The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ekiti STATE

  • Father of five commits suicide at work in Ekiti

    There was confusion at Ekiti State Secretariat on Wednesday as a civil servant, Abolarinwa Olaoye, allegedly hanged himself in suspicious circumstances.

    The body of the 49-year-old night guard at the State Scholarship Board was found hanging at the staircase behind the office.

    He was said to have reported for duty Tuesday evening for an overnight duty but it remained unclear  when the act was allegedly committed.

    Olaoye’s body was suspended with a clothing material tied to the railing of the staircase.

    The Boxer MB 100 brand  motorcycle with registration number ADK 210 WS brought by the deceased to the office was parked within the building where the suicide took place.

    The development triggered panic at the Secretariat as fellow civil servants trooped out from their offices to catch a glimpse of the incident.

    As the news of the incident spread, civil servants and other residents from other parts of the town stormed the scene to see the dangling body of the deceased.

    Olaoye, a native of Igogo Ekiti, Moba Local Government area of the State, according to Mrs Elizabeth Babalola, an in-law and confidant,  came to her around 4.30 pm on Tuesday and lamented the acute financial problems he had been encountering of recent.

    She said: “He came to me around 4.30pm on Tuesday and started  lamenting that his house rent had due and that he could not pay due to irregular salary payment.

    Read Also: INEC witness to tribunal: Ekiti poll free, fair

    “He said he was also indebted to the government through housing and car loans he obtained.

    “He also complained  about inability to meet other financial commitments to  his wife’s  family. He told me he could go ahead and do some nasty . He told me clearly that he was tired of life.

    “I tried to persuade him not to resort to anything nasty. I told him life is full of ups and downs and that he should just endure, but I never knew he would end this way” she said.

    The Executive Secretary of the Ekiti State Scholarship Board, Mr. Ayo Ajimati, confirmed that the deceased was a staff of the board before his demise.

    “Yes, he was our staff. He was a very prayerful, jovial and amiable person, I didn’t understand what led to this. I didn’t know the kind of problem he had that could lead to this”, he said.

    As at the time of filing this report, the body of the man was still hanging to the wall due to insistence of some people that certain ritual would have to be performed  before he could be brought down.

    Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and policemen from the nearby new Iyin Road Police Station located came to the scene.

    But they could not remove the corpse as they said they were waiting for the family from Igogo Ekiti to arrive before taking any action.

     

  • 2019 Polls: Police will be fair to all Parties – DIG

    The Police High Command has promised to be fair to all political parties that will participate in the 2019 general elections.

    The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Logistics and Supply, Mr. Oshodi Agboola Glover, made the pledge on Monday during a one-day official visit to the Ekiti State Command in Ado Ekiti.

    He assured that the police would handle security matters connected with the election fairly, objective and dispassionately.

    Read Also:Police dock man for receiving stolen vehicle

    Glover, who is the Supervising DIG in charge of the Southwest, urged police to always appear like good ambassadors of the nation wherever they are deployed to work.

    He warned that police officers refrain from acts that could debase the integrity of the Force, particularly going on illegal duty to extort innocent Nigerians.

    According to him, the police under the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris has zero tolerance for corruption, saying any police who deviates from the grand norms of security the lives and property of Nigerians by engaging in fraud will be dismissed from the service.

    Glover urged Nigerians not to entertain fear  over the 2019 elections, saying his men would be be fair to all parties and conduct themselves in manner that won’t make them appear partisan.

    “I want you to always appear like good ambassadors of this nation. Our brief is to provide adequate security for Nigerians. Don’t harass innocent people. Don’t engage in illegal duty.

    “Don’t use physical force on Nigerians while enforcing order, be civil in all your dealings. But if you engage in illegalities and you are caught, you will be fired. With this, not only you will be in problem, you family will also run into trouble, because some of you are bread winners.

    “The IGP is working tirelessly to improve your welfare in the area of promotions and housing, so let us support him in this task by complementing his efforts”, he advised.

    On the 2019 elections, the DIG said: “police are battle ready for the polls; we will be fair to all. This is not the first time of doing it.

    We did it in 2015 and we shall retain the same feat, no cause for alarm”.

    Glover assured that the command will step up efforts to bring down rampancy of bank robbery in Ekiti, describing the state as the most political stable and peaceful in the country.

    The Police Commissioner, Ekiti command, Mr. Bello Ahmed, expressed regret over the recent attack on Ijero police station during a bank robbery, causing the death of three policemen, saying this has not vitiated the police’s efforts in taming the kidnappers and robbers in the state.

    Ahmed called the attention of the DIG to the frightening dearth of personnel in Ekiti, describing this as a fundamental challenge to the command.

    “Total population of Ekiti in 1996 when it was created was 2.6 million and the expected police cover then was 7, 800. Going by this statistics, 22 years after, it is expected that the population must have risen to about 3.2 million without corresponding increase in police strength to serve the populace.

    “At present, the command has 3,105 out of which only 2,648 of general duty including women police while 46 are specialists.

    “Sir, this command shall need addition 4,000 personnel to enable it deploy men to the 2,195 polling units and other INEC facilities during the 2019 general elections in Ekiti State,” he said.

  • Robbers attack Ekiti bank in an ambulance, kill four

    The Police in Ekiti State have said that four persons were killed during a violent robbery attack on a bank in Ijero-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

    A source told the our reporter that the robbers invaded the town at about 6 p.m. after workers had closed.

    They were said to have first driven to the Police station in the town where they killed two policemen on duty, before heading straight to a first generation bank in an ambulance containing a casket loaded with guns.

    Others killed, according to the source, were a security guard at the bank who was shot around the ATM stand and an aged man who was passing by at the time of the attack.

    The robbers were said to have entered Ijero-Ekiti through Aramoko-Ekiti road.

    They were said to have announced their arrival with gunshots which sent residents scampering for safety.

    The bandits reportedly blew the bank’s security door with dynamite to gain access into the banking hall and made away with unspecified amount of money in the raid, which lasted for about an hour.

    The heavy shooting by the robbers paralysed transportation, economic and social activities in the town.

    Read Also: Police arrest suspected traffic robbers

    Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Caleb Ikechuckwu, said that he had visited the town to gather information, adding that the robbers arrived the town at about 5.30 p.m.

    “There were, indeed, casualties. The robbers arrived the town a few minutes after 5.30 p.m. They succeeded by using dynamite to gain access into the banking hall.

    “There was, however, no casualty on the side of the bank, but there was one or two on the side of Police,” he said.

    NAN

     

  • Ekiti governorship election dispute: APC opens case Thursday

    …INEC closes case after 16 witnesses, 31 exhibits

     

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) will on Thursday opened its defence in the ongoing hearing of a petition challenging its victory in the governorship election held in Ekiti State on June 14 this year.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Olusola Kolapo are, by their petition, marked: EPT/ EKS/GOV/01/18 challenging the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare APC’s candidate, Kayode Fayemi as winner of the election.

    INEC is listed as first respondent in the petition, while APC and Fayemi are listed as 2nd and 3rd respondents in the petition being heard by the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which now sits in Court 17, High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Apo, Abuja.

    On Thursday, APC’s lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) indicated the party’s readiness to open its defence after lawyer to INEC, Charles Edosomwan (SAN) announced the closure of his client’s case.

    Owonikoko told the tribunal that the APC was ready to open its defence on Thursday. He said the party would make judicious use of the 10 days allocated to it to conduct its defence.

    At the resumption of proceedings on Thursday, Edosomwan tendered more documents before announcing the closure of his client’s case.

    Edosomwan tendered certified true copies of Form EC40G and Form RF40G, documents detailing where the governorship election was cancelled.

    He also tendered Form EC40G for Okemesi 3 Registration Centre and Aramoko Ward 2 in Ekiti West Local Government Area.

    The INEC lawyer equally tendered Form RF40G for Imesi Registration Area and Ilu Omoba Registration Area in Gbonyin LGA.

    Owonikoko and lawyer to Fayemi, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) did not object to the admission, as exhibits, the documents tendered by Edosomwan.

    Lawyer to the PDP and Kolapo, Rowland Otaru (SAN) objected to the admission of the documents and promised to supply his reasons for objecting at the address stage.

    Tribunal’s Chairman, Suleiman Belgore admitted the documents as exhbits, after which he invited the 2nd respondent (APC) to open its case.

    In response to the judge’s invitation, Owonikoko stood up and promised APC’s readiness to commence it’s defence on Thursday.

    Justice Belgore then adjourned to Thursday (November 15).

     

     

  • Ekiti governorship election dispute: INEC to close case Nov 14

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to close its defence on Wednesday as the first defendant in the petition by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the last governorship election in Ekiti State, Kolapo Olusola.

    Olusola and PDP are challenging the outcome of the June 14 governorship election held in Ekiti this year, which INEC said was won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kayode Fayemi.

    INEC’s lawyer, Charles Edosomwan (SAN) told the Ekiti State Governorship Election Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, that he intends to close his client’s defence on Wednesday.

    Read Also:INEC displays Tonye Cole, Uzodinma as Rivers, Imo APC governorship candidates

    INEC, APC and Fayemi are listed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents in the petition by the PDP and Olusola.

    On Tuesday, Edowomwan tendered certified true copies (CTC) of results from some registration centres in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti South West, Emure and Ilejemeje Local Government Areas of Ekiti State.

    Lawyers to the APC and Fayemi – Aking Olujinmi (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) did not object to the tendering of the results contained in Forms EC40G.

    Lawyer to the petitioners, Rowland Otaru (SAN) objected to the admission of the results, but said he would give reasons for his objection at the stage of address.

    Tribunal’s Chairman, Suleiman Belgore admitted the copies of the results as exhibits.

    At a point Edosomwan sought an adjournment to enable him get more copies of the results, which he said would be brought from Ekiti today (Wednesday.

    He said he intends to close the 1st defendant’s case on Wednesday after tendering the next set of results.

    Otaru, Olujinmi and Fagbemi did not object to Edosomwan’s request for adjournment, following which Justice Belgore adjourned to 12noon on Wednesday.

    INEC has called about 16 witnesses since it opened its defence on November 5. INEC and the other respondents are each allocated 10 days present its case.

    The petitioners, who were allocated 14 days, called about 71 witnesses and tendered documentary evidence from October 17 when they opened their case.

    At the conclusion of INEC’s defence, it would be the turn of APC to present its defence, following which the tribunal will invite Fayemi to also present his defence.

  • Minimum Wage: Retirees demand increase in monthly pensions

    Following the agreement on a new minimum wage of N30, 000, pensioners have also urged federal and state governments to consider a national minimum pension for them.

    National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Dr. Abel Afolayan, said this became necessary because of the ridiculous amount being paid to retirees.

    Afolayan, in a statement made available to reporters in Ado Ekiti on Thursday by NUP Chairman in Ekiti State, Elder Ayo Kumapayi, said pensioners should not be left out in wage increase to tackle post-retirement poverty.

    According to him, the request of the senior citizens was in line with the provisions of section 173(3) and 210(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria as amended which unanimously states that pension shall be reviewed every five years or together with any Federal Civil Service salary reviews.

    He said: “Despite our efforts and submissions nothing has been done in compliance with the constitutional provisions.

    “This is the reason why the union has been very vocal and unrelenting in restating its position on the call and demand for a new minimum pension alongside the ongoing negotiation for a new minimum wage which by all indications will soon be approved for implementation.”

    Afolayan whatever is finally approved as the national minimum wage  should equally apply to pensioners as national minimum pension.

    Read Also: Buhari, Atiku clash over N30,000 minimum wage

    The NUP boss expressed regret that many pensioners still earn as low as four thousand naira per month which he said is nothing to write home about considering the present economic situation in the country.

    He said: “It is unacceptable and inhumane for pensioners to earn less than #30,000 having spent most of their valuable years to serve their father land.”

    Afolayan urged state governments should take a cue from the federal government and ensure that they pay whatever is finally approved by the Federal Government.

    Also the NUP president expressed disappointment over the non-payment of the balance of the twelve months areas of the 33% pension increases in 2010.

    To this end he said the union had given government and the Pension Transition Administration Directorate (PTAD) twenty one days ultimatum to pay or it would picket the agency’s office.

    Afolayan said pensioners have been patient enough and could no longer wait as majority of the pensioners have died without benefiting.

  • Ekiti warns against indiscriminate dumping of refuse

    The Ekiti Government on Thursday warned the people of the state to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse to avoid sanctions.

    The General Manager, Ekiti State Waste Management Authority, Mr Femi
    Osasona, gave the warning while addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti.

    Osasona complained about the way people littered the streets with refuse.

    Read Also: Oronna Ilaro Festival set to raise tourism bar in Ogun

    The general manager said that the state government was working conscientiously to clear the refuse and ensure that the people of the state lived in clean and hygienic environment.

    He said that henceforth, anyone caught dumping refuse indiscriminately would be arrested.

    Osasona urged the people of the state to support the administration by
    keeping their environment clean to prevent an outbreak of disease.

  • Ekiti, two others to benefit from $321 million Abacha loot

    Indigenes residents in Ekiti State are to benefit from economic empowerment from the $321 million loot recovered from the late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

    Two other states in the Southwest, Osun and Oyo, are to benefit from the disbursement of the cash through a cash transfer programme aimed at lifting the poorest of the poor from the abyss of poverty.

    The deal for the disbursement of the cash was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between two civil society organizations, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) and African Network for Economic and Environmental Justice (ANEEJ).

    Addressing a news conference on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti, NISD Executive Director, Mr. Abiodun Oyeleye, appealed to the Federal Government not to allow unscrupulous and corrupt politicians divert the $321 million Abacha loot released by Swiss government, for personal use.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari must live up to the expectations of the agreement reached with the Swiss Bank that all recovered loots will be deployed to finance the welfare of poor Nigerians.

    Oyeleye revealed that in compliance with the agreement reached with the Swiss Government that the money will be used to cater for the poor, which he said facilitated the release of the looted funds that the three states were listed in the region to benefit in the first tranche of the scheme.

    The NISD boss said the monitoring mechanism became expedient to ensure that only the poor Nigerians are captured in the data already prepared by the World Bank and not those that have alliances with politicians and political parties.

    Read Also: I know nothing about Abacha loot, says Al-Mustapha

    According to him, ANEEJ is presently implementing the monitoring of received assets in Nigeria through Transparency and Accountability projected tagged MANTRA, which is being supported by the British Department for International Development (DFID).

    He stated that the Swiss and British Government had released a sum of $394 million looted funds to Nigeria in recent under the guise that the monies would be used to cater for poor Nigerians, saying proper monitoring by apolitical bodies like his organization will ensure strict compliance to agreements.

    Oyeleye said: “The essence of the MANTRA programme to be undertaken by ANEEJ and NISD, is to ensure that the cash transfer to get to the direct beneficiaries in Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States in Southwest.

    “We are also to create awareness across all the State, so that they can key into the programme. We are to ensure accountability and transparency in the disbursement of the fund.  We must ensure that it is not politicized or diverted or seen as a national cake that can be misused by powerful people.

    “Available statistics by the World Bank revealed that over 75 percent of Nigerians are extremely poor. Only 20 percent are of the middle class and five percent are super rich.

    “It was the intention to lessen poverty and bridge the wide gap between the rich and poor that made the Swiss government to release the looted funds and we must not betray that trust.

    “The data of each state were already compiled, the beneficiaries are known and our task is to ensure that those who don’t have any means of livelihood benefit and they must be productive members of a family to develop economic activities like business that can sustain their people.

    “Ours is to deploy monitors to all the towns and villages and interact with these people and we are going to establish a feedback mechanism for beneficiaries and citizens on the implementation of the programme in the three states”.

  • Fayose’s attack on bishop, CJ “shameful” – CNPP

    The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State has criticized former Governor Ayo Fayose for his tirade against the Anglican Bishop, Rt. Rev. Christopher Omotunde and the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola.

    The CNPP described Fayose’s attack on the bishop and CJ as “shameful, disrespectful and uncultured act” which was contrary to virtues of respect, honour and integrity of an average Ekiti person.

    The bishop had criticized Fayose for alleged anti-people policies including imposition of taxes on school pupils and failure to empower the youths during his administration.

    The CJ during the commencement of the new legal year slammed Fayose for constructing a defective new High Court complex which he described as a “hybrid of absurdities.”

    Fayose accused Omotunde and Daramola of insincerity and partisanship.

    But the CNPP in a statement on Thursday by its acting state Chairman, Olu Akomolafe, said the bishop and the CJ’s positions have been corroborated by the claim of the state Council of Oba’s that the monarchs were maltreated by Fayose during his administration.

    The CNPP also commended Fayemi for the prompt payment of workers’ October salaries “as against the former practice of delaying or outright failure of salary payment by the past administration.”

    The CNPP said: “The continued rascality and immoral conducts of Mr. Ayo Fayose in and outside government is becoming more embarrassing and undignified to Ekiti State. Ekiti people are known for respect, dignity, hard work, sincerity and forthrightness among others.

    “It is now a moral burden on Fayose and his Cohorts to apologize to the respected Bishop Omotunde who had earlier without biased mind described the last ignoble Fayose’s administration in Ekiti State as “a wasted four-years.”

    Read Also: Four years under Fayose unfruitful, says Bishop

    “But to corroborate the priest’s submission, the monarchs and Chief Judge of the State had also berated the way and manner Fayose ran the State for four years and described same as barbaric and uncouth.

    “The level of shameful conducts of Mr. Fayose and hiis cohorts who are supposed to, by now bury their heads in shame by concentrating on Fayose’s trial by the EFCC over mismanagement of the state funds and others charges is alarming and unexpected.

    “Original Ekiti people will not even associate with anybody who is being accused of looting or stealing not to talk of a prime suspect who is now dancing in naked at the market place.”

    Therefore, the need to rebuild Ekiti State’s image must be one of priorities of the present administration in order to restore its real values.

    “The immediate past government in Ekiti State had in no small measure bastardized the image and dignity of the respected people of Ekiti State through its unguided vituperation and conduct especially against president Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerian leaders to gain cheap publicity among the few gullible Nigerians.”

     

  • Police take over Ekiti PDP secretariat

    The Ekiti State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat was on Thursday taken over by the police following its invasion by some aggrieved members protesting alleged mismanagement of the party.

    Led by a former PDP State Secretary, Dr. Temitope Aluko, the aggrieved party men chased out the State Working Committee (SWC) members and workers and took over the secretariat.

    The members also alleged state exco of “sharing millions of Naira among themselves at a period the party was in coma and weak to make any serious impact ahead of the general elections.”

    They also accused the state exco of failing to manage crises that erupted from the last congresses and primaries in the party

    After taking over, the protesting party members locked the secretariat for over two hours before the men of the State Police Command arrived and took over the place.

    Aluko explained that they carried out the action to “save the party from extinction” and to re-position it ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Read Also: PDP plans ward-to-ward campaign

    Aluko said: “We already have some aggrieved members of the following the alleged imposition that in the last primary of the party and we are worried as we are concerned stakeholders.

    “We are here today to lock up the party secretariat, not because of anything, but because of some nefarious and fraudulent activities among our members.

    “After the exit of our leaders Dr Ayodele Fayose, we found out that the National Working Committee (NWC) has not been responsible to the issues on ground.

    “We are carrying out this action today after consultation with some of our leaders of the party and they gave us the mandate to go ahead until further directives of the party’s national leadership.”

    Reacting, PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, said Aluko was not qualified to question the integrity of the state leadership of the party “having been expelled for anti-party activities.”

    Adebayo said: “As far as I’m concerned, Tope Aluko is an expelled member of our party and he does not have moral standing and he is not qualify to query, question or throw a challenge on  how we run our party in Ekiti.”

    Police spokesman, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu, a Deputy Superintendent, said his men took over the party secretariat temporarily to prevent breakdown of law and order following the reports the command received to that effect.