The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Land grabbers take over public schools’ land in Ibadan

    Land grabbers take over public schools’ land in Ibadan

    Many public schools in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have lost part of their premises to land grabbers who have erected private properties, including factories, on what used to be school farmlands and football pitches. BISI OLADELE and OSEHEYE OKWUOFU report that many of the school have shrunk in size. Besides, the cries of the authorities and old students to halt the invasion and reverse the trend seem to have gone

    Eyinni High School, Methodist High School, Christ High School, Abbey Technical School and Liberty Commercial Secondary Academy are popular public secondary schools in the Orita Challenge area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Apart from their locations in the same axis of the ancient city, the schools which boast of rivalries in both academic and sporting fields spanning over five decades, share many things in common, including the sheer size of their premises, dating back to the 1960s when they were established by either the Church or private businessmen.

    Each located on large expanse of land measuring several hectres, their very large premises, housing many blocks of classrooms, hostels and sporting arenas, which were major attractions to parents and students in the past as they offered opportunities for both physical and academic development are gradually giving way to private properties leaving the schools a mere shadow of their glorious past.

    The private properties have sprang up on the schools’ premises in the last two decades or so due to the activities of land grabbers who in the absence of any serious challenge from government have encroached on the schools’ land and sold them off to private developers.

    This development is causing sleepless night for the authorities at the Oyo State Ministry of Education who are sweating to address the threat posed by these land grabbers to premises of public schools, not only in Ibadan but in other major towns in the state.

    Equally concerned are members of the old students association of these schools who have risen to the challenge posed to their amalmata by these land grabbers who are daily feasting on the unused portions of land of the schools as properties add value yearly.

    But they seem helpless because law enforcement by the government seems weak. And they are not being helped by the bureaucratic bottleneck that slows down decision-making within the government.  Besides, principals of public schools are unable to handle land grabbers given their position as mere civil servants who are not expected to be directly involved in some matters outside their official duties.

    Encouraged by these complexities, land grabbers, particularly children of the families who originally owned the land on which the schools were built, are prowling on large portions of unused school land without let or hindrance. This has gone unchallenged for several years.

    The result is that many of such schools have shrank in size over the years, and are now surrounded by residential buildings standing tall, sometimes forming a ring around the schools.  Such buildings also include factories, poultry farms and cottage industries. Some of the schools have been forced to adopt the option of erecting a fence to protect the remaining small portion as well as their students.

    However, the serene school environment originally created when they were established has been lost as residences form a ring-like structure around them.

    For some, the land grabbers have taken over their farmlands where students were taught practical farming, while some are unable to further expand through addition of more buildings because there are no more spaces for such. Yet, some are unable to offer sporting activities needed for the physical and psychological growth of children and adolescents having lost part of their sporting fields to land grabbers.

    At Eyinni High School, after over five acres of its land had been grabbed in the last 30 years, graders were rolled into the school compound a fortnight ago, clearing another large portion of land beside its football field.  When accosted, the suspected grabbers stood their ground, explaining to their challengers that the land belonged to their family.

    “How can this land in a school compound belong to an individual?” The challengers asked. The man, simply identified as Mr Olofe, replied that the portion of land was not part of the piece sold to Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, who established the school in 1966. The school was taken over by Oyo State Government in 1976.

    The graders worked there for days, clearing and leveling the land in preparation for sale to interested buyers. Local sources said the grabbers have approached them for purchase of the land if they were interested.

    According to old students, the foundation of the school was laid in 1968 with a total land mass of 14.79 acres. But today, Eyinni High School’s compound has been reduced to only about five acres, with residential houses and a factory surrounding it. The old students disclosed that the houses within about 500-metre radius to the north and eastern areas of the school stand on the school’s land. The buildings include a poultry farm, which they said was among the first to encroach on the land.

    One of the old students said: “Most of the houses between the old Toll Gate on the Ibadan end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the school compound belong to the school.”

    Asked if any family has ever come forward to claim the land since inception of the school, he said: “No family has come up to claim any portion of the land till date. So, no portion has been ceded to anyone or any family by reason of court judgments. Nobody has also applied to use any part of the land officially. The land grabbers just jumped on the land and erected buildings of their choice without the school’s approval.”

    But the source recalled that old students once challenged the owner of the poultry farm when he wanted to expand further, forcing him to stop the illegal action.

    According to him, the old students association wrote a petition to the Ministry of Education in 2013 officially bringing the encroachment to government’s notice but that the letter attracted no response. He said government only visited the school after an open letter by the association was published in a national daily. Even after the commissioner’s visit, no action had since been taken.

    As at now, no fewer than 20 buildings stand on the school land.

    The association is demanding a reclaim of all the plots taken over by grabbers and stoppage of further encroachment. Its National Secretary, Pastor Bayo Olugbemi, also confirmed the claims in a telephone interaction with The Nation.

    The situation is worse at Liberty Secondary Commercial Academy, Kolomi area of the city. The school, which was established in 1961, initially sat on a 10-acre land but which has diminished by about 40 per cent. Its former hostel, which was converted to Community Primary School, also recently has a large portion of its land taken over by a businessman who is currently fencing it for construction of a hotel, a source said.

    At Christ High School, Oleyo, about half of the original land has fallen into the hands of a family through a court judgment. The development forced the school to confine itself to the remaining portion though it affected their farmland for practical Agriculture. The school was established in 1966.

    Abbey Technical School also at Kolomi, was also established in 1961. A reliable source disclosed that the school started on a land spreading over 16 hectres. But today, residential buildings have virtually taken over about 70 per cent of the land, confining the school to a small portion.

    At the Methodist High School, at the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the case of encroachment is not different. A large expanse of the school’s farmland totaling over eight acres has been encroached. A close neighbour, owners of a privately owned tertiary institution, was accused of taking over the school farmland since 2004. According to a source close to the school, the principal had written several letters to the state Ministry of Education for a redress and eventual return of the land.

    “It was a big problem we have been having here. We realized that we have been facing some very powerful individuals in the society. The very day we confronted them, I mean the day they were about erecting fence over the land in question, the officials of the school went with them, but we were shocked to hear from one of the high officials of the university that none of us could stop them from erecting the fence. As am talking to you, the school has no land to be called farmland for practical agriculture”, the source said.

    However, investigation by The Nation revealed that after several efforts by the school authorities to salvage the land failed, the initial owners of the school, the Methodist Church of Nigeria have waded into the matter.

    “The church has done all the necessary talking with the authorities of the university to persuade them to reason on the evidences tendered by the church on the true ownership of the land but it seems that they are not yielding,” the source added.

    Also, the Old Boys Association of the school was said to have intervened in the tussle with a view to retrieving their parcel of land where many of them had their agric practical decades ago The National President of the association. Dr Joseph Fadeyemi Akinrinmade, admitted that at a point, the association took up the fight over the encroached land but later had to withdraw when the Methodist Church of Nigeria stepped in.

    The Church, it was gathered later took the institution to court over the alleged encroachment, praying for an order for the university to vacate the land.

    “The case is already in court and I have withdrawn as the representative of the Old Boys. So, the case is now between the Methodist Church of Nigeria and the university. So, I can no longer comment on it because the case is already in court, “Dr Akinrinmade said.

    When contacted, the Oyo State Government admitted that it got reports from many schools in the state whose land was encroached. It was learnt that virtually all the schools in state is battling with the problem of encroachment.

    The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Solomon Olaniyonu, said necessary action was being taken to redress the challenge as the ministry is abreast of the situation.

    Speaking with The Nation Olaniyonu said on the Eyinni High School , the authorities of the school have been charged to remain alert pending the erecting of pillars by the Surveyor General’s Office and subsequent construction of a fence by the government to put a permanent boundary on the school’s land.

    “This is the second time they would be there. Avian Poultry was there last year. Another set of people are there again. So our Ministry of Lands, Surveyor General Office and the Urban and Regional Development Unit are already coming there to fix our pillars so that we will be able to ward off intruders.

    “So, we have written those concerned. They are the ones who will help us fix the pillars so that we can now look for assistance in erecting a fence around whichever one is our own portion of land of the school there”.

     

    unheeded.

  • Harvest of fire in Lagos

    Harvest of fire in Lagos

    For about two months in Lagos, there have been incidents of fire—an average of 10 per day.   Lives have been lost and properties that represented so many years of toiling and suffering have been consumed by the infernos. SEUN AKIOYE returns to some of the scenes and documents the harsh realities the victims face.

    ABOUT 8:am, every morning,  Mrs. Kemi Olorunwa would resume at the site of what was formerly her thriving shoe and bag store at the Global Plaza, Gbajumo Street, Balogun on Lagos Island.  This is not strange as she has been working at the same site every day for several years. This time, however,  her schedule has tragically changed.

    On arrival, she found a spot in front of Global Plaza and sat with several other traders who had gathered at the site. The traders are united in their sorrow.and anguish. The subject of discussion centered mainly on how to resuscitate their business.

    Intermittently, smoke erupts from the third floor of Global Plaza, sending the women momentarily in search of safer spots to sit.  From the third floor, one could still hear the cringing of metals. Besides, there is the odour of fresh burning. Many times during the day, the traders remarked that the fire may still cause the building to collapse.

    On Monday January 12th, 2015, Olorunwa was part of the crowd that watched helplessly as a raging midnight inferno consumed Global, OKK, Rich and Plaza 16 buildings. Despite the early arrival of the Lagos State Fire Servicemen and several other fire fighting trucks from construction giant, Julius Berger, the fire razed  the buildings along with hundreds of millions of naira worth of goods.

    Since then, life seems to have stopped for many of the traders. The women who had gathered in front of Global Plaza went through different emotions, ranging from laughter to sorrow; sometimes they spoke excitedly— of hope for the future, of starting afresh and of unpaid bills. But most of the time they were quiet, each one of them lost in her own thoughts.

    “This is how we keep ourselves alive, we come here every day as we used to do before our shops got burnt and close at 6: pm. If we don’t do that and find comfort in the company of each other, some of us would have died,” Olorunwa said.

     An ill wind

    Many Lagos residents agreed that the harmattan that descended on Nigeria from December 2014 to January 2015 was an ill wind that brought with it disaster of monumental proportion.   In Lagos, fire outbreaks assisted by the harmattan left in its wake hundreds of houses burnt down, businesses destroyed and hopes vanished. Because of the extremely dry and hazy weather, fire incidents which ordinarily would have been easily put out became monumental, destroying houses and businesses. The incessant fire outbreaks also stretched to the limit the resources and personel of the Lagos State Fire Service.

    Rasak Fadipe has been at his job for over two decades as a fireman. It was a job his mother didn’t approve of but years after he “disobeyed” her to join the “Panapana”, he has risen to the top as Director Lagos State Fire Service. But Fadipe was the first to admit that the fire occurrences in Lagos have stretched the capacity of his men.

    When The Nation met him on January 15th, he has had just a few hours of sleep in three days. His men too have been stretched as they battle one fire incident after the other. Fadipe admitted that the large number of fire incidents was helped by the harmattan.

    The number of fire incidents recorded daily in Lagos have broken the records of recorded fire incidents so far. According to Fadipe, there is between 10 to 15 fire emergencies recorded daily while the highest number recorded in a day between December and January stood at 18.

    “My men are hardworking guys who give their best to fight the fire emergencies in Lagos state, but it’s taking a toll on them. Many times, I had to cheer them up, for instance when we were responding to the Balogun fire, we responded to another 15 emergencies,” he said.

    “We are living like animals”

    Orinarilly, nobody would envy the living conditions of the inhabitants of Oko Baba sawmill extension, in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).  Apart from living in plank houses erected on stilts which kept them away from the filthy ground by the Lagos lagoon, the residents are some of the poorest in Lagos state.

    On the night of January 11, 2015, the fate of about 5,000 inhabitants was to be determined, not by the government, but by a fire which no one was sure of its origin.  According to many of the residents, the fire began around 9:pm on the northern fringes of the settlement and in a twinkle of an eye, over 500  plank houses had been burnt  to the ground.

    Four days after the fire, the people of Oko Baba began to rebuild their shattered lives and homes. The land on which they were reconstructing their houses was a reclaimed part of the Lagoon, owned by Saw Mill owners who sublet it to tenants for at least N7,000 per annum.

    Suleiman Babatunde, an Islamic cleric who has lived at the settlement for many years had just finished the roofing of his plank house. The spot on which the house was being built used to be his Koranic school which also doubled as his office. In the days of his prosperity, he had about 20 students in his school, the  patronage was good. By the side, he had a deep freezer which his wife used for business, a big generator and many other electronics appliances.

    After the fire, all that was left for Suleiman were his wife and two children.” What can we do, in everything we should give thanks to God at least we are alive,” he said and opened his palms towards heaven.

    Suleiman had borrowed N60, 000 to rebuild his burnt office where he hoped his family would move into while he looked for money to rebuild the main house.  The inner of the hut had been padded with used cardboards and cartons which would give the house warmth and also protect it against the rough edges of the plank.

    Inside the house, his two children played endlessly; soon one of them went out and returned with about N50 worth of cooked rice wrapped in a small plastic bag. The two children sat down on the bare floor and devoured the meal. It would be their first meal of the day; time was 2:30pm.

    “I do not have any money left, I honestly do not,” Suleiman said. The tale of poverty rang hollow in Oko Baba. After the fire, some of the victims could not get back on their feet. Many of them are petty traders whose tool of trade also got burnt in the inferno, starting afresh was almost  impossible.

     

    The victims of Oko Baba fire appeared to be at their wits end, but their problems were compounded four days after the fire when a chief from the Oloto of Otto Ilogbo called Buhari Oloto visited the community in company of about 10 policemen. The chief ordered the victims to immediately stop the construction of the houses and ordered everyone out of the settlement.

    “Buhari Oloto came today. He said the land belongs to the Oloto of Otto and we are to move out. He said we should not rebuild this place and he has arrested all our carpenters. We borrowed money to buy the planks so that our children can find somewhere to stay away from the weather,” Suleiman told The Nation.

    Samson Babatunde was angry at the interruption to the rebuilding of Oko Baba. He has just paid N45,000 for some planks and roofing sheets and work has been forced to a halt. That day, many of the victims stood in groups to discuss the development, there were unconfirmed reports that those arrested have been taken to Area C police command and thrown in jail.  “What are we going to do now?, I have told my wives that as soon as we have some money, we will return to Ilorin where we came from, whatever we find there we will do,” Suleiman said.

    But those who suffer the most are the over 500 children of the community, because most families have nothing to fall back on, they sleep either on the bare ground or at the saw mill, very close to the water front which also used to be the refuse dump. Those who are able to find a space at the latter are the fortunate, a small cramp place, families find a space under the shed or in between the saw milling machines.

    This “prime” spot came at a cost. In the afternoon, flies are the adversaries and in the night, the breeze from the lagoon and mosquitoes. As a consequence of this unwholesome living, many of the children fell sick.  Those who had relatives outside the community sent their children away while those who don’t continued to live in horror and fear. One of them is Saidat Olayiwola.

    Saidat and her two children sleep every night under the tiny shed at one of the saw mills with about seven other families. There is no privacy here and the adults performed their toilets  before dawn. “This is where we sleep, not just us here but in all the saw mills. Those who cannot find a space here sleep on the bare ground. We are suffering here and living like animals, all of us are sick, our children are sick, the government should help us,” she cried.

    Mrs. Kuburat Yusuf and her husband found a space in between the machines where they sleep every night.  She said she had just come out of a sickness and had spent all her money on medication. “This is my two bedroom apartment,” she said jocularly showing The Nation her bed. “Can you imagine it is human beings living like this? They said living in the plank houses was bad, if we had money won’t we have rented a better house?”

    Among those who sleep under the shed at night is two –month-old Balikis. Her mother who declined to give her name said she had been having a tough time with the baby especially in the night. But in their misery and impoverishment, they found a communal spirit tending to each other’s needs and children. Saidat’s three-year-old daughter returned from school crying and the women swooped on her. One removed her uniform, while others tried to soothe her. Soon she found a space on one of the beds flung on the floor while her mother helped her out with her homework with flies buzz over her head mercilessly.

    In another part of the settlement, Prince Ogunlana Tajudeen had just finished building a shed where his workshop used to be, unable to afford the charges of the artisans; he did the heavy works himself.  “We are helpless, the harmattan helped the fire and burnt everything like paper,” he said.

    But Tajudeen is still grateful, even though his loss is estimated at N5 million (including  the cost of his heavy equipments), many others lost several millions.  “Many others lost so much, I have to thank God, I still have my family,” he said.

    Tajudeen’s wife has also resumed her trading under the shed built by her husband, it was not like it used to be but it was a place to start. “I built this so that my wife can start her business and when my children come from school they can find somewhere to stay,” he said.

    But the victims have also learnt a lesson. According to the Secretary of Oko Baba Ward D, Seun Awodiya, the community has learnt bitter lessons from the fire: “We saw that the houses were interwoven, now we have demarcated them, we now have roads and spaces so next time we have another fire it will be limited,” he said.

    “My brother, I am completely naked”

    But there are others who do not have a “next time”.  On the same day fire raged in Oko Baba, another tragedy was unfolding at Raimi Ajibowo Street Igando.  The residents of house numbers 40 to 45 have gone to church when they received the sad news. Their houses, which perched at the edge of the Igando dumpsite, had caught fire. By the time the owners returned, nothing remained of their homes.

    The victims blamed the tragedy on the activities inside the ‘bowler’ where the Lagos State Waste Management Board (LAWMA) had dumped thousands of used vehicle tyres.  Some scavengers were said to have been in the habit of putting fire to the tyres so as to make use of the inner ring of copper which they claim is valuable. The residents of Ajibowo Street claimed they had complained to Lawma officials to desist from dumping the tyres without success, until the fire incident.

    A resident gave an eye witness account: “The fire that caused this started from the dumpsite, but because of the harmattan season which helped the fire travel faster, it entered the bowler and as soon as the tyres caught fire it burned endlessly until these houses were consumed.”

    The bowler where the tyres were dumped is a large gulf measuring almost 200 meters wide and over 500 feet deep.  It sits parallel to Ajibowo Street which divided it from Igando General Hospital. The victims claimed they had built their houses before the bowler was dug by the operators of the dumpsite to accommodate more wastes. They said their complaints about an impending tragedy had gone unheeded.

    But what surprised many people was that immediately the fire started, some Hausa scavengers entered the bowler and began to pack the burnt tyres. Five days after when The Nation visited, activities inside the gulf were still intense. Salimonu Dauda, the owner of the three bedroom flat on number 45, had been fighting the scavengers, The Nation found him in the midst of the deadly bowler in a fierce struggle with the determined scavengers.

    “I suffered to build this house, I am a bricklayer, see my hands. Where will I start from, we do not have money but we live in our house, now my brother I am completely naked, please help me,” he said. Dauda took The Nation to his house and opened the iron door. Nothing remained of the home which housed the family of six, Dauda said, they did not take anything out.

    “I was working when the fire started and they called me, we lost everything, there is no hope. Even this clothe I am wearing was given to me. My eldest children are sleeping around while they younger ones are in a church. My wife has almost killed herself over this, she is with some neighbours.”

    The Nation met Dauda’s wife Tawa in the house where she was being kept a few meters from her now destroyed home.  She was about 40 years old and it was obvious she had not had a shower in some days. She wore a blue blouse and a dirty purple oversized coat. She was crying and throwing herself on the floor, a woman apparently tired of consoling her sat beside her and watched.

    “Everything I worked for in my youth has been destroyed. I said it and shouted that these people will burn my house, now they have done it. My life is destroyed.”  As she spoke, she would throw herself off the bench and unto the ground; her husband carried her up and reprimanded her. She stopped for a while and then began a much louder lamentation.

    “This is what I am saying, she had threatened to kill herself, the church where she was sleeping had sent her packing, her shop was destroyed in the fire, I don’t know what to do again,” Dauda said and sat on the bench with his hands covering his face.

    Elizabeth Akinduro had cause to be thankful even though her house was burnt down. “I was in the church and my 75-year-old  mother was alone in the house when the fire started, people helped me to drag her out, she could have been killed in the fire.”

    That was the only thing that came out of the house, everything else was lost. Now, the children are scattered around sleeping wherever they could find. Akinduro’s children haven’t been to school since the incident. She had no hope of rebuilding the house. “There is no way I can rebuild this house, this was my last hope. I have only the clothe I am wearing, where will I start from,” she said.

    Four houses were gutted on Ajibowo Street before the rage of the fire was halted by the Fire Service; some of the lucky residents thanked their stars. But a dangerous dimension has been added, a rumour was flying around that the government would  take over the properties. Dauda called this reporter aside and said: “Please help us beg the government not to send us away, if we leave this place we have nowhere to go and we cannot return to our villages. “

    His wife is still inconsolable and she seemed to have decided on suicide. “This morning, she told me to please help her look after her children, I don’t know what that means,” a neighbour said.

    Meanwhile on Gbajumo Street Balogun market, the traders waited for the fire to finally die out.  Kafila Giwa, who lost her store in Rich Plaza, said they come to the market everyday thinking there would be solution but they found none. She said the traders are eager to start their businesses again.

    “We cannot talk about how much we lost, we want to start again, if the government wants to demolish these buildings let them do it and let us start our work again. Our children are suffering, many of us here are the breadwinners of our families,” Alake Ayinla said.

    While waiting for government’s decision on the buildings, the traders amuse themselves whichever way they can. They live in constant anticipation of government’s intervention; the sight of a stranger brings renewed hope. “Is it you the government sent to help us?  Do you have any money for us, can you buy food for us?” they asked the reporter.

    But despite the façade they put on they are struggling to come to terms with their losses. “I come here so that I will not commit suicide,” Olakunle Idris said. Since the incident, he claimed to have been able to sleep only with the use of medications.  Yussuf Adesina said he has been fighting depression. “I have been depressed that is why I come here every day to find comfort with my fellow traders, I don’t know how long I can hold out again,” he said.

    Meanwhile at 6:pm, the traders whose stores were spared began to pack up for the day. Idris waited until it was dark and he joined the other traders to “close” for the day. He walked slowly to the bus stop to join a bus that will take him home. “If anybody ask me where I was coming from, I would say from work,” he said with a smile.

  • Peace returns to Ipetumodu, Ashipa as warring communities sheath sword

    Peace returns to Ipetumodu, Ashipa as warring communities sheath sword

    After nearly two weeks of hostilities, which left many people injured, the warring communities of Ipetumodi and Ashipa in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun  State have finally embraced peace, following the intervention of the state government. ADESOJI ADENIYI reports.

    Peace has finally returned to the two warring communities of Ipetumodu and Ashipa in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State. The two communities have been at each other’s throats for sometimes now, following a dispute over their boundary. Though there is relative peace after the intervention of the Osun State Government, the residents are yet to recover from the losses they recorded during the clash that started penultimate Wednesday. Shops were still under lock and key and farmers not on their farms. It was gathered that some of those, who fled the sleepy town in the wake of the bloody clash are yet to return home.

    More than 20 people reportedly had various degrees of injuries with some of them suffering severe machete cuts. The warring communities were fighting following the location of a new market in Ipetumodu which the people of Ashipa were allegedly dissatisfied with because they said it was constructed on their land.

    During the fracas, an indigene of Ipetumodu was allegedly shot while one of the hostels built in between the two communities by the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu, Oba James Adegoke Adedokun for students of a tertiary institution in the area was allegedly burnt by some angry people from Ashipa.

    Apart from the hostel, many houses were also burnt in the two communities while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. It took the timely deployment of security agents drawn from the Mobile Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to prevent a further degeneration of the situation.

    When The Nation visited the two communities over the weekend, there were still relics of the bloody dispute. In Ipetumodu, an armoured personnel carrier (APC) was stationed in front of the Apetumodu Palace and there was still a heavy presence of mobile policemen to curb any disorder. Burnt shops and houses were in sight, while markets and some residential houses were under lock and keys. Broken bottles used freely during the fracas by the warring parties were still scattered by the road side.

    Ashipa town was deserted except for very few people who gathered in groups to review events of the past week and a half.ý

    Some residents of the two communities who spoke with The Nation were still bitter about what happened even as they traded accusations over who was at fault. For example, a leader in Ashipa town, ýOmotoso Oyewole , and the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Barr. Afolabi Adedeji, expressed regrets over the development but on behalf of their communities blamed the other party.

    Perhaps, the most painful part of the crisis was the burning of the student’s hostel by irate youths, as they knew nothing about the crisi over the disputed boundary.

    A student, ýAdeyemo Adetoro, who was a victim, lamented the loss of their personal belongings to the ugly incident. According to him “we all had to run for our dear lives, leaving all we had in the hostel. We only came back to see that the hostel had been burnt.” ý

    Mobile policemen are still positioned at every strategic point and everywhere was silent with no sight of residents around the communities, especially in Ashipa.

    Ipetumodu and Ashipa which are about 40 minutes drive from Osogbo, the state capitalý,ý ýbefore the clash had been in peaceful co-existence, intermarrying and engaging in commercial activities despite the existence of the age-long boundary problem.

    Though the police have arrested no fewer than 14 suspects from both sides of the clash, the state government seemed more concerned about settling the land dispute amicably between the two communities.

    Last week, the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola summoned the leaders of the two warring communities to a meeting, where after a long discussion with them, he made them to embrace one another to demonstrate they have agreed to sheath their swords. ýAt the meeting, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba James Adegoke and the representative of the Alashipa of Ashipa, Ojediran Olaleke, other chiefs and leaders of the township associations of both communities made a pledge for a commitment to peace. ý

    Aregbesola charged the two warring communities to ensure promotion of communal peace and progress which is one of the cardinal programmes of his administration or face government sanction.

    The governor also urged the monarchs and leaders of the two communities to warn the youth in their areas not to further engage in acts that could further jeopardise the peace of the communities and the state at large. ýHe told them to always uphold the ethos of ‘Omoluabi’ which the state is known for, saying that development can only thrive in an atmosphere where there is peace and unity.

    However, Aregbesola called on security agencies to comb the nooks and crannies of the communities to recover arms that were not licenced in a house-to-house search to forestall further use of weapons in future. He also pointed out that a committee will be set up look into the remote cause(s) of the crisis and proffer solution to the problems identified by the leaders of the two communities.

    He held that the two communities got it wrong by resorting to violence instead of dialogue, adding that it was regrettable that they were fighting when the state is going through massive development of infrastructure. ýThe governor disclosed that it will be a bad signal for investors who are thronging Osun on a daily basis to be faced with the issue of communal clashes, warning that the state government will not hesitate to come down heavily on erring communities. ý

    According to him, “It is so sad that this is happening at a point that investors are coming in into the state on a daily basis and your communities have decided to solve your differences through fight which we have all seen here as unnecessary. ýWith the on-going clash in your domains commercial activities have been brought to a halt and property destroyed, student who have nothing in your dispute are made to bear the brunt by the burning of their hostel. Why should students be given the opportunity to have a bad impression about your communities? ýI am not happy that this is happening in our land, it doesn’t send a good signal, shooting of gun doesn’t do us any good; we should find a lasting solution to these happenings. ýThings like a market day should not cause problem. ýI want to use this opportunity to beg the two communities to allow peace to reign from now on, we should maintain status quo till the committee we are going to set up comes out with its recommendations. ýHenceforth, any of the two communities found wanting will be seriously dealt with, because we will not allow anything short of peace and security in the state.” Aregbesola said

  • Oyo speaker sponsors JSS pupil on a year free soccer training

    The electorate have been urged to carefully consider the antecedents of the politicians seeking for their mandates as this year’s general elections draw nearer.

    The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, who is also the All Progressives Congress flag bearer  for Oyo Central Senatorial seat, MrsMonsurat Sunmonu, made the plea in Oyo town.

    She spoke at the presentation of a soccer academy sponsorship form to Master Usman Adelodun, the best player of the 2014 Speaker’s Cup competition.

    Adelodun is to receive a year free training in soccer from a foreign-based football institute, Frena, which has a branch in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Mrs Sunmonu explained that her antecedent as Speaker makes her the best for the seat.

    The Speaker said she had always been fulfilling her electioneering campaign promises and would not rest until the best is achieved for  her constituency.

    Mrs Sunmonu explained that she had earlier promised a handsome reward for whoever emerged as the best player in the competition, hence the reason while she was bearing all the sponsorship expenses of the winner, who is a junior secondary school pupil.

    She urged the senatorial district to give her its mandate on February 14 with a pledge not to betray their trust.

    In their separate remarks, Usman’s parents thanked Mrs Sunmonu for the “kind” gesture. Usman prayed for the success of the Speaker.

    Other speakers at the event eulogised Mrs Sunmonu whom they described as tested, trusted and reliable.

    They pledged their willingness to work for her success and the success of APC in the elections.

  • Ibadan council boss renders account of stewardship

    The appointment of Mr Ladi Oluokun in May 2014, as the Caretaker Chairman of Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State by Governor Abiola Ajimobi was indeed a blessing to the people of the area, as he has turned the council around within a very short time in office.

    Rendering account of his stewardship to journalists recently, Oluokun said he was not deterred by the herculean task before him, adding that he confronted the challenges headlong, with the financial and moral support he received from the governor.

    He listed some of his achievements over the last six months as:” construction of drains, earthwork asphaltic paving of Idera street Yidi/Agugu, Akerele layout, Idi-Orogbo/Omo wunmi, and Ayo Craig road. Construction of pedestrian bridge at Labiran area of phase 1 and 2, sinking of solar system borehole at Labiran area. Construction of a double cell box culvert at Ajegede and Onipasan areas”

    The council boss also stated that he has impacted positively on the lives of the people of the council through people-oriented empowerment programs.

    He said his administration will continue to carry out a robust and all involving empowerment programme for the people of the council.

    While admitting that he might not be able to do everything, the council boss called on all the people in the council area to vote for Governor Ajimobi for a second term in order to ensure continuity in governance. He promised that he would build on what he has done and provide more dividends of democracy for the people in each of the wards that make up the council.

    Commenting on why Ajimobi deserves a second term, Oluokun said:”The governor is a performer. I am not new in politics. I have been around since the Second Republic. I know the meaning of good governance and performance. I’ve compared notes and I’m now satisfied that Ajimobi has performed and I believe that, judging by his performance, Ajimobi is a successful governor. In Oyo State, if they know that somebody is playing tricks on them, by siphoning their funds, they will vote them out. That is why there is no serious candidate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party and the Labour Party”

    According to him, the people of Oyo State appreciate him (Ajimobi), even those in the Diaspora, when they come to Ibadan, Iseyin, Ogbomoso, they saw that things are improving and they are eager to come home now to set up businesses.

    He went further that:”quite a number of industries and companies are springing up as a result of the conducive environment that Ajimobi has provided. More than 10 industries have been established and nobody will come and invest where he will not make profit. That has led to massive employment for the people and all those that are engaged in thuggery have shunned the unruly behaviour because they are engaged. So, there is peace, there is work, there is clean environment, there is infrastructural development and mass transit now operates. So, I don’t see why Ajimobi will not continue as the governor of Oyo State after the election”

  • Women group gives succor to widows

    Women group gives succor to widows

    When Mrs. Oluwayemisi Sogbesan lost her husband to death in 2009, her whole world crumbled. She was left with no help for her and her three children. Until her banker husband surrendered to diabetes, she was an international business woman, who frequented Dubai to buy goods.

    For many years, Mrs. Sogbesan battled to make ends meet with the little money she had left. She started selling cement and any other thing she could in order to keep her children in school and take care in small quantities of them.

    But last year, she had a life-changing encounter with the International Women Society (IWS), after she was introduced to the group by a Deaconess in her church, one Mrs. Omotoso.

    As Sogbesan narrated how her cement business has in one year sprung from 50 bags to between 150 to 200 bags per purchase, the about 100 widows who were in the hall waiting to be empowered through the Widows Trust Fund (WTF) of the IWS, marveled.

    Full of thanks to her benefactors, Sogbesan explained that the sudden growth in her business was made possible because of the grace of God and the N50, 000 seed money she received from the association.

    “I thought my life has ended when I lost my husband. From 2009, life has not been easy. Mummy Omotoso really tried to encourage me not to give up. I did not even know what to do anymore but because I know I have three children that I must take care of, I started petty trading.

    “From the small money I had, I bought cement, clothes, anything I could quickly sell to make profit and take care of my home. I did not buy clothes or bother about them because I know that time for it will come again.

    “So, when last year Mummy Omotoso introduced me to this group and they gave me N50, 000, I quickly invested it in my cement business. Today, I am here to testify that the business has grown and I can now buy up to 200 bags at a time from 50 bags,” said Sogbesan who admonished other benefactors to invest whatever money they got.

    She said: “The association has really touched my life. I was almost losing hope but thanks to the mummy that introduced me to the association. My business is growing. I advice other widows not to use the money they will be given here to buy clothes or shoes or bags. Those are worldly things that will fade away. They should use the money to trade. Put it in business and grow it. No matter what, profit will come out of the money which they will use for house-keeping.

    Like Sogbesan, Nnenna Jacobs who said she used to beg with her children after her husband passed on told the gathering how she now conveniently pays her children’s school fees and their house rent, thanks to the seed money she got from the organization.

    The two women were called upon by the IWS at the group’s end of year and widow’s empowerment gathering held last week in Lekki to give their testimonies.

    Aside the cash awards that were given to about 100 widows, items such as sewing machines, freezers, generators, coolers, fabrics as well as food stuffs were distributed to the widows to put smiles on their faces.

    They were also treated to special delicacies, with the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, going round the tables to hug and salute the widows.

    Speaking during the event, Chairperson, Widow’s Trust Fund, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore said it started about 18 years ago with small sum of money, sharing the accrued interest every year with certain number of widows to empower them to start or continue their businesses which she said

    was necessary for the upkeep of their family.

    She said: “The IWS is 58 years old but the WTF is about 18 years. We have done this successfully for many years and this year, we thought of others ways we can alleviate their plights besides school fees and feeding.

    “We want them to be happy so that they can give happiness. They are now breadwinners for their families and so, we intend from here on, that they are very happy.

    “We have approximately 100 widows and they will all leave with different items. Some with generators, others freezers, sewing machines, clothes, as well as cash. We also intend to carry out a health drive for them that’s why they were asked to register.

    “They will also go through interview process so that we can link up some of them who are qualified to do distributorship and other businesses that will require guarantors from certain companies.

    “The money we have given them is more than a token. I will call it seed money to grow their businesses. We guide them whenever they ask for our guidance. And we intend to continue holding their hands and walking with them until they have gone through the pain and stabilized. We need them to be stable in order to handle the new roles they have found themselves in.”

    She advised other widows to ensure they are healthy and take care of themselves in order to carry on with the unsolicited position they have found themselves.

  • Cleric decries high level of corruption, impunity

    The Chief Missioner of Ansar-ur-deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abd’rahman Ahmad has  condemned the level of corruption and impunity in government saying “corruption has been elevated to a state-craft” in the country.

    Sheikh Ahmad stated this at a lecture he delivered at the annual ‘Pray for the Nation 2015’ programme organised by Fatima Charity Foundation (FCF) which took place at Muson centre, Onikan, Lagos.  The lecture was titled ‘Committing Nigeria to the hands of God: What are the roles of the leadership and the citizenry’.

    He said Nigeria is in the present quagmire because the leaders no longer have the fear of God neither do they do things according to the laws and precepts of God.

    “God has a plan for Nigeria, a good plan for everything and everybody to be okay and happy, but we are not listening to God or doing His will thereby thwarting that plan.

    “Our leaders are so selfish and self-centred, they do things with impunity, they don’t care about the people, they want to stay in power by all means even when the people say they no longer want them. Even the people no longer have conscience, they have also forsaken God and when God wants to punish people for their sins He gives them bad leaders,” he said.

    According to the cleric, good governance means handing over the country’s affairs to God, “things are not going right, there is no trust among the leaders and the people don’t trust them either, we see them as looters, we don’t trust our government neither do our leaders care for us; 20 years ago we were better than now”, Ahmad said.

    “Good governance”, he said, “is inclusive of fair electoral process, justice, equity and fair play. When you have been chosen to lead don’t be self-centred, don’t do things with impunity because God will desert you. How can a leader say stealing is not corruption or query why somebody should be jailed for stealing small money? What have we become? Nothing is working, we have a full scale war on our hands and yet we pretend as if nothing is happening”, he said.

    Sheikh Ahmad called on every Nigerian to resolve to contribute their quota “then there would be a lot of difference. I am just saying that Nigerians must stop agonising and complaining, we must get organised, we must change our destiny with our own hands”, he said.

    In her welcome address earlier, President of FCF, Chief (Mrs.) Bintu-Fatima Tinubu said, “we want to see Nigeria a developed nation, prosper and become the pride of Africa. We are here because we know that change must come and that change will come because we are the hope of Nigeria and henceforth, we must pursue a desire to get it right”.

    She stressed on the need to contribute to the greatness of the country through prayers. She said, “we are very much aware of the many problems that have plagued the Nigerian nation which includes insecurity, corruption and general fall in the standard of morality. And if Nigeria is to fulfill her God-given mandate, we need to find urgent solutions to these innumerable problems confronting our nation”.

    She said after 100 years as a country and 54 years as an independent nation, little have been achieved despite huge human and natural resources, “Nigerians are now growing impatient with so much hardship in the land of so much wealth. Most Nigerians have remained stuck in squalor and hopelessness; while our value system has continued to crash with vices such as corruption and theft celebrated, true federalism has remained an illusion and development at all levels has continued to elude us.

    “It is paramount to submit ourselves in prayer for God to remove all the ills plaguing the nation. The world of politics needs to be sustained by fervent prayers, supplications to the Almighty God, to overcome various challenges and harmonise different political currents with a view to enabling growth and development in our dear nation”, Tinubu said.

    Decrying the loss of faith by many Nigerians in the ability of the country to govern itself, Tinubu said the citizens have lost faith and confidence in the leadership of the nation, adding that “without confidence in the system and its leaders, the democratic principles of the nation such as civic participation, voting and community involvement are eroded and further jeopardize the country’s future”.

    Assuring that Nigeria has all the ingredients for success, Tinubu called for concerted efforts of all Nigerians and their re-dedication to the culture of tolerance, eschewing violence, peaceful conduct during and after elections, “and to remember that political competition is not war but an avenue for people to peacefully express their choices through globally recognised democratic channels “.

    Different Muslim groups recited the Quoran and offered prayers for the nation, especially prayers for a peaceful and crisis free election this year.

     

  • Commercial driver kills banker

    Commercial driver kills banker

    A-46-year old Sterling Bank employee, Mr Daniel Olugbenga Adebayo, was killed last Tuesday morning by a commercial bus on his way to office at Dalemo Bus Stop, along Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway, Sango Ota, Ogun State.

    The deceased, a father of four was allegedly crushed, according to an eyewitness around 5.30am on that fateful day by a hit and run driver while trying to cross the expressway.

    The eyewitness told The Nation that the commercial bus with registration number FKJ-352 XN, was coming from Sango-Ota rammed to him where he was standing at an effort to overtake a LAGBUS which was picking passengers on the road and in the process, crushed the victim to death.

    He said “When the incident happened, we all rushed to the scene of the accident to rescue him but on getting there, the man has died immediately.

    “Then, we started contacting his relatives through the phone numbers we found on the diary he was holding.

    “We parked his remains out of the highway and guided it with some tyres for incoming vehicles not to matched on him.

    According to his widow, Mrs Rekiat Temitope Adebayo, the driver of the  commercial bus, absconded but later reported himself at the Sango-Ota Police Station, saying that the LAGBUS that caused the accident also ran away while nobody was able to pick the code or registration number.

    The deceased has since been buried in his residence.

    Late Adebayo said she never knew how and her children would cope, noting that her husband is so loving and caring. Adding that, he never joke with his family, that he was a man that goes to extra length to keep his family, ‘oga mo ti gbe oooo’, she said in bad mood.

    His burial attracted huge crowd from the community, as they said his goodness, loving and caring will be a great loss to the community.

    The Iyana Ipaja Branch’s Manager of the Sterling Bank where the deceased served until his death, Mrs Nike Adetula, described his death as shocking.

    She said the deceased is so gentle and punctual on duty.

    Adetula, prayed to God to console his wife, children and family members and grant him eternal rest.

    The Zone II Commander, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Commander Adekunle Ajibade, when contacted described the incident, as unfortunate and great loss to the family and the community at large.

    He consoled with the family and prayed that God gives them the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Ajibade, urged the motorists to always maintain discipline while on the road to guaranteed safety of lives and properties.

     

  • Ibadan stands still as Ajimobi flags off second term campaign

    Ibadan stands still as Ajimobi flags off second term campaign

    The people of Ibadan and environs defied harsh weather conditions and literally poured into Mapo Hall last Saturday in their thousands to be part of Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s second term campaign flag-off for the February 28 gubernatorial election. BISI OLADELE was there.

    It was expected to be another usual political campaign. And Mapo Hall in the heart of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the historic political campaign headquarters in the Southwest, was the venue. But residents of the ancient city and even politicians got more than they expected when crowds of party faithful, supporters and even ordinary folks began pouring into the venue in their hundreds last Saturday and within a short time the gathering reached an unprecedented height as Mapo Hall was filled to capacity a clear three hours ahead of the scheduled time for the commencement of the rally.

    For more than eight hours that the event lasted, the crowd endured traffic snarl, the scorching sun and threatening stampede to listen to, and hail Ajimobi and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across Southwest states who came to drum up support for another term for the Oyo State governor.

    Ajimobi had been criticized continuously by opposition within and outside the party, leaving residents and political watchers to expect only a scanty crowd made up of a handful party supporters and few that would want to witness what some critic had predicted would be his ‘disgrace’ at Mapo. But the governor pulled a great surprise with the surging crowd of people who defied all odds, including a harsh weather to be counted among those showing their love for him.

    Though the programme was slated for 10:00 am, all roads leading to the venue were under heavy traffic from 8:30 am as Ajimobi’s supporters poured in from all directions. By 10:00 am, Mapo Hill, on top of which the historic hall is located, was already playing host to a population that dwarfed the crowd which attended the campaign rally of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s governorship candidate, Sen. Teslim Folarin, barely one week earlier.

    From Oje, Yemetu, Idi-Arere to Agbeni and other routes to the venue, traffic gridlock held down many motorists and commuters as vehicular movements became increased by the minute.

    Without road blockade by security agencies, roads within 3,000 metres radius to Mapo Hall were blocked with traffic, and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Ajimobi had to alight from their vehicles and trekked to the venue, leaving their drivers to sort themselves out.  Ordinary motorists spent pretty long time navigating through the thick traffic.

    By 9:00 am, groups, associations, market women, traders, musicians, professionals, commercial drivers, itinerary drummers and ordinary folks had occupied the hilltop venue waiting to receive their leader. The association of market women and other traders had declared the day work-free as they closed their shops in solidarity with a governor they said “recognizes and transforms” their business.

    The first set of dignitaries to arrive were APC leaders in Oyo State including Dr Busari Adebisi, Hon. Mojeed Olaoya, commissioners, special advisers and other political appointees as well as candidates for the February 14 and 28 elections.  Next were Ajimobi’s wife, Florence; wives of Osun State Governor, Alh. Serifat Aregbesola; her Ogun State counterpart, Mrs Funso Amosun; wife of the immediate past Ekiti State Governor, Mrs Bisi Fayemi and former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu.

    Dressed in the customized Ankara uniform glittering in the yellow and maroon official colours of the state, the appearance of supporters gave a colourful view of the celebrants and the crowd.

    The chorus of: “Continuity in Oyo State,” “Change Jonathan” rent the air each time the Master of Ceremony, Babatunde Olaniyi (Ti o common), shouted APC! For Ti o common, there are only two parties contesting in the February elections in the state: peace and brigandage. He said while Ajimobi represents peace the opposition represents brigandage and cluelessness.

    Party supporters and residents also sometimes giggled and at other times gyrated where they stood in response to the danceable tunes dished out by the Ibadan-based popular fuji musician, Alh. Rashidi Ayinde (Fuji Merenge). He thrilled the audience continuously.

    The presence of popular Yoruba Nollywood actors and actresses led by Saidi Balogun, also added glamour to the rally with some of them addressing the mammoth crowd, urging them to vote for Ajimobi to continue his good works.

    Leaders of the Igbo and Hausa communities residing in the state also made the gathering and officially declared their support for the second term ambition of the governor. By 2:00 pm, the crowd had spread to Beere, Oja’ba, Agbeni and adjourning areas.

    The President of the Association of Market Men and Women in the state, Alh. Adisa Oladapo said members of the association were supporting Ajimobi because of the peace he had enthroned in the state. He added that the governor was working hard for the progress and development of the state without looking back, stressing: ‘One good turn deserves another.’

    According to him, no governor has treated traders well like Ajimobi in the state. He disclosed that his administration constructed modern neighbourhood markets, gave them shops free-of-charge and added N20 million trading capital to traders at Scout Camp Market alone.

    He also lauded Ajimobi’s administration on cleanliness of the environment and the urban renewal project, saying they rid the state of epidemics. “My people and the entire people of Oyo State don’t be ungrateful. Let us all vote for Ajimobi.” He said.

    The physically challenged also spoke of how Ajimobi’s administration accommodated them by employing and empowering them throughout the 33 local government areas in the state. So were representatives of the 20,000 youths employed under the state’s Youth Empowerment Scheme of Oyo State dubbed “YES-O.” They asked the jubilating crowd to imagine the joy which the jobs brought to 20,000 homes, urging voters to return Ajimobi to power on February, 28.

    So were representatives of students, motor dealers, teachers, and popular musician, Abolore Akande (aka (9ce) who also performed at the gathering.

    Wives of Aregbeseola, Fayemi and Ajimobi took time to address the rally. They all emphasized the need to give Ajimobi chance for a second term.

    At exactly 2:25 pm, Ajimobi and the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, rode into Mapo Hall premises in an open-roof blue Ford bus. While Ajimobi appeared on the front opening, Tinubu stood tall behind him in another opening. Their arrival threw the rally into a session of a terrific ecstasy. The crowd hailed the governor and Tinubu uncontrollably. They screamed, jumped and jubilated at their leaders. In return, Ajimobi and Tinubu gyrated with joy on the podium to acknowledge the cheers.

    Following them were National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Eng. Segun Oni; former interimNational Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Osun and Ekiti State governors, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Kayode Fayemi. They all decked the yellow and maroon colour Agbada uniform with matching cap.

    By 2:45, Aregbesola rode into the compound in another blue Ford bus, acknowledging cheers from the crowd from Oje to Mapo.

    His arrival changed the tempo again. The crowd hailed the Osun State governor continuously. Rashidi Ayinde praised him with thrilling songs which kept people dancing for minutes. The governor, in his characteristic manner, responded with quick dance steps to and from across the stage. They hailed his success in the August, last year governorship election.

    Fayemi opened the floor. He told the crowd that he was born and bred in Ibadan, stressing that he has always known how Ibadan looked like. He urged residents to repay Ajimobi’s giant strides with massive votes in next month’s election, saying Oyo State has never had it this good.

    Oni spoke next. He said Yoruba never lagged behind but that the PDP has done everything to put the Yoruba nation at the back burner in spite of the huge support the party received in Yoruba land in 2011. The former Ekiti State governor urged voters to return Ajimobi and vote for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the coming election.

    Oyinlola also took his turn, describing the PDP as a party of deceit. He said God has already wrested power from Jonathan. He emphasized the need for the people of the state to vote for Ajimobi to enable him complete his projects.

    In his own speech, Chief Akande recalled that some people were criticizing them when they were establishing the APC last year. He said they wondered why they were working with the Hausa, Ibo and other ethnic groups, believing that it would be an effort in futility. But today, he said, everybody sees what they were not seeing before. “All Nigerians can now see that it is the best party.” He said.

    He also highlighted Ajimobi’s achievements and urged the people of Oyo State to vote for continuity.

    He said: “Ajimobi has transformed Ibadan and other towns in the state. Some people are angry with this. Abiola is our son. When we were here in Ibadan administering the state, Ajimobi was abroad seeing good things. That is what he is doing here. For those who do not like these developmental projects, go and appeal to them. He will still do more if re-elected.”

    When he took his turn, Aregbesola said the PDP is always seeking power to oppress Nigerians. He said hard work and commitment helped APC survive.

    “It is painful that Ekiti went back into servitude. Fayemi tried and they know that they cheated us. Can you compare Osun State of today with the Osun State of the past? Is the Ibadan of 2010 the same city we are seeing now? So are Ogun and Lagos states.”

    He described this year’s election as a fight for freedom.

    Aregbesola accused the PDP of using proceeds from fraudulent deals on sale of kerosene to fund President Jonathan’s campaign and to enrich their cronies through the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).

    According to him, the Federal Government deliberately sells a liter of kerosene to cronies at N40:90 while they in turn sell to marketers at N95 per litre. The huge difference, the governor said, is one of the sources of PDP’s stupendous wealth.

    He challenged the PDP to sue him to court over the fact. “Let’s chase them out with our votes on February 14 and 28.” He urged the crowd.

    Tinubu, who spoke next, highlighted the reason Nigerians must vote for the APC next month, listing the continuous stealing of 400,000 barrels of oil daily and poor performance as among the major reasons.

    The former Lagos State Governor accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of spreading poverty through its poor performance and corrupt practices, saying the only solution is for Nigerians to reject all its candidates in the coming election and vote for the APC’s instead.

    He urged Oyo State voters to allow their conscience to guide them in determining the best candidates that deserve their votes. According to him, the great feat of the Ajimobi administration, the APC governorship candidate, is unparalleled in the state.

    He listed the rebuilding of Agodi Gardens, dualization of roads, massive infrastructural development and welfare packages for the people as among the reasons Ajimobi deserves their votes.

    The former Lagos State governor accused the Federal Government of diverting 400,000 barrels of oil per day and President Jonathan, who claimed to be in firm control of the country, feigned ignorance of what he called serious economic sabotage.

    “They steal 400,000 barrels of oil every day. Yet, President Goodluck Jonathan said he could not see this and he claims he is still in charge. He is no longer fit to rule this country. Let us send them packing on February 14 by voting for APC at the national level and for Ajimobi on February 28,’’ he said.

    He described Ajimobi as sensible, reliable, focused, visionary and consistent, judging by what he termed the governor’s unprecedented achievements in the last three and a half years.

    “Governor Ajimobi has demonstrated that he has vision, capacity and capability to make people the cornerstone of his administration. This is what Ajimobi represents in Oyo State and he has been consistent with it.

    “Today, when you drive through Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, you see beautiful scenery, clean environment, good road network, new flyover, Asejire Waterworks, Agodi Gardens, new markets, you will be proud of having somebody like him in the saddle. Indeed, Oyo is now a huge construction site,’’ he said.

    Tinubu said it was regrettable that in spite of all entreaties to former Governor Rashidi Ladoja to team up with Ajimobi to develop Oyo State, he (Ladoja) insisted on floating a party that lacked regional or national spread.

    Describing the Accord Party governorship candidate as an ingrate, he said that he had nothing to offer the people of the state, having demonstrated gross incompetence during his tenure as governor.

    On mounting the podium, Ajomobi pooh-poohed criticism of his administration, saying he has outperformed his predecessors, two of who are also in the February 28, 2015 race.

    Ajimobi listed six major projects undertaken by his administration, which he said were unprecedented. He also pointed out that no fewer than eight big companies have opened shops in the state due to the investor-friendly nature of his administration’s policies.

    These include the largest cooking oil factory, largest bread factory, largest Shoprite store, 100,000 production capacity chicks producing factory and Nigeria’s largest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) service providing firm.

    Besides, Ajimobi listed his achievements to include recruitment of 20,000 youths, construction of modern markets for traders with provision of interest-free trading capital, free buses for civil servants and students as well as improved welfare package for workers and restorers.

    Governor Ajimobi said that it was during his administration that citizens now sleep with two eyes closed because of the pervading peace and security which had attracted at least the industrial giants to the state.

    He also added that the construction of the first flyover by any civilian administration at Mokola in Ibadan was undertaken by his administration.

    Ajimobi also noted that his administration was the first to implement and pay the 142 per cent increase pension arrears, coupled with mass employment of teachers.

    If re-elected, he promised to deliver more dividends of democracy, one of which would be the employment 40,000 youths and widening the scope of the ongoing social and infrastructural revolution in the state.

    He challenged his predecessors to show their own score cards.

    By the time Ajimobi wrapped up his speech, at 6:10 pm, the crowd was still on their feet savouring the joy of listening to their leaders.

     

  • Monarch, council chief yearn for community policing

    Monarch, council chief yearn for community policing

    The issue of community policing became the centre of discussion on Monday when the people of Alimosho, the most populated local government in Nigeria gathered for a stakeholders’ forum.

    The 2015 Local Government Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy Stakeholders Forum was meant to discuss among other issues, budget for the year, security, forthcoming general elections, taxes and development of the communities.

    The early arrival of the stakeholders including members of the Community Development Committee (CDC), marketers, traditional rulers, members of the youth council, council officials and party leaders paved way for smooth kick off of the event.

    The arrival of the monarch, Oba of Sasha Oba Nasiru Babatunde Ogunrombi enlivened the atmosphere.

    Amid political songs, banters and shout of party slogans, the newly installed Executive Secretary (ES), Jelili Sulaimon mounted the podium amidst cheers from the gathering.

    .The forum, Sulaimon said, was in fulfillment of the promise by the council administration to carry along stakeholders before critical decisions are taken.

    “This, you will all agree with me is the way forward in making our local government embrace international best practices in governance,” he said.

    While thanking them for their presence, the council boss said the attendance attested to their unwavering commitment to the development of the council.

    “As we all know, local government is the first level of government the citizens come in contact with within their locality; it is the closest to the people at the grassroots and as such it becomes imperative to involve the citizens and residents of the council and other relevant stakeholders in the conceptualisation of the budget and the economic policies as it affects the citizenry,” he said.

    According to him, in the past, economic policies were made the exclusive privilege of the government functionaries, saying when there was disconnection between the people and the policies, programmes and projects of the government which were supposed to serve the people then it becomes a burden.

    Government alone, Sulaimon said, cannot fashion out the needs of the community, hence the necessity for the meeting to receive input from all stakeholders so that at the end of the day “we shall have a budget that meets the yearnings and aspirations of the people.”

    He implored stakeholders and residents within the local government to pay their taxes and levies for the government to have enough resources to cater for its programmes and projects.

    Oba Ogunrombi hailed the Executive Secretary for starting on a good note by consulting with the people before implementation of his policies.

    Sulaimon’s action, he said, was in line with the policy of Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola. This, the monarch said, will aid accountability in the running of the affairs of the council.

    He enjoined the people to be law abiding always.

    Alimosho, he said, is the heart of Lagos just as Lagos is the heart of Nigeria, hence wherever it takes to ensure peaceful co-existence in the area should be done.

    The monarch called on the residents to support the new council boss.

    The CDC chairman, Chief Shola Ogunyombo said the ES has done well within the short time he assumed office. He described as commendable the performance of council boss in the three weeks he has spent so far in office.

    “We have told him our needs particularly the grading of roads and he has visited some of the roads on the list submitted to his office and promised to expedite action on them,” he said.

    On the forthcoming election, he said community policing will go a long way to curb crimes within the vicinity.

    He enjoined parents to monitor their wards.

    “This is the time politicians may want to use them to achieve selfish desire; the youth should shun whoever asked them to commit crime during and after the elections,” he said.

    Chief Ogunyombo urged politicians to play the game by the rules, saying winning an election should be through rigorous campaign and not by violence.

    Other stakeholders reiterated the need for an effective community policing to ensure a violence-free society.