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  • I will stay in PDP to seek justice, says Alaibe

    A former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe has vowed to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to seek justice for alleged wrongs done to him by the party during the concluded governorship primaries in Bayelsa State.

    Alaibe, who came second at the primary poll, which Senator Douye Diri won, said despite pressure mounted on him to seek an alternative platform to actualise his governorship ambition in the November 16 election, he would prefer to pursue his case in the PDP.

    Alaibe approached the Federal High Court with prayers to void the primary poll alleging procedural fraud and demanding an order for a fresh internal election.

    In a statement he signed on Monday following expectations he would defect to another party, Alaibe said he took his decision to remain in the PDP in good faith.

    He said: “My beloved supporters and people of Bayelsa State, I have come to the ultimate conclusion that this struggle must continue until we achieve justice. I am not deaf to your suggestions. I am not ignorant of your patience. I am not giving up. You must also not give up. The decision I have taken may hurt a lot of people. Others may be disappointed. But it is taken in good faith.

    Read Also:  Defections loom as Bayelsa PDP plots to retain running mate

    “As I promised you at the beginning of this race, my previous exit from the PDP was based on principle; my return was based on necessity. After considering every suggestion by stakeholders and supporters, it is, therefore, my decision not to join any other political party but to stay in the PDP and pursue justice until I achieve it. Thank you for your understanding and God bless you”.

    Narrating the circumstances that led to his latest decision, he said: “Some people have questioned the need for a court process. The answer is simple: any injustice that is not challenged and corrected will surely be repeated. And we will be the victims. As an advocate of peace and non-violence, I decided to accept the advice of the stakeholders and seek justice through legal means.

    “Although this was misunderstood by some people, I want to sincerely thank my supporters and indeed all lovers of democracy and the rule of law for their understanding and massive support so far. I salute your calmness and perseverance in the face of great injustice. But please understand that I need you now more than ever.

    “As expected, some people have suggested that I should simply dump the PDP and accept the various offers by other political parties so that we would realise our vision of implementing the Blue Economy and Project Dolphin in Bayelsa State. That is indeed an excellent suggestion.

    “It demonstrates the depth of confidence people have in my capacity and competence to deliver on my promises no matter the political platform. Others have also advised that I remain in the PDP, seek justice and contribute to the complete reformation of the party. This, also, is a beautiful suggestion that must be considered.

    “There is no doubt that the Bayelsa people want to know the way forward after the huge disappoint. I am as concerned as you have been. Let me say that I have diligently listened to your suggestions and I have decided to act appropriately. In arriving at this decision regarding the way forward, I am conscious of the fact that this is not about any political party. It is not even about me as an individual. It is about justice. It is about our beloved Bayelsa State. It is about us.

    “It was your collective decision that prompted me to contest this election. Whatever step I am going to take at this point is equally based your collective advice and the future of our state. We believe that the administrative narrative in our state must change for the better. We must move from mediocre leadership to visionary and mission-propelled governance. That was why I promised you that though this mission has been repeatedly aborted over the years, this time, I will not fail you. We will fight to the end.

    “So far, we have stayed on course and even those who set out to play god and had underrated our collective resolve not to be frightened out of the race with cheap blackmail, are shocked at our tenacity. We have been able to conquer intimidation with unpredictable resilience. Despite all attempts, they have not been able to fault our superior arguments demonstrated in our vision. We have shown them that we mean business, and that we are too focused to be distracted.

    “In the course of the race, it was clear that many people in positions of public trust openly abandoned their statutory responsibilities and joined forces with others to feed the unsuspecting public with all kinds of conspiracy theories. Despite their hard punches, we kept fighting on.

    “We kept preaching our message of economic salvation. We had unshaken faith in God and trust in our party. Various attempts to negotiate and reach compromise on certain issues were rebuffed with public bragging and wicked propaganda. Still, we refused to give up”.

  • Plot to impeach Bayelsa Speaker thickens

    The plot to impeach the Speaker of the Bayelsa Assembly, Tonye Emmanuel Isenah, has thickened following his refusal to step down against the directive of Governor Seriake Dickson and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders.

    It was gathered that lawmakers loyal to the governor and the PDP had been mobilised to carry out an impeachment proceeding against Isenah, who had insisted that his resignation would not add any value to the PDP’s quest to win the November 16th gubernatorial election.

    It was learnt that external forces powered by the opposition were planning to provide protection to Isenah to enable him retain his office.

    Some of the lawmakers were also said to be against the move to remove the speaker, whom they described as a good jolly fellow and had vowed to stand against any motion in the House to actualise the plot.

    Isenah was said to have tried to convene a sitting of the House on Monday with a plan to discuss some issues and adjourn the House for a recess till further notice.

    Read Also: I won’t resign, Bayelsa Speaker dares Dickson, others

    But PDP leaders, who got wind of the development, reportedly prevailed on their loyal lawmakers not to attend the sitting, which failed to hold for lack of capacity to form a quorum.

    Isenah came under intense pressure to relinquish his office in the House of Assembly to enable his party balance political equations ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

    The Speaker was said to have reached an agreement with Dickson and other PDP leaders to vacate his office in the event that Senator Douye Diri, who hails from his Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, emerged the candidate of the PDP for the election.

    Following the emergence of Diri, PDP leaders were said to have asked Isenah to surrender his position to another lawmaker from Southern Ijaw to enable the party garner votes from the council.

    But Isenah was said to have insisted that he would not let go of his position before the governorship poll.

    The speaker in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Aotendeike Boloigha, said he had served the PDP faithfully and had yet to see how his resignation would help the party in the forthcoming poll.

    But PDP leaders against Isenah were reportedly determined to force him out of the office to make way for a lawmaker from Southern Ijaw to brighten brighten the Patsy’s chances at the poll.

    But a source, who spoke in confidence, said Isenah’s travails were based on his refusal to initiate an impeachment proceeding against the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd).

    “It is not just about an agreement to step down. It is about the deputy governor. The powers that be accused the deputy governor of planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an incumbent deputy governor. They don’t want that to happen.

    “There are insinuations that Jonah wants to join the APC and contest the Bayelsa East senatorial election, which will be vacant if the APC wins the governorship election because the incumbent senator is the running mate to the APC candidate, David Lyon. So, the party leaders want Jonah out of the way but Isenah is refusing to be used to carry out the process”, he said.

    Isenah’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Mr. Dickson Didi Opuene, hinted that the speaker was undergoing the travails for refusing PDP leaders’ request to impeach the deputy governor.

    Opuene in the post that went viral wrote: ““First they asked him to impeach the deputy governor for no just reason and he refused, now they want him to resign just to perfect their aim and plan. No way, he will not resign, they should come and impeach him and lets see.

    “Rt. Hon. Tonye Emmanuel Isenah remains the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and he has not resigned or will ever contemplate of doing so, please disregard any rumour of his resignation”.

    However, the speaker in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Aotendeike Boloigha, denied the insinuations that Dickson was after him because he failed to carry out the governor’s request to initiate an impeachment proceeding against his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd).

    Isenah described the posts as generated and authored by over ambitious politicians taking advantage of the present situation in the assembly saying the claims were not only untrue but misleading and aimed at heating up the system.

    He said at no time had the governor imagined anything relating to impeachment of his deputy, whom he constantly described as a dependable ally adding that Dickson had never given such directive to the assembly.

  • How Toyin Abraham, Lizzy Anjorin fell apart

    The feud between Nollywood actresses, Toyin Abraham and Lizzy Anjorin, appears not to be ending soon.

    The hot exchange in the last couple of days came to a full glare with the actresses going back and forth with allegation(s) and counter-response(s).

    Controversially, this appears to be a tough time for their fans and perhaps sort of entertainment to neutral observers and bloggers.

    Anjorin, who has made more ‘unsavoury claims’ about Toyin with unpleasant jabs seem not to be ready to let the dust settle.

    In this piece by The Nation, Alao Abiodun x-rays the most burning drama of the moment in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

    The Genesis

    Lizzy Anjorin allegedly accused Toyin Abraham of running the blog “Gistlover.com” alongside multiple Instagram accounts to troll her and other colleagues in the movie industry.

    Lizzy claimed that Toyin leaked damaging reports about her to blogs.

    The fight however came to a full glare with a post by a popular actress alleging that when Toyin Abraham put to bed, she didn’t send her a congratulatory message.

    This sparked a debate on her page. While her fans hurled insults on Anjorin, others said Toyin kept mute as this was going on.

    However, the issue was later watered down when Toyin went on to apologise that she saw her message.

    After this scenario, Nigerians woke up to see that the social media has been frenzied since Anjorin claimed the actress was living a fake life and didn’t even have a car or a house of her own.

    She also alleged that contrary to the rumour that she gave birth to her child abroad, she actually was delivered of the baby at a local “agbo” seller’s house.

    She also alleged Toyin had to borrow costumes for her photo shoots.

    Interestingly, the nursing mother with the help of her publicist, Big Sam of Broadway TV, released a video showing her after she welcomed her son in a hospital in Lekki, Lagos.

    On why she had her baby in Nigeria at the Vedic lifecare hospital in Lekki, Toyin Abraham said: “I got to know this place when I came to visit Princess Shyngle, that actress when I came to visit her when she had issues and I loved how nice everyone, the doctors and nurses were.

    “Since I had just moved into Lekki with my husband then, I decided to make this my family hospital.

    “It has been a great experience, trust me. I am so happy and that is why I decided to have my baby in Nigeria because I trust the people here. I actually traveled out but I came back to Nigeria because I wanted him here at Vedic hospital with trusted hands.”

    Now that things seems to have fallen apart between the duo. let’s watch as more drama unfolds.

    Taking the legal route

    Toyin Abraham’s letter

    Toyin Abraham has sent a legal warning of ‘cease and desist’ notice letter to the Lizzy Anjorin through her lawyers requesting her to forward a letter of apology via their office, and on her Instagram page.

    Her lawyer said she issued the last warning to Liz Anjorin and if she failed to reply within 24 hours, they would be forced to file a N500m damages legal action against her.

    However, in her usual controversial style, Toyin Abraham further called Liz Anjorin a ‘pig’ in the caption of the post.

    “Silence is not golden. Rather than wrestle with a pig, it might be ideal to let the pig know that it belongs in the pen. I’m no longer speaking on this, my management team and attorneys are taking this up. Cc @bbbmedia @officialsamolatunj1,” she posted.

    Lizzy Anjorin’s letter

    Anjorin replied that she has written a petition to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) to investigate them as she has been accused by Toyin of dealing in drugs.

    Meanwhile, Lizzy is of the opinion that Toyin has always being a cocaine user from the post she made on Instagram.

    Reactions

    Veteran Yoruba actors, Yinka Quadri and Bolaji Amusan (Mr Latin) speaking on the issue in a video

    Some of the veterans in the movie industry have intervened in the messy fight between the actresses.

    Mr. Latin, who is the president of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), lamented the uncouth attitude of the actresses and expressed his disappointment over the ongoing controversy.

    Veteran Yoruba actors, Yinka Quadri and Bolaji Amusan (Mr Latin) said they would not accept ”any act of indiscipline” from feuding actresses.

    Toyin’s husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi, waded into the war of words by reiterating the need for the actresses to stop misbehaving on social media.

    In the post, he wrote: “We ought to have use social media for more useful and impactful things and not this misbehaviour.

    “We are called celebrities because many people look up to us and want to be like us. Why are we misleading these people, we are meant to be good teachers and not a bad influence on society. Please and please let’s have a change of mindset to do good, if not for anything for the fact that people are looking up to us in so many ways of life God bless you all.”

    Sadly, these ‘social media feuds’ is not new to the movie industry scene. It has become very common among Yoruba actresses.

  • 23 benefit from Edo Govt-backed Edobits Academy training programme

    Twenty-three youths in Edo State have completed a year-long training on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills, acquiring expertise in Web and Graphic Design as well as soft skills.

    The training was organised by Edo Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs) in collaboration with Edobits Academy.

    The training programme which began in September 2018 was designed to train young school leavers and empower them with skills and knowledge to make them self-reliant and employable.

    Manager, Edobits Academy, Mr. Abraham Omomoh, urged parents to encourage and support their children to learn useful skills that would complement their education.

    He said the beneficiaries must continue to aspire to do more for themselves by researching for new developments in their area of specialisation, using search engines and other self-development tools.

    Read Also: 50 students complete first phase of EdoBits’ free digital skills training

    The Overall Best Graduating Student in the 2019 cohort, Master Kelvin Edionwe, expressed appreciation to Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, for providing the needed platform for youths in the state to acquire in-demand skills.

    He said the initiative of the governor for youths will take more youths out of the streets and discourage social vices.

    He urged the governor to continue in this direction, adding that youths in the state appreciate his concerns for them.

    Mr. Kelvin Edionwe emerged the best beneficiary in Graphics Design and best overall male student.

    A parent, Mrs. Edionwe, thanked Governor Obaseki, EdoJobs, Edobits and all the instructors, who contributed to the success of the programme while urging other youths to embrace the opportunity to learn new skills.

    Highlight of the event was the presentation of awards and certificates to deserving students in different categories.

     

    L-R: Graphic Design Trainer, Emmanuel Onotiemona; Executive Assistant to Edobits Manager, Adedayo Lateefat; a beneficiary of the year-long training on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills, Oshoma Victory; Manager, Edobits, Abraham Omomoh, during the graduation ceremony for 23 beneficiaries of the Edo Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs)-backed training programme, in collaboration with Edobits Academy, in Benin City, Edo State.

  • OPC can tackle security in Southwest, says Gani Adams

    Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams, has assured the police of his support in strengthening the security architecture in the Southwest geo-political zone.

    Adams also pledged to consolidate on the confidence reposed in him by state governors in the Southwest and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

    Adams, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, at the weekend, commended the force for extending a hand of fellowship to the Oodua Peoples Congress, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group under his watch.

    He noted that the partnership between the police and OPC was beginning to yield positive results, with other relevant groups coming on board as partners in progress.

    Adams said he had received the nod of the Inspector General of Police on security matters within the Southwest axis, adding that efforts were underway to map out effective security modalities to fight insecurity in the states.

    Part of the efforts, Adams said, was the convocation of the Southwest Security Stakeholders’ Group (SSSG), a meeting comprising all relevant security groups across southwest and the unveiling of a roadmap towards achieving set objectives.

    Read Also: OPC lost over 2,500 lives during June 12 struggle, says Gani Adams

    Adams said: “So far, we have made significant progress since the IGP had expressed the readiness of the police to work with OPC under my leadership. It is on this note that I said OPC and the Nigeria Police are partners in progress. We have started work in earnest and everybody can attest to the fact that our efforts are beginning to yield positive results.

    “It is obvious that the rate of insecurity in the Southwest has reduced tremendously in the past few weeks. We have set the pace and the signs are there for everybody to see that we are ready to secure the Southwest and make the region safe for Nigerians.”

    In his response, Muazu, noted that the foundation laid by his predecessors had helped in working out a synergy between the police and the people at the grassroots.

    The Lagos police boss said: “In recent times, the spate of insecurity has taken the centre stage across the country. However, I want to assure you that we are committed to providing the best security to Lagosians. We are committed to making the state safe for residents, and in doing our job, we are ready to partner with individuals or groups that can help the police curb the spate of insecurity in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.

    ”We all know that information dissemination is key at all times, and the police are in the best position to dissect the information gathered. So, I think Gani Adams’ visit is timely and a sign that things are taking good shape in the country.”

  • Shekarau, others in fresh trouble over N950m PDP fund

    The Former Kano State Governor and Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is in fresh trouble over N950m Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fund.

    Details shortly…

  • Tribunal reaffirms Sanwo-Olu as Governor

    The Lagos State Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal on Monday reaffirmed the victory of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Governor of Lagos state in the March 9 polls.

    The three-man tribunal led by Justice T. T Asua, in a unanimous decision, dismissed the Petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its Candidate, chief Ifagbemi Awamaridi, declaring that the petition failed.

    It held that its earlier decision to dismiss the Petition which was later appealed by the petitioners was still valid because the petition was not filed according to the laws governing the electoral laws.

    The tribunal further described the petition as a “futile and wasteful exercise”.
    It noted that the petitioners could not prove their allegations of mental incompetence against Sanwo-Olu in their evidence placed before the tribunal.

    The panel held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of election malpractices against Sanwo-Olu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “The Petitioners have failed to meet the requirement of the law. The Petitioners have failed in our humble view to discharge the onus of proof which would have been placed on the Respondents.

    “We confirm the return of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected Governor of the State,” Asua said.

    Earlier the tribunal had struck out the names of the fourth to seventh respondents from the petition.
    They are the Resident Commissioner for Lagos State INEC, the Returning Officer for Lagos State Governorship Election, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State and the Nigeria Army.

    It held that there were no ties linking them to the allegations contained in the petition.

    During the hearing of the petition, the petitioners had called six witnesses, including Awamaridi and three other witnesses who were subpoenaed by the tribunal.
    The respondents, on the other hand, did not call any witness.

    The tribunal held that there was no newspaper evidence nor medical evidence from the Gbagada General Hospital was presented by the petitioners to support their allegation of mental illness against Sanwo-Olu.

    Read Also: How Sanwo-Olu allegedly rescued Mike Dada’s AFRIMA

    ” PW5 openly stated in court that ‘the evidence does not exist’. That portion of the petition remains abandoned and I so hold,” Asua said.

    The Tribunal noted that Awamaridi, the LP gubernatorial candidate while testifying during the hearing of the petition had said that he did not cast a vote during the March 9 gubernatorial polls because he was certain his Permanent Voters Card (PVC) was cloned.

    The Tribunal said that Awamaridi in his testimony could not pinpoint where the alleged irregularities took place but rather asserted that he was informed of everything within his knowledge by his agents.

    “The journey of this Petition has been a futile and wasteful exercise.
    PW1 (Awamaridi) as a witness, dumped the evidence on the tribunal and expected it to go on a voyage of discovery.

    “Each document has to be related to the case, PW1 did not tie any of the evidence to the case.
    “Since the petitioners didn’t link exhibits P18 to P20 to their case, the evidence lacks probative value and are not relevant to their case.

    “The Petitioners have failed to structure the case within the parameters set by the apex courts. PW1, PW2 and PW4 testified in relation to polling units but could not ties their allegations to any specific polling unit,” the tribunal held.

    Mr Bola Aidi, the counsel to the petitioners, in his response, told the tribunal that they would study the judgment.

    “We are grateful for the time of the judge on the judgment, we shall look at it and do the needful,” Aidi said.

    The counsel to Sanwo-Olu, Mr Victor Okpara thanked the tribunal for the judgment.
    He described the doggedness of the petitioners as “the beauty of democracy”.

    Mr Tunde Falola the counsel to the APC also expressed appreciation to the panel members for the time spent putting the judgment together.

  • Report: 43% of Nigerians buy smartphone based on social media campaigns

    A new study by the Research and Intelligence Unit of the omni-media group, RED | For Africa, indicates that about 43 per cent of Nigerians with active social media accounts have been influenced to buy smartphones based on brand focused online marketing campaigns.

    The research study was undertaken by RED | For Africa to analyze and give insight into the impact and effectiveness of social media marketing campaigns in influencing consumer choices and driving sales of phone devices in Nigeria.

    Speaking on the study, Head of Research and Intelligence, Isime Esene, said, “People do not buy things by chance, and even for technology brands that provide both functional and social value, consumers need products that will not disappoint, fail, or crash when they are needed.

    “As a rapidly growing sector in Nigeria, marketing technology devices and properties on social media is an important business activity for all major brands in the industry. But if it is to be done effectively, it is important to understand what exactly drives the choices and decisions for targeted consumers,” he added.

    Mr. Esene explained that the research data is designed to help smartphone brands position themselves to understand their customers better, and also improve their bottom-line. More research reports are expected to be released, covering contemporary issues and topics in media and communication, church culture, politics, and governance.

    Read Also: Five ways to increase your social media followership

    The research report is built on an extensive survey conducted with 1,007 respondents between ages 18 – 60 years across Nigeria, and further supported by three focus group discussions to assess buying decisions and major interests of smartphone product consumers.

    A sizeable number of the participants (83 percent) are resident in Lagos, with others covering Oyo, Kano, FCT Abuja, Enugu and Osun state. Also, the age division between participants is 18-25 years (61.07 percent); 26-35 years (26.42 percent); 36–40 years (8.15 percent); 41-50 years (2.78 percent) and 51-60 years (2.68 percent).

    Results from the research study indicate that while 78.57 per cent of respondents between ages 26 to 35 years have been exposed to communication materials from social media mobile phone campaigns, more than half (60.38 percent) of respondents, say they have never been influenced to buy a phone by a social media campaign.

    Likewise, only 42.7 percent of those aged 18–25 years have previously bought a mobile because they were convinced of its value by a social media campaign.

    The report said top three priorities for those looking to buy a smartphone are Features & Specifications, Price, and Brand Reputation. Although the price consideration is really high among those who earn less than N100,000 monthly.

    Also, about 52 per cent of the respondents say they “probably would” be influenced to buy a phone due to a social media campaign, 13.7 per cent say they “definitely would not”.

    “Social media campaigns appear to be effective for increasing awareness, but cannot be fully dependable in driving action for those who want to buy phones. This assertion was further supported by brand managers in surveyed phone wholesale stores. To drive action, messaging for phone campaigns on social media should focus more on the phone features and price indication, depending on the target customers and selected platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others),” the report added.

  • UPDATED: 17 days after celebrating birthday Oba Oniru dies at 82

    Lagos State Government mourned the passing away of a first-class monarch in the state, the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru.

    Oniru died in in the early hour of today in Lagos after a brief illness.

    He was 82.

    The monarch’s 82nd birthday was celebrated last September 6 at the palace.

    He was survived by wives, children among are former Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Adesegun Oniru, On-Air personality Tolu Demuren (a.k.a Toolz), grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

    Tweeting via his twitter handle @jidesanwoolu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu commiserated with the royal family.

    He tweeted: “On behalf of the government and people of Lagos, I commiserate with the Oniru Royal Family on the transition of HRH Oba Idowu Oniru who joined his forebears. His service to the state and country at large will remain his enduring legacy. Adieu.”

    Former Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule described the late Oniru as a great monarch.

    Read Also: Oba Oniru celebrates 80th birthday in style

    Dr Adebule said he was a peace-loving monarch.

    “He was always bringing people together to live in peace and harmony. He demonstrated a great passion for the development of Lagos State. He was indeed a peace-maker,” she said.

    The Waziri Nupe, Senator Isa Mohammed also condoled with the royal family.

    Senator Mohammed prayed to God to grant the family of the late monarch the strength to bear the loss.

    “My family and I wish to commiserate with you and the entire Oniru Royal family on the passing away of Oba Abiodun Idowu Oniru, the 14th Oniru of Iruland, Victoria Island, Lagos. May Allah grant him peaceful repose, mercy, forgiveness, eternal rest and reward him with Al-Jannah Firdaus. May Allah also be with you and the children and grant you the strength and fortitude to bear this great loss,” he said.

    The Chairman of Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Princess Rasheedat Abiodun Adu described the late monarch as a great father.

    Princess Adu said the late Oba Oniru’s reign brought greater development to Iruland and environs.

    “Kabiyesi’s reign ushered in unprecedented political and socio-economic development to Iruland and beyond. The late monarch’s demonstration of integrity is matchless,” she said.

    Wife of former Chairman of Iru-Victoria LCDA Chief. Funmilayo Daramola said the late Oniru was a great monarch.

    Chief Daramola, the Alaje Wura of Iruland said: “Kabiyesi was truly a great person. He was a nice man who was after the development of the community and Lagos state as a whole. He sacrificed a lot to ensure Iru-Victoria Island is developed,” she said.

    Oba Oniru succeeded his father in 1995.

    He was born on September 6, 1937, the 12th of the 15 children of the long-reigning Oba Yesufu Oniru, who died at the age 120.

    The late Oba Oniru attended St David’s Primary School and Araromi Baptist School on Lagos Island and then went to Eko Boys High School for his secondary education.

    In 1965, he left Nigeria to study civil engineering at the British Institute of Engineering Technology in Slough. He returned to Nigeria in 1968, to join his father run the family business.

  • Free commercial activity begins on Lagos-Ibadan speed train

    Commercial activity may begin on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge latest November, the  Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said.

    Amaechi spoke on Monday when he and the Minister of State for Transportation Gbemi Saraki, led other stakeholders on tour of the project.

    He said the federal government will also begin a free trial service between Lagos and Ibadan for commuters.

    He said: ”Our ambition is that by November we should begin trial of train services between Lagos and Ibadan for free.”

    He admitted however that the pace of the project had been slow, adding that there is need for the contractor to increase the pace of the project.

    ”They (Contractor) need to increase their speed. They reduce their speed within the period that the government dissolved the last cabinet.

    “Now, that we are back, my colleague, the Minister of State, and I resolve to decide to push back the pressure to ensure they stick to the completion timelines,” Amaechi said.

    Read Also: Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge: A spanner in the works?

    The minister disclosed that the double lane speed tracks had been laid up to kilometre 155, adding that where the project is recording challenge now is the completion of the stations, which according to him was impeded because the cabinet was not in place.

    “The tracks are no longer the problem, the problem now, is how to get them to finish the stations on time.

    According to him, CCECC had promised to complete all the minor stations in three months, but unfortunately, six months after they are yet to be completed.

    The minister added that  he will continue to put pressure on the contractor to ensure that all the minor stations were completed in due course.

    “We know that by January next year, they are going to finish both the minor and major stations so that we can move on,” Amaechi said.

    Speaking on the Railway University and the manufacturing factory projects, Amaechi said while the Ministry of Transportation has secured a date for the ground breaking ceremony for the factory, from the Vice President, it is waiting for the President to return from the UNGA to give a date for the ground breaking ceremony for the University of Transportation project.

    He also said the government is waiting on the Chinese government and the China Eximbank for the loan for Ibadan-Kano standard gauge line.

    He said the Federal Government is ready with its own counterpart funding, but will require the Chinaexim bank to grant the facility for the project to begin.

    Saraki expressed happiness that the Ministry of Transportation is delivering on the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to make the train the backbone of the nation’s economy.

    She said once the speed train fully come on stream it would be able to unlock the huge potentials of the sector to create jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths.

    Saraki, who supervises the Maritime sector of the Transportation Ministry, said she is determined to work with other stakeholders to unlock the potentials and opportunities of the maritime sector.