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Tag: Ajimobi

  • Clerics pray for Ajimobi

    Clerics pray for Ajimobi

    Muslim clerics and Islamic faithful in Oyo State yesterday prayed for the success of Governor Abiola Ajimobi in the general elections.

    The occasion was the Maulud Nabiyy celebration at the Remembrance Arcade, Government House.

    The event attracted Islamic faithful and Muslim clerics from all over the state, with representatives of various Islamic societies and students of Islamic schools present.

    Among the clerics were the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh Busari Haruna III, renowned Islamic clerics and scholars, Sheikh Muyideen Ajani Bello and Sheikh Ibrahim Ayede. The Chief Imams of Oyo, Kishi and others were present.

    The occasion was also attended by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, the Oyomesi, former Chief Judge, Justice Nurudeen Adekola, religious leaders and prominent indigenes as well as members of the State Executive Council.

    Sheikh Bello and Sheikh Ayede led special prayers for the governor’s victory, basing their prayers on his outstanding performance and his commitment to the promotion of Islam and the observance of its tenets.

  • Ajimobi inaugurates NYSC orientation camp

    Ajimobi inaugurates NYSC orientation camp

    Governor AbiolaAjimobi  of Oyo State yesterday inaugurated the newly-constructed NYSC orientation camp in Iseyin.

    The governor performed the inauguration of the camp  as part of his campaign tour of the OkeOgun zone of the state.

    It would be recalled that National Youth Service Corps(NYSC)  in the state had been operating its orientation camp from a temporary site for over 20 years before the advent of the present administration.

    While inaugurating the project, Ajimobi rated said the orientation camp epitomized the quality of his administration, adding that the dualized Iseyin township road would also be inaugurated very soon.

    In her response, the state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Funmilayo Akin-Moses commended the various achievements of the governor, particularly in the education sector.

    The governor, while addressing a crowd of All Progressives’ Congress(APC) faithful at the campaign ground, said that his administration had done a lot for the people of Iseyin through political appointments and massive infrastructural development.

    Governor Ajimobi had earlier held a meeting with stakeholders and religious leaders at the secretariat of Iseyin Local Government , where he sought for continued unity and peaceful co-existence among all religious adherents, stressing that his administration would not tolerate politics of bitterness, deceit and character assassination.

    At the palace of Sabiganna of Iganna, Oba Muhammed SoliuOyemonla commended Ajimobi for the administrative wizardry which he had exhibited in the development of the state.

  • Lawmaker urges youths to emulate Ajimobi

    A member of the Oyo state House of Assembly Hon Olusegun Olaleye has urged the youth to emulate the doggedness and commitment of the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, towards repositioning the state.

    He said governor Ajimobi has improved the living standard of the masses especially the youth since he came on board adding that Ajimobi has proved to be the change Oyo state people have been clamouring for before 2011.

    The lawmaker who spoke during the presentation of empowerment items to youths in the Abadina area of the University of Ibadan boasted that he was a product of the university as well as the Abadina community.

    He donated gas cookers, home theatres, refrigerators’, grading machines, cash, cobblers machine among other gadget to the people.

    He said he was happy for the support of the youth who believed in him and mobilised for him during the last election. He urged them to do the same in the 2015 election.

    Olaleye who highlighted the achievement of the governor in the state implored the people to believe in the transformation and policies of the state government adding that they will enjoy more dividend of democracy beyond the 2015 if they voted for the governor in the forthcoming general elections.

    “I want you people to emulate Governor Abiola Ajimobi for what he stands for. He has proved to be the change we are looking for prior to the 2011 general election. Ajimobi believes so much in the youth and he has contributed to the development of the state. I am very happy with the way you supported me and I want you to keep supporting us. You believe in our ideology and we appreciate you for that.”

    Reacting the president of the caretaker committee of the Abadina residents association Mr. Monday Okpokuru appreciated the gesture of the lawmaker and urged him to continue getting back to his community. He said the lawmaker has distinguished himself from other youths who began their lives from the Abadina and prayed that he will get relected in 2015 elections. “you are a good ambassador of this area and we are proud of you” he noted.

    The youth leader Mr. Emeka Aliba who appreciated the lawmaker on behalf of the entire youths said they were happy for the generosity of the lawmaker and assured him of the total support of the area. He said the youth were happy for having the lawmaker who happened to be one of them in the House of Assembly. He confirmed that Olaleye has came to their rescue many times. “He is our brother and mentor. He has proved to be a leader with the way he has been dealing with us. I am now assuring him of our total support in the forthcoming elections” he assured.

     

  • I’m threat to Ajimobi, says Folarin

    I’m threat to Ajimobi, says Folarin

    The Oyo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Teslim Folarin, has described his emergence as the flagbearer of the party as a threat to the opposition.

    Folarin said when the opposition parties heard that he was the winner of the primary, they became ‘jittery’.

    Folarin, who visited Bodija International market, Ibadan, promised not to let the people down, if voted as the governor.

    He urged the electorate to get their permanent voter’s card and vote for President Jonathan and other PDP candidates.

    “The opposition parties are now jittery when they heard I won thae primary of our party. Meanwhile, these are the people that were praying that I win the primary because they believe I am not a threat to them. Let me tell you, come February 28, we are going to contest and win the election. I am the next governor of the state”, he added.

    The Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, urged the electorate to support President Jonathan and the PDP candidate in the state.

    “Our reporters here should not forget how Buhari jailed many people when he introduced decree number 4 during  his tenure as the head of state. If media write anything bad about him, they will go to jail. However, Jonathan came and signed. Freedom of Information Bill. So, which of them is good? Who is the friend of the masses? Who is the friend of the youths? Please, vote for him. Also our governor, Folarin is a credible candidate, who has contributed to the development of the nation. He is a young man. He is a true son of the soil and he has promised to collaborate with the federal government to create Ibadan State. Trust him, work for him and pray for him. He is the only credible candidate to rule Oyo State at this critical time.”

    The dignitaries at the event include; the chairman of the party, Alhaji Yinka Taiwo, former senator Lekan Balogun, chief Yekini Adeojo, Senator Ayoola Agbola, former deputy governor Alhaji Azzem Gbolarunmi, and Alhaji. Kehinde Olaosebikan.

    Others are: Alhaja Abosede Adedibu, Senator Ayo Adeseun, Proffesor Taoreed Adedoja and Muraina Ajibola.

  • Why Ajimobi deserves a second term

    SIR: Predictably, the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi will be returned to office for a second term in an expectedly keen governorship election contest. The interesting thing about this election is the fact that it has presented us with a unique opportunity for a multi-layered assessment of the governor’s signature achievements in the last four years.

    What is more interesting is that this assessment has brought to the fore that good governance, coupled with integrity and resourcefulness, can break the yoke of political spells like a second term jinx; that political god-fatherism and monetary inducements to sway voters in Oyo state politics is fast eroding in the face of evolving sophistication of the electorate who are hardly swayed by monetary inducements.

    The people are now more than ever politically mature and well informed to determine conscientiously who leads them with their votes.

    This is why the consensus of opinion across the Oyo State political spectrum and even beyond is that the tested and trusted Abiola Ajimobi deserves a second term as governor and his continuity agenda will be most appropriate and beneficial to all and sundry in Oyo State.

    Indeed, a seamless transition of the Ajimobi administration to second term in office would provide a continuum of progress, stability, sustainability and consolidation of an unchanging quality of people oriented programmes, policies and projects.

    In the spirit of good governance and purposeful leadership that characterized his first term in office, Ajimobi has pledged to work with conscience and integrity for the good people of Oyo State, to continue to uplift their socio-economic wellbeing and ensure that a lot of them move from the lowest rung of the ladder to at least the lower middle class by reducing the poverty level considerably .

     

    • Gbenga Alli,

    Akuru, Oluyole Extension, Ibadan

  • I’ll maintain peace, Ajimobi tells US envoy

    I’ll maintain peace, Ajimobi tells US envoy

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has pledged to maintain his peace stance before, during and after next month’s elections.

    He urged other governorship candidates to eschew violence.

    The governor spoke when the United States Consul-General, Jeffrey Hawkins, visited the Governor’s Office in Ibadan yesterday.

    Having succeeded in enthroning peace and security in the state in the last three and a half years, Ajimobi said he would spare no efforts to maintain the peace in the interest of the people and the development of the state.

    “We laboured hard to ensure the enthronement of the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state today.

    “Our administration has received a lot of commendations for this feat and we cannot afford to allow anybody to truncate the hard-earned peace and tranquility.

    “Let me also use this opportunity to make a passionate plea to my fellow contestants to go about their campaigns without violence. They should not unleash violence on the same people we are aspiring to govern, for whatever reason,’’ he said.

    Hawkins said he and his team were in the state to discuss issues relating to politics and governance, maintaining that this is a critical period in the history of Nigeria.

  • I’ll maintain peace, Ajimobi tells US envoy

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has pledged to maintain his peace stance before, during and after next month’s elections.

    He urged other governorship candidates to eschew violence.

    The governor spoke when the United States Consul-General, Jeffrey Hawkins, visited the Governor’s Office in Ibadan yesterday.

    Having succeeded in enthroning peace and security in the state in the last three and a half years, Ajimobi said he would spare no efforts to maintain the peace in the interest of the people and the development of the state.

    “We laboured hard to ensure the enthronement of the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state today.

    “Our administration has received a lot of commendations for this feat and we cannot afford to allow anybody to truncate the hard-earned peace and tranquility.

    “Let me also use this opportunity to make a passionate plea to my fellow contestants to go about their campaigns without violence. They should not unleash violence on the same people we are aspiring to govern, for whatever reason,’’ he said.

    Hawkins said he and his team were in the state to discuss issues relating to politics and governance, maintaining that this is a critical period in the history of Nigeria.

  • Ajimobi to Ladoja: Statesmen should not lie

    Ajimobi to Ladoja: Statesmen should not lie

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has said lies and character assassination should not be found among statesmen, especially those who have had the privilege of administering a state.

    His comments followed an interview by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja in The Tribune yesterday.

    Ladoja had alleged that Ajimobi and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) made overtures to him to be given the governorship ticket while Ajimobi goes to the Senate.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Festus Adedayo, the governor said: “The truth is that Ladoja has become used to spinning lies that it has become a way of life.

    “Isn’t it illogical that a sitting governor would be asked to vacate his seat for someone he beat to the third place in the 2011 elections and that same sitting governor will gladly go to the home of his ‘nemesis’ and gleefully hand over his mandate to him?

    “Again, it is clear that, in telling this lie, Ladoja merely wants to recreate the absurd position he found himself in 2007 when, as a sitting governor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took away his ticket and handed it over to his deputy.

    “It is apparent that he lacked political sagacity and the so-called people’s support, which were responsible for this political hemlock handed over to him to drink.

    “Isn’t it a negation of common sense that the governor, who was a former senator and a principal officer of the Senate and who completed his tenure, as against Ladoja who didn’t, would prefer a Senate slot that he once occupied to the prospect of continuing as the Chief Executive Officer of a state?

    “Ladoja must have thought that Oyo people and Nigerians have no sense of appreciation of logic and common sense.”

    Ajimobi picked holes in Ladoja’s claim that he was not arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stating that he was merely on a “roller coaster of comedy”.

    “Nigerians will, with this statement, appreciate the real comedy that Ladoja is. If he meant to demonstrate his naivety of semantics, he did it so well. For his information, he cannot rewrite the fact that he was arrested and detained for mismanaging the proceeds of the sales of shares belonging to Oyo State.

    “In his defence in a newspaper advertorial, he said he did not personally refund money to the EFCC. Does he have to personally refund money? If any money was refunded by his co-accused, he cannot exonerate himself from it,” the statement said.

    Stating that Ajimobi was yet to receive “Ladoja’s letter”, asking the governor to apologise for accusing him of the refund, the statement said the former governor was merely buying time as he does not have any case to pursue in court.

    On the allegation that the Ajimobi administration reneged on the agreement he had with the government to give him and his party 20 per cent of all appointments in the state, the governor said Ladoja was being driven by “political covetousness”.

    “Could Ladoja, known to be arrogant and unbending, during his time as governor, ever concede this absurd demand to anyone? Was it not a similar demand from the strongman of Ibadan politics, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, for a chunk of Ladoja’s security vote that led to the spiral of violence which consumed so many lives in Oyo State and which eventually truncated his regime?

  • You deserve second term, Oyo teachers tell Ajimobi

    You deserve second term, Oyo teachers tell Ajimobi

    Primary school teachers in Oyo State on Friday trooped out in their thousands to express their support for the re-election of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, saying that the governor deserved a second term in view of his monumental achievements since his assumption of office.

    The teachers, who were from all the 33 local government areas of the state, converged on the Remembrance Arcade, Government House, Ibadan to solidarise with the governor and express their unflinching support for his second term bid.

    Speaking at the rally, spokesman of the teachers, Mr. Bisi Oladeji, said they could not but support Governor Ajimobi whom they described as a friend of not only the teachers but indeed, of the masses.

    “You are a governor with a difference. We acknowledge your commitment to the welfare of the people and your love for us. We are using this opportunity to pledge our unalloyed support for you in your desire for a second term in office,’’ he said.

    Oladeji also commended the governor for the pervading peace and security in the state, rehabilitation of schools, prompt payment of salaries and allowances; promotion of teachers, recent employment of 5,300 teaching and non-teaching staff, gazetting teachers’ employment as well as the raising of the bar of graduate primary school teachers from Grade Level 14 to Grade Level 15 among others.

    Governor Ajimobi, in his address, thanked the teachers for trooping out to openly express their love for him and his government.

  • Ajimobi campaigns in Ibarapa

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday started his governorship re-election campaign outside Ibadan in Ibarapa zone, with stops in Igangan, Tapa, Ayete, Idere and Igbo-Ora areas.

    The campaign, which witnessed a tumultuous crowd of party faithful and supporters, began with a visit to the Asigangan of Igangan, Oba Abdulazeez Olawuyi.

    Ajimobi, who said he deliberately chose to begin the campaign in the area, said it was a measure of his love and respect for the zone.

    He reiterated his administration’s commitment to changing the policy of violence hitherto inflicted on the state by previous governments.

    The governor said his administration would continue to bring developmental projects to the state, if given another opportunity to serve again.

    He underscored his desire to continually respect traditional institutions, stating that as custodians of tradition and culture, they deserved a pride of place in the society.

    In his response, the monarch expressed the readiness of the Igangan community to work for the success of the governor’s re-election.

    Ajimobi enjoined the people to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party was the nation’s only hope of development.