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Tag: Amosun

  • Akinlade, LP plot against Amosun

    Akinlade, LP plot against Amosun

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s impressive performance in office so far not withstanding, a few elements in his party, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), are poised to challenge him come 2015, reports Remi Adelowo

     

     

    Time was 10pm and the venue of the secret meeting was Hotel De Island on Victoria Island, Lagos, owned by the major financier of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Buruji Kashamu.

    Present were the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwanyanwu; an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) member in the House of Representatives from Ogun West, Abiodun Akinlade and some members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, led by Hon. Adijat Oladipo.

    Pleasantries and backslapping over, Nwanyanwu, who had been a guest at the hotel 24hours earlier, set the ball rolling by thanking Akinlade and the others present for making the meeting a reality after suffering several postponements.

    And like a skilled salesman marketing his product to a wary audience, he told his guests about the benefits derivable in their joining LP well on time to challenge the Ibikunle Amosun-led government in the 2015 general elections.

    The LP chairman then referred to his party’s victory in the 2012 Ondo State governorship election, adding that with the logistics support to be provided by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the party was prepared to spread its tentacles to other states in the South West starting with Ekiti and Osun, two states where governorship elections will hold next year.

    On a final note, Nwanyanwu assured that the LP 2015 governorship ticket would be handed to Akinlade on a platter of gold if he defects to the party from the ACN with his supporters. The meeting ended at a few minutes to 12noon.

    Responding, Akinlade was alleged to have promised that by the end of this year, he will move to LP and thereafter formally signify his interest to challenge Amosun for the Ogun State number one seat in the 2015 General Elections.

    A source at the meeting disclosed to The Nation that the federal lawmaker also accused Amosun of sundry offences, ranging from his (Akinlade) and others’ alleged marginalisation in ACN and non-fulfillment of certain promises he claimed were made to him by the party’s leaders before he agreed to defect to the party from the PDP before the 2011 general elections.

    He rounded off by assuring Nwanyanwu of his readiness to move to LP, saying he is moving to the party with thousands of his supporters scattered across the three senatorial zones in the state.

    One after the other, members of his entourage took turns to accuse Amosun of alleged dictatorial style, which they claimed may put their political future in jeopardy.

    In the last few months, speculations have been rife within the Ogun State political circles that Akinlade, a two-term member of the National Assembly has perfected preparations to leave ACN.

    Though the young politician has not spoken publicly about his alleged plan, sources close to him told The Nation that several meetings have been held in Lagos, Abeokuta and Abuja in the last one year between Akinlade and some disgruntled members of the ACN and PDP to perfect the plot.

     

    How far can he go?

    Though in his mid-40’s, Akinlade cannot be said to be a novice in politics. A two-term member of the Ogun State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007, the Yewa-born politician was elected into the House of Representatives in 2007 and currently serving his second term.

    But the big question is: can he dislodge the incumbent governor whose impressive performance in the last two years has been acknowledged even by his critics?

    A close political associate of Akinlade in his response to this poser said, “The general consensus among politicians in Ogun State is that Amosun will be hard to beat in a free and fair electoral contest. But you know politicians always are incurable optimists. Akinlade is no exception.”

    According to another source, the political configuration in the state does not favour Akinlade.

    Perhaps banking on the agitation of many indigenes of Ogun West that the zone should produce the next governor for the first time in the spirit of equity and fairness, however, the odds against the zone are quite enormous, chief of which is that it consists of only five local governments as against six for Ogun Central and nine for Ogun East respectively.

    The Nation gathered that Akinlade is considering picking a running mate from Ogun East. Already, a former governor of the state in the Third Republic, Chief Rafiu Ogunleye, an Ijebu from Ogun East, has been tentatively pencilled down as the Director General of Akinlade’s campaign organisation.

     

    LP ticket up for contention

    Despite assurances by LP top shots that the party’s governorship ticket is Akinlade’s for the asking, strong indications have emerged that some politicians within and outside the party may kick against this plan.

    The party’s governorship candidate in the 2011 elections, Chief Jide Awosedo, The Nation gathered, is believed to have indicated interest to re-contest in 2015.

    A source disclosed that the property magnate is alleged to have told confidants that he should be credited for building the party in the state from the scratch, a development that has made it attractive for many politicians in the state.

     

    The Gbenga Daniel, Sarafa Ishola’s connection

    Also having an eye on the LP ticket is the political camp of former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. A source said, “Daniel has one leg in LP, one in PDP and another in Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN). With the crisis in PDP still unresolved, the former governor is working on other options in order to stay relevant.”

    The former governor, it was gathered, may have realised that he would have little or no say in who emerges as the PDP candidate in 2015 since the party is firmly controlled by the Buruji Kashamu group, known not to be on good terms with the former governor.

    Daniel’s preferred candidate for the governorship is allegedly the former Secretary to the Ogun State Government during his first tenure, Chief Sarafa Ishola. The former governor and Ishola had sometime in 2009 parted ways until they reconciled about a year ago.

    At the peak of their disagreement, Daniel had allegedly influenced the removal of Ishola as the Minister of Steel Development during the administration of late Umaru Yar’Adua.

    The thinking in Daniel’s camp is that with Ishola coming from Ogun Central (Egba), he stands a good chance to give the incumbent governor (also from Egba) a run for his money when the chips are down.

    With different permutations coming up every passing minute, it remains to be seen how Akinlade and Ishola can upstage Amosun, who is considered as the candidate to beat in 2015S

     

  • Ogun 2015: Opposition in disarray as Amosun consolidates

    Ogun 2015: Opposition in disarray as Amosun consolidates

    Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports the weakened state of the leading opposition parties in Ogun State.

     

     

    Politics in Ogun State usually come with a lot of drama and intrigues, especially between the ruling party on one hand and the various opposition parties on the other. At times, the government is kept panting by a coalition or more of political and interest groups such that whenever the drums of electioneering start to beat, the state goes into a frenzy of some sort.

    Perhaps the above submission explains why observers of the politics of the state are now saying the unusual is the case as the 2015 general election in the state draws nearer. They say while the ruling party continues to take giant political strides on a daily basis, the opposition appears to sink more and more into disarray.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), observers said, are leaving nobody in doubt about their readiness to remain in power beyond the 2015 gubernatorial elections. This readiness is exhibited in the volume of work currently going on across the state.

    “If Amosun and the ACN continue to win the confidence of the people the way they are currently doing with the people-oriented project and services they are dishing out across the state, I doubt if the opposition parties will even find people to listen to them when they eventually put their act together to prosecute the next election,” Comrade Deji Degusen, Chairman of the state’s chapter of the Good Governance Coalition (GGC), said.

    Degusen, who was speaking at a congress of the GGC, said it appears the opposition in Ogun State is saddled with so much infighting that it has been unable to properly engage the state government in any meaningful dialogue.

    “Dialogue between the government and the opposition is healthy for democracy. Some people call it criticism but we call it dialogue. Healthy and positive criticism is more of a dialogue and it is one vital ingredient we need if our democracy must grow.

    Today in Ogun State, the opposition is not engaging the government. The race towards 2015 is here and the opposition is not visible. The leading opposition parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) and the Labour Party (LP) have all diminished in visibility and these have left a lot of space for the ruling ACN to grow in visibility and acceptance,” he explained.

    Aare Biodun Ajayi, former Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in the state, shares Degusen’s view. According to the politician, politics is about how the people are feeling.

    “There is no magic in politics. It is all about how the people feel. It is about what or who the people want. Currently, in Ogun State, the people are daily seeing Amosun’s ACN. They are daily seeing the works of his hand. These are the things that will determine where their votes will go when it is time for fresh elections.

    If the opposition parties are up and doing too, then the people will have alternatives to choose from but that is not the case here now. I’m not a member of the ACN but I can tell you that not much is being done to challenge the growing popularity of the governor and his party,” he said.

    The positions assumed by the observers above are not without reasons. Following ACN’s landslide victory in the council poll, held last July in the state, most of the other political parties have practically gone to sleep while the Peoples Democratic Party have been moving from one crisis to the other.

    ACN won 19 chairmanship seats, out of the 20 in the state. The party also won 217 councillorship seats, while the PDP and the PPN won eight and one councillorship seats respectively.

    The commission withheld the results of Imeko-Afon Local Government Council, pending the determination of a court order in respect of the poll in the area.

    Also worried about the leeway a weakened opposition is giving the ruling party ahead of the 2015 general election, the PDP in Ogun West Senatorial District recently urged factions in the party to sheath their swords. It warned that should Ogun PDP continue to carry on with a divided house, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) would remain in power beyond 2015.

    Ogun West PDP, in a statement by party leaders in the zone, including Mr. Kunle Salako, Chief Wale Egunleti, former Forestry Commissioner, Ali Ajibode, Mr. Kunle Akinosi and Evangelist Titus Eweje, among others, urged the factions to dialogue and resolve their grievances.

    It said: “We recognise dialogue as a time honoured veritable conflict resolution mechanism and urge aggrieved stakeholders to shun violence and embrace dialogue and conflict resolution procedures stipulated in the party’s constitution.”

    Another faction of the same PDP had accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of working underground for Amosun’s re-election as governor in 2015. According to his accusers, Obasanjo’s game-plan is to weaken PDP for Amosun to have a smooth sail at the next election.

    Kashamu Buruji, financier of one of the many factions of PDP in the state, said Obasanjo is neck-deep in the re-election strategy of Amosun of the ACN), who is his kinsman from Owu Kingdom.

    Coming from within the folds of the leading opposition party in the state, these statements are further confirmation of the weakened state of the opposition in Ogun State today.

    For the PPN, a subtle merger arrangement being worked out by its leaders with the Otunba Gbenga Daniel faction of the PDP may soon put an end to its very existence.

    The party has been weakened with the return of many of its bigwigs to the PDP after it failed to make any serious impact during the last general election in the state when it fielded Gboyega Isiaka as its gubernatorial candidate. Isiaka is a protégée of Daniel’s.

    “As part of the merger between the two parties, series of meetings have been held and concessions are being sought. We are serious politicians, so we know the PPN alone may not be able to take us to our destination. So, we are willing to merge with another party to achieve our aim,” a party source said.

    The LP, which before now, was also seen as a virile opposition party in the state, has also lost its voice to a severe struggle for its soul by a band of defecting gubernatorial aspirants seeking a political platform to contest the 2015 governorship election.

    “Chief Jide Awosedo is the known leader of our party in the state. He was the gubernatorial candidate and financier of the party during the last governorship election. Though we lost the election, the party was repositioned to offer constructive criticism of the governance of the state.

    “But today, some troublesome politicians, who are bent on disrupting the orderliness within our party, have thrown us into crisis. They want the party’s governorship ticket at all cost even though they have no followers.

    “These people claimed to have defected to Labour Party with their people but it is all lies. They have no followers. They are failed politicians looking for where to rest their tired limbs. They are currently the problems of LP in Ogun State but in no time we will find solutions to these people and move on as we prepare for the 2015 general election,” a chieftain of the party said.

    Thus, with a fast rising political profile to his advantage and a scattered opposition to contend with, observers of the politics of the state say Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the ruling ACN may have only himself to beat in the race to the Government House come 2015.

     

  • Ogun is investors-friendly, says Amosun

    Ogun is investors-friendly, says Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has assured prospective investors of value for their investment in the state.

    Amosun spoke at the just-concluded Canada-Nigeria Trade Investment Conference held in Toronto, Canada.

    Vice-President Namadi Sambo and some governors also attended the conference.

    Amosun said the necessary policies, infrastructure and atmosphere have been put in place by his administration to make the Ogun a haven for investors.

    He said the five cardinal programmes of his administration were carefully packaged to better the lot of the people and create a conducive environment for investors, who “will complement the government’s efforts and restore Ogun’s glory”.

    The governor said the concerted investment drive of his administration has started yielding results, adding that investors have been responding favourably to it.

    Amosun, Sambo, Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero and top Nigerian government officials toured a pharmaceutical industry owned by a Nigerian in Canada, Intellipharmaceuticals International.

    The governor said his administration would partner the company to establish a similar industry in Ogun.

  • Amosun: Ijebu-Ode bridges’ll be ready before next Ojude-Oba

    Amosun: Ijebu-Ode bridges’ll be ready before next Ojude-Oba

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday said the two bridges being built in Ijebu-Ode will be completed before the next Ojude-Oba festival.

    The bridges are part of the ongoing expansion of the Mobalufon/Folagbade road.

    Amosun spoke while inspecting the work done on the road.

    He said: “By the grace of God, the Folagbade Bridge and the one at Mobalufon junction will be ready before the next Ojude Oba.

    “I am sure that we are on track. These roads projects will outlive us. They would be motorable for over 50 years.”

    He said the ongoing Ilisan-Ago-Iwoye road project, when completed, would boost commercial activities in the area.

    Amosun said: “With the kind of activities we envision here, going by the presence of Apoje Farm and the proposed Cassava and Rice Mills in this axis, we need to put necessary things in place to enhance the movement of goods and people. I can see a Gateway State where people will link major towns and communities easily in the next two to three years.”

     

     

  • We’ll fix Ijebu-Ode road, others, Amosun tells Fed Govt

    We’ll fix Ijebu-Ode road, others, Amosun tells Fed Govt

    •’Daniel left N87b debt’

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday said his administration would expand the Ijebu-Ode road and build a bridge there, despite the Federal Ministry of Works’ “attempts” to frustrate the project.

    Amosun said the contract for the six-lane road had been awarded and N2 billion paid to the contractor, but the ministry is hindering the take-off of the project.

    The governor spoke at the Obas’ Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, after the inauguration of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as the Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas.

    He said the Federal Government claimed it awarded the project to a Chinese firm in 2009, adding that he is facing the problem on the Ogijo-Sagamu road and the Papalanto-Ilaro road.

    Amosun said: “We should let our people know that despite of our efforts, some people do not want good things to be done, but we will not be deterred. We will fulfill our promises to our people we.

    “We have awarded the contract for the Ijebu-Ode road, but the Federal Ministry of Works said it awarded the contract for the road since 2009/2010. If it has awarded the contract, why did it not fund it or do anything on the road.

    “We came up with a bigger specification than theirs because they just wanted to do overlay. We want to do the Ogun Standard road with six lanes and a fly-over. Imagine paying N2 billion for a road and somebody says he is paying N400,000 to the same contractor for four lanes.

    “All of a sudden, they said contract for the road, as well as that of the Papalanto-Ilaro and Ogijo roads had been awarded. Why did they wait until we paid for the roads before speaking out?

    “They cannot mess us up. My people are not federal people and we cannot allow them to suffer. We are going back there with a different contractor to fix that road.”

    Thanking the traditional rulers for their support, Amosun said he inherited N87 billion debt from the past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel and not the N49.6 billion announced by his predecessor.

    He said his administration took a N26 billion loan in December, 2011, and has repaid N10.774 billion (principal and interest inclusive).

    The governor said he would approach the state lawmakers on the possibility of taking a N15 billion short-term loan.

    He said: “When they handed over to us on March 31, 2011, the record showed N49.6 billion debt. We were not sworn in until May 29 and our predecessor continued to sign cheques until we were inaugurated. As we speak, so many people said they were given government guarantee and that means in the event of default, we have to pay. When we added all of those, the debt was N87 billion.

    “Our people voted for me because they believe I can effect positive change. That was why we overlooked the past and focused on improving the state. The highest Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) they made from tax was N730 million. In less than two years, we have moved it to N3.2 billion.

    “I told myself we had to grow our IGR so that we can borrow and pay back. That is why we are doing the things we are doing; it is not that we have the money.

    “We met some loans on ground. We renegotiated with the lenders and majority of them agreed with us. The only loan this administration has taken is the N26 billion we took in December, 2011.

    “That is about 14 months ago and we have paid back N10.774 billion out of it. We have been meeting up with our monthly obligations and that is why our Bankers know we are serious.

    “Ogun’s total external debt is N25.8 billion. This does not include internal debt, such as those owed pensioners and councils. I have not owed anyone since I assumed office.

    “When we came in, people were owed between 19 and 29 months pension and we have paid part of it. I believe we have done well in terms of our finances. We are accountants and are mindful of what we are doing. I will not owe anybody. We are not going to the bond market.”

  • Proxy APC counterfeit, says Amosun

    Proxy APC counterfeit, says Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday said any attempt to frustrate the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would fail because the new party belongs to all Nigerians.

    He said prominent members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have indicated interest to join the party, adding that APC’s membership would cut across ethnic and regional divides.

    The governor spoke with reporters after delivering a lecture at the Lagos Business School (LBS) (Pan-African University), Lagos.

    He spoke on the topic: “A voyage powered by conviction”.

    The lecture was the fourth edition of the “Project What Next”, a mentoring programme organised by MBA students.

    Amosun said the acronym of the African Peoples Congress was not genuine.

    He said: “Any other APC apart from the All Progressives Congress is a counterfeit. You know who started the real APC. It is not 10 governors. We have about 20 governors.

    “As we speak about 11 or 12 governors have signed into it. It is not just going to be about the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); it is a national thing. It will enjoy national spread.

    “The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) are there. Some PDP members would join us. They have indicated interest to join us and I am sure they will.

    “APC is a Nigerian party. It is not a regional party. It is for everybody.”

    Amosun said APC was not just formed to wrest power from the PDP, but to provide true leadership.

    He warned that the new party must be internally democratic to win the people’s confidence.

    The governor said: “In any case, what do we want to achieve? It is to change the way we do things. We know Nigeria can be better than it is now. The problem is with the leadership. That is why we said we must gather ourselves together.

    “There must be internal democracy, if we want Nigerians to believe in what we are doing. They must know that it is whoever wins that you will present, even in our primaries.”

    Addressing LBS students, the governor recalled his childhood in a polygamous home, with his father’s 11 wives.

    He said he combined his tertiary education with business as a part-time trader in clothes and electronics before he became a chartered accountant and ventured into politics.

    Amosun said: “I have shared these experiences to demonstrate that if we look carefully, beneath every challenge is an opportunity.

    “If you require further proof of opportunities disguised as challenges, just remember that I come from a nuclear family of 41 members: One father, 11 wives and 29 children.”

    He urged professionals to get involved in politics, saying they can no longer stand aside and watch uninformed people make wrong decisions for Nigerians.

    The governor identified inept leadership, weak infrastructure, corruption, imperfect political structure, weak institutions, a warped value system and bad followership as Nigeria’s biggest challenges.

    He said change must begin with individuals.

    Amosun said: “Leadership is about vision and mission, big or small. Though our sphere of concern will always be larger than our sphere of influence, everyone of us has a responsibility to provide leadership based on strong ethical underpinnings wherever we are.”

    During a question-and-answer session, Amosun explained why governors prefer the sharing of the excess crude revenue to saving it in the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) as canvassed by the Federal Government.

    He said this is because across the 36 states in the country, there are several developmental challenges waiting to be confronted.

    Amosun said governors believe it does not make sense to save the money when it could be used to address the developmental issues affecting the people.

    He said: “SWF is good, but if you have all this deficit and you say you want to have the fund there, then one will begin to query what the money is being used for. We believe you should not have money and watch your people suffer.”

    Amosun said the bane of politics in the country is that a lot of the politicians do not have visible means of livelihood outside politics, hence the desire to grab as much as they can when they find themselves in public office.

    Also yesterday, the Lagos State chapter of the ACN condemned the alleged efforts of the PDP to frustrate APC’s registration.

    It accused PDP of trying to truncate the country’s democracy and urged Nigerians to be wary of it.

     

  • Ekweremadu, governors hail Super Eagles’ victory

    Ekweremadu, governors hail Super Eagles’ victory

    The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, has congratulated the Super Eagles on their emergence as the new champions of Africa.

    Nigeria beat Burkina Faso 1-0 to win the competition for the third time in a tension soaked final on Sunday in Johannesburg.

    In a congratulatory message in Abuja, Ekweremadu described the Super Eagles’ lifting of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in South Africa as “a new dawn in Nigerian football.’’

    He noted that the emergence of the Super Eagles as the champions of Africa was especially symbolic as Nigeria was marking its 100 years of existence as a nation.

    Ekweremadu urged all Nigerians to imbibe the patriotism, commitment, faith, and zeal demonstrated by the Eagles despite being written off early in the competition.

    “Winning the trophy on the threshold of our centenary is symbolic and I urge Nigerians to emulate the team’s spirit, patriotism and unity.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Nigeria won the trophy for the first time when it hosted the tournament in 1980 and the second time in 1994 in Tunisia.

    Also Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun hailed the victory of the Super Eagles over the Stallions of Burkina Faso, describing it as instructive.

    This is contained in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Funmi Wakama, on Monday.

    Amosun described the success of the Nigerian team as “great”, especially coming at a time when many people had written the team off.

    “It shows that as a nation we can always achieve our dreams if we are dedicated, committed and unwavering in the face of daunting challenges,” the governor said.

    Amosun recalled that the Eagles went to the championship as ”an underdog”, but the ”can do it” spirit in an average Nigerian kept motivating them at every stage until they won the trophy.

    “Our dream of a great and united nation is always within our reach and attainment if we are committed and regard our challenges as mere stepping stones to the much-desired destination,” Amosun noted.

    The governor congratulated the Eagles and Nigerians for the AFCON success and the restoration of Nigeria’s glory in Africa football.

    He reiterated his administration’s commitment to the mental and physical development of the youth in the state so that they could continue to win more laurels for the state and Nigeria in general.

    In Maiduguri, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno congratulated the Super Eagles for their victory in South Africa.

    Shettima said this in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Communications, Isa Gusau, in Maiduguri.

    “I wish to congratulate the Super Eagles, their coaches and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their victory at the AFCON finals.

    “I also wish to congratulate the President and all Nigerians on the victory,” he said.

    Shettima said the victory was a good omen for Nigeria.

     

  • Amosun tasks clerics on peace

    Amosun tasks clerics on peace

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on Thursday called on clerics in the state to collaborate with his administration to sustain the existing peaceful religious harmony in the state.

    The governor made the call in Abeokuta at the 2013 Annual Retreat and Award ceremony of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), held at the Cathedral of St. Peter Ake.

    Amosun, who spoke through the State Head of Service (HOS), Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, said the church needed to do more to re-awaken the moral senses of Christians.

    He counseled religious leaders to preach sermons that could re-direct their adherents to the path of truth and peace needed for socio-economic growth of the society.

    The governor declared that no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere devoid of peace.

    He said that his administration would support religious programmes “that seek to promote peace for the socio-economic development of the state.’’

    Amosun enjoined the awardees to rise to the challenges of the time by sincerely offering themselves to serve God, through selfless service to the people of the state.

    “No sacrifice could be greater than the one paid by our Saviour on the Cross of Calvary by exhibiting the attributes of genuine love,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying at the retreat.

    Earlier in his sermon, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, the National Vice Chairman and Chairman South-West of CAN, urged clerics to shun tendencies that could lead to crack within the Christian fold.

    He said the nation would only flourish in an atmosphere of peace and prayed that God should `touch’ the hearts of all those formenting trouble for Nigeria.

     

  • Amosun proffers solution to insecurity

    Amosun proffers solution to insecurity

    Ogun state Governor Ibikunle Amosun has an idea on how insecurity can be curbed.

    He believes the solution to the problem lies in the well-to-do and public-spirited individuals sparing a thought for the less privileged.

    The governor wants the rich to support the poor.

    Senator Amosun stated this at the Ijebu-Ode Central Mosque Hall during the zakat (alms-giving) distribution ceremony organised by the Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation.

    Represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Alhaji Shuaib Salis, he urged financially buoyant members of the society to make meaningful contributions towards touching the lives of the less privileged positively through alms giving and economic empowerment initiatives.

    “There cannot be peace, security and unity if the poor and less privileged are not given support needed at particular time. Public-spirited individuals must gear p and come to the aid of the needy in our society through empowerment and other means for a rapid socio-economic development of the country” Amosun said.

    Senator Amosun commended the initiative of the organisation, saying that the gesture would fast track efforts of government to improve the people’s standard of living. Imploring it to scale-up efforts to reach out to the middle and higher class of the society on the benefits of zakat (Alms giving) and Sadaqat (voluntary donation) for the needy.

    Earlier in his speech, the Excecutive Director of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation in Nigeria, Imam Abdullah Shuaib noted that the organisation was poised to improve the socio-economic well-being of the poor and the needy in order for them to have a sense of belonging and fulfillment.

    Imam Shuaib said the Zakat fund is a right of the poor, the needy, vulnerable women and children from the wealth of those that are economically stable, pointing that the organisation was committed to complementing government’s efforts.

    “We are committed to complement the efforts of government to bring good governance closer to the people by building their capacity with charity to eradicate poverty and control the rising unemployment rate in the country” Shuaib explained.

    A total number of 40 people benefited from the zakat distribution across the State in form of educational, medical and employment support.

     

  • Amosun’s flyover message

    Amosun’s flyover message

    As he celebrates his 55th birthday on Friday, January 25, 2013, Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has siezed the opportunity to deliver a special message, which some of his admirers described as a political masterstroke.

    The message did not come in he form of a well-composed long speech. No, it came through the opening of the N1.5billion flyover bridge in Abeokuta, which has been identified as the first flyover bridge in the state. Already, praise singers have added the new names to his list of names.

    Eye witnesses at the inauguration, however, said, the event was more or less a political gathering, that has given testimony of Amosun’s wide network. Check out the list of the high and mighty in attendance. It was not just a birthday or bridge inauguration. It was a new message that needs to be decoded.