The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fatai Akinbade

  • PDP screens 11 aspirants for Osun guber poll

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is currently screening 11 aspirants that have indicated interest in the party’s ticket for the Osun State governorship election.

    The eleven aspirants are Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, Dr. Oyewumi Olalere, Oladipo Oke, Felix Ogunwale, Fatai Akinbade and Ezekiel Adeniyi.

    Others are Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Ayoade Adewopo, Adejare Bello, Senator Ademola Adeleke and Prof Adeolu Durotoye.

    Chairman of the screening committee, Mr Austin Opara who spoke to journalists at the party’s Abuja secretariat on Monday, said the party would provide level playing field for all the aspirants.

    Opara said, “We are determined to do things right. The new leadership of the party has said we must rebrand the party. We will be guided by the guidelines of the party, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the PDP constitution.

    “We will not import any material that is not in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the guidelines. The constitution for instance has specified the age limit, especially with the passage of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill into law”.

    Opara announced that all the aspirants have returned their nomination documents and assured that the process will be transparent.

    “The exercise is a process and it is clear in all that the party is doing, including the screening that is taking place today. It is going to be very transparent because we want the best for the party and of course, the best for the party is the best for the country. We would be transparent and fair to all concerned.

    “At the end, we want the best for our nation. You can attest to the fact that things are falling apart in the country today as led by the ruling party, even in Osun State. The only party that can give Nigerians hope today is the PDP,” Opara said.

  • PDP asks EFCC to probe Osun 2016 audit report

    …It is ranting of an ant, says govt

    The People’s Democratic Party in Osun State on Thursday called on the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to probe the 2016 audited report of the Rauf Aregbesola led All Progressive Party government.

    Addressing reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, the PDP state Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, alleged that inability of Aregbesola to pay workers salaries and pensions was as a result of his administration “wasteful spending.”

    The PDP maintained that the alleged wasteful spending was evidenced in the audited report.

    Adagunodo in a press conference, where many governorship aspirants, including  Oluomo Gbenga Owolabi, Hon. Adejare Bello, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and Dr. Ayoade Adewopo, we’re present, said the  2016 audit report on the account of the state revealed that the Governor spent a whooping sum of over 6 billion Naira as over-head cost in his office “when at a time the state workers were groaning under the yoke of half and no salary.”

    He said: “The office of the governor which is principally made up of the Governor, Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff expended a sum of N6,367,390,350.64) in one year. This was higher than the entire money spent on education, agriculture and health in the same year.

    Read Also: Aregbesola has redefined Osun politics – Ataoja

    “Of this figure, the sum of over five billion and fifty million naira was spent on overhead in the office of the governor. This was an increase of almost 400% on the sum of 1.2 billion naira spent on the same over-head in 2015.  The question is what could be responsible for this astronomical rise in overhead cost of running the office of the governor within 12months? How much of this money was funneled into private pockets and on political patronage?

    “Other financial irregularities discovered in the report according to the PDP chairman include the building of a website for over 10 million Naira as well as the spending of over 276 million Naira on the maintenance of infrastructure in the Governor’s office while a paltry sum of over 1 million Naira was spent on the maintenance of infrastructure in all the health institutions in the state.

    In a reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, described the allegations against the government as the ranting of an ant.

    He said the opposition party was fond of allegations it could not substantiate.

    According to him, the people of the state know the type of people in the PDP, whom he said could not make any impact on the life of the people when they ruled the state for seven and half years.

    He said that the PDP would fail in the September 22 governorship election, adding that the party knew that it had failed to win the sympathy of the people in the state.

  • LP candidate: I ’ll adopt Chinese model

    LP candidate: I ’ll adopt Chinese model

    OSUN State standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, has pledged to adopt the Chinese model for the state industrial development if voted as the governor in the August 9 poll.

    His media director, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, in a statement, noted that proper management and the utilisation of human and material resources available in the state was capable of generating several thousands of jobs.

    He explained that the Chinese model would provide industrial incubators at small, medium and large scales, noting that necessary incentives would equally be provided to ease their operations for the benefit of the state and country as a whole.

    He said: “The abandoned Free Trade Zone (FTZ) will be resuscitated and be made to function as industrial incubators that will reduce greatly the initial financial outlay of the investors. Buildings that will serve as accommodation will be provided while linkage to machine fabricators as well as banks for loans will be explored.”

    Akinbade, who said that the government would serve as guarantor for viable projects, pointed out that the development would enhance the utilisation of locally available agricultural products and mineral resources.

  • LP: good times await workers

    OSUN State Labour Party (LP) has assured civil servants of good times, if its governorship candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, is voted into power in the August 9 poll.

    The Media Director for the LP’s governorship candidate, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, in a statement, said workers’ minimum wage would be reviewed upward across board.

    The LP candidate assured that there would be job security for workers, saying they would be allowed their full term of 35 years of service or 60 years of age, while those in tertiary institution would enjoy the statutory 65 years of age.

    Akinbade said: “By the special grace of God, under the Labour Party government in Osun State, we shall ensure that the welfare of workers receives due and prompt attention. Their present minimum wage shall be reviewed upward across board.”

     

    “The civil service would be allowed to perform its statutory responsibilities as against the present system, whereby jobs of career civil servants are contracted out to consultants which constitute a drain in the state’s purse.”

    According to the former Secretary to the State Government, training and retraining of workers would be given priority, adding that “promotion and advancement of officers, including other welfare packages, will be attended to as when due.”

     

    END

  • LP candidate to PDP: stop dropping my name

    LP candidate to PDP: stop dropping my name

    THE Osun State Labour Party governorship candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its agents “to stop dropping his name to gain an advantage in the August 9 governorship election.”

    The former Secretary to the State Government in the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration vowed never to go into alliance with the PDP or its representatives.

    His Media Consultant, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, in a statement, said the rumour that he wanted to defect to the PDP from where he had moved to LP was the handiwork of enemies of progress and was designed to confuse his supporters.

    The statement reads: “I want to tell them that they have failed. Those behind the rumour are agents of darkness, who are dreaming while they are awake. I am wondering why the PDP and its agents are peddling the rumour that I want to go into an alliance with the PDP.

    “I have been working round the clock to make sure that I win the August 9 election. And I am saying this with all humility and confidence that I will defeat the PDP and the APC.

    “With the support of God and the people of our dear state clamouring for my emergence as their new governor from August 9 this year, nothing or nobody can make me to go into alliance with the PDP or any other party. I am determined to go by my dream and destiny.”

    He said going into alliance or any related arrangements with any other candidate from any party would “amount to letting down a generation.”

    According to him: “I don’t intend to go into alliance with anybody or any party. I will not and cannot go into alliance with Omisore, the PDP or anybody on anything that relates to the coming election. For crying out loud, what do some people take me for?

    “This is surely the handiwork of idle minds. I didn’t just jump into the train of the LP. I took my time to consult widely, even to the top before finally leaving the PDP. For those who know me very well, when I say goodbye, I mean it. Besides, I am not using their name or anybody’s name. So, they should stop dropping my name too.

    “I want to warn here that two situations are never alike. So, anybody thinking I can be tossed around should perish the thought because I am in the race for good. I am assuring that I would never betray the confidence reposed in him by the people of the state who were already waiting to elect me as their governor.”

     

  • Jonathan in fresh consultation over S/West ministerial nominees

    Jonathan in fresh consultation over S/West ministerial nominees

    President Goodluck Jonathan is to hold a fresh round of consultations with Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and stakeholders to guide him on the ministerial nominees’ list from the zone.

    Reliable party’s sources told The Nation that following weeks of unending uproar within the party in the zone over some names allegedly listed by the president for ministerial appointments, Jonathan may have resolved to consult wider on the issue.

    It was learnt that the president is staying action on nomination from the Southwest until his planned consultation.

    A source said one of the meetings may take place as early as Tuesday.

    The names of Minister of Transport in the Abacha government, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and PDP chieftain in Osun State, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, are reported to be on the list.

    It was even reported that the duo may have appeared before some security agencies for screening as part of the process leading to their confirmation as members of the federal cabinet.

    But some prominent leaders and members of the party in the zone are uncomfortable with the possible appointment of the duo.

    The Nation learnt that a group of PDP stalwarts from Osun State led by a former deputy national chairman of the party, are opposed to the choice of Akinbade as replacement for Erelu Olusola Obada.

    The group feels Akinbade, a governorship aspirant of the party, who has led a faction of the party for years, is too sectional to be made a minister representing the state in the federal cabinet.

    A source said: “Akinbade is a good material for ministerial appointment, no doubt. But when you consider his place in Osun politics in the last four years, you will understand why some of us feel he cannot be minister at this point in time.

    “The minister we need now is a non-aligned person who can and will be able to carry all sections and groups within the party along without being cast in the toga of a factional leader.”

    The Nation learnt that opposition to Babatope’s nomination is largely from outside Osun State.

    The ex-Minister of Transport is said to have been nominated to fill the zonal ministerial slot vacated by Olugbenga Ashiru from Ogun state.

    Another party chief familiar with the development said: “We are saying it is not logical to have two vacancies and you fill the two vacancies from one place out of the six places available.

    “We have six states in the Southwest. The slot vacated by Ashiru is not for Osun State. It is for the whole zone.

    “Given the fact that election is fast approaching, it is advisable to give the slot to a state like Lagos where the president can garner huge votes.

    “One minister is enough to galvanise Osun for the PDP. We need more than one person to make impact in Lagos.”

    Buoyed up by the President’s instruction to the national leadership of the PDP that would-be ministerial nominees must be widely accepted within their political blocs, some party leaders had drawn his attention to the widespread opposition plaguing the choices he has allegedly made, especially in the Southwest.

    The Nation learnt that prominent PDP leaders in Osun State are rooting for the replacement of Akinbade’s name with that of Engineer Ezekiel Adeniji, Chairman, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) while there is a strong move from Lagos and Ondo states to have one of their own replace Babatope.

    Sola Oke, Remi Adiukwu-Bakare, Deji Doherty and Ade Dosunmu are still featuring prominently on the lips of those seeking the removal of Babatope’s names from the ministerial nominees’ list.