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Tag: Ajimobi

  • Revenue allocation: Ajimobi advocates 30 per cent for Fed Govt

    Revenue allocation: Ajimobi advocates 30 per cent for Fed Govt

    •New formula ready in December, says RMAFC boss

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday led calls for a review of the revenue allocation formula to favour states and local governments, saying they have more responsibilities and are closer to the people than the Federal Government.

    He advocated the streamlining of the Federal Government’s role to policy formulation, monitoring and as on adviser.

    Ajimobi spoke in Ibadan, the state capital, at a public hearing on the review of the revenue allocation formula.

    He described as lopsided the current formula, where the Federal Government takes 52.68 per cent, states 26.72 and local governments 20.6.

    States are proposing 32.5 per cent for the Federal Government, 41.5 for states and 26 for local governments.

    Ajimobi explained that the current formula took its premise from the 1999 constitution and the 2002 Supreme Court judgment on the issue.

    He said: “But it is now very evident that the current formula is lopsided. This review is timely to have our fiscal regime conformed to present realities. Challenges at the grassroots are unassailable. There is an urgent need for an equitable revenue sharing formula. A formula that will address the needs of the federating units, strengthen unity and progress is desirable. Projects needed at the state and local governments are frustrated by insufficient funds. States and local governments are strategically positioned to meet the people’s needs.”

    The governor criticised the duplication of services by the Federal Government, stressing that it looks as if the Federal Government is competing with states.

    He said: “The Federal Government unilaterally took over the responsibilities of the states and local governments after the 1963 constitution. This is due to military incursion and the emergence of oil as a major source of revenue. Control of the police and issuance of driver’s licence are examples. The Federal Government has no business issuing licences. It is for local governments. So also is the Universal Basic Education (UBE), agriculture, VAT, etc. Most of the bad roads in communities belong to the Federal Government. In fact, the current formula was dictated by fiat by the Federal Government. It is inconsistent with the principles of federalism.|

    The six states in the Southwest made presentations for “more equitable” distribution of revenue to the three tiers of government.

    The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Elias Mbam, said the aim of the hearing was to provide a veritable platform for Nigerians to express their views and submit memoranda on the review process.

    Urging the people to make the best use of the opportunity, Mbam said the zone was renowned for its intellectual and robust contribution to national debates.

    He advised participants to avoid ethno-religious sentiments in their contributions.

    Mbam said a new revenue sharing formula would be released in December.

    Also at the hearing were top government officials, council chairmen, labour unions and pressure groups, among others.

    The hearing continues today.

     

  • Ajimobi warns against agents of destabilisation

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday urged Nigerians to stop those he called agents of destabilisation from taking the country back to its unpleasant past.

    The governor also advised the youth to promote honesty, patriotism, discipline, national unity and the war against corruption.

    Ajimobi spoke yesterday at the 53rd independence anniversary celebrations at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, the state capital.

    The governor noted that the liberty being enjoyed today came with the sacrifice by the nation’s past heroes.

    He said: “For some of them, it was imprisonment; to some others, it was the loss of great economic investments. Yet, to virtually all of them, they became pariahs in a land that their forefathers suffered to bring together.”

    This, according to the governor, was why Nigerians must protect the nation’s independence and the freedom of Oyo State from the hands of the locusts of the past.

    Ajimobi said: “The significance of Independence Day in Nigeria lies in the fact that today binds us with one chord as Nigerians. No matter the imperfections of our nationhood and the mindless savagery ongoing in the Northern part of the country, today brings the hurtful nostalgia of the toils and struggles of our heroes past.

    “This is why everyone within the country, and even in faraway lands of Europe, Asia and America, see today as a strong symbol of the journey we undertook to get to where we are today. It is for this reason the survival of our sovereignty must be pursued by all and sundry.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Politicians lobby Ajimobi for appointments

    Political jobbers and their godfathers have continued to lobby Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi for appointments, following last week’s dissolution of the State Executive Council.

    Sources told The Nation that the governor; his wife, Florence; All Progressives Congress (APC) State Chairman Chief Akin Oke and Chief Michael Koleoso are being visited by politicians jostling for appointments.

    Other influential figures, like the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao; and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111, are also receiving politicians.

    Arisekola’s home and the Alaafin’s palace have become Meccas of some sort.

    It was learnt that Arisekola and Oke had been avoiding their offices because of the lobbyists.

    A source at the APC’s office said the list of aspiring appointees had become endless.

  • Obasanjo, Ajimobi, others honour Agagu at day of tributes

    Obasanjo, Ajimobi, others honour Agagu at day of tributes

    •’One of our brightest stars has set’

     

    Eminent Nigerians yesterday eulogised former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, who died on September 13 at his home in Lagos.

    Many Nigerians described him as “a quintessential politician and a bridge-builder, who lived his life in the service of humanity”.

    They said the late Agagu was a patriot and one of the foremost Yoruba leaders, who played politics without bitterness.

    They spoke at a Day of Tributes organised in honour of the politician at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State. The event was organised by UI’s Department of Geology and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS).

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was represented by his wife, Bola, said the late Agagu should be celebrated and not mourned because he lived a fulfilled life.

    Obasanjo said: “I miss an honest adviser, a dependable associate, hardworking colleague, indomitable leader, community lover and a committed worker in the political vineyard, who brought his intellectual ability to bear in my administration.”

    He said though the late Agagu was cheated during his tenure as Ondo governor, he took it in good faith because he was a good man.

    The former president said the deceased had conquered the cheats because he would be cheated no more.

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi said: “A good leader will take his people to where they want to go, but a great leader will take them to where they ought to be; he was indeed a great leader.”

    He said the late Agagu proved that irrespective of their political parties, politicians could work together, if they mean well for the people.

    Ajimobi said: “In life, we envied you. In death, we also envy you, because we are not sure that people with good qualities will celebrate us when we depart. Today is a very solemn day for Oyo people. We have lost a friend, patriot, brother and resident. His decades of living in Ibadan earned him the honour of being one of us, an indigene of Oyo State.

    “From January, 1958, when he moved to Ibadan to live with his cousin, Edward Fagbohun, and schooled at the Ebenezer African Church Primary School, Oke-Ado, where he completed his primary school education in 1960, Agagu’s love for Ibadan was clear and his choice of Oyo State as his home further proved this. It was, no doubt, his love for us that was responsible for his choice in 1961 to attend the Ibadan Grammar School (IGS), where he graduated in 1967.

    “That same preference for Ibadan led him to UI in 1968, where he first opted to study Botany, but later changed to Geology and graduated in 1971. One of our brightest stars has set. Agagu represented the best of us, indeed one of the trail blazers of professionals in the murky waters of politics.

    “At a time when the general conception was that only the worst of us participated in politics, he literally bit the bullet, removed his hallowed academic gown and mounted the rostrum to campaign for the votes of his people. I congratulate Ondo people for having had Agagu administer their state, his wife for having such an uncommon patriot as a husband and his children for the honour to have been born and sired by him.”

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said the late Agagu lived a life worthy of emulation and gave himself to the pursuit of a better life for the people.

    Aregbesola said: “Agagu was unassumingly humane. He connected without collision with people. He was unassuming without being cunning; brave without being brash and pleasantly accommodating. Though death holds him down, we will always rejoice that he lived a life worthy of emulation. He shines brilliantly in the minds of eminent Nigerians, who encountered him.”

    He said the late politician supported the Southwest integration agenda and saw it as an opportunity for the region to develop economically.

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi said the late Agagu’s entry into politics changed the impression that only charlatans got involved in governance.

    Fayemi said: “He lit the candle and showed the pathway to some of us. The late Agagu is a man of honour and intellect. He is a true kokumo because he will live forever in our hearts. He never played the politics of bitterness and deceit.”

    Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, who spoke on behalf of ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in the Southwest, acknowledged Agagu’s contributions to the region’s growth as a minister and governor.

    He described the late politician as an accomplished academic, politician and a public servant par excellence, whose life was characterised by diligence, humility, commitment, loyalty, patriotism and quiet philanthropy.

    Daniel said: “The late Agagu was a consistent politician, who brought dignity, candour, decorum and loyalty to politicking. We have lost a consummate political gladiator, humanist and complete gentleman.”

    Also at the event were former Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) and Segun Oni (Ekiti).

    Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke was represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Christian Ita.

    Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Kola Ademujimi. Wives of former governors: Mrs. Kemi Alao-Akala (Oyo), Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose (Ekiti) and Mrs. Mutiat Ladoja (Oyo) were also present.

    They all prayed for the repose of the late Agagu’s soul.

  • Ajimobi dissolves executive council

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday dissolved the state executive council.

    In a statement, Director of the Cabinet Office Dotun Omokemi said the council was dissolved after its meeting.

    Ajimobi said there was need to “inject fresh blood into the administration to serve the people better”.

    He thanked the commissioners and special advisers for their contributions and asked them to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their ministries.

  • Ajimobi dissolves cabinet

    Ajimobi dissolves cabinet

    The governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has dissolved the state executive council.

    According to a statement issued by the Director, Cabinet, Mr. Dotun Omokemi, the decision was taken after the state executive council meeting held on Monday.

    In the statement, Governor Ajimobi said there was the need to inject fresh blood into the administration, in the quest to serve the state better.

    The governor thanked the commissioners and Special Advisers who made up the executive council for their contributions so far and asked them to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries in their various ministries.

     

  • Landlords praise Ajimobi for link road

    Landlords praise Ajimobi for link road

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has said he has no regret opening up communities.

    Ajimobi spoke yesterday when members of the Landlords and Residents Association of Joyce B community in Ibadan, the state capital, visited him to thank him for linking their area with Liberty Stadium Road.

    The governor berated the owner of a popular events centre in Ibadan, Jogor Centre, Mr. Femi Babalola, for trying to politicise the opening up of the access road, which had been blocked for several years.

    The government opened up Joyce-B Road to Liberty Stadium Road by building a link-bridge.

    Babalola sued the government, seeking an injunction restraining it from carrying out any construction that could affect his property.

    The Director-General of the State Public Works Department, Taiwo Akintola, said the government did not flout any court order concerning Babalola’s property.

    Ajimobi said: “The Jogor Centre man is only politicising the issue. He blocked the road, which he has no right to block. He should go and look at the master plan of the area. We have removed the fence to open up the road. We cannot allow anybody to block a road that is serving the larger interest of the people.”

    The community’s spokesman, Alhaji Mudasiru Popoola, thanked the governor for “putting an end to their suffering”, saying the closure of the road by Babalola for several years put the community through untold hardship.

  • Why I lost in 2007, by Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has explained why he lost the 2007 governorship election.

    He spoke at the weekend during the 31st Holy Ghost Convention of the Sword of the Spirit Ministry at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan (UI).

    The convention, themed: “Divine Favour”, was presided over by Bishop Wale Oke.

    Ajimobi said: “Though I prayed and fasted fervently, I lost the 2007 election. I was angry and even lost faith in God. But unknown to me, I lost because it was not yet my time. God was trying to clear off the bad eggs that will not allow me to perform in governance.

    “It was after God removed the bad eggs that he allowed me to become governor. When I went to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and other men of God, they prayed for me. Pastor Adeboye prayed to God to forgive me and allow my dreams come true. After a year, God answered my prayer. All the peace and progress recorded within my two years in office would not have occurred if I had won the 2007 election.

    “I am here today because I also went to pray at the Sword of the Spirit Ministry when I wanted to be governor and I promised God that I will always return there to thank him. That is what I am doing today because my prayer has been answered.”

    The governor urged people not to despair when their prayers seem unanswered, adding that God would answer them at the right time.

    He said at such times, people need to be strong, move closer to anointed men of God and abstain from sin.

    Urging Nigerians to pray fervently, Pastor Adeboye said: “God rewards the diligent. Look how diligent Solomon and David were. When God sees that you are spiritually thirsty for him, he appreciates hard work. Whenever God favours you, do not abuse it because he can easily take it away.”

    Bishop Oke said: “Oyo State is enjoying peace and progress today because God has chosen a man of peace and excellence.”

  • Why I lost 2007 governorshipelection – Ajimobi

    Why I lost 2007 governorshipelection – Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi , has explained the reason behind his defeat in the 2007 governorship election in the state.

    Ajimobi lost that year’s election to the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    He spoke on Sunday at the 31st Holy Ghost Convention with the theme: “Divine Favour” organized by the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, presided over by Bishop Wale Oke.

    The programme took place at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

    Giving reasons for his defeat in the elections, the governor said:” When I was praying up and down, fasting fervently, I still lost that election and I was furious and angry and even lost my faith in God. But unknown to me, God did not allow me to win the election because it is not yet my time and He was clearing off the bad eggs that will not allow me to perform in government.

    “It was after God had removed the bad ones that He allowed me to become the governor of Oyo State. Then Pastor Enoch Adeboye and some other men of God had prayed for me. When I went to Pastor Adeboye he asked God to forgive me and allow my dreams to come into fruition, so after a year, God answered my prayer. All the peace and progress that had been recorded within my two years in office would not have occurred if I had won the election in 2007.”

     

  • Ajimobi approves gazette of teachers’ records

    Ajimobi approves gazette of teachers’ records

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has approved the gazette of appointments, promotions and the records of service of teachers.

    He gave the approval while receiving executives of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in his office.

    Ajimobi said the gazette of their service records would reduce the difficulties encountered by teachers at the point of retirement.

    Restating his administration’s commitment to the welfare of teachers, he said all salary and promotion issues would be addressed.

    Ajimobi, who recently reinstated over 1,000 teachers that were sacked for age falsification, warned the NUT leadership that he would revoke the pardon if any attempt was made to incorporate those sacked for certificate forgery.

    He said teaching requires integrity and urged teachers to be dedicated to their duties.

    NUT State Chairman Mr. Oluwatoyin Babatunde said the visit was to thank the governor for pardoning the teachers.

    He urged the governor to look into the predicament of some primary school teachers, who had degrees but had been on Grade Level 14 for several years.

    Ajimobi pledged to look into it.