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Tag: Ambode

  • Pensioners praise Ambode

    The Lagos State Primary School Teaching and Non-Teaching Pensioners Chairman, Comrade Adekoya Samuel has praised Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for his supports to the well-being of retired septuagenarians in the state Basic Education Sector.

    Speaking in Lagos at the Septuagenarians Welfare Package Programme organised by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB), Comrade Adekoya noted that since he assumed office, SUBEB had been consistent in its efforts to the well-being of the retired septuagenarians.

    He said the occasion provided the retirees the time to fellowship with one another, give thanks to God in addition to other benefits like the health talk, gifts items and merriment which the Board provided yearly.

    In his remarks, the SUBEB Chairman, Dr Ganiyu Oluremi Sopeyin said the occasion was a testimony that the Board would not relent in its efforts to honour highly devoted septuagenarians who had served the state meritoriously.

    He said the Board cherished their invaluable contributions made towards the development of the education sector, stressing that the Board equally appreciated their devotion to duty, integrity and excellent interpersonal relationship while in service.

    Apart from appreciating retired septuagenarians, Sopeyin said the Welfare Package Programme also encourages those still in service that the government would not forget them after retiring.

    Sopeyin pledged that the Board would continue to articulate policies that would enhance the welfare of its workforce in addition to improving the capacity of its serving members of staff through regular training.

    The idea to celebrate the septuagenarians began in 2009 when the Board felt that Officers who had attained the age of 70 years and above deserved to be appreciated.

    Two hundred and sixty retirees took part in this year’s event.

  • Arts, entertainment industry veritable platform to grow GDP, says Ambode

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has reiterated the commitment of his administration to continue to play up the Arts and Entertainment industry to grow the economy and positively engage the youth.

    The governor said the sector remains a veritable platform to improve the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state and Nigeria.

    Ambode spoke at the performance of a stage play, titled: Oba Esugbayi, at MUSON Centre in Lagos.

    The governor recalled that since the inception of his administration, he had made conscious efforts to invest in the Arts and Entertainment sector due to its strategic importance to the country, if the potential was properly harnessed.

    Describing the sector as the future of the state, Ambode said the investment so far made in it was geared towards using the industry as a springboard to plan for the burgeoning youth population in the state.

    He said: “Obviously, I am a lover of arts; as a government, we have invested so much in culture, entertainment and so on. The real GDP of Lagos is in entertainment and arts because that is where the future is.

    “The population dynamics of Lagos is like 65 per cent below the age of 35 and you have to start to find somewhere to actually fill in that gap to grow the GDP of Lagos. That is why we have decided that we would promote a lot of things in arts, culture and entertainment. That is just the right way to go.”

  • Ambode supporters rally for Sanwo-Olu

    ***says governor committed to Sanwo-Olu’s victory at polls

    ***denies alliance with any other party

     

    Hundreds of supporters of Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday staged a solidarity rally to reaffirm the governor’s commitment to the election of the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state in next year’s general elections, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    The rally was organised under the auspices of Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) and was attended by thousands of the governor’s supporters.

    The crowd of supporters marched from the State Secretariat in Alausa to APC’s secretariat on Acme Road in Ogba where they were recieved by the State APC Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, alongside other State executive officers of the party.

    Leader of the delegation and Director General of AMSG, Hon Akeem Sulaimon said the solidarity walk was embarked upon to reaffirm the commitment of Ambode to the victory of the APC in 2019 elections at all levels in the State

    He debunked any purported alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party as reported in some sections of the media.

    Sulaimon, who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communities and Communication, said it was also important to emphasize that Ambode had truly accepted the choice of the party, adding that any contrary information is a lie.

    “We are here because a lot of people lately seem to be talking for our principal, His Excellency Mr Akinwunmi Ambode claiming to be representing his interest and we need to let the whole world know that if anyone will represent his interests, it can only be those of us that belong to his campaign.

    “His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode is a man of God; he is a man who believes that the party is supreme; he is a man who has accepted the choice and the position of the party. He has accepted that Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is the candidate of our great party, APC and he has equally been mobilizing not just members of his group but he has been mobilizing the party to ensure victory for Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu come 2019,” he said.

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    Speaking specifically on the alleged declaration of support for the opposition party by some supporters of the Governor, Sulaimon said though the rally was planned long before now, nonetheless, there was no truth in the said rumour, adding that the Governor, as a loyal party man, would not do anything to rock the boat.

    “We are organizing this to show to Lagosians and Nigerians that our principal bears no grudge; he has no ill feelings. If he had wanted to fight at that time, he could have fought and so if he did not fight then, why would anybody be insinuating that he wants to fight now?

    “We are here to let you know that he (Ambode) is not fighting. The Governor’s directive to us is that we should all go out and mobilize for Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Irrespective of how things might have happened, the Governor has equally benefited from the party and he says that he will not destroy the party that he has benefited from,” Sulaimon said.

    Responding, Balogun commended the supporters for showing commitment to the party, saying the rally was a demonstration of Ambode’s loyalty to the party.

    “Trekking from Alausa to this place under this scorching sun is a tough task no doubt and it is a demonstration of your commitment and loyalty to this party; it is a demonstration of the commitment and loyalty of Governor Ambode to APC and I want to commend you all for this,” Balogun said.

    Among those who led the rally are Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Muslim Folami; Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Hon Benjamin Olabinjo; Chairman of Lagos Ferry Service, Hon Paul Kalejaiye; APC chieftain, Chief Denge Anifowoshe and others.

  • Ambode, wife fete 2000 children at Christmas party

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and his wife, Bolanle, yesterday urged children to continue to listen to the counsel of their parents and guardians, saying that it is by doing so that they could achieve their set goals and maximise their potential.

    They both spoke at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, during the annual Christmas party organised by the state government for children in the state.

    In his remarks, Ambode urged the children to continue to show love to their parents and families for the opportunity given to them to have a good life and prospective future.

    “They are the ones that have been able to put you all in good condition and I urge you to continue to show love to your parents and make sure that the things they teach you, you take them seriously so that you can become successful lawyers, doctors, accountants, pilots and all the good things you wish to become in life.

    “My prayer for you all is that you would all grow to be bigger and more prosperous than all of us. I want to also thank the parents for keeping this children, God would continue to reward you,” he said.

    On her part, Mrs. Ambode charged the children to be obedient, humble, respectful and to take their studies seriously at all times if they intend to have a brighter and rewarding future.

    She described children as jewels which value cannot be estimated, urging parents to bring them up in the way of God and help them realise their full potential.

    Playing host to more than 2,000 children across tribes, classes and religions, she said that children were special gifts from God given to parents to cater for, stressing that everything should be done to make them happy, productive and fulfilled.

    She said, “These little ones are the unique gift of the Almighty given to us to look after. Our duty assigned by God as guardians, is to ensure care and welfare that will make them grow up as happy children, productive and fulfilled citizens.”

    Highlights of the party include series of games and competition with several prizes, cutting of cake, while the governor and his wife took out time to dance with the children.

     

  • Ambode launches health insurance scheme

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday launched the State Health Insurance Scheme (LSHS).

    It is designed to give the residents easy access to affordable and quality healthcare services.

    The scheme is mandatory for all Lagosians.

    The launching took place at the Civic Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos, where stakeholders and technical partners – local and international – witnessed the registration for the scheme’s immediate take-off.

    Dignitaries at the event included PharmAccess Foundation; the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); Government of Netherlands, represented by its Ambassador; World Bank representative, Dr. Olumide Okunola; All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former Health Commissioner Dr. Leke Pitan; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and his white cap chiefs, as well as the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotubi and others.

    Ambode said the scheme was mooted in 1999 under the former administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and established by Law No. 4 of May 2015.

    The governor noted that though providing a health insurance scheme for all residents of Lagos State was a tough task, but his administration was committed to executing it.

    He added: “We were committed to implementing this programme because the welfare of all Lagosians is of paramount interest to us and we came into office with a promise to make Lagos work for all.

    “I am delighted that we have fulfilled that promise and are gathered at this historic and momentous occasion today for the formal launch of the Lagos State Insurance Health Scheme. It is historic because it marks a distinct milestone in the state government’s effort to ensure the sustained provision of a critical social service to our teeming Lagos population.

    “The overall goal of this scheme is to ensure that all residents of the state have unhindered access to sustainable, quality and affordable healthcare services with financial risk protection, including subsidy from government subsidy.”

     

  • Tinubu hails Ambode, others for accepting party supremacy

    National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has commended the courage of Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and others for accepting the outcome of the primaries of the party.

    He stated their act of sportsmanship deserved to be appreciated.

    Tinubu said Ambode, his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule and all the leaders and members of the party had done commendably well in accepting supremacy of the party.

    Addressing a stakeholders meeting on Monday at the Acme, Ikeja secretariat of the party, Tinubu said: “I want to say thank you to all of you and God bless you.

    “I thank all of you for respecting the party, particularly the present Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and his deputy, Idiat Adebule. May God continue to bless you and guide you and you will live long with everlasting progress.

    “Thank you to all our leaders, the Government Advisory Council (GAC) of Lagos State and the membership of the party who had embarked on reconciliation efforts to appeal to all our members who are initially aggrieved.

    “The party supremacy has been demonstrated; the party discipline has been demonstrated. You are our leaders and we respect all of you,” he said.

    While recalling that the direct primary option adopted for the shadow election of the party was taken after a GAC meeting, Tinubu said it was gratifying all members of the party accepted and endorsed the decision.

    He said:  “I want to thank you for maintaining peace, harmony, unity and love.”

    The former Lagos governor said having crossed the hurdle of the primaries, it was now time for all members of the party to unite and maintain a strong outing for APC during the 2019 general elections.

    He declared APC remains committed to Nigeria’s progress, development and economic transformation.

    Other leaders at the meeting are the State’s Deputy Governor, Idiat Adebule; Speaker Mudashiru Obasa; State APC Chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun; GAC members led by Prince Tajudeen Olusi; Chief Lanre Razak, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, Chief Kemi Nelson, Cardinal James Odumbaku, former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Jokotola Pelumi, among others.

     

  • Ambode endorses Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket

    He said the duo was prepared to take on the task of moving the State to greater heights.

    The Governor, who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting at the State secretariat of the party on Acme Road in Ogba, raised the hands of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat before scores of party leaders and faithful and wished them well in the March 2, 2019 election.

    “As we are looking forward to February 16, 2019, we know it is the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket that the whole of Lagos will vote for.

    “As we proceed two weeks after on March 2, we also declare that it is the Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat ticket that will come to take over from me by the special grace of God.

    “I pray for them and bless them that they will take over from me successfully in good health and in good spirit,” he said.

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    He urged those still aggrieved with the fallout of the primaries of the party to follow his example and accept the party’s supremacy.

    “The first thing I want to say is to appeal to all our party members who, in one way or the other, have been wronged or aggrieved that they should find a place in their hearts to let it just be the same way that I have accepted the greatness of the party.

    “I want us to know that the party is supreme to all our individual interests because it has the common good for all of us and we must find a place in our hearts to let the party reign supreme,” he said.

    The Governor also appealed to the leadership of the party to go a step further by looking for avenues to compensate aggrieved aspirants, saying such was necessary to spur them to work for the party and also move the party forward.

  • Shettima, Ambode to aggrieved Southwest APC members: submit to party’s supremacy

    Borno and Lagos States’ Governors Kashim Shettima and Akinwunmi Ambode have urged aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Lagos and Ogun states to abide by the party’s decision on the last primaries.

    They stressed that the party’s decision was superior to any other.

    Shettima is the Chairman of APC National Peace and Reconciliation Committee for the Southwest while Ambode is a member.

    They urged the aggrieved members to unite for the party to remain strong, united and formidable to win next year’s general elections.

    The governors and other members of the committee had met aggrieved aspirants in Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Oyo states.

    They said it was important for party members in the Southwest to accept the outcome of the primaries and the party’s supremacy in order to approach the general elections with a united front.

    The governors noted that aggrieved members should consider making necessary sacrifices in the overall interest of the party.

    They spoke yesterday at a meeting at the Lagos House in Marina.

    Other members of the committee at the meeting were former Ekiti State Deputy Governor Prof Modupe Adelabu and Saida Sa’ad-Bugaje.

    Also at the meeting were Lagos State APC governorship candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Lagos and Ogun APC State chairmen, Alhaji Tunde Balogun and Chief Derin Adebiyi; Senator Anthony Adefuye, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Prince Biodun Ogunleye, Cardinal James Odumbaku, Hon Wasiu Eshinlokun, Chief Suraj Adekunbi, Chief Bode Mustapha and Mr. Patrick Ogunde.

    Shettima said the meeting in Lagos was the committee’s last in the Southwest after similar meetings were held in Ekiti and Oyo states earlier in the week.

    The committee chairman said the recommendations and solutions gathered from the interactions with the aggrieved aspirants would be collated and sent to the National Working Committee (NWC) for further actions.

    He reiterated his appeal to aggrieved aspirants to take a cue from Ambode: forget the past and begin to canvass support for the party to be victorious at the polls.

    The governor assured the people that everyone would be better for it at the end of the day.

    Ambode said: “More significantly, we can see from the reflection of those here and I can declare that we do not have any issue in Lagos State. We are one family. But again, that is not to say that there is no platform for reconciliation. We do not know if there are some aspirants in the crowd who are aggrieved, but we can say affirmatively as a party that we are one family in Lagos State.

    “This is not, however, to create any prejudice to whatever is happening in Ogun State. Without the setting up of this committee, it is very clear that things are not the same in Ogun State, like we have in Lagos State, and we do recognise that. That is why this committee is more or less anxious to see if it is that we can use as ingredients in creating peace in Ogun State.

    “Whatever happens in Ogun is a reflection of what is happening in the whole of the Southwest and we are ready to make sure that our committee brings everybody back into the one family fold.

    “So, we have come with an open mind; even when closures have been made, the feelings and input here is what we are taking to Abuja tomorrow (today) and making sure that the National Working Committee (NWC) gets a very clear picture of how you feel. Ultimately, if there is a need to let the highest organ of the party intervene in a way that everything that is happening in Ogun State reflects what is happening in Lagos State, we would be very happy to do it. We are committed to making sure that every representation is taken to the party headquarters for redress and whatever it is that can be done.

    “This is a peace and reconciliation session. Like the Chairman (Shettima) has said, there is no clearer example of how peace can be attained than the steps that I have taken personally to make sure that the APC family is united in Lagos. You can just imagine if we were having the same reflection of what is happening in Ogun in Lagos. It would be totally unmanageable. So, it takes a lot of sacrifice and selflessness for us to attain what we want and the ultimate, which is to win the 2019 elections.”

  • Southwest: Buhari and lessons from Tinubu, Ambode by Shettima

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, who heads the All Progressives Congress (APC) reconciliation committee in the Southwest, has hailed party stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for their selflessness. He said Tinubu and Ambode were more interested in the party than in personal gains, urging others to emulate them.

    The deadline for both submission and substitution of party candidates has elapsed. So as I said to our other party members in previous hearings, some people may therefore wonder, of what use is the APC national peace and reconciliation committee for the Southwest?

    Fellow party men and women from Ogun and Lagos, some, if not many of you are aggrieved with the outcome of the APC primaries. But as we know, party politics is sometimes unpredictable. However, we must summon the courage to fight our instincts by looking into the wider picture. As I cited in Ekiti on Monday, if we are to go  back to the formation of the APC, I think the first victim of the party’s negotiations and compromises is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We all know what Asiwaju had put into the APC but when it was time to determine the running mate of President Muhammadu Buhari he had to painfully compromise his interest for overall interest of the party.

    Again as I said in Ekiti and Ibadan yesterday, the Governor of Lagos, His Excellency, Akinwunmi Ambode who is our host and member of our committee, is for me, the natural winner of Nigeria’s politician of the year award. He has acted very un-Nigerian.

    I will be right to say that from 1999 to date, I do not think any Nigerian politician has demonstrated his level of courage in the way he has handled the outcome of the governorship primaries in Lagos. Ambode is a Governor who has worked very well in Lagos but as I said, politics sometimes comes with unpredictable outcomes. Our courage in reacting to situations like Governor Ambode has displayed, is what separates boys from men.

    I think anyone of us who is unhappy with the outcome of the APC primaries should draw inspiration from Governor Ambode.

    So, fellow APC members, we are here to make all of you recognize that each and everyone of you is very important to the APC. You can’t be disregarded as if your feelings do not matter.

    If we are to go by Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, majority of persons who aspire for public offices have gone beyond their basic needs of safety, food security and companionship . Yes, people aspire for public offices to serve their people but that aspiration comes with what falls under Maslow’s human need for recognition, self esteem and self actualization.

    We are here not only here to respect your individual self esteem and console you but also to look into possible ways we can recommend for the party to placate aggrieved members through immediate windows or future opportunities.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it is possible to take everything from a human being and get away with it. But one thing you should never attempt doing is to deny a human being his or her self esteem. We do recognize and respect that you are all men and women of honour. Men and women who, with dignity, have mass followers  in your respective constituencies.

    The dangerous thing any political party will do is to completely ignore any of you in the believe that you either do not matter or that you will always remain in the APC out of loyalty.

    We are of the opinion that the worst politics on earth is to take the loyalty or tolerance of anyone for granted. Loyalty begets loyalty. Loyalty begets compensation.

    We are here to share your individual feelings. We are here to listen to you, console you  and know how best to make recommendations to the party headquarters. There are rooms for a party in government to create opportunities through which members can serve their people.

    I know this is not an academic hearing but I am former University lecturer, I had escape academics. Besides, of all our six geo-political zones in Nigeria, none is as educated as the southwest. So, permit me to draw inspiration from a  writer, who once said that “everyone of us can be smart but none of us is smarter than all of us”. Another writer said and I quote that “the difference between success and failure is a great team”.

    Ladies and gentlemen, the implication of what these two writers are saying is that none of us can deliver APC alone at any level of the general election.

    Nigeria currently has about one hundred and twenty thousand polling units and for a Presidential candidate of any party to succeed, he or she will have to depend on good team work from 120,000 polling agents of his party and these are people he mostly doesn’t know and may never know. To work with these 120,000 polling agents, the president will have to rely on party executives at the state, LGs and wards (level). He has to principally rely on serving and former governors, deputy governors, serving and former national and state assembly members, aspirants amongst other key stakeholders in each of the 36 states and the FCT.

    Governorship candidates themselves will have to rely on party executives and stakeholders in local government areas. These local government stakeholders will also have to rely on others at the ward levels. The ward stakeholders will have to rely (on) polling agents and those in charge of clusters of polling units. Importantly also, all steps would require one form of mobilisation or the other.

    Fellow party men and women, in politics, everyone is dependent on the other. No one is independent. To succeed in politics, there is no alternative to genuine unity and inclusiveness.

    Let me also add that in politics, we do not necessarily have to be liked. It is not a must that everyone must like our beautiful, handsome or perhaps very ugly faces like mine. What we need are genuine commitment and readiness to deliver results. Politics requires pragmatism. We must be able to dance to the changing beats. Yes, politics requires loyalty. But it equally demands tolerance and compromises. At all times, those of us who exert influence must never forget that none of us is God. Only God has absolute control of who gets power.

    Let me share my own experience.  Ahead of the APC primaries in Borno, there were some people I didn’t support but they won the primaries. If one is to argue that those people may have spent money on delegates, the truth is that they certainly can’t be richer than the collective. The truth is that while I did not like them, they were more popular with delegates and they won the primaries. I accepted the outcome and I refused to make the slightest attempt of substituting any of those I didn’t support.

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    Fellow party men and women, one of the things we must never forget is that in politics, no one person gets his way all the time. Even a President doesn’t have his way sometimes. Politics requires tolerance and compromises.

    I am very proud to say that regardless of whether anyone emerged with or without my support at the primaries, I am 100 percent  in support of all APC candidates in Borno State and I will support every one of them. I will also count on their support. After spending good time having frank conversations with Governor Ambode, I am more than confident that he is 100 percent in support of all APC candidates in Lagos, particularly His Excellency, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.

    I will like to once again thank each and everyone here who are aggrieved for not leaving the APC. Our committee thank and commend you for keeping faith.

    Perhaps, I should also tell that you have applied political wisdom by not leaving the APC.

    Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, from the ground realities of ongoing political permutations, President Muhammadu Buhari will insha’Allah win his reelection come February, 2019.

    The APC started working on President Buhari’s reelection six months earlier than the PDP.

    On 9th of April, 2018, President Buhari declared intention to seek re-election and by that, the APC already had its potential candidate. We all began underground work for the President’s reelection. There is a difference of about 180 days between when the APC had a potential candidate and the 7th of October when the PDP got its Presidential candidate.

    There is a Yoruba proverb that says Atete sun, ni Atete ji. If you sleep early, you will wake up early.

    So, no one should deceive you with a fake analysis and prediction. Remain in APC and let’s solve our in-house problems, work for the APC, win the election and move Nigeria to the next level.

    Shettima, Governor of Borno State addressed APC stake-holder and aggrieved members  from Lagos and Ogun State at the opening of an interactive hearing in Lagos, organized by the party’s national peace and reconciliation committee for the Southwest, which the Governor chairs.

  • Southwest APC: Shettima, Ambode meet Omisore at Ibadan parley

    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Peace and Reconciliation Committee for the Southwest met yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, with a Social Democratic Party (SDP) group from Osun State, led by its 2018 governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

    The chairman of the committee and Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima was accompanied by his Kaduna and Lagos State counterparts, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai (Vice Chairman) and Akinwunmi Ambode, as well as other members of the committee.

    The meeting was part of the committee’s engagements with strategic allies of the party and aggrieved APC members in the six states of the Southwest.

    The committee was in Ibadan for interactive hearing with APC members from Osun and Oyo states.

    Other members are: Ambode, former Ekiti Deputy Governor Prof Modupe Adelabu, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside and Sa’ida Sa’ad Bugaje.

    Last week, the committee held a consultative meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in his capacity as the most senior public office holder in the Southwest.

    The committee was in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, where it held an interactive hearing with aggrieved members of the APC from Ondo and Ekiti states.

    In Ibadan, the committee held a strategic engagement meeting with Omisore and three others who accompanied him on issues relating to the politics of Osun State.

    The meeting, which held behind closed-doors, was on the invitation of the committee, which is expected to meet with House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Yusuph Lasun, also from Osun, as well as the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, from Oyo.

    The committee received six aggrieved members, comprising three from Oyo and three from Osun, without a written petition submitted to it.

    Shettima and his members were excited about the development.

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    “We have received the least number of aggrieved members here in Ibadan, from Oyo and Osun states. This bears testimony to the fact that Oyo and Osun governors have made significant reconciliation efforts. We were told of how Oyo State Governor, in particular, invited, hosted and met with aggrieved members and came up with measures of managing grievances.

    “We have confirmed that the governor is already fulfilling his promises of carrying aggrieved members along, and this is very encouraging,” Shettima said.

    Ambode urged aggrieved members to borrow from him by helping to build peace in the interest of the APC ahead of next year’s general elections.

    He said: “We should all recognise that when there is life, there is always a hope for a better future. You can’t win all the time in politics. So, we should put our fate in God that the future will be bright. We should work together for our party, no matter the extent of our bitterness.”