine investment initiatives have started yielding positive results and they have better repositioned the state as the foremost investors’ destination of choice.

“Ogun is said to be the industrial capital of the country, with the largest concentration of factories. Agbara Industrial Estate alone is said to house companies with over 400 brands.

“Its strategic location as a gateway in the Southwest, particularly its proximity to Lagos, and a windowpane to the Republic of Benin, remains a key advantage for industrial development,” Somorin said.

The chief press secretary said those tremendous advantages, among other potentials, were not taken for granted by the current administration, as over 60 per cent local and foreign direct investments had been drawn to the state.

He attributed some of the successes recorded by the current administration to its inclusive government and government’s resolve to walk the path of growth with the people of the state.

He said that the Abiodun government, on assumption of office, extended a hand of fellowship to everybody in the state, including those in opposition parties.

Somorin said his principal’s decision not to exclude anybody from his administration was partly responsible for the achievements recorded by the administration over the past two years.

“Those who genuinely have service at the back of their mind embraced the ‘Building Our Future Together’ agenda of Governor Abiodun.

“They embraced so much so that all the House of Assembly members who won on the platform of APM have defected and joined All Progressives Congress (APC), including a former governor’s nephew and ex-exco members.

“Prince Gboyega Isiaka, who was the ADC candidate, is now with us. We always maintain that this is an inclusive and participatory government, irrespective of creed and allegiance.”

The National Chairman of the Southwest Agenda for Tinubu (SWAGA), Senator Dayo Adeyeye, has said the group has begun aggressive mobilisation of voters for the Ekiti governorship election holding next year.

He said SWAGA, a political group in the All Progressives Congress (APC), was fast gaining wider acceptability among the people, a few months after its inauguration.

Adeyeye spoke at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti while addressing a crowd of APC members at the conclusion of the mobilisation effort organised by SWAGA across the 16 local governments.

The APC chieftain said the group had started aggressive mobilisation of voters across the state, to save the party from a likely defeat in the June 16, 2022 governorship election.

The ex-minister said: “SWAGA is a movement that has taken over Ekiti. If they conduct any primary election for the governorship in Ekiti, SWAGA will win.

“They said it is direct primary. This makes us happy. They won’t be able to rig anything. Let us begin grassroots politicking. Don’t be afraid of anybody.”

The state Chairman of SWAGA, Senator Anthony Adeniyi (SAN), said the large turnout of APC members had confirmed the group’s acceptability in Ekiti State.

He berated those branding SWAGA members as “renegades and incurable troublemakers” within the APC, describing them as ignorant people who knew nothing about party politics.”

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday mourned the death of the Onigbeti of Igbeti in Olorunsogo Local Government, Oba Emmanuel Oyebisi, Afasegbejo III.

He said his demise had left a vacuum.

Makinde described the late traditional ruler as a good and a peace-loving leader, who worked hard for the development of his domain and the progress of his subjects.

A statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to the Governor, Moses Alao, quoted him as commiserating with the Igbeti community, Oyo State Traditional Council and the family of the deceased royal father.

He said: “I condole with the entire Igbeti community of Olorunsogo Local Government on the death of the Onigbeti of Igbeti, Oba Emmanuel Oyekan Oyebisi.

“I equally commiserate with the Oyo State Traditional Council, friends, families and well-wishers of the late royal father.

“I have had many encounters with the late Oba Oyebisi, beginning from the pre-2015 general election days while seeking the governorship seat.

“The late Kabiyesi was a great leader and a peace-loving ruler. His love for the development of Igbeti and Oyo State in general was unprecedented. He never missed an opportunity to make this clear.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has stated that his government has been doing everything possible to turn the state into a number one investment destination in Nigeria.

He maintained that the state has been developing its infrastructure so that there would be ease of doing business and transportation in the state, adding that the state is also working hard to improve the security sector in line with its commitment to the four-point service agenda.

Governor Makinde made the disclosures while receiving a delegation of the French Government led by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Her Excellency, Mrs. Emanuelle Blatmann, at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan.

Speaking earlier, the French Ambassador, Blatmann, stated that France has a long-standing relationship with Oyo State, pointing out several partnership efforts ongoing between the two parties in the education, economic and agriculture sectors.

She also informed the governor that the French Treasury would be granting a first-of-its-kind in Nigeria, a Special Treasury Loan of €50 Million for the state to boost its health sector in conjunction with French companies.

Reacting, Governor Makinde, who appreciated the French Government for its interests in Oyo State, said that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the state becomes the number one investment destination in the country.

He equally charged France and the international community to pay attention to developments in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general election and give whatever support they can to Nigeria so that it can deepen its fledgling democracy.

Makinde said “We want Oyo State to be the number one investment destination in Nigeria and one of the ways we think we are going to do that is to develop our infrastructure so that going around the state, you have easy access.

“That is why three months into the administration, we awarded the 65kms Moniya-Iseyin road, a major link between Ibadan and the food basket of Oyo State. We are also going ahead with other road networks in the state.

Governor Makinde, who stated that the partnership with France has begun to yield positive results for the state’s economic expansion agenda, while also broadening its economic landscape, added that one of the results is the partnership between the state government and France to establish a Farmers’ Market in the state.

The Alumni of prestigious Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti has honoured Governor Kayode Fayemi and the celebrated poet, Prof. Niyi Osundare for their contributions to the development of the society.

The awards were presented during the commissioning of the

museum of archives and artifacts at the School which was donated by the 1967-71/73 Set.

According to the Chairman of the 50th  Anniversary of Graduation Committee, Dr Charles ‘Diji Akinola, the awards were giving in recognition of Dr Fayemi’s impressive performance in governance and governance, and Osundare’s academic and literary accomplishments.

Fayemi, while commenting the alumni for their bold move to document history, described the project as a remarkable.

He urges other alumni and well-spirited members of the society to borrow a leaf from gesture.

“I must commend the “Union Set” of class of 1967-1971/1973 for chosen this project of a building that binds us all. If we all give back ‘little-by-little’, this will rekindle what this school used to be and a brand new school where we can all send our children to will emerge.