Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has confirmed the appointment of Idowu Ologunagba as the substantive rector of the state-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo.
The governor also approved the appointment of Prof. Sunday Ogunduyile, as the Vice Chancellor, State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa.
This was contained in a statement yesterday in Akure by Dr Aderotimi Adelola, the Secretary to State Government. The appointments are with immediate effect.
Members of the Association of Retired Staff, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State have appealed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko to pay them before leaving office on Friday.
The retirees, who claimed they started the “struggle” for payment in 2006, said the government owes them N912,727,324.85.
This, they said, excludes the 33 per cent pension increase approved by the Federal Government in 2010.
The association Chairman, Rufus Oguntoyinbo and General Secretary Steven Olufawoye said they met with the governor several times and were promised payment.
Out-going Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has sought for more powers for governors to enable them perform better.
He spoke on Wednesday evening at a farewell dinner in his honour and former Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomole by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
The event which was attended by all governors including past ones, started after the NGF briefly met at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja
“The situation where state governors have no control of forces. We have to recreate the image of the governor in Nigeria.
“There is a level of perception between the governor from the people and what they are delivering in the states.
“I think we need to rethink about the image of the governor. Africa cannot come of age if Nigeria does not come of age,” he added.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo also attended the dinner during which he commended the two governors.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Victor Attah former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state were among those who spoke well about the two governors.
Governor Oshiomole in his remarks thanked the forum and said the gathering must remain to preserve the diverse nature of the country.
He said the NGF should be seen as an organization that would unite the country and deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
Oshiomole also commended Acting President Osinbajo for the leadership he has always provided for the National Economic Council (NEC) which he was a member.
Land owners in Idale Neighbouring Market, Idanre, Ondo State, have urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to investigate the non-payment of their compensation.
They alleged that a government official, who is an indigene, collected the money but failed to pay them.
In a petition, the land owners, led by Cladius Olonimoyo, said: “We learnt the government released the funds through its representatives in Idanre.”
Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the weekend urged Governor-elect Rotimi Akeredolu to build on his achievements in the health sector.
Mimiko advised his successor to sustain his policy on “Mother and Child health care” to reduce maternal mortality.
He gave the advice in Akure, the state capital, during the second anniversary of the Agbebiye Initiative.
The governor recalled the efforts put into the scheme by his government, especially Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), who were recruited as Agbebiye Vanguards in the state’s 203 wards.
“Today, 14,121 referrals of babies are born safely through this initiative,” he said.
Ondo State Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade yesterday denied that Governor Olusegun Mimiko planned to leave the state before the February 24 handover date.
Akinmade said: “I’m a member of the transition committee and I am aware that the governor and the governor-elect met three days ago to finetune the transition programme.
“I am aware that there are projects to be inaugurated by the governor between now and February 24, so if somebody is saying that the governor is planning to go on vacation, that means such a person is coming from space.
“This is concocted information. There is no iota of truth in what he is saying.’’
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state alleged that Mimiko planned to go on vacation before the handover.
Publicity Secretary Abayomi Adesanya, in a statement in Akure, said: “If this happens, it will create complexities in the smooth take-off for Governor-elect Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
Adesanya alleged that Mimiko planned to sneak out of the country through the land border, before travelling on a chartered flight to either Canada or China.
“We, therefore, call on security agencies to beef up security and surveillance in and around the country’s borders to prevent the governor and his cronies from escaping with alleged state’s looted funds,’’ he stated.
•Governor: Assembly crisis to be resolved soon
Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko yesterday briefed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on his disengagement plans.
He sought for Osinbajo’s presence in the state to inaugurate some projects.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of a meeting with the Acting President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said: “My mission was to brief him about what we are doing to exit.
“There are some projects that if he can spare the time, we would like him to come to inaugurate.”
Noting that he didn’t discuss the House of Assembly crisis with Osinbajo, the governor said elders have intervened and the crisis will soon be resolved.
He said: “The matter is being looked into. It’s an internal matter and I think some elder statesmen and leaders are looking at how they can help them to get over the crisis.”
The governor denied the allegation that the crisis was caused by the budget he was to submit to the Assembly.
“I don’t think it’s directly related. There is nothing sacrosanct about the method of presenting budget if you know what I am talking about.
“I think it’s just about changing leadership structure in the House and all of that.
“The governor is from the Northern District and deputy governor from the Southern District and the Speaker also from the South.
“There are those who feel that she should step aside so that someone from the Central District can take over. I think that has been sorted out.
“I believe that the Speaker should come from the Central District but the issue is the method.
“The Speaker has made it clear that she is ready to step aside, she is ready to resign.
“Not even a simple majority can impeach the speaker, it has to be two-third majority.
“That is to tell you that 13 of 26 members don’t have constitutional or legal empowerment to impeach the speaker.
“But as I speak with you now, she is ready to step down any time once the House is properly constituted.”
‘Mimiko has no plan to travel before Feb 24’
Ondo State Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade yesterday denied the allegation that Governor Olusegun Mimiko plans to leave the state before the February 24 handover date.
Akinmade said: “I’m a member of the transition committee and I am aware that the governor and the governor-elect met three days ago to fine-tune the transition programme.
“I am aware that there are projects to be inaugurated by the governor between now and February 24, so if somebody is saying that the governor is planning to go on vacation, that means such person is coming from space.
“This is concocted information. There is no iota of truth in what he is saying.’’
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state alleged that Mimiko plans to go on vacation before the handover.
Publicity Secretary Abayomi Adesanya, in a statement in Akure, said: “If this happens, it will create complexities and pit-holes in the smooth take-off for incoming Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
Adesanya alleged that Mimiko planned to sneak out of the country through the land border, before travelling on a chartered flight to either Canada or China.
“We, therefore, call on security agencies to beef-up security and surveillance in and around the country’s borders to prevent the governor and his cronies from escaping with alleged state’s looted funds,’’ he stated.
The outgoing Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, on Tuesday briefed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo of his disengagement plans.
He also sought Osinbajo’s presence in the state to commission some project before his tenure expires.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting with the acting President, Mimiko said: “My mission to the acting President is to brief him about what we are doing to exit the Ondo State Government House.
“There are some projects that if he can spare the time, we would like him to come to the state to commission some of them.”
Stressing that he didn’t discuss the Ondo House of Assembly crisis with the acting President, the governor said elders in the state have waded into the crisis and it would soon be resolved.
He added: “The matter is being looked into. It’s an internal matter within the House and I think some elders statesmen and leaders in the state are looking at how they can help them to get over the crisis.”
He also denied the insinuation that the crisis was caused by the budget he is submitting to the Assembly.
The governor said: “I don’t think it’s directly related. There is nothing sacrosanct about the method of presenting budget if you know what I’m talking about.
“I think it’s just about changing leadership structure in the House and all of that.”
Former Ondo State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi, at the weekend, cautioned Governor Olusegun Mimiko against interfering in the House of Assembly’s affairs.
Olanusi spoke with reporters after he was installed grand patron of Road Transport Employers of Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Akure, the state capital.
The septuagenarian was impeached by the Seventh Assembly, headed by embattled Speaker Jumoke Akindele, after leaving Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressives Congress (APC).
He urged the governor to emulate what President Muhammadu Buhari did when Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogora emerged Senate President and Speaker.
The Assembly is polarised into two factions, led by Ms Akindele and Malachi Coker.
Olanusi said: “Nothing concerns Mimiko with change of officers at the Assembly. Though, I don’t blame him, he has been commissioner and minister but never a lawmaker.
“He does not know the workings of the legislature.
“It is the responsibility of lawmakers to choose their speaker.”
The former deputy governor wondered why the governor refused to present the budget, despite the lawmakers’ presence at plenary on Wednesday.
Spokesman of the Coker faction Iroju Ogundeji said the faction was not against Mimiko’s budget presentation.
He said they were only against Akindele‘s claim that she was still Speaker.
Ogundeji said: “The genesis of the crisis is the alleged N15million fraud against Akindele.
“You will recollect that Akindele was impeached 10 months ago before the governor appealed to us.
“This time around, we have elected another speaker, deputy and majority leader.
“On Monday, we got information that the governor was coming to present the 2017 Appropriation Bill.
“We arrived the Assembly early but waited endlessly for the governor.
“We were told that he had an emergency meeting in Abuja.
“We are waiting for Mimiko to come and present his budget.”
The lawmaker repre-senting Akure North/South Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Hon. Afe Olowookere, has faulted the education policy of the outgoing governor, Olusegun Mimiko. The lawmaker kicked against the idea of building mega schools and abandoning all other existing school structures across the state.
Olowokere, who spoke at the foundation laying ceremony of two school building projects in his constituency, lamented that the government wasted billions of money on the building of mega primary schools and provision of shuttle buses. He said such money should have been spent on building new classrooms that will be accessible to the kids.
He noted that the mega schools as designed, amount to a project that will constitute a drain pipe on government revenue. According to Olowookere, in the last eight years of Mimiko administration, teachers were not recruited to replace those that retired, resigned, died or relocated to other states. He said, it was a misplaced priority for the government to be transporting students to schools where there are no teachers to teach them.
“If the money wasted on the mega primary schools in Akure for example, was used to establish and build simple, attractive structures in different new locations that are within walking distance to the homes and neighborhood of pupils and students, there would be no need for shuttle buses. I hope the incoming government will study the situation very well and adopt a more pragmatic policy on education.
“We have done this as a demonstration of the paradigm shift in democratic representation and governance at the micro level. A demonstration of our understanding of participatory governance in which people come first and remain the master that enjoy the right to be given or to demand account of stewardship of their representative in government,” he said.