The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • LPG gas cylinders for Lagos residents

    Tyson and Olajide presenting a gas cylinder to one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Risikat Raji. With them are from left: Sales Executive, Mr. Segun Gboyega; Folami; MAN, Surulere branch member, Mr. Kunle Uthman and Public Relations Officer, MAN National, Alhaja Nurat Adebayo at the event.

    LITE Gas, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) brand of Gas Terminalling and Distribution Limited, has begun free distribution of 450 units of LPG cylinder bundle to members of religious bodies in Lagos State, under the Eko Gas project. The firm is a member of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry LPG Group.
    The group, in partnership with the Lagos State government, is distributing free cylinders bundle and LPG worth over N6 million, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities.
    The firm recently kick-started the project with free sharing of 25 units of LPG cylinder bundle to low-income members of the Lagos State  Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Surulere, Lagos.
    Each of the 25 beneficiaries went home with a complete set of cylinder filled with cooking gas, the mesh, regulator and cooker ring.
    The Chief Financial Officer of Gas Terminalling, Mr. Abubakar Folami, said Lite Gas extended the gesture to the beneficiaries and the Surulere branch of the association “as part of its contributions to encourage the low-income earners of the community to switch from the use of  dangerous and expensive energy sources to the much cleaner, cheaper, safer, efficient, affordable and readily available LPG, otherwise known as cooking gas and also educate them on the fact that cooking gas is not only meant for the rich, but also for every member of the community irrespective of their social class.”
    He said: “The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its findings, said the use of fossil fuels, such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene are some of the causes of heart problems and cancer. So, our mission here is to encourage people to switch to the use of a much cleaner fuel–that is the LPG.”
    As part of the organisation’s safety enlightenment campaigns for the beneficiaries, who were first-time converts to LPG practice, the Health and Safety Manager of Lite Gas, Mr. Michael Olajide, demonstrated the process of assembling the complete set of the cylinder bundle and its use to the beneficiaries. He took them through other best safety practices for general use of LPG for cooking.
    Chairman of the Lagos branch of the MAN, Alhaji T.A. Tyson, expressed his profound gratitude to Lite Gas and prayed for the organisation to always grow from strength to strength.
    One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Salifat Alayaki, expressed gratitude to the firm for giving her a gas cylinder.

  • 3,000 benefit from food donation

    No fewer than 3,000 indigent residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, have received food items from the Jubilee Christian Church International (JCCI). The gesture was aimed at cushioning the effects of the economic recession in the country.

    JCCI, which has its headquarters in Abeokuta, also gave out cash to widows and other economically vulnerable residents.

    The items distributed to the beneficiaries included rice, beans, beverages and cash as part of activities to mark its 25th anniversary.

    The General-Overseer, Rev. Kunle Adesina, said the gesture was the church’s modest efforts towards helping the less-privileged people in the society.

    Adesina appealed to government at all levels to address the pervasive hunger in the country, which he said could trigger a revolution if not addressed.

    He said: “A lot of Nigerians are suffering,” warning that they might revolt if government fails to tackle their problems with relevant policies.

    The cleric explained that the church resolved to give out food items to the people in order to cushion the effect of hunger in the land.

    “My advice to the government is that whatever policy they are evolving; they should take the poor people who are in the majority into consideration. Any policy that would not cater for them is not a good policy.

    “The poor people are in the majority in this country and they are really suffering. I don’t pray that we get to a point where the poor people would not be able to take it again, and that is when you see people revolting and go into revolution.

    “So, I advise the government to do something urgent because a lot of people are suffering,” Adesina said.

    He recalled that the JCCI started 25 years ago “on zero level” but had spread the Gospel to 10 nations, adding that he had a mission to take the church to more countries of the world.

    Adesina noted that he was not yet satisfied with the rate at which evangelism spreads in Nigeria, saying “there are more to be done by Christians.”

  • Kidnappers lay siege to Ikorodu community

    forced her to ask their son, Afeez who was working on his laptop, to open the door for her.

    She said they abducted her and her husband and led them through the swamp of Wood Island into a canoe which was paddled to their hideout. She said her husband stayed many days in the woods before his release after the ransom was paid.

    Both Mrs Solaja and Mrs Alabi said the incident was reported at Owutu Police Station after their captors had released them.

    The Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), Mr Ibikunle Olayide said many families have since deserted their homes and sought refuge with relations outside the community while those remaining sleep with one eye closed; as nobody knows who would be the next victim.

    Olayide said the kidnappers, who are always armed first abducted one Musediq Oyewole, his elder sister, Mrs Alabi, one Mr Anifowose and his daughter, Bolu.

    He said they were yet to grasp the full implications of the incident when they struck again four days after and abducted one Chief Timothy Ibhahe and his wife.

    He said the wife was later released to go and look for funds to pay the N150 million fixed as ransom before her husband could regain freedom. He also said nobody knew how much was eventually paid as ransom.

    He, however, said members of the community levied themselves to assist the victims in meeting the kidnappers’ demands as nobody knew whose turn would be next.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, Olarinde Famours-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said the command was aware of the kidnapping activities in the various communities close to the creeks in Agric.

    He said activities of the kidnappers have decreased, though he attributed recent developments in the area to activities of some criminal elements who wanted to feed fat on the vice.

    He further explained that a joint patrol of the Police, the Military and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has been increased around the creeks to control the trend.

  • Govt. urged to evolve women-friendly policies

    Govt. urged to evolve women-friendly policies

    Self-discipline and forgiveness are the virtues every mother must possess in order to make her marriage a successful one. Again she must learn to be patient with her husband, children and neighbours and she should mediate with wisdom and understanding when the need arises.”

    The Women President, Powerline Bible Church, Ijegun branch, Oby Basil gave these admonitions during the Virtuous Women Conference of the branch entitled “21st Century Mother”. According to her; the 21st Century mother must not be idle but must engage herself in a small business to complement the efforts of the husband.

    Basil said every mother must be a woman of vision, a woman of focus, productive in her marriage for proper upbringing of her children. In all these, she must be completely submissive to her husband.

    In a chat with Southwest Report in Lagos, she said the church had created a platform for entrepreneurship training for the women in the branch every Thursday of the month. She said the women were trained in skills which included soap making, ice cream making and hat making, among others, stressing the need for every mother to be supportive of her husband.

    The training, she said, was aimed at making the women to be productive in their respective families.

    “We empower them financially and materially. We give them items such as clothes and things that will be of benefit to them,” she said.

    She said the church also provided loan facilities where the women could seek soft loans to start small-scale businesses.

    “We give them little loans to empower themselves so that every woman will have something doing, because every woman ought to be productive,” she stated.

    Continuing, she said: “They are being taught to make a difference in whatever they do and not just in their businesses. In politics, they can make a difference; changes can take place by the contributions of the women. We tell them all these to enable them to discover their innate potential.”

    The training, she said, was free for everybody including men within and outside the church irrespective of religious inclinations, adding that the idea was to empower the women to discourage them from being idle.

    On politics, Basil said any woman that has gone through training of any kind could go into politics and bring positive changes to the society, adding that every woman that feeds her family also feeds the nation.

    “Women are the soul of any home. Any country that does not encourage the women to actively participate in politics is bound to fail because a woman knows the heartbeat of the husband; she knows the heartbeat of the children. So, if women participate in politics, they will make a lot of changes,” she said.

    She expressed the concern that women were not well represented in all tiers of governance, lamenting that the government does not give women that support to go into politics.

    She urged government at all levels to evolve serious plans to empower women, adding that a woman can start a business with a loan as little as N50, 000. The Women Leader revealed that the church is committed to training women to make them be self-reliant and economically relevant.

    Pastor (Mrs) Dora Osagie said the 21st Century mother should be a woman of vision, adding that they don’t need to behave like the people of the world.

  • My plan for Ajeromi–Ifelodun

    My plan for Ajeromi–Ifelodun

    ‘Provision of potable water will be given priority by my administration. Water supply is a major problem in our council. For instance, in some places, a bucket of water is sold for N50. We will ensure potable water supply in every street by drilling boreholes. The water facility will be managed by a member of the community in order to ensure sustainable continuity’

    A philanthropist and entrepreneur, Mr Sham-sideen Arogundade has promised to transform the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area through innovative ideas and developmental projects he planned to execute if elected Chairman of the council in the forthcoming local government polls in Lagos State.

    Arogundade, who is contesting for the chairmanship ticket of the council on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), explained that his decision to contest was borne out of sheer injustice and domination of political offices by the Araromi community to the detriment of Ajegunle where he comes from.

    He said Ajegunle has been marginalised for over 40 years now, not because it lacks intellectuals. Araromi has been producing chairmen of the council, members, State House of Assembly and House of Representatives.

    Besides, he said he was in the race because he has a blueprint of which if given the opportunity to implement, will bring rapid development to Ajeromi-Ifelodun and improve the well-being of the people.

    Unveiling a 10-point agenda he intends to implement, the aspirant promised to build a permanent secretariat for the APC within the local council as against a two-bedroom rented apartment that is being used, even as he promised to furnish the office of the chairman and other members of the executive committee with modern ICT facility and reward adequately dedicated party leaders  in the local government.

    He noted that the human resources deposited in the council have not been tapped due to lack of synergy between the graduates and the industries located within the council in terms of employment and acquisition of skills. He also promised to tackle child abuse by parents who encourage their wards to engage in hawking after school hours. “There will be evening classes to get the students out of the street,” he said.

    Arogundade pledged to stem the wave of crime and juvenile delinquency in the area through introduction of skill acquisition programmes in collaboration with established entrepreneurs within the local government jurisdiction.

    “We will get the youth engaged in different skills acquisition through vocational training in mechanical, fashion designing, furniture making, barbing/hair dressing and tailoring. After training, our administration will assist them with necessary tools and equipment to practise their professions,” he stated.

    Speaking further on his programme, he said: ”To make health care services available to every citizens within our council, we will collaborate with traditional and orthodox medical practitioners; we have to make them well established in order to reduce high rate of maternal mortality. We will provide health grant for the youth so that they patronise orthodox medical clinics or primary health centres. The same thing will apply to elderly persons within the local government area.

    “We will evaluate the human capacity of our people and financial capacity of market men and women within the local government. We will appoint market enumerators that will evaluate their financial capacity and recommend those to be assisted with financial grant. We won’t give them cash but we will increase their stuff.

    “Provision of potable water will be given priority by my administration. Water supply is a major problem in our council. For instance, in some places, a bucket of water is sold for N50. We will ensure potable water supply in every street by drilling boreholes. The water facility will be managed by a member of the community in order to ensure sustainable continuity.

    “On welfare of members of staff of the local government, we shall augment and uphold the existing structure. There will be incentive for teachers as well. We will introduce health and financial grants for them. To implement this, we shall broaden the revenue generation by looking for more sources of generating funds for the council.

    “As regards community policing, we shall inculcate Information Technology (IT) in monitoring, especially areas that are prone to crimes or flash points. We will support socio-cultural advancement, the established structure of Lagos State government, Federal Government and the Police Force as well.

    “It is my plan to introduce free internet service in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area through “Free WI-FI Services”. It is a connectivity mechanism for internet through which people can browse free.  We will partner with an international service provider to provide Free WI- FI Services for all students and youths and those related to internet activities within our local council. I have a strong relationship with international service provider. I want to bring it home to create free internet services for those related to internet activities.

    “Sports development will be the front burner of our administration because majority of the youth in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area love sports. We shall engage them in sporting activities. We shall add to existing facilities at Marakan Stadium in Tolu and Navy Barrack Sports Centre at the Navy Base in Boundary. We shall partner with sports enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and philanthropists in creating well-equipped sports centres and to assist those who are running non-governmental organisations (NGOs) sports to get international recognition.”

    To raise funds for these programmes, Arogundade said he would broaden the existing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the local government without clashing with the state’s IGR.

    “There will be need to establish innovative and creative ideas towards evaluating our exiting IGR structure. We have to inculcate techno-critic and technological ideas towards achieving these,” he said.

    Arogundade, who is  project co-ordinator, Investor facilitator for Africa (Skyway Capital, Russia); Broker (Boston Merchant Financial (United Kingdom); Managing Director, Fundrise Tentacles , Nigeria and Managing Director, Etozed Du-real Nigeria Limited urged residents of the council to try his competence which they will not regret.

  • Aspirant promises better life for residents

    Aspirant promises better life for residents

    An aspirant for the forthcoming local government election in the Bariga Area of Lagos State, Comrade Solape Oyinloye, has promised residents of the council a new lease of life if she wins.

    Oyinloye, who praised the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for producing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, spoke glowingly about the dynamism in the administration of Lagos State which has elicited monumental achievements in all sectors.

    She promised to empower the youth and women with skills in order to reduce the rate of unemployment and encourage economic self-reliance, improve on health facilities and engage in robust medical programmes for the people.

    Oyinloye, an alumnus of the Lagos State University and Founder  and Chief Executive  of Oyinsope Beauty World and OyinSolape Integrated Services, pledged  to develop sports and  improve social infrastructure in Ward E of the council.

    For her impact to be felt rewardingly in the entire council, she promised to organise an all-inclusive welfare programme that will touch the lives of residents.

    She praised some political leaders such as Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Senator Adefuye, Hon. Rotimi Abiru and Hon. Anifowose Denege for their exemplary leadership and all members of the APC  in the Bariga Local Government Area for their unalloyed  loyalty to the party.

  • Praises as The Nation man Adesanya retires

    Praises as The Nation man Adesanya retires

    After 10 years of active service, the Head Planner in the Production Department of Vintage Press Limited (publishers of The Nation), Mr Frederick Adesoye Adesanya, aka Baba Fred, has retired voluntarily.

    Mr. Adesanya was joined by members of his family and members of staff of The Nation to celebrate his retirement at the premises of the company’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.

    The Nation’s Deputy Editor, Mr Lawal Ogienagbon described Mr Adesanya as a brother, adding that “Mr Adesanya’s work ethic were highly commendable.

    “We fight but play together; he knows his job and I am happy for him. He has worked, retired, but he is not tired. He has gone through thick and thin but he kept it on and ensured the job gets done,” he said.

    He expressed his happiness that the retiree is healthy, strong and does not look his age.

    “I have a lot to say about him and I am happy that he has seen today. Many people, not as old as he is are gone, even those younger. I thank God for his life and pray his retirement will be the beginning of a new dawn in his life,” he said.

    The Nation’s Group Business Editor, Mr Simeon Ebulu, said Mr Adesanya left a legacy of hard work and diligence in the Production Department of the newspaper.

    “He enjoyed everything about his work and you can never find him angry because he was always busy,” Mr. Ebulu said.

    Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), The Nation chapter, Mr Musa Odoshimokhe, thanked the retiree for serving the company diligently, adding that Mr Adesanya would always go the extra mile to get things done despite the odds.

    Supervisor of the Graphic Artist, Mr Wasiu Odunsi, congratulated the retiree, saying he was always ready to take up responsibilities.

    One of the graphic artists, Mrs Angela Echefu, described the retiree as her friend, saying he was always there for all.

    In his response, Mr Adesanya said he enjoyed working for The Nation, adding that he tried his best on the job.

    He thanked all members of staff for the love shown him on his retirement, saying, despite the challenges, they have been supportive.

  • Ogun community protests poor power supply, high tariff

    Residents of Ado-Odo Community Development Association, in Ado- Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ogun State have protested what they described as unjustifiable poor power supply in the area.

    The peaceful protest, which was held at the head office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Ring Road Ibadan, was embarked upon by community leaders and members of the community.

    The protesters said the current economic hardship experienced in the country is being compounded by epileptic power supply, as many small businesses in the area have been crippled due to lack of electricity supply.

    They claimed that the tariff, which is largely based on estimation, is unjustifiable as it is not commensurate with services rendered.

    Speaking on behalf of the community, the chairman of community development association for power distribution in Ado-Odo, Mr. Abayomi Aina, said the company has not been fair to residents of the community in terms of power supply.

    He said: “We are here to protest the poor power supply in our area. The manager in our local government, Mrs. Falusi purposely drops our light without justifiable reason.

    “We hardly have light a day in a week. When we complained about the abnormality, the manager becomes angry. As a result of this poor power supply, our cables are always stolen. The bills they bring to our people are always outrageous.

    “We have severally presented our case to the IBEDC office in Sango Ota but nothing was done about it. We want you to come to our rescue for our people to enjoy more power supply. We are ready to pay if they give us light.”

  • Songhai option for Oyo agric revolution

    Songhai option for Oyo agric revolution

    Since Nigeria began to experience economic recession, the refrain has been “embrace farming”. It is not only a clarion call on Nigerians to embrace agriculture to cushion the effects of the problem; it is also a wake-up call to government at all levels. This is so because the revenues accruable from the Federation Account to the state and local governments have reduced due to dwindling income to the Federal Government. In the circumstances, the Oyo State government has finalised plans to replicate the famous Songhai Farm in Benin Republic to ensure mass food production as well as enhance its revenue base. 

    If there is anything that occupies the mind of the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi at present, it is how to explore the agricultural potential to rescue it from the current economic downturn and turn around its fortunes.

    It is significant that the state is blessed with the largest landmass of 28,454 square kilometres which makes it, unarguably, the largest in the entire Southern part of the country. Aside having the advantage of vast arable lands, Oyo State has available water bodies of no fewer than 22 dams, coupled with the largest concentration of agricultural research institutes.

    These are the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) and Nigerian Institute of Horticulture (NIHORT), among others.

    Aside tapping into all these to ensure that the state becomes the food basket of the nation through massive agricultural outputs, the governor has also gone a step further by establishing an agriculture initiative known as ‘AgricOyo’ through which the government has been rallying local government councils, traditional rulers, out-growers and off-takers, interested individuals and corporate bodies to get actively involved in agric business.

    The objectives of creating one million direct jobs across the agric value chain and turning the state into the food hub of the Southern part of the country are thus being pursued vigorously by the state government. This is apart from the ongoing construction of 10,000 metric tonnes silos in Oyo town which is aimed at enhancing preservation, storage, value addition and price stability of food items in all seasons.

    Even though some measure of success has been recorded from all these initiatives, it is Governor Ajimobi’s belief that more could still be achieved in the agriculture sector. Consequently, he was in Porto Novo, Republic of Benin, from March 14 to March 15, this year on a working visit to Songhai Regional Centre, which is described as the largest integrated agricultural centre in the West African sub-region.

    He was accompanied on the trip by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Olalekan Alli; Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi; three Special Advisers, two members of the state House of Assembly and other top government and Ministry of Agriculture officials.

    The delegation was received by the Director of the Songhai Centre, Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo. At the centre, the governor emphasised that he was there strictly for business and not for any form of jamboree.

    The centre, established about 30 years ago by Nzamujo, a Nigerian from Rivers State and Professor of Microbiology and Micro-electronics at the University of California, United States of America, is the largest employer of labour in Benin Republic, with 1, 300 members of staff.

    In Songhai, it is from the farm to the table, as the centre engages in agric production, processing, packaging, sales and exporting. It is a one-stop centre where all the sectors are integrated and intertwined.

    The farm is a beehive of activities, as companies, traders and individuals throng it for their daily needs, ranging from different types of vegetables, fruits, bathing soaps, table water, assorted fruit drinks, honey, palm oil, coconut oil, cooked food, roasted meat, fish, chicken, eggs, yam flour, garri, to fabricated farm implements.

    Aside growing crops and leafy vegetables such as maize, cassava, rice, yam, millet, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, pawpaw, palm tree and others in commercial quantities all year round, the centre, which occupies 40 hectares of land (about 110 acres), with eight satellite farms spread across the country on 2,000 cumulative hectares of land, also engages in fishing, poultry and livestock in large scale.

    One other interesting feature about the farm is that it produces its own fertiliser which it employs in growing the crops and vegetables. The centre equally turns human wastes into organic manure to feed the fish in its various ponds and produce biogas through which it generates energy for consumption within the centre. In essence, everything within the centre is recycled. It also manufactures different types of machines for local use and export.

    Nzamujo, a Reverend Father, who described the centre as the pride of the country (Benin Republic) and the West African sub-region, attributed its survival in the last 30 years to the fact that it is run strictly as a business enterprise.

    “In our centre here, it is business unusual,’’ Nzamujo said, adding that merit is strictly observed in the engagement of workers, while they are under strict supervision and monitoring to ensure efficiency in the discharge of their responsibilities.

    According to him, stealing of anything, no matter how small, is forbidden as anybody caught is usually shown the way out, though he was quick to add that the welfare of the workforce is not compromised.

    Nzamujo said when he began the centre 30 years ago on a hectare of land, nobody believed in the project.

    “It took dedication, commitment and leadership by example to see Songhai Centre develop to its present level. When I started, I had little money; land was also available but all the ingredients to make it work were not there,’’ he said.

    He further explained that the main philosophy of the centre was to unlock the capacity of the soil, maintaining that he was all out to let Africans know that they could create wealth within themselves, giving the determination, commitment and a paradigm shift from the culture of entitlement to the belief that everything is possible.

    On why the farm was not sighted in Nigeria, his country, Nzamujo said he was not welcomed. “We could have established the centre in Nigeria but we were not welcomed. We tried but it didn’t work. Our first attempt was in Cross River State. But the change of government didn’t help. It was not a question of lack of money or unavailability of land, but lack of commitment on the part of government. We have the tendency in Nigeria to drag our feet over everything. It is very unfortunate,’’ the director regretted.

    The centre has not only gained recognition, it has also attracted the attention of world leaders and international organisations.

    For instance, the immediate past Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon and one of his predecessors, Mr. Kofi Annan, had once visited the farm to observe its operations. Besides, former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chairperson of African Union, Mr. Alpha Conde and the Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Mr. José Graziano da Silva, had also, at one time or the other, been guests of the centre.

    It also has technical partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington DC, USA, French Corporation and some universities in Nigeria.

    Impressed by what he called ‘the wonders of Songhai’, Governor Ajimobi said nothing would stop his government from replicating the integrated farming system in Oyo State within the next three months.

    “I am highly impressed with what I have seen,’’ the governor said, adding: “Songhai Centre is an epitome of integrated farming in Africa. From scratch to finish, nothing is wasted. Even a drop of water is used for something. From farming to processing and then to value addition, it is a mixed basket for me.

    “If a Nigerian can do this here (Benin Republic), I don’t know what is wrong with us in Nigeria. This is unbelievable. Here, you are trained to think right, to believe in farming, to be Godly and to learn the lesson of hard work and above all, to be patriotic.

    With Prof. Nzamujo and all the experiences we have garnered here, I assure you that within the next three months, this integrated farm will be replicated in Oyo State. And nothing will stop it,’’ he said.

    The governor added that the project would be private sector-driven, with government providing all the necessary support in terms of policy formulation, enabling environment as well as security, while the day-to-day running would be left in the hands of the investors.

    This, according to him, is to enhance the sustainability of the initiative which, he said, would revolutionise agriculture.

    The governor added that the initiative would provide employment for the teeming unemployed youth, serve as a training centre for stakeholders in the agric sector and ultimately, unleash the potential of the soil.

    To demonstrate the seriousness attached to the take-off of the project, the governor constituted a seven-man committee to midwife the project in conjunction with Songhai Centre. While the Rural Community Development Centre, Awe, with 60 hectares of land, is to serve as mother farm, satellite farms will be established in other parts of the state and crops planted based on the comparative advantage of each zone.

    With the governor’s avowed commitment to seeing the project take off without delay and Songhai’s readiness to partner the state, the stage is now set for government to further tap the agriculture potential, not only to boost food production but also to improve the economy of the state through agric production, packaging, processing and export. It certainly promises to be one of the legacy projects of the Ajimobi administration.

    • Sadeeq is the Senior Special Assistant on Media (Print) to Oyo State Governor

     

  • Monarch urges security in community

    The Ologudu of Ogudu in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, His Royal Majesty Oba Waidi Ayinla Fashola Fagbemi 1, has appealed to the Lagos State government to provide pedestrian bridge and security personnel to protect lives and properties of the residents.

    Oba Fashola, who made the appeal during his10th year coronation anniversary held at his Ogudu Waterfront Area, noted that loss of lives caused by road accidents is recorded regularly was giving him concern. He spoke through his palace public relations officer, Chief Ibrahim Durojaiye.

    The monarch said: “This event has afforded me the opportunity to call on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to consider the provision of good road network, neighbourhood security outfit, water and job opportunities for the youth in Ogudu community so that they can be useful to themselves and the society as well as discourage them from engaging in criminal activities.”

    He added that the Lagos State government should provide more security personnel at Ogudu bus stop to monitor activities of hoodlums who attack innocent citizens who are either waiting for bus or passersby.