The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abeokuta

  • Police arrest 31-yr-old gunman at Ogun gov’s inauguration

    The police in Ogun State on Friday confirmed the arrest of 31-year old Oluwaseun Fakoyejo at MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, venue of the inauguration of Ogun State Governor Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun on Wednesday May 29.

    The arrest of the suspect followed  intelligence  received by the police command that some hoodlums were at the stadium to ferment trouble which made the Police to be more vigilant during the ceremony.

    Spokesman of the State Police Command, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested in the wake of attacks unleashed on people at the stadium shortly after the new governor and dignitaries departed the stadium.

    Read Also: Police arrest man with short gun at Abiodun’s inauguration

    Other suspected miscreants were said to have fled while one locally made single barrel pistol and four live cartridges were recovered from the suspect.

    “Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama has ordered a thorough investigation of the suspect, in order to apprehend  his fleeing accomplices.’’

  • Ogun Govt lauds NBC’s effort to tackle youth unemployment

    Non-alcoholic beverage giant, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited has commenced its 2019 series of the ‘Youth Empowered’ initiative, aimed at equipping youths with basic life and business skills at a 3-day workshop held in Abeokuta.

    The initiative which received commendation from the Ogun State Government for tackling youth unemployment in the country, witnessed a large turnout of over 750 registered participants.

    Earlier in his opening remarks at the 3-day workshop, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, Ogun State who was represented by the Director, Employment Generation of the Ministry, Mr. Abdulhakeem Ashimi described the initiative as highly commendable, well thought-out and complementary to government’s effort in reducing unemployment through its numerous programs for the youth.

    “The problem of persistent youth unemployment requires combined efforts of the public and private sectors for any meaningful and sustainable impact to be achieved. We believe government alone should not be left to tackle the issue of unemployment in Nigeria, the private sector has a big role to play,” he said.

  • Court dissolves two-year-old marriage over childlessness, adultery

    Chief Ademola Odunade, the President of Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, on Wednesday dissolved a two year-old marriage between Raphael Olufemi-Abdullahi and Tina over childlessness, adulterous lifestyle and stealing.

    Odunade held that the court had no other option than to dissolve the union because love, which is a major ingredient in a marriage, was absent.

    “The two year-old union between Raphael and Tina has ceased to be, in the interest of peaceful living.

    “A copy of this judgment is to be served on Tina so that she can be aware of the court’s decision.

    “Tina shall return all the stolen documents to Raphael,’’ the arbitrator said.

    Earlier in his petition, Olufemi-Abdullahi, a civil servant and a resident of 4 Oseni St., Elere-Apata in Ibadan said that his wife’s adulterous lifestyle was the bane of her infertility.

    “My greatest regret in life is the decision I made marrying Tina as a wife because she is neither productive nor trustworthy.

    “After our lavishly-celebrated wedding in February 2017, I did everything humanly possible to ensure that Tina conceives but it was all futile.

    “In the hospital, I was specifically told that Tina had aborted pregnancies and that in fact, some sexual infections were preventing her from being productive.

    “My lord, I have spent over N2 million on tackling Tina’s infertility without any result.

    Read Also: Carpenter in court for setting neighbour’s car ablaze

    “Worst still, Tina never stopped sleeping with various men around.

    “Most of the time, she goes to church for prayers but pastors in her church end up sleeping with her,’’ he said.

    According to him, sometime, she leaves home in the evening and never returns until the following evening, fornicating about.

    “Tina has started stealing some of my things anytime I am away in Abeokuta where my office is.

    “After our first appearance here in February, I travelled to Abuja. Tina broke into my shelf, stole my essential documents such as academic credentials, employment documents and promotion documents.

    “Other documents Tina stole are; three international passports, building documents such as Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), building plan, land agreement and so on.

    “I have reported her at a police station,’’ Olufemi-Abdullahi said.

    In the testimony she made on her first appearance on Feb. 12, the respondent opposed the suit, even though she could not deny most of the allegations leveled against her.

    Tina was absent when she was called to give more evidence to support the reason why she did not want the marriage to be dissolved.

    The court’s bailiff informed the arbitrator that the respondent was duly served with hearing notice.

    NAN

  • Gombe to establish Hippopotamus colony

    The Gombe State Government says it is working on establishing a Hippopotamus colony at Dadin Kowa to save the animals from attacks and the threats they pose to fishermen.

    Alhaji Sa’ad Hashidu, the state Director of Forestry and Wildlife Management said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Gombe.

    Hashidu said the issue of persistent attacks between the hippos and fishermen in Dadin-Kowa was discussed by the National Council on Environment in 2017 and agreed that a hippo colony be established as a permanent solution.

    The director added that the meeting mandated the National Park Service Board to liaise with the state government to work out the modalities.

    “With regard to the outcome of the council’s decision reached in Abeokuta, Ogun State in 2017, we wrote a memo to the state government requesting for funding to bring the National Park Officials for a feasibility study.

    “ We are expecting that as soon as the fund is made available, we will bring the officials to do the needful so that the specie can be protected too.

    “Also, a consultant from the United Kingdom visited last week for a feasibility study. She held a meeting with the Yamaltu Emirate Council, officials of Dadin-Kowa dam, fishermen and farmers on the issue.

    Read Also: Gombe: Atiku loses in Dankwambo’s polling unit

    “ She is working out modalities too to get international donors to synergise with the state government to establish hippo colony,” he said.

    Hashidu explained that by colony the species would be confined within a particular area in Dadin-Kowa dam, adding that as conservationists, it was their duty to protect the hippos from extinction.

    He stressed that the measure would end the clashes and boost socio-economic activities of the area, as there would be no challenge of hippos grazing or destroying crops or fishing equipment.

    According to him, it will also be a source of revenue to the state government as tourists and researchers will be visiting the hippos colony.

    Hashidu, however, noted that in the interim, forest and game guards had been contacted to help chase back the hippos to the dams whenever they made attempts to graze on farmers’ crops.

    He agreed that the guards have not been active of recent due to paucity of funds, but assured they would  resume soon.

    NAN reports that Malam Sa’adu Adamu, leader of the fishermen in Dadin-Kowa had on March 28, raised an alarm over threats that the animal pose to their lives and business.

    Hippopotamus, referred to in anciest Greek as the ‘river horse’, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semi-aquatic mammal.

    It is the third largest living land mammal after elephants and white rhinos.

    NAN

  • Amosun’s govt owes N170m deductions, Ogun Poly workers allege

    Academic and non-academic workers in Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday alleged that Governor Ibikunle Amosun – led administration owed them N170 million unremitted pension deductions.

    According to the workers, Amosun is also planning to disband the three unions operating in the polytechnic as well as sack their executive officers.

    The branch Chairmen of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Kola Sopade; the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) Babatunde Osifalujo; and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) Kola Olawunmi stated these in a statement yesterday.

    But, The Nation sent message to the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the governor on Information and Strategy, Rotimi Durojaiye, for the state government’s reaction, but he was yet to respond as at the time of going to the press.

    The unions have been at loggerheads with the state government over the conversion of MAPOLY to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) and the establishment of Ogun State Polytechnic in Ipokia.

    They advised the governor not to take any action that would further pauperize them.

    Read Also: APC warns against Amosun’s last -minute transactions

    According to them, their offence was that they demanded what were their legitimate rights.

    The unions said they were not averse to the laudable idea of transmuting MAPOLY to MAUSTEC or establishing Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, or oblivious of the economic, social and political importance of setting up a higher institution in any community.

    They, however, said the welfare of their workforce should also matter to the governor.

    The unions noted that the embargo on admission of students into MAPOLY, which has crippled its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from where the school was self-sustaining, hurried transmission of the polytechnic into a university without willingness to fund it, non-payment of outstanding salaries and allowances, withholding of N170 million pensions deductions among other issues were creating unsavoury situation.

    The unions noted that no worker in MAPOLY is sure of his/her appointment status as there is no definite direction as to what happens to the institution’s personnel since MAPOLY had been decreed to have expired.

    They alleged that it was not clear whether MAPOLY is transiting to MAUSTECH or MAPOLY is transiting to Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia.

    They, however, appealed to the public and well-meaning people to prevail on the governor not to embark on any action that would worsen their plights.

  • OGSG advocates maintenance culture for government properties

    Civil servants in Ogun State have been enjoined to embrace maintenance culture in the protection of government’s properties.

    This call was made by the Acting Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Surajudeen Olusesi, while delivering his keynote address at the first edition of the year 2019 quarterly in-house training, organised by the Commission in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

    He said most government’s property which are dedicated for public use were now in bad shape, due to lack of maintenance, adding that the training was intended to educate participants on how to inculcate the habit of maintenance culture in the protection of government’s properties at all times.

    The guest lecturer, Director Planning Research and Statistics,  Ministry of Housing who is also Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Architects, Ogun State Chapter, Arch. Sulaiman Oladipo, while speaking on the topic : ”Maintenance Culture in the Protection of Government Properties”, identified proper maintenance as ‘’a process of preserving something to retain it’s good condition for effective continued use.’’

    Read also: Panic in Ogun community as farmer kills two

    Oladipo maintained that effective and efficient utilisation of public facilities is a contributing factor to the promotion of industrial growth, adding that the need for effective maintenance could be realised by considering the adverse consequences of ineffective maintenance system.

    He, however, suggested that adequate maintenance planning, allocation of adequate funds, creation and effective running of maintenance units, with adequate training, as well as government formulating policies that would promote the importance of maintenance culture.

    One of the participants, Mr. Olusegun Obasan from Bureau of Establishment and Training, commended the organisers for coming up with such an important topic, saying that it would have great impact on the participants.

  • 56,073 pupils battle for 108 TV quiz slots

    A total of 56,073 secondary school pupils sat for the first stage of the 2019 COWBELLPEDIA Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz Show.

    The number marks a 34 per cent increase over the 41,730 who wrote the examination last year.

    In the last four years, 195,474 pupils have taken the first stage examination of the competition sponsored by Promasidor Nigeria under its Cowbell milk brand.

    The result of State One examination is expected to be announced in June with the best 108 students (54 each for junior and senior categories) proceeding to the Television Quiz Show stage.

    They will progress based on their performance in the preliminary, semi-finals and final rounds which would be aired in 13 episodes by major television stations across the country.

    An Ibadan-based education psychologist, Mr. Agboola Alphonso, praised the Cowbellpedia for stimulating the interest of young students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

    “I move round the state, from Ibadan to Iseyin and even to Abeokuta, Ogun State, in the course of my work, and what I have seen about the Cowbellpedia effects have been wonderful. I salute the efforts and pray for more strength for the company and Cowbell milk,” he said.

    At the start of the competition, the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria, Anders Einarsson, said the overall best prize was N2 million for the junior and senior secondary categories winners – in addition to an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country.

    The first runner up will get N1.5million, and the second runner-up to get N1 million in each category.

  • Atiku, Obasanjo meet in Abeokuta

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar came into Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, yesterday for “strictly private meeting” with his former boss, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Atiku, who arrived Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, around 1pm, observed his prayer at the mosque within the sprawling OOPL facility, had lunch later with his host and left quietly, a source close to Obasanjo told The Nation.

    Read also: Obasanjo to Makinde: Don’t pocket Oyo state govt.

    It was not clear what the former Vice President discussed with Obasanjo during his short visit, but there were  insinuations that both might have deliberated on the last presidential election, which Atiku contested on the platform of the PDP, but lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “I can confirm that Atiku visited Baba Obasanjo today around 1pm. It was purely private visit. He came, observed his prayer, had lunch with Baba and left. The visit was brief. There was nothing else done,” the source said.

  • Ballot box snatching: Police on red alert in Ogun

    Ogun state Police Command Friday warned that it would deal decisively with any person who foments trouble during Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) told The Nation that the Police is fully prepared to foil any attempt at ballot box snatching.

    DSP Oyeyemi who gave the assurance in Abeokuta Friday said the Police have been put on red alert and would deal decisively with anybody that causes trouble.

    He urged citizens of the state to be law abiding as they exercise their civic responsibilities.

    He assured citizens of the state of their security during and after the conduct of the governorship and state assembly elections.

    According to DSP Oyeyemi, the Police is capable and fully prepared to curtail violence and ensure that the elections are without hitches.

    Read Also: Police chief speaks tough

    Although he gave no figure, the Police spokesperson assured that they have enough men and officers on ground to cover the entire state.

    “We have additional three Commissioner of Police (CPs) to supervise the conduct of the elections. Each of them would take charge in the three senatorial districts, Ogun Central, Ogun East and Ogun West.

    “An Assistant Inspector General of Police is the overall head and they have been mobilised to be on red alert,” he said.

    “Anyone who wants to foment trouble should have a rethink. We would not fold our arms and allow breakdown of law and order in any part of the state,” he said.

  • Man remanded for allegedly stealing generator parts

    An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State yesterday remanded a 31-year-old man, Mustapha Sanusi, in prison for allegedly stealing generator parts.

    Magistrate Temitope Obasanjo remanded the accused in prison following his plea of guilty to a two-count charge of stealing and unlawful damage.

    Obasanjo, however, adjourned the case till February 27 for facts and sentence.

    Prosecuting Inspector Idowu Ogunleye had told the court that the defendant committed the offences on February 19 at about 2pm at Bashero Village in Oke-Ata area of Abeokuta.

    Read also: Court frees director, brother on charges of non-declaration of assets

    She alleged that the defendant stole Lister generator parts valued at N450, 000, Molding machine parts valued at N150, 000 and a Rooter machine parts valued at N40, 000 belonging to Lukman Badri.

    Ogunleye said the defendant also damaged some machine parts by losing them to pieces.

    She said the offence contravened sections 383, 451 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006.