Kwara State government has temporarily shut the abattoir at Mandate Market, Ilorin, over suspected meat poisoning
The temporary closure is to allow for fumigation and general cleaning of the area following suspected meat poisoning in the facility, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment Dr Abubakar Ayinla said.
Dr Ayinla said the steps are part of efforts to protect the public. He added that the abattoir would be reopened on Wednesday.
The state officials had stormed the popular market in Ilorin to activate measures to protect the public amid rumours of poisoned cow meat.
A joint statement by Commissioner for Health and Agriculture Dr Amina Ahmed El-Imam, and her Rural Development counterpart, Mrs. Toyosi Thomas-Adebayo, said: “Government has immediately confiscated all the suspected meat for laboratory tests and confirmation of claims after initial engagements with the Mandate Market stakeholders.
“Further information will be given as may become necessary. The government urges the public to be calm while the team establishes the truth of the rumour of poisoned meat. It also commends leadership of the market for their cooperation so far.”
The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has certified Kwara Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Coordinating Commissioner for Works and Transport Mallam Abdulquawiy Olododo as a registered engineer and member of the exclusive body.
The certification was announced on Thursday by the regulatory body.
Reacting to the development, the Ministry congratulated the Commissioner on the feat
The congratulatory message reads in part, “The Kwara State Ministry of Works and Transport heartily congratulates Engr. AbdulQuawiy Olododo, our dedicated, diligent, and esteemed supervising commissioner on his certification as a registered engineer by COREN.
“This landmark underscores your unwavering focus, exceptional tenacity and remarkable resilience, demonstrated consistently since assuming office. May this achievement birth further milestones and commendations in the future.”
I write to address the recent disinformation triggered by a recent report in the BBC on the Kankan LGEA School in Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State.
I understand that the BBC report was a standalone story, which did not delve into the context of the peculiarity of the Kwara situation as a result of our history. The Honourable Commissioner for Communications Mrs Bola Olukoju has done justice to the story, and it is hoped that the BBC and our other friends in the foreign media are properly guided on the issue and related ones.
One of the biggest issues His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confronted in 2019 is the mismanagement and stealing of education intervention funds during the previous administration.
Upon assuming office in 2019, however, the Governor addressed the mismanagement of funds that led to the official blacklist of the state from accessing UBEC funds for six consecutive years. His Excellency first paid N450m, which was the balance of the 2013 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB Matching grant diverted by Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed led administration, and this led to the lifting of the ban on the state.
After paying matching grants of N7.1bn in 2020, Kwara State received a substantial intervention fund totalling 14.2 billion naira, representing 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. This was utilized for the construction, renovation, and remodelling of facilities/structures across 605 schools, including provision of both teachers and students furniture, WASH facilities, and digital literacy centres across all 16 local. government areas. 33 schools were also fenced to prevent land encroachment and provide safety for our children.
Having said this, it is important to clarify that only 605 schools out of a total of about 2,187 basic schools in the state benefited from the interventions. Definitely, there is still more work to be done, and this point has been made several times.
The tangible results of these interventions are evident in the significant improvements witnessed in the infrastructural improvement of our basic schools throughout Kwara State when compared with the pre-2019 era.
These interventions can be seen in all the 193 wards across the 16 LGAs.
Notwithstanding the above, the government remains committed to steadily addressing the outstanding deficits in the sector. In 2023, Governor Abdulrazaq again fulfilled the state’s counterpart fund obligation for 2020, amounting to 1.4 billion naira, which was allocated for the construction and remodelling of additional 105 classrooms across the state. More teachers and pupils furniture, with WASH facilities( toilets and motorised boreholes with solar panels), were also provided for our schools.
Furthermore, His Excellency has recently approved the payment of 2021-2023 counterpart funds. The implication of this is that infrastructural upgrades will get to more schools soonest. Kankan LGEA School in Asa LGA and many more schools have been captured.
A Governor who has done this much should deservedly be given his flowers because not only did the administration before him fail to commit funds to the sector, but it, in fact, stole the little grants it received from the Federal Government.
We urge members of the public to continue to support the Governor and his administration as he continues to rewrite the story of basic education for posterity.
It said the burden of governance does not permit any distractions or targeting of anyone, including former public officials.
According to a statement by the Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju, the trial of the former governor is the exclusive prerogative of the anti-graft agencies, who may have found something against him following their investigations of different transactions involving his administration.
She said: “We find the accusation of the opposition party as cowardly, baseless, and wrong-headed. The right place to prove the innocence of anyone accused of wrongdoing is the court of law, not on the pages of newspapers or through shadow-boxing. They should leave us out of the issue.
“This administration has moved on from whatever happened in the past, except where historical references are inevitable. Our task is so enormous that we are left with no time to waste.
“Regardless, the truth is that the administration still grapples with the burden of fixing the most basic things, including those that should have been done but had resources meant for them blatantly stolen by these PDP officials. An example is the UBEC funds, which were brazenly stolen. We reported a case of a particular N1bn UBEC intervention funds that were withdrawn cash and stolen.
” The evidence is damning. This barefaced and irresponsible conduct led to the blacklist of Kwara by UBEC and set the state back for many years in education infrastructure and many other sectors. As if that was not enough, there had not been any meaningful investments in basic education until our administration came up in 2019.
“It is not surprising, therefore, to see a Kankan LGEA School in some parts of the state, despite the huge funds we have pumped in the sector. This was the essence of the government’s public communication dated July 24, 2022, and titled “Next Time You See an Oke Apomu LGEA School.”
Olukoju added: “Even so, our focus has been governance. This is why we feel scandalised by the lack of context in the recent BBC report on LGEA School Kankan in Asa Local Government. The media owe the public not just a duty to tell a story but to give appropriate context to such stories for lessons to be learnt. Kankan LGEA School, like many of it across the state, did not just get there. They have all been documented, and steps are being taken to put them in shape in phases.
“Between 2019 and now, this administration has paid for and accessed UBEC counterpart funds for years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 to fix school infrastructure in more than 600 locations in the state. This has been confirmed by UBEC itself, and they were done to specifications in the UBEC-SUBEB work plans.”
Kwara State government has insisted that it paid compensations to original owners of the land where the state Polytechnic, Ilorin is sited.
The 5,500 hectares of the land housing the institution was acquired by the then military administrator of the state late Lt-Col David Bamgboye in 1974.
Some villagers within the premises of the over 50 years old school had alleged nonpayment of compensation by the state government.
At a stakeholders meeting yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, the state said it has the record of all it paid compensations to over 50 years ago.
Reaction to the allegation, a Director in the state Geographic Information Service (GIS) Oluwafunke Olanrewaju added that the records and names of those compensated are with the service.
Olanrewaju said that “most of the structures erected by the villagers on the polytechnic’s do have titles. Incidentally, the Land Use Act of 1975 confers ownership of all lands to the government..”
Giving an historical breakdown of the acquisition of the land, Abubakar Aremu, a surveyor, said that meeting was held between the then state government and absentee land owners in 1975 where some portion of the land was excised for some villages for settlement.
Adekunle said efforts of personnel of the Federal Fire Service and the State Fire Service prevented the flame from spreading further.
He also valued the damage at about N360 million, and value of commodities and property salvaged at about N12 billion.
“The Kwara State Fire Service personnel joined forces with their federal counterparts, deploying two fire appliances from different stations to effectively tackle the raging blaze. This was instrumental in bringing the situation under control.
“Despite the daunting challenge, it took a concerted five-hour-long battle to fully extinguish the flames, ensuring the safety of lives and properties within the vicinity,” he added
Early morning inferno on Tuesday gutted the popular Owode market in Offa, Offa local government area of Kwara state.
The rampaging fire destroyed not less than 50 shops.
The bustling market houses about 3,820 shops and 1,180 stands.
The fire was said to have been ignited by a smouldering cigarette butts carelessly dropped by unknown person.
Spokesperson person of the Kwara state Fire Service Hassan Adekunle confirmed the incident.
Adekunle said that concerted efforts of personel of the Federal Fire Service and the state fire service prevented the flame from wreaking monumental havoc.
The spokesperson put the damage done on the market at about N360 million.
Adekunle put the value of commodities and properties salvaged by the firefighting efforts at about N12 billion.
He added “the Kwara State Fire Service personnel joined forces with their federal counterparts, deploying two fire appliances from different stations to effectively tackle the raging blaze.
“The collaborative efforts of the firefighting teams proved instrumental in bringing the situation under control.
“Despite the daunting challenge, it took a concerted five-hour-long battle to fully extinguish the flames, ensuring the safety of lives and properties within the vicinity.”
“This light is too much. This is not caused by NEPA (electricity). Maybe some people were cooking and the fire started from there because this light is much,” one of the traders said in the video.
Kwara Commissioner of Works and Transport Abdulquawiy Olododo has conducted an on-site inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the Folawiyo Unity Road and the construction of the Unity Fly-Over Bridge in Ilorin.
The inspection aimed at gauging the project’s current status and ensuring adherence to quality standards and timelines.
Expressing satisfaction with the progress so far, Olododo commended the dedication of the contractors while emphasising the importance of meeting the established benchmarks.
He insisted on strict compliance with quality protocols and adherence to agreed deadlines to ensure timely completion of the project.
Olododo also addressed concerns regarding the obstruction of the newly constructed walkways by roadside vendors, emphasizing the need for unimpeded movement of pedestrians.
The resident engineer overseeing the Folawiyo Unity Road project, Moshood Akanbi reported a commendable 55% completion rate and praised the contractor’s adherence to project specifications.
Timothy Adekeye, the project consultant, provided a detailed overview of the project’s progress and reaffirmed their commitment to delivering the road within the designated timeframe.
Similarly, Aduagba, the resident engineer for the Unity Fly-Over Bridge, affirmed that the project is proceeding as planned with a strong emphasis on quality.
The Wahab Folawiyo Unity Road and Unity Bridge projects, spearheaded by Gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, exemplifies his government’s dedication to urban renewal and infrastructure enhancement in Kwara State.
These initiatives not only prioritize transportation efficiency but also contribute significantly to the ongoing economic revitalization efforts in the State.
