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Tag: Akeredolu

  • Akoko indigenes hail Akeredolu over appointments

    Akoko indigenes hail Akeredolu over appointments

    The people of Akoko North-West local government have commended Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for appointing some indigenes of Akoko  into his cabinet.

    At a stakeholders forum where they received the Commissioner for Natural Resources, Alhaji Rasheed Badmus, they expressed their unalloyed support for the administration for following due process in its activities.

    The commissioner told the gathering that Akeredolu made the local government, first among equals, in terms of appointments of prominent indigenes.

    The commissioner who was the APC party chairman in the local government before his recent appointment, also appreciated his people for electing him as the party chairman.

    He praised his former colleagues in other local governments for given  him opportunity to serve as the chairman of APC chairmen in the state.

    Badmus used the opportunity to handover the office to his deputy, Musa Olanrewaju.

    He said that only God gives power, stressing that God had ordained Akeredolu to lead this state and prayed God to give him strenght to successfully lead the state to promised land.

    The APC chieftain urged those people still pursuing litigation in court over 2016 governorship election in the state to accept the will of God that ordained Akeredolu as governor.

    Responding on behalf of the people, Elder M.O. Ojo hailed Akeredolu for appointing Badmus in his cabionet, stressing that by this appointment, the people of the local government and Akokoland would have direct access to government.

    They appreciated Akeredolu for appointing a seasoned Journalist, who is also a traditional chief in the area, Segun Ajiboye, as the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) with others indigenes like Oluwasegunota Bolarinwa and Austin Pelemo as aides.

    The women group, led by Mrs Ajibolu, also appreciated Akeredolu urging him to give attention to roads rehabilitation in the area.

    Speaking on behalf of the youths, Ijagbemi Olanrewaju who recently joined APC,said his group defected to the ruling party to rally support for Akeredolu’s government.

    He pledged the support of youth to the present administration, lamenting the alleged neglect of the area by the past PDP’s administration. He also lamented the neglect of Akoko people by his former party PDP.

    The commissioner visited Afin-Akoko, his home town, Oke Agbe, Irun, Irun Oke, Arigidi-Akoko where he urged his people not to cut trees in the area without procedures and permission from government.

    According to him, Akeredolu’s  administration believed in due process,stressing that natural resources is key in diversification policy of the present administration.

     

  • Buhari meets Obiano, Akeredolu in Aso Rock

    Buhari meets Obiano, Akeredolu in Aso Rock

    Ahead of the 2017 gubernatorial election in Anambra State, the state Governor, Willy Obiano, on Tuesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free and fair election in the state.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said: “Anambra remains the safest State in Nigeria today. We don’t have cases of kidnapping, armed robbery or similar crimes. We have been firmly in control of that state and will continue to do so throughout my tenure as governor.

    “I’m very confident that I will win the forthcoming election with a landslide. All we want is for the empire to be unbiased. A free and fair election is what we want and we will get the result.”

    Obiano said he had a very fruitful meeting with President Buhari, adding that the President likes governors who are delivering dividends of democracy to their people.

    The governor added: “He likes governors who work hard, who are delivering what people can see and are delivering dividends of democracy to their people. That is what the President wants.”

    After another closed door meeting with the President, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, the state wants the Federal Government to take advantage of the natural resources in the state.

    He said: “We are asking that the country takes advantage of the natural resources in Ondo State and we have a seaport that is very germane to our export activities in particular, our mineral deposits which we have in large number and then we need to have a deep sea manning port and Ondo State is well suited for it.

    “So we impressed this on Mr. President on what we believe will be a lasting legacy if we are able to accomplish it in his own time.”

    Added: “No. You just look at the volume of natural resources that we are exporting through any port in Nigeria.

    “The total volume which is still not so high, the moment it gets high we will need a deep seaport where we will even have a modern ship berth. We do not have anywhere in this country today where big ship can berth, not in Lagos or Calabar.”

  • Keep hope alive, says Akeredolu

    Keep hope alive, says Akeredolu

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has told Nigerians to retain confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari to transform the nation politically and economically.

    He assured the nation’s leaders would not rest on their oars in their efforts to tackle challenges facing the nation.

    Akeredolu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary ((CPS), Segun Ajiboye, assured Nigerians that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not abandon its mandate to promote their interests.

    The governor also urged Nigerians, especially those aggrieved, to adopt legal and constitutional approaches to air their grievances.

     

     

    Akeredolu said though tongues and tribes may differ citizens should endeavour to shun divisive efforts in the interest of unity and peaceful co-existence.

     

  • Akoko monarchs task Akeredolu on development

    Traditional rulers in Akoko Southwest Local Government Area of Ondo State have urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) to assist their communities in infrastructural development and security.

    They pledged to support his administration in its effort to develop the state.

    The monarchs spoke at the weekend when they hosted the Commissioner for Agriculture, Adegboyega Adefarati.

    The commissioner was on gratitude visits to the monarchs for their support.

    The Olubaka of Oka-Akoko, Oba Yusuf Adeleye, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, hailed Akeredolu for embarking on laudable projects since his assumption of office in February.

    The projects, the monarch said, included the six blocks of classrooms at St. Peter’s Primary School at Oba-Akoko and construction of roads from Supare to Ayegunle Oka.

    He expressed delight at the news that the state governor had awarded the contract for the construction of the Iwaro-Okeoka Road.

    They also expressed appreciation for the appointment of Adefarati and other indigenes of the local government into the State Executive Council (Exco).

    The royal fathers urged the administration to pay more attention to the area, particularly in infrastructural development.

    The monarchs described the commissioner as a replica of his father and former Governor Adebayo Adefarati, who they said had passion for the development of his community and other parts of the state.

    On the entourage of the commissioner were the Caretaker Chairman of Akoko Southwest, Augustine Oloruntogbe; All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Akogun Gbenga Omole; ward chairmen, supervisors and other APC leaders in Akoko Southwest.

  • Akeredolu excited by NDDC’s new approach to development

    Akeredolu excited by NDDC’s new approach to development

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has hailed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for adopting a pragmatic approach to the development of Niger Delta.

    The governor spoke yesterday at the second National Council on Niger Delta, organised by the Ministry of Niger Delta, in conjunction with the state government, at the International Centre for Culture and Events in Akure, the state capital.

    He praised the NDDC for re-appraising its approach and focus on a few key projects to be completed expeditiously.

    Akeredolu noted that by setting its priorities right, the commission will be able to effectively tackle abandoned projects.

    The governor recalled the history of development interventions in the oil producing areas and praised past administrations for transforming the region’s physical and economic landscape.

    According to him, the past engagements have yielded positive results, although marginal.

    Akeredolu said: “We must, however, not fail to mention the glaring facts of grinding and relentless poverty, which has been the lot of the region.”

    The governor regretted what he called gross infrastructural deficit and security challenges in Niger Delta.

    He said: “This region presents a cruel paradox: the country depends on it almost entirely for sustenance. It, however, lacks evidence of development, depicting its status as the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg.”

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo described the Niger Delta as a unique region with many challenges. He said the region did not need sympathy, adding that it requires action to improve the lives of the people.

    Osinbajo said: “This is not optional.”

    He assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will ensure justice, peace and equity for Niger Delta resident.

    According to him, the region deserves to benefit from its immense natural resources.

    Osinbajo added: We have invigorated the NDDC to make it more effective. It is re-assuring that the commission is now putting pressure on its contractors to deliver on projects. He specifically recognised efforts of the Chairman of NDDC, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, and Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere, at driving development in the region.

    The Vice President restated  the Federal Government’s resolve to support the building of modular refineries in the Niger Delta, saying many of the licences given for the refineries expired while the owners were still sourcing funds.

    He added: “We have released guidelines for the refineries and we are committed to it. We expect the state governments to work with the local communities to make the efforts successful.

    Osinbajo said the Federal Government approved N2 billion for next month’s take-off of the Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State.

    The Vice President urged stakeholders in the oil sector and oil producing areas to effectively use the proceeds from oil to develop their environment.

    Osinbajo said the world was oil as source of energy.

    He noted that many countries were developing alternatives to oil, saying: “The future of oil is in decline, which is why it is the duty of stakeholders to explore opportunities now and ensure that government is not constantly battling with the security of pipelines. We should use the resources to develop other potential of the region.

     

  • Akeredolu seeks monarchs’ support to end insecurity

    Akeredolu seeks monarchs’ support to end insecurity

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) yesterday urged traditional rulers to support his administration’s effort to ensure tight security for the life and property of residents.

    The governor spoke in Akure, the state capital, at his maiden interactive session on security with monarchs.

    He said cooperation was necessary for peace and progress to continue in the state.

    Akeredolu said his administration’s socio-economic programmes would improve living conditions.

    He said this depend largely on the cooperation of the traditional rulers and other stakeholders, including security agencies.

    The governor, who described the interactive session as important, told the royal fathers that his administration took proactive measures, including deployment of more security agents to tackle violent crimes, such as kidnapping and arson, among others.

    He reminded the monarchs that they had a genuine and major role to play in promoting peace in their domains.

    Akeredolu said: “Our traditional rulers are the immediate points of contact for the man in the streets in settling disputes without the rigours of the processes that obtain in other means of settling a crisis.

    “In other words, traditional institutions provide alternative means of dispute resolution, which, to a large extent, have remained veritable instruments for fostering mutual relationships and understanding among the people.”

    Assuring the traditional rulers of his administration’s intention to always prioritise their welfare, the governor said the recent government circular, which suspended appointment and installation of minor chiefs was meant to address the crises in some parts of the state, based on security reports.

    He said: “This explains that the government action at stopping unguided appointment and installation of minor chiefs was neither meant to withdraw the prescribed authority of the kabiyesi nor reduce their power to install chiefs in their domains.”

    Akeredolu said his administration was studying the report of the Justice C. E. T. Ajama Chieftaincy Review Commission, adding that a government White Paper will be issued on it.

    The governor inaugurated the State Council of Obas, with the Olukare of Ikare Akoko, Oba Akadiri Momoh, as its chairman.

  • Akeredolu urges FG to expand amnesty programme

    Akeredolu urges FG to expand amnesty programme

    The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to expand the amnesty programme to accommodate more youths in the Niger Delta region.

    Akeredolu made the call when the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Maj.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd) visited him in Akure.

    The governor said the federal government could take a cue from Ondo State, which created a University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa, where people could learn how to build boats and take engineering courses.

    “It is unnecessary to send them out of the country.

    “A university can be set up here; the one that can teach them to build flying boats and other things that will make them to be useful to themselves and the area.

    “So many things can be learnt from the university. Let us integrate more of them into the amnesty programme; let us engage them to reduce youth restiveness in the region,” he said.

    Earlier, Boroh said he was happy with the relative peace in the ijaw area of the state.

    Boroh said he was in the state for the summit of the National Council on Niger Delta and to assess other issues.

    NAN

  • Akeredolu recovers 42 vehicles from ex-political appointees, others

    Akeredolu recovers 42 vehicles from ex-political appointees, others

    The Ondo State government yesterday said it had recovered 42 government vehicles from unauthorised persons, including former political appointees.

    The figure is contained in the report presented to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) by the committee on the recovery of vehicles from unauthorised persons.

    The chairman of the committee, Prince Solagbade Amodeni, who is also the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, said minimum force was employed where necessary, to retrieve the vehicles.

    He said some of the vehicles had been put up for sale by the former political appointees before they were retrieved.

    According to him, the committee went as far as Osun State to retrieve some of the vehicles.

    Of the 42 recovered vehicles, Amodeni said 29 were serviceable, while 13 others were non-serviceable.

    Amodeni said the committee had not recovered a government vehicle from a former Special Adviser on Tourism, Mr. Wale Akinboboye.

    He said: “He (Akinboboye) is still holding on to a government vehicle. The committee is still following up with a view to recovering the vehicle.”

    The committee chairman added that following an intelligent report, the committee recovered another government vehicle in Osogbo.

    Amodeni said: “The team made three trips from Akure to Osogbo. The first trip was to ascertain the authenticity of the information. This was done under the guise that a member of the team was prepared to purchase the vehicle from the purported dealer, who displayed it for sale.

    “The chassis number and engine number all tallied with the particulars of the government vehicle being searched for.

    “Two days later, the second trip was embarked upon and the trip led to the impounding of the vehicle. The vehicle was thereafter taken to the police station in Osogbo with a report that it was stolen.

    “The third visit led to towing the vehicle from Osogbo to Akure as evidenced in Annex VI of the committee’s report.”

  • Mimiko, Akeredolu differ on N220b Ondo debt profile

    Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has said his administration did not leave N220 billion debt for the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu administration.

    Mimiko was reacting yesterday to the allegation by his successor that it inherited N220 billion debt from the last administration, but he insisted that the last administration left over N20 billion in the state’s coffers.

    Akeredolu spoke on Wednesday in Akure, the state capital, at the swearing-in of new commissioners.

    The governor said Mimiko’s government embarked on frivolous projects and took loans from various financial institutions.

    But in a statement yesterday by his former Information Commissioner Kayode Akinmade, the former gov3ernor said Akeredolu’s claim was not true.

    He said the present administration had admitted meeting over N20 billion in government’s coffers.

    Mimiko said: “We left N20 billion, including N7.37 billion in the Current Account, N7.53 billion as Fixed Deposit, N1.2 billion in the MDG Account, $346,000 and 443,000 Euros in the Domiciliary Account, including the N825 million Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) fund in the Local Government Account.”

    According to him, the above amount, most of which came during his tenure, was to be used to offset a chunk of a backlog of salaries before the then Accountant General disappeared.

    The statement added: “On figures listed as External Debt, it is necessary to state the following. Our administration did not incur any foreign debt in all its eight years. Also, the External Debt stock as at February 2017 was US49,958,268.49, which (if translated at 1 US $ = N305) is N15.23 billion. All of these external debt stock was inherited from previous administrations.

    “Again, we did not contract any external loan for all of our eight years. Well aware of the fact that government is a continuum, we continued to service the debts, some of which spanned over 20 years.

    “Internal debt profile, we aver, stood at N53.159 billion comprising mainly of salary bail out loan of N13.76 billion, Excess Crude Account loan N9.79 billion, CBN restructuring FGN Bond N4.13 billion, CBN budget support N7.5 billion and Ondo State seven years’ bond of N17.6 billion.

    “Of all the above listed indebtedness, only the Ondo State seven years’ bond was directly incurred by our government to build major infrastructure across the state.

    “Yes, we experienced the sad reality of salary arrears, like almost all the states of the federation. That is why unpaid salaries for the period of August 2016 to January 2017 was N32.40 billion, with N20.93 billion owed state government workers and N11.469 billion owed local government workers, including political appointees.

    “Even at that, it must also be clear that we left office on February 24 (2017) while Federal allocation for February salaries was received by the incumbent government on February 28. We could not have paid February salary when we did not receive February allocation before exit.

    “On pensions, N4.8 billion was said to be owed by the state government and N25.237 billion by the local governments. We wonder where these figures came from. At inception, our administration paid N1.5 billion out of outstanding pensions and gratuities. All the years of our administration, monthly obligations to pensioners were considered and paid as part of salaries.

    “The N32.40 billion salary arrears were, therefore, inclusive of obligations to pensioners, except gratuity, which is owed both at the state and local government levels.

    “While we note that gratuities are outstanding, we state for the benefit of all, that this is one sad development that was not peculiar to Ondo State alone. Almost all States of the federation have defaulted on gratuities in the last 10 years or more.

    “We urge the government and interested citizens of our state to avail themselves of the true state of our indebtedness from the Debt Management Office.”

  • I inherited N220b debt, says Akeredolu

    I inherited N220b debt, says Akeredolu

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has said his administration inherited N220 billion debt from the Olusegun Mimiko government.

    The governor spoke yesterday in Akure, the state capital, when he swore in 18 commissioners and 10 special advisers (SAs), at the International Event Centre (The Dome) on Igbatoro Road.

    He told his them the days of business-as-usual were over.

    Akeredolu urged the commissioners and SAs to show determination to make the All Progressives Congress (APC) change mantra effective in their duties.

    The governor accused the former administration of embarking on frivolous projects, which had no direct impact on the people.

    He noted that the debts the last administration incurred include the money borrowed from within and outside the country as well as funds used for uncompleted projects.

    Akeredolu said the debts formed parts of the loans taken by the Mimiko administration between 2010 and 2016.

    The governor said they included internal debt of N53,159,719,891; external debt of N17,485,393,971.50; unpaid salaries and allowances from August to  last December, totalling N17,279,115,588.10.

    •Governor Akeredolu (fifth right), his wife, Betty; Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi (third right); Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde (second right) and Speaker, House of Assembly, David Oleyelogun (sixth left) with the commissioners and special advisers after their swearing-in in Akure…yesterday.

    Others include unpaid salaries and allowances from January to February, totalling N6,911,663,629.24; pension liabilities of N4,800,965,850.00; gratuity of N15,043,537,042.74; unpaid local government salaries and allowances of August to last December, put at N9,320,568,782.41; unpaid local governments’ salaries and allowances of January to February, at N5,192,437,503.30; local government pension liabilities, which accumulated to N25,237,348,457.26; local government gratuities liability of N20,965,598,590.61; contractors’ liabilities, totalling N39,740,423,934.76 and outstanding payment requests in the Office of the Accountant-General without cash backing, put at N5,451,352,494.25.

    He said the state’s liquid assets include banks’ balances, N7,236,594,630.36; fixed deposit and call deposit of N837,000,000; balance in bond proceeds, N254,000,000; fixed deposit of Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), N1,449,000,000 and portfolio management, at N180,000,000.

    Akeredolu said: “With a total inherited debt of over N220 billion, it should not be difficult for anyone to know that the government’s capacity for seeming elastic adjustment to cater for the people has been stretched to its limit. There is no gain asserting the obvious: our administration is not in any position for frivolities.

    The state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described Akeredolu’s assertions as “interesting joke,” without substance.

    Its Director of Publicity, Mr Ayo Fadaka, challenged the governor to back up his allegations with evidence.

    He urged the government to concentrate on governing the state well instead of criticising his predecessor.