Category: South West

•Ministry yet to confirm development

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

Parents of pupils attending Lagos State model colleges are celebrating the victory of their efforts to get the Lagos State Government to reduce boarding fees from N50,000 to N35,000.

The Nation learnt that the Ministry of Education and the parents on Tuesday reached an agreement that pupils of the 16 junior and senior model colleges and upgraded secondary schools should pay N35,000 as boarding fees.

The agreement followed the setting up of a committee by the House of Assembly Committee on Education to proffer solution to the fees controversy last week.

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The six-man committee comprising equal number of representatives of the parents and the education ministry, agreed on N35,000 – which is N15,000 less than the amount the government proposed pupils should pay, and N5,000 more than the amount the parents said they were ready to pay.

The Nation gathered that the committee’s report recommending the N35,000 boarding fee would be presented for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s consideration.

When contacted, the Public Affairs Officer in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Ganiu Lawal, said: “The ministry will react at the appropriate time.”

Pupils of the model colleges will resume in batches from this weekend.

However, the Ministry of Education has not confirmed the new boarding fees.

Before the fee hike was announced in July (N75,000 initially), parents paid N25,000 as boarding fees for their children – an amount Education Commissioner Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo said was in place for 18 years.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday inaugurated a 12-man State Road Safety Advisory Council (SaRSAC).

He described the move as a “demonstration of our administration’s commitment to ensuring safety on our roads through the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy II, which encapsulates the key strategic elements that will provide direction for the 2019 – 2023 plan period.”

The governor said the strategies would ensure that the roads infrastructure complied with global standard for safety, capacity improvement of relevant agencies, including Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) and the State Fire Service.

Read Also: Lagos teachers brace for new methodology

Members of the council are Governor Sanwo-Olu (Chairman); Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat (Alternate Chairman); Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye; Commissioners Prof. Moyosore Onigbanjo (Justice); Prof Akin Abayomi (Health); Rabiu Olowo (Finance); Sam Egube (Economic Planning and Budget); Folashade Adefisayo (Education); Frederic Oladeinde (Transport) and Tunji Bello (Environment).

Others are Director of the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) Akin Fashola; Sector Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Olusegun Ogungbemide, and Mr. Olutosin Ogunmola, an engineer.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has sought the speedy approval of the N83.5 billion loan requested from the 1.68 per cent Development of Natural Resources Fund (DNRF) from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RAMFAC).

The loan, if approved, according to the governor, will be used by the state to boost agriculture, tourism and other sectors of the economy.

Abiodun spoke yesterday when he received members of the Fiscal Efficiency and Budget Committee of RMFAC led by its Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Dibal, in his office at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

They were on evaluation tour of the state.

The governor said that the release of the fund would help diversify the state’s economy as well as complete the ongoing building of the Agro Cargo Airport.

Read Also: Governor Abiodun and Akute/Alagbole/Ajuwon/Lambe communities

He said the fund would also be used to develop the agriculture, solid mineral, cultural and tourism sectors towards the enhancement of ‘Adire’ production and its chain values.

Abiodun noted that the Agro Cargo Airport, which would be equipped with modern facilities and provided with Agro Processing Zone, when completed, would serve as a cargo hub for the west coast of Africa and would provide job opportunities for youths.

Dibal said members of the commission were in the state as part of the process required to access N83.5billion from the 1.68 per cent Development of Natural Resources Fund requested by the state government in 2020 to diversify the economy of Ogun State.

He said the fund was one of the items under the Special Funds established by the Revenue Allocation Act of 2004 to help all the tiers of government in diversifying their economy base, which in turn would create alternative sources of revenue and reduce dependence on oil revenue.

By Adeyinka Aderibigbe

Lagos State Government has warned truckers in and around Apapa ports to beware of fake enforcement gangs out to extort them and compound traffic flow patterns established by the government.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Oluwatoyin Fayinka, made this known at a meeting with trucker unions to address reports and accusations that the Traffic Management Enforcement Team (TMET) is extorting truckers along the corridor.

Fayinka, the TMET chairman, said the government is not a party to the extortion ongoing along the port access roads.

He declared enforcement gangs outside the TMET as usurpers, saying his team remains in charge of enforcements through the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), with the help of the police.

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Fayinka said the officials and individuals beating up drivers and carrying out illegal sanctions were not backed by the government.

Urging truckers to speak in one voice about their woes, which the gathering was poised to address, he said the fact-finding gathering would further expose parties responsible for the current state of things in Apapa, adding that physical and graphic evidence would legitimise their petitions and feedback.

The Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) Coordinator, Mr. Nnorom Emmanuel, said the government had a role to play in filling the loopholes created since the E-call up system was initiated.

He noted that most of the bonded terminals had been converted to holding bays temporarily, hence the need for prompt clearance of broken down vehicles on the access roads, to minimise congestion and fraudulent activities around the corridor.

From Osagie Otabor, Akure

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has said that he reviewed his earlier stance on not to borrow to pay salaries because he could not allow workers to be seen as suffering due to no fault of his administration.

The governor in January began payment of percentage salary because allocation from the federation account for December 2020 was N2.3billion, after the deductions of government obligations, whereas total gross salary (net + deductions) payable to all categories of workers summed up to N5.21billion.

Payment of percentage salary made doctors in the government employ to embark on an indefinite strike.

The doctors called off the strike last month, but they refused to resume duty over non-payment of their outstanding salaries.

Akeredolu, who spoke at a meeting with the doctors, said it is painful that the state now borrows to pay salaries.

He, however, noted that the danger of borrowing to pay salary is that the future is being consumed, as money goes into the recurrent expenditure than capital expenditure.

The governor, who directed immediate payment of the doctors’ salary, said the stalemate that led to their industrial action followed lack of understanding from a section of their association.

Read Also: Akeredolu appoints Deji of Akure as Ondo Council of Obas chair

He said he was not happy with the financial situation of the state.

Akeredolu said: “As regards the salaries of those who have not been paid, I can assure you that the money is intact. It has been kept in an escrow account.

“I thank God that we can come together as brothers, sisters and stakeholders to talk about the Ondo project. We all have fundamental roles and responsibilities to our people. The only difference is the distribution of positions as given by God.

“My role cannot be more important than yours as doctors because I cannot save lives, but you do. Honestly, if language permits, you are not unhappier than me about what we have been made to contend with financially in the state. We know it is a global issue, but we are more concerned about how it affects us.

“The most painful thing is that we now borrow money to pay salaries because it got to that point where we cannot allow our workers to be seen as suffering due to no fault of ours. But if it is to bend backward to keep our workers afloat, we shall not hesitate. This is why we are reviewing our earlier stand that we would not borrow to pay salaries. The danger, however, remains that we are eating our future, as more goes into the recurrent than the capital expenditure as it were.”

The Chairman, Ondo chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Stella Adegbehingbe, promised that the doctors would henceforth proritise the welfare of residents.

•Varsity inaugurates 15 projects

By Toba Adedeji, Osogbo

Thirty-five students will receive first class degree, as Osun State University (UNIOSUN) is set to hold its 10th convocation for 1,815 graduating students.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola, said yesterday at a news conference held at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Multipurpose Hall, main campus, Osogbo that “after the one-day virtual convocation ceremony, which was held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th convocation of this university will be a hybrid mode where physical ceremonies will be held.”

He added: “One thousand eight hundred and fifteen graduating students will be conferred with first degrees across the colleges of the university and 206 postgraduate degree and diploma graduating students will also be conferred with postgraduate degrees and diplomas.

“Of the 1,815 graduating students, 35, representing 1.93% of the total number of the graduating students are in the first class. Also, 544, representing 29.97% of the total number of graduating students will be awarded second class (upper) degrees, 937, representing 51.63% of the total number of graduating students made second class (lower), 289, representing 15.92% of the total number of graduating students made third class (lower), while 10 graduating students, representing 0.55% of the total number of graduating students will be awarded pass degrees.”

The VC said the institution is set to build 1,500 capacity students’ hostel at the main campus of the university in Osogbo.

“We are set to inaugurate 15 projects as part of the activities of the convocation,” he said.

By Osagie Otabor, Akure 

MEN of the Ondo State Security Network Agency code-named Amotekun Corps have arrested four herders and 180 cows for violating the Anti-Open Grazing Law.

The herdsmen and cows were arrested at Oke Ala and Iju community of Akure.

Two of the herders, Abudulahi Sanni and his uncle simply called Baba, said they had been living peacefully at Iju and were ready to pay any amount as compensation for whatever damage they had caused.

They said: “We have been living peacefully in this community. We don’t want any trouble with the state government. They have shown us love by accepting us and we are ready to settle out of court and pay any amount for damages done to the farmlands.”

The herders were, however, made to settle the farm owners as well as pay a specified amount into the government purse.

The Commander of the Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the cows would be released after the owners had complied with the regulations as contained in the Anti-Open Grazing Law.

He said some herdsmen have continued to violate the anti-open grazing law.

“We have a number of herders here with us and we are making them comply with the enacted law, which stipulates penalty for defaulting herders. The position of the law is that if they choose to go to court, we will implement the law, which stipulates a minimum of N100, 000 fines or three years imprisonment.

“In most cases, you will see them pleading that such a thing will not happen again. We have informed the leadership of Miyetti Allah to educate their members that the anti-open grazing law of Ondo State is in place.

“When it is done the second time, the person will go to court to face the full weight of the law.

“In the main time, what we have done is to go further to enlighten their people, but we feel we should interface with the leadership of Miyetti Allah.

“We have implored them to educate other members of the Miyetti Allah that the anti-open grazing law of Ondo State is in place,” Adeleye said.

Ondo State Government has planned a one day summit with stakeholders on the best ways to implement the anti-open grazing law.

The summit is also expected to enlighten herders on the law.

The Federal Government has finalised arrangements with the Ogun State Government to begin palliative works on the critical sections of the Sango/Ota-Idiroko and Lagos-Abeokuta  roads.

The Federal Controller of Works, Ogun State, Mr. Umar Bakare, made this known yesterday in Abeokuta, while addressing reporters after inspection of the critical sections of the two highways.

Bakare told reporters that the 64km Sango-Ota-Idiroko road had been put under consideration for reconstruction by the Federal Government under the FG’s Credit Scheme, similar to the just-awarded Sagamu-Papalanto-Obele road.

He said that there had been effective collaborative efforts between the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Ogun Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to carry out the palliative works on identified bad portions of the two roads.

The controller said the project would incorporate drainage to ensure that flood did not destroy the road again.

Bakare said the pavements of the critical sections under the Sango Flyover bridge and the Itori-Lafarge-Papalanto axis would be reconstructed.

He said that stronger and rigid pavement would be put in place due to the peculiarity of the two sections of the road.

The project, according to him, had become necessary to alleviate the plight of commuters and motorists on the roads.

Bakare, however, appealed to the Ogun government to regulate the activities of traders along the roads, noting that “traders contribute to the traffic situation on the roads”.

The controller also urged the state government to direct all articulated vehicles to go on the Sango Flyover bridge to further decongest the road.

“The flyover has the capacity to withstand the weight of large trucks and trailers,” he added.

Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ade Akinsanya, said the palliative works would begin soon.

He said that the state government was committed to making life better for the residents.

•Residents on the alert

Lagos State Government yesterday alerted residents, especially those in areas contiguous to the Ogun River, to the continuous steady release of water from the Oyan Dam.

It urged everyone to be on standby.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, he said government officials have been monitoring the release, which was earlier announced through an advisory.

He listed areas where the release of water was being felt as Isheri North, Kara, Itowolo, Ajegunle, Majidun and Ogolonto.

Bello said it is the intensity of the rainfall recorded in Lagos and connecting rivers that determines the level to be released by the Oyan Dam authorities.

He added that in the last one week, the volume of water released has ranged from 15,000 milliliters through to 21,000 and reducing to 17,000 milliliters on Monday.

The commissioner said as more water is released from Oyan Dam, peaking in October; residents in low-lying areas should be on standby to move to higher grounds.

He said residents who live in the downstream of Isheri Olofin up to part of Agboyi will experience flooding as earlier alerted.

Bello stressed that similarly, Onikoyi/Agelete community at Iba new town in Iba Local Council Development Area are also experiencing flood due to their closeness to Yewa River.