The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr Leke Pitan

  • I didn’t take APC to court, says Pitan

    I didn’t take APC to court, says Pitan

    Former Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Dr. leke Pitan has said that he has no hand in the litigation arising from the primaries. He clarified that he is not behind the plaintiffs in  the suit pending at the Federal High Court, Lagos on the issue.

    Pitan said in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Adebiyi, that he was only served with court summons by the plaintiffs.

    He added: “For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Leke Pitan, like all other aspirant,s was sued as a defendant along with the party in the suit instituted by some party members on the conduct of the APC governorship primary election of December 4, seeking the stoppage/cancellation of the primary election because of alleged non-compliance with the party’s constitution and INEC’s regulations.

    “After the aspirants were served with court summons during the party’s screening of aspirants, this suit was discussed at the meeting of aspirants before the primary election on December 4, 2014.

    “As a law abiding citizen who is aspiring to lead the people, it is incumbent on Dr. Leke Pitan to respond to the court summons through his legal team.”

     

  • My eight-point agenda for Lagos, by Pitan

    My eight-point agenda for Lagos, by Pitan

    Lagos State  governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Leke Pitan promised yesterday to consolidate on the achievements of  past leaders.

    He spoke before a large crowd at the declaration of his ambition held at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

    The aspirant presented an  eight-point agenda his administration would implement if he wins the primary and eventually elected governor next year.

    He served as Commissioner for Health and Education for eight years under the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu.

    Pitan said: “The journey that brought us together here today commenced with a call from the members and leaders of our great party and the eminent citizens of our dear state, for me to rise to the occasion, lead the charge for the consolidation of our inheritance, and ensure the delivery of the Lagos Promise to our people”.

    The former commissioner told the cheering crowd that: “If given your mandate, I make a solemn pledge today before God and man, to ensure the continued delivery of these Lagos promises by running a government that is focused on human capital development and driven by socio-economic investments in our people and physical environment re-engineering”.

    His eight-point programme include: economic empowerment programmes construction of shops for marketing women; healthcare reforms; educational reforms and security of lives and property.

    Others are:  food security and agricultural expansion programmes; affordable housing schemes and new towns development; inner city road construction and multi-modal transportation schemes; and water works and power generation.

    To achieve all this, Pitan said: “I will use our investments in the human capital development of our people to create a paradigm shift on revenue generation for our dear state by broadening the state’s tax base while simplifying the state tax drive to expand our internally generated revenue.”

     

     

     

     

    These steps will bring down the effective tax rate of every Lagosian”.

    On his political antecedents, he said: “As a grassroots mobiliser and political leader, and the one who staunchly believes in the ethos of socio-welfarism in governance, I have served in various capacities of the true progressives from the days of the Action Group to the UPN in the 80’s to the SDP in the 90’s

    “Even in the dark days of our people’s struggles with the military jaunta, I was one of only 10 leaders representing Lagos State at the Afenifere leadership meeting in Owo, under late Pa Adekunle Ajasin. In all of these capacities, I have selflessly provided leadership and guidance, and helped to ensure that the generality of our people benefit from good governance at various levels”.

    He paid tribute to the visionary leadership of the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the national leader of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, “a man under whom I was privileged to serve our dear state as commissioner and whose uncanny political sagacity not only ensured the consolidation of the foundation laid for the state’s progress, but who also superintended the emergence of a worthy successor”.

     

     

     

     

    The rally was attended by Special Assistant to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Hon Bola Ilori, Mrs Iyabo Omo-Owo, a chief, Chairman, Conference of Wards in Lagos State, Alhaji Ola shehu, Hon Iyabode Dosunmu, and Secretary Arewa Forum, Alhaji Solihu.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lagos governorship aspirant Pitan meets artisans

    Lagos governorship aspirant Pitan meets artisans

    A governorshipaspirant in Lagos State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Leke Pitan, has promised to accord recognition to “underserved groups and informal sectors.”

    He  said members of the Lagos State Taxi and Cabs Operators Association are critical to the development of commerce in Lagos.

    The former Commissioner for Health spoke in Yaba, shortly before the commencement of the medical outreach sponsored by his supporters under the umbrella of ‘Dr. Leke Pitan Free Medical Mission.”

    He said the 7460-member association should be carried along in governance because they play important roles in the life of the state.

    Pitan lamented that the groups have been ignored in the past, adding that the time is ripe to tap from their ideas.

    He promised to sustain the cordial relations, if elected as the governor.

    Pitan said: “We will carry programmes such as this round all the nooks and crannies of the state. We will come to your places of abode or a nearest convenient place for you.

    “We know the challenges of the work you do. You leave your house before 5.30am and sometimes do not return back until very late in the night. These do not afford most of you the time to take care of your health. Many of you because of long period of sitting behind the wheels have blood clot in your legs, and if such should travels to the brain, it will definitely result into stroke.”

    The aspirant said the chance of a driver having a stroke while driving along the Third Mainland Bridge or anywhere else is high. “We need to help take care of this with minimal costs to your finances,” he added.

    The former commissioner enjoined them to always make themselves available for similar health programmes in their own interest.

    The first Vice President of the association, Prince Ismail Adewole, and the Public Relations Officer, Elder Ganiyu Alayo Adebayo, praised Pitan and his friends ffor the laudable initiative.

    Adebayo said members of the association should be carried along in the formulation and execution of polices, adding that this will make their enforcement easier.

    He said the next government should improve on the welfare programmes enjoyed by the state.

     

  • ‘PPP ‘ll boost health care’

    Experts have called for collaboration between the government and the private sector to develop health care at the grassroots.

    A former Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr Leke Pitan, said with collaboration between the public and the private sectors, there would be progress and the people would be the better for it.

    Pitan, who spoke at the inauguration of El-Lab Medical Diagnostic and Research Centre in Lagos, said partnership usually brings about increased access to health care.

    “It will also provide opportunity. For training and development of health workers,” he said.

    He said India was able to develop her health sector because of collaboration between the government and the private sector.

    Pitan praised Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area and the Centre for Collaborating, adding: “Other LGAs and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) should emulate them to attract manufacturers of health care equipment to the country.”

    He said they should make the environment conducive for investors, stressing this is the way forward for the health sector.

    Council chairman, Mr Ayodele Adewale, said the centre is important to ensure accurate treatment because doctors cannot treat a patient without clinical diagnosis.

    He said council’s health projects aligned with the state’s policy which ensured 24 hours free medical care. This, he added, was not present in other states.

    Adewale said the LGA would be glad to have more investors come to the area to develop the sector.

    He said the centre has collaborated with the LGA and it is giving 10 per cent discount of diagnosis to the council which offers different free health programmes.

  • Quiz master gets reward for in-depth knowledge

    It was not only the pupils that competed in the grand finale of the Brighter Rewarding Future (BRF) Quiz competition last Thursday at the Blue Roof, LTV Complex, Ikeja, Lagos that put up an impressive performance.

    The quiz master for the competition, Mr Segun Adedeji, who teaches at Government Senior College, Ikorodu, also got commendations and awards for the way he moderated the competition.

    The Physics and Mathematics teacher displayed a high level of knowledge while moderating the three categories of the competition – primary, junior secondary and senior secondary – for all the subjects namely: English, Mathematics, Current Affairs, Physics Chemistry, Basic Science, Government and ICT.

    Opening the floodgate of commendations was former Commissioner for Health and Education, Dr Leke Pitan, who described Adedeji as thoroughbred, added that the Lagos State Ministry of Education has the largest concentration of cerebral workers in the public sector of the state.

    Pitan praised him for his in-depth knowledge of the sciences and even English Language and Current Affairs, urging him to remain in the public education sector.

    “I thank you for how you handled the competition. You showed that you knew the subjects, not just because you had the answers but you knew the subjects. You are an all-rounder. I appeal to you not to leave the system. Please stay and serve,” he said.

    Dr Pitan rewarded Adedeji with N25,000, while the Children of Light Foundation gave the quiz master N20,000.

    Education Commissioner, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, was also impressed by the performance of the contestants who are all from the public schools with the quiz master.

    “These children are wonderful. They started this competition together with private school pupils. And the private school children fell by the way side. Those of them in the final in all categories are from our public schools,” she said.

    Referring to the teachers, she said: “We have many of them in the system. All we need to do is to identify them. And we have identified him; we have given him support. You cannot cover something that is good; it will continue to come up,” he said.

    The contestants also got attractive prizes with the winners in each category winning computer tablets, trophies, Vono products and other prizes. With 28 points, Lawal Oluwaseun and Igbokwe Daniel of Eletu Odibo Senior High School, Yaba proved their supremacy over Olabamise Daniel and Longe Temitope of Sanmori Senior Comprehensive High School, Agege who scored 19 points to win the senior secondary category of the competition. ArchDeacon Adelaja Memorial Senior Secondary School, Bariga took the third position.

    In the Junior Secondary School category, the duo of Adepoju Marvelous and Solarin Sodiq of Lagos State Junior Model College, Kankon came first, beating Odo Obara Junior High School, Epe to the second position. Vetland Junior Grammar School, Ifako-Ijaye came third.

    Aminu Rahmat and Ajibola Ayomide of Ansar-ud-Deen Nursery and Primary School, Ebute Metta beat the representatives of Our Lady of Fatima Nursery and Primary School, Mushin to clinch the first position while Ayininuola Olaoluwa and Ugbe Faith of Idera Nursery and Primary School, Kosofe came third at the preliminaries. In the Individual best (Mathematics) category, Omolara Owolabi of King Ado Senior High School beat three others with nine points to clinch the first position.

    In his keynote address, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, advised the winners not to rest on their oars.

    “This competition is a fulcrum this administration uses to develop the minds of future leaders,” he said.