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Tag: Governor Abiola Ajimobi

  • Oyo: I’ll probe last-minute contracts, Makinde insists

    Oyo State Governor-elect Seyi Makinde yesterday insisted that he would probe last-minute contracts,  being allegedly awarded by the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    This came as he denied attacking Ajimobi after the election.

    In a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman, Prince Dotun Oyelade, Makinde said his recent comments on the fresh contracts being allegedly awarded by the state government was borne out of concern for the state’s financial health rather than an attack on the person of Ajimobi.

    The governor-elect said he accords Ajimobi due respect, not only as governor but as his senior.

    Read also: Ajimobi to Makinde: shun politics of bitterness

    “But governance being a serious business, Makinde cannot look on while direct instructions are given to local government councils to spend all monies in their care, including stabilisation accounts, which are traditionally reserved for emergencies and natural disasters, even when there are no cases of emergency anywhere in the state,” Makinde said.

    He reemphasised that he would reverse any fresh contract and also punish perpetrators.

    Ajimobi had accused Makinde of attacking him personally after winning the election instead of laying bare his administration’s blueprint for the people he intends to govern.

  • Makinde vows to probe last-minute contracts in Oyo

    Oyo State Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday insisted that he would probe last-minute contracts being allegedly awarded by the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    This came as he denied attacking Ajimobi after the election.

    In a statement by his spokesman, Prince Dotun Oyelade, Makinde said his recent comments on the fresh contracts being allegedly awarded by the state government was borne out of concern for the financial health of the state rather than an attack on the person of Governor Ajimobi.

    The Governor-elect said he accords Ajimobi due respect, not only as governor but as his senior.

    Read also: March 2019 FGN bond auction oversubscribed

    “But governance being a serious business, Makinde cannot look on while direct instructions are given to local government councils to spend all monies in their care including stabilisation accounts, which are traditionally reserved for emergencies and natural disasters even when there are no cases of emergency anywhere in the state,” Makinde said.

    He re-emphasised that he would reverse any fresh contract and also punish perpetrators.

    Ajimobi had accused Makinde of attacking him personally after winning the election instead of laying bare his administration’s blueprint for the people he intends to govern.

  • Oyo govt, APC tackle group over vote of confidence in Ajimobi

    THE vote of confidence in Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi by some party leaders after the last general elections has sparked off crisis within the party.

    A group within the state All Progressives Congress (APC), APC Reformers, has faulted the vote of confidence passed by the party leaders and members of the state chapter, describing it as self-deceit.

    The group admonished President Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s National stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, not to recommend Ajimobi for any appointment.

    The APC Reformers, which claimed it comprises APC former political appointees and leaders in Oyo State, in a statement signed by its acting secretary, Sulemon Ramoni, after a meeting in Ibadan on Tuesday, described the vote of confidence as “a continuation of self-deception by a congress of charlatans” that led to the party’s failure at the just concluded elections.

    But, the party’s spokesman, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olatunde, in an interview with The Nation, said members of the group were unknown to the party.

    He explained that at the state APC meeting held on Monday, party candidates and leaders, including state elected officers and government appointees, senatorial zonal leaders, party chairmen and secretaries from the 33 local government areas (LGAs), members of state working committee and national executive members, the 33 local council chairmen, women and youth leaders and ward party leaders among others, were in attendance.

    Olatunde added that the party leaders, after about five-hour’s deliberations, resolved to pass the vote of confidence in Ajimobi, after considering the governor’s achievements so far and his contributions to the party.

    “Then, who are the so-called ‘reformers’? They should tell us their identities, positions in the party, their membership, their local government areas and wards.

    “We know that those who worked against the party during the elections will come out soon and the group might be part of those who worked against our interests.

    “We are ready to react to their lies at any time. They are the real charlatans in the party.”

    When contacted yesterday, the governor’s spokesperson, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, in a statement, described the group as “a faceless association that is unknown to the party in Oyo State”.

    Tunji said: “In any case, the vote of confidence was passed on the governor by the party leadership in the state made up of the state EXCO, local govt party chairmen, secretaries,  women leader, youth leader, all party candidates in the general election,  party chieftains and stakeholders in the state. In all, we had nearly 300 party stakeholders in all the 33 LGAs. Elders like Pa Lasisi Lasunsi from Ibarapa, Alhaji Okaide Abass, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, Chief Akin Ojebode, elected senators and House of Representatives’ members. These were the people in attendance at the stakeholders parley. You will agree with me that these are the major stakeholders of the party in the state. Are you now saying that some unknown entities know better than these people?

    “The vote of confidence was passed based on certain indices. The Ajimobi administration is the only one to have spent two terms. It is unprecedented. It is an administration that ensures that peace reigned in the state unlike what we use to have prior to the advent of this administration.

    “What about the unprecedented infrastructural renewal in the state. In any case, APC won two out of three senatorial seats and nine out of 14 House of Reps seats. We know what happened. So, the vote of confidence is totally justified.  What should be uppermost in the minds of faithful party members now is how to constitute a formidable opposition to keep the incoming administration on its toes to ensure the continued development of the state. So, that Oyo State does not go back again to the years of locust.”

    But, the group’s statement reads: “After spending almost eight years in office, the people of Oyo State have passed a vote of no confidence in Ajimobi by ensuring that he lost his unit, ward, local government and the state in the last election.

    “Of what benefit would the decision of his self-appointed leaders and handpicked executive be for the party, democracy and the good people of the state?

    “Mr. President and the national leadership of the party, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, should not be misled by the charlatans to consider Ajimobi for a ministerial or any federal appointment, which is their motive.

    “Any federal appointment for him will worsen the party’s situation, make reconciliation impossible and lead to more loses in future elections.

    “The party lost the presidential election in Oyo State because it held on the same day with Ajimobi’s senatorial election.

    “The state elections were lost because of his influence and interference.

    “After the 2015 general election, Ajimobi scolded the party chairman, Chief Akin Oke, for losing his unit and ward, as a matter of fact he advised him to resign.

    “Some local government caretaker chairmen were also removed by him for losing their constituencies. Now that he has lost woefully, he deserves no reprieve.”

     

  • Makinde, Oyo Govt. trade words over alleged last-minute spending

    Oyo State Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday accused the outgoing administration of embarking on hasty payment for contracts and projects.

    But the government described the accusation as a deliberate ploy to heat up the polity and whip up sentiments.

    In a statement by his spokesman, Prince Dotun Oyelade, Makinde alleged that hush money was being ferried from government coffers at an alarming rate since the election result was announced.

    He said credible sources within government revealed that non-visible contracts were being used as a guise to cart away millions of Naira from government account with the connivance of a few civil servants.

    Makinde said that while he does not want a time-wasting holistic probe as he had promised during his campaign, he will set a dateline upon all contracts awarded and payments made under suspicious circumstances in the dying days of the current administration.

    According to the statement, he may be forced to open the books if the aim is to rush money out through foul means before May 29 and leave the state in further financial crisis.

    “Cases of unscheduled recruitments and appointments including back-dated once have also been brought before him. Government will be fair but reverse any such move without hesitation but with consequences on those found to have committed infractions of the civil service guidelines.” The statement read in part.

    Makinde said that while it was true that the out-going Governor Ajimobi wrote to banks in 2011 to stop honouring cheques from Akala’s out-going administration, he would not tow that line.

    But he warned the govt not to exhaust his patience on an issue that bothers on the livelihood of the people of the state.

    But reacting, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Toye Arulogun, insisted that financial transactions have always been transparent.

    Arulogun described the accusation as the latest in a series of propaganda by the incoming governor, stressing that it was false.

    It read: “It is a hoax intended to heat up the polity and whip up sentiments.

    “Governor Abiola Ajimobi who will be in the saddle of the state till the expiration of his tenure on May 28 2019 has been running the affairs of the State including fiscal transactions in the last eight years in a transparent manner in accordance with good governance and best practices.

    “The Oyo State Government will continue to operate in line with its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

    “At the appropriate time, the necessary machinery will be instituted for the outgoing and incoming administration to meet and establish the desirable transition obligations.”

  • My intervention in Oyo APC was for genuine reconciliation, by Tinubu

    •Ajimobi and I are partners, says APC leader

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said himself and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State are partners, not rivals and that his intervention in Oyo APC is to engender genuine reconciliation and not to hide or supplant the governor.

    The APC leader was reacting to a false report by SaharaReporters that Asiwaju Tinubu was moving to ban Governor Ajimobi from leading APC campaigns in Oyo because of his intervention in the state, holding discussions with some notable leaders and bringing former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala back to the party’s fold.

    Tinubu described Governor Ajimobi as an excellent governor and a faithful member of the APC. “He has brought progress to the state and in serving two consecutive terms, Ajimobi made history in Oyo. He is instrumental to anything the APC can achieve in Oyo”.

    A statement yesterday by Tinubu’s Media Adviser, Tunde Rahman, said Asiwaju Tinubu was only lending his support to the governor’s and APC’s efforts in the state. “They are partners not rivals”.

    He described the report by the online medium as another excursion into falsehood. But he added: “This report goes beyond a lie. It is a vindictive attempt to sow discord because the writer is angered by the APC’s success in the presidential election. Thus, the writer has cast truth aside in his angry desire to inflict some kind of electoral wound on the APC.”

    The statement reads: “SaharaReporters seems unable to mend its ways. Instead of trying to publish what is fair and accurate, it rather grows its tales from seedlings of untruth and calumny. This online newspaper no longer bothers to offer the pretense of seeking the truth. For SaharaReporters, whatever is sensational must be true and whatever is true must be sensational. The real truth is that SaharaReporters no longer cares if its reportage is right. SaharaReporters just cares that it is widely read. It dare not allow veracity to hamper its business model. This is a disservice to ethical journalism which honors truthful, accurate reporting.

    “The report titled: “Tinubu Bans Ajimobi from Appearing at APC Governorship Rallies” is another of SaharaReporters’ excursions into falsehood. The report claims that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu somehow has banned Governor Abiola Ajimobi from attending APC campaigns for Saturday’s governorship election in Oyo State.

    “This report goes beyond a lie. It is a vindictive attempt to sow discord because the writer is angered by the APC’s success in the presidential election. Thus, the writer has cast truth aside in his angry desire to inflict some kind of electoral wound on the APC. However, the writer should refrain from this path of falsehood. It would be better for the writer to come to grips with reality and to accept the fact of the APC presidential victory and the likelihood of APC victories in most governorship elections, including that of Oyo.

    “The mischief that SaharaReporters cites is not between Tinubu and Ajimobi. It is solely in the mind of SaharaReporters. By its unsubstantiated report, the medium seeks to set brother against brother. Asiwaju and Governor Ajimobi have been political brothers and allies for a long time. Their friendship existed long before SaharaReporters came to the scene and will endure long after this self-diminishing online site is no more.

    “Moreover, Governor Ajimobi has been an excellent governor and a faithful member of the APC. He has brought progress to the state and in serving two consecutive terms, Ajimobi made history in Oyo. He is instrumental to anything the APC can achieve in Oyo. The truth is that Asiwaju is not trying to supplant or hide the governor. Instead, Asiwaju is lending his support to the governor’s and APC’s efforts in the state. They are partners not rivals.

    Read also: APC will complete the takeover of Delta on Saturday, says Buhari

    “As such, he has held strategic meetings with some notable groups and important individuals. The heart of the discussions was the need for all to come together to achieve victory for APC in the March 9 governorship poll. At no time did the issue of banning anybody, talk less of Governor Ajimobi, enter into the discussions. We want and need Governor Ajimobi to be a visible figure at the forefront of this campaign during these final decisive days. He will prove pivotal to our hope for victory in the state.

    “SaharaReporters betrayed its abject bias with this report. It makes absolutely no sense to even try to stop a sitting governor from campaigning in that governor’s state. Such a move would only create enmity and hinder, not help a campaign. For SaharaReporters to claim this is to claim that Asiwaju is a political novice. Asiwaju has never barred anyone from participating in a campaign. Why would he now start with Ajimobi in Ajimobi’s own state?

    “In addition to not having such a negative inclination, Asiwaju wields no such power and has no desire to have such power. Ajimobi is a sitting governor who can travel within his state as he pleases. Who can dare stop him? We want him in and at the rallies. Asiwaju’s intervention in Oyo was to engender genuine reconciliation. To exclude this good and able governor would have aborted this mission before it started.

    “Asiwaju views Governor Ajimobi as highly disciplined and a committed and respected party leader, unlike some others who have no respect for party supremacy. The relationship between them remains solid and loyal. And one hundred false reports by one hundred SaharaReporters cannot change that reality”.

  • The governor Oyo deserves in 2019

    The choice of who succeeds the incumbent Governor Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo State is, without doubt, the most important topic within the socio-political and economic circles in the Pacesetter state as we inch closer to the March 9 governorship election.

    Since the race began, aspirants have emerged on the platforms of different political parties. But the question we should ask is: Who best among the numerous aspirants would take Oyo State to the ‘Next Level’ in its developmental strides? Would we opt for a health-challenged individual whose previous effort at steering the affairs of the state ended in near asphyxiation of the state’s economy, whose tenure witnessed arson and brigandage that nearly brought the state on its knees? Would it be an individual who had never held any public post, worked in any structured environment nor whose claim to political relevance is contesting for an election without clear cut focus, leading to monumental failure at every opportunity? Would it then be a lawyer who has never won any known case, risen to the zenith of his profession , pursuing landmark cases to the apex court or achieve ‘SANship’, the pride of the Bar profession.

    One can go on and on. Obviously, Oyo State would not be best served with the lot listed above. Oyo state needs the individual who has always shown his love for the state even when he had no aspiration. It needs an individual who has a track record of the Midas touch; a proven achiever who rose to the zenith of his profession and who has established many opportunities for employment for the teeming masses of the state. Only one man fits the bill, Bayo Adelabu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He has shown unquestionable commitment to the development of Oyo state, long before the inception of the current administration. He has given to the state without taking anything back and still willing to come forth to continue his legacy of selfless service.

    Over the years, Adelabu has made very lofty contributions to the economic growth and development of Oyo State. He has established many businesses in the state employing about 600 people, and the philanthropic works predate the present administration. Both the Bayo Adelabu Foundation, which he established 10 years ago, and the Adegoke Adelabu Foundation (named after his late grandfather) have relentlessly engaged in the socio-economic empowerment of youths and women, also caring for the vulnerable and the underprivileged.

    The history of Nigeria’s first Technical University, which was established by the Oyo State government in Ibadan, will never be complete without a mention of the influential role played by Adelabu in transforming the vision of the model institution into reality. The selfless and patriotic role that he played in this regard is a story for another day.

    Among all the contenders and pretenders to the seat of governor, Adelabu, a native of the historical city of Ibadan, has clearly paid the highest price for leadership through dint of hard work, purposefulness, perseverance, dedication and single minded determination. Indeed, his inspiring profile bears eloquent testimonies to his unequalled level of preparedness for leadership.

    Right from the elementary stages of his education, Adelabu has always demonstrated leadership, excellence and focus. He did not deviate from this noble path throughout his educational sojourn, capping it with a First Class Honours degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University and then became a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He later attended the University of London, School of Management Development and the United States Institute of Internal Auditors in Orlando.

    A chip off the old block, Adelabu’s educational and career accomplishments prove that he is the true grandson of the legendary Yoruba leader, nationalist and patriot, late Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu (popularly known as Penkelemesi), who was described by a former Governor of the old Oyo State, Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo as “perhaps the most remarkable person that Ibadan has ever produced … a genius … better endowed than virtually all his contemporaries on both sides of the political divide … a deep thinker, widely read, philosophically accomplished strategist and master tactician”.

    After his graduation, Adelabu worked with Price-Waterhouse (now Pricewaterhouse Coopers) for seven years, during which period he was seconded to the CBN for a year to lead the Finance Team on the apex bank’s re-engineering and corporate renewal project.

    Thereafter, Adelabu held corporate management positions in First Atlantic Bank and Standard Chartered Bank before joining First Bank of Nigeria as Chief Financial Officer. He was later appointed an Executive Director during which period he set up the existing performance management framework for the bank. He was also credited with the successful execution of the bank’s medium term strategic plan targeted at profitable growth with respect to revenue maximisation and cost optimisation.

    As someone once said: “Leadership should be borne out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.” Adelabu has over the years demonstrated a clear understanding of the peculiar developmental needs of the people he is seeking to serve.

    He clearly underscored this in an interview published in the July 6, 2018 edition of the Nigerian Tribune, where he stated: “This state alone can produce the entire food for the country giving the land that we have for farming. If we are saying Lagos State alone, with that kind of population consumes about 6000 cows on a daily basis, what stops Oyo State from supplying 1,000 cows to Lagos State?

    “Do you know how much we are going to make from this? If it is N100, 000 per cow, we will make 100 million per day. In 30 days, we are looking at N3 billion. In 12 months, we are looking at N36 billion accruable to the government. How much are we getting from Abuja in terms of federal allocation? That is just one of it.”

    Amongst other achievements, Governor Ajimobi has been able to build a development model for a new Oyo State, just as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did in Lagos. Like Lagos, all Oyo needs now is a technocrat with the ability and skill set to assemble a team to execute the economic/developmental blueprint. Our state needs a successor who has all it takes to be a better ‘Fashola of Oyo State’.

    Our dear people of Oyo State, as the Election Day draws closer, please be guided by the words of Bill Gates that “leaders will be those who empower others”. Choose wisely; vote Adelabu.

     

    • Adegboyega, a Public Affairs Commentator writes from Ibadan

  • Ajimobi’s legacy of service

    The tenure of Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who broke the second term jinx in 2015, will expire on May 29. In this piece, Joke Jacobs examines the achievements of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the Pacesetter State.

    Having mounted the saddle of the leadership of Oyo State in May 29, 2011, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the ebullient governor of the Pacesetter state declared in a speech before the massive crowd during his swearing-in-ceremony at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan, that his administration will be committed to the restoration, transformation and the repositioning of Oyo State.

    The indefatigable and visionary leader, Senator Ajimobi who clocked 69 years on December 16, 2018 was born into the renowned Ajimobi family in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He had his elementary education at St. Patrick Primary School, Abebi and Ibadan City Primary School, Aperin, Ibadan. He graduated from Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, in flying colours. While in school, Ajimobi was very active in sport. He was the Games Prefect. In athletics, he was the second fastest student manning the first leg for relay race and number two in 100 metres and 200 metres races. Due to his all rounder image, he was nicknamed “archipelago”.

    Ajimobi attended State University, Buffalo, New York, in the United States of America (USA) and the State University, Park Forest, Illinois, also in the USA.

    He graduated with B.Sc (Honours) in Business Administration and Finance. He also obtained Master of Science in Operations Research And Marketing. As a result of his sound academic credentials and excellent performance at the New York Insurance Examination he was engaged as the first Nigerian certified underwriter by Equitable Life Assurance Corporation which is the second largest insurance company in America.

    A technocrat and literary enthusiast Senator Ajimobi returned back to Nigeria in 1977 after his sojourn in the USA. He joined Management and Industrial Consulting firm as a Senior Consultant and later the Modular Group, where he worked briefly as the Finance and Administration Controller. Subsequently, he joined Nestle Foods Plc as the Operations Controller and later became the Marketing Controller.

    Senator Ajimobi joined the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company as the Consumer Products Manager. He was deployed to Ibadan Business District as the Area Manager, to ensure the repositioning of the company’s activities. He was later posted on international assignment to Shell Marketing Company in Togo, where he served as the Chief Executive Officer in-charge of the entire West Africa sub-region. He returned to Nigeria in 1995 and was appointed as the Oil Sales Manager in 1996. In 1998, he was appointed to the board of the company as Executive Director (Marketing). On February 2001, he was appointed as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company. Governor Ajimobi voluntarily retired in 2003 from the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company after 26 years of meritorious service and joined politics. He became a senator of the Federal Republic on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and was elected Deputy Minority Leader.

    He established the first and largest free vocational training institute in Oyo State. The institute offers training in computer engineering, computer operation, fashion designing, hairdressing, telephone engineering and tie and dye. The centre has turned out over 15, 000 students most of whom have gained employment in companies, while others are self-employed. The centre has been recognised and certified both as a partner and training outfit by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

    Ajimobi was the governorship candidate of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in 2007. He lost the election, but never gave up his desire to serve the people of Oyo State. In 2011, he contested again on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). With the popular mandate of the people of Oyo State, he emerged victorious and was subsequently inaugurated as the governor.

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who is aspiring to return to the Senate to represent Oyo South district in the Red Chamber in the forthcoming election, once declared at the beginning of his first term that “commitment to hardwork, patriotism, respect for due process, diligence, and general values would be needed at this point of our march towards the restoration of Oyo State”. He added that the agenda of his administration focuses on recreating the economy of Oyo State with a view to engendering the emergence of a new economy, empowering the people for a sustainable wealth creation and developing the capacities of all the economic agent. He said: “Our vision is to create a state in which citizens can achieve the best of their potentialities.”

    Governor Ajimobi, an advocate of qualitative education, believes that every child must be adequately educated and that education is the best legacy that can be bequeathed to children. He believes no nation can hope to make any meaningful progress without sound and qualitative education. Quoting Martin Luther King, Ajimobi added: “If you want to keep a man in perpetual slavery, do not give him education.” He pledged that his administration would remain committed to education. His words: “As pace-setter state, the present administration under my leadership will leave no stone unturned in repositioning our educational system with global education standards. I am assuring all and sundry that the Oyo State government would not hesitate to earmark a staggering part of its financial resources to the development of education as the benefit of it would manifest in multiple folds in the future.”

    Not surprisingly,  Ajimobi’s achievement in the area of education has made Oyo State an enviable one. He has rehabilitated thousands of dilapidated primary and secondary schools, provided furniture for the primary and secondary schools and trained thousands of teachers.

    There was also massive equipping of science and home economics laboratories in the schools, renovation of technical colleges, as well as building of new skill acquisition centres in each of the senatorial zones. New model secondary schools are being built in the state. The construction is almost at the completion stage.

    During the 27th convocation ceremony of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, in December 2, 2011, he said his administration was prepared to confront the challenges in the education sector. His words: “Our ultimate ambition is to make the state a model in education which would be emulated by others in terms of the quality of personnel engaged in the academic activities at all level.” This process began through putting people of exemplary academic and moral standards at the helm of affairs at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for primary schools and Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) for secondary schools and the governing councils of  higher institutions of learning. Under the leadership of Senator Ajimobi, the sum of N396 million was paid to enroll senior secondary students for the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) in 2013. The sum of N443.4 million was paid for the exam throughout the state that year. Regular procurement of science and technical laptops were given to Zonal and Local Inspectors of Education. Bursary and scholarship awards were presented to indigenes of the state. The unrelenting efforts of the Ajimobi administration in education has yielded fruits in 2017, as the state recorded the best result in West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASCE). Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said the improvement in the West Africa School Certificate Examination is as a result of government’s renewed commitment and efforts in improving in WASCE, as well as the National Examination Council (NECO). He claimed the state also came second in the 2016 NECO examination. Mr. Arulogun said the improved performance did not come as a surprise. He reiterates that the state government introduced several polices to re-engineer the education sector for improved performance at both the internal and external examinations, so as to reclaim Oyo State as the Pacesetter state. Automatic promotion in schools has been been canceled, while the government School Board, WASCE Boot Camp, Extra Mural classes, staff review for optimisation of workforce that is set up by the government are already yielding fruitful results.

    As part of the Ajimobi-led administration’s determination to transform the education sector, the state government did not relent its effort in complementing the existing higher institutions. A technical university was established with the seed grant of N250 million. The university is a national and global institution that will not only be sound academically but also fully grounded in entrepreneurial practice based on fundamental theories and commitment to international best practices. The overriding focus of the technical university is to provide conducive training and learning environment that will produce quality students who are technically and socially grounded in their courses of study. One of the achievements recorded by Ajimobi administration in the field of education is the organisation of an Educational Summit, to address the challenges facing the sector. The areas of focus for the summit included Special Needs Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Information Communication Technology in Education, review of Education Policies, Adult Education, Capacity Building, and Funding for the Educational Sector, Private Sector Partnerships, Education Support Partner, Infrastructure Development, Building of Model Schools, and Tertiary Education among others. At the summit, governor reiterated: “There is more important contribution the citizens can make to Oyo State and Nigeria’s future that a determined and long-term commitment to one of the greatest challenges the citizen face as a people today that is educating the children very well. I remember with nostalgic the excellent state of education in the 1960s in the Western Region and I sincerely believe that the ethics that have driven me till this moment took its root from the educational foundation that I was nurtured on.”

    In its resolve to put in a place a conducive learning environment, improved and adequate physical facilities, as well as quality and well-motivated teachers, Governor Ajimobi inaugurated the Education Trust Fund (ETF). The ETF is saddled with the responsibility of mobilising resources to complement government efforts in its drive to address the decadence in the sector. The agency is headed by a former Minister of Industry, Chief (Mrs.) Onikepo Akande.

    The Ajimobi administration’s commitment to bettering the lives of the people is achieved by providing quality healthcare, which is the watchword of his government. This is proven through the donation of eye glases to people. Over 5,000 people have been treated for various ailments under the Oyo State Free Health Scheme. In the area of the governance reforms, Governor Ajimobi has launched the state strategic health development plan which is developed in conjunction with development partners like the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the Federal Government. Through the governance reform, the administration has launched a health insurance initiative, to ensure that all citizens are able to enroll in various health insurance programmes. Among these are the national health scheme and the medium development goal programmes. The Oyo State community based health insurance programme and formal sector health insurance plans for government employees and the private sector. To support the Oyo State citizens in the rural areas who may not be able to afford the insurance premiums, a public health trust fund is available which members of the public, charitable organisations and religious bodies can donate to increase the pool of available funds. As part of Governor Ajimobi’s plan to transform the health sector, there was personnel training, renovation of hospitals, provision of basic medical equipment and the recruitment of medical personal into various departments of the hospitals, to support the free health programme, essential drugs worth millions of naira were purchased and distributed to the hospitals. In partnership with malaria action programme for states and the United States Agency for International Development, millions of insecticide treated nets were distributed to families.

    To reduce death being recorded from road traffic accidents, home accidents, disasters, childbirths and other types of emergencies, ambulances and tricycle ambulances were provided by the Senator Ajimobi-led government.

    Millions of children have been immunised against poliomyelitis, measles and other diseases, as a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to the welfare of children in the state.

    Governor Ajimobi remarked: “Free health service for children and the aged is one of the six-point agenda of this administration. We are set to make immunisation services the right of every child, not a privilege. All the children must be fully immunised and protected from various preventable diseases, such as poliomyelitis, measles, yellow fever, whooping cough, tuberculosis, hepatitis and tetanus.”

    To upgrade health facilities, the Ajimobi administration held a N50 million health endowment fund raising. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, said the fund is utilised for the establishment of a cardiovascular centre, to provide up-to-date routine and emergency care in a bid to reduce sudden deaths. He added that the fund will also be used for the upgrade of the general hospitals and healthcare centres. A renowned professor of medicine, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe, was appointed as the head of the board of trustees for the health endowment fund.

    In a bid to curtail unemployment, Senator Ajimobi set up a youth empowerment scheme tagged the Youth Empowerment Scheme of Oyo State  (YES – O). Under this scheme, thousands of unemployed youths were trained and deployed in the area of environmental sanitation and beautification, sensitization and enforcement of traffic rules, provision of support in emergency situations, maintenance of public infrastructure and farming. The second prong of the youth empowerment scheme involves the training of the youth in cognitive and entrepreneurial skill. They are given opportunities in government’s micro-credit scheme as entrepreneurs. To eradicate poverty and improvement of the well-being of the citizens, through its restoration, transformation and repositioning agenda, thousands of tricycles called ‘Keke Ajumose’ were bought and launched by the state governor. Senator Abiola Ajimobi affirmed during the launching of the tricycles: “The tricycles would generate employment for the teeming unemployed, citizens for whom eking out a living has become a herculean task. This will act as a veritable platform for socio-economic transformation.”

    In order to ease transportation problem for workers, luxurious buses were bought by the state government to convey them from various destinations to work and back.

    The Ajimobi administration also constructed a bridge on the Mokola-Roundabout, along Sango-Mokola-Dugbe road, to restore, reposition and transform the state’s transportation system to higher efficiency and effectiveness. The bridge is expected to make driving within the axis smoother and stressfree for the residents. The Restoration Bridge, which is located along Secretariat-Bodija road, was also constructed. Another bridge was also constructed in Molete.

    The dualisation of Idi-Ape-Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Junction’s road is ongoing. Also ongoing are the Ibadan inter-change, the Challenge-New Garage-interchange road and Onireke. The Jericho-Eleyele-Dugbe roads, as well as entry roads to Oyo-Iseyin and Ogbomosho town have been completed. From Ijokodo to Apete area, there are bridge works. This also applies to Ikoyi Express Junction, Taki Palace and Ogbomosho Grammar School, where new roads are constructed. There is massive construction of roads, bridges and road repairs across the nooks and crannies of the state.

    To reduce carnage and enhance safe driving culture on the roads, the Oyo State Government has re-designed the traffic light at challenge roundabout, the M.K.O. Abiola Junction, Premier Hotel, Oremeji Junction, Oyo Road, Sango-Polytechnic Junction and several others. Senator Ajimobi has restored peace and order in the state by inaugurating the state joint security task force codenamed ‘Operation Burst’. The joint security taskforce is expected to curb banditry, violence, arson, brigandage and destruction of property being carried out by criminals.

    The governor Ajimobi said: “We have fortified Operation Burst with officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Special and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to renew the people’s confidence in the capacity and capability of the outfit.”

  • PDP cautions INEC against declaring Oyo South Senatorial election inconclusive

    Following what it described as unexpected delay in collating results, the Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against bowing to “pressure of the powers that be and allay fears that the election results of Oyo South senatorial district may be manipulated.

    As at the time of filing this report, the PDP candidate in Oyo South Senatorial District, Dr. Kola Balogun is leading in the district, though results are yet to be officially declared by INEC.

    The chairman of PDP in Oyo State, Mr Kunmi Mustapha in his statement said that PDP recorded great success going by the results sent into its situation rooms by its agents and supervisors deployed for the election.

    He said “This is just as the party said it is aware of plans to influence results from Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s Ibadan South West local government to augment their deficit. The ruling party has also arm twisted INEC to declare Ibarapa North/ Ibarapa Central inconclusive which is strange to democratic ideals and processes.

    “We are calling on INEC to be steadfast and not allow its men to be compromised by Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the All Progressives Congress led federal government especially in Oyo South senatorial district”.

    “With the results at our disposal and verifiable by all INEC standards, our party is comfortably leading the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in Oyo South. This is apart from the fact that we have recorded victories in four out of the five federal constituencies in Oyo South- Ibarapa East/Ido; Ibadan North East/ South East; Ibarapa Central/North and Ibadan North West federal constituencies. We are only waiting for the official declaration by INEC.

    “Since morning, we wouldn’t know why the results declarations have been delayed when they are ready. We have it on good authority that Governor Abiola Ajimobi is mounting pressure on some Abuja forces to save him from defeat. But any attempt to subvert the wish of the majority of the people of Oyo South will be anti-democratic.

    Read also: Buhari leads in Kaduna, wins 8 of 13 LGAs

    “We will like to, at this juncture, encourage the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr Mutiu Agboke, not to be intimidated by the pressure.”

    The PDP chairman said that the INEC boss should call his officials especially the Returning Officers to declare the original results from each of the local government.

    “As we write, security agents have sent away supporters of our party from the collation centre while known members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are allowed access within the premises. This is after declaration of results from each of the remaining 7 local government areas have been stopped, without any tangible reasons.

    “While we are confident of victory, we wish to appeal to our teeming members and thousands of people who defied all odds, and rejected the APC’s vote-buying techniques to be calm. We believe that our candidate has won and nothing can change it.”

  • Ajimobi hails election as credible, peaceful

    Oyo South Senatorial District candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Abiola Ajimobi, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of yesterday’s election, describing it as credible, peaceful and relatively hitch-free.

    He said this during an interview with journalists shortly after casting his vote in the company of his wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, children and sons-in-law, at Ward 11, Unit 20, Oluyole Community Grammar School, Oluyole Extension, Ibadan.

    With the benefit of hindsight, the governor said the election was the best he had witnessed since he joined politics.

    In his general assessment of the election, the governor said that the conduct of the election was a marked improvement from the past exercises, apart from reported cases of late arrival of polling materials in a few polling units across the state.

    The governor said he was particularly impressed by the large turnout of voters, especially youths whom, he said, had, by their actions yesterday, demonstrated their resolve to assume leadership positions.

    He said: “I’m impressed with the conduct of today’s election which I can confidently say passes the litmus test of freeness, fairness and credibility. I congratulate the people of Oyo State for turning out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

    “The atmosphere in this polling unit is that of conviviality. We are all laughing and smiling at one another. The faces I see here are the faces of people who are happy and satisfied with this election.

    “From what I have seen here and the reports I have received so far, the election is hugely successful and credible. The few cases of late arrival of electoral materials were later resolved.

    “Not minding whether they are voting for our party or not, the voters here received me and my family warmly and you can see all of us throwing banters. I must tell you, this is another achievement of our administration. I did not hear any case of brigandage or violence so far.

  • Why I want to return to Senate, by Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi is the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South District. He broke the second term jinx as governor in 2015. Will he return to the Senate? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines his chances at the poll.

    Four years ago, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, governor of Oyo State, made history. He broke the second term jinx, thereby becoming the first governor to be re-elected for a second term. As the second term expires on May 29, the Ibadan-born politician hopes to return to the Senate, where he served as Deputy Minority Leader between 2003 and 2007.

    The poll will not be a walk over for him. His rivals are Adesoji Akanbi of African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Dr. Kola Balogun of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The three major contestants are campaigning vigorously.

    If Ajimobi is re-elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), he will be a ranking senator and elder statesman whose experience will assist in guiding proceedings in the Upper Chamber. He is highly respected in the APC, where his experience has been useful in mobilisation, reconciliation and crisis resolution.

    When he was in the Senate, Ajimobi was not a bench warmer. As governor, he has endowed the Agodi Government House, Ibadan with honour. Ajimobi is perceived as a matured politician and a team player.

    As a senator, he ploughed back to the constituency. Ajimobi established the first and the largest free vocational training centre in the history of Oyo State, offering training in computer engineering, computer operations, telephone engineering, fashion designing, hair dressing, tie and dye etc. The center has turned out over 20,000 students to date, who have secured employments in many reputable industries. The center has also been recognised and certified as a partner and training center by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). Ajimobi also identified communities that lacked potable water in his district. He sunk boreholes. He also carried out many empowerment programmes in the district.

    As governor, he enjoys tremendous goodwill. His greatest asset is maturity, which age, experience and wisdom could confer. He inherited a state in turmoil in 2011. Brigandage and violence had become the order of the day. Killings by factional drivers’ union defiled solution. Armed robbers were on the prawl in broad day light and banks were not insulated from their attacks. How to restore peace and security into a state of pandemonium where the rule of brawn had displaced the rule of law was his major priority.

    Between 2011 and 2019, Ajimobi has restored sanity. Prevention, in his view, is better than cure. The starting point was the establishment of a well-equipped joint security outfit codenamed ‘Operation Burst.’ The governor also introduced the ‘Safe City’ project. Closed Circuit Television cameras were installed in many flash points. The efforts paid off. Criminals relocated from the state. Bank robbery stopped. To avert ethno-religious conflicts, the  Oyo State Inter-religious/Ethnic Committee was set up to foster understanding in some heterogeneous communities.

    The governor built on this achievement by establishing the Security Trust Fund that has donated multi-million naira equipment to security outfits and refurbished many grounded patrol vans. Due to security, night life was restored.

    Ajimobi also fought the infrastructure battle. He was appalled by the poor environmental sanitation in Ibadan, the state capital, which earned it the unenviable sobriquet of the dirtiest state capital. The governor embarked on road construction across the state. Where necessary, flyovers were constructed. Other projects include the construction of ‘Restoration Bridge’ and dredging of rivers to avert flooding and its attendant loss of lives and property, restructuring of the solid waste management system for a cleaner and healthier environment, the initiation of the First Ibadan City Master Plan, and the Ibadan Beautification Project through the creation of green areas, parks (Temidire and Podo) and gardens (Agodi Gardens).

    The governor’s attention is not diverted by the electioneering. He is still supervising the rehabilitation and reconstruction of existing roads, and the dualisation of entry roads into major towns. These include the on-going construction of 110km Ibadan Circular Road, the construction of 49.02km roads and rehabilitation of 684.12km roads by Oyo State Public Works, the activation of Ibadan City Master Plan, Ibadan Drainage Master, Ibadan Solid Waste Management Plan and Ibadan Urban Flood Management programme in conjunction with World Bank.

    The Ajimobi administration has defended education in Oyo State. It has established the first technical university in the state. Owning to the provision of conducive leaning environment, the state got the best West African School Leaving result in 18 years. The School Governing Board was able to attract more than N2bn non-governmental investment in the education sector. The governor also introduced the Education Trust Fund.

    The 628 secondary schools now have Governing Boards, which have injected over N2b into their infrastructure development. This is now being understudied for Southwest states. also, the introduction of Oyo State Model Education Intervention (Oyomesi) as a structured character building curriculum, the launch of the Digital Literacy Drive, Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and the professional training of teachers have been applauded. Besides, three model schools have been constructed and many secondary schools are being rehabilitated.

    For ease of transportation, Ajimobi introduced the first mass transit system for the people. While citizens ride the buses at rock bottom controlled price, civil servants ride them free to and from their homes. Many people have hailed the governor for repositioning the Oyo State Transport System with 90 units of 63-seater buses at subsidized rates and providing another 100 units of 18-seater buses, in collaboration with the Industrial Development Bank. Also, modern motor parks and garages at Temidire and Podo were constructed.

    In the health sector, the governor’s achievements are commendable. Under his leadership, Oyo became the first state to introduce the Health Insurance Scheme. A N50bn health endowment fund was lunched, in addition to the free health missions across the zones. Government also distributed medical equipment worth $2m to health facilities in the state.

    Other achievements are the upgrading of the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, schools to colleges of Nursing and Midwifery, and the School of hygiene to College of Health Technology.

    To promote industrialisation, the administration has provided a conducive atmosphere for investment to thrive. Thus, the state was rated as the fourth investment-friendly state by the NBS in 2016. According to the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), no fewer than 36 new companies sprung up and 3,884 people were employed. Also, direct Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth N22.8b was attracted.

    Other achievements in the areas of trade and investment include Trade and Investment include the introduction the first State Industrial Policy in collaboration with UNIDO, four-Star rating as a well-qualified state to facilitate foreign and domestic investors by the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC 2018), attracting FDI worth N22.8bn (NBS 2016), establishment of Polaris Free Trade Zone and Industrial Park on Lagos Ibadan Express way, upgrade of Oyo State College of Cooperative and Entrepreneurship Studies to an OND & HND Certificate Awarding Institution, Biometric Data Capturing for Informal Sector Operator, and onstruction of phase II of Bola Ige International Business Complex (BIIBCO), Gbagi through PPP to decongest phase I of the market.

    Ajimobi has rehabilitated the existing water supply schemes at Eleyele and Asejire, resulting in 72 per cent water production in Ibadan and environs and improved water supply generally across the state. He completed the  Iganna, Ayete, Ogbomoso,  Asejire Waterworks and Eleyele mini-waterworks, and constructed six booster stations to boost urban water supply.

    The state’s land, housing and survey has been restructured to prevent fromgrabbing, speculations and allocations based methods through automation, resulting in 60 days processing of Electronic Certificate  of Occupancy (C of O), Home Owners Charter, Geographic Information System (Data Capturing), Land and House Enumeration in conjunction with Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV). The government also enacted the Land Grabbing Law. Stakeholders have also hailed the good foundation being laid in agriculture. These include the establishment of Oyo State Agricultural Initiative, AgricOyo; purchase of 388 units of tractors and implements for mechanized farming as 6,282ha of arable land was operated resulting in 40 per cent increase in land cultivation by farmers, establishment of Oyo State Pace Setter integrated organic Farm, Songhai Model, provision of 250,000 hectares of farm land to Agric investors in the state new agricultural land policy, N9 investment in rice production by Dangote group of companies, construction of 10,000mt mega silo in Oyo, establishment of two fertilizer blending plants in Oke Ogun and Ibarapa, construction and rehabilitation of 8,032.92km access roads across 28 Agrarian LGAs  with 5,023,060 beneficiaries in the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) across the state, cconstruction of 500km of rural roads to promote Agric economy, and disbursement of N1.0bn soft loans and grant to farmers and N250m for anchor borrowers’ programme.

    In solid minerals, Ajimobi established the Mineral Development Agency and incorporation of Pacesetter Mineral Development Company. He resuscitated the moribund Nigeria Marble Mining Company, Igbeti, and explored Talc Deposit in Ilero and environs

    Youth and sports development have not been neglected.  No fewer than 2,000 have benefitted from entrepreneurial training. The Permanent site of the NYSC at Agbakuta, Iseyin was inaugurated. Aslso, 5,000 were trained through the Oyo Ajumose Business Leadership programme OYO ABLE; N200m was released for youth empowerment through the Bank of Industry, and 300 artisans and tradesmen supported through the Oyo Nise Oyo Leko initiative. Government has also embarked on the estructuring, reorganization and inauguration of all sporting associations to enable them achieve the desired result and support the ‘Catch them Young’ initiative of the government, which has led to the increase in under age sporting activities.

    In women development, Ajimobi has accorded priority to poverty alleviation. An important achievement is the passage a law to prohibit violence against women. Others include the training and release of grants to young persons for business in photography and video production, barbing, hand-made jewelry, computer centre operations; rehabilitation of Centre for People with Disabilities and equipped with equipment for ICT Training and shoe making with support from British American Tobacco (BAT), and educational and nutritional support for 10,514 children, including orphans, vulnerable, trafficked children.

    Ajimobi has presided over an effective government. He is a lover of reforms. He has restructured the civil service for better efficiency through BVN and Biometrics verification, in addition to personnel quantity and quality audit. He established the Customary Court of Appeal to fast-track administration of justice and court decongestion. He also set up the Oyo State Multi-Door Court house and expanded the Oyo State Citizens’ Mediation Centre services to other zones. He constructed new centres in Oyo and Ogbomoso.

    The governor introduced e-governance with phase one activated with payroll system automation. He expanded the tax net with about 500, 000 newly registered tax payers. He provided ten 63-seater Free transportation for workers and students to and fro; paid the 142 per cent  arrears of pensions totaling over N2billion, promotions of workers with backlog 2008 to 2011 with over 30,000 beneficiaries. He increase in car loan from N 200, 000 to N 500, 000 and  Housing loan from N1M to N2M, with N 540, 749, 997. 78 disbursed to about 850 beneficiaries. In 2011, he introduced the Treasury Single Account.

    Under him, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) increased by 250 percent  from N800m to N2billion He also created Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).