The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Why Nigeria remains underdeveloped, by Babatola

    Why Nigeria remains underdeveloped, by Babatola

    Until his death on November 24, at the age of 96, High Chief Joel Ehinafe Babatola, the Olora of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, was the Vice-President of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) and the oldest surviving disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In this interview —most likely his last —with Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU, he speaks on his political career, how to resolve the country’s leadership crisis and how Nigeria can attain free and fair election, among other issues. 

    When you were young, you had expectations about what the Nigeria would be. The country is 54 years already. How have your expectations been met?

    My expectations then was that Nigeria would become one of the most powerful countries in the world and the knowledge impacted to us by the British in the colonial days would enable us to achieve greatness like Britain, Germany and the United States.

    Chief Awolowo was swift in implementing free education policy when he was the Premier of Western Region. We expected that education would be free up to the tertiary institutions. We wanted Nigeria to be great in many ways –in industrial development, scientific discoveries, research, production of goods that we still import from Europe and China. I had those as ideas for great development. Unfortunately, Nigeria is yet to meet those expectations. That is why we are where we are today.

    What factors were responsible for these failed dreams and aspirations?

    There are many reasons, but the most important reason for the underdevelopment of Nigeria is the dichotomy created by religion on one hand and differences in culture. It has not been easy to unify Nigeria in terms of religion and culture. The major tribes continue to maintain their old culture, not realising that some cultural practices need to be improved upon or discarded.

    For instance, in Yoruba, the culture that is related to rituals has continued to be practised. What they should spend on the education of their children is spent on rituals.

    It is worse in Igbo land where some parents do not realise that educating their children is better than making them be independent at the age of 18 or 19 years; though that trend is fast becoming an issue in the trashcan of history.

    In 1930s and 40s, the influence of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was enough to make people to be eager for higher education.

    It is far worse in the North. Children go to Quranic schools. How can the development we envisaged occur?

    If they had allowed Chief Awolowo to carry out his educational programmes and plans in the country, we would have ranked among the five most educated countries in the world. That is one aspect of it.

    The second aspect is the dichotomy in the national life of the country. This dichotomy rests virtually on religion. If people are allowed to pursue their different religious without bias, it would have been better.

    In Nigeria, religion can be classified primarily into two – Christianity and Islam. Islam predominates in the North, while Christianity predominates in the South. Therefore, there is rivalry which is not favourable.

    Thank God, in the West and East, we do not allow differences in religion to affect our relationship. If this religious dichotomy between the North and South can be removed, Nigeria will be able to pursue and achieve the position envisaged by Chief Awolowo and the country’s other founding fathers.

    When Awo wanted to become Prime Minister, some people objected to it. Don’t you think it would have been better for Awo to remain in the West to continue his developmental policies and programmes?

    We wanted him to be at the centre. We thought he should become the Prime Minister as the Action Group (AG) had a national spread. We had supporters in the North and East. We had personnel manning our party offices in Kano, Sokoto and everywhere in the East, in Azikiwe’s base. We thought he would win, but due to manipulations, he lost out.

    If he had won, his planned education programme would have benefited the North and Nigeria would have been better today.

    One other difficulty which made Chief Awolowo’s adventure not to come true was the friction between him and the late Chief Ladoke Akintola.

    When Chief Awolowo was the leader of the opposition at the centre, Chief Akintola succeeded him as Premier. He wanted to become the President of Action Group, to displace Awolowo. That ambition created problems.

    Our efforts to continue to make Nigeria a fast-developing country was stalled by the opposition to Awolowo, mainly from the North.

    Akintola was friend to the Northern leadership. He used his position to expose Awolowo. Even as an opposition party, Action Group was attacked, particularly in the North. Akintola represents the AG in the South, but he was representing the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) in the North.

    When there was a problem in the Western House of Assembly and the Federal Government created emergency rule and made Koye Majekodunmi an administrator, secretly, Akintola walked his way back to office as Premier.

    In November 1962, his emissaries went to members of the House of Assembly, asking them to join the party of Akintola and Fani-Kayode. Those who were in government as cabinet members were asked whether we would go with Awolowo or Akintola. In my own case, I said I would go with Awolowo.

    Fortunately or unfortunately, the military took over. That again was another difficulty created for Nigeria.

    But some people jubilated over the coup

    The plan of the military mainly was to maintain the place. People were forced to obey the military. The military could not bring progress in the manner the civilians would do. When people were expressing brilliant ideas for progress, the military was only interested in keeping the peace. The years under the military, except one or two Heads of State, Nigeria remained stagnant. There was no real plan or policy for the development of education and industry. Things were at a standstill under the military rule.

    When Awolowo was leaving Ibadan, he did not want Akintola to succeed him as Premier

    Naturally, he wouldn’t. When Akintola wanted Awolowo deposed as President of AG, we were in Jos for the congress. At the Jos conference, we discovered that Akintola had hatched a plot to depose Awolowo; to be voted out of the AG presidency.

    People in Osun were contacted. They held meeting to ensure that no vote would come from Osun. In Oyo, Akintola succeeded in doing the same thing. He contacted some leaders outside Osun and Oyo. In Ekiti, he contacted the late Chief Osuntokun. When we wanted to start the conference, it was discovered that people were too many.

    Oredein was mandated by Chief Awolowo to vet the list of representatives. I took the initiative in asking Oredein not to do that first. I advised that he should not accept the list from the constituencies. I said that each constituency should be represented by a delegate, whereas in the list from Osun, some constituencies have three or four delegates each. That excuse of vetting took one day. When three or four showed up, only one was allowed to be a delegate. Several people were disqualified and they went home.

    In the evening, Chief Akintola and his people decided to boycott the congress. The following day when we assembled, we were few, but enough to continue. Chief Awolowo decided that we should postpone the congress and go back home to unify our people and ensure that they did not disobey instructions given by the head.

    So, when we got back home, there was confusion in the House.

    The government proclaimed curfew in the region. When they did so, they took sides with Akintola. They had appointed Majekodunmi and surreptitiously, he was giving support to Akintola who had formed a new party with Fani-Kayode. Balewa group gave recognition to the new party. Things went bad for Western Region and programmes on education, health and environment became standstill.

    How did you manage to get out of the Chambers of the House of Assembly during the commotion that ensued?

    My driver who was outside the House heard what was going on and begged one policeman to follow him. People who were fighting would not look at a driver or a policeman. So, the two of them led me out. Fortunately, I was not wounded by any of the broken bottles which some people used as weapons. It was by divine favour that I was not harmed.

    Could it mean that Akintola wouldn’t have been able to continue the pace of development in the West had he succeeded Awolowo?

    He couldn’t have been able to. The Federal Government supported him, but that was not enough to help him implement Awo’s programmes. He and Fani-Kayode did not enjoy the confidence of the people of the West. The confidence they enjoyed was in Osun area.

    But in Ondo Province which included Ekiti, I organised our party very successfully; we held meetings at Akure where we explained the issues to the people. So, Akintola had no foothold in Ondo Province.

    In Ekiti, we had Chief Babalola from Oye who was Secretary of the Action Group. In Akure and Ondo areas, we had versions. I was writing articles in the Nigeria Tribune under the pen name of “Lawson”. That helped a lot in exposing the mischief of Akintola’s party.

    Unfortunately, the military killed Akintola, Okotie-Eboh and Balewa. With that disaster, Akintola/Fani-Kayode party went into oblivion.

    When the military took over and Akintola was killed, if I had joined him, I would have been one of the people the soldiers would have killed because my building in the GRA was next to the Premier’s. I would have been one of those to be executed.

    How did you cope as a commissioner under military regime?

    I was the Principal of a Teacher Training College at Usi from 1970 to 1971. In 1971 when Governor Oluwole Rotimi was going to form his cabinet, he confided in the civilians in the ministries, particularly with the Permanent Secretary in the Governor’s Office.

    As I learnt, they supplied him with names of some nominees which I was among. They advised the governor to write me to discuss with me personally. So, I received a letter from the Permanent Secretary that the governor wanted to see me. I was even afraid. I went to see the Permanent Secretary and he led me to the governor.

    The governor said he was glad to see me. He said he wanted to see me because people have talked so well about me. He said I should be in government as a commissioner to serve more people. Then, he requested that I should write that I had accepted to be a commissioner which I complied with.

    Minutes after, a letter of appointment was handed over to me. That was on September 21, 1971. They planned to swear us in on September 23. I came home and returned to Ibadan on September 22 and was sworn in on September 23. I was the Commissioner for Works and Transport; a position I enjoyed. I did my best to ensure that the governor was not disappointed.

    But was there a disagreement between you and the governor over the affairs of co-operative society in the state?

    When there was a cabinet reshuffle, I was posted to the Ministry of Trade and Co-operatives. Then, two of my colleagues, Prince Aderemi and another commissioner said the Co-operative Bank should be merged with the National Bank. They envisaged that if the two banks were merged, we would have a strong bank. The proposal was accepted by the governor. But, being a co-operator, I told the governor that it was wrong to reduce the two banks to one.

    My reason was that in the West, if we had the two banks, we would make more progress industrially and commercially. I said there was an attempt earlier by Chief Akintola to do so, but the Cooperative Bank went to court and the court did not accept the merger.

    I told the governor that the North had the North Bank. They wanted us to be ahead of the North in terms of progress and they should not reduce us to their status. The governor agreed, but the commissioner Aderemi and the other one from Abeokuta did not give him peace. They wanted their idea to scale through. The governor asked me to proceed on two weeks leave. Then, he called the Board of the Cooperative Bank to a meeting to take place during my leave. He said Aderemi should manage my ministry during the two weeks.

    The meeting was slated for 10:00 in the morning of Monday. I was at the venue by 8:00 a.m. Governor arrived on time. The governor accused the Board of the Co-operative Bank of inefficiency. He said the General Manager, Onagoruwa approved loans wrongly to people who could not repay the loans.

    The governor told the board, ‘you will later hear from us, I hereby dissolve the meeting’

    You were very intimate with Awolowo, how did you meet him?

    I was close to Awolowo because I loved the way he directed matters. For instance, he created Egbe Omo Oduduwa. He had the love of the Yoruba at heart. When the first meeting of the formation took place at Owo, I attended. Awolowo asked ‘where should the next meeting hold following the inauguration at Owo? Ajasin suggested Ado-Ekiti. I came home. I told the Oba. He arranged a very fine reception for those who came here to introduce Egbe Omo Oduduwa to the people of Ekiti. The venue was Ewi’s Palace. That was how Chief Awolowo knew me.

    During the shadow election into the House of Assembly in 1955, I was a candidate. My opponent was Abiodun; a member of the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroun (NCNC) from Ado. I had over 15,000 votes. He had 11,000. I was elected. Awolowo was happy.

    From 1956 to 1959, I was in the House of Assembly.

    In 1956, as an Assembly man, I made a speech which Chief Awolowo was much appreciative of.

    When Chief Awolowo was going to the centre in 1959, he made arrangement that I should become a minister. I became the Minister of Home Affairs and Information in 1959.

    Why did you fall apart with Awolowo?

    I was a member of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). I defected to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). There was an arrangement for election. Members of the party were to apply to be elected to any post. But the UPN governors conspired that they wanted to continue and their posts should be contested for. This did not go down well with Chief Awolowo. Those who wanted to be governors in Ondo and Oyo went into conclave and said they were not going to give financial support.

    When Awolowo said the governors should be returned and their posts should not be contested for, we said we won’t support them. So, we broke away. We decided to join the other party. I had no plan to contest for positions. I was made Baba Isale even though I remained an Awoist.

    Before Awolowo died, did you meet to reconcile?

    I never campaigned against Awolowo. When he died, the army wanted to arrange for his burial. Those in government said I should write the funeral oration. Olurin who was governor invited me and gave me an assignment. I wrote the funeral oration, entitled “Deathless Awolowo”. They were very happy.

    In your time, election was not as bad as we have it currently. How can we ensure free and fair elections in Nigeria?

    Nigeria should embrace electoral reforms as recommended by the Uwais Panel. Without free and fair elections, there will be no democracy.

    I think the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be reviewed. The functions of the police should also be reviewed. They should be better trained so that they would know their roles in the electoral process.

    Education should be free throughout the country. Educated individual shuns thuggery and violence.

    Government should create employment opportunities in agriculture so that people would be gainfully employed. If people are gainfully employed, they will shun crime and people will be fair in their dealings with others.

     

     

  • Hearts of Gold hospice marks 10th anniversary

    Hearts of Gold hospice marks 10th anniversary

    Arrangements have been concluded for the 10th anniversary of The Hearts of Gold Children Hospice, Surulere Lagos. The event, according to a statement signed by members of the anniversary organising committee, will hold on Sunday, December 14 at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos.

    The statement added that Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola will be the Special Guest of Honour at the event.

    Founder and proprietor of the hospice, Mrs. Laja Adedoyin, said the event is being organised as a way of thanking God for His mercies and protection as well as to appreciate individuals and corporate organisations that had supported the organisation since its establishment.

    The statement quoted Mrs. Adedoyin as saying that “God has really been kind to us at the Hearts of Gold Hospice. So, this event is to thank God and celebrate the people and organisations that have lent themselves to the use of God in the lives of myself and my children in the past 11 years.”

    Some of the individuals to be honoured include the wives of the Governors of Lagos and Kwara states, Dame Abimbola Fashola and Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed respectively as well as Mr. Aderemi Aderogba.

    The list of corporate bodies to receive awards include MTN Foundation, Access Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, Citi Bank, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dufil Nigeria Limited, Friesland Campia WAMCO and Jet Leasing Nigeria Limited .

    The statement expressed the appreciation of the management of the hospice to every person and organisation from which it has received one kind of support or the other, even as it noted that these year’s award recipients are representatives of the kindness that the organisation has received from Nigerians.

    It went further to pray for God’s blessings for all those who have contributed to the sustenance of the hospice over the years. “We really would not be here without you and we pray that God will bless you all,” the statement said.

    The Hearts of Gold Children Hospice was established by Mrs. Adedoyin after a 25-year sojourn in the United Kingdom where she worked and operated facilities that took care of people with various types of disabilities.

    The hospice currently houses and provides palliative care to more than 60 children with various forms of physical and mental disabilities.

  • Group makes case for disabled persons

    Group makes case for disabled persons

    The Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has expressed its regret that persons with disability (PWD) are in deprived situation in terms of access to justice in Nigeria.

    The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr David Anyaele, said persons with disability are being discriminated against, even as they experience difficulty in getting justice.

    He spoke during a seminar for Persons with Disability (PWD) at Clean Foundation office in Ojodu, a Lagos suburb.

    Mr. Anyaele, who presented abridged report entitled “Enhancing Access to Justice for Persons with Disability in Lagos”, said the NGO conducted a survey on the topic in Surulere, Ikorodu and Amuwo-Odofin local government areas.

    He said they visited 15 police stations, 12 Customary and Magistrate’s court and a focus group discussion was carried out with organisations in the areas.

    “We discovered that PWD who seek justice through the police and courts are often faced with the challenge of infrastructural discrimination in terms of lack of access to ramps for persons who use wheel chairs, lack of instructions in Braille, inability of the officers to use sign language and the cost of litigation in the court.”

    Mr Anyaele therefore reminded the Federal Government of the need to sensitise and strengthen the capacity of the police and court personnel to make justice accessible to PWD through provision of access ramp, training of the officers on the use of sign language for effective communication with the deaf.

    “Sensitise police officers, court personnel, legal aid organisations and the civil society on the rights of PWD and the ills of discriminating against them,” he said.

    Mr Anyaele noted that organisations working on human rights and access to justice should be sensitised on the rights of PWD and their access to justice.

    He also called for more awareness among people with disability on their rights.

    Coordinator (South), Justice for All (JFA), Mrs Ghbogu Obinwa, noted that it is important for citizens who are working with PWD to be conscious of the need to protect them and help them to be aware of their rights.

    “When it comes to access to justice, PWD have more challenges than those who are not living with disability because they would need social facilities to access platform for justice like the court, police station and transportation, she said.

  • Navy’s operation AWATSE dislodges oil thieves

    Navy’s operation AWATSE dislodges oil thieves

    For residents living around the Majidun River axis of Ikorodu, a Lagos suburb, pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering was a thriving business until the Nigerian Navy launched an offensive against the criminals to salvage the country’s economy, reports PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU.

    Before the Nigerian Navy (NN) launched an operation codenamed A WATSE in Ikorodu, Lagos State, to stamp out the activities of pipeline vandals and oil thieves, the criminals had always had it rosy.

    Instances abound where officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police had traded blames of conspiracy with the vandals leading to supremacy tussle between both agencies, which The Nation had earlier reported.

    According to residents, especially those living around the Majidun River axis of Ikorodu, the vandals appeared untouchable despite their nefarious activities which they alleged were perpetrated regardless of the presence of the security agencies. They also alleged that they carried out their acts in connivance with those in the employ of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Hitherto, 2.4 million barrels of petroleum products were stolen every month which represented about 67 per cent of the overall oil production in a month. The trend caused frequent scarcity of petroleum products.

    The unbridled activities of the vandals cause negative effects on the country’s economy, the vandals had continued to wax stronger.

    Sensing the dangers the activities of the vandals posed to the country, whose sole economy depends on crude oil exportation, the Nigerian Navy, in October, decided to not only lay in wait for the oil thieves on the high seas as they have always done but also to take the battle to the creeks which are their dens.

    Thus, with the permission of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice-Admiral Usman Jibrin, the Western Naval Command (WNC) under the flagship of the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade, on October 5, took the vandals by surprise.

    It was an encounter in which no fewer than 10, 000 petroleum products-laden kegs were recovered from the oil thieves. About 50 suspects were also arrested the same day.

    As the personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT led by its Commander, Commodore Daniel Ikoli continued combing the nook and cranny of Ikorodu, over 100, 000 petroleum-laden kegs were recovered and handed over to the Products and Pipelines Marketing Company (PPMC) and NNPC while the arrested suspects were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

    With the recorded drop in crude oil theft from 2.4 million to about 800, 000 barrels per day, the NN believes its effort of ridding the country of economic saboteurs was yielding positive results.

    At the recent bi-annual inspection of units and facilities under his command, Rear Admiral Alade stated that the WNC has, in line with the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff’s zero-tolerance on crude oil theft, placed a premium on its operational flexibility.

    He reiterated the need to sustain its high level of readiness to balance capabilities, use limited resources and pay attention to details, just as he assured of the sustenance of Operation AWATSE.

    “I am happy to note that the command has done well in curbing acts of piracy, oil theft and pipeline vandalism in its area of responsibility. Let me therefore reiterate the NN’s plan to continue to pursue its mandate to stamp out any form of illegalities. I commend all officers and men involved in the ongoing Op AWATSE in Ikorodu, the gains of the operation are well acknowledged,” Alade said.

    However, the navy’s feat in this area did not come without resistance as the displaced vandals, aggrieved that their means of livelihood was being blocked, decided to pick up arms to resist their ‘enemies’.

    One of such instances was last week’s attack on naval personnel on regular patrol at Abule Oba, which resulted in the death of four suspected vandals, including a kingpin identified as BlackBerry.

    The kingpin, according to residents of Ikorodu, has amassed enormous wealth and investments from the act, with which he would have lived comfortably the rest of his life if he had quit vandalism.

    It was alleged that aside owning a computer training school, BlackBerry also owned landed properties in Lekki, a highbrow area of the state, among others.

    During an aerial survey at the weekend onboard NN Agusta 08 helicopter led by Commodore Ikoli, The Nation observed that all adjourning streams and canals to the Majidun River have been polluted.

    Also, clusters of kegs were seen in batches hidden in greeneries; while some lay fallow in boats which were not manned.

    Contrary to believes that vandals were petty thieves who stole small quantities of petroleum products in order to put food on their tables, it was gathered that their activities are well co-ordinated with boats readily available to move the products to standby customers who load them in tankers and other vehicles for shipping.

    The illegal activity, residents attest, was rife in the locality, with many young people wilfully subscribing to the business because it fetches quick wealth. Confirming The Nation’s earlier report of Police and NSCDC connivance in pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering, the residents alleged that these agencies usually turned blind eyes to the activities after collecting bribes from the criminals.

    “At times, they even provide escorts to the vandals and informed them whenever a combined taskforce was to raid the area. That is why you usually see them (Police and NSCDC) fighting and killing themselves in Ikorodu. They leave what they are supposed to do and join forces with criminals.

    “Before now, it (vandalism) was a normal business around here. There was hardly a house you will go to and not find kegs laden with petroleum products. Those of us who refused to join the practice preferred to keep quiet then because even the security agents were involved.

    “I am happy with what the Navy is doing and I hope they will continue. It will not stop immediately. The vandals have gone into hiding but if the Navy rests on its oars, they will come back,” some source who spoke in confidence said.

     

  • Victims, residents recall day of horror in Ibadan

    Victims, residents recall day of horror in Ibadan

    Penultimate week, some parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital boiled. Hoodlums descended on some areas, killing and maiming people, even as they destroyed properties. BISI OLADELE and TAYO JOHNSON captured the moods of some of the survivors who pleaded with government and public-spirited individuals to come to their aid.

    There were hustle and bustle of commercial activities in a bubbly densely populated community. There were brisk movements of pedestrians. Awkward movement of commercial motorcycles and other activities have returned to Born Photo-Iyana Asuni-Idi-Arere, an Ibadan neighbourhood troubled by a violent attack last week.

    The community was attacked by hoodlums in a battle of supremacy last week during which over 15 shops were burnt, some looted and many vehicles vandalised. The attack lasted about two hours as residents ran for safety from the scene of the attack.

    But while normal activities have returned, victims of the attack have commenced efforts to rebuild their shops while calling for help from the government and philanthropic Nigerians and organisations.

    They also recalled the day of horror in a chat with our correspondents.

    Mrs Falilat Rasheed, 38, is a tailor whose shop was burnt in the attack. The shop was reduced to rubbles after the attack.

    She recalled that the area had been attacked on Friday with minor impact but that the Sunday attack left sore memories for shop owners and residents in the area.

    Her words: “I have two sewing machines, a freezer with which I sell soft drinks and few other items. They were all burnt down with the shop. I could not salvage any of the items.

    “They actually started on Friday around 4:00 p.m. They stole my stocks – drinks and other items. We thought it was all over.

    “That day, I was cutting a piece of cloth when I suddenly noticed people running helter-skelter.  They said the hoodlums were on rampage.

    “As if that was not enough, at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, they re-surfaced in large number and were armed with dangerous weapons.  I ran for my dear life, just as many others did.

    They threw fire on our line of shops. It started burning. We couldn’t rescue anything. As the shops were burning, fire fighters arrived but the hoodlums turned them back.

    “Later, the police came, threw tear gas on them and they fled. Then, sympathisers came to help us quench the fire, even though the shops had been fully burnt.”

    She put her lost at N100,000.

    Another victim, Mr Dauda Ajani is a welder. His shop was also razed down by the hoodlums.

    He said: “I have been here for over 10 years. This violence sometimes happens but they never destroyed properties as they did this time. They could fight and threaten but they never destroyed our shops like this.

    “I was not in the shop on that sad day. They said the hoodlums came at 9:00 a.m. I just heard that they were fighting. By the time I got here at 9:45 a.m, my shop had been burnt completely.

    “We reached out for water to quench the fire but did not succeed. They burnt my welding generator, my hammer, uniform and photos of previous works.

    I didn’t even meet them. They had gone. I only met some sympathisers. They said the boys threw broken bottles to them while making efforts to quench the fire.

    “On sighting the burning shop, I broke down in tears. I was sad, distraught, disheartened. This is my only source of income. I never leant any other type of vocation in my life. He said he lost some money which he said he borrowed from a co-operative society.

    “I actually borrowed the money for the generator from a co-operative society. I lost about N400, 000.”

    On how he has been surviving, Mr Ajani said only God has been taking care of him through friends and relations.

    He appealed to the government and Nigerians to come to his aid.

    On what he requires as assistance, he said: “All we want is to have our shops repaired. We need instruments to work.”

    Funke Olaniyan. 50, is another victim. In her shop, grinding machine and two freezers were in her shop. They all went in flames when her shop was torched.

    She put her loss at N350, 000.

    “I burst into tears when I came here that morning. I don’t know where to start from again. I just need help now,” she said.

    Others include Mrs Fausat Amusat, 40, a retailer; Mrs Ishau Aminat, 29, a hairdresser; Mrs Toyin Hammed, 25 who sells eggs and Hafeez Oyeniyi, 32, who had his commercial motorcycle burnt.

    Mobile policemen are still stationed in the neighbourhood with two armoured personnel carriers (APC) at different locations.

    Meanwhile, major political parties in the state have been trading blames over the violence. While the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord and Labour Party of sponsoring hoodlums to cause mayhem in affected areas with a view to discredit Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration. The washed their hands of the violence.

    The Chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke, made the allegation while briefing reporters on the state of the crisis in Ibadan.

    Oke, who condemned the pockets of violence and described them as “totally unacceptable and appalling,” recalled that the governor had traversed 32 local government areas across the state in an official visit with a plan to round it off in Ibadan South West Local Government when opposition parties attempted to discredit the exercise by sponsoring the mayhem to score political points.

    He said the warm reception and tumultuous crowds that welcomed Ajimobi in all the local government areas he visited, the councils jolted the opposition, which made them embark on sponsoring the violence.

    “The Friday, November 21, violent and unprovoked attacks on our people at Oke-Ado area of Ibadan and the ones recorded at Born Photo, Popo Yemoja, Idi-Arere and environs on Sunday November 23, as well as the mayhem which ravaged Idi-Ikan, Opoyiosa and environs on Tuesday, November 25 are a clear manifestation of the script which the opposition elements in the state had prepared for implementation with a view to creating a tense atmosphere ahead of the 2015 general elections and discrediting the ruling party which has received global applause for stamping out lawlessness, brigandage and indecent practices from the state since we came into power in May, 2011,” Oke said.

    The APC specifically alleged that the hoodlums working for the PDP and led by one Ekugbemi caused a breach of peace on Friday while the gang also later engaged another political gang led by one “Omo Alhaja” in a supremacy battle which led to the destruction of property and harassment of innocent residents.

    The party alleged further: “In all of this, we wonder how the opposition elements in the Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party and the Labour Party have been able to unite and organise themselves towards forming a formidable team of alarmists who dish out details of these ugly events even shortly before the attackers would commence their nefarious activities.

    “If not that they are the sponsors, how would street urchins and political thugs be carrying out attacks on the one hand and the opposition parties would be reporting it live in such a way to implicate some identified members of the APC even without any concrete evidence to prove their alleged involvement.”

    But the opposition parties denied the allegation. They urged the APC government to look inward for the sponsors of the violence.

    In a statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Kehinde Salawu, the party distanced itself from the claim by the APC, asking how it could be indicted of causing violence perpetrated by the ruling party, which aspirants continued to demonstrate desperation, leading to violent clashes across the state capital.

    “It is sad that rather than take responsibility for the destruction of property and waste of innocent lives being witnessed in Ibadan in the last few days as a result of APC’s desperation ahead of the 2015 general elections, the party has chosen to shift blames.

    “How and where did the PDP perpetrate the vioence in Ibadan? Can the APC, a Janjaweed party that is living on borrowed times, authenticate this demonic and baseless claim? Much as we will not like to dignify a party that has already been rejected by the people of Oyo State by reacting to its tissue of lies, which it is known for across the country, we state unequivocally that the PDP is committed to the peace and well-being of the people of Oyo State. And we warn the APC to desist from tarnishing our party’s image and focus on how to salvage its crumbling house,” the PDP said.

    Also in a reaction, the Labour Party, in a statement by its Director, Media and Strategy, Taiwo Ibrahim, said: “The APC should look inward concerning the latest rounds of violence and disturbances in the city of Ibadan. Two of their lawmakers recently engaged in bloodletting and fought dirty.  Are we the ones behind it? Reports at Oke-Ado showed that one of their thugs engaged an okada man and this snowballed into further attack on police. Anyway, police is in the know of all that transpired and we need not say more.”

     

  • INEC sensitises electorate on 2015 polls

    INEC sensitises electorate on 2015 polls

    Mindful of scathing criticisms against its apparent inefficiency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would prove critics wrong in the 2015 general elections. To achieve optimal performance, it said it has put in place adequate measures that would guarantee free, fair and credible election next year. To achieve its desired goal, it has begun sensitisation of the electorate on what is required of them during next year’s election.

    The INEC representative in Amuwo/Odofin Local Government Area, Mr Tajudeen Adeyemi said the electoral body is poised to make the 2015 general elections better than that of 2011, even as he said its determination to deliver credible election next year informed the sensitisation efforts in all the local government areas and wards in Lagos State on the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) and fresh registration of those whose names did not appear on the voters register and those who had attained the age of 18 years after the 2011 registration exercise.

    The fresh registration exercise in Lagos State began today.

    Mr Adeyemi spoke at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting the commission held for residents of Oriade Local Council Development Area at the council’s secretariat.

    Soliciting for continued support to the commission in order to make the electoral process more meaningful, he disclosed that INEC has adopted a system of getting everybody involved in the electoral process.

    Mr Adeyemi maintained that the essence of the stakeholders’ meeting was to appeal to every Nigerian to contribute to the success of the electoral process in the country by participating in the continuous registration exercise which will enable them to vote for their choice candidates in 2015 general elections. He advised those who were not able to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) which was concluded in some local government areas on Monday to visit the headquarters of their various local governments to collect them.

    He further said that INEC has put a process in place which aims at ensuring that INEC becomes one of the best election management bodies in the world.

    “Towards this end, we’ve lined up series of activities that would ensure that 2015 elections are better than those of 2011. We have embarked on continuous voter’s registration. The continuous voter’s registration will be different from that of 2011 in two aspects.

    “The 2011 registration exercise was held within two weeks. This time around, we are not going to give a specific time frame. Once we start, it will continue for a long time.

    “The essence is to register our children that have attained voting age. We also want to capture in our database those who were not able to register for the 2011 general elections. Those who successfully registered in 2011 need not register again because what they need is the permanent voter’s card from INEC,” he said.

    Mr Adeyemi urged the people to go to where they registered in 2011 to request and collect their permanent voters’ cards, even as he said they should go with the temporary voters’ card, give it to the distribution officer who ensures that the person signs, thumb prints and collects the PVC.

    The exercise lasted from Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.

    In the Oriade Council area, Mr Adeyemi revealed that there are areas, especially in Kirikiri that have problems. He specifically said nine areas in Kirikiri have problems and would only witness fresh registration of voters as against collection of the PVCs. He also disclosed that registration centre in Kirikiri will be at Dr Lukas Memorial High School.

    For Agboju/Amuwo, the registration centre will be at Agboju Secondary School while registration centre in Ijegun will take place at Ijegun-Egba Primary School, even as he said registration of voters in Irede and Ibeshe, two riverside communities will be at Local Authority Primary School Irede and Local Authority Primary School Ibeshe respectively.

    Those living in Satellite will register at Satellite Primary School, he said.

    Commenting on the stakeholders’ meeting on the continuous voters’ registration, the Ovori of Ibeshe, Oba Gausu Alani Rasaki said the meeting aimed at letting the people know what to do and how to go about exercising their franchise.

    The royal father said one of the duties of traditional rulers is to organise their subjects in such a manner that would enable them to participate actively in any process that will enhance the well-being of the society, even as he said “there is no way you can separate royal fathers from the scheme of things. This, he said, is because they play fatherly roles on how to deliver the benefits of democracy to the people at the grassroots. We know our subjects and what they want. We are in a better position to talk to them for peace to reign.

    “They people’s needs are simply good roads to evacuate their farm produce. Residents of the riverside communities need quality health care, among other needs.”

    Contributing, the Council Manager, Mrs Florence Omotunde Peters said the programme was organised for people in this council area to know what is expected of them in terms of registration and collection of the permanent voters’ cards. As a result of rumours concerning the date for the exercise, we deemed it fit to put the records straight with regard to when exactly the exercise will hold.

    She noted that the people of Oriade LCDA are politically vibrant, even as she advised them and other Nigerians to remain politically active and wise in casting their votes so that the right people will be in government for the well-being of all Nigerians.

  • Why we burgle houses, by suspects

    Why we burgle houses, by suspects

    The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two footballers, Adeosun Ayodeji and Joshua Adegoke and their partner, Christopher Damilola over alleged burglary case.

    The suspects were paraded at the State Police Headquarter in Akure, the state capital, alongside 29 other suspected criminals for different offences.

    Adegoke, aged 22, who confessed to have participated in the crime, claimed that he was a member of a football team called Rising Star Football Club in the state, while his colleague, Ayodeji, 25, claimed to be a member of a football club in Ghana.

    According to Joshua, he was lured into stealing in order to raise money to enable him to travel abroad and continue his football career.

    ‘‘I was approached by a football agent, who was impressed about my soccer display during one of our training sessions. He promised to take me to Qatar if I could raise some money.

    ‘‘Since I don’t have any other means to raise the fund, I discussed with Deji, who is also playing in Ghana and we, together with Christopher, took to stealing,” he said.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke said luck ran out of them when they burgled houses at Araromi Street in Akure whose owners reported the incident to the police.

    Eke said his men recovered from the suspects handsets, laptops and flat screen televisions, among other items.

    The police boss also paraded four suspected rapists, six for robbery, four kidnappers, 14 secret cult members and one fraudster.

    Eke praised residents of the state for supporting the police with useful information; adding that the command is determined to make the state crime-free.

  • Ondo community pleads for good roads

    Ondo community pleads for good roads

    It is not the best of times for residents of Oke-Odo community in Ondo State. At present, the road network in the community has become dilapidated. Ironically, the people are part of various communities that formed Akure, the state capital.

    Most of the social amenities in this large community located off Danjuma in Akure South Local Government Area were provided by the people through self-help. However they try to provide amenities for themselves, one remains beyond their strength. That is good network of roads which is of paramount importance to them now.

    Virtually all the roads in the area are in a bad shape. Landlords in the area are the worst hit. This is because many tenants in the area are relocating to other areas that are more accessible.

    Unable to bear this horrifying situation, they held a meeting recently where they discussed the issue of dilapidated roads. Throughout the several hours the meeting lasted, expressions on their faces depicted misery. The once vibrant and humane landlords who provide shelter for those in need of it suddenly became melancholic, no thanks to non-provision of motorable roads in the area.

    The chairman of the Landlords’ Association, Mr Bade Adaralagbe said the economic implication of the bad state of the roads cannot be quantified. He noted that residents spend so much money to fix their vehicles which were greatly affected by the bad roads.

    He said: “All the roads linking this area are very bad. In fact, during the rainy season, we don’t normally take our vehicles to our houses.

    “We always park our cars by the road side to let the rain subside. It is so unfortunate that successive governments in the state had neglected members of this community.”

    Some residents told our correspondent that all the social amenities in the community were provided by the people as if they are not part of Ondo State.

    Adaralagbe said: “We contributed money on our own to do many things in this community. We are appealing to the state government to urgently come to our aid before we are completely cut off from the rest of the world.

    “We are appealing to Governor Olusegun Mimiko to help us by grading the roads and construct drainage system for us.”

    Apart from the issue of roads, they are also pleading with government to

    intervene in other areas.

    The community is also in dire need of a health centre so that people would not travel too far before having access to health facilities.

    Some of the landlords embarked on peaceful protest; carrying placards to draw government’s attention to their plight. They urged the state and Akure South Local Government Area to come to their rescue.

    The deplorable conditions of the roads and dearth of basic infrastructure have made life difficult for them.

    However, authorities of Akure South Local Government have promised to look into their complaint with a view to addressing some of them.

    A top Council official who spoke in confidence said the leadership of the council had earlier visited the area, promising to fix the roads.

    However, the council could only make good its pledge when the rainy season is over.

    The Chairman of the council, Mr. Alarapon Adebayo also promised to do the needful in Oke-Odo by sending compactors and graders to the area to fix the roads and if possible lay asphalt on them. That, hopefully, will go a long way in easing the pains of the people.

    Many other roads in Akure, particularly Aule, New Stadium/Onyearugbulem Junction, Oke-Ogba, Igbogi, Isolo and others are impassable and need government’s attention.

     

  • Senator donates security vans to police

    Senator donates security vans to police

    Determined to ensure that the Ondo State Police Command guarantee crime-free society, the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Mr. Boluwaji Kunlere has donated 13 new Hilux security vans worth several millions of Naira to the State Police Command.

    The vehicles are equipped with security appliances to enhance the security of lives and property in the six local government areas that make up senatorial district.

    The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Isaac Eke who described the initiative as first of its kind in the state and Nigeria, praised the Senator for the gesture.

    The vehicles, which are in the custody of the State Police Command, would soon be handed over to each of the 13 Divisional Police formations in the Ondo South Senatorial District.

    These formations include Ile Oluji and Okegbo in Ileoluji/Okegbo Local Government Area;  Ore, Araromi Obu and Odigbo in Odigbo  Local Government Area ;Irele, Ajagba and Akotogbo in Irele Local Government Area; Igbekebo in Eseodo Local Government Area; Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area; Okitipupa, Ilutitun and Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Government Area.

    The two riverside areas have the support of the Naval Base.

    Speaking with reporters in Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area on what informed the priority attention he accorded to security in his 2014 constituency project; Senator Kunlere noted that the security of lives and property in the Ondo South Senatorial District and Nigeria should not be left in the hands of government alone.

    He said: “We appeal to individuals and corporate organisations that are in position to support the efforts of the police, the State Security Services (SSS), Civil Defence Corps and others to do so in order to tackle the security situation in the country.

    “There are several ways we can help the security operatives. If people cannot buy vehicles or motorcycles to support the security operatives, they should be able to give information about criminals who hibernated around our villages, towns and cities.”

    It would be recalled that Senator Kunlere was once a victim of several attacks while contesting the Senatorial Seat of the Ondo South District in 2011.

    In one of the attacks, the Senator’s wife, Mrs. Oluwafemi Kunlere sustained fracture of the neck and was hospitalised for several months.

    Apart from the attack on the person and family of Senator Kunlere, Ondo State which hitherto was adjudged the most peaceful Niger Delta State is gradually becoming haven for robbers and kidnappers.

    Senator Kunlere said the initiative to boost security in Ondo South dawned on him when, in one of the communities, the police was out to arrest some criminals.

    He said before they came with the only one vehicle they had, some kidnappers had kidnapped an aged mother of one-time Chairman of the State’s Sports Council.

    Kunlere said: “I felt bad and reasoned that if the police were with spare vehicles; it would have been possible for them to pursue the kidnappers and possibly arrest them.

    “Besides, no fewer than five to eight families have suffered similar fate in the hands of kidnappers in the Ondo South Senatorial District and the only way this spate of kidnapping, robbery and other criminalities could be curtailed in the area is to lend a helping hand to support the security operatives in the district.

    The lawmaker pointed out that as a Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, “my concern for empowerment in Ondo South is holistic and not parochial.

    He further maintained that all sectors must benefit from his empowerment programme because he is representing the people of Ondo South Senatorial District.

    Kunlere said: “Security of lives and properties is not an issue of where and what you belong.

    “In my first year in office as Senator (2012), I empowered no fewer than 289 people across board in the Ondo Senatorial district.

    “At least five people from each of the 66 wards enjoyed the privilege of taking either sewing machine, motorcycle, electricity generating set with clipper, deep freezer, grinding machine and hair dryer home that day.

    “This is aside from the leaders of the party in the six local government areas who went home with their own cars. No fewer than 330 students; five from each of the 66 wards that make up the six local government areas of Ondo South got a bursary relief of N20,000 each.”

    Kunlere noted that he took a holistic view of the zone’s empowerment project to ensure that whatever programme he embarks upon is spread across board for the benefit of all.

    To him, the only way his impact could be felt and be remembered now and in the future is to execute tangible projects which are verifiable; not intangible projects that could be denied tomorrow.

    Among the tangible things Senator Kunlere embarked upon are building of blocks of classrooms in most rural areas where access to quality classrooms are not available for students.

    He listed such schools to include Local Authority School Umoboro in Ode Aye, St. Paul’s Ikoya, Local Authority Primary School Gboroye Ode Irele, Local Authority Primary School Ode Ugbo, Primary School Agbala Obineyin in  Ilaje.

    Others are Primary School Agadagba Obon in  Ese-Odo, Baptist Day School Ira Ilutitun, St. Pius Primary School Igbotako, Local Authority Primary School Temidire Odigbo, St. Georges Ile Oluji; Primary School Erinje, Local Authority School Abojinpa, Local Authority School Labosipo, St. Phillip Oniparaga, Local Authority School Onisere Olorunsogo, Erekiti Community Grammar School and Comprehensive Grammar School Ode Irele.

    All the schools have at least a block of six or four classrooms. They are verifiable projects.

    Schools such as Community Grammar School Ore, Community Grammar School Atijere in Ilaje, Zion Pepe and Community Grammar School Igbotako a town hall for each of them is underway.

    All of the schools have a block of six or four or three classrooms with basic modern facilities respectively and are already is use. Other schools which their contractors had not reported to sites are also captured in the 2014 budget.

    The Senator disclosed that the first computer centre for Igbotako Community Grammer School and Lubokun Grammer School has been established.

    Kunlere said the contract for the road design from Araromi Seaside in Ilaje Local Government Area to Lekki in Lagos State has been awarded, stressing that when completed; people will be able to live in Ondo State and work in Lagos State because the road will witness less gridlock.

    He also said the road linking Lagos through Ilaje was one of the many verifiable projects by anyone who cares to know how their Senator has represented them in the Senate in the past two years.

    On employment, Senator Kunlere revealed that many people from his senatorial district had joined the police, the state security service beside regular employments in the civil services, government parastatals and agencies.

    A resident of the area told our correspondent that Senator Kunlere has executed projects in many areas in Ondo State more than previous Senators who had represented the district.

     

  • Rotary to strengthen family values

    Arrangements have been concluded to flag off this year’s edition of Family Week of the Rotary District 9110. It will hold from December 9 to15 at the Lekki-African Beach Resort.

    The Rotary Family Day was set up to celebrate Rotarian families and their spouses and also to reward and celebrate its dead members, in a bid to develop good rapport with outsiders; increase membership and build family bonds.

    The event will feature activities such as visit to the orphanage homes and other less-privileged people.

    In a chat with the Chairman of the Family Week programme, Mrs Omotunde Lawson, she gave a rundown of activities of the event and the reasons the group set aside a day for its families.

    “During that weekend, we will form a formidable team and increase our family bonds.

    “We will make donations to the motherless babies’ home and have a party with the less-privileged, after which we will head out to the resort for a novelty match between our parents. The event will climax with a dinner on that Friday.

    “It promises to be fun-filled with indoor and outdoor games, a family luncheon on Saturday and an award ceremony where there will be a raffle draw.

    “Items to be won include two airline tickets; gifts ranging from DSTV, a weekend getaway for couples at Golden Tulip Hotel FESTAC Town and a treat at fitness centres.”