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Tag: kwara

  • Kwara spends N6.5b on Ilorin water project

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has said his administration executed the Ilorin water distribution network with N6.5 billion.

    The governor said the project was partly funded with a bond obtained from a commercial bank and the Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund (IFK).

    He reiterated the determination of his administration to expand water supply to more homes in Ilorin, the state capital, and across the state.

    Residents of the state capital had faced water supply challenge for some time until the present administration moved to address the situation.

    Ahmed spoke yesterday in Ilorin at the inauguration of the city’s water network project.

    The governor recalled that successive administrations since in 1967 made many interventions to improve water supply, adding that the efforts did not yield more than four million gallons per day till 2003.

    He said former Bukola Saraki administration executed the first phase of the project, which was partly financed with the N17 billion bond his administration got in 2009.

    Ahmed said efforts to improve the supply between 2003 to 2008 raised the production to 25.5 million gallons per day.

    According to him, the ever-increasing expansion of Ilorin and its attendant population increase made upgrade of Asa Dam waterworks and the distribution network imperative.

    The governor added that the project, comprising the rising mains and principal distribution network, was kick-started in 2009.

    He added: “With the completion of this phase, it is safe to say that we have recorded significant milestones in our effort to ensure that every resident has access to water within a 500-meter radius.”

  • Kogi, Kwara, Benue drag MTN, Dangote, others to tax tribunal

    The governments of Kogi, Kwara and Benue states have sued MTN, Dangote Flour Mills Plc and others to the tax appeal tribunal for Northcentral Zone over tax evasion.

    Also sued before the tax court sitting in Jos, the Plateau State capital, include Fidelity Bank Plc and Obajana Agro Sack Limited.

    While Dangote Flour Mills  was sued by Kwara State government, MTN was sued by Benue State government. Fidelity Bank Plc and Obajana Agrosacks Limited were sued respectively by Kogi State government for defaulting in tax payments which runs to hundreds of millions of naira.

    Mrs. Goodness Echekam was also dragged before the tax court by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

    Chairman of the tax appeal tribunal Hon. Richard Bala who disclosed this at the inaugural sitting of the court yesterday in Jos said: “The Tribunal within its jurisdiction shall assess the collection and accounting of revenue accruable to the government of the federation.” He urged parties involved to cooperate for the success of the tribunal.

    He said: “The Tribunal has commenced sitting in Jos, Plateau State and we are to oversee tax cases from five states including Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa and Jos, Plateau as host for the zone.

    “The Tax Appeal Tribunal is imbued with powers to adjudicate over disputes arising from “Companies Income Tax Act, CAP. 60 LFN 1990, Personal Income Tax Act No. 104, 1993; Petroleum Profit Tax Act CAP. 354 LFN 1990; Value Added Tax Act No.102,1993 and Capital Gains Tax Act CAP. 42 LFN 1990 as well as any other Laws that may be made from time to time by the National Assembly.”

    Speaking during the inaugural ceremony, Plateau State government represented by the Chairman of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service Board, Mr. Arlat Dashe said the tribunal is going to relieve the Board of all the pains it has been passing through in getting her income tax from Federal Government agencies such as Customs among others.

    He maintained that the state government is going to take full advantage of the tax tribunal.

    The Tax Controller FIRS Jos, Plateau State, Mr. Joel Emmanuel said the tribunal has been long awaited to address the lingering challenges encountered in the collections of tax which is always with less cost compared to going to the normal court.

  • ‘Deceased Kwara APC members die for emancipation of state’

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who died on Sunday paid the supreme sacrifice for the emancipation of the state.

     

    The minister stated this when he visited the families of the five deceased members in Arandun, Agbonda, Omu-Aran, Oko and Odo Owa, all in the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara.

     

    The APC won a landmark victory at the Saturday’s bye-election where the deceased hailed from.

    A statement issued on the condolence visit was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja by Mr Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser to the minister.

    Read Also: Four Kwara APC members die in auto crash

    The minister, according to the statement promised that the APC would not abandon the dependants of the deceased who died in a road traffic crash between Omu-Aran and Oro in the state.

     

    At Agbonda, the minister and his entourage attended the funeral service for one of the five deceased members, Chief Ayobami Adekeye, an official of the party in Ajase Ward 2.

     

    He also visited the two hospitals in Omu-Aran, where those injured in the accident were being treated to personally wish them a speedy recovery.

     

    The minister was accompanied by Kwara APC Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa, House of Representatives Member-elect Tunji Olawuyi, Kwara South Senatorial candidate Lola Ashiru and other state party officials.

    NAN

  • Olomu inaugurates cattle market, charges operators on security

    The Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Oladele Adeoti, has advised operators of the newly inaugurated Kara Cattle market in Omu-Aran to be fully conscious of internal security in their dealings.

    Adeoti, while inaugurating the market in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara, urged the operators not to allow the market to be infiltrated by insurgents and other criminal minded people.

    He commended the Fulani/Bororo communities in the area on their resolve to revive the market, an idea, which he recalled was mooted a few years ago.

    The Olomu reassured them of maximum cooperation of the Olomu-in-council and the entire Omu-Aran community to make the cattle market viable.

    Read Also: Olomu of Omu-Aran dies

    Oba Adeoti said the population of Omu-Aran, the third largest in Kwara, and its commercial potential made the market viable.

    He promised to provide more land for the future expansion of the market but warned against illegal land acquisition by the cattle rearers and dealers.

    The Olomu said that the endemic incidence of violence between herdsmen and farmers in some middle belt states must never be allowed to happen in the community.

    “I appeal that all your land needs for market expansion must always be forwarded to me for approval,” Oba Adeoti added.

    The Oba was accompanied to the event by his chiefs and leaders of Fulani and Bororo communities.

    Alhaji Muhammadu Jowuro, thanked the Oba and his chiefs for facilitating free allocation of land for the market and promised to justify the confidence of the town in them.

  • Kwara people will retire Saraki from politics in 2019 – Oshiomhole

    Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, has said that the people of Kwara will retire Sen. Bukola Saraki, President of the Senate from active politics in 2019.

    He said this on Monday in Abuja, while speaking with newsmen at the end of a meeting of the party`s National Working Committee (NWC).

    Oshiomhole stressed that the way the people of Kwara voted in Saturday`s House of Representatives by-election in the state, was an attestation that they were tired of Saraki mismanaging their political life.

    “I am sure Saraki would be politically retired by the good people of kwara whom he has mismanaged their economic and political rights over the years.

    “I am very excited about that and we think that this is something worth celebrating and we took time to celebrate it today,” Oshiomhole said.

    He added that the APC was proud of the fact that since the assumption of the party`s current NWC which he headed on June 24, it had not lost any major election.

    Oshiomhole further added that the party`s victory in Saturday`s by-election in Bauchi, Kastina and Kwara states was a prove that the APC was still the preferred party of Nigerians.

    “More outstanding for me and the APC, both the leadership and the membership, is the humiliating defeat that Sen. Bukola Saraki suffered in the hands of Kwara people.

    “What the people of Kwara have done to him is that they are going to politically bury him come February next year and he has seen the first warning,” he said.

    He said that Kwara people, based on the outcome of the election, had dealt with Saraki a political blow.

    This, he said, was most humiliating since Saraki was the acclaimed leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara, and had recently led elections in other states.

    “Here is a native doctor who was busy going to other states, now unable to heal his own people in his own state, that defeat in Kwara is most outstanding,” the APC national chairman stressed.

    He said this was particularly so, because the candidate who won the election was not put in place by anybody close to Saraki.

    He, however, said that the APC would not accept a Nigerian variant where a minority party presided over the affairs of the National Assembly, saying that it was not right. (NAN)

  • Kwara bye-election: Outcome daylight robbery -PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) in Kwara state has described the outcome of the House Representatives bye-election in Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Isin/Irepodun Fderal constituency as a daylight robbery.
    PDP added that the result did not reflect the will of the people as its members were harassed and intimidated during the poll.
    It rejected the results of the bye-election in which  the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, was declared winner .
    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state PDP Chairman, Engr. Kola Shittu, further described the election as a charade and direct assault on the nation’s democracy.
    Shittu noted that some of the concerns raised by the party prior to the conduct of the election, which included alleged importation of thugs and heavy deployment of security personnel later manifested during the poll.
    He lamented that the poll was characterised by ballot box snatching, widespread  irregularities and illegal arrest of members of the PDP before and  while the election was on going.
    Shittu, however, called for outright cancellation of the election because it fell short of the expectations of the people of the constituency.
    He added that the brazen subversion of the will of the people, which the outcome of the election represented was an indication that the APC led federal government was not ready to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2019.
    “The PDP condemns in strong terms the conduct of the bye-election also rejects its outcome, as it does not reflect the will of the people of Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Irepodun Local Government Areas.
    “The announcement of the candidate of the APC, Raheem Olawuyi as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission is a daylight robbery, subversion of the will of the people and direct assault on the nation’s democracy.
    “Indeed, the election was a contest between the PDP and the security agents, as they both collaborated with the enemies of democracy, APC, to manipulate the electoral process and stole the mandate of the people”, Shittu said.

  • APC’s Olawuyi wins Kwara bye-election

    The candidate of the All Progressives  Congress (APC), Raheem Olawuyi, was on Saturday declared the winner of the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency bye-election held across the four councils in Kwara.

    The Returning Officer for the election,  Prof. Abimbola Adesoji, while declaring the result at the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Omu-Aran,  said Olawuyi polled 21, 236 to emerge winner.

    He defeated his closest rival, Saheed Damilare of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  who polled 18, 095.

    Abimbola, who is of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said Olawuyi having scored the highest number of votes in the election was declared winner.

    Other contestants in the election were Femi Ona-Ara of Labour Party, Ajadi Olayemi of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) as well as Olaniyan Ayorinde of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

    Abimbola gave the total number of total registered voters as collated as 168, 707, accredited voters as 41,185, the total valid votes as 39,599, total number of rejected votes as 1, 331 and  total number of votes cast as 40,930.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some cancellations arising from snatching of ballot boxes and over voting were reportedly experienced in three polling units in  Irepodun Local Government Area.

    The affected units as listed by the Presiding Officer in charge of the council included Registration Area (RA) 02 of Esie-Ijan Ward where two ballot boxes were reportedly snatched and 955 number of registered voters lost.

    Other areas were Oro Ward 1  RA 02, Polling Unit 01 where a case of ballot snatching was recorded and a total of 297 registered voters were affected and  over voting in Oro Ward 2 RA 10  Polling Unit 01 with 474 registered votes   lost.

    Election cancellation was also recorded in Ile Apaasin  RA 04 Polling Unit  in Isin Local Government  where only 59 voters were accredited but turned  in 377 votes.

    Some Independent National Electoral Officers were confirmed to have been attacked and had  wounds in the process.

    NAN reports that the declaration of the results was witnessed by notable officials that included the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Fafowora, the Resident Electoral Commissioner  from Kwara, Malam  Garuba Madami as well as  his  Imo and Lagos counterparts,  Mr Emeka Nzeonu and Mr Sam Olumeko respectively. (NAN)

  • 2,100 Corps members commence orientation course in Kwara

    A total of 2, 100 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have commenced the 2018 batch C Orientation course at its Permanent Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu Local Government Area of the Kwara.

    NYSC’s State Coordinator, Mrs Esther Ikupolati, made this known in a statement by the Assistant Director, Public Relations, Dipo Morakinyo, who is also the Camp Director in Ilorin on Friday.

    According to the State Coordinator, Kwara State was one of the 27 States earmarked by the NYSC management to host the second stream of the 2018 batch C orientation course.

    She said the three-week orientation, which commenced on Thursday, November 15 would end on December 5.
    Ikupolati added that 300 camp officials were already on ground to train the Corps members on physical fitness, drilling and entrepreneurial and skill acquisition.

    The State Coordinator added that the orientation course would be officially declared opened on Monday, November 19 with the swearing in of the new corps members.

    She expressed the readiness of the scheme to host the corps members and make their stay during the orientation course memorable.

    According to her, the recently renovated and improved camp facilities are some of the factors that earned Kwara the hosting right.

    “You may recall that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, personally renovated four female hostels alongside two others renovated by the state secretariat.

    “The perennial water shortage on Yikpata camp is fast becoming a thing of the past, as the NYSC Director General recently constructed a high yielding industrial borehole,” she added.

    NAN

     

  • Girl kidnapped in Kwara rescued in Ekiti

    •Escapes from abductors

    A twelve-year-old girl, Tawa Taiwo, who was reportedly kidnapped in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has been found in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    She was said to have escaped from her abductors on Monday.

    Last night Tawa was being kept at Oye-Ekiti Police Station from where she will be taken to the local government secretariat for transfer to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

    A resident of Oye-Ekiti, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tawa was roaming the streets of Oye-Ekiti and was questioned by residents.

    The source added: “We saw her roaming the streets. Her appearance resembled that of somebody that was frightened.

    “We became suspicious because we found her at a time pupils were in school.

    “She said her name is Tawa and her father’s name is Taiwo and that she was kidnapped in Ilorin in Kwara State and abandoned at Ayede-Ekiti from where she trekked to Oye-Ekiti.”

    The girl could not give details of how her family could be reached.

  • APC, PDP, 30 other parties for 2019 Kwara governorship poll

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ON Friday released the names of 32 governorship candidates of different political parties for the 2019 governorship election in Kwara state.
    Three of the candidates female.
    The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is Abdulrahman Abdulrasak, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Razak Atunwa and Labour Party, Comrade Issa Aremu.
    Three Kwara female governorship candidates are Muibi Muibat Aduke of the APA, Deaconess Comfort Yinka of the UPP and Rukayat Toyin Tijani of the MPN.
    INEC Director, Voter Education, Jacob Ayanda said that the political parties have window of opportunities to change or replace names on or before December 1, this year.