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Tag: Ashiru

  • Oyan Dam water releases pose no harm to life, property, says Ashiru

    Oyan Dam water releases pose no harm to life, property, says Ashiru

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, Dr. Adedeji Ashiru, has reacted to concerns surrounding water releases from Oyan Dam.

    In a statement, Ashiru said Oyan Dam played a crucial role in flood control, mitigating the damaging effects of uncontrolled water flows.

    He said in this regard, the authority had taken pre-emptive measures by releasing water strategically from the dam since March 2024, in a controlled manner, with evidence showing no harm to life or property downstream.

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     “This has increased the dam’s capacity to accommodate excess floodwater, preparing for potential surges into the Oyan Dam, given the prediction of large volumes of runoff in the coming months,” he said.

    Speaking further, Ashiru said it was important to note that over 52 ungated river tributaries fed into the Ogun River downstream of Oyan Dam.

    He said: “These tributaries are beyond our control and contribute to the flooding being experienced in areas like Isheri.

    “To alleviate concerns, our management ensures the dam’s integrity and regulates water releases.

    ‘’Oyan River Dam plays a vital role in supplying raw water to Lagos and Abeokuta, and we are committed to balancing its operations with the needs of surrounding communities.”

    He added that to prevent flooding, the Federal Government had initiated the dredging of Ogun River, from Ikorodu in Lagos State to Isheri in Ogun State ‘’and this project aims to widen and deepen the river, increasing its capacity to manage excess water,

    “We appreciate the government’s proactive measures to safeguard lives and property in this regard,” Ashiru concluded.

  • LIWAC 2024: Ashiru tasks stakeholders on effective water resource management

    LIWAC 2024: Ashiru tasks stakeholders on effective water resource management

    The newly appointed Managing Director/CEO of Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority,  Engr. Dr. Adedeji Ashiru has emphasized the importance of engineering innovation in reducing the cost of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) projects.

    This was made known in Lagos during the 5th edition of the Lagos International Water Conference (LIWAC) 2024, themed: ‘Financing Water and Sanitation for Greater Lagos.’ The event was held between June 24-25, 2024, in Lagos.

     The programme brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to brainstorm solutions to water resource management challenges.

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    During a panel discussion on ‘Innovative Financing,’ Ashiru, highlighted the need for effective and efficient water treatment technologies that require less energy, such as harnessing solar, wind, or hydropower to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower energy costs.

    Additionally, he stressed the benefits of decentralized and modular systems, which can reduce infrastructure costs and enable easier maintenance.

  • Aerofield boss hails OoduaGroup chair Ashiru at 60

    Aerofield boss hails OoduaGroup chair Ashiru at 60

    The Chief Executive Officer of Aerofield Homes Limited, Lagos, Armstrong ‘Tope Akintunde, has joined other well wishers to celebrate the Chairman of Oodua Investment Group, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru on his 60th birthday.

    Akintunde, in a statement by his media consultant, Oluseun Joshua, described Otunba Ashiru as an astute banker, an administrator a true son of Ogun State  who have been using his versatility and resourcefulness to help in the development of the nation’s economy.

     The real estate expert in his congratulatory message said: “Time is here to celebrate another icon and highly resourceful technocrat and seasoned banker who has used larger part of his life to help in the development of the nation’s economy.

    Read Also: Abiodun hails Ashiru’s visionary leadership

     “He shone brilliantly as a banker and by the time he went into politics and got appointed as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industries in Ogun State, the state became investment destination of choice attracting over 70 per cent of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) coming into Nigeria.

     “Otunba Bimbo Ashiru is now the Chairman of Oodua Group of Investment and since this investment banker got appointed, he has brought on board a lot of innovation to reposition the conglomerate and make it the pride of our forebears in the South West who established this business empire long time ago.

     “As you celebrate this diamond years of indisputable positive impacts, our prayers at Aerofield Homes Limited is that you will continue to wax stronger than ever before and of course, you will certainly celebrate many more years in sound health and greater prosperity. Happy 60th birthday sir”.

  • Ashiru replaces Umahi as Senate Deputy Leader

    Ashiru replaces Umahi as Senate Deputy Leader

    • Nwebonyi now Deputy Chief Whip

    The Senate yesterday appointed Oyelola Yisa Ashiru (APC Kwara South) as its new Deputy Leader.

    The Upper Chamber also appointed Nwebonyi Peter Onyeka (APC Ebonyi North) as the new Deputy Chief Whip.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Senate appoints Ashiru to replace Umahi as Deputy Leader, Onyeka Deputy Chief Whip

    Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the new appointments at plenary.

    Ashiru was elevated to the position of Senate Deputy Leader, which became vacant following the appointment of Senator Dave Umahi as Minister of Works by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

  • Election: Southern Kaduna asks Makarfi, Sambo, Hunkuyi, Ashiru to explain PDP’s failure

    •Threatens to shift loyalty to APC at guber poll

    THE people of Southern Kaduna have vowed to align with another party and possibly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not explain to them what led to the woeful performance of the party in the northern part of the state during the presidential election.

    Southern Kaduna people who spoke through Coalition of Southern Kaduna Nationalities (CSKN) lamented that, none of the PDP’s bigwigs from Kaduna north, including former Governors Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Isa Mohammed Ashiru and Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi could deliver their respective local governments areas to the PDP during the presidential and national assembly polls.

    Towards this end, the CSKN said, an ultimatum of 24 hours is issued to the PDP and the party bigwigs in question to respond accordingly, or may be left with no option than to shift their loyalty to another party that will take care of their aspirations and yearnings in the zone.

    Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on yesterday, the leader of CSKN Dr. Yusuf Gandu Magaji said, “the Southern Kaduna Nationalities are disenchanted by the voting pattern as revealed by the results from Zone 1. We believe that there is a betrayal of confidence and trust along the party (PDP) stalwarts in Zone 1 who can no longer be trusted.

    “The pattern of the results of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted on the 23rd February. 2019 leaves much to be desired. The results from Kaduna North caused a shock to the Southern Kaduna Nationalities and instigated a rethink in our longstanding marriage and commitment to the opposition party, PDP.

    “The result shows that PDP won overwhelming in the Southern Senatorial Zone. This stresses a fact that, the zone remained faithful and voted for the party en-mass. However, in a sharp contrast, the party performed woefully in Zone 1 as their loyalty was shifted to APC.

    “The key issue here is that most of the party heavy weights and those who benefitted during the PDP’s reign concentrate in Zone 1, yet they failed to deliver their wards to the party.”

  • Ex – Speaker Titi Oseni-Gomez, Ashiru, other clinch ADC Senate tickets

    Former Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Mrs. Titi Oseni – Gomez and (Dr) Deji Ashiru have emerged candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Ogun Central and Ogun East Senatorial Districts respectively.

    Former House of Representatives member Babajide Ogunola emerged the candidate for Ogun West.

    Chairman of the party’s National Electoral Committee for Ogun State, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, announced the results yesterday at the State Secretariat on Agbeloba, off Quarry road, Abeokuta.

    He said they emerged through direct primary via affirmation while Ashiru emerged as a consensus candidate although he still pulled 77, 456 votes.

     

  • Dry cleaner, 40, rapes neighbour’s daughter in Minna

    The Niger State Child Right Agency has arrested a 40-year-old dry cleaner, identified simply as Ashiru, for allegedly raping his neighbour’s nine-year-old daughter.

    The incident occurred at the New Market area of Maitumbi in Minna, the state capital.

    An official of the agency, Mr. Ezekiel Gana, said the girl’s grandmother discovered that she had been injured when the old woman noticed the abnormal way the girl was walking.

    “The grandmother noticed her movement and checked her private part where she noticed the damaged done by the perpetrator. Upon asking the girl what happened, she said ‘Uncle Ashiru’ put his big thing inside her,” the source said.

    The Nation learnt that the grandmother reported the matter to the agency, whose director general, Mariam Kolo, ordered for the arrest of the suspect.

    Gana said the suspect refused to give any other name apart from Ashiru but admitted to have defiled the small girl inside his shop.

    He said the suspect had been taken to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID) for further interrogation while the girl was taken to the police clinic for examination and treatment.

    The girl was said to have complained of stomach pain and was treated for it.

    Gana added that Ashiru would be charged to court as soon as the investigation into the matter is concluded.

  • Rumpus in S/West PDP over Ashiru’s slot

    Rumpus in S/West PDP over Ashiru’s slot

    Jostling for one of the vacant ministerial slots rendered vacant by President Goodluck Jonathan when he sacked some members of the Federal Executive Council last week, may have once again thrown the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest geo-political zone into confusion.

    According to reliable party sources, not less than 10 names have been forwarded to the Presidency by the leaders of the party in the zone for nomination as minister to replace Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, former minister of foreign affairs.

    This followed the inability of the PDP in the Southwest to agree on which state should nominate Ashiru’s replacement as a result of serious dispute over the status of the ministerial slot he occupied.

    “The party is back in its old ways of chaos and antagonism. While some of our leaders are backing Ogun State to nominate Ashiru’s replacement, others are saying any of the six states in the zone can nominate a candidate to fill the vacancy created by his sack.”

    This development has further polarized the party in the zone so much so that not less than ten names have found their ways to the Presidency as nominees for that singular ministerial slot. All effort to resolve the matter failed. Not less than three meeting were called in Lagos, Ijebu-Igbo and Ibadan to no avail, a source told The Nation yesterday.

    The Nation learnt that though Ashiru, who was nominated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, hails from Ogun State, his membership of the FEC was not as a representative of his state but as that of the entire Southwest geo-political zone.

    “You will recall that it was Akinwunmi Adeshina, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development that was nominated from Ogun State back then. Ashiru’s nomination came after the President offered each of the six geo-political zones one more ministerial slot.

    “That was when Obasanjo used his influence to corner the slot for Ogun State and Ashiru benefited. The situation now is that Ogun State still has its minister in office in person of Adeshina. Ashiru’s slot is for the whole region and that is why any of the six states can aspire to fill the vacancy this time around. It is only Olusola Obada’s (former minister of state, Defence) replacement that must come from a particular state and that is Osun State,” our source added.

    It was learnt that while each of Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states have forwarded the names of one nominee each for the vacant slot, three names were forwarded from Lagos State. In addition to these, the leadership of the party in the zone allegedly added two names to the long list for consideration.

    Sources say while the name of Sola Oke came in from Ondo State, Jide Adeniji, current Chairman of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) is being touted for the job by the party in Osun State. The Buruji Kashamu faction of the party in Ogun State has also nominated somebody for the job.

    It was also learnt that the three nominees from Lagos emerged after all interested party members were asked to indicate interest and appear before a screening committee at the senatorial district level.

    Those who were said to have indicated interest included Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, Tunji Shelle, Tolagbe Animashaun, Lanre Towry-Coker, Bode Oyedele, Mrs. Aduke Maina, Prince Oyebola, Segun Ogundimu, Deji Doherty and Setonji Koshoedo.

    After intense screening by the Chief Kola Balogun-led committee, which was inaugurated by leaders of the party, Shelle (Lagos Central), Salvador (Lagos West) and Maina (Lagos East), emerged as nominees.

    Jostling for ministerial nominations among politicians in the ruling party commenced following indications that President Goodluck Jonathan may have directed the Bamanga Tukur faction of the PDP to compile names of its members for ministerial positions.

    Jonathan, in his first major cabinet shake-up since his inauguration on May 29, 2011, had on Wednesday sacked nine ministers.

    Those sacked were Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (Education), Okon Ewa-Bassey (Science and Technology), Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs), Hadiza Mailafia (Environment), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning),and Ama Pepple (Housing, Lands and Urban Development).

    Also affected were Olusola Obada (Defence), and her counterparts in the Agriculture Ministry, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, and Power, Zainab Kuchi. In the South-West, there are two vacancies because of the removal of Ashiru and Obada.

     

  • Thailand to boost rice, cassava production in Nigeria

    Nigeria’s efforts towards reducing rice importation by 2014 got a boost Monday as Thailand promised to assist the country to boost its agricultural production.

    The assistance in agriculture sector would centre mainly on helping develop the nation’s processing ability in rice and cassava, with a view to adding value to the country’s agricultural production.

    Besides, Nigeria will also receive assistance in the area of solid minerals. In return Nigeria will provide teachers in English Language to Thailand under the Technical Aid Corp programme.

    They also agreed to double trade between the two countries from the current level of $1.5 billion USD to $3 billion USD in the next five years.

    These were some of the decisions reached during Monday’s political consultation between the two countries in Abuja where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of Bilateral Consultations between the two countries were signed.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Surapong Tovicchakchaikul signed for their respective countries.

    The MoU is expected to deepen and expand the level of political consultations between both countries on matters of regional and international interest.

     

  • Nigeria ratifies arms trade treaty

    Nigeria ratifies arms trade treaty

    Nigeria has joined other United Nations member states to sign the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) adopted in April.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, who signed the treaty on Monday in New York.

    The statement, which was faxed to Abuja, stated that the ATT was the first international treaty regulating the global arms trade.

    Ashiru said that Nigeria was the first African country to sign and ratify the ATT and assured of the government’s commitment to the treaty.

    “Today Nigeria becomes the first African country to sign and ratify the ATT.

    “This landmark event represents our deep commitment to a treaty which establishes common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms.

    “We remain resolute and unyielding in our efforts to uphold the principle of ATT and in particular ensure that small arms and light weapons are appropriately transferred and access denied to terrorist groups and the likes,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the minister as saying in the statement.

    Ashiru said the treaty was valuable to the African continent, adding that it addressed the issues of arms trafficking and illicit trade.

    More than 60 states have so far signed the ATT.