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  • Ahead Showdown in Singapore: Dare rallies Eagles against Selecao

    Pride and honour will be at play in the forthcoming October 13th international friendly match between Nigeria and Brazil and expectedly no quarter would be asked and none would be given.

    This much is the verdict of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, as the countdown to this important game begins in earnest even as he called on the Super Eagles to pay serious attention to what can be considered a titanic battle.

    Speaking in Abuja at the weekend, Dare said though the match is friendly, it should be used to expose the strengths and weaknesses of the team ahead of future competitive matches.

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    He opined that matches involving the  Super Eagles should be given adequate attention by coach Gernot Rohr- led  technical crew , adding  top Grade A international friendly matches against teams  like Brazil  would boost the team’s status in the monthly rankings by the world football governing body, FIFA.

    “I look forward to a very entertaining and interesting match,” declared Dare. “Brazil, as we all know, is among the top five best footballing nations in the world and Nigeria is known in Africa.

    “I think the Super Eagles have ego to play for even though it’s a friendly game.

    “Brazil and Nigeria will be world attraction because the two nations are good in the round leather game with arrays of professional players plying their trade outside their domestic leagues,” he noted.

    Meanwhile, the Minister refused to predict the outcome of the match, adding that the Super Eagles with talents at the disposal of Coach Rohr should give Brazil a run for their money.

    He expressed readiness to grace the match venue for the international friendly in Singapore, saying it   would afford him the opportunity to meet and interact with the senior national team players for the first time since he assumed office.

  • For Lagos train, it’s 44 sitting, 99 climbing

    As the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) mulls the suspension of the Iddo-Ijoko Mass Transit Train Shuttle (MTTS) service today, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE, who rode on the train last Friday, urges the Federal Government to improve the narrow gauge.

    The bluish-black outstripping cumulus clouds stirred the fear of another heavy rainfall in the heart of those preparing for work. Time was 4.30 am when the reporter made for the railway station, despite the soft, seductive and alluring breeze almost drawing him back to the dream land.

    As a result of the heavy rain of the previous days, the road that leads to the ticketing office of the Agege station was marshy. The nondescript structure (a portakabin), which serves as the office for the railway brimmed with hordes of beggars even that early. Some could be seen in some corners folding their sleeping mats. Mosquitoes were seen waltzing in the air, but no one seem to pay their presence any attention.

    The only thing in the room that served as office for the ticket tellers were three old settees; one fully tattered; a wooden table darkened with soot and plastic chair. Not all passengers could sit inside when told to wait a little by ticketing officers. Those lucky to be inside had to give full attention to the mosquitoes who had a field day looking for where to perch to draw just a pinch of blood most mostly haggard looking people waiting for the next train.   In what was regarded as the normal practice, the ticketing officer, rang the bell to rally intending passengers to purchase tickets. Passengers trickled in to buy tickets. A ticket sold for N230 for a Mass Transit Train.

    According to one of the railway officials, the train coming from Ijoko station was headed for Iddo station. She stated that there would be two trips in the early morning rush hour and later in the evening. However, she noted that afternoon trips had been cancelled temporarily.

    Commuters who missed the morning trips will have to settle for public buses to their destinations and return the train station to see if they would be lucky to catch a ride home.In the meantime, everyone had bought tickets, and a blast of horn was heard from the train and several passengers started ‘the mad rush’, trooping towards the platform to board the train. Within minutes, all the 10 coaches were filled to the brim. Entry into the train, which was partially full even at this wee hour of the morning wasn’t easy.

    Commuters crowded the various doors to the coaches. As a first timer, the reporter wriggled his way through one of the coaches however and scanned for possible empty seat to drop his wearied weight. He found none. That meant standing all through the journey to Mushin. The clattering metals and the jerking raises pangs of fear – what happens if one of the coaches suddenly pulls off. The reporter quickly shut out the fear. Nothing, he said, must compound his fright. The train reminds him of a bubble waiting to burst. Men, women, boys and girls in their numberwere aboard the train.

    With everyone clustered up, there was no room to manoeuvre. Not even on the aisle. Before it got to Shogunle, there was no leg room again as people nestled on one another. The saving grace was iron bar at the roof which an army of hands clutched for support. It was observed that there were different groups of people on the train, those who prefer the free space atop the train (rooftop riders).The itinerant herbs peddlers, beggars going to their begging stations to eke out a living for the day, most of who are blind and are accompanied by their guides, traders and artisans living along the border towns who are rushing to their various stations for the day’s livelihood and those like the reporter having their first baptism of what the train ride feels like. The last set of people are easily spotted in the crowd, even from their dressing, which seemed out of place in the rickety contraption of the stuffy train.

    Moments thereafter, the train crawled out of the station, snaking its rusty way across the rutted old track. A boisterous cacophony of noise from inside the passengers inside the coaches mingled with the loud clatter of the iron wheels to create a noisome culture which many say was the culture of the train on the route. The rooftop riders, obviously in their own world, preened and chatted idly as the train gathered speed. Also, some passengers hung in between the coaches like bees in a hive. With the train extremely over-crowded right from the outside, it was an ugly sight which gave an inkling of what to expect in the disgusting interior. An official of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, who does not want to be named, said the organisation routinely arrests hitch hikers. For him, even if you have a fundamental right to commit suicide, the corporation would not permit you to execute it within its property.He described rooftop riders as “an accident waiting to happen”, adding that many fatalities recorded during derailments were always from roof riders.

    “These are people who are seconds away from disaster yet they remained undeterred.” Most rooftop riders, he according to him are hoodlums, adding that despite a N50,000 fine or prosecution slammed on anyone caught, the act persists.Bejide, a passenger who was displeased with those who nestled on the roof of the train, said: “Those guys have been warned several times, but they will not heed.

    They keep endangering their lives. They jump on the train because they don’t want to pay and would rather put themselves on devil’s way.

    ”When this reporter asked one of the train attendants who donned a jacket labeled NRC, if he could get a place to seat in any of the other coaches, having shown him his ticket, the tetchy official fired back with contempt: “Even those who had come much earlier didn’t get a place to seat…”The train which plies the Ijoko to Iddo route has seen better days. It is only fit for the scrapyard.

    As another passenger observed, the railway is a testament to the failings of a country that prides herself as “the giant of Africa.””It is a shame to think that such ramshackle contraption still exists in the country and citizens are still riding on in. The creaky coach painfully portrays the country’s glories carted off to the knacker’s yard,” the passenger said to no one in particular.

    Though the atmosphere was unsavoury with stench oozing from all corners perhaps owing to the overload, most people seemingly enjoyed it. They chattered and guffawed at will. Those who didn’t take part in any conversation slept while sitting. Others plugged  in their earphones as the journey wore on.

    At each station, commuters disembarked, and in the process barged into those standing, stepped on them and stained them with their dirty shoes. It continued like that as passengers alighted at Ikeja Along, Shogunle, Oshodi, Mushin. And thereafter, someone who looked well-groomed from home will now shockingly look disheveled like a spineless man who just had a wrestling bout with a madman.As the journey progressed, an elderly Muslim cleric preached to passengers. Speaking with the conviction of an orator, he not only held his ‘audience’ spellbound but dished out his message with magisterial swagger. His prayers were passionately responded to with loud “Amen.”It was like early morning tonic for adherents of the Muslim faith.

    Another elderly man with petite frame advertised a herbal concoction which he claimed could cure all ailments. Clutching a black polythene bag, he had to squirm his way through to make people buy his “magical” product.

    The interior of a cramped up train was not the best place to market such a product, but he had thought otherwise.

    A mild drama ensued between some passengers standing. A middle-aged man raised his voice to show his displeasure to another man who had seemingly insulted him. After sometime, frayed nerves were calmed.

    As the train galloped on the tracks, Yusuf, a passenger, who was delighted said: “I have always liked a train ride. For me, it is a great experience. It is cheaper when compared to commercial buses.

    Apart from that, it is an avenue to make new friends. Forget the inconvenience, we always have fun here either sitting or standing. In fact, a friend once celebrated his wedding with us in the train. It is nice,” he gushed.Another passenger disagreed with him, she said: “I don’t really fancy train ride in Nigeria, perhaps due to the old and unattractive trains we have here.

    For instance, we cannot compare trains in the UK and China to the ones we have here. Those ones abroad are much better and they offer pleasurable  and comfortable rides.”

    A regular train user noted that he uses the train service not because of comfort or pleasure but because there is no worry of incessant traffic congestion, then it is price-friendly.

    Railway, it has been observed comes across as one of the most explored form of transportation around the globe. Majority of people enjoy travelling by train for different reasons, for instance there is a chance to view different scenes that cannot be seen via cars, for some just for the fun of adventure and because it offers safety. But it is doubtful if one can enjoy a train ride especially with the regularly jampacked Lagos trains.

    Meanwhile, Lagosians wait with bated breath for the actualization of the Red Line from Agbado to Marina and the spur track from Oshodi to Murtala Muhammed Airport as promised by the state government. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had in July reiterated his desire to ensure effective, safe and reliable multi-modal transportation system that would aid unimpeded movement.Nonetheless, long after shuddering to a halt, the loud blast of the train’s horn still reverberates in the memory of this reporter.

  • Searchlight on Nigeria, Africa at Gates summit

    The 2019 Goalkeepers Summit by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York, which coincided with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), was a forum for American business magnate Bill Gates, Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote and others to chart the way forward for humanity, reports OLUKOREDE YISHAU from New York.

    Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote and Microsoft founder Aliko Dangote became friends some years back. Dangote runs the Dangote Foundation; Gates and his wife Melinda run the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. With challenges such as poverty, open defecation, education and health as focus, Gates had to look beyond the developed world to effect change. In Dangote they found an ally.

    Through its Gatekeepers Report, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation monitor the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress. This report was a major talking point at the 2019 Goalkeepers events in New York, where awards were given to people who helped in moving towards the achievements of the SDGs.

    Gates urged governments across the world to focus more on primary healthcare development and education as a means of achieving the SDGs. Using Nigeria as an example, he condemned uneven development in societies and called for sufficient spread of developmental efforts. Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim also aligned with Gates on the need for inequality to be ended.

    The 2019 report shows that Nigeria’s health indicators have improved.  In the late 1990s, it was estimated that two of three Nigerians lived in poverty. That represented 68 per cent. Twenty years later, the figure has dropped to 32 per cent of the population or one in three Nigerians.

    Sixty-four per cent of children used to suffer from malnutrition in 2005. This went down to 37 per cent last year, according to figures supplied by the foundation.

    Only about half of Nigerians used unsafe or unimproved sanitation in 2018 compared to 80 per cent in 1990.

    As good as these improvements are, Nigeria still ranks 43rd of 52 African countries on a recently compiled sustainable development goal index. The implication is that the country has gone 47 per cent towards achieving sustainable development goals. The Gatekeepers Report lists the country as one of those who will not meet the SDGs 2030 deadline.

    Gatekeepers’ report 2018 says poverty is concentrating on just a handful of very fast-growing countries. Nigeria still has the second-highest number of deaths of children aged five and under. It tags behind India.

    The 2019 report says life is better for the boy-child. “No matter where you are born, your life will be harder if you are born a girl,” the report says.

    It adds that across sub-Saharan Africa, girls have an average of two fewer years of education than boys. In Nigeria, according to the World Bank, girls get an average of 7.6 years, and boys get 8.7 years.

    The report recommends that “human capital investments should be designed to reach girls and prioritise those countries and districts that have to make up the most ground”.

    The report also observes that education is not enough to bridge the gender divide.

    “In some countries where girls tend to be well-educated they are still underrepresented in the workforce because they also face discriminatory norms and policies.

    “Africa’s youth population (people aged 0 to 24 years) is booming while the rest of the world is shrinking,” says the report.

    The median age across Africa is 18; it is 35 in North America and 47 in Japan.

    The report also shows that in Nigeria, child mortality rate reduced from 109 per 1,000 births in 2017 to 104 per 1,000 live births in 2018 while child stunting reduced from 38.14 per cent in 2017 to 36.74 per cent last year.

    Death from malaria, the report shows, reduced from about 166 per 1,000 in 2017 to 160.72 per 1,000. Cases of tuberculosis reduced from 351.8 per 100,000 to 344.2 in 2018.

    Instances of Neglected Tropical Diseases, according to the report, went down from 52,566 per 100,000  in 2017 to 50,584 last year. On a sad note, the number of people living in poverty increased from 66.83 million in 2017 to 67.48 million in 2018.

    The report shows that Measles-Containing-Vaccine second dose (MCV2) was low at 39.27 per cent; Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) immunisation coverage was 36.39 per cent.

    The report also reveals that the vaccine coverage for Pneumoccocal conjugate vaccines (PCV3) was at 35.67 per cent.

    The Gates in the 2019 Gatekeepers’ Report entitled: Examining inequality 2019 say: “Gaps between countries, districts, and boys and girls prove that the world’s investments in development aren’t reaching everyone.

    “Using new sub-national data, the report uncovers the vast inequalities within countries that are masked by averages.

    “Where you’re born is still the biggest predictor of your future and no matter where you’re born, life is harder if you’re a girl.

    “Despite gains in female educational attainment, opportunities for girls are limited by social norms, discriminatory laws and policies, and gender-based violence.

    “As we write, billions of people are projected to miss the targets that we all agreed represent a decent life.”

    The foundation called for a new approach to development, targeting the poorest people in the countries and districts that need to make up the most ground to address persistent inequality.

    “Governments should prioritise primary healthcare to deliver a health system that works for the poorest.

    “Government should also deliver digital governance to ensure that governments are responsive to their least-empowered citizens, and more support for farmers to help them adapt to climate change’s worst effects,” it said.

    It added: “The report is designed to track progress in achieving the Global Goals, highlight examples of success, and inspire leaders around the world to accelerate their efforts.

    “The goal is to identify both what’s working and where we’re falling short,” it said.

    Speaking at a panel discussion with Gates last Wednesday at the fourth Gatekeepers Summit at the Lincoln Centre, New York, Dangote said he hoped to give out a chunk of his wealth like Gates. He is estimated to be worth $9.2billion.

    Dangote praised Gates for his love for Nigeria: “When I started my foundation in 1994, I never realised we had this massive challenge in the health sector.

    “Really, it was mind-boggling when we had this agreement to collaborate with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and that really opened my eyes to realise that there are a lot of challenges in health.

    “At that time I didn’t have the opportunity of meeting Bill but meeting Bill changed me into a different person. This is somebody that has nothing to do with us in Africa or Nigeria but he is putting his money and his soul into everything.

    “He is very committed to helping humanity and that really surprises me a lot and I realised that he is a simple person and I never knew Bill would be this simple. He is a very soft-spoken guy and kind-hearted.

    “It is very difficult to find people like Bill in this world. Bill, we are very grateful and I can assure you that with my association with Bill, my only prayer is that in the next few years, I will try and give my chunk of wealth to charity.”

    Gates, who noted that a place where a person is born could determine how long the person could live, thanked Dangote for connecting him with the governors in the North.

    He added that Africa’s richest man proved to him that one could make better impact by reaching out to powerful politicians in charge of policy.

    Gates said: “Aliko knows people; he has relationships and he is willing to reach out to people. He says ‘let’s reach out to the governor, let’s talk to him about this’ and the next thing you know, we’ve got the governor on the phone, talking.

    “So, this ability to reach out and draw on the broad relationships that Aliko has developed…you know I am pretty shy about calling people. I just want to mail them my charts.

    “So what has come out now is that Aliko and I do conference calls with six of the governors from the northern states where we look at vaccine coverage.

    “It is a big challenge but I’ve drawn from Aliko’s communication skills and he is not afraid to call anyone. Everyone likes to talk to him.”

    Gates said his new task was to close the gaps between nations towards achieving the SGDs by ensuring that all had access to quality health and education.

    Dangote said his company wanted the government to make it mandatory for companies to fortify all rice products consumed in the country.

    He said Nigerians eat rice in the morning, afternoon and night, adding that fortifying rice with the right vitamins would help combat malnutrition.

    “At the Aliko Dangote Foundation, we have what we call the Nutrition Integrated Programme, of which we are trying to make sure we take out two million children from malnutrition,” Dangote said at the Goalkeepers Summit.

    “Right now, Dangote is also in the process of rice milling. We are setting up about one million tonnes of rice, and all our rice will apply these nutritious vitamins.

    “The main food we eat in Nigeria is rice; people eat rice in the morning, they eat rice in the afternoon, they eat rice at night.

    “With this, we are now trying to introduce this, and also we are going to the government to make it mandatory for all the rice we consume in Nigeria to be fortified. This will help quite a lot,” Dangote said.

    He added that his company was the first in Africa to begin fortification of sugar, which he said has become the norm.

    Dangote said about two million children are malnourished in Nigeria — a trend the foundation is working to bring to zero.

    He appreciated the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for bringing companies in Nigeria together to sign up to food products fortification of battle malnutrition.

    In an interview before the summit, Gates said: “Nigeria is a super-important country and one that the foundation has an office there.  We did a lot of work in Nigeria on polio and we learned a lot doing that.  Nigeria has gone almost three years now without having a polio case.

    “The biggest priority we have, although making absolutely sure we’re done with polio remains a big priority, now we’re able to focus even more on the primary healthcare system.

    “If I had one wish for Nigeria, it would be that the quality and funding of the primary health care system would achieve the level of some other countries that are lower-income but have done a better job with the primary healthcare system.  So, it definitely is doable.

    “In Nigeria for a lot of the work we do there we’re partnered with Aliko Dangote, who helps us understand who the good partners are and exactly how we can reach out to groups like the traditional leaders and get them involved in these efforts as well.

    “So, Nigeria is important. I’m hopeful about Nigeria. As you see in the report, the disparities within Nigeria are quite stark.

    “Also, one challenge that Nigeria has is that the amount of money that the government raises domestically is quite small compared to other countries. A lot of countries at that level will be raising closer to 15 per cent of GDP and Nigeria is one of the lowest in the world down at about six per cent.  And so, it is a huge challenge that when you want to fund infrastructure, health, education, all those things, that over time the tax collection, the domestic resources are going to have to go up quite a bit.

    “That’s a long-term effort and I think partly by making sure the current resources are spent well like on primary healthcare, you gain the credibility that the citizens will say, okay, we want more of these things.  If we don’t raise the quality, you can get into a trap where they don’t feel like paying the taxes actually has that much impact, and so they’re not supportive of that.

    “So, we’re working hard.  I mentioned we do videoconferences with state governors.  If we can make the six states into exemplars, then these practices can be extended to all 18 of the northern states.  There are best practices down in the south as well that we can learn from as well.

    “Building on what we were able to achieve with polio and the relationships we’ve built there and our commitment, starting with primary healthcare, we think that Nigeria can tackle its inequality.”

    The awards

    The summit witnessed the presentation of awards to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing open defecation.

    Modi, in less than five years, led a mission which ensured that 600 million people stopped open defecation in one of the world’s most populous country.

    Gates said: “Managing human waste is one of the world’s oldest and toughest challenges and I will say most leaders are not willing to talk about it, in part because the solutions aren’t that easy, but we do have to talk about it.

    “We hear a lot about malaria and we should, because it’s devastating and we are making progress. But sanitation-related illnesses kill more kids every year than malaria does.

    “In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Swachh Bharat Mission, a programme with the very ambitious goal of eliminating open defecation in India.

    “Before the project, more than half a billion people were defecating in the open, but today, just five years later, thanks to the leadership of hundreds of thousands of people in communities across India, the vast majority now have access to safe sanitation.

    “This progress is critical to achieving SDG 6 for water and sanitation, which is lagging far behind.”

    Gates added that India is already serving as a model for other countries.

    The foundation’s Campaign Award was presented to Aya Chebbi, the first African Union Youth Envoy, for her work promoting youth empowerment, peace building, and non-violent mobilisation in Africa.

    Chebbi said: “We live in a world where politicians fuel xenophobia and violence and violate national and international laws, and even censor the only space we have to breathe, the internet.

    “We live in a world where it has become acceptable to trade human rights for sanitary projects; the reality we live in is dangerous. But you know what, a wise man told me the power of the people will always be more powerful than people in power.

    “When young people promise, young people deliver; the world we want is borderless and the future we want is about dignity and freedom, and our generation will continue to be radical, disruptive and challenge the status quo.”

    The foundation’s Changemaker Award was presented to youth activist Payal Jangid for her fight against child labor and child marriage in India.

    The Progress Award went to Gregory Rockson, co-founder and CEO of mPharma, for his work to increase access to high-quality drugs across community pharmacies in five African countries.

  • Wanted: Private sector intervention for rural healthcare

    Statistics on the state of child/maternal death rate and visual impairment in Nigeria is worrisome. One of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is Health for All. BUSOLA ARO reports that interventions from the private sector are needed to close the gap.

     

    THE findings about the state of health in the country are grim and frightening. According to the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHR’s), most of the 9.2 million women and girls that become pregnant in Nigeria face danger, especially those in the low-income bracket.

    According to a data on APHR’s website, “Nigerian women of child bearing age, face a lifetime risk of maternal death of one in 13 compared to one in 31 for sub-Saharan Africa as a whole,”

    As at 2017, Nigeria’s estimated yearly 40,000 maternal deaths accounted for about 14 per cent of the global total rate. The country is also the second largest contributor to maternal mortality worldwide, after India as indicated in World Health Organisation (WHO). It is estimated that one woman dies in the country every 13 minutes – that is 109 women dying daily – from preventable diseases related to pregnancy and childbirth.

    “For each death, there are an estimated 30 to 50 women who will experience life-long conditions and disabilities such as obstetric fistula. In total, that’s more than 500 women each day who will die or face serious and lasting health consequences,” says APHR on its website.

    Blindness and the ailments associated with the eyes are also serious matters in the country. The Nigeria national blindness and visual impairment survey was very revealing about the state of eye care and impairment in the country.

    The report, which was conducted between 2015 and 2017 suggests that some 1.13 million individuals aged 40 are blind, 2.7 million adults aged 40, are estimated to have moderate visual impairment and an additional 400,000 adults are severely visually impaired. All these data make the intervention of responsible corporate organisations in addressing the issues imperative.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to lift 100 million people out of poverty over the next one decade. For this goal to be achieved the health of the citizens must be taken care of. The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has a huge role to play in driving the government’s agenda alongside the private sector.

    Organisations that have taken the bull by its horns on this is indigenous upstream oil firm, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) joint venture (JV), through its Eye Can See and Safe Motherhood Medical Outreach Programmes (ECSSMMOP).

    On September 19, this year, in Imo State, several men, pregnant women and children, gathered at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Izombe, where Seplat  and NNPC had put up one of the biggest medical outreaches in the state.

    “Yesterday, I had surgery on my left eye. Today the patch which was placed on the eye was taken off,” Mr. Emeka Alozie, 65, who benefited from the medical intervention, said.

    Covering his right eye with one of his hands, he demonstrated that vision from his left eye, which had surgery, has improved. “It is a miracle. Thank you Seplat,” Mr. Alozie said.

    At Izombe, over 60 men and women had eye surgeries, got medication or recommended glasses from Seplat free of charge during the outreach. Women, especially pregnant women, also received special attention.

    Through Eye Can See, several individuals in remote parts of the state received surgeries worth millions of naira for free while others got prescribed eye glasses and drugs. Through the Safe Motherhood initiative, Seplat has educated expectant mothers, of all ages, and provided them with hundreds of life-saving Safe Motherhood kits.

    These programmes began about two years ago and have continued in host communities. The eye initiative has brought community dwellers face to face with optometrists. Within two years, a total of 7,343 patients have benefited from the initiative, 2,200 reading glasses have been given to patients while over 233 successful eye surgeries have been conducted.

    CEO, Seplat, Austin Avuru

    On the other hand, through the Safe Motherhood initiative, Seplat has supported hundreds of pregnant women and nursing mothers with Safe Motherhood kits comprising a maternity bag, treated mosquito nets, vitamin supplements and other medical items which foster safe delivery, and cater to babies.

    As part of the programme, pregnant women are also enlightened about safe and planned motherhood and child care. So far, 3,586 expectant mothers have received Safe Motherhood kits in Seplat’s Eastern Asset area in the last two editions of the initiative.

    The JV said its interventions,  in its host communities and others in the Eastern part of the country, are in line with its mandate to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN.

    Speaking on the occasion, the wife of the Imo State governor, Lady Ebere Ihedioha, said: “If all the corporate organisations were to tow Seplat’s route today, the burden of underdevelopment and social restlessness particularly in the oil producing areas would be greatly reduced. This programme, therefore, places Seplat at the top of the corporate social responsibility in the state, and by extension has won the hearts of our people.”

    Also, the General Manager, External Affairs & Communications, Dr. Chioma Nwachuku, said: “People are at the centre of everything we do. The NNPC/Seplat JV takes delight whenever we have opportunity to deploy these two key programmes specially designed for the well-being of our community members and for other indigenes of the state who wish to access the benefits of these health progrommes.” Nwachuku represented the CEO of Seplat, Mr. Austin Avuru, on the occasion.

  • ‘To secure, we have to love: herdsmen, kidnappers, Boko Haram and the climate of fear’

    It is also a story of economic hierarchy. The herders are not the owners of the cattle. Some of them are owned by shadowy big men, who encourage them to bring home the profits. So those who argue against the herdsmen also are pitching battles by proxy against the Fulani hegemon. It makes the matter even more complicated.

    The question of banditry has become another hobgoblin. Is the herdsman a bandit, or it is just the bandit masquerading as herdsman. If the herdsman was so busy trying to sell its cows, what time will they have to sell their cows if they lay ambush everyday on highways?  According to some analysts, the herdsmen exist who have always been with us. These men still occupy the farms and wreak havoc. They still want grazing fields for their animals. Yet, when we see them, we only see sticks. They don’t read. They don’t follow the fire and outrage of contemporary angst and debate. They just go about their businesses.

    But some say there are bad herdsmen, but most of the havoc we see come from bandits who have lost their way in the world. So, they live and die by killing and dispossessing the victims. According to recent reports of captured marauders, some of them are trained outside the country. They steal into the country through the borders. Yet, the reports show that they would not know their way around the country if they did not make companionship with locals. That is why the economic blends with the cultural. The Zamfara case tells us that it is essentially an economic matter.

    Zamfara State would, in a properly governed environment, be a near Eldorado with networks of highways, high-rises, shopping malls, a buzzing airport, the panoply of spinoff commerce, burgeoning cultural exports, et al. But it’s the hallowed ground of bandits and crude adventurers. It is the economic equivalent of a hoodlum’s paradise.

    Tied to this is the perception of the bandit crisis as class warfare. Take, for instance, the rage of elite kidnappings, especially in the north. The Abuja-Kaduna highway is now a thoroughfare of woe for even the Fulani elite. Those who say the bandit crisis is Fulanisation and Islamisation should answer why a governor, a minister, a permanent secretary, a money bag of the Fulani extraction would not travel that road with all the array of cars and security men. Rather they would huddle with others in the rowdy comfort of a train. The story is told of an imam who gave a pep talk in Abuja and told his audience that the Abuja-Kaduna expressway was safe. After his glowing delivery, it was time to return home to Kaduna. He did not hit the express. Rather his hosts escorted him to the train station. His faith was not tailored to his own soul, but to those he encouraged. Do what I say, but not what I do.

    Nothing demonstrates the confluence of class warfare and economic imperative than the issue of kidnapping. They have redefined the value of human capital. You kidnap a judge or a minister’s son, and that is a great investment in human resources. The return could be more profitable than drugs. Within hours, you can make as much as N20 million or N50million, or even more, depending on the opulence and desperation of the captive and their family. Why would the talakawa, who neither reads nor write, and who cannot earn with all his manic muscles more than N20 thousand Naira a month, neglect so great a financial salvation? Within a week, he can stun himself with enough to buy a new car and build a house and enjoy all the soft life and luxuries that Maigida has taken for granted. All he has to do is kidnap again. It becomes addictive. Any catch translates into a generational wealth in their eyes. He becomes a money-miss-road, dross in gold. So, to such gold diggers, they don’t see Fulani, they see Eldorado.

    In the northeast, the Boko haram flame has failed to abate. When it is not smothering lives in firestorms of surprise attacks, suicides bombs and all, it is smouldering in intermittent skirmishes. Yet, it all began with a class narrative. The poor under the cynical watch of former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sherriff, were used for elections and cast away. They needed shelter, food, and wives. A certain messianic creature known as Mohammed Yusuf provided them all these. All he wanted from them was his own version of Islamic piety. They are under the thrall of the man who gave them food. He works under what the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky designates as the triad of oppression. They are authority, mystery and miracle. These three weapons under a person’s command can make him a god on earth. That was Yusuf, and the founder of Boko Haram. After providing the Sheriff castaways with food, shelter and wives. He had made them his children, his urchins. As Dostoyevsky noted in his novel, The Brothers Karamazov, “anyone who can appease a man’s conscience can take his freedom.”

    With mystery, he gave them faith. With miracle, he gave them food, shelter, and all of that gave him authority.  To other classes of humans, food may not be miracle. To the poor who is hungry, especially the destitute, food and shelter are miracles from God. Again, as Dostoyevsky defines it, “In a realist, faith does not spring from miracle but miracle out of faith.” You define your own miracle.

    So, his followers now decided to strike. Was it about Islam? Well, yes, the extreme variant. But was it about class? Plenty. They brought down emirs, razed tony mosques, pillaged the markets, carted away the girls that would be brides to the rich, etc. They saw themselves not as evil people. They saw themselves as messengers of the Almighty, who loathed the moral squalor of the feathered class.

    Yusuf took away their freedom and gave them his own. They all want to be free to be terrorists. Philosopher Isaiah Berlin noted that freedom was not only about the classical idea of western liberal thought. Anyone can define it their way. As the Marxist wants his freedom, so does the terrorist, so does Boko Haram.

    Within the Nigerian state, we therefore see all of these clashes in the family. Each one wants a different definition of comfort and peace. In that ambience, peace is the major casualty, and where there is no peace, fear abounds.

    When Boko Haram was at its peak, the military brass backed by its Fulani elite waged a quiet genocide against the Kanuri. Anytime they saw a Kanuri gathering, or a kanuri traveller with their distinctive tribal marks, they were targeted for arrests, harassments and killing. The shoe, as they say, is in the other foot now. The targets are Fulani today. No one trusts them, including the Hausa. Even the elite Fulani suspects the talakawa up north. As Samuel Coleridge once noted, even “whoring brothers disagree.” So, we have created fear as an instrument of governance. It will take fear banishment and as sense of fairness for the fear to go.

    With each afraid of the other, we cannot stop banditry, or herdsmen crisis, or even Boko haram. We need a leadership of fairness and fearlessness. Is that not why the issue of banditry even in the southwest has become even a big problem. On the military level, why are we not using drones to target and isolate and knock out the hoodlums? Are they not living among us? Are they spirits?

    What did the former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima deploy to flush out many Boko haram players from among the people? They were the Civilian JTF. They are the unsung heroes of modern Nigeria. We need drones as intelligence since the intelligence agencies in Nigeria have failed us. We need to create civilian equivalents of the JTF in the southwest and other parts of the country. Then the drones can track their hideouts, and the Air Force and soldiers can go to work. In short order, we can deal with the scourge. That is a short term solution to the herdsmen bugbear.

    After that, we can face the perennial issue of distrust. If we cannot stop it, it will haunt us, and the scourges will emerge in other dimensions.  We have to awake the right identities and paradigms for the future. That accounts for why the philosopher Rene Descartes said, cogito ego sum, “I think therefore I am.” In his own book of polemics titled, The Rebel, Albert Camus wrote, “I rebel – therefore we exist.” In his novel, Satanic verses” Salman Rushdie declares, “to be born again first you have to die.”

    So, it means we have to pursue a new birth and a new identity. Hence I titled this piece, “To secure, first we have to love.” That is love each other. It means a leadership of cooperative charisma beyond class and tribe and primordial loyalties. Or else we shall solve one and go into another problem. For instance, as Femi Falana has warned, the followers of Sheikh EL Zakzaky are fuming and growing. Is that the next bandit? Or cover for one?

    So, the problem is not in anywhere else but in us. It is because we fear ourselves.

  • Governors, others see hope in Nigeria’s troubled nationhood

    Governors, clerics, union leaders and other eminent Nigerians have expressed the hope that the nation will soon overcome its challenges and become stronger.

    They spoke against the backdrop of tomorrow’s celebration of the nation’s 59th Independence anniversary.

    Nigeria is passing through many challenges, ranging from insecurity, economy, infrastructure, among others.

    The governors and other eminent Nigerians noted that though the night might have appeared long, the day will surely break soon.

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu gave the Federal Government under the All Progressives Congress (APC) a pass mark, despite the challenges in the land.

    Akeredolu, who was represented yesterday by his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, at a church service on the 59th anniversary at The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Oke-Ijebu, Akure, the state capital, said many countries have disintegrated with half of the challenges facing Nigeria.

    He said: “In spite of all the challenges we have faced as a people, it has pleased God to allow us to remain as one indivisible entity.

    “As we all know, some countries whose challenges were not as daunting as ours have disintegrated.”

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said his administration would focus on welfare for the residents to turn around the standard of living in the state.

    The governor spoke at a special church service to mark  the Independence anniversary at the St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, Ibadan, the state capital.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said the governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, assured that his administration emphasised the welfare of the people to create a good life for all.

    “Our focus has been on the welfare of the people so far and that is because we are determined to turn around the standard of living of our people. There are many more programmes in the plans for the people of Oyo State.

    “What we will ask of you is to keep on supporting and praying for the government.”

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade said Nigeria has made steady progress, despite some hitches.

    The governor addressed State House correspondents in Abuja after a closed-door meeting at the weekend with Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Abba Kyari.

    The governor stressed that there is room for improvement amidst the challenges.

    He said: “Nigeria has made progress. We must not only look at where we have failed as a nation, we have made progress at 59. America is over 250 years; Britain is over 250 years. We are just 59. At 59, we have the global system of mobile communications (GSM). At 59, we have better communication. At 59, we have medical services.

    “As a nation, we may not be where we want, but for life, for the unity, there is a reason for us to say let’s celebrate. It is not always right to look at the negative aspects alone. Yes, there is room for improvement; yes, we might not have done as well, but as the leader of black people, the whole world looks onto Nigeria. We must come together to make the progress we so desire.”

    Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha reassured the residents of his administration’s determination to overcome the daunting challenges confronting the state.

    At a church service on Sunday to mark the nation’s Independence anniversary at the Assumpta Catholic Cathedral, Owerri, the state capital, the governor assured the people that his administration remained strengthened by the challenges and focussed on the task ahead.

    “…The demands are huge and we have the ability to overcome them. We need your prayers and advice. As humans, we do have our shortcomings,” he said.

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to join the rebuilding of the nation by emulating Prophet Nehemiah in the Bible.

    Okowa spoke on Sunday an inter-denominational thanksgiving at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter’s, Bishopscourt, Asaba, the state capital.

    “The country requires everybody to be committed to nation-building. We must pray and fast for the nation so that God will hear us.

    “The church must continue to pray for Nigeria as only prayers can deliver us as a nation. For those in authority, we need to render the best of services in the best way possible because being in position of authority means we must render services to the people and not be lords over them.

    “When we stand in realisation of the fact that leaders must render services, our nation will be better,” he said.

    The Chairman of Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Chimaroke Nnamani, yesterday urged Nigerian leaders to tackle poverty, ignorance and disease impeding the nation’s development and lead the people to prosperity.

    In a statement in Abuja, the senator noted that almost six decades after Nigeria attained independence, the country was still faced with inequality, unemployment, ethnicity and illiteracy.

    In his goodwill message to Nigerians, the former Enugu State governor urged leaders at all levels to make policies and programmes that would engender development and rescue the people from economic and social malaise.

    Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly in Lagos prayed that God will frustrate every evil cabal suppressing the efforts of Nigerians.

    Bakare, who spoke on Sunday at a church service in Lagos, prayed that God would not allow anything bad to happen to the country.

    “Nigeria is our own and it must not crumble. If there is any cabal of evil anywhere doing anything to suppress the people of this nation, God will frustrate their efforts,” he said.

    The popular cleric urged Nigerians to give thanks, saying God has been merciful to Nigeria.

    “Let’s thank God that we are still a nation. Yes, this is not the best that is expected from the government, but they also have challenges and they are overwhelming,” he said.

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) attributed Nigeria’s underdevelopment, 59 years after independence from Britain, to “selfish leadership and people who cling to power for personal aggrandisement”.

    In a joint statement on Sunday in Abuja by its President Quadri Olaleye and Secretary-General Musa-Lawal Ozigi, the union raised concerns about the economy, constitution, electoral laws, minimum wage, corruption and the cost of governance as well as insecurity/agitations.

    It froened at the $9.6 billion judgment against Nigeria by a United Kingdom (UK) court.

    The TUC wondered why countries, like China, India and Indonesia, which Nigeria was at par with, suddenly left the country far behind in terms of development.

    “Truth be said, all the administrations we have so far had brought something remarkable to the table of national growth, including the present administration. However, what is important is that we must interrogate the reason(s) why countries we were at par with have left us far behind.”

    “China, India, Indonesia, among others, were our contemporaries, but they are now in the first league while we are dragging economic space with some countries in Africa,” it said.

    It noted that the focus on oil had made Nigeria a one-legged economy.

    The statement added: “Before independence, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy. When oil was later discovered in commercial quantity in Oloibiri in present day Bayelsa State, attention shifted from agriculture, instead of diversifying the economy.

    “Other sectors were left untapped. This has made Nigeria a one-legged economy. Although revenue from tax has improved significantly, but unfortunately, instead of widening the tax net, the impoverished public are over-taxed, leading to despondency and despair.

    “The TUC sees a very bright future, if we can convert the resources nature has bequeathed to us to wealth. Yes, we have a role to play. There is cause for worry but we can change the narrative if we have the will.”

  • SERAP advises President on Judiciary’s financial autonomy

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently publish and fully implement the recommendations of the report on financial autonomy of state legislature and judiciary submitted to you in June 2019”.

    In a letter, dated September 27, and signed by its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said: “Equal treatment before the law is a pillar of democratic societies. But when judicial financial autonomy and, by extension, independence and sanctity are undermined, the scales of justice are tipped, and ordinary Nigerians suffer.

    “In fact, when judicial autonomy and independence is under siege, everyone loses, as the voice of the innocent goes unheard, while the guilty continue to act with impunity.”

    The letter added: “The failure to publish the full recommendations of the report and to begin to implement them has continued to undermine the country’s judicial systems, and deny citizens’ access to justice and basic human right to a fair and impartial justice system.

    Read Also: NITT can design made-in-Nigeria vehicles, says Amaechi

    “Ensuring the financial autonomy and independence of the courts would improve the ability of our judicial systems to deliver justice effectively and efficiently. It would also allow the court to jealously guard the rights of innocent men and women and ensure that the guilty receive a fair and impartial hearing as well as remove the dangerous possibility of summary justice…”

    “We urge you to ensure full respect for the rule of law and due process in words and actions.

    “A financially autonomous judiciary is crucial for the effectiveness and success of your anti-corruption agenda, and important for the realisation of citizens’ human rights.

    “Unless the report is fully implemented, trust in the court’s impartiality and independence will continue to be eroded, and the core judicial functions, access to justice and the broader accountability function of the judiciary will continue to be undermined.

    “A weak judiciary would mean that impunity for corrupt officials will remain, as the ability of your government and anti-corruption agencies to prosecute grand corruption as well as public trust and confidence in institutions of government and public officials will continue to be undermined…”

  • Innoson: we enjoy huge patronage from Fed govt

    Innoson Group of Companies Nigeria Limited has said it enjoys huge patronage and support from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    The group’s Chairman, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, stated this yesterday in Nnewi, Anambra State, when he addressed reporters.

    He also listed Enugu, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Anambra, Gombe, and Bauchi states as well as the Nigerian military among those patronising vehicles from Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM).

    The company chief said Innoson could transform Nigeria into a vehicle manufacturing destination in Africa, if it gets more patronage.

    He assured the nation that his factory has the capacity to manufacture all brands of vehicle, adding that he hoped to expand soonest.

    Chukwuma said: “I can say that Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing is doing well, especially with the level of patronage and support the company is enjoying under the present Federal Government.

    “I must equally say that some state governments, like Ekiti, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Gombe, Anambra and Bauchi, are giving us a great boost.

    “As at today, Innoson vehicles are being used in some West African countries, like Mali, Sierra Leone and Ghana, and some Nigerians residing abroad return home to purchase our vehicles.”

    According to him, Innoson Group of Companies produces motorcycle tyres, plastic containers, ceramic and vehicles.

    Read Also: Court orders arrest of Innoson Motors chairman, others

    The frontline businessman said the company  has employed between 7,300 and 7,500 workers.

    “With more support and patronage from Nigeria, we hope to expand our vehicle manufacturing firm to help provide more employment to our youths,” he said.

    On the performance of youths from Niger Delta, who his company trained under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Chukwuma said most of them had continued to bring their talents to bear towards the growth and development of the company.

    “Some of the youths in the Niger Delta, who we trained, are very talented. After their training, we retained some of them and they are part of the success story of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing today,” he said.

    On the recent report alleging that an Anambra State lawmakers rejected Toyota Prado Jeep and demanded for Innoson products, Chukwuma denied knowledge of the report.

    He said anybody, including the lawmakers, were free to buy any brand of vehicle of their choice.

    The company chief said he enjoyed warm relationship with Governor Willie Obiano and members of his administration.

    He expressed the willingness to leverage on the relationship to impact positively on the state.

    “As we speak, the Anambra State government has ordered for 40 vehicles which they fully paid for and we hope to deliver them to the state by next week,” Chukwuma said.

  • ‘It’s unfair to assess Makinde now’

    The immediate past governor of Oyo, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on Sunday said that it is unfair and dangerous to assess incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde barely three months after he came into office.

    The former governor, who maintained that Makinde was elected for a period of four years, insisted that it would be too early for him to access his successor, who was sworn in on May 29 this year.

    Ajimobi, who represented Oyo South Senatorial District between 2003 and 2007, was the governor of the state between 2011 and 2019.

    He said that he had done his best for the state, stating that it’s now time for Makinde to prove his worth.

    Ajimobi, who addressed journalists shortly after he was honoured with a meritorious award by the Catholic Archdioceses of Ibadan as part of the 70th birthday celebrations of the Bishop of the archdioceses, Reverend Leke Gabriel Abegunrin, urged citizens and leaders to continue to sacrifice for the development of the country.

    Read Also: Makinde’ll surpass Ajimobi, others in achievements

    The event was held on Sunday at Mary’s Cathedral, Oke Padre, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    Ninety-five eminent personalities received the award. Aside from Ajimobi, other recipients of the award include the Asipa Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Eddy Oyewole; Chief Akanni Aluko, Ayo Fasoro , Chief Aloy Obi, Prof. Mercy Veronica,  Brig Gen.& Mrs. Eze , Chief (Mrs.) Francisica Otunla, Mrs. Grace Oby, Mr. Stephen Olasupo , and  Justice O. Ige.

    In his remarks, former governor Ajimobi said that he would henceforth maintain silence on issues concerning the state and allow the incumbent governor to do his job.

    The former governor said: “I feel really elated, I feel happy, very honoured, especially when you are being honoured by the people that we serve and the people that serve God. When you are recognised by clerics, men of God, it is the best honour you can get.

    “Yes, I have done eight years of talking; now it is time for me to keep silent and allow the other man to do his job.”

    Ajimobi further said that the media makes news when prominent people speak and when they decide to be silent.

    He said, “This is the problem with you people. When I talk, you will say that I am talking, now that I am not talking, you will say I am not talking. You are complaining that I am not talking now. So, what do you want me to do?

    “It is too early for me; I have been there for eight years. It is too early to assess him. Give the man the chance to do his job. I know that he has at least four years. He has just spent three months. It is too early.

    “I think it is good for us to work for the development of this country. We must all sacrifice for us to move this country forward, to grow. It is easier for people to talk, sometimes I read in the news particularly, on the social media.

    “The problem of the social media today is that beer parlour talk is now being elevated in the media.”

  • Buhari, Akeredolu, Fasanmi greet Oyetola at 65

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday felicitated with Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

    Also, Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu and the Leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Fasanmi, have congratulated Oyetola on his birthday.

    President Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, joined the Oyetola family, friends and people of goodwill in wishing the governor good health, sound mind and more years of purposeful and visionary leadership for the good people of Osun State.

    He commended Governor Oyetola for his determination to improve infrastructure, social services, human and capital development in the state.

    The President also urged Governor Oyetola to execute all the programmes of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and fulfill his campaign promises to the electorate.

    Read Also: Facts you should know about Gov Oyetola at 65

    President Buhari charged the governor to use the special occasion of his 65th anniversary as another privileged opportunity to rededicate himself to do more service to God and humanity.

    Governor Akeredolu on his part described the Osun governor as “humility personified” and “amazing neighbor.”

    The Ondo governor in a statement by the Commissioner for Informtaion and Orientation, Daniel ojogo, further described Oyetola as “a calm and unassuming personality whose selfless commitment to the good people of Osun State has markedly imbued and engendered confidence in governance in his state. To say the least, such selflessness and candour have been greatly deployed to the advantage of the good people of the Southwest.”

    According to the Akeredolu, the Osun governor is an enigma who represents an amazing friend, brother and neighbour with immeasurable qualities required for a fruitful relationship as exemplified in the cordiality between Ondo and Osun states.

    “It is no gainsaying, therefore, that as Governor Oyetola clocks 65, his wealth of knowledge and experience that have always been at the disposal of the good people of both states will continue to ignite stronger ties,” the statement added.

    Governor Akeredolu, on behalf of his wife, Betty, government and people of Ondo State, wished his Oyetola sound health and God’s continued favour, grace and wisdom, the statement further said.

    While also congratulating Oyetola, the National Leader of Afenifere, Pa Fasanmi, said that it was “boon and grace” to have him at the helm of affairs in the state “in a situation like this.”

    In a statement by Fasanmi’s Media Assistant, Mr. Temitope Adebayo, the Afenifere leader explained that the proficient way Oyetola had been managing the resources of the state showed that “he is a God-sent.”

    “Within just 365 days in office, Oyetola has proved himself as a dexterous, humble Chief servant of the state,” he said.

    Fasanmi urged the governor not to deviate from the progressive agenda that he had been following, praising him for the “wholesome, inclusive composition of your commissioner nominees.”

    He further urged the nominees to assist Oyetola to achieve his laudable vision for the people in the state of Osun.

    Pa Fasanmi also expressed his warm appreciation for the governor’s support during his own 94th birthday celebrations held recently and prayed that Governor Oyetola “will go on to celebrate 94 years on earth. The target is for him to become a centenarian.”

    Also, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Obokun State Constituency in the 2019 general elections, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, congratulated Oyetola on his 65th birthday anniversary.

    In his congratulatory message, Oyintiloye described the governor as a visionary and a respected leader, who is living a simple life and rendering service to people.