Community leaders in the four local government areas of Akoko land, especially Ikare- Akoko, headquarters of Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State have urged the Federal and the state governments to rehabilitate the deplorable roads in their communities.
The community leaders conducted reporters round some of the roads which they said had been hindering economic activities and affected smooth movement of goods and prevented commuters in Akoko land from travelling at will.
They pleaded that the roads be fixed immediately to enable the residents of the communities to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Speaking through the Owa Ale of Ikare land, Oba Samuel Kolapo Adegbite Adedoyin, the aggrieved residents listed the Owo-Ikare highway which is a Federal Government road.
The monarch said: “The Owo-Ikare road is now a death trap for travellers. The importance of the road cannot be over-emphasised considering the fact that it links the nation’s federal capital, the northern and eastern parts of the country.
“Also, the Owo-Ikare Road is also economically important to Ikare and Akoko people, in the sense that they evacuate their agricultural produce to the cities through the road.”
The monarch appealed to the Federal Government to prioritise the Owo-Ikare Federal road to boost the economy of the area and prevent incessant accidents on the road.
He also urged the Ondo State government to fulfil some of its electoral promises for Ikare and the entire Akoko land.
Also speaking, Olotu Omolola, Alhaji Momoh Aliyu Ogunyen and Chief Ahmed Ohunjugbagbe, appealed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko to assist in rehabilitating the deplorable Awara Road which is very important to the Ikare community as the road links many Ikare farmlands.
The community leaders jointly drew the state government’s attention to its promise to make Ikare-Akoko township road a dual carriage way such as that of Akure.
They also solicited for the reticulation of Awara Dam to enhance distribution of potable water to Ikare and the four local government areas of Akoko land.
Category: Southwest
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Ondo communities decry poor state of roads
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‘SMEs’ll help grow grassroots’ economy
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as the catalyst to help reduce the scourge of unemployment and grow the economy at the grassroots.
The Acting Director-General, Global Centre for Human Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Development (GLOCHEED), Mrs. Rose Gyar, stated this in Ado-Ekiti at a training organised for some youths and women members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the 16 local government areas.
She explained that the centre has keyed into the Federal Government’s resolve to use agriculture and mining to diversify the economy and create job opportunities for Nigerians with the signing of the 2016 Budget into Law.
Mrs. Gyar stressed that the Federal Government considers the SMEs as critical to the economic future of the country; noting that the training was aimed at opening windows of opportunities for participants to access credit facilities.
While emphasising the fact that the era of government dolling out money has gone for good, the GLOCHEED boss said youths and women should key in to policies and programmes to boost their capacity to contribute meaningfully to the economy.
She pointed out that the centre is collaborating with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to promote quality raw materials for import substitution.
Mrs. Gyar advised the youth and women to form co-operative societies to enable them to access loans and other credit facilities from government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks, international development agencies and non-governmental organisations.
“Government is focusing on agriculture and mining. We need to be aware of how they can partner government in creating jobs and reducing poverty and how they can access funds to boost their capacity.
“Co-operative approach will allow for mass participation. We also go to the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and they have one local government-one-product initiative.
“The programme will help reduce poverty because we want mass participation and we are going to adopt co-operative model to create enabling environment for the participants.
“That is the model we can adopt to make more people benefit from it. It will be a group collateral,” Mrs. Gyar said.
One of the participants, Olajide Akintunde, said the forum was beneficial in the sense that they were trained on how to access loan facilities provided in the 2016 Budget. He expressed confidence that it will breathe life into local economy.
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Council chief seeks workers’ co-operation
The Sole Administrator of Apapa Iganmu Local Council Development Area, Mr. Olumide Olayomi has sought the support of the council’s management and staff.
He made the appeal in during his maiden meeting with workers at the council’s secretariat in Ijora, even as he urged them to be alive to their responsibilities and to always lead by example. According to him, his mission was to move the council forward in terms of provision of essential facilities that would make life better for residents. He enjoined the workers to co-operate with him in order to achieve the council’s objectives.
While urging them to be committed to their duties in the face of the onerous task ahead, he said: “I need your co-operation and that of the entire staff to make life better for the entire council. I think we can win together.”
The council chief later proceeded on a familiarisation tour of the council; visiting the Ojora of Ijora/Badiya, Oba Fatai Aromire.
The Head of Administration of the council, Mr Nurudeen, thanked the council chief for his advice, promising that the management team and the entire staff will co-operate with him in order to make his tenure a rewarding one. -
Pray for Buhari
A cleric Oluwole Sali has urged Nigerians to pray for President Muhamm-adu Buhari so that he would fulfill his electoral promises for the people.
He gave the advice in Lagos at a seven-day prayer programme for the good of the country. He said both Muslims and Christians should be involved in serious prayers to avert serious problems in the country.
He described President Buhari as God-send, adding that the President was ordained by God for a special assignment. He, however, noted that there are certain inhibitive forces that want to prevent his good intentions for the country.
Sali said: “Where there are children of light, children of darkness want confusion and wickedness to continue. There are those who benefit from confusion and wickedness who will not want PMB’s anti-corruption war to succeed.
He said: “There is abundant grace for President Buhari God has granted him because of the special work he is to accomplish. Many things are happening that are purely manipulations of the powers of darkness to cause confusion and bloodshed. Many are working to discredit this government but the Lord will frustrate them. Children of God should just rise up and pray. When “I mean Children of God, I mean men of God who are not after money and what they will gain; men of God who love this country as their own and are willing to bleed like Apostle Ayo Babalola for the nation to be blessed.
“It takes men of God who are not blinded by religious bigotry and denominational egos to see the mark of God Almighty upon President Buhari as it was upon Cyrus who gave the commandment of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. If the children of God will pray fervently and be patient, God will answer them, Prophet Sali,” added. -
Osunwon Omoluabi: End to business fraud in Osun
In its efforts to prevent cheats from taking advantage of unsuspecting customers, the Osun State government has introduced scale and weight standard for use in markets across the state. In the circumstances, Governor Rauf Aregbesola formally launched the scales and weight instruments and officially outlawed the old practice of transacting business using plastic bowls such as kongo, denge, kobiowu, dana and tin, among others that often results in several complaints and frictions among the buyers and sellers in most markets across the state.
In their stead, the state government introduced standard gauge and weight measurement through the use of scales for transaction of businesses. The new method was aimed at eliminating problems associated with the old measuring practices.
Deliberate alteration of measures; not measured fully to standard by trimming the head, melting and layering the plastic bowls and other containers with candles to reduce container size; deliberate distortion of bottles to reduce their content capacity and unhygienic conditions of the bottles, tins and others used for measuring liquid items are some of the causes of frequent friction among buyers and sellers in most markets.
While launching the standardised weights and measuring scales known as Osunwon Omoluabi at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Governor Rauf Aregbesola said fair and honest trade rest on the use of accurate weights and measures.
Aregbesola said: “No business can be conducted satisfactorily unless each person is sure the other person is fair and honest.”
He further stated that the scheme would eliminate cheating and other malpractices that have become the hallmark of doing business in most markets.
The governor maintained that the use of standardised scales in markets across the state will engender a chain of economic benefits, adding that dealers in weighing scales would experience business expansion as the programme will ensure increase in the demand of their products.
Aregbesola said the move was to make the state the preferred destination for commercial activities in the sub-region, reiterating that his administration would not relent in its efforts to increase economic activities.
He said: ”In the quest to be competitive and make more profit, which is greed, traders devise varying means of short-changing buyers. Measures are deliberately reduced through cutting, filling with candles and wax, and sleight of hand. Scales are tilted fraudulently while husks, chaffs, barks and other rubbish are included in goods sold, with the intention of reducing the actual value of what the buyers take home.
“One of the tragedies of this immoral practice is that foreigners began to distrust our export because, for instance, cocoa graders put top grades at the top of the sack, leaving poor quality at the bottom, and in the process, collect money for the top grade. Those who are in the business can tell you what loss they suffered because foreigners distrusted their products and classified all cocoa coming from our land as inferior, irrespective of the grade.”
The Governor maintained that the introduction of standardised weights and measures was a Federal Government’s law being replicated in the state.
He explained that weights and measures constitute item 63 on the Exclusive Legislatives List of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is, only the Federal Government can legislate on weights and measures in the country.
The various laws made in this respect include Weights and Measures Act CAP W3LFN, 2004, Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act CAP P25 LFN, 2004; Weights and Measures Standardisation of Indigenous Measures Regulations, 1992 and the Weights and Measures Fees Regulations.
“The legislations are geared toward ensuring that products are not under-dispensed at markets, factories, oil and gas stations and crude oil depot in Nigeria,” he said.
The Coordinator of the scheme, Mr. Ismaila Adekunle Jayeoba-Alagbada, who is the former Commissioner for Industries, Commerce, Co-operatives and Empowerment, hinted that the standardised weighing scale across markets in the state became necessary in order to mitigate challenges noticeable in commercial transactions.
Jayeoba-Alagbada said in order to eradicate cheating in the process of exchange of commercial goods and checkmate other challenges of market forces, government decided to formally introduce the standardised weighing scales.
He stated that training workshops had already been conducted in the markets all over the state on the effective use of the scales.
He stated that the Ministry of Industries, Commerce, Co-operatives and Empowerment is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring the day-to-day administration of the programme.
He said: “I need to emphasise that market men and women had been fully mobilised to key into this emerging commercial revolution. Both the leadership and the followership of the associations of market women and men had agreed, not only to comply with the right use of the scales and measures but also to continuously carry out peer reviews with a view to ensuring flawless implementation of the standardised weighing scales and measures programme. I want to place it on record that, but for the grace of God and the dogged determination of Mr. Governor, this launch, and indeed the entire standardised scales and measures programme would have been a mirage.”
He revealed that 178 OYES cadets have been trained under the train-the-trainer programme on the use, maintenance and repairs of the new measuring scales. The OYES cadet would also man some control posts in all the markets to serve both as repair and challenge-mitigating centres.
Speaking on the new scale, the President-General of Osun State Market Women Association, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade, said the standardised scale became necessary due to imbalance in measurement and fraud in commercial activities.
Asindemade said the kongo measurement introduced to the market in the old Oyo State became the standard measurement in Osun State when it was created. According to her, the old measurement was gradually subjected to abuse and fraud to the extent that individual seller used his or her yardstick for measurement, thus the need to re-standardise and unify it.
She, however, warned that the introduction of the standard scale should not translate to increase in prices of commodity in the markets.
“It is in a bid to correct the anomaly in measurement and scale that the Osun State government introduced the standardised weighing scales in markets so as to forestall fraud and cheating in measurements. As we embrace this innovation, I call on market men and women to co-operate with government to make this a success. Besides, introduction of the weight and measurement does not and should not lead to increase in price of commodities in our markets.”
The state government, however, subsidised the new measuring scales for the traders. For instance, from the supplier in Lagos, a 150kg platform is sold for N38, 500, but the state government is selling it at N28, 500. The prices of the scales are: 150kg (table) N8, 500, 20kg N2, 500, 10kg 2,500, while 5kg is N2, 000. -
Rotary gets female president
The Rotary Club of Omole Golden has decorated Rotarian Titilayo Sunmonu as its 13th President for the 2016/2017 Rotary Year. The event took place on Friday at Excellence Hotel, Ogba Lagos.
Mrs Sunmonu is the first woman President of the club which received its chartered certificate on June 4, 2004. She took over the mantle of leadership from the immediate past President of the club, Mr Idowu Afelogun.
The handing over ceremony was performed by the club’s council of past presidents led by its Charter President Mr Olutimi Adeleye, Barrister Michael Akamo and Prince Aderemi Ajose, among others.
At the brief event, the immediate past President Mr Afelogun urged the new President to continue to unite members of the club and to build a synergy in the club.
He said: “A lot would be achieved if you carry out the affairs of the club without fear or favour, especially if you do not have favourites among the members.”
In her remarks, Mrs Sunmonu thanked members of the club, particularly all former Presidents for giving her the privilege to lead the club.
She said as the first woman to occupy the exalted office, she would do everything possible to provide quality leadership for the benefit of all the members and humanity.
She assured that her tenure would do nothing to undermine the height to which the club has attained in the last 12 years.
Mrs Sunmonu, who said she is irrevocably committed to serving humanity, urged all members, as well as other philanthropic individuals and organisations to join her in the onerous task of serving to improve the cause of the less privileged. -
Centre partners firm on skilled technicians
To plug the shortfall in the supply of highly skilled technicians in Nigeria, the Educational Advancement Centre (EAC), Ibadan, has partnered with an Indian training institute, Orion Edutech, to offer world-class vocational training to willing youths and women.
Unveiling the project in its Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State headquarters last week, EAC Director, Mr Muyiwa Bamgbose, said the firm embarked on the initiative because of the alarming rate of unemployment and the acute shortage of skilled technicians in Nigeria which many times, create employment opportunities for skilled technicians who are nationals of neighboring countries.
Besides, Bamgbose said many Nigerian graduates are unemployable due to the wide gap between the gown and town as well as lack of opportunities for graduates to acquire relevant experience in their chosen careers due to unemployment.
But the project will offer quality and affordable vocational training to enrollees in several areas such as Catering, Mobile Phones and Computer Repair, Hotel and Hospitality Management, Beauty and Wellness, Apparel Manufacturing and Design, IT/ITES/Computing and Networking, BPO and Retail Management as well as Nursing.
“You see a newly built house and find out that the plumbing work is terribly done or you see the mechanic doing trial-and-error on your car. That’s why I concluded that Nigeria needs a vocational skills programme.” he said.
While addressing stakeholders at the launch, the Head, Global Alliance of the firm, Mr Rohit Venaik, explained that Orion Edutech’s programme is run from India, stressing that online learning is the firm’s greatest strength. He said it was the reason the firm has made deep penetration in India and countries across South East Asia and Africa with over 250 state-of-the-art training and counseling centres across the countries.
He added that Orion’s methods combine traditional and modern teaching methods which include Computer Based Training, Blended training through Learning Management System (LMS) and face-to-face learning, Live Instructor-Led Online Training on desktops, laptops, tablets and smart devices, E-learning, M-learning and Educational e-governance
Mr. Venaik explained that apart from teaching the actual skills, instructors equip the students with three other skills – Domain Knowledge (knowledge of the industry interested in), People Skills and Industry Experience.
According Venaik, the online teaching method is very effective as the students learn through direct online communication with their tutors as well as videos for demonstration. He added that offline materials are also provided in case of internet network failures or fluctuations.
An Indian based course, like other foreign courses, is ordinarily expected to be expensive but Venaik said that that pricing is the most important factor in the training. The courses cost as low as $200, according to him.
Launching the project, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Bureau for Investments Promotion and Public Private Partnerships, Mr. Yinka Fatoki, expressed government’s support for the new initiative.
The governor said the firm came at the right time. He commended the EAC for the initiative and disclosed that the introduction of the project in the state was in line with the government’s current promotion of self-employment and entrepreneurship as solutions to unemployment.
He promised that graduates of the EAC-Orion Edutech programme were welcome to explore the N2 billion funding for Small and Medium Enterprises.
His words: “Part of what the government is doing to encourage self employment is the creation of ‘Agri Oyo’ progrmme to encourage Agriculture. Also the government has created a N2 billion funding programme for SMEs in conjunction with the CBN and another N1 billion funding programme with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to support manufacturing-related enterprises. So, graduates of this programme will be welcome to tap into these windows.”
The training involves live lectures from eminent professors from India, United Dtates of America (USA) and Canada, international placement assistance, opportunities for internships, 24/7 dedicated call centre helpline from India and certifications from diploma to PhD level. -
Annual convention
The women of the Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Great Ilasa Area branch have celebrated the 14th edition of their yearly convention in Lagos.
With the guidance of members of its Executive Council, the women in attendance discussed issues concerning the welfare, advancement and participation of women in leadership at various levels.
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‘I am a bridge builder’
THE Sole Administrator, Mushin Local Government Area, Hon. Olayinka Kazeem, has promised to develop the local government.
He added that he would build bridges and end rancours.
Kazeem spoke while addressing a cross-section of stakeholders after his appointment was approved by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
He said only an atmosphere of peace and tranquility could engender development, stressing that he would adhere to party principles and be fair to all.
Also speaking, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Mushin Local Government, Hon. Michael Ikufisile, said he was happy with Kazeeem’s appointment. He described him as a man loved by all, and with a lot of experience in human relations.
The APC women leader, Mrs Modupe Awodogan, expressed satisfaction at the choice of Kazeem as the council chief.
She urged everyone to cooperate with him to fulfil the party’s mandate and deliver the dividends of democracy.
Kazeem enjoined all to cooperate with him for the good of the local government.
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For the good of the blind
Ekiti State indigenes resident in Republic of Ireland, otherwise known as Ekitiparapo Ireland, have brought smiles to the faces of pupils of the Government Special School for the Blind in Ikere Ekiti. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports
Students of the Government Special School for the Blind are now filled with joy as two key facilities which were hitherto in deplorable conditions are now wearing new look courtesy of help from an unexpected quarter.
A group of professionals who are indigenes of Ekiti State but resident in Republic of Ireland otherwise known as Ekitiparapo Ireland took the initiative to assist the school which has students who are blind and some deaf students.
Ekitiparapo Ireland was established in 2011 by group of men and women of Ekiti descent residing in the European nation and the group started charity work in its host community in 2015 when it donated cash to four charity homes in the country with the donation made possible by voluntary contribution by members.
Apart from the students, the staffs of the school are also happy with the gesture which they believe would go a long way in making the environment conducive to learning.
The school which has 187 students from Primary 1 to SS3 serves as s a centre for rehabilitation and training on how to read with Braille and use computers specially designed for the blind.
The principal of the school, Mr. Sanmi Omotoye, expressed joy with the humanitarian gesture of Ekitiparapo Ireland which has brought relief to the staff and students describing the renovation of the facilities as “fantastic.”
Omotoye explained that before the renovation was carried out, “the case of the toilet was so devastating that the sceptic tank had filled up and the roof had decayed to the extent that it could not be used during rain and even if it was sunny, the heat was unbearable.”
He disclosed that the Ekitiparapo Ireland assisted in evacuating faeces from the sceptic tank, carried out a massive renovation, changed the doors and painted the building to make it look modern. Steps and railings were also constructed to assist the blind students to walk freely.
Speaking on the dining hall renovation, Omotoye revealed that the derelict doors were removed and replaced with modern iron doors while the broken ceilings and windows were replaced with new ones.
Apart from the renovation and purchase of new facilities, Omotoye explained that the association also purchased ten new dining tables and twenty chairs for use at the hall apart from the hall painting and landscaping of the environment.
Omotoye said: “We gave them guide according to our needs and a member of Ekitiparapo helped us to supervise it according to the needs of the school. I want to say that our students are happy with this gesture and it has boosted their morale.
“With this gesture of Ekitiparapo Ireland, our students feel recognized and wanted. I was so happy with the speed and the rate of work, it started and within three months, the work was done.
“I kept informing the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Jide Egunjobi and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry because they must be carried along on anything going on here and the Commissioner was happy to come here and inaugurate the projects.
“I thank Ekiti State government; the government is trying for us within the limited resources available to it in the areas feeding and accommodation of the students. I want to thank the state government under the leadership of Governor Ayo Fayose.”
Omotoye appealed to well-meaning individuals, philanthropists, interest groups, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and corporate bodies to emulate the gesture of Ekitiparapo Ireland because “government cannot do it alone.”
The school boss stressed that education for the blind is very expensive because the equipment with which they are trained are “costly to buy and not easy to come by.”
He said further: “We are in dire need of musical instruments because many of our students are talented in the area of music and it is not everybody that can do white collar jobs.
“We need musical instruments like guitars, organs, drums, violins, amplifiers, among others. We need an ultramodern library since we are in computer age. The Federal Government gave us 20 solar-powered computers but we need more because if all our students have computers, it will motivate them.
“The materials needed by the blind are very costly, they cannot be purchased in Ado or Ikere, they are very expensive and we need people to assist us to buy them because government cannot do it alone. Thermophone machines are very costly and you can see them only in places like Lagos and Jos.
“Our bus is not in good condition, the engine is not in good condition . We need vehicles at all times to aid the mobility of deaf students to Amoye Grammar School where we have specialist teachers. Some of our buildings had their roofs blown off.”
A JSS 3 student of the school, Oladipo Sosanya, said the students are happy with the renovation of their dining hall and toilet.
Sosanya said: “The dining hall is now good because of the facilities provided, we now have new tables and chairs. The place used to be abandoned but now all of us are happy to eat and drink there.
“Before now, the toilet was very horrible and it was a no-go area during rain and Ekitiparapo gave it the best of touch. We are grateful for this because this shows that we have some people who love us.
“We the blind are human beings like others, they should see us as their brothers and sisters. We have those among us who are talented and people do invite us from outside to perform in musical shows.
“We need musical instruments to develop our talents and we also need special teachers.”
In an online chat with Southwest Report, president of Ekitiparapo Ireland, Mr. Ayo Ayeni, the gesture was a means of giving back to their homeland and to assist the less-privileged and the vulnerable.
According to him, the group sent a delegation to Ekiti State to look at the needs of existing Schools for Special Needs and identified two existing ones in Ido Ekiti and Ikere Ekiti but the latter was chosen because of its proximity to Ado Ekiti, the state capital and for logistics reasons.
Ayeni said: “Like I said earlier, Ekitiparapo members are originally from different towns and villages in Ekiti State. We are currently working and living in Republic of Ireland; our mission of coming together as a group is to give back to our community.
“We started charity works in our host community in Ireland and now is the time to take charity works back home. Like the saying goes, ‘charity begins at home.’ In this scenario, charity begins abroad and finally landed home in Ekiti. Our motto is “Ule labo simi oko” meaning wherever you go to work, you must come back home to rest.
“School for the blind in Ikere Ekiti was chosen among various competing needs for attention of our people back home because we see ourselves as advocates of the most vulnerable in our society or call it “special needs advocate” for the rights of people with social needs in Ekiti State.
“We use the project as a pilot scheme to draw attention of the privileged citizens to difficulties facing citizens with social needs in our society. This may act as a catalyst to philanthropists to do more for special citizens in our society as government alone cannot do it all.”
He explained further: “At the moment, we are focusing on the citizens with special needs in our society. We are looking at the vulnerable people in our society like children and women. These are the citizens with no voice in our society.
“We proposed to the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Jide Egunjobi during the commissioning of our project at the School of the Blind, Ikere Ekiti that government should forward a bill to the House of Assembly with the main objective of looking after the social needs of disabled citizens.
“For example, we expect all government buildings in the state to make provision for disabled people’s access as practised in developed countries like Ireland. We expect a quota of state employment to citizens with social needs and we expect a separate ministry of special needs in the state.
“Our intervention at the School of the Blind is just the beginning of the conversation on the neglect of special needs citizens in the state. This is by no far the end of this national discourse.”