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Tag: Ogun state

  • Police guns down kidnapper in Ogun forest

    Police guns down kidnapper in Ogun forest

    Operatives of the Federal Special Anti – Robbery Squad ( FSARS ) of the police have gunned down a suspected kidnapper after night invasion of Ilaro forest, Ogun State, for  members of a kidnapping  gang.

    The gang’s  victim, Sanni Dan Nasarawa, who escaped from their den after spending a week with them in the forest, reported his abduction to the Police in Abeokuta which made the FSARS to storm the forest and in the process, one of them was shot dead while seven others escaped with wounds.

    Sani Nasarawa was said to escaped  when the rope used to tie him snapped by night while  his abductors were fast asleep.

    An AK47 riffle loaded with 15rounds of ammunition was recovered from them.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a release, stated that the kidnapper was shot dead on Friday morning on discovering their hide out after the FSARS combed the forest all through Thursday night.

    Abimbola the dead kidnapper is a member of a kidnap syndicate terrorizing Ilaro and its environs.

    “He was a member of kidnapping syndicate when in the early hour of Friday 2nd of February, he was shot dead by men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad led by  Uba Adam.

    “The gang have earlier kidnapped one Sanni Dan Nasarawa, took him to a thick forest where they tied him down for seven days waiting for his people to pay them ransom. 

    “Luck however smiles on him when the rope they used to tie him got loose while his abductors were fast asleep. He subsequently escaped and ran to FSARS office in Abeokuta where he lodged complain.

    “Upon his report, the officer –in charge FSARS quickly mobilized his men and followed the victim to the forest. The team combed the forest from6pm of 1st February up till about 4:00am of 2nd February before they came across the gang who engaged them in serious gun battle which lasted for almost an hour.

    “At the end of the encounter, one of the suspects was gunned down while others numbering about seven escaped with various degree of gunshot injuries.

    The Police Spokesman in the state state appealed to the public, especially hospitals and traditional healers, to report anybody they see with gunshot injury in their vicinity.

  • Boy, three others die as truck-head falls into river in Ogun 

    Boy, three others die as truck-head falls into river in Ogun 

    A five-year-old boy yet to be identified and three   others  have lost their lives while a woman was trapped in an  early morning accident  when a truck- head plunged  into a river in Ogun State on Wednesday.

    The accident  occurred around 8:50am, as the  truck  suffered break failure atop the Kara long bridge on Lagos – Expressway, knocked down a commercial motorcycle rider conveying  a boy and mother (his passengers) before crashing into the road median.

    The impact, it was gathered,  forced the head of the truck to come off and plunged into the river beneath the Kara bridge, leaving the three occupants inside truck – head  dead.

    Also,  the little boy  died at the scene, but the mother got trapped by the body of the truck while the cyclist survived with injury

    The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency ( TRACE ), Babatunde Akinbiyi,  who confirmed the accident, blamed it on brake failure.

    Babatunde said the remains of the dead were deposited at the morgue of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital ( OOUTH ), Sagamu.

    “A container laden Mark Truck with registration number  NND 133 XA, had a break failure and rammed into a Bajaj Commercial Motorcycle with registration number  EKY 221 QA, with the head of d truck plunging into the  river, while the container it was carrying fell on a woman and the child she was carrying, who are the two plying passengers the Bajaj Motocyclist was carrying.

    “We learnt the Okada rider is in the  river with the other occupants of the truck head, the  number of which cannot be ascertained now, as local divers have been contacted for rescue operation.

  • Pray for me to end well, Amosun begs Ogun people

    Pray for me to end well, Amosun begs Ogun people

    …wife says he deserves to be celebrated

     

    Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Thursday, realising that he has barely 16 months to leave office, begged the people of Ogun State to pray for him to “end well” as their Governor.

    Amosun said the achievements recorded in the State since 2011 were due to the benevolence of the Almighty God and the support of the people who had demonstrated patience towards his administration.

    The Governor who sought the people’s prayer during the “Uplifting the Aged” programme organised by the office of the Wife of the Governor to mark his 60th Birthday at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, added that he could not have accomplished so much without their unceasing prayer.

    He pledged that the elderly would continue to enjoy his administration’s support and delivers more dividends of democracy to all citizens of the state.

    Read Also: Amosun to homeowners: partner govt

    “There could not have been any better gift for my birthday than the support l have gotten so far from the good people of Ogun State. By the help of God and prayers of our people, we can touch every facet of the economy,” he said.

    His wife, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, who rallied the elderly for the Birthday of her husband, declared that the man “deserved to be celebrated at 60.”

    Olufunso recalled that since her husband became Governor, he had elected to be marking his Birthday in low key, using such a day to identify with the less privileged members of the society – particularly the aged and widows.

    She noted that it was her contribution to the series of efforts aimed at improving the welfare and living standard of the aged as well as the needy in the state.
    According to her, the aged were very important and deserved to be revered and adequately catered for.

    She advised the younger ones to see the welfare of the senior citizens as their obligation and responsibility.

    Over 5,000 people have benefited from the monthly stipends and commodities gifts for their upkeep, while the aged also received free medical screening.

  • Returnees’ road mishap: Edo commiserates with families of victims

    Returnees’ road mishap: Edo commiserates with families of victims

    The Edo State Government has commiserated with families of some Libya returnees who were recently involved in a road accident along Ore-Ijebu-Ode Sagamu expressway, Ogun State, wherein some lost their lives.

    In a statement signed by Secretary, Edo State Government Taskforce Against Human Trafficking, Abieyuwa Oyemwense, the state government said that the incident was sad and unfortunate, and prayed that God grant the families the fortitude to bear the loss.

    According to the statement, “We are informed that the incident took place at about 10: 45 pm, last week, close to Omoo River, J4 area of the route. There was a collision which involved a white Toyota Hiace, 18-seater commercial bus, with registration number, AYB 497 XA and another vehicle, a blue and white Volvo truck with registration number, KSF 79 XL.”

    “The Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking (ETAHT) commiserates with the families of the Edo State returnees who were involved in the fatal accident on Tuesday along Ore-Ijebu-Ode Sagamu expressway in Ogun State.”

    The statement added, “the returnees involved in the road mishap had been profiled by the Taskforce and were duly informed of the details relating to the payment of their stipend, skills and empowerment training packages put together by the Edo State Government for them.

    “The returnees involved in the accident had left the welcome-back facility, set up by the state government to welcome Libya returnees who are indigenes of Edo, on the claim that they are going to their respective homes to reunite with their families, only for them to embark on an unauthorised journey at night.”

    The task force said that it was saddened by the ill-fated accident, nothing, “While we acknowledge the right of the returnees to free movement, we warned against travelling at night.”

    The task force urged returnees in her facility to utilise the period, pending the payment of their stipend and training, to visit their families and reunite with them, adding that such will enable them recover fully from their sufferings in the desert and on the high sea in Libya.

  • Four die in accident on Ogun road

    Four die in accident on Ogun road

    Four persons, including a cyclist, were killed on Ijebu – Igbo township road, Ogun State, in an accident when a Nissan Primera  car ran into a commercial motorcycle rider on Tuesday.
    The Primers car which was coming from Oruu town, it was learnt, was heading to Ijebu – Igbo but lost control of the wheel following a malfunctioned break and rammed into the cyclist carrying a passenger.
    The Public Relations Officer of the the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency ( TRACE ), Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident said  two persons died on the side of the cyclist while two others died  in the car.
    According to him while three if the victims died on the way while being taken to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (Sagamu), one other died at State Hospital, Ijebu – Igbo.
    According to Babatunde, the dead comprised of two males and two females.
    “Two  occupants on  the okada died as well as two  in the  Nissan vehicle, out of the six  occupants in it when the accident happened. The Nissan is private but used for commercial purposes,” he said.
  • 2019: Anxiety in Ogun APC over screening of guber aspirants

    2019: Anxiety in Ogun APC over screening of guber aspirants

    The anxiety thrown up by the ongoing struggle for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state ahead of the next gubernatorial election in the state is far from abating following indications that leaders of the party in Ogun West Senatorial District may have resolved to go into the forthcoming election with only one candidate to further enhance the quest of the zone to produce the next governor of the state writes Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor

    BUOYED by Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s unrelenting support for Ogun West senatorial district in the governorship race, political leaders in the zone, especially within the ruling APC, according to reliable party sources, have been making moves to reduce the number of aspirants from the zone that will go into the party’s much anticipated primary election later in the year.

    The Nation gathered that for weeks, leaders of the ruling party have been meeting to deliberate on the state of things within the party concerning the 2019 general election. “Following widening cracks among the camps of gubernatorial aspirants, our leaders agreed on the need for the APC to begin to put its house in order ahead of the next general election. One thing that became paramount was the need to curb the proliferation of groups within the party.

    “And it was clear to most chieftains of the party that the divisions were largely caused by the rising number of governorship aspirants. Perhaps because of the open support for Ogun West by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, the zone boasts of the highest number of aspirants. As at the last count, nearly twenty people have indicated interest to vie for the ticket of our party from Ogun West.

    “So it became imperative that something had to be done about the large number of governorship aspirant from Yewa/Awori zone if the party is desirous of a rancor free primary election process later in the year. Also, the leaders of the zone were concerned about the need to boost the chances of Ogun West by ensuring that they do not present too many aspirants at the primary election.

    “And if you consider the fact that some chieftains from Ogun East senatorial district are still hell bent on having the zone produce the next governor of the state, you will understand why Ogun West elders clamored for a reduction in the number of aspirants. As we speak, Ogun East parades two or so aspirants as against almost a dozen from Ogun West,” our source, a party executive committee member fro Obafemi Owode L.G.A, explained.

    Our correspondent also gathered that a committee put in place by traditional rulers in the are had about two months ago, recommended that the number of Yewa aspirants vying for the governorship be reduced as much as possible. The Monarchs’ while pledging their supports for the quest by the zone to produce the next governor, urged political leaders from the area to work towards ensuring that the aspirants do not work agains each other at the primary election.

    Speaking to The Nation last Friday in Abeokuta, a former legislator on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Kunle Tella, said several meetings have been held to talk the aspirants into stepping down for one or two them ahead of the primary election. He lamented that all entreaties failed as all the aspirants insisted on participating in the primary election.

    “Without being told, we all know that going into a primary election with a dozen or more contestants, while our opponents come into the same contest with one or two aspirants is detrimental to our aspiration. We didn’t need to be told that we must reduce the number and that was exactly what our leaders resolved to do last week. It was not just a decision taken by a few people, it was agreed to by the entire APC structures and membership in Ogun West,” he said.

     

    Bold move?

    Determined to reduce the number of the aspirants from the zone and by extension, the ruling party, party leaders in Ogun West took what many people have described as a bold step during the week as they announced their readiness to conduct a screening exercise for gubernatorial hopefuls of Yewa/Awori extraction with the aim of identifying those with the brightest chances of winning the coveted seat for the zone in 2019.

    Thus, at what it called an interactive session with aspirants last wednesday, the APC leadership in Ogun West, allegedly on the prompting of the party leadership in the state, called aspirants from the zone together and conducted a screening exercise. Sources privy to the development told The Nation that all aspirants of Ogun West extraction got letters inviting them to the event a week ahead of the date.

    A chieftain of the party from Imeko-Afon L.G.A said, “though I am not instructed to tell you this, I am happy to tell you that what happened on Wednesday is in the best interest of our party and our zone. Ogun APC is one happy family and we are always trying to find ways of preserving that unity. For us in Ogun West, the desire to produce the next governor informed the decision to go into the contest as united as possible.

    “It is true that all aspirants were invited. The exercise was not just endorsed by the entire Ogun West APC, it also has the support of the party leadership in the state. This is because everybody within the ruling party is desirous of a hitch free primary election. What is more? The leadership of the party, just like Governor Amosun, is committed to the zoning arrangement and are doing everything possible to see that things go as expected.”

    According to sources, the exercise was conducted by the zonal leadership of the party ably led by its senatorial chairman, Alh. Bashiru Ademola Fadairo. Other members of the seven-man committee are the Secretary of the APC in Ogun West senatorial district, Hon. Akeen Fagbemi and the Assistant Secretary of the ruling party in Ogun state, Mr. Iyanda Karem.

    Others include a prominent leader of the party in the zone, Kayode Olurin; Alh. Adebayo Michael Adeleke, Commissioner II in the Ogun State Civil Service Commission (CSC); the deputy Women Leader of the party in the state, Victoria Oguntolu and the senatorial Women Leader of APC in Ogun West senatorial district. The exercise took place at Fadairo’s private office.

    The Nation learnt that the invitation extended to the aspirants and other stakeholders clearly stated that the event will commence by 10.am in the morning. And as if to show the seriousness attached to the exercise, the committee members were seated, waiting for the aspirants, as early as 9.30am. According to a member of the committee, a team of external Consultants was also invited by the committee to help in assessing the aspirants as part of the screening exercise.

    “This is something many people within and outside the party have been expecting us to do. And that explains the seriousness we attached to it. We must also appreciate the co-operation of the aspirants. They all came to the event believing in the ability of the committee to do justice to the task at hand. They all displayed rare patriotism by seeing the need for us to do what we had to do.

    “Before, during and after the exercise, it was clear to all those involved that some people will have to sacrifice their ambition for the collective good of out zone. And none of those who participated expressed a contrary opinion to what was being done. And I am very optimistic that the outcome of the exercise, though painful to some people, will be accepted by all in the interest of Ogun West and Ogun APC,” another party chieftain said.

    Records of the exercise obtained by our correspondent revealed that seven aspirants participated in the exercise though about ten people were extended invitations to be part of the event. According to a reliable source, none of the aspirants absent sent apology or an explanation for his or her absence to the committee. All the aspirants in attendance were made to formally register their presence and participation before the exercise commenced.

    The first to arrived at the venue was the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi. He was seated by 9.30 am. He was followed by a serving member of the Federal House of Representatives, AbdulKabir Adekunle Akinlade, who arrived a couple of minutes after 10.am. They were later joined by Abiodun Akinlade, a former member of the House of Representatives.

    Other aspirants who participated in the exercise are Chief Tolu Odebiyi, the Chief Of Staff to Governor Ibikunle Amosun; Kolawole Mobolorunduro Lawal, the current Commissioner for Forestry and another aspirant, Simeon Abayomi Hunye. Also present at the event was another governorship aspirant from the senatorial district, Olanrewaju Tella,

    While the committee is yet to officially announce the result of its exercise, reliable party sources have revealed that the number of aspirants from the zone may have been reduced to just three following the outcome of the screening exercise. It was further gathered that the committee may have also sent it recommendations to the leadership of the APC in the state as well as to Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    Unconfirmed reports also claim that the screening committee, ably assisted by external Consultants who assessed the aspirant during the screening exercise shortlisted three names in the order of preference as preferred gubernatorial aspirants of Ogun West extraction with the intention of conducting another screening exercise at a later date to finally choose one of them as the zone’s consensus aspirant.

    “Going by the outcome of the exercise conducted during the week, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, Chief Tolu Odebiyi and Hon. Adekunle Akinlade were shortlisted, in that order, as the leading aspirants from Ogun West. The implication of this is that we are going to appeal to other aspirants to jettison their 2019 gubernatorial ambition in the overall interest of our zone.

    “This is a decision arrived at by elders and seasoned politicians. It is a decision that has been communicated to the leadership of the APC in the state as well as to Governor Ibikunle Amosun. It is a decision meant to better our chances at the primary election later this year. I can boldly tell you it is a decision that was not influence by any person, group or interest other than our quest to produce the next governor of Ogun state,” Tella said.

     

    What next?

    While many party chieftains and members have been hailing the rumored outcome of the screening exercise, some others have been anxiously waiting for the official announcement of the committee’s report. Not a few are eager to know how the committee intends to go about fulfilling its promise to eventually pick one of the allegedly shortlisted three aspirants as its choice for the primary election.

    Ironically, mum has been the word from most of the aspirants who participated in the said screening exercise. Efforts to get them to confirm or refute some of the feelers emanating from sources yielded very little. While declining to confirm or refute the reported outcome of the exercise, one of the aspirants admitted that he and other aspirants participated in the exercise and were clearly told of the intentions of the committee.

    “I got an invitation to be part of the event about a week before the date. I was a the venue with about seven other aspirants and we were duly briefed of the mandate of the committee by our senatorial leader, Chief Fadairo. Said from committee members, there were some Consultants who assessed us individually before we were questioned by committee members one after the other.

    “For me, I will say it is a good development and I am very proud I participated. We all know only one of us will eventually become the party’s candidate and we were told of the need to put the interest of our zone and that of the party over and above every other ambition. So, we expect the committee to do something about reducing the number and since the process was free and fair, I see no reason to protest,” he said.

    Another aspirant whose name is not among the three shortlisted by the committee explained that though he has heard about the said list, he is patiently waiting for the committee to officially announce its report. According to him, the committee told the aspirants that after due consultations with relevant stakeholders within and outside the party, the result of the screening exercise will be made public.

    “So, like many other party leaders, aspirants and members, I am waiting anxiously for the committee to formally announce its decision for us all to hear. We all know that it will get to this if Ogun West is serious about the governorship position in 2019. And if we are patriots who truly want the best for our zone, this shouldn’t come to us as a surprise. But I know many of us will want to be told how the decisions are arrived at when it is finally made public,” he said.

    When contacted, the Chairman of the committee declined to comment on the exercise urging our reporter to be patient until an official statement is made on it by the party. But a source within the party confirmed to The Nation that the committee has already forwarded its resolutions to the leaderships of the party at the senatorial and state levels. “I also heard that the Governor has received his copy of the report,” he added.

  • Ekiti students kick against Ogun indigenes’ dominance at FUOYE

    Ekiti students kick against Ogun indigenes’ dominance at FUOYE

    Students and some youths in Ekiti State have kicked against what they called “the domination of Federal University at Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) by indigenes of Ogun State”.

    They condemned the removal of the Registrar, Mr. Daniel Adeyemo, the only principal officer of Ekiti origin, in favour of Mrs. O. Fasakin, who hails from Ogun State, just as the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun.

    Acting under the aegis of Ekiti Students and Youth Coalition (ESYC), the protesters accused Soremekun of victimising Ekiti State indigenes.

    They urged the Federal Government to remove Soremekun in the interest of “justice, fairness and equity” to save FUOYE from being turned into a “conquered territory of Ogun indigenes”.

    They also accused Soremekun of concocting what they called “false, unproven and unfounded allegations of sexual harassment and negligence of duty against Adeyemo,” who was removed to pave the way for Mrs Fasakin.

    The protesters listed the Ogun State personnel at FUOYE as Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Fasina; Director of Administration Mr. O. Odusanya; Head of Procurement Mr. Alani Efuntade and Acting Bursar Mrs. R. Akande, from Oyo State but married to Ogun indigene.

    Denying complicity in the alleged Ogun dominance, Soremekun said he lacked the power to sack the registrar.

    He said such power resided only with the Governing Council.

    Soremekun, who responded through the university’s spokesman, Geoffrey Bakji, said he had no blame in the events that led to Adeyemo’s ouster from office.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the capital, ESYC’s Coordinator Sunday Asefon said the management positions at FUOYE were being headed by Ogun indigenes, while the host state was “technically” relegated.

    He said: “The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Prof Saida Mabadeje, hails from Lagos but married to an Ogun person. The VC is from Ogun; the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Fasina is from Ogun; the Director of Administration, Mr. O. Odusanya, is from Ogun and the Acting Registrar, Mrs. O. Fasakin, is from Ogun. Also, the Acting Bursar, Mrs R. Akande, is from Oyo but married to an Ogun indigene.’’

    “To further prove a clear case of conspiracy against Ekiti indigenes, majority of the principal officers named above are yet to be confirmed as workers of the university as their probation period is yet to be over.

    “We, therefore, give the management, the Governing Council and the Federal Ministry of Education a 21-day ultimatum to reverse Adeyemo’s removal, or we will take our protest from Ekiti to Abuja.”

     

  • Ex-students tackle Director of St. Stephen’s school, allege rape, death of six colleagues

    Ex-students tackle Director of St. Stephen’s school, allege rape, death of six colleagues

    About six years after leaving St. Stephen’s Centre International School and Children Home, Abeokuta, Ogun State, 13 of the ex – inmates returned to Abeokuta on Tuesday to narrate an alleged life of harassment, exploitation, child  labour and sexual abuse at the facility.
    The Abeokuta centre was established decades ago to serve as shelter and educational centre for children who were either orphaned or lost one of the parents to past series of violence in Kaduna, Jos and insurgency in parts of the north.
    The ex – inmates who journeyed to Abeokuta from from Kano, Jos and Kaduna under the aegis of Concerned Past Students of Stephen Children Home (CPSSCH),
    accused the Director, Rev. Isaac Oluwole Newton-Wusu of sexual  molestation, rape, child labour, intimidation and exploitation.
    Addressing journalists  at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, Iwe-iroyin, Abeokuta,  the National Coordinator of CPSSCH, Mr. Ado Baggibawa claimed they also  lost six of their colleagues at the facility in just few years due to total negligence and poor health care despite funds being donated by charity foundations both home and abroad to the centre.
    He alleged that the Centre routinely exploited  their predicaments to solicit and received  donations from USA, Netherland, Australia, Canada, Poland and Nigerian Churches, but rued that the proceeds of such donations were not duly expended on them while their stay there lasted.
    Baggibawa called for an investigation into the running of the facility under the watch of the Director as well as public hearing of it at the state and National  Assemblies.
    He also  appealed to all government agencies and ministries in charge of orphanage homes and schools, Non Governmental Organisations in charge of child protection,  local and international donors to intervene and save the future of the “home and school.”
    He also called for total overhauling and restructuring of the school to enables it meet the intended goals and the law of the land.
    “We also call on the African Union, United Nations, and International human rights bodies to look into the exploitation of the funding foreign bodies who may have donated  funds with out stories and did not deliver same to the right course”
    “Finally, the press release is our only avenue to voice our concern, seek for justice and continuity of the Stephens Children Home / School in a manner that will provide sanity and true productivity. We have no strength or any ability to confront the director in anyway.
    “Therefore, we seek for the active involvement of the civil rights society organisation and relevant government authorities to come to our aid,” he said.
    Two of female ex –  students of the school, names withheld, and  who narrated their ordeal, alleged that the Director had bath with them, fondled their body when they were  13 year-old at the Junior Secondary School at the centre.
    One of the female victims of the alleged sexual abuse  disclosed that whenever she was with the Director she would ask her to go to kitchen to take food and became  unconscious afterwards, saying she would wake up to discover wetness on her private part.
    But reacting, the Director,
    Isaac Oluwole Newton-Wusu,
    when contacted on phone, described the allegations as “nonsense, blackmail, falsehood and lies” being orchestrated by people to run him down.
    Newton – Wusu said the ex – students were being sponsored by some persons desperate to remove him from office as the Director of the home, adding that the matter was reported earlier at the Police Station in Eleweran, Abeokuta,  where it was discovered to be all fabrications.
    “They are sponsored and it is a plan to remove me as the Director of the home. I can’t comment because the case is in court,” he said.
  • ‘2018 promising for Ogun State’

    ‘2018 promising for Ogun State’

    Unlike some states of the federation still smarting from the problems of the outgoing year, Ogun State, is upbeat that a lot of far-reaching decisions and positive developments will herald the incoming year.

    One man who should know better is Adele-Oba Kolawole Lawal Mobolorunduro, Vice-President of Ogun State Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, OgunCCIMA.

    While attempting a prognosis of the socioeconomic challenges besetting Ogun state, Mobolorunduro is optimistic that the state will harness its huge potential in the coming year judging by the fundamentals.

    Speaking at a symposium by the Development MarketPlace Forum (Nigeria) in Ogun state, the technocrat observed that “In knowledge-economy, love for all and modesty in relationships, Ogun state is blessed with distinct attributes; invaluable attitude; and innumerable attainments that can continue to avail the ‘gateway state’ endless possibilities.”

    Mobolorunduro who is the current President of Yewa Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, YECCIMA, reminded the teeming audience mostly professionals that ‘Ogun state enjoys global regards via stance of her people on issues of propriety, prosperity and posterity of Nigeria including salient viewpoints on the destination of Africa’ as he pride himself in the on-going facelift of the capital, Abeokuta, which Nigeria history proved to have secured independence long before the nation saying, “today, our improved state capital has started inspiring aspirations and magnetising development.”

    With emphasis, Kolawole Lawal noted that, ‘the provoking points in the present status of Ogun state is only proving that yesterday was not the best’, however, ‘patriotic indigenes are readily connecting yesterday’s with the marvelling context of today to shape tomorrow for generations.’ In fact, today’s development has started inspiring ingenuity from the mills. Ogun state is now attracting unsurpassed investments’ patronage.

    Stemming from the present achievements of Ogun state including the ongoing face-lifting and revenue generation for development purposes, Mobolorunduro projected that “the emerging creative governance in the state can continue to reshape peoples’ understanding, deepen the grassroots’ focus and re-build indigenous socio-economic awareness cum compliance for service with integrity towards accomplishments from A to Z.”

    In his thought’s summary about A to Z order of development that can sustain the Ogun standard in the coming year, Mobolorunduro said, one comprehensive sentence in alphabetical A B C to Z remains an almighty sequential approach to societal greatness and sustainable solution.

    “Agro-based beauty with community-centred cooperation on dynamics of education is foundation of fortunes for grassroots’ healthy-living while inbuilt infrastructure including just jostle for know-how; with learned motivations plus mentoring; on novel opportunities; to patriotic people with quintessential resourcefulness; systemic service delivery with talents’ utilisation; value-system impartation via virtue persuasion; will achieve worthy-wealth; and, exceed by exchange among the yearning youths for yields with zeal towards exploits and accomplishing moves.”

    While giving succinct interactive analyses as follows, he further hinted that vocal-points in inputs to sustain standard is a natural policy of development.

    “Within every other need in farming, water is vital to agriculture either by dint of nature or via irrigation. Irrigation in various forms will sustain agro-based beauty of the agrarian Ogun state. Good storage facilities across local government areas; ultra-modern processing with good packaging; intra-national exports and drive to meet agro-needs of Africa through the ECOWAS regional cooperation can produce legitimate millionaire youths, annually, from Ogun state.”

    Evolution of marketing board and glut mopping provisions will further encourage productivity, move more people back to the existing 65 per cent rural-suburban areas thereby control urban population explosion, reduce social nuisance, step-down idle-hands and close devils’ workshops across generations while state revenue will increase manifold and in appreciable dimensions etc, he stressed.

    He also hinted that further encouragement on green beautification of environment from house to house, streets, recreation places and hospitality centres, green-house within the coordinated consistency of the concept of GEFTY, (Green Education Foundation for The Youth) can make people live longer, earn revenue from trees/ their crops or fruits, control ecology, reduce the evil risks of carbon-based pollutions, increase the availability of inputs from agro-based matters for agricultural boosts.

    Waxing philosophical, he said the absence of close confidants and brotherly relationships are extremely un-African way of life just as he observed that extended family-living and compound family system do more good in healthy-living via provisions than harmful neighbourliness through fear found in the western-imbibed ‘me and my family’ nuclear living.

    “The Nigerian institution of family-head called ‘Baale or Mogaji’ boost concern for family health beyond herbs and orthodoxies. Happiness is the first drug for good health and sustainable better living: It is the best prescription that can promote mutual growth and sustain the Ogun standard beyond 2019. All hands must be on deck to promote it to boost our living in the grassroots.”

  • ‘I killed my baby to avoid burden of caring for her’

    ‘I killed my baby to avoid burden of caring for her’

    An artisan who identified Andrew Koku has revealed why he killed his six months old baby, Precious Koku, on Christmas eve.

    Andrew who resides at Ayedere community in Obada area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, said he intentionally murdered the baby to free him from an anticipated burden of caring for the neonate, should the mother flee the matrimonial home to meet her ex – husband.

    The suspect was arrested by the Police Operatives from the Adigbe Divisional Headquarters same day the crime was committed.

    It was learnt that Andrew’s wife had left the baby with him on Christmas eve while she left for her ex – husband place, but she returned to meet the lifeless body of the baby.

    And suspecting foul play, she reported the incident at the Adigbe Divisional Police Headquarters where Operatives were detailed to arrest him.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrest, said Andrew had confessed to committing the crime.

    “The suspect was arrested for intentionally killing his six month old baby by name Precious Koku and following a complaint from the mother of the baby, Omowumi Teleda.

    ” Omowumi lodged complaint at Adigbe Divisional Headquarters that she went out briefly to see her first child she had with her ex-husband leaving the six month old baby behind with the Father, only for her to come back and meet the dead body of the child.

    “She explained further that the baby was hail and hearty before she left home and within an hour of her outing, the baby has dropped dead. This made her to strongly suspect her husband who happened to be the only person with the baby.

    “Upon her complaint, the DPO Adigbe Division CSP Sunday Oladipo detailed Police Detectives to the scene where the suspect was arrested on the 24th of December.

    Read Also: Police arrest ‘ritualist’ with dead baby 

    “On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime but claimed to be suspecting that his wife wanted to leave him for her ex-husband and that if that should happened, he will not be able to take care of the baby and that was the reason why he decided to eliminate the child,” Abimbola stated.

    According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has directed that Andrew be transferred to Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for proper investigation and prosecution.