The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ekiti

  • Disquiet over N75m Lexus for Fayose

    •Adeyeye slams governor for ‘looting’, illegal sale of govt property

    There is unease in Ekiti State over the approval and purchase of a 2018 Lexus LX 570 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) valued at N75 million for Governor Ayo Fayose as a “parting gift”.

    The purchase is causing anxiety in the civil service as fear grips officers involved in the deal ahead of the change of government on October 16.

    It was learnt that the vehicle was bought about a month ago but our reporter sighted the documents on the deal yesterday.

    A civil servant, who spoke in confidence, described the deal as “strange, suspicious and unheard of” at a time government workers and retirees are owed salary arrears.

    A memo for the purchase of the vehicle emanated from the Political and Economic Department of the Governor’s Office through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

    The letter authorizing the purchase of the SUV was addressed to the SSG, Dr. Modupe Alade.

    It was written by Mr. Bayo Opeyemi, the Executive Secretary/Director General, and was dated August 1.

    The deal was alleged approved same day by Fayose with his signature on the document.

    The memo reads: “Kindly refer to the request for the direct procurement of one unit of 2018 Lexus LX 570 (U.S Specs) as a parting gift for the governor by the Political and Economic Affairs Department of the Governor’s Office at Page 15.

    “The invoice at page 18 has been reviewed by the state’s Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) from N68,000,000 (exclusive of tax) to N66,000,000. The inclusion of 13 per cent tax will bring the total cost to N75,862,068.96.

    “Please, present for approval the direct procurement of one unit of 2018 Lexus LX (US Specs) as parting gift for the Governor a sum of N75,862,068.96.”

    A Certificate of No Objection (CONO) for Contract Award for the procurement of the SUV was also issued by Ekiti State Bureau of Public Procurement, dated August 3.

    A Certificate of Purchase (COP) was also issued.

    A civil servant familiar with the deal said: “The question people should be asking is: why is the outgoing governor approving the parting gift for himself?

    “It is strange in the system, unheard of; it is suspicious. It was supposed to be the decision of the government and not the decision of one man.

    “It is not the outgoing governor that will determine what the state will give to him. There is more to it than meets the eye.

    “The incoming government must get to the root of the matter and all those involved, whether civil servants or politicians, must be brought to book.”

    Former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, slammed Fayose for allegedly buying the SUV as a parting gift.

    He criticised the payment of N43 million severance package to himself and deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    Adeyeye also criticised the governor for alleged sale of government property and auction of government vehicles to cronies at “ridiculous prices”.

    The former minister, who declared his intent yesterday to run for Ekiti South senatorial, said the governor’s latest action showed that he (Fayose) did not love the workers and masses as he used to claim.

    He added that it was callous of the governor to buy a luxury vehicle for himself with the state fund when workers are owed between five and eight months’ salary arrears.

    Adeyeye urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the state to be more vigilant to prevent the state from being plundered by the outgoing administration.

    He said: “I have always identified Fayose as a selfish person. He only thinks of himself. I have always maintained that the governor can’t be trusted.

    “I know he will like to appropriate everything to himself. We learnt he has been selling state assets, like the Erunfun Land on Ijan road. That land was bought by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1949 and he never appropriated it.

    “We have had many governments in Ekiti: former Governors Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi never contemplated selling the land, but Fayose was planning to sell it to himself. Ekiti people won’t accept that.

    “It was Fayemi who supposed to send him off, but due to selfishness, he (Fayose) decided to appropriate that to himself. That is not the trait of a good leader.

    “For four years, Fayose didn’t do more than five projects and he claimed he has performed. He only touched two towns throughout the time. Schools, hospitals and roads have decayed under Fayose. No investments in Agriculture, road network, everything was neglected.

    “Not even a single investment was witnessed in agriculture. So, that victory (last governorship poll) was a sound one for APC and Ekiti people.

    “Fayose made several agreements with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014 to win the governorship election. He never fulfilled any. He manipulated everything to suit himself in the PDP, despite the fact that I nearly won the governorship primary before I decided to defect to APC, just to defeat him at all cost.”

     

    Governor’s media aide: let accusers bring evidence

    The Chief Press Secretary to Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, has debunked the alleged purchase of a N75 million Lexus “parting gift” to the governor from government coffers.

    In a text message to our reporter last night, Adelusi challenged anyone with evidence of the purchase to present same.

    The governor’s aide urged anyone with evidence that Fayose paid N43 million as severance package to himself and his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, to show it.

    He described those criticising the purchase of the vehicle as “ignorant”.

    Adelusi said: “Those who alleged should come forward with genuine evidence of purchase of the vehicle as well as payment of severance allowance.

    “Those who are saying these things are ignorant of the law.”

  • 11 wounded as RTEAN members clash in Ekiti

    Eleven members of rival factions of Ekiti State chapter of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) were wounded yesterday during a clash in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Houses, shops and other property belonging to union leaders and members were vandalised.

    Assorted weapons were said to have been used in the fracas.

    The victims sustained deep cuts on their heads, necks and other parts of their bodies.

    They were said to be supporters of the RTEAN Southwest Zonal Chairman, Chief Isaac Fatimehin (aka Ayinrin) and Ekiti RTEAN chairmanship aspirant, Mr. Adebayo Aderiye (aka Ojuigo).

    The union has been battling a crisis over attempts to change the union’s leadership following the last governorship election in the state.

    Fatimehin accused a former RTEAN state chairman, Chief Rotimi Olanbiwonnu (aka Mentilo), of being responsible for the attack and destruction of his shopping complex.

    He said: “We have been having violent attacks on our people since Friday. These attacks were led by Mentilo, who has been bringing thugs with guns, cutlasses and other weapons to attack our people.

    “As I speak with you, 11 of our people are in the hospital. They sustained deep machete cuts on their heads and other parts of their bodies.

    “Mentilo is not happy that the national body of our union, headed by Alhaji Musa Isewele, is considering Ojuigo as the Acting Chairman for our union in Ekiti.

    “This is why he is bringing armed thugs to attack our people in my house. We were at the national meeting in Abuja and I arrived last Thursday. Ojuigo and Mentilo had gone to Abuja before me.

    “The truth is that Mentilo had chaired the state’s RETAN for over nine and a half years. This is why the national body is considering Ojuigo, who has not tasted the leadership of the body in the state before.

    “On Saturday, when I was called on this matter by Sunday Adeola, a leader in our union who is supporting Mentilo, I told him that I had explained to all parties that those who have chaired the state chapter of our union before should retire like me and allow others who haven’t been there to have their turn. I said we should retire and be godfathers for others.

    “I explained again that the Mentilo caucus had not come to see me to seek my support on their ambition but Ojuigo had done so, and he has got my support.

    “I pleaded with him not to be violent in pursuing their ambition, saying I wanted peace as the father of all parties and caucuses.

    “He then advised that I have a meeting with the two parties of Mentilo and Ojuigo and I said that it was okay. But I said I would like to have a meeting with him first. He said it was okay and cut the line.

    “But it wasn’t up to 30 minutes after we spoke that armed thugs came to my shopping complex on Adebayo Road in Ado-Ekiti and unleashed terror on everyone.

    “They macheted members loyal to Ojuigo, especially those who were in my custody. But they didn’t touch me. They vandalised the shops and broke doors and windows of the shopping complex and my house behind the complex.

    “We reported the matter to the police station at Oke Ila but we were referred to the state command where our men were again referred to the Oke Isa police station where the hospital treated some of our injured members.

    “The police in Ekiti have not taken concrete steps on this matter as they seem to have allowed Mentilo to continue to unleash terror on our people.”

    But Isewele, who spoke on phone, claimed that Olanbiwonnu is no longer a member of RTEAN.

    The union leader said a state caretaker committee, led by Mr. Lekan Amusan, had been set up to oversee the affairs of the troubled union.

    He said: “We have also set up a caretaker committee, which offered to settle the matter between the parties but Ojuigo and Mentilo failed to reach a peaceful pact. So, we asked the committee to continue leading the union.”

    Olanbiwonnu, who maintained that he remained the RTEAN caretaker chairman in the state, denied involvement in the attack.

    According to him, he has been trying his best to resolve the crisis.

  • The boy from Ekiti

    •Nine-year-old Philip Adegbenro’s hand-crafted baseball gloves make hay in the U.S

    It is from the black pot that pure white pap is wrought. That is a native saying of the Yoruba of the southwest Nigeria. We dare note as well that from the outskirts of this nation is news of global exploits of an unlikely kind.

    Nine-year-old Philip Adegbenro has just earned himself fame when his modest effort in his corner of the world made headlines and found a place in a reputable U.S museum.

    Not many nine-year-olds in Nigeria may have heard about the world Little League series but little Philip from the far-removed corner of south west Nigeria is not only enamoured of the game, he did something extra.

    Philip, who plays for EkitiKete, a Nigerian Little League team, crafted for himself, a paper hand gloves. Picture of Philip playing with his homemade gloves was posted online and it caught the attention of the World of Little League Museum in the United States.

    According to Lance Van Auken, vice president and executive director of the World of Little League Museum who said a Facebook friend shared a picture of Philip’s with his hand-made gear: “It is made from cardboard, paper, glue, black thread and copper wire.

    “You can tell Philip worked to make it authentic-looking, including the stitching. It reminds me of some of the equipment created or repurposed by children in the U.S before little league came along.”

    Van Auken contacted Philip’s coach and a deal was struck to have the gloves displayed as a centrepiece of a museum exhibit in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, U.S.

    Philip got as a reward, a brand new state-of-the-art leather gloves. Very few of Philips EkitiKete team mates have proper gloves.

    Little as this gesture may seem, its imports are deep and diverse. Little League Baseball was initiated about 100 years ago in a small neighbourhood in Williamsport, Pennsylvania by Carl Stotz, his two friends and their wives. Three teams, managed by these couples played the first tournament in June, 1939. The same year they formed the Little League Board. The following year, a second league was formed also in Williamsport.

    One man’s idea in a little town has grown into the biggest international children’s tournament in the world today. It is a league of about 200,000 teams in each U.S. state and leagues in about 80 other countries. Only Uganda, South Africa and Burkina Faso participate in LLB. Nigeria still plays at the rudimentary and experimental levels.

    The lesson in Phillip’s exploits however is the realisation that the world is getting smaller and universal at the same time. Secondly, it has become a more open world in which hardly anything we do can be hidden. Apart from secret cameras installed all around us, various satellites hanging above our heads can peer right into our bedrooms and catch us out, the way a deft outfielder catches out a pitcher.

    This is why there are hardly any hiding places under the sun anymore. It is also the reason why we must elect to do right at all times.

    Little Phillip’s example is a testimony to the fact we could be picked out from any small corner we may be. Baseball, the pitch-and-strike Yankee game is almost alien to Nigeria while Ekiti is the unlikeliest place to find a baseball icon. Not with the kind of primitive leadership that has ravaged the state, especially in the last four years.

    But there he is, Philip Fagbenro: his tenacious effort to be a baseball player has won Nigeria glory and reckoning in a prestigious American museum.

    Other school kids have so much to learn from Philip’s fortune: apart from study, you must engage yourselves in noble hobbies and reputable pass time.

    You never can tell who is watching.

     

  • Ekiti APC chieftain Opeyemi back from US

    A former governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress in Ekiti State, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele who was shot in Ado Ekiti during the campaign by Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi is back in the country after treatment in London.

    He returned to the country on Thursday through the Murtala Muhammed International airport.  Photo: Ayodele Issac

    Opeyemi
    Opeyemi Bamidele on arrival with him is his CSO, Ibrahim Oshodi at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos

     

    opeyemi
    Opeyemi Bamidele on arrival with him is his CSO, Ibrahim Oshodi at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos

  • 48,000 application jostle for 20000 jobs in Ekiti

    No fewer than 48,000 unemployed youths on Tuesday sat for the Ekiti State Public Service recruitment examination for 2,000 available spaces.

    Speaking on the development, the State Head of Service Dr Olugbenga Faseluka said the recruitment exercise is aimed at filling available vacancies in the public service.

    Faseluka said though there are more than 2000 vacancies, the State Government is merely filling 2,000 critical job vacancies in different cadres of the service cutting across the core civil service, the Teaching Service, Primary Education Board, Hospitals management Board, and parastatals.

    He stressed that the ongoing recruitment is the only major recruitment embarked upon by government in the last four years.

    Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of Establishments and Training, Mr Olusesan Alabi assured applicants that the recruitment will be merit-driven and not based on political patronage, even as successful candidates would undergo interviews.

    He explained that some categories of applicants such as sweepers, security guards and gardeners would not partake in the written examination but would be subjected to oral interviews because of the nature of their jobs.

    One of the applicants, Solomon Olukoko commended the state government for embarking on the recruitment exercise; saying that it would reduce youth unemployment and boost the economy of the State.

    Another applicant,  Ajayi Tosin expressed satisfaction at the conduct of the examination; saying that the organizers arrived the venue of the examination on time. She praised them for effectively managing the army of youths who wrote the examination.

    Adetula Helen who wrote the examination in Ado Ekiti centre urged the recruiting agencies to prioritise merit.

  • Murder of commissioner in Ekiti : Two remanded in prison

    Two men, Tajudeen Bello and Luck Solomon who allegedly murdered Mr Bunmi Ojo, Commissioner in the Federal Character Commission, were on Monday in Ado Ekiti remanded in prison on the orders of an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court.

    The accused — Bello, 22, and Solomon, 32 — are facing a two-count charge of murder and membership of a cult.

    While arraigning the accused, Police Prosecutor Johnson Okunade told the court that the accused committed the offences on Aug. 14 in the state capital.

    According to him, the duo conspired and murdered the politician, a personal assistant to a former governor of Ekiti, Mr Segun Oni.

    The prosecutor alleged that the accused were members of a secret society — Black Axe confraternity.

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    The offences contravened Section 319 of Criminal Code and Section 4 (1) of the Secret Cults Abolition and Prohibition of Laws of Ekiti 2012.

    Okunade asked the court to remand the accused in prison pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    Mr Chris Omokhafe, counsel to the accused, applied for bail for them but was refused by the court.

    In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye remanded of the duo in prison and adjourned the case until Sept. 19 for the DPP’s advice.

  • Ekiti monarchs seek tighter security at palaces

    Traditional rulers in Ekiti State have urged the state government to tighten security around their palaces.

    The monarchs spoke on the heels of last Monday’s killing of the Onise of Odo Oro in Ikole Local Government Area, Oba Gbadebo Ogunsakin, near his palace.

    Oba Ogunsakin was allegedly stabbed to death by Omoniyi Ademola.

    Acting under the auspices of Majority Obas in Ekiti Land (MOBEL), who comprise monarchs in third class and lesser grades, the obas spoke during a visit to Odo Oro where they commiserated with the family of the late Onise, the chiefs and people of the community.

    Led by the Olowa of Odo Owa Ekiti, Oba Ayomide Oyedeji, the monarchs described the incident that took their colleague away as “shocking, unfortunate and worrisome”.

    According to them, the perpetrator of the crime would probably have not found it easy to carry out the crime if the palace had been fortified by armed security men, complimenting local guards.

    Though they acknowledged that government had always accorded priority attention to their welfare and well-being, the obas  said tightening security in the palaces would be an added advantage “considering the unprecedented attack on the palace of the deceased king by his killer”.

    The monarchs urged residents of the various communities not to leave the security of the palaces to security officials alone.

    Ekiti State Governor-elect Dr. Kayode Fayemi commiserated with Odo Oro community and the family of the slain monarch on his killing.

    A statement by the Director of Media in the Office of the Governor-elect, Wole Olujobi, said Fayemi regretted the death of the monarch, adding that the incident hapened when his services would have been needed in the progressive governance of the state.

    It said: “The late monarch was renowned for his progressive ideals and his wise counsel will be missed as we collectively brace for the challenge of changing the face of Ekiti State for good in the next dispensation.

    “We sympathise with Odo Oro community, the immediate family of the late monarch and the traditional institution in Ekiti State over this unfortunate incident.

    “We pray God to grant the family, Odo Oro community, the royal institution and people of Ekiti State the fortitude to bear this great loss.”

  • Table tennis coach advises Ekiti on players’ welfare

    Ajayi Olubode, Head Coach of Ekiti Table Tennis Association (ESTTA) on Tuesday advised the state government to consider permanent welfare packages for outstanding players in the state.

    Olubode told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that such packages were necessary following the state players achievements in major national and international table tennis championships.

    He said that the introduction of welfare packages would also go along way to encourage the players to do more for the state and the country at a large.

    “Our commitment to talent discovery and consistent training have produced competent players that have participated in various championships and brought honour to Ekiti and the country at large.

    “Most of these players are still young and need all the motivation from the state government in order to identify with their successes as well as retaining them.

    “Such welfare should be considered in the areas of employment and sustainable monthly allowances which will avoid loosing them to porchers, especially during major national championships,” he said.

    He said that the juicy welfare melted out of existing players of the state, would go a long way to attract more youths to pick their sport career in table tennis.

    The head coach said that the recognition and exploits of some notable players in championships should encourage the state government to make training environment attractive and motivating.

    He said that ESTTA needs standard and permanent table tennis hall with kits for training activities and to accommodate teaming players of the state.

    “Table tennis is a trendy sport and it is making waves at all levels, upcoming players are also taking cognisance of the the way the state welcome and compensate victorious players.

    “Presently, upcoming players are showing interest plus existing ones but we are faced with challenges of training hall and kits to enable us implement our programmes for these players,” he added.

    Coach Olubode noted that Ekiti players have distinguished themselves and have always made remarkable impart in national championships, adding that Tosin Oribamise, African no 1 junior player and 2018 youth Olympics-bound Nigerian’s representative.

  • Ekiti: Court grants Oni’s prayer for substituted service in suit against Fayemi

    A former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni yesterday got the nod of a Federal High in Abuja to serve processes through substituted means on the state’s Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi on a suit challenging his eligibility to contest the last governorship election.

    By substituted means, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in an ex-parte ruling, said the originating documents, filed by Oni, should be served on Fayemi through the head office of their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Abuja.

    Oni had alleged, in his motion ex parte, that Fayemi was evading service.

    He sought the court’s permission to serve him through substituted means.

    Justice Dimgba, after granting Oni’s prayer, adjourned till September 5 for a report of service.

    Oni averred that Fayemi was not qualified to participate in APC’s primary on May 12 on the grounds that he did not resign his appointment as Minister Mines and Steel Development, in line with the law.

    Oni also claimed, among others, that Fayemi won the APC’s primary on May 12 while he was still the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, a position he did not officially resign from until May 30.

    The former governor queried Fayemi’s eligibility for the primary on the strength of his (Fayemi) purported indictment by the Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry, set up by the state government to probe Fayemi’s tenure.

    The plaintiff, who came second in the primary with 481 votes behind Fayemi’s 941, prayed the court to declare him the valid flag bearer of the party.

    Oni also sought “a declaration that the claimant (Oni), having scored 481 votes, which is the majority of lawful and valid votes at the second defendant’s (APC’s) May 12 governorship primary for the purpose of determining the second defendant’s candidate for the July 14 election for the office of governor of Ekiti State, is the person that was validly nominated by the 2nd defendant for the 14th July, 2018 election for the office of Governor, Ekiti State”.

    He also prayed the court to determine “whether by virtue of APC’s constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of All Progressives’ Congress 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office, as applicable to the APC governorship primary conducted on May 12, the first defendant, being a serving member of the Federal Executive and Federal Minister of Solid Minerals, Mines and Steel Development, having not resigned his appointment as a member of Federal Executive and Minister of Solid Mineral, Mines and Steel Development, at all or at least 30 days to the primary of May 12, was qualified to contest and participate in the said APC governorship primary of May 12 as an aspirant in that election”.

    He urged the court to determine “whether by virtue of APC Constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of APC 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the APC governorship primary conducted on May 12 at Damilek Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti, for the purpose of determining or nominating the second defendant candidate for the July 12 Ekiti State governorship election, the first defendant, having been indicted by Hon. Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry, was qualified to contest and participate in the APC governorship primary of May 12, as an aspirant in that election.”

  • Ekiti council workers issue strike notice over unpaid salary

    Local government workers in Ekiti State have said they will go on an indefinite strike, following Governor Ayo Fayose’s alleged lukewarm attitude towards payment of their arrears.

    The workers expressed dismay that they were owed seven-month arrears.

    Acting under the aegis of the Ekiti State Council of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the workers said the industrial action will begin on August 23.

    Their decision to go on strike was reached at an emergency NULGE State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Friday at the union’s secretariat on Iyin Road in Ado-Ekiti, the capital.

    In a communique at the end of the meeting, Ekiti NULGE condemned Fayose’s plan to employ 2,000 workers when those in the system were owed arrears.

    It reads: “The NULGE, Ekiti State branch, at its meeting held on August 17, wish to remind the government that out of the four demands of the union in its communique issued on July 25, only one of them was partially attended to, which is less than five per cent of our total demands.

    “The union wishes to reiterate that in spite of our agitation, the government only paid up to December 2017 salary, leaving seven months yet unpaid.

    “It is evident now that the government is insensitive to the workers’ plight because the union has it on good authority that the government is planning to add to the burden of the local governments by recruiting more hands to the teaching sector.

    “For the sake of clarity, the union has nothing against the recruitment into the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), but on condition that all salaries and other emoluments owed local government workers be paid before the commencement of the payment of the newly recruited personnel.

    “In view of the above, the State Executive Council (SEC) in session, therefore, directs all members of the union to stay at home indefinitely from Thursday, August 23, until further directives by the union.”