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Tag: Ogun

  • Commissioner urges stakeholders collaboration on ending fuel scarcity

    Commissioner urges stakeholders collaboration on ending fuel scarcity

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, has appealed to stakeholders in the oil industry to collaborate in addressing the current fuel scarcity in the country.

    Abdul-Lateef made this appeal on Thursday in an interview at Odosengolu, near Ijebu-Ode in Ogun.

    The commissioner was speaking on the side-line of the formal closing of the 24th National Islamic Training Programme ( NITP ) organised by The Muslim Congress ( TMC ).

    The theme of the NITP training was “Witnessing Unto Mankind”.

    He described the fuel scarcity as “man inhumanity to man’’ and challenged fuel marketers to be sincere, just and avoid inflating the price or hoarding the commodity.

    “Some people, because of the desire to increase the fuel price, have started to hoard the commodity and begin another chapter in our unimpressive attitude.

    “I think the marketers and all the stakeholders must have the fear of God in mind and understand that life is not all about money.

    “Life is about the happiness of all; because if we continue to impoverish Nigeria at the expense of so many people, we will continue to give birth to criminality,’’ Abdul-Lateef said.

    Earlier, the President of TMC, Dr Luqman Abdur-Raheem explained that the NITP was a camping programme designed to build the spiritual, intellectual and social capacities of Muslims.

    Read also: NITP sets new parameters for Fellows

    “At NITP, we learn Quran, Hadith, Fiqhu, Current Affairs and Issues around the Muslim world.

    “It provides a platform for knowledge-sharing, socialisation and networking.

    “This is the 24th edition, during which members and leadership of TMC rub minds on peaceful coexistence, nation-building and the development of Islam in all ramifications,’’ Abdur-Raheem sai.

    He noted that the Muslim community was in a trying period when the Muslims, the mosques and Islamic symbols of Hijab for female Muslims are under attacks.

    “We advise all Muslims to protect Islam with all resources at their disposal.

    “But bombing, sabotage and killings of innocent persons are not lawful means for calling and witnessing unto mankind.

    “These are methods of terrorists. Terrorists in Nigeria and in the Arab world have stolen our physical appearance and pretend to be Muslims.

    “They have satanic and cultic ideologies, which are antithetical to Islam – a phenomenon of Muslim Identity Theft.

    “We restate our organisation’s commendation to the Federal Government in its fight against corruption, economic sabotage, indiscipline, terrorism and impunity.

    “The government is making appreciable progress but there is need for the Muslims and Non-Muslims to provide workable template from our heavenly revealed religions to the three tiers of government.

    “We should also accompany this with prayers and cooperation for national development,’’ Abdur-Raheem said.

    NAN

  • Three docked for beating up police officer

    Three docked for beating up police officer

    Three men,  who allegedly assaulted a police officer,  appeared on Thursday in  an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The accused – Ahmed Olaiya, 19; Nurudeen Alarape, 25; and Sodiq Adesina- all residents of  Akute in Ogun, are facing a two-count charge of assault and conspiracy.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Eruada, told court that the accused committed the offences on November 30 at Olowora Junction, Isheri Road,  Lagos.

    Eruada said the accused beat up one Insp  Sunday Adu  who tried to arrest them for a traffic offence.

    “The accused and his accomplices  descended on him and beat him to a pulp,’’ he said.

    The prosecutor  said the offences contravened Sections 172 and 411 of the Criminal Laws  of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    Section 172 prescribes a three-year jail term for assault, while Section 411 provides two years for conspiracy.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Read also: woman in court  for slicing neighbor’s head with razor

    The Magistrate, Mrs G.O. Anifowoshe, granted the accused  bail in the sum of  N 20,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Anifowoshe said the sureties should be gainfully employed and should show evidence of  two years  tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    He adjourned the case till  January 17, 2018 for mention.

    NAN

  • Ogun rice revolution

    Thursday, December, 21 was another red-letter day in Ogun State. In one iconic gesture, unprecedented in the annals of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the governor of Ogun State, unveiled the MITROS Rice Processing Factory and MITROS Rice.

    Against the backdrop of the role rice plays in the lives of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians and that close to one trillion naira of our money is expended annually on importation of the commodity, one cannot but agree with Amosun that the inauguration of MITROS Rice Mill and MITROS Rice was a “watershed”. This water should now flow over the arable land across the country with rice pyramids levitating in every nook and cranny till the nation achieves zero rice importation.

    Rice is like water in Nigeria. To appropriate the inimitable Fela Anikulapo Kuti, “Raisi, e no get enemy!” (Rice has no enemy). Tell me one house where rice is not a staple food and I will tell you no such home exists in Nigeria. It’s quite possible, but I’m yet to encounter a child who does not like rice. Fried, jollof or white, rice it is for millions of Nigerians!

    How rice became a staple food, attained a larger than life image in our country, is outside the scope of this exercise. It suffices to emphasize that a situation where humongous part of our scarce forex is expended on importation of rice is not sustainable.

    The current Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, once lamented the culture of rice importation: “We cannot afford $5m a day for rice shipments in this country. It has gone on for 40 years. And I assure you that it is our reckless policy of importation that has brought Nigeria down to where she is now. Those who keep talking of imports either do not mean Nigeria well or simply refuse to recognise the fact that we cannot afford the imports.”

    It is even more embarrassing that we import this staple from the strategic reserves of developing countries. Most of the imports are of doubtful nutritional value with some of the grains having been stored for upward of ten years. Why should Nigeria with unemployment problem continue to create millions of jobs for other countries through mindless imports? Why should we continue to put pressure on our foreign exchange by expending two billion dollars ($2 billion) yearly on rice importation? Can’t we eat what we grow? Can’t we grow what we eat? What about the vast hectares of God-given arable land to this country?

    President Muhammadu Buhari would no longer stomach the abnormal situation, hence the setting up of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) on November 17, 2015 and later Presidential Task Force on Agricultural Commodities and Production. Governor Amosun as well recoils at this gargantuan amount of money used to fund the economies of other nations, hence his commitment to break the jinx and ensure we plant, process and package what we consume.

    According to Amosun, “Our past efforts at tackling poverty in all ramifications will amount to nothing if concerted efforts are not taken to ensure food security to people at all income levels. This is why today is a significant day, not just for Ogun State, but for Nigeria as well. The MITROS Rice Mill, the first of its kind in Ogun State, will create jobs for our farmers. From now on they will no longer need to travel far and wide in search of milling facilities.”

    The MITROS Rice, especially the popular Ofada rice, is of better quality, hygienic and fresh in comparison to imports of contentious nutritional value. The MITROS rice, apart from creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, costs less than the imported ones and has been bagged for the benefit of every segment of the society – 1kg, 5kg, 10kg, 25kg and 50kg.

    Today, Ogun State joins the proud league of rice-producing states in Nigeria, and MITROS Rice becomes part and parcel of the unfolding story of Nigeria’s rice revolution. The journey of a thousand miles, it is said, begins with a single step. Today, we take that step, confident that the journey ahead of us will yield results and impact our people beyond our most ambitious expectations. We will be keen learners, and strive to get better with each passing day, and each planting season. And, we are extending our hand of partnership to the private sector; we welcome you to take the lead in this agricultural revolution that is unfolding in Ogun State.

    The Amosun administration has now blazed a trail in rice revolution. Big (and small businesses) should now take advantage of the enabling environment created by the current government by investing massively in rice plantation, processing and packaging in Ogun State.

    The Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, said the apex bank would give credit facility to farmers at five per cent interest rate as part of the Muhammadu Buhari government’s strategy to increase food production and self-sufficiency in the country.

    We congratulate Senator Ibikunle Amosun for another feather in his cap. President Muhammadu Buhari deserves all plaudits for walking the talk in agriculture. Things can only get better in Ogun State and Nigeria at large.

    • Soyombo, media aide to the Ogun State Governor, sent this piece via densityshow@yahoo.com
  • Road accident kills four in Ogun

    Road accident kills four in Ogun

    Four persons have died in an early morning accident on Wednesday at the Ijebu – Ode stretch of the Lagos – Ore expressway when a bus conveying passengers crashed into the rear of a trailer.

    The accident which occurred at 4:45am near the Ijebu Ode old Toll Gate, involved a truck with registration number XB 111 LSD and a bus marked LSD 766 XS.

    It was learnt that the truck which had earlier packed attempted to join the road and another while trying avoid colliding with it swerved into the fast lane, but a speeding bus from behind rammed into the second truck.

    The Ogun Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),
    Mr Clement Oladele, who confirmed the accident said four persons in the bus died in the accident.

    “The crash is suspected to have been caused by loss of control, when a truck which had earlier parked, suddenly attempted to join the road corridor near the Ijebu – Ode Toll gate.

    “A Mack truck moving in the same direction, in an attempt to avoid colliding with the truck entering the road, swerved away from the slow lane to the fast lane.

    “The bus travelling behind on the fast lane was too fast and could not stop but run into the truck that swerved from slow to the fast lane.

    “The crash resulted in the death of the four passengers in the bus,’’ Oladele said.

    He noted that the remains of the victims had been taken to the morgue of State Hospital, Ijebu Ode.

    He urged motorists to drive cautiously and obey all traffic rules and regulations.

    The sector commander also advised motorists to avoid joining a road corridor suddenly or interfering with moving traffic.

  • Ogun to reduce maternal, child mortality rate

    Ogun to reduce maternal, child mortality rate

    The Ogun State government has said it is committed to ensuring a zero maternal and child mortality.

    The government said it would strengthen and ensure qualitative and efficient health care delivery, reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths.

    Wife of the governor Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun spoke at the kick-off of the December Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) and induction of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health Champions (RMNCAH) at Sango Primary Health Centre in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

    In a statement by the press officers of Ogun State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Yemisi Fashola and Shola Ogunbanwo, the governor’s wife assured residents that the government would improve maternal health and reduce child mortality.

    She said no woman should die giving birth, adding that neither should children die when they are being born.

    Mrs Amosun said: “I strongly believe that women shouldn’t die in the process of giving birth and neither should children die in the process of coming to life. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the health system to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality. I speak confidently when I say that the Ogun State government is committed to improving maternal health and reducing child mortality.”

    The governor’s wife noted that the campaign is aimed at improving health of the family, especially expectant mothers’ and children under five

    Health Commissioner Dr. Babatunde Ipaye advised parents and guardians to ensure that their children and wards of ages 0-5 took advantage of the programme.

    The commissioner highlighted some of the services as routine immunisation, de-worming, malnutrition testing, Vitamin A supplementation as well as free counselling and testing on HIV/AIDS and health education on key household practices.

    Ipaye said the Ibikunle Amosun administration had put in place measures to boost primary health care delivery to build and renovate defective health centres, employ health personnel, train and retrain existing health workers, provide drugs, maintain cold and central medical stores across the state.

  • Pastor docked for duping worshipper of N1.1m 

    Pastor docked for duping worshipper of N1.1m 

    A 40-year-old man, Femi Adewale, was on Thursday arraigned before Chief Magistrate  B. B. Adebowale  of an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun for allegedly collecting  N1.1 million under false pretences from a worshipper.

    Adewale who claimed to be a pastor collected N1.1 million from one Ibukun Aderonmu, with a promise to assist her to solve her spiritual problems.

    The accused of No. 22, Farinde St., Ijako, Ota, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.

    The prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha told the court that the defendant and others, still at large, committed the offences on Sept. 14 at Ijako area of Ota.

    Mustapha said that the defendant and his accomplices collected the money with a promise to help Aderonmu to solve her spiritual problems, an agreement he did not fulfill.

    He said that the offences contravened Sections 390(9) and 419 of the Criminal Code Vol. 1, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B. B. Adebowale, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She said that the sureties must be residing within the court’s jurisdiction and swear to an affidavit of means.

    Adebowale also ordered that the sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Ogun State Government and submit four recent passport photographs to the court.

    The case was adjourned until January 22, 2018 for hearing.

    NAN

  • Police quell students’ protest in Ogun

    The Ogun State Police Command yesterday broke the Black Week protest by students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta, the capital.

    The protest started on Monday.

    The police quelled it on Day Three (yesterday) with heavy security.

    As at 7 am, a detachment of policemen in six Hilux patrol vans had taken over the Pansheke axis of Abeokuta, to forestall further protests.

    The Nation gathered that the police took the step following increasing violence and concerns that the violence may worsen, if miscreants and urchins hijacked the protest.

    A police officer was injured on Day 1. Four students sustained injuries in an accident as they attempted to compel the Acting Rector, Ayodeji Tella, to follow them to meet Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    The governor had threatened that the students will pay for the property they damaged.

    Also yesterday, the police arraigned the 20 students arrested on Tuesday at a Magistrate Court sitting in Abeokuta.

    The arraignment was stalled as the court asked the police to re-examine the charge against the students.

  • Ogun to spend N203.3m to control gully erosion

    Ogun to spend N203.3m to control gully erosion

    The Ogun Government says it will spend N203.3 million to control gully erosion in 2018.

    Mr Bolaji Oyeleye, the State Commissioner for Environment, disclosed this on Monday, while defending the ministry’s 2018 budget proposal before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation at the assembly complex, Abeokuta.

    Oyeleye noted that the money would be spent on execution of designs already prepared for amelioration and rehabilitation of some already environmentally-degraded areas in the state.

    Represented by Mr Kunle Osota, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, the commissioner added that N203.3 million was to prevent degradation and arrest gully formation that could cause damage to the ecosystem.

    Oyeleye said N87.9 million had been earmarked for the rehabilitation and repair of water ways across the state.

    Read also: Ogun to spend N30.7bn on roads in 2018

    He added that the ministry had proposed N25 million on repairing and rehabilitation of existing markets and parks across the state.

    ‘‘The ministry will embark on beautification and landscaping at various locations such as Totoro, Ago-Oba roundabout, Ijaiye roundabout, Ake roundabout and Sagamu /Ikenne roundabout.

    “In 2018, we want to acquire 12 Mercedes-Benz Compactor Trucks , 18 Global Power Push Mower, four tricycle Tip Loaders for effective evacuation of refuse across the state,’’ he said.

    He said the ministry had proposed N4.5 billion as capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure would gulp N625 million with N665 million as expected revenue.

    NAN

  • Ogun to spend N30.7bn on roads in 2018

    Ogun to spend N30.7bn on roads in 2018

    Ogun Government says it will spend N30.7 billion on the construction of roads across the state in 2018.

    The state’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, stated this on Monday while defending the ministry’s 2018 budget before members of the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, in Abeokuta.

    Adegbite said that part of the amount would be used to settle the bill of contractors of ongoing road projects in major towns of the state, adding that some roads would be constructed through direct labour.

    He disclosed that N5 billion had been budgeted for continuous maintenance and repairs of new roads in the state.

    He explained that the main objective of the 2018 budget was the completion of the 20 ongoing road projects, covering about 357.11kilometres across the state.

    “The government will construct additional 500 kilometres of durable asphalt roads in major towns of the state.

    Read also: Ambode proposes N1.046tr budget

    “I want to apologise for the delay in the work done on Ijebu bridge; initially funds were very tight but I can tell you categorically that contractors have gone back to site on the bridge.

    “Also, the Sagamu-Ogijo road, contractors are also on site and work has commenced on the road.

    “The government has commenced the process of the establishment of one asphalt plant in the state,” he said.

    The commissioner said that the ministry had proposed N38.9 billion as capital expenditure for 2018, saying that N445 million was earmarked for recurrent expenditure.

    He said that N345 million was expected revenue for the ministry.

    The Chairman of the committee, Mr Olusola Bankole, advised the ministry to ensure that there were good road network across the state.

    Bankole urged the ministry to liaise with the Federal government to fix major roads in the state.

    Other lawmakers who spoke decried the deplorable state of Lagos-Abeokuta, Sagamu-Ogijo and Owode-Ilaro and Emuren road, and called on the ministry to find a lasting solution to the roads.

    NAN

  • Police arrest instructor for allegedly raping, killing NYSC member

    Police arrest instructor for allegedly raping, killing NYSC member

    The police in Ogun say they have arrested a 29-year-old driving instructor, name withheld, for allegedly raping and killing one Ms Modupe Taiyese, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Abeokuta, Ogun.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ahmed Iliyasu, told journalists at the scene of the crime in Abule Ayo area on Thursday that the suspect had confessed to the crime.

    Iliyasu said prior to the arrest of the suspect, the coordinator of the NYSC in the state, Mr John Okon had complained to the command about a missing corps member in the state.

    “We went for a powerful technical screening of fact left behind by the last person she contacted, who is the suspect; we are able to arrest him.
    “We are able to uncover this nefarious act and he led us to this place and confessed.
    “Technically, the information led to one person, an indigene of Uromi in Edo, who was teaching this innocent corps member, Taiyese Modupe, how to drive car.

    “The man tactically and deceitfully convinced her on Saturday evening, that her driving permit was ready.

    “She decided to answer his call and he cleverly and deceitfully apprehended the lady and brought her down to this forest where he had a forceful and unlawful carnal knowledge of her. Thereafter, he strangled her to death,” he said.

    Ilyasu also said the police tracked the suspect, following some passport photographs found at the scene of the crime.

    “The passport photographs of the suspect were found at the scene of the incident which is a remarkable evidence of crime.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the corpse of the deceased has not been removed from the scene of the crime as at the time of filing this report.

    The police boss advised members of the public to be wary of persons they interact with to avert unpleasant consequences.

    He,however, restated, the commitment of the police in the state to protect lives and property, saying that the state had no room for criminal activities.
    The suspect told journalists that he dragged the victim into a forest and had sex with her before he strangled her to death.

    “After I took her to this place, I told her that I wanted to have sex with her, she said `No’, but I dragged her into the bush and had sex with her.

    “After having sex with her, she said she would tell her family; that was when I tore her cloth and used it to strangle her.

    “As she was gasping, I ran away, “the suspect said.

    Read Also: Police panic as suspects attempted to flee