The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ogun

  • World Food Day: FG restates commitment to zero hunger

    The Federal Government has restated its commitment to zero food hunger by the year 2030 if the present tempo of agricultural activities are sustained in the country.

    Speaking at a symposium to mark the 2018 World Food Day in Abuja with the title, “Our Actions are Our Future: A Zero Hunger World by 2030 is Possible,” in Abuja at the weekend, Minister of State, Agriculture and Rural Development Senator Heineken Lokpobiri pledged the commitment that, “In the next 12 years, Nigeria will join the League of Nations who would be able to feed the world.”

    But the minister was quick to add that this projection can only be attainable if all Nigerians see and treat Agriculture as serious business and not as mere programme.

    He stated that Nigeria must take advantage of its rapidly growing population to invest seriously in agriculture  and that the private sector must take the lead in this project while the Government provides the enabling environment, because Government has proven to be bad business manager.

    The World Food Day is celebrated each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization in 1945. Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all.

    Lokpobiri maintained also that the state governments must collectively demonstrate seriousness in agriculture by committing at least five percent of their budgets to agriculture, this way, the country would be able to upscale the agricultural production.

    This was as he commended the efforts of some States like Kebbi, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Ogun, etc in agriculture and urged other states of the federation to emulate the same examples because collectively Nigeria will achieve the set target.

    According to the minister, if Nigeria is able to feed itself, it would have been able to solve the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the black race and by extension Africa, which is, “a bold step in guaranteeing food for all in the world.”

    The minister was worried that if we do not achieve the zero hunger target, he foresaw a situation where, “people will be eating food and it will be snatched away from them forcefully by the hungry citizens.”

    He said it is established fact that the world has made unbelievable progress in the fight against hunger, which has led to the decline in the number of hungry people in the world, but regretted that this success is being threatened by the growing global population.

    This is also as Lokpobiri expressed concerns that the resolve for Food self sufficiency may be hampered by the current herdsmen/farmers crises in some northern parts of the country.

    “Prolonged crisis, especially in the north eastern part and other parts of the country that have experienced incessant clashes of herdsmen and farmers is also an issue of concern,” the minister said.

    Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria, Suffyan Koroma stated that over the past forty years, FAO in Nigeria has been working closely with the Government of Nigeria to advance sustainable agriculture and food systems with great optimism towards achieving Zero Hunger in in the country.

    He appreciated the continued commitment of the Government of Nigeria in forging strong partnerships for nourishing, nurturing and growing a prosperous and peaceful Nigeria where all Nigerians thrive and contribute to socio-economic development.

    According to him, achieving Zero Hunger is FAO’s shared commitment, which can be achieved through a Right based approach.

  • Seven suspected cultists arraigned in Ogun

    Seven suspected secret cult members were on Monday arraigned in an Ota Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ota Ogun state.

    The accused are: Olaogun Azeez, 18, Tijani Azeez, 22, Jelili Adeniyi, 20, Sulaiman Owolabi, 24, Murainan Shakiru, 25, Tunde Olanisa, 22, and Abinuwaye Abraham, 25.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Abdulkareem Mustapha, said the seven were arraigned on a two-count charge of being members of unlawful society and causing breach of peace.

    Mustapha told the court that the accused and others still at large, committed the offences on Sept. 28, at about 12.00p.m. at Aniserere area, Ota.

    He alleged that the accused and their accomplices belonged to Aiye Confraternity.

    According to him, they conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by threatening the community with dangerous weapons such as knives, axes and cutlasses.

    The offences, he said, contravened Sections 3, 249 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

    Read Also: Police arrest 20 suspected cultists in C/River

    The News Agency of Nigeria, however, reports that the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Chief Magistrate Matthew Akinyemi granted each of the accused bail of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Akinyemi ordered that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed with evidence of tax payment to Ogun government.

    He, thereafter, adjourned the case to Dec. 12, for hearing.

  • Lagos, Ogun teams for Doregos basketball championship

    Schools from Ogun State and Lagos states will lock horns as the Doregos Private Academy hosts the 15th edition of its Inter-School Basketball Championship starting on October 20.

    The competition will kick start with the Preliminaries on the 20th October taking place at four different schools, Doregos Private Academy Ipaja, Queens college, Yaba, Kawefunmi Private college, G.R.A., Sagamu and Vivian Fowler Memorial Girls, ikeja, with each of the zones hosting nine different schools except Kawefunmi Private College hosting eight.

    Speaking at a recent media chat at the school’s hall, The Head of Doregos Private Academy, Mr Adebisi Adegbulugbe said: “This year’s edition promises to be very competitive because we have always tried to promote talents from different schools and also to develop the grassroots Basketball system.

     “Schools from Ogun state and Lagos will take part in this year’s competition and everything is in place to successful host them. “ He added.

    Also speaking at the event, the Vice principal of the school, Mr Lawal, appreciated the presence of the program coordinator, the press men and other people present at the conference.

    Students from Corona Private School assured their fellow students of winning this year’s tournament.

    The competition will round up on February 7 next year, with the quarter finals taking place on Saturday November 10 while the semifinals will take place on November 24.

    Lagos, Ogun teams for Doregos basketball championship

    By Stephen Adigwu

    Schools from Ogun State and Lagos states will lock horns as the Doregos Private Academy hosts the 15th edition of its Inter-School Basketball Championship starting on October 20.

    The competition will kick start with the Preliminaries on the 20th October taking place at four different schools, Doregos Private Academy Ipaja, Queens college, Yaba, Kawefunmi Private college, G.R.A., Sagamu and Vivian Fowler Memorial Girls, ikeja, with each of the zones hosting nine different schools except Kawefunmi Private College hosting eight.

    Speaking at a recent media chat at the school’s hall, The Head of Doregos Private Academy, Mr Adebisi Adegbulugbe said: “This year’s edition promises to be very competitive because we have always tried to promote talents from different schools and also to develop the grassroots Basketball system.

     “Schools from Ogun state and Lagos will take part in this year’s competition and everything is in place to successful host them. “ He added.

    Also speaking at the event, the Vice principal of the school, Mr Lawal, appreciated the presence of the program coordinator, the press men and other people present at the conference.

    Students from Corona Private School assured their fellow students of winning this year’s tournament.

    The competition will round up on February 7 next year, with the quarter finals taking place on Saturday November 10 while the semifinals will take place on November 24.

  • Don’t drag Osinbajo into Ogun politics, group tells Anisulowo

    In the wake of the political drama unfolding in Ogun state, a political group, Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD), has warned Senator Iyabo Anisulowo and other politicians against dragging Vice President Yemi Osinbajo into the ongoing political drama in the state.

    The Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) noted that although the Vice President is an indigene of Ikenne in Ogun state, he has never meddled in the politics of Ogun or influenced the outcome of electoral or political processes in the state.

    In a statement issued in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun state, the President of the group, James Akinloye, pointed out that politics is local and what is happening in Ogun is beyond the Vice President.

    He explained that the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun and Adekunle Akinlade as governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in parallel primaries, have nothing to do with the VP.

    “Prof Osinbajo knows nothing about the zoning to Ogun East or Ogun West and has never campaigned or urged voters to support any of the candidates,” Akinloye said.

    “We all know that the Vice President resides and votes in Lagos State even though he is an indigene of Ogun. To the best of our knowledge, he has never mingled in Ogun politics and has nothing to do with what is going on.

    Akinloye stressed that the APC oversaw the primaries and had the National Working Committee (NWC) posted to states across the country.

    “To drag the Vice President into this is completely unfair. Senator Anisulowo is only whipping up sentiments where there is none.

    “The APC NWC was charged with conducting the primaries in Ogun state and other states across the country and they should be held responsible if the election is not free or fair.

    “Calling out Prof. Osinbajo because he is from Ogun is completely petty and unbecoming,” Akinloye stated.

    He added that in other states where two candidates emerged the name of the Vice President was not mentioned.

    The group cautioned the former Minister of State for Education against promoting violence and hatred in the state.

     

  • Two APC governorship candidates emerge in Ogun

    Prince Dapo Abiodun was last night declared winner of the Ogun State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election by the Muhammad Ndabawa-led electoral committee.

    The shadow election was through the direct primary.

    Ndabawa, who noted that the election was conducted in the 236 wards across the 20 Local Government Areas, said Abiodun polled 102, 305 votes to win.

    Ndabawa gave the scores of other contestants as Jimi Lawal  (51, 153) Abimbola Ashiru ( 29, 764) Gbenga Kaka  (17,771) Abayomi Hunye ( 9,110) and Adekunle Akinlade (23, 443) votes.

    He said the declaration would be “subject to ratification by the National Working Committee” of the party.

    He said he was “not aware of such primary” earlier conducted by committees set up by the state APC and the subsequent declaration of Abdukabir Adekunle Akinlade as winner by state Chairman Derin Adebiyi.

    He added  that the Committee he led is the “authentic body constituted by the NWC” to conduct and supervise the primary in line with the party’s guidelines and constitution.

    The announcement of Abiodun, an oil magnate and real estate operator from Iperu town in Ogun East Senatorial district, came barely six hours after Akinlade was declared winner in a primary conducted on Tuesday.

    Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives (Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, polled 190,987 votes to emerge winner in the controversial direct primary conducted on Tuesday.

    Other contestants – Jimi Lawal came in a distant second position with 5,046 votes while  Dapo Abiodun garnered 3,648 votes followed by Abimbola Ashiru with 898 votes, Senator Gbenga Kaka with 833 votes and Abayomi Hunye with 208 votes.

    Declaring Akinlade the winner at the APC State Secretariat on Abiola Way, Abeokuta, Adebiyi said Akinlade polled the highest number of valid votes in the primary.

    The state party chairman added that the primary was conducted throughout the 236 wards in Ogun  by Local Government and ward election committees constituted by the state chapter of the party “in compliance with the constitution of our party and the guidelines released by the National Working Committee (NWC) All Progressives Congress.”

    Adebiyi told reporters that he elected to announce the result and declared the winner instead of leaving it to be done by the Muhammad Ndabawa-led electoral committee, saying  the committee was “heavily compromised.”

    Adebiyi said: “the Committee was here and they were emphatic, after cancelling the exercise twice that the election would hold yesterday, this is after we had submitted names of local committee and venues in obedience to the guideline.

    “Yesterday morning, they still agreed that the primary would hold and we mobilised to our different wards but we waited endlessly as the phone numbers or committee members were switched off and electoral materials not available.

    “Up till now, we don’t know the whereabouts of the committee and we’ve not seen them at the party’s Secretariat. They’ve been heavily and highly compromised.

    “The guideline is straight and unambiguous, its open secret ballot which is option A4 but they said they brought ballot papers from Abuja, in a direct primary? To do what?”

  • APC NWC Panel declares Abiodun winner of Ogun governorship primaries

    The Muhammad Ndabawa-led electoral committee sent to Ogun State by the National Working Committee(NWC) of the All Progressives Congress(APC) on Wednesday evening declared Prince Dapo Abiodun winner of the Direct governorship primary of Ogun APC for the 2019 gubernatorial election.
    Declaring the result of the governorship primary election conducted on Wednesday throughout the 236 wards across the 20 Local Governments Area of Ogun State, the Chairman of the Committee, Muhammad Ndabawa, said Prince Abiodun polled 102, 305 votes to emerge winner.
    Ndabawa added that other contestants – Jimi Lawal  scored 51, 153 votes while Abimbola Ashiru polled  29, 764 votes.
    Other contestants, Senator Gbenga Kaka  got 17,771 votes and Abayomi Hunye  9,110 votes while Adekunle Akinlade scored 23, 443 votes.
    The electoral chairman for the state however noted that the declaration of Prince Dapo Abiodun winner  of the primary and governorship candidate of APC in Ogun state for 2019 governorship election, is “subject to ratification by the National Working Committee” of the party.
    Fielding questions from reporters regarding the primary earlier conducted by Committees set up  by the Ogun state APC and subsequent declaration of Abdukabir Adekunle Akinlade winner and gubernatorial candidate by the state Chairman, Chief Derin Adebiyi, Ndabawa said he was ” not aware of such primary.”
    He added  that the Committee he led, is the “authentic body constituted by the NWC” to conduct and supervise governorship primary in the state in line with the party guidelines and constitution.
    The announcement of Abiodun, an oil magnate and real estate operator from Iperu town in Ogun East Senatorial district of the state, came barely six hours after Akinlade was also declared winner in a primary conducted on Tuesday, allegedly, without the Committee from Abuja playing a part in it.
    The state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Chief Derin Adebiyi, had on Wednesday afternoon  declared Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s man, Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, as the winner of the purported governorship primary, allegedly, conducted by the governor’s caucus of the party.
    Adekunle Akinlade, current member of House of Representatives (Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, polled 190,987 votes to emerge winner in the controversial direct primary conducted on Tuesday.
    Other contestants – Jimi Lawal came in a distant second position with 5,046 votes while  Dapo Abiodun garnered 3,648 votes followed by Abimbola Ashiru with 898 votes, Senator Gbenga Kaka with 833 votes and Abayomi Hunye with 208 votes.
    Declaring Akinlade the winner on Wednesday at the APC State Secretariat on Abiola Way, Abeokuta, Adebiyi said Akinlade polled the highest number of valid votes in the primaries.
    The state party chairman added that the primary was conducted throughout the 236 wards in Ogun  by Local Government and ward election committees constituted by the state chapter of the party “in compliance with the constitution of our party and the guidelines released by the National Working Committee (NWC) All Progressives Congress.”
    Adebiyi told reporters that he elected to announce the result and declared the winner instead of leaving it to be done by the Muhammad Ndabawa-led electoral committee, saying  the committee was heavily compromised.
    Adebiyi said: “the Committee was here and they were emphatic, after cancelling the exercise twice, the the election would hold yesterday, this is after we’ve submitted names of local committee and venues in obedience to the guideline.
    “Yesterday morning, they still agreed that the primary would hold and we mobilised to our different wards but we waited endlessly as the phone numbers or committee members were switched off and electoral materials not available.
    “Up till now, we don’t know the whereabouts of the committee and we’ve not seen them at the party’s Secretariat. They’ve been heavily and highly compromised.
    “The guideline is straight and unambiguous, its open secret ballot which is option A4 but they said they brought ballot papers from Abuja, in a direct primary? To do what?”
    The party chairman noted that  the Election Committee from the National headquarters of the party in Abuja directed that the governorship primaries should be held on 2nd October 2018 which prompted the closure of all primary and secondary schools by the state government for the exercise.
    According to him, “the governorship primaries were conducted and monitored by the relevant agencies.”

  • Akinlade declared winner of Ogun APC governorship primary

    The State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Chief Derin Adebiyi, has declared Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s man, Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, as the winner of the governorship primary,  conducted by the governor’s caucus of the party.
    Adekunle Akinlade, current member of House of Representatives (Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency,
    polled 190,987 votes to emerge winner in the controversial direct primary conducted on Tuesday.
    Other contestants – Jimi Lawal came in a distant second position with 5,046 votes, while  Dapo Abiodun garnered 3,648 votes followed by Abimbola Ashiru with 898 votes, Senator Gbenga Kaka with 833 votes and Abayomi Hunye with 208 votes.
    Declaring Akinlade the winner on Wednesday at the APC State Secretariat on Abiola Way, Abeokuta, Adebiyi said Akinlade polled the highest number of valid votes in the primaries.
    The state party chairman added that the primary was conducted throughout the 236 wards in Ogun  by Local Government and ward election committees constituted by the state chapter of the party “in compliance with the constitution of our party and the guidelines released by the National Working Committee (NWC) All Progressives Congress.”
    Adebiyi told reporters that he elected to announce the result and declared the winner instead of leaving it to be done by the Muhammad Ndabawa-led electoral committee, saying  the committee was heavily compromised.
    Adebiyi said: “the Committee was here and they were emphatic, after cancelling the exercise twice, the the election would hold yesterday, this is after we’ve submitted names of local committee and venues in obedience to the guideline.
    “Yesterday morning, they still agreed that the primary would hold and we mobilised to our different wards but we waited endlessly as the phone numbers or committee members were switched off and electoral materials not available.
    “Up till now, we don’t know the whereabouts of the committee and we’ve not seen them at the party’s Secretariat. They’ve been heavily and highly compromised.
    “The guideline is straight and unambiguous, its open secret ballot which is option A4 but they said they brought ballot papers from Abuja, in a direct primary? To do what?”
    The party chairman noted that  the Election Committee from the National headquarters of the party in Abuja directed that the governorship primaries should be held on 2nd October 2018 which prompted the closure of all primary and secondary schools by the state government for the exercise.
    According to him, “the governorship primaries were conducted and monitored by the relevant agencies.”

  • PDP Convention: Wike meets Atiku in Port Harcourt

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Tuesday held a consultative meeting with PDP Presidential aspirant and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar at the Government House Port Harcourt.

    The Presidential aspirant arrived Government House Port Harcourt in company of former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and other campaign officials.

    Governor Wike and Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar thereafter went in for a meeting at the conference room of the Government House.

    Read Also: Primary: Gombe PDP governorship aspirant rejects results

    The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar visited Governor Wike to canvass for delegate votes ahead of the 6 and 7 October, 2018 National Convention in Port Harcourt.

    Also in attendance at the meeting were the Former Rivers State Governor , Sir Celestine Omehia, Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah and Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Engr Emeka Woke.

  • 2019: I’ll not surrender Ogun to ‘profiteers,’ Amosun vows

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has vowed not to “surrender the state to those desirous of reaping from where they had sowed nothing.”
    Amosun said his supporters are on ground, well prepared and ready for the ‘profiteers’ on which ever date the governorship primary is fixed.
    The Governor who made this known while addressing hundreds of  All Progressives Congress(APC) members and supporters in Abeokuta, on Monday morning urged them to keep their ” gun powder dry” for political battle ahead.
    Amosun who momentarily left the MKO Abiola stadium, Kuto – Abeokuta, the venue of this year Independence anniversary celebration after leading some traditional rulers and state officials to cut 58th Independence anniversary cake for the MTR Hall to address his supporters, debunked the allegation of “security breach” by five APC governorship aspirants in the state.
    He said nobody is facing any threat and urged people not to de-market Ogun state with allegations of security breaches.
    “Don’t worry because of them. This position we are  today is by the benevolence of God, we are more now, I have to them, we have the government, we have the party and we have the people.
    “They have been trying all the tricks in the book, they will have trouble having 10 or five percent of the people. If they do it one million times, the result will be the same. The disgrace they got last  time (2015) will be more this time.
    “Keep your gun powder dry, we will mobilise you with the necessary logistics when the time comes. If they are doing kuru Kere moves, tell them that they will be graced. We are on ground here.  We will give you money for your motor (transport fare) back.
    “Nobody is going to  kill anybody, if you have the love of Ogun State,  don’t demarket it, nobody will kill anybody. We are ready for them, I’m the chief security officer of the state, something is worrying their brain, we are waiting for them.
    “Please don’t touch anybody, if they bring money collect from them, what we have done for you the day before yesterday, we are going to do another one, no retreat no surrender, it is not by might but by the benevolence of almighty God.
    “It is operation deliver your ward. Go out and mobilise yourself. We outnumber them. Where they have people, pls allow them,” Amosun said.

  • Governorship: Adebutu, Shittu emerge separate candidates for Ogun PDP

    Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) on Sunday conducted two separate primaries and elected two different candidates for the 2019 governorship election in the state.
    The Sikirulai Ogundele – led  group conducted their primary at the Marque, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta, with Hon. Ladi Adebutu emerging winner – sole candidate, garnering 2,369 votes out of the 2,669 accredited delegates.
    Capt. Mike Williams Hart (Primary Committee Chairman), Ms Barbara Aloma(Secretary), Emmanuel Ekpe (member), Anthony Agbetuyi (member) and Bukola Oyinkasola (member) from the National body, Abuja, conducted the primary that led to the emergence of Adebutu as  a parallel candidate.
    Another group loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu and where Engr. Bayo Dayo is the state  executive chairman, had theirs at the PDP State Secretariat on IBB Boulevard, Oke – Mosan, Abeokuta with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said to have been on ground to observe the exercise.
    At the end of the exercise with 1,994 accredited delegates, 1979 of them voted for Adeleke Shittu from Ijebu – Igbo, in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state, to emerge the gubernatorial candidate of the Bayo Dayo group, after Fatai Adeyanju had stepped down for him.
    Speaking with reporters, Bayo Dayo maintained that theirs is the authentic primary conducted by the executive Committee deriving its authority from a valid court order since 2016.
    Meanwhile, Confusion and apprehension suffused the air of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, and other parts of the state over the planned governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting five of the governorship aspirants – Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Otunba Bimbo Ashiru(Ogun East), Prince Dapo Abiodun(Ogun East), Jimi Lawal(Ogun East) and Abayomi Hunye (Ogun West), to raise alarm on breach of security and breakdown of law and order in the state.
    The signed petition which was signed by the five aspirants and copies of which were sent to the Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security Service(DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), the army and other sister security agencies in the state, the petitioners cited Hon. Semiu Akintade of Olorunda ward  in Abeokuta North who they claimed has been kidnapped.
     They accused the state Chairman of one of the transport unions in Ogun State, of being behind the alleged security breach, stressing that even some security agents have been given lists their supporters for arrest on trump up allegations ostensibly to keep them out of circulation during the electioneering process.
    Six persons – Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade(Ogun West), Senator Gbenga Kaka (Ogun East), Otunba Bimbo Ashiru(Ogun East), Prince Dapo Abiodun(Ogun East), Jimi Lawal(Ogun East) and Abayomi Hunye (Ogun West), are in a keen battle for the APC governorship ticket in a primary that has been shifted till further notice.
    The petition reads: “We, the undersigned gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of All Progressives in Ogun State are constrained to write the petition on the unprofessional activities of some security personnel, who were actively engaged and poised to continue with their nefarious activities of intimidation, harassment, kidnapping and threat to life, such as the kidnapping of Hon. Semiu Akintunde in Olorunda Ward, Abeokuta North Local Government.
    “It is noteworthy, that some security personnel have been given a list of our supporters to be arrested and detained on trump up charges so as to remove them from circulation during the electioneering process.
    “In the circumstance, we hereby humbly request for timely intervention and immediate remedial action to prevent breakdown of Law and Order and safeguard the electoral process rescheduled for tomorrow, October 1, 2018.”