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Tag: Mimiko

  • Group slams Mimiko over rice gift

    Group slams Mimiko over rice gift

    The Congress for Rights of Ondo Nationalities (CRON), has decried the recent decision by Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko to distribute food items to residents in the state, describing the gesture as a Greek gift meant to politically and electorally defraud the people, especially during the fast approaching governorship election in the state.

        CRON, in a statement jointly issued by its National President, Abiodun Fanoro and Secretary General, Tunde Aiyenumelo, noted that the action of the governor was wicked and dehumanising, “having first deliberately pauperised the people by imposing hunger on them and consciously refusing to pay them their salaries for about seven months”.

    The group advised the governor to stop the food distribution immediately and use the money to pay part of the salary arrears being owed the workers.

     “The state is the only oil producing state in the Southwest. It has a comparatively lower public servant population in the region, and is supposed to have some thriving industries. It also inherited over N37 billion from its predecessor.”

      CRON said it was extremely callous for the governor to willfully reduce the people to beggars and now cunningly throw food at them, having been guided by the old logic that beggars have no choice.

     The group further noted that it was dehumanising that Mimiko contemptuously reduced Ondo State people to animals who probably live by food alone.

     While directing the people to collect the food items, the group advised them to be conscious of the fact that items had political and electoral poison, adding that they should remember the evils of stomach infrastructure and the divine injunction that man shall not live by bread alone.

  • Pay sacked Owena Motel workers, Labour tells Mimiko

    Labour has urged the Ondo State government to settle the outstanding entitlements of 187 workers of the Owena Motel, who lost their jobs, following the motel’s closure, two years ago.

    The Hotel and Personal Service Senior Staff Association (HAPSSSA) said the July 2014  closure of the hotel has been devastating as  many of the workers have died.

    “Some are in bad health conditions now; their children are out of schools while the remaining few are surviving on family and friends’ goodwill,” the union said.

    The National President,  Adeyemi Ademola, said the hotel’s closure was done verbally, without the workers being given letters of disengagement and due process.

    “To clean the stain this might cause, we advise Governor Olusegun Mimiko to address all the issues raised without delay. It should be clear that the salaries and other benefits of the workers are still accruing since their appointments were not legally terminated and we challenged him to show the contrary. Posterity is waiting by the corner, as it is never too late.

    ”What is the fate of more than 187 people employed in the hotel  who are laid-off without letters of disengagement? Is the government not compounding and increasing unemployment in the state?

    “Our findings revealed that the State Governor has sold the hotel at a mouth-watering amount to an investor for the construction of a  Shopping Mall. We considered it as a waste of public asset and destruction of heritage of the people built by founding fathers in order to provide employment for the upcoming generation,” he said.

    Ademola, who hailed the first governor of the state, Chief Adekunle Ajasin for building the hotel, said workers were locked out when the government was owing them 19 months’salary.

    The government had also failed to comply with the payment of pension, making it difficult for the workers to access any pension.

    He added that the government had failed to pay the retirement benefits and gratuity of the workers.

  • Students berate Mimiko over planned anti-Buhari protest

    Students berate Mimiko over planned anti-Buhari protest

    The Ondo State chapter of the Joint Campus Committee (JCC), an arm of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has condemned the planned protest against the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    JCC urged students to resist being coopted into the protest, which is said to be at the instance of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

    Anthony Atolusi, JCC chairman, described the governor’s action as a plot to embarrass President Buhari and paint the Federal Government in bad light. He said Mimiko’s move would not boost the chances of the governor’s candidate in the coming governorship election in the state.

    Atolusi said: “The action of the governor to be planning a protest against the anti-corruption is only a plot to paint the Federal Government as incompetent, it is also a gimmick to boost the electoral chances of Governor Mimiko’s candidate in the governorship election in November.

    “Students, being leaders of tomorrow, have the responsibility of bringing sanity back to our society. We want to tell Mimiko and his party that Ondo JCC and youths believe in Buhari’s anti-corruption war. At the end, we believe money recovered will be used to create good jobs for all.”

    Anthony said the students’ body had started a sensitisation of students within the state not to be political tools for any politicians. He said JCC would not fold its hands and allow a few individuals to use the machinery of government to enrich themselves and their families at the expense of all citizens.

    He added: “Our commonwealth was plundered and shared in the bedroom of these people. They used funds meant for security and development of our country to purchase choice properties. Now they are asking some youths and students to come and carry placards in protest against anti-corruption war. We will not support such demonstration.

    “We are urging all students in Ondo State to resist any attempt to lure them to convene, mobilise and protest against the anti-corruption crusade of President Buhari. We will not be part of illegality.”

  • Mimiko’s aide, others dump PDP for APC in Irele

    Mimiko’s aide, others dump PDP for APC in Irele

    SPECIAL Assistant to Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Political Mobilisation Mosunmola Awotula, popularly called iron lady, has led hundred of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Irele Local Government Area.

    Among the defectors were Ayaki of Ireleland Chief Olorunda Ikuemelo, PDP Vice Chairman in Ward Four Dayo Olajide, Comrade Ademuwagun Fakomogbo, Comrade Soji Olowotimehin and Madam Aderotoye Abike.

    Others included Akinbamiro Ojuetimi, Olayinka Moyo and Comrade Adebayo Adegoroye.

    They were received into the APC by the party’s deputy state chairman, Ade Adetimehin, an engineer.

    Speaking on behalf of others, Mrs. Awotula said the PDP “is a party of broken promises, which has inflicted pains on the people”.

    She said Mimiko has played his last card and could no longer deceive and cajole the people into voting for the PDP.

    “We are the strong leaders of the PDP in Irele. I have been a woman leader in Ward 2. After that, I became Organising Secretary before Mimiko came to PDP.

    “When Mimiko defect to PDP, he rendered us the executive members useless and refused to carry us along in the scheme of things; that shows that Mimiko is a selfish leader, ” she said.

    Explaining why they left PDP, one of the leaders, Ikuemelo, described the PDP as “a dilapidated building”, saying they left the party before it collapses on them.

    He said the PDP would soon become a dead party with no strength within the sunshine state.

    He assured that the APC would be victorious in the November 26 governorship election.

    Adetimehin assured the defectors of equal treatment.

    He enjoined them to preach the gospel of APC and mobilise others into the party.

  • ‘Mimiko’s inability to pay salary sad’

    ‘Mimiko’s inability to pay salary sad’

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Dele Alade, has urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to resign.

    In statement issued in Akure, Alade described as sad the inability of the government to pay workers’ salary despite the bailout from the Federal Government.

    Alade told the workers and the people to hold Mimiko responsible for the high level of poverty.

    He described as an act of wickedness and of no regard for human lives for the governor not to have paid workers this year.

    Alade, who monitored the registration of voters in his Ward 8 in Oke-Aro, Akure supported the workers’ action and vowed that if elected, he would not only use the money of the people for the people, he would ensure that workers’ salaries were promptly paid.

    He enjoined people who have not registered to do so “since this is the only weapon they have in a democracy to chase out a bad government.”

    Alade said with the right candidate, APC will win the governorship election.

    He said the state needs a fresh start, a new voice, a new vision and a new leadership in Dele Alade. The aspirant promised to eradicate corruption and run a transparent and a fiscally-responsible government.

  • Mimiko plans anti-corruption rally against Buhari, APC alleges

    Mimiko plans anti-corruption rally against Buhari, APC alleges

    •’Allegation untrue’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State said it has uncovered plans by Governor Olusegun Mimiko to organise a rally against the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    A statement in Akure by the Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, alleged that the governor had perfected plans with youths and thugs to ground the state.

    Adesanya alleged: “Three thousand naira each will be given to the over 5,000 youths and students from the Southsouth, who will participate in the rally.

    “It is unfortunate that while workers are on strike because of the unpaid six months salary, Governor Mimiko is planning to spend another tax payers’ money on an illegal rally.

    “We are told that he is planning to organise the protest because he is scared of the wind of anti- corruption war blowing across the country.

    “We know that Governor Mimiko is scared, since his colleague in Ekiti State has been alleged to have link with the Dasukigate.

    “Maybe the governor has questions to answer in the investigations into the $2.1 billion arms deal (Dasukigate).

    “If Governor Mimiko has nothing to fear, there is no need for the planned rally against President Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign.”

    APC urged the public and security agencies to be on the alert and be ready to combat “these youths the governor is planning to bring to the state.”

    The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said the allegation is untrue.

    He said it was the figment of the imagination of the originator of the statement, who was looking for cheap publicity, adding that it should be ignored.

    The commissioner said Mimiko would never support corruption, but believed that fighting corruption must be done by following due process.

  • Mimiko goofed on immunity clause, says APC

    Mimiko goofed on immunity clause, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has criticised the statement credited to Governor Olusegun Mimiko on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC’s) restriction on the account of his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose.

    The party said Mimiko’s statement showed a mindset of “a coward who dies many times before his death”.

    A statement by APC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said: “From emerging revelations, many adherents of the past government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who pilfered our common patrimony are being exposed daily beyond their faint imaginations.

    “This may be sending shockwaves to their spines and, who could tell whether Dr Mimiko might be mentioned as one of the beneficiaries at the end of the day. That is warranting his fears to issue such statement that President Mohammadu Buhari should call the EFCC to order over the freezing of a personal account of Fayose”.

    Mimiko had urged the President to intervene to rescue the country from what he described as current gross abuse of the Constitution, submitting that what EFCC has done violated section 308 that granted immunity to a sitting Governor.

    But APC said “the law permits the EFCC to freeze an account or attach a property of a criminal suspect and proceed and to thereafter obtain an ex parte order from the appropriate court.

    “EFCC Act states that where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the court”.

    The party urged Mimiko to advise his Ekiti State counterpart to defend his integrity,especially, after he was alleged to be keeping such a huge amount in his personal account at a time when the state workers had not received six months salaries.

    According to the party,”If you are not a looter, you have nothing to hide, you would promptly focus your energy on defending your integrity. The immunity thing would be secondary matter in your mind.

    “Were it not for the proactive actions of the EFCC in the recent past, no one would have known that an individual could be richer than a state in our country”.

    APC therefore called on the citizenry to take keen interest more than before in the management of the state’s financial resources by the Mimiko’s led administration that has refused to pay workers salaries for upwards of six months.

  • Mimiko fails to persuade striking workers to return

    Mimiko fails to persuade striking workers to return

    Moves by Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko to ensure that workers called off their three-week-old strike yesterday proved abortive as the meeting he held with them was deadlocked.

    The governor, who met the striking workers at the International Events Centre, Akure, appealed to them to return to work in the interest of the state and its future.

    Mimiko said the state’s revenue was not sufficient to cater for the salaries of the workers, urging them to embrace the government’s move.

    The governor, who said the state has “only N3.4 billion in the bank”, said the money could not be enough to pay a month’s salary, let alone the two months demanded by the workers.

    Mimiko met with workers from level one to 17, explaining to them that only local government workers and primary schools’ teachers could be paid for a month.

    The governor said their salaries would cost N2.7 billion and leaving N700 million.

    “Workers’ salaries cost the government N3.9 billion per month and with this, government needs additional N500 million to pay the workers,” he said.

    He pleaded with them to appreciate his intention not to pay half salaries, saying he was not happy with their plight.

    Mimiko added that economic challenge was the major constraint of his government.

    He said he was ready to pay the outstanding debts as soon as the economy improves.

    But the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mrs. Bosede Daramola, who responded on behalf of the workers, lamented the hardship being experienced by them.

    She declared that the strike would continue until the state government is able to pay at least two months’ salaries.

    Mrs. Daramola directed the workers to keep on with the industrial action until further directive by the NLC leadership.

    She maintained that the excuses of the government was not tenable, saying workers have been in serious sufferings since January, this year.

    She assured that workers would resume as soon as their two months’ salaries are paid.

    The Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Chairman, Comrade Sunday Adeyele, said the governor was not putting anything on the table to negotiate on.

    He urged the workers to continue to speak with one voice.

     

  • Ondo APC slams Mimiko’s foreign trip despite workers’ strike

    The Ondo State All Progressives Congress(APC) has expressed concern over Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s trip to the United Kingdom (UK) without making meaningful effort to end the workers’ strike.

    It noted that the hardship facing the residents is becoming more daunting as the industrial action crippled the state’s economic activities.

    A statement by the party’s Director of Research and Publicity,Steve Otaloro,at the weekend, queried Mimiko’s trip in spite of the issue confronting the state.

    It said:”This is a height of callousness on the part of Governor Mimiko and it is unacceptable to the people, who elected him to take care of their welfare.

    “We know Mimiko had been frequently globe-trotting since he came to power in 2009 at the expense of the state’s meagre resources and under the guise of visiting these places to seek for investors.

    “But this present trip to the UK, which is of no economic value, is uncalled for at this time in the midst of serious crisis that has engulfed the state, which requires serious attention of the governor that prides himself as running ‘acaring heartgovernment’.

    “It should also be noted that Mimiko’s previous trips have not seem to have yielded a single foreign investment to the state. Instead, his policies have killed businesses through multiple-taxations inflicted on existing businesses.

    “The opulent lifestyle of the governor and his family at the Government House and the fact that he is living large enough at the expense of the state must have beclouded him to appreciate the pains and the hunger that permeate the entire citizenry.”

    The party said he should remember that this was not what he promised the people at his inaugural speech, where he boasted, “I will work for you”, in his 2009 speech.

    The APC noted that the hardship in Ondo State was self-inflicted.

    “We warned the governor before now to desist from borrowing and that repayment will stiffen development; but he did not listen.

    “We told him that ‘he who goes a-borrowing will one day go a-sorrowing’. It is repayment of these various unwarranted loans collected by the PDP led-government of Ondo State that is now making life difficult for our people because of the inability of government to pay salaries of civil servants and pensioners’ emolument.

    “These are with its attendant consequences on other sectors of the state’s economy that is largely driven by revenue from the state workers.

    “It is true there is revenue shortfall from the Federation Account, but Ondo State is not the only state affected. Some states are still afloat paying their workers’ salaries and discharging other government responsibilities to their people.

    “The bitter truth is that Mimiko’s administration has this die hard prodigal habit of spending money on frivolities.”

    APC said the governor did not find it necessary to save for a rainy day and invest in revenue-generating activities, hence the fulcrum for the present predicament.

    It maintained that the excuses by the government that it is waiting for an imaginary reimbursement from the Federal Government on road projects executed and the funny Paris Club fund were unattainable and unacceptable.

  • APC aspirant slams Mimiko over non-payment of salaries

    APC aspirant slams Mimiko over non-payment of salaries

    ONDO State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Boye Oyewunmi has slammed Governor Olusegun Mimiko for not paying salaries.

    He pledged to restore the state’s lost glory if he gets the party ticket.

    Oyewunmi, who spoke while declaring his candidacy, promised to tackle the problems bedeviling the states as well as prompt payment of salaries.

    “My candidacy is not driven by desperation. I am here to revitalise the state’s economy and take advantage of the resources endowed on us to enable us reposition the state as well as to be able to pay salaries.

    Teachers are on strike, workers are observing industrial action. How do you owe workers salary? It is criminal of any leader. In a society that is predominately civil services, it means there is no industries that can boast our economy and makes it more formidable; and internally generate revenue that can ensure prompt payment of salaries,” he added.

    He, however, urged the party members and delegates to vote a credible leader.