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Tag: Ajimobi

  • Oyo: Ex- Attorney General targets APC guber ticket

    A former Attorney-General in Oyo State, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, said he will contest the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket with Governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2015.

    Shittu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday that he was the most qualified of all aspirants warming up for the seat.

    “I am the most qualified among the aspirants on ground now in terms of political experience. I have been actively involved in politics since 1979,” he said.

    The former governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) during the last election in the state described APC as the party to beat in 2015.

    Shittu commended Ajimobi for his tremendous achievements in infrastructure, environmental sanitation and beautification, but advised him to improve on capacity building, job creation and empowerment.

    He urged the governor to also make education accessible to the people, adding that he should declare education free at primary and secondary level.

    “In a supposedly progressive state like Oyo, one would expect education to be free.

    “It is good to build bridges and roads, but the priority should be on building human beings and their capabilities,” he said.

    He also urged the state government to improve on its youth empowerment scheme, adding that the involvement of public/private partnership would go a long way to achieve good result.

    Shittu acknowledged that the Mokola flyover built by government was a laudable project considering the benefits it would offer, but maintained that the N2.9 billion expended on it was high.

    He also called on university lecturers to suspend their strike in the interest of the students, saying the future of the nation depended solely on them.

     

  • Ex- PDP, Accord members hail Ajimobi

    Members of the Accord and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who recently defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State, have hailed Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s visionary leadership style. They also lauded the infrastructural development ongoing in the state, saying these are part of the reasons they defected to the ACN.

    They spoke at a ceremony organised to formally welcome them into the party.

    The Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, who represented Governor Ajimobi, delivered goodwill messages from him to the new ACN members, assuring them of the dividends of democracy

    The state Chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke, hoped that before the end of Ajimobi’s first term, the state would have assumed its pacesetter status. He assured the new members of equitable stake in the party.

    Egbeda Council boss, Mr. Mufutau Animashaun Oyewo, appealed for co-operation and support from the new members to move the local government and state to a greater height.

     

  • Shun unhealthy rivalry, Ajimobi urges ACN members

    Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has urged members of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state to avoid unhealthy rivalry and politics of bitterness in the interest of development.

    The governor, spoke yesterday, while receiving defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, Accord and All Nigeria Peoples, Party from Ibadan North Local Government Area of the State into the ruling party.

    On hand to receive new entrants into the party on the occasion were the State Chairman of ACN, Chief Akin Oke; Representative of Ibadan North in the House of Representatives, Abiodun Awoleye; and representative of Ibadan North II in the State House of Assembly, Segun Olaleye.

    Ajimobi said it was common to experience tension and unhealthy rivalry between the old and the new members when defectors from other parties joined a ruling party. He said, “Politicians are fond of vain glory saying we did this and that for the party and the elected office holders. I pray you will not regret joining our party.

    “There should not be any sentiment between the new members and the old ones. We are all ACN. There is no one that can claim that he single-handedly ensured victory for the party. We all did it. We all made the victory.

    “As you join the party you don’t form any caucus. Work together so that Oyo will be a progressive State. That is the secret of the success recorded in Lagos. If we destroy the party, we shall pay adversely for it. We should not engage in discord”.

    Awoleye, who urged the people to embrace progressive politics, said, “What attracted the defectors into Ajimobi’s government is infrastructural development. The new members being welcomed into the party today voted against the ACN at the poll. But they have seen commitment on the part of the State Government.

    “The ongoing infrastructural development in the state is unprecedented. Oyo used to be a pacesetter state but by the time Ajimobi came to power everything was in a mess. This administration is restoring the glory of the state. Even the defectors are saying it.

    “We urge the people of Oyo State to join hands in moving the state forward. We should play politics of development,” Oke said, adding, “Both the old and the new members in the party shall have equal right”.

     

  • Opposition hails Ajimobi’s achievements!

    Opposition hails Ajimobi’s achievements!

    Sometime last year, I read about the praises showered on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the indomitable Jagaban of Borgu, by an honest member of the PDP, a party that usually derives great pleasure in attacking Tinubu, always blaming him for their self inflicted woes. The praises came from Chief Sarafa Isola, a PDP chieftain in Ogun State, and former Minister of Steel Development. The praises were for Tinubu’s consistency as a progressive and selfless politician and, above all, a dogged fighter for the well being of his people. Coming from an unexpected source I found it exciting, honest and commendable, consequent upon which I made my own comments in the article entitled “Tinubu’s Place in History”, in the Sunday Nation of 25 November, 2012 (p.54).

    Now, the point I am trying to make in the present write-up is that, for goodness sake , let us be honest to ourselves, irrespective of which political parties we belong, criticize where and when it is necessary and, as a matter of honesty and integrity, praise where it is necessary to do so. One of the definitions of integrity involves doing or saying the right thing even if it offends your interest or the interest of those who may be offended by your saying the truth and doing what is right. This is as a categorical imperative. Mrs. Ayoka, former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti State in those days of cursed memory, almost passed the test of integrity until she forfeited it by turning around to say and do what was “against her conscience”. She turned the truth upside down and did the wrong thing by accepting to announce a result she believed was irredeemably flawed. By that singular act of incredible volte-face she woefully failed the test of integrity, thus missing forever and a day the opportunity to be singled out as an amazon woman of integrity and honour which she would have carried with her till her dying day. What a damn miss of a life opportunity!

    If you apply the above yardstick as probably one of the most important tests of integrity you will see that very few Nigerians can stand out as people of integrity today. The recent embarrassing outcome of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum’s (NGF) election where a mathematical absurdity of “16 is greater than 19” was introduced as Nigeria’s contribution to the world of mathematics is a good and memorable example. To the outside world, this is simply a logical impossibility, acceptable only to people of pre-logical or primitive mentality. To believe that 16 is equal to, or greater than, 19 is more than lack of integrity. It is the height of irrationality. On this matter, I think that some of our governors and political leaders have lost any claim to integrity, either at home or in the international community.

    What is the purpose of this preamble, you may ask. It is to show that only people of integrity can appreciate the good things in others, especially if they are your opponents either in politics, business or academics. This also shows that only people of integrity can appreciate integrity in others. As we say, only the deep can call to the deep.

    In the Punch of 14 June, 2013 (p. 19), the Peoples Democratic Party and Accord Party in the Oyo State House of Assembly sitting in Ibadan on 13 June, 2013 declared that Governor Abiola Ajimobi (ACN) has piloted the affairs of the state very well in the two years he had took power from Adebayo Alao-Akala, their former governor of PDP extraction. Not only that, they joined the ACN legislators in passing a vote of confidence on Ajimobi as governor, after listening to his address presented to the House of Assembly as part of his activities marking the second anniversary of his first four years in office. Most of those who hailed Ajimobi’s achievements were from opposition parties. The Deputy Speaker, from the Accord Party, Mr. Babatunde Olaniyan said that, apart from the governor being very industrious, he is also accountable to the people of Oyo state, and attributed the pace of development in the state just in two years to harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislature. “You have, in the last two years, demonstrated that you want us to work together to move Oyo State forward”, he said. The PDP Minority Leader, Mr. Rafiu Adekunle added his own comments: “You are performing and we want you to perform more. We are very grateful and happy to work with you. THOSE OF US IN OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES CANNOT SEE SOMETHING GOOD AND SAY IT IS BAD” (Capitals mine). The present writer is not interested in the opinions of the ACN legislators in the House, as people may say that favourable opinions from them are to be expected and, therefore, are neither interesting nor exciting.

    It is important and interesting to know that even Mrs. Bose Adedibu, the widow of Chief Lamidi Adedibu, the PDP “strong man” of Ibadan politics, has also praised Ajimobi for his achievements in Oyo State. She said, publicly, that Governor Abiola Ajimobi has done well within his two years in office, and rated him high on security, urban renewal and environmental sanitation (Nation, 19 June, 2013, p.7). She said: “I am not a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) but a staunch PDP member, and I am not leaving the party. But I Cannot Say Because I Am A Pdp Member, I Will Not Acknowledge Good Performance (Capitals mine). And she continued “In all honesty and without being unnecessarily biased, Ajimobi is doing well. There is peace and security now, compared with the violence and brigandage that used to be perpetrated by street urchins. But now, every where is peaceful and people are going about their businesses without fear of molestation”. She was emphatic about the fact that “Ibadan and the entire state is wearing a new look, owing to the urban renewal programme of the Ajimobi’s administration”. In spite of being the largest city in Africa, South of the Sahara, Ibadan’s new look is now of a clean city with free flow of traffic, even in the hitherto congested areas like Bere, Amunigun, Mapo, Oke-Ado, Molete and Mokola where a beautiful flyover has just been commissioned. So, Mrs. Adedibu is dead right in her honest judgment about Ajimobi which, to me, is a sure candidate for integrity.

    One remarkable thing is that Oyo state is not the only state that should, as a matter of integrity on the part of politicians, be praised by political opponents. Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Edo states which belong to the same party, ACN, are in the same boat with Oyo State. The achievements in Lagos State are well known to Nigerians and the international community. Osun State is also in the news where “the emerging miracle of the state and the transformational fury of hurricane Rauf” should be enough to make the opposition see clearly and hail the achievements of Rauf Aregbesola as opposition parties in Oyo State had done. Tatalo Alamu also spoke of “the old Benin Empire where Adams Aliu Oshiomhole is turning municipal village of Benin to a modern metropolis”. Ogun and Ekiti states are equally worthy of praise. News from these states show that lots of developments are going on and that Governors Kayode Fayemi and Ibikunle Amosun have transformed their states, like other ACN states, into modern states with transformations that contrast significantly with what they met when they took offices from Segun Oni and Gbenga Daniel, respectively of the PDP, two years ago. Altogether, all the ACN states have demonstrated, within a few years, what is meant by purposeful and visionary leadership and, above all, GOOD GOVERNANCE in which the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people is the primary concern of these progressive governors.

    As for now, we have seen the effect of sound philosophy and ideology taking shape in all the ACN states and probably some other states of progressive leanings. It will be good for Nigeria if what we have said about Oyo which is also true of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Edo States could be replicated in other states of the federation and, consequently, at the federal level under a ruling party that understands the meanings of good governance and the sound ideology of the greatest happiness of the greatest number of the Nigerian people, irrespective of gender, class (rich and poor), tribe and religion.

    We should point out our excitement about the discovery of the virtues of honesty and integrity of some PDP members in the National Assembly who have realized the need to speak the truth in the land where falsehood is worshipped. This new scenario, which is a hallmark of integrity, is gaining ground and spreading fast in the National Assembly, regardless of which political party you belong, as in the case of Oyo State. Recent utterances and actions of some politicians of the ruling party in the states and the National Assembly have given one the hope that Nigerian politicians are becoming rather sophisticated, like their counterparts in the civilized world whose independent judgments about national issues cannot be worsted by power-drunk political party leaders. The beautiful thing is that this blood of integrity is beginning to run in the veins of our politicians across party lines, as noticed in Hon. Tambuwal’s honest comments on the state of the Nation quite recently, suggesting a possible revolution that is capable of humiliating as well as curbing the excesses of the enemies of democracy before or in the next political dispensation.

    Long live Oyo State; long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

     

    Professor Makinde, FNAL, is DG/CEO, Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance, Osogbo.

  • Can Ajimobi sustain tempo?

    Can Ajimobi sustain tempo?

    In this piece, Agboola Sanni contends that Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi will earn a second termticket, if he sustains the current tempo of development in the state. 

    To say that the political landscape of Oyo State had changed since the conferment of that title of Aare Atunluse of Ibadanland on Governor Abiola Ajimobi is saying the obvious. It could not have been otherwise. In this era, when honorary chieftaincy titles had become three ‘for one kobo’ literally speaking, any title of such, ought not to attract extraordinary attention.

    In this particular case of Governor Ajimobi, the story is different. In the face of the current transformation agenda, especially, in the areas of restructuring Ibadan, the title speaks volumes. In recent time, there had been some cries of discomfort over the destruction of some illegal markets in the city. As to be expected however, some politicians had capitalized on that to fuel the anger of some displaced traders; not minding the efforts of government in building better and modern markets to rehabilitate them.

    That title was bestowed on the governor by an Oba who is not known for any kind of flamboyancy or greed for materialism. Rather, the respected traditional ruler is known for modesty, courage and candour. Given those attributes on Oba Ogunlana, the conferment can best be described as putting pad to all the negative comments on the reforms going on in the city of Ibadan, after all, it is a common saying that you cannot know a town better than its head/owner.

    There may not be a better index to measure the success of Ajimobi’s transformation agenda than the series of desultory political alliances predicated by incongruity and panic. Given the COMEDY going on in the political theatre of Oyo State, Ajimobi has every cause to hit his chest in sub-congratulations. When one looks at the recent political antecedents of the main gladiators of the current alliance, one cannot but wonder at the magic Ajimobi is performing in the governance of Oyo State.

    There is no doubt that Ajimobi, like the other ACN governors in the South-West, had brought civility to governance in the region especially in Oyo State. The main ingredients for good governance are Courage, Will and Transparency. Only a combination of Courage and Will can execute the current transformation in Oyo State. The important thing for a good leader before embarking on any project is to be sure that in spite of initial hiccups, the End will justify the MEANS at the end of the Day.

    It is instructive to note that it is not only in social and road infrastructures that Ajimobi has exhibited courage. Until recently, thuggery and all kinds of violence had remained essential tonic for politics in Oyo State. Under that situation, factions were created within the Transport Unions to perpetrate chaos and tremor in the State forcing markets and schools abruptly. Causalities for such violence were not only human but property set ablaze. At that time, leaders of the unions were worshipped by successive governments as kingpins or minor gods. They were above the law as long shielded by a government. Government House was turned to armoury for cutlass, guns and other dangerous weapons.

    At the early stage of the Ajimobi administration, stories were said in orchestrated form of reconciliation among the hitherto hostile factional leaders. The target was a gang up of such incompatible factional leaders in order to create fear in Ajimobi with a picture of making the State ungovernable to him. They expected an early capitulation to fright on the part of the governor. But he did not only remain undeterred but unshaken in his preference for PEACE option in the State.

    At the moment, the people of Oyo State have every reason to be grateful to the government for being able to create such a secure environment by which they can sleep with their eyes closed. Given that serene environment, indications are that investors will have reasons to come to the State while existing ones do not have to entertain the panic of closing down abruptly for gun shots and skirmishes, whether as a result of armed robbery or political violence.

    The governor should remain unflinching in is stride to bring dividends of democracy to the people of Oyo State. Dividends should not only be seen in terms of pepper grinders, handsets and all those trivialities to individuals. Efforts should be made to create employment for youth; vacancies should be filled in both offices and classrooms in order to ease youth restiveness.

    No doubt the proposed interest free loans and PACESETTER buses are concrete and scientific means of putting smiles to the faces of the people irrespective of party affiliation. There should also be encouragement of skill and artisan training for self-reliance among the youth.

    Now that the governor had gone half way in the journey, there can be no doubt that more challenges lie ahead of him. Some of these may be more distracting to make him lose focus in his service delivery mission to the people of the State. But his ability to resist all forms of temptations that can break the bond of covenant with the good people of the State will be a major test of Leadership for him.

  • Minister hails Ajimobi for transforming Oyo

    The Minister of National Planning and Chairman, National Planning Commission, Dr. Samsudeen Usman, yesterday hailed Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi for transforming the state.

    The minister, who spoke during a visit to the governor in his office, also acknowledged the cordial relationship between his ministry and the Ajimobi administration. He said this was commendable.

    “Since I have got to Oyo State, I have seen visible signs of transformation. No doubt, the state has changed in terms of aesthetics and urban renewal. I congratulate you on the efforts you are putting in to change the face of the state,” Dr. Usman said.

    The minister, who said he was in the state to attend the annual conference of the Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics holding in Ibadan, said they had not made mistakes coming to the state for the programme.

    He said the state was chosen as one of the pilot states for the measurement of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) at the state level, given its age and size.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Alao-Akala’s ex-aide rates Ajimobi high

    The Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Akinrogun Segun Taiwo, has rated the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration high.

    He said what Alao-Akala could not achieve in four years as a governor, and another two years after the impeachment of Rashidi Ladoja, was achieved in two years by the present administration in Oyo State.

    Taiwo urged former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be wary of what he described as the subterranean antics of Ladoja’s and Alao-Akala’s surrogates.

    He spoke at the maiden meeting of former PDP members in the state held at Saabo, Oyo town.

    To Taiwo, the alliance of the two ex-governors is not only deceitful and incompatible, but also dead on arrival.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ajimobi’s wife fetes 500 women

    In continuation of the ‘Ajumose Food Bank’ programme of Oyo State government, wife of the governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has distributed raw food items to 500 market women at Mapo in Ibadan South East Local Government Area of the state.

    Mrs Ajimobi said the programme is being supported on a monthly basis by the governor and it is aimed at driving hunger away from every family, while also reaffirming the commitment of the government in ensuring that women are well catered for.

    She explained that the effort is in fulfilment of the promise made by Governor Abiola Ajimobi during his electioneering campaign that women throughout the state will enjoy welfare packages and not be allowed to beg for food.She added that the initiative is to ensure that every home that benefits can feed for at least two weeks.

    She pledged the commitment of the state government as complemented by her office, toward ensuring that the Restoration, Transformation and Repositioning agenda of the present administration is fully accomplished.

    Mrs Ajimobi further called for prayers and support of the people for the administration to able it achieve its set goals.

    Earlier in his welcome address,the Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan South East Local Government, Mr. Abass Najimudeen, praised the unique vision of Mrs. Ajimobi who has been consistent in her social welfare, healthcare initiatives and empowerment of women throughout the state.

    He called on women and the entire residents of the council to continue to support Governor Ajimobi’s effort to take Oyo State to greater heights,saying he has made a landmark achievement within a short period of his tenure.

  • Ajimobi gets kudos for flyover

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo State has hailed Governor Abiola Ajimobi on the completion of the flyover at Mokola roundabout in Ibadan, the state capital.

    The 640-metre flyover is the first to be built by a civilian administration in the state. The first flyover in Oyo, situated in Molete, was built 34 years ago by the military administration of Gen. David Jemibewon. The Mokola flyover is the second.

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kolawole, ACN said the bridge will aid the movement of goods and services and ease traffic. The party expressed delight at the completion of the motor park at Podo and the Scout Camp Business Complex at Molete, which will accommodate over 3,000 traders. The Podo motor park is expected to bring sanity to the activities of road transport unions.

     

     

     

  • Ajimobi promises jobs for ‘area boys’

    Oyo State Governor,AbiolaAjimobi has promised that his administration will provide jobs for street urchins, popularly known as area boys, to completely rid the state of crimes and criminal activities.

    This pledge came even as Nollywood actors and actresses hailed the governor for his ‘brilliant performance’ in the last two years, describing it as unprecedented in the history of the state.

    Speaking at the popular Mapo Hall in Ibadan shortly after completing the third edition of the monthly fitness walk tagged ‘Ajumorin Walk’,Ajimobi said that arrangements have been made to ensure that the area boys are gainfully engaged so that they could contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.

    The Ajumorin Walk, which took off from Challenge and terminated at Mapo Hall, was led by the governor.

    The exercise also featured top government functionaries, a large number of Nollywood actors and actresses, local government chairmen, politicians, market men and women and the general public.

    The governor, who expressed his government’s commitment to improving the lots of the state in all ramifications through the creation of wealth, stressed that there would be no particular segment of the society that would be left behind in the scheme of things.

    Some of the Nollywood actors and actresses who participated in the Walk included Muyiwa Ademola, Fathia Balogun, Femi Adebayo, Olaniyi Afonja (Sanyeri) and others.