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Tag: ogun State government

  • Ogun approves N50m for institute’s renovation

    Ogun approves N50m for institute’s renovation

    The Ogun State government has released N50 million for the renovation of the Social Development Institute (SDI) in Shasha, Iperu-Remo.

    Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperatives Samuel Aiyedogbon said the money would be used to renovate two staff quarters, two female hostels, the dining hall, classroom blocks and the administrative block, among others.

    He said: “Aside the fact that this gesture will increase the intake of students in the institution, which will in turn boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR); it will serve as a moral booster for the students.”

    The commissioner said the school, which was built by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was abandoned by previous administrations.

    He said Governor Ibikunle Amosun ordered the renovation after visiting the institute.

    Aiyedogbon said: “We thank Amosun for the approval and release of the fund. He is the first governor to visit the institution since its establishment in 1956.”

    The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Yemi Olanrewaju, said the renovation would begin on Monday.

  • Ogun to complete road

    The Ogun State government has assured that it will complete the on-going construction of Lafenwa road in Abeokuta North Local Government and Ayetoro road in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state by December, this year.

    The state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite, spoke while inspecting the road.

    The 50-kilometre road is being reconstructed into six lanes with facilities, such as street lights, median, sidewalks and green belt.

    When completed, it is expected to further boost the economy of the state.

    “The road should be ready by December this year and it is part of the administration’s agenda to create a city of global standard where lives and property are safe-guarded,” he noted.

    The Lafenwa-Ayetoro road is a federal road.

    Adegbite, who said most of the federal roads in the state are bad and had been neglected over the years, also said the state government decided to come to peoples’ assistance by reconstructing the roads and widen them in line with international standard.

    Besides, he said since all roads in the state are used by the people irrespective of whether they are federal or state, there is the need to make them motorable, adding they will address the incessant traffic logjam on the roads.

    He said the government realised that the new roads being constructed across the state were new phenomena, adding that it had started constructing some of the roads while the exercise will be continued to check excessive speeding by motorists.

    He, therefore, urged the people to desist from arbitrary construction of speed-breakers on the new roads without government’s approval.

  • Ogun insists on stopping new filling stations

    The Ogun State Government has said the suspension placed on construction of new filling stations across the state is still in force.

    Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mr. Gbenga Otenuga, who made the clarification in Abeokuta in a chat, said the ban has not been lifted.

    He warned that thhe government would not hesitate to demolish any filling station under construction in violation of its ban.

    The commissioner explained that the government took the decision when it discovered that some people were flouting its order.

    According to Otenuga, the order will remain in force till when the government comes out with a master plan.

    He said the master plan will, among others, spell out in clear terms the requirements for establishing fuel stations in accordance with the state’s town planning laws.

    “The master plan will help in determining conducive locations, development and spatial distribution of filling stations in the state so that it can fall in line with the Ogun State standard,” Otenuga said.

    The commissioner said regardless of the desire of the government to enhance socio-economic development and encourage development, extant laws on physical development should not be trampled upon to prevent haphazardous growth that might lead to slums later.

    He urged members of the public interested in physical development to always follow due process by visiting the nearest town planning office to ascertain the status of the land on which they want to build and obtain necessary documents as demanded by the law.

    “We are appealing to developers to follow the laws and regulations and ensure that they obtain building plan approval for whatever development they want to carry out in the state, this is imperative to prevent demolition, much as we want development, government will not condone lawlessness,” Otenuga said

  • Ogun to help property owners regularise particulars

    The Ogun State Government has initiated steps to enhance infrastructural development of the state. It has introduced the Homeowners’ Charter Programme aimed at enabling homeowners regularise the legal status and documentation of their properties.

    The scheme, according to a statement from the state Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning, will apart from forming an integral part of the government’s mission to rebuild the state, provide data for the medium-term planning for provision of roads, schools, hospitals and other essential services.

    The statement said further that it will enable owners of properties build without government approval regularise their title documents through a window of opportunity to obtain building plan approval and certificates of occupancy. “All penalties and fees would be waived while fees are discounted to enable a large percentage of residents benefit,” it said.

    The GIS Satellite mapping of the state, the ministry said, revealed significant numbers of unrecorded properties, while thousands of houses in the state have no building plan approval, certificate of occupancy and other title documents

    The statement said: “It is expected that properties with regularised documents will benefit from Ogun State Governments’ urban renewal policy through effective planning of facilities in the areas of education, health and other essential infrastructure. It will also minimise disputes of ownership of properties while property related fraud and problems of land speculators are reduced to the barest minimum.The Homeowners’ Charter Programme will also enhance the value of the property market in the state.”

    The statement, however, categorise some properties as those that are not eligible for participation in the Homeownerships’ Charter Programme. They are: Properties built under Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s (PHCN) high tension cable, those built on the government’s acquired land, property occupying right of way of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines, property built on flood plains and a host of others that contravened the law.

    Residents are urged to take advantage of the Homeowners’ Charter aimed at allowing them to regularise the titles of their properties at reduced cost.

  • Ogun acquires equipment

    To ensure efficient land administration, the Ogun State Government through the Bureau of Lands and Survey has acquired the Continuously Operation Reference System (CORS) network, Director-General of the bureau, Adewale Oshinowo has said.

    Oshinowo, at an interactive session with reporters in Abeokuta, said the state has acquired Very High Resolution Satellite Imagery installed on high development areas of the state.

    The equipment, like 3D Stereo and 50 Cm Imagery, he said, was installed on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos-Ogun border areas, Abeokuta, Ifo, Ijebu Ode, Ilaro, Ilaro-Ofada road, Ode-Omi and Sagamu.

    The equipment, he said, would allow surveyors, government agencies and the public have access to data through Radio Satellites, Direct Global Positioning System (DGPS) and the internet, adding that it would help to produce high accuracy maps and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation projects.

    The project is expected to be inaugurated by the end of November.

    The CORS project stations, he said, had been built in Abeokuta, Agbara and Ijebu-Ode, adding that four other stations would be deployed during the Phase II in ensure 100 per cent coverage of the state.

  • Ogun to build new city centre

    Ogun State Government and a Malaysian consulting firm, Urbanisma, are collaborating to build the Abeokuta City Centre, which an official says would be the first of its kind in the country and sub-Saharan Africa.

    Housing Commissioner, Daniel Adejobi, said the centre would attract local and foreign investors, adding that various business units, such as shopping malls, hotels and relaxation centres would be situated under separate buildings.

    “The plan will be a 60-storey building, and the project will be handled by professionals in such a way that the outcome would attract indigenes abroad to come home, as this would increase the standard of living of the people,” Adejobi said.

    He described the proposed project as a centre within an ancient city.

    In a related development, the Director-General/Special Adviser to the Governor on Land Matters, Wale Oshinowo, said the government would no longer fold its arms and watch speculators take over its land, adding that plans are underway to reclaim all illegally acquired properties.

    Oshinowo, who was inspecting government land within the Ilo-Awela-Onipanu axis of Ado- Odo/Ota Local Government Area, expressed surprise. That the properties were encroached upon, saying no effort would be spared at recovering them.

    A statement by the Information Officer in the Land Bureau, Toluwalope Kowo, said Oshinowo warned the speculators, to stop their illegal acts or face the consequences of their action.

  • Ogun warns against flouting traffic rules

    Ogun warns against flouting traffic rules

    The Ogun State government has said that any road user caught flouting traffic rules across the state would face the wrath of the law.

    Speaking with reporters in Abeokuta, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Gbenga Opesanwo regretted the increasing number of casualties caused by traffic violations despite several safety measures and enlightenment programmes carried out by the government.

    Opesanwo, in a statement signed by the Information Officer of the Bureau of Transportation, Femi Olayinka, pointed out that government has invested a huge sum of money on construction of roads across the state, installation of traffic signs and other road furniture at various locations in order to ensure safety on the roads

    He added that travelling by road is meant to be pleasurable and enriching affair. He said that government would not compromise on its commitment tosafety of people.

    Opesanwo further stressed that the avoidable mishaps on the roads are attributable to irresponsible behaviours of road users, which he said would no longer be condoned.

    Consequently, he acknowledged that the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) and other relevant agencies have been given a new mandate to ensure the strict compliance of road traffic laws is established.

    The governor’s aide urged road users to act responsibly and be safety conscious.

  • World Bank backs Ogun’s financial reform plan

    World Bank backs Ogun’s financial reform plan

    The World Bank has endorsed the public financial management reform programme launched by the Ogun State government on Wednesday.

    The Brettonwood institution described the project as strategic move towards enthronement of transparency in governance on a sustainable basis.

    The state’s Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs Oluwande Muoyo, said the reform plan was scripted to ensure “credibility in the process of budget preparation and implementation to promote transparency, accountability and efficiency in governance.

    To kick-start the initiative, the state’s Implementation Committee for the reform agenda has been inaugurated, with Governor Ibikunle Amosun as Chairman and Muoyo the Vice Chairman.

    Nigeria Country Director, World Bank, Mario Francess Meri-Nelly, who spoke to reporters after delivering a speech at the event, said the new financial management agenda would bolster the state’s drive for improved investment, especially in the real sector of the economy.

    She said the World Bank has been further encouraged to upscale the profile of its assistance level to the state.

    The World Bank chief said the World Bank had expended $100 million to execute people’s oriented projects in Ogun State.

    Meri-Nelly listed the bank’s areas of intervention to include water production, health, agriculture and youth’s empowerment.

    She said the gesture was strengthened by the state government’s robust economic programmes, assuring that the institution would continue to support economic activities that are geared towards improving on the standard of living of the people.

    ”First of all, we already have a small partnership with Ogun State. We have engaged in about four projects amounting to about $100 million. We centrally cover water production. We have expended substantial amount on water, to increase the production capacity, restore the network and we also need to help them improve the efficiency of the water utility.

    “The second area is in the health sector, but specifically, we are focusing on prevention of HIV/AIDs. Ogun State has low prevalence of about three per cent compared to some states in Nigeria. We help them strengthen the system to the capacity of its AIDs agency and also we make sure that they have equipment and kits to facilitate testing and counseling.

    “The third area is agriculture. We are using the FADAMA project to promote and help small farmers to increase their income. The other project is youth empowerment, essentially to consolidate youths social system and safety; we will help them to improve the targets.”

    Amosun appealed for more support from the World Bank to achieve what he described as an array of life-improving and developmental projects across the state. He pledged that his administration “will continue to carry out its duties and functions with prudency, transparency and accountability, especially as regards financial matters”.

    He added: “We have always been mindful in ensuring that all our transactions and activities conform to laid down rules, regulations and international best practices. We are of the belief that whatever processes and procedures that are followed in attaining those achievements must also be justifiable and acceptable.”

  • Kids to join Ogun anti-malaria campaign

    Kids to join Ogun anti-malaria campaign

    Children will join the efforts of the Ogun State government to combat malaria.

    This is because kids are vital change agents in information dissemination.

    Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka who made this known at a  crusade to sensitise students of public and private schools in the state, said that children have been discovered to play vital roles in disseminating information, particularly among their peers and parents.

    “We believe the children are the future; by the time we inculcate this attitude in them and they grow up with it, I believe they will be able to communicate with their peers and parents on how malaria can be prevented,” the Commissioner noted.

    Dr. Soyinka, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Sade Adebanjo at the programme organised in conjunction with a pharmaceutical company, remarked that children aged between ages zero to five were the most vulnerable to malaria attack.

    He reiterated that the state government was firmly committed to providing a sound and safe healthcare service to the people as one of its five cardinal programmes, pointing out that the programme was a demonstration of this commitment.

    Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Olaoluwa Lawson urged mothers to always ensure that their children are protected from malaria attack by using insecticide treated mosquitoes nets. Another way parents can prevent malaria is clearing their surroundings and always avoiding stagnant water in the environment.

    The representative of the partnering pharmaceutical company, Mrs. Taiwo Aderinsola expressed the willingness of her organisation to partner with the state government on any issue relating to healthcare, pointing out that malaria remained a scourge that required the attention of the government and stakeholders.

  • Protect govt projects, Ogun urges residents

    Protect govt projects, Ogun urges residents

    The ogun State government has urged residents of the state to protect and take possession of all infrastructural projects being put in place by the government for the benefit of the people.

    In a statement in Abeokuta, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, Commissioner for Information and Strategy called on the people to see the new roads, flyover and pedestrian bridges, the various road furniture, flood drains and street beautification as projects executed for their benefit.

    Olaniyonu said: “Our people should take possession of these projects. They should start relating to them as their properties.

    “Our people should be treating the various infrastructural facilities that are coming up around us courtesy of the Amosun administration’s urban renewal and rural and infrastructural development programme as if they are their personal possessions.

    “On a daily basis, we all protect our personal properties against unnecessary damage. We always ensure that our personal properties are not vandalised. We guard and guide them jealously and I want to appeal to our people to do the same with all these good roads, bridges, drainages, flowers and plants on our streets which are making our environment beautiful and improving our standard of living.”

    Olaniyonu added that the government was striving to ensure that it fulfills its part of the social contract with the people to improve on by rebuilding the collapsed and inadequate infrastructural facilities in the various sectors.

    The commissioner explained that it was tax payers’ money that is being used to fund the various projects and so the people have the collective responsibility to defend their patrimony or what can be called their “commonwealth”.

    “Our people should know that it is their money that is used to put this infrastructure in place. What this means is that the facilities belong to all of us. Let us protect them to ensure that government does not need to waste money repairing or replacing them so soon after their completion because we allowed some individuals in our society to willfully damage them. If we do not avoid needless or preventable damage, then the facilities will not serve us well for too long, irrespective of the fact that government ensures that we have the highest quality available, the Ogun Standard”, Olaniyonu said.

    He expressed the gratitude of the state government to the people for their support and understanding as the execution of the various urban renewal and infrastructural development projects have brought some pains and inconveniences.

    The people of the state, he said, have demonstrated that they are true progressives and they desire development at all times with their positive disposition, even in the face of demolition of their treasured properties and displacement of people to create room for the on-going road expansion across the state.

    He however promised that the Amosun government will not disappoint the people and that it is determined to put the state on an irreversible course of development.