The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abeokuta

  • Nine feared dead on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway

    No fewer than nine persons were feared dead on Tuesday in an accident involving a Marcopolo bus and an Iveco truck at Aseese area on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

    Mr Clement Oladele, Ogun Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, confirmed the figure to the News Agency of Nigeria  in Abeokuta.

    Oladele said that the accident was caused by speeding by the driver of the bus marked SMK 867 XG.

    He said that the bus lost control and collided with the parked truck with registration number AAA XP at 5:30am.

    Read Also: 11 die in road accident in Southern Philippines

    “A total of 42 persons were involved in the accident; they comprised 34 males and eight females.

    “Three male and two female adults were injured while seven male and two female adults died,” he said.

    The sector commander told NAN that the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital while the corpses were deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital mortuary, Sagamu, Ogun.

  • Liberty group builds capacity of volunteers

    African Students For Liberty (ASFL) has organised a leadership training workshop for pro-liberty students’ leaders at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Ogun State.

    The event was held at the CENT Auditorium on campus, with the objectives to develop the leadership capacity of the participants.

    Over 70 students participated in the capacity building in various areas, including event planning, students’ activism, public relations, leadership, and promoting sensible drug policies.

    The event started with a remark by Local Coordinator of ASFL in the school, Adeniyi Adebayo, who told the participants about vision and mission of the organisation.

    ASFL’s Alumni Relations and Programs Director, Lilian David, shared tips on how the participants could organise successful events on their campuses.

    She said: “Evaluating the success of your event will require that you set goals and expectations, get feedbacks, evaluate your finances and set success indicators prior to the event.”

    ASFL’s African Programs Associate, Oluwafemi Ogunjobi, who spoke on Driving students activism on campus, listed ways the students’ leaders could use to promote freedom on their campuses.

    Personal Assistant to the FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor, Mr Olasunkanmi Olajide, spoke on Impact of public relations in today’s society, during which he told that participants that public relation was regarded as “credible promotion” of a message to the public. He said a good public relations strategy should create a unified message that would help in marketing and business development.

    Assistant Director of International Programs at Students For Liberty (SFL), Olumayowa Okediran, spoke on How to combine liberty and academics. He said the leaders needed to sell the success stories on campus and highlighted the gains recorded in promoting liberty on campuses. He advised the participants to continually engage in discussion in tackling challenges they faced in the cause on advancing liberty and freedom on campus.

    Leadership Director at SFL, Moronfolu Adeniyi, who spoke on Youths and drugs, described abuse of drug as “a serious public health problem”, but said outright ban on drugs was not the solution to the abuse. He said government and non-governmental organisations should intensify awareness and campaign in sensitising young people on the effect of excessive drug intake.

    The event ended with presentation of books and branded shirts to three participants who gave a live publicity to the event on Twitter and other social media platforms.

     

  • 2019: I’ll not surrender Ogun to ‘profiteers,’ Amosun vows

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun again blows hot regarding the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary and the 2019 general elections in Ogun state, vowing not to “surrender” the state to those desirous of reaping from where they had sowed nothing.

    Amosun added that he and his supporters are on ground, well prepared and ready for the ‘profiteers’ on which ever date the governorship primary is fixed.

    The Governor who made this known while addressing hundreds of APC members and supporters at the MTR Hall, Ibara, Abeokuta, on Monday morning urged them to keep their ” gun powder dry” for political battle ahead.

    Amosun who momentarily left the MKO Abiola stadium, Kuto – Abeokuta, the venue of this year Independence anniversary celebration after leading some traditional rulers and state officials to cut the 58th Independence anniversary Cake for the MTR Hall to address his supporters, debunked the allegation of “security breach” by five APC governorship aspirants in the state.

    He said nobody is facing any threat and urged people not to de-market Ogun state with allegations of security breaches.

    “Don’t worry because of them. This position we are today is by the benevolence of God, we are more now, I have told them, we have the government, we have the party and we have the people.

    Read Also: Amosun’s choice governorship candidate Akinlade woos Ogun

    “They have been trying all the tricks in the book, they will have trouble having 10 or five percent of the people. If they do it one million times, the result will be the same.  They thought they are God.  God who dealt with them before will harmer more this time. The disgrace they got last  time (2015) will be more this time.

    “Keep your gun powder dry, we will mobilize you with the necessary logistics when the time comes. If they are doing kuru Kere moves, tell them that they will be graced. We are on ground here.  We will give you money for your motor (transport fare) back.

    “They writing something, nobody is going to kill anybody, if you have the love of Ogun State,  don’t  de-market it, nobody will kill anybody. We are ready for them, I’m the chief security officer of the state, something is worrying their brain, we are waiting for them.

    “Please don’t touch anybody, if they bring money collect from them, what we have done for you the day before yesterday, we are going to do another one, no retreat no surrender, it is not by might but by the benevolence of almighty God.

    “It is operation deliver your ward. Go out and mobilize yourself. We outnumber them. Where they have people, please allow them,” Amosun said.

  • Uncertainty, apprehension over APC planned guber primary  in Ogun

    Confusion and apprehension suffused the air of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, and other parts of the state over conflicting information regarding the planned governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
    While some information have it that the primary will hold this Sunday, another suggests it has been shifted till Monday, October 1, leaving  party supporters, members and even some of the aspirants still unsure of what to believe.
    Six persons – Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade(Ogun West), Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Otunba Bimbo Ashiru(Ogun East), Prince Dapo Abiodun(Ogun East), Jimi Lawal(Ogun East) and Abayomi Hunye (Ogun West), are in a keen battle for the APC governorship ticket.
    The confusion is precipitated by the alleged unavailability of materials and personnel required for the conduct of the primary as at 11: am in some of the wards visited in Abeokuta.
    The Nation learnt that APC Governorship Primaries committees headed by
    Muhammad Indabawa  and Sen. Gbenga Aluko(Secretary) for Ogun state are still being expected in the state from.Abuja.

    Read also: Why I annoited Zulum as my successor- Shettima

    A governorship aspirant who spoke with The Nation on phone, said the materials and  Committee members for the exercise are  still awaited from Abuja, adding that there was not information that the expected team have arrived the state yet.
    The APC Public Relations Officer in the state, Chief Wole Elegbede,  told The Nation that he only heard the primary was postponed for Lagos and Imo States respectively, urging party members to disregard rumours suggesting the date is shifted for Ogun APC.
    “Kindly disregard the rumours that the Ogun APC governorship direct primary is not holding today.
    “In view of the above, we urge all our loyal and dedicated members to mobilise fully for a free, fair and successful governorship primary today as planned,” Elegbede stated.

  • Court stops move to expel APC Exco in Ogun

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has restrained the leaders of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from suspending or expelling ward executive committees of the party at Ifo Constituency 1 Wards 1, 2,3 and 11.

    In the judgement obtained by The Nation, 10 leaders of the affected wards in Ifo Local Government, instituted the legal action against the party leaders in the state over the alleged plan to expel them(plaintiffs).

    In the originating summon, the plaintiffs dragged the APC, state chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, before the court.

    The court also warned that INEC, the party leaders and other defendants joined in the suit risk imprisonment if they failed to recognize the plaintiffs as ordered by the court.

    Read Also: Court remands welder for attempted kidnap

    The plaintiffs had sought the relief from the court to compel the defendants to obey the subsisting judgement, which conferred legitimacy on the ward executive committees in the mentioned wards.

    Granting the order restraining the defendants, the court ordered the defendants or their proxies to recognise the plaintiffs as the authentic officers of the ward executive committees in wards 1,2,3 and 11 in Ifo 1 state constituency.

    “An order restraining the defendants by themselves, agents, servants, proxies and surrogates from suspending or expelling the plaintiffs from the first defendant’s political party and recognizing them as the authentic officers of the ward executive committees in wards 1,2,3 and 11 in Ifo 1 state constituency,” the injunction reads in part.

  • Hit-and-run vehicle crushes mother, child to death in Ogun

    A hit – and – run driver on Friday, crushed a woman and baby strapped to her back to death with his Mitsubishi vehicle in Ogun State.

    The accident which occurred at the Agro Service, Odeda, corridor of Abeokuta-Ibadan highway, also left the woman’s toddler she held by the hand with injuries.

    The Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident, said the vehicle marked LSR604XQ “lost control due to over speeding and rammed into the woman and his child, killing her and the one she backed but injured the one she held to her hand.”

    Read Also: Nigeria records first inflation rise of 2018

    Akinbiyi added that the driver, unfortunately, ran away before TRACE Operatives got to the accident scene.

    According to him, the accident vehicle has been towed to the Odeda Police Division while the remains of the dead were evacuated to the Odeda General Hospital.

    However, the injured toddler was also taken to the Omo Arewa Hospital Odeda for treatment.

  • Ogun NUJ decries harassment of journalists

    … Call on governments, security agencies to halt to assault

     

    Hundreds of journalists in Ogun State took to a street of Abeokuta, the state capital, in protest over incessant harassment, arrest and detention of journalists in Nigeria by security agencies.

    The protesting journalists who wielded various placards inscriptions such as; “Enough of Attacks of Journalists and Media Houses,” “Government Should respect Freedom of Press ,” “No To Resurrection of Decree 2 of 1984, It is a Monster ” among others, said the protest was a call on the governments and security agencies to halt the assault on journalists.

    The peaceful protest on Thursday was spearheaded by the Chairman of the State Council, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Wole Shokunbi, in compliance with the directive of the National body of NUJ.

    Read Also: FRSC assures Ogun residents of safer road

    Shokunbi who described the spate of attacks on journalists and media houses as “barbaric,” said the NUJ can no longer accept the ill – treatment of media practitioners by Nigerian government and its agents.

    He urged the governmentand all security agencies to allow the rule of law to prevail and respect the constitutional right of the press.

    Commenting, the Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Otunba Dayo Adeneye lauded the protesters for displaying decency and staging peaceful protest, assuring them the support of the state government.

  • Ondo Speaker offers palliatives items to Widows

    The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) indigenous chicken christened ‘FUNAAB Alpha, a major   breakthrough in animal breeding research and development, received certificate of registration on Tuesday from biotechnology body.

    The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako who disclosed this at act ceremony marking the presentation of certificate of registration of FUNAAB Alpha by National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, NACGRAB.

    The improved indigenous chicken is said to be of standard comparable to the internationally acclaimed exotic chicken Nigerians spent over $18 million to import annually.

    The breakthrough is a product of 24 years research efforts of a team of scientists led by Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Olufunmilayo Adebambo of the Animal breeding and Genetics department, FUNAAB.

    Prof Salako said the presentation of certificate of registration was sequel to the registration of the breed last month having been found acceptable by rural and commercial producers

    He explained that this major breakthrough would positively affect the common man on the street as well as the poultry market and food productions.

    According to him, the giant stride by  the  university has placed on Nigerian poultry market a dual purpose breed of chicken that were  tested under rural households from September 2016 to December 2017 and found to be one of the breeds preferred for egg production under scavenging and semi-scavenging  conditions.

    Salako appealed for support from Nigerians and federal government for the sustainability of this project saying the African Chicken Genetic Gain(ACGG) which sponsored the on-Station and on-Farm Testing of the breed, declared that the project must be supported for another 20 to 25 years to enhance its viability and success.

    The Vice-Chancellor lauded Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  as well as International Livestocks Research Institute, Ethiopia among others for funding the project and reiterated the commitment of the university to excellent research efforts and teaching that would further boost agriculture and food production in the country.

    Read Also: Flood sacks Ondo community

    Presenting the certificate of registration, the Chief Executive of National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, NACGRAB, Dr Aladele Sunday hailed  the university and its team of researchers for the feat achieved,  saying the achievement has further confirmed that with adequate support and encouragement, the nation’s ivory towers could always be centres of excellence.

    Dr Aladele revealed that the regulatory body did not just register the improved indigenous breed based on what was written on papers but due to what had been seen and heard from farmers in  Port Harcourt, Sokoto, lmo, Kwara among other states where the chicken breed had been embraced and were found to be of good quality.

    In her remarks, the lead researcher, Prof Olufunmilayo Adebambo disclosed that the improved indigenous breed was a product of challenge thrown at her by the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Olorunmbe Adedipe 24 years ago who urged her to work for an acceptable and improved local breed for the country.

    Mrs  Adebambo explained that the breed has capacity to produce as much as 300 eggs per year just like the exotic chicken Nigerians spent millions of dollars to import.

    She added the major challenge hampering research in the country was funding, and  appealed to the federal government and other Nigerians to make more resources available for research.

    Prof Adebambo also lamented the dearth of animal research institute in the country saying that there was need to establish an indigenous poultry breeding centre for further development of this critical sector of the agriculture.

  • ‘I’ll accompany my successor to 2019 Eid prayer as ex-Governor’

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Tuesday morning took a cursory look at the thousands Muslim faithful who joined him to observe the Eid -El – Kabir prayer at the Muslim Prayer ground, Lantoro, Abeokuta, and declared in sober tone that this year edition draws the curtain to his observing the Sallah prayer with them.

    Amosun who thanked Allah for his mercy upon him and the people of Ogun state for their support since May 29, 2011, said by next year, he would not return to the Lantoro prayer ground in his “capacity as a governor,” but as someone that would accompany his successor – Governor to observe the 2019 Eid -El – Kabir prayer.

    The Governor made this known in brief address to Muslims shortly after the prayer session conducted by the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Alh. Liadi Ogunsolu but the comment prompted many to wonder if Amosun is vaguely hinting of plan to install a Muslim as a successor from among a dozen of aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC) are jostling to succeed him.

    Read Also: Eid-el Kabir: Monarch urges Nigerians to be tolerant

    Joining Amosun to observe the Sallah prayer are the Commissioner of Police in the State, Ahmed Iliyasu, Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Prof. Adewale Musa, former Secretary to the state government and ex – Mines and Steel Minister, Alh. Tunji Sarafa among other dignitaries.

    He urged Muslim to imbibe the lessons of the Eid – El – Kabir in total submission to the will of Allah and practice them always even as he lauded the people of Ogun State for the pervasive religious harmony.

    “There is unity in Ogun state, everybody sees each other as one. There is nothing like this is one Christian and that one is Muslim. We are all one here. Even when I was coming, some Christians were following me,” he said.

    He reiterated his administration’s resolve to keep working till the hand over date in order to further develop the state and make it investors’ destination of choice.

  • Photos: Saraki visits Obasanjo’s presidential Library

    The Senate President Bukola Saraki on Monday visited the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta Ogun State.

    During his visit, former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the Deputy Chief Co-ordinator (OOPL), Mr. Ayodele Aderinwale took him round and showed him old materials documented in the library.