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Tag: Ogun

  • PDP raises caretaker committees for Ogun, Borno, Kebbi

    PDP raises caretaker committees for Ogun, Borno, Kebbi

    THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) national leadership yesterday raised caretaker committees to run the party’s affairs in Ogun, Borno and Kebbi states.

    Alhaji Abdulahi Wali was announced as chairman for Kebbi, Abdulmalik Mahmud heads the committee for Borno and Mr. Tunde Odanye was appointed as chairman of Ogun chapter.

    Inaugurating the committees, the party’s National Chairman, Ahmed Makarfi, assured members and defectors of equal rights in the party.

    He assured that the reconciliation window would remain open to aggrieved members at all times.

    The three states were among the eight chapters which executive committees were dissolved at the party’s August 12 convention.

    Makarfi, who said time constraint informed the decision to set up the caretaker committees, added that the party had recorded success in setting up caretaker committees in some of the affected states.

    The party chairman said: “We don’t have luxury of time. We won’t allow circumstances to hold us back. We called both sides. You can’t force everybody to come. We thank all those that came.

    “Those who genuinely repent and give in to the party will be given equal chance in the party. As we move, we remain flexible and accommodating.

    “We have not closed the door of reconciliation and we will never close the door. We will create level-playing field for everybody.”

    He attributed the dissolution of the affected state executives to divisions and unwholesome practices by some groups and individuals within the states.

    Stating that the party was united more than before, Makarfi stressed that the new caretaker committees will help to ensure that past mistakes and court cases that arose from disputed congresses will not occur again.

  • Court jails 45-year-old man for stealing motorcycle in Ogun

    Court jails 45-year-old man for stealing motorcycle in Ogun

    An Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun, on Monday sentenced a 45-year-old man, Anthony Ogbodu, to one year in prison for stealing a Bajaj motorcycle valued N150,000.

    The Senior Magistrate, Mr S. O. Banwo, who gave the ruling, did not give the convict any option of fine.

    Ogbodu, whose address was not disclosed in the court, had pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of stealing.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Chudu Gbesi, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 10 at about 1 a. m. at No. 32 Ajala Close, Temidire, Ota.

    Gbesi said that the accused stole the motorcycle belonging to one Taiwo Ige, but was caught by a security guard and handed over to the police.

    Gbesi said that the action contravened Section 390(4) of the Criminal Code Vol. 1, Laws of Ogun.

  • Ogun residents to get free eye surgery

    The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, has said residents with eye problems will soon get free surgery and  glasses.

    Ipaye spoke at the kick off of a free eye surgery programme organised by The Collectives at Sagamu, Ogun State.

    He said residents with cataract and glaucoma would be treated free.

    Ipaye said over 20,000 residents had benefited from a social health insurance scheme called Araya, where the government takes care  of the less-privileged. He noted that about 24 health centres in the private and public sectors had already enlisted in the scheme, adding that the government pays the premium monthly.

    He added that people, especially children under five and pregnant women had received ante-natal care, malaria, hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis and other common killer diseases treatment free.

    ”Our simple approach in reaching the people of the state was we adopt “think-tank approach” where we do the supplies of drugs to the hospitals and primary health care centres across the three Senatorial districts, transfer of equipment and assessment of workforce to the appropriate hospitals, training and re-training of our health workers, and we do motivate them to be proactive,” Ipaye said.

    A Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr. Oladapo Awodein, charged the government to make blindness a priority by providing proper eye care service from primary, secondary and tertiary health care.

    He noted thatthe eyes matter a lot, saying that globally 38 million people are blind, while half of them suffer from cataract and about eight million people from glaucoma, adding that blindness from glaucoma was irreversible.

    ”Hence, when we have 38 million people getting blind and in Nigeria over two million people being blind. This is quite significant, if you take the population of Nigeria being around 180 million; the ratio two to 180 is, indeed, significant,” Awodein said.

    He government should provide an enabling environment for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to partner the government like The Collectives. ‘’They should be recognised and appreciated,’’ he added.

  • Indiscriminate parking: FRSC wants Ogun to erect standard bus stops

    Indiscriminate parking: FRSC wants Ogun to erect standard bus stops

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has appealed to the Ogun government to erect standard bus stops across the state to reduce indiscriminate parking by operators of commercial vehicles.

    Mr Adekunle Oguntoyinbo, the Sango-Ota Unit Commander of FRSC, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota on Wednesday.

    According to him, there is an urgent need for the state government to build standard bus-stops across the state that will prevent operators of commercial buses from parking on the highways to pick passengers.

    Indiscriminate parking, he said, had resulted in crashes as well as loss of lives and property in areas like Joju, Owode and Ijako Oju-Ore.

    “We have lost innocent people in these accident-prone areas who could have contributed to national development while some have been confined to wheel chairs,” he said.

    Oguntoyimbo noted that these areas were prone to crashes because of pot-holes and sloppy nature.

    The unit commander advised the state government to build standard bus-stops like those built for BRT in Lagos State.

  • Lassa fever contacts in Ogun hits 106

    Lassa fever contacts in Ogun hits 106

    Ogun State government on Sunday  disclosed that the number of suspected contacts of the victim of Lassa fever in the state has risen from initial 66 to to 106.
    The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, who made this known to reporters on phone, however allayed the fears of residents, saying adequate measure have been  taken to contain its spread.
    A male patient was Thursday placed on observation at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta over Lassa fever infection but in giving an update about the case on Sunday Ipaye said all the contacts have been given thermometers to monitor their temperature.
    According to him, the health and surveillance officers of the state government have also been deployed to closely watch them daily for 21 days.
     “You don’t take Lassa fever contacts to isolation centre, you only monitor their level of temperature. It’s unlike the Ebola disease where you take contacts to isolation centres.
    “Initially we had 66 contacts when I briefed you (on Friday). Between then and now, we have additional 40 contacts. So, now, we are monitoring 106 contacts.
    “You will recall that we have not established the contacts that met him (the patient) during his travel to the hospital. All the 66 were care-providers in all the hospitals that he’s been treated. We also had to go to his house to decontaminate it. So, everybody that lives around there are primary contacts one way or the other; just to play safe.
    “We have to monitor their temperature for 21 days. That was what we did for over 1,800 people we followed the other time. We had to monitor their temperature minimum of twice daily – morning and evening. And the contacts must come up to tell us the reading immediately. We have given all of them thermometers and we have taught them how to measure temperature.
    “So, when we call them they would tell us what the temperature was in the morning and the evening and they would do this for 21 days. If after 21 days there is no fever of any type, then that patient is discharged away from our contacts.
    “But if there is fever, we would take him and put him in an isolation place and do the test quickly. So, if the test is negative we discharge him. If the test is positive, then we start treating the person. But we don’t have any problem for now,” Ipaye said.

  • Ogun and the World Bank

    The World Bank does not have free money. It puts it’s money where its mouth is. It does not do business with just any government. A government has to demonstrate capacity for results before it can gain the attention of the global institution for any financial transaction. The World Bank budget support facility is not an all comers’ affair. It is for governments that have a track record of a system-driven development. You have to prove your mettle in financial transparency, revenue generation, social services such as education, health, among others.

    The phenomenon growth of  Ogun State’s Internally Generated Revenue as a result of financial engineering introduced by the current government would, no doubt, have impressed the global financial institution.

    In its Doing Business in Nigeria 2014 report, the Word Bank, rated Ogun, out of 35 states and FCT, as one of the five states “that  made the biggest strides towards the national frontier of good practices.” It put Ogun in the exclusive club of the top reforming states in Nigeria.

    The same World Bank, in 2008 and 2010 reports, ranked Ogun State as one of the lowest overall performers among the 36 states in Nigeria in terms of ease of doing business. In other words, the state was then not conducive to business investment.

    “Thanks to a concerted effort across federal and state authorities, and in collaboration with the private sector, Ogun improved on three of the four Doing Business indicators benchmarked,” the 2014 World Bank report said.

    It observed further that in Ogun State, “The construction permitting system was radically overhauled, with the state government authorities decentralising the approval system and a new committee monitoring delays. Building permit applications and payments can now be made simultaneously in district offices. Private professionals issue environmental-impact assessments in accordance with the conditions and templates set out in a framework agreement. The certificate of completion is issued on the spot, immediately following the final inspection.”

    To begin a business in the current Ogun State, according to the World Bank, “entrepreneurs no longer need to travel to Ibadan or Lagos, thanks to the Federal Inland Revenue Service’s new stamp duty office in Abeokuta. In addition, the state Ministry of Commerce and Industry abolished the requirement for a physical inspection of the business premises – today, a proof of company address, such as a utility bill, is sufficient.

    “A business premises permit is issued on the spot upon payment of the fee. Finally, Ogun’s Bureau of Lands digitalised property records with the aim of enabling electronic title searches and making property registration more efficient.”

    It is worth recalling that before the global development institution released its report,  the Management and Board of Editors of Nigeria’s leading business newspaper, Business Day, had in 2013 declared Ogun State the fastest-growing economy and first choice for industrialists and entrepreneurs among the 36 states in Nigeria. The state won the prestigious award “because it has the highest number of businesses established in its domain and that the government has made the environment more attractive to investors. Ogun also has the highest positive number of Gross Domestic Product in the last one year, the number of bank branches has increased more than that of other states in the last three years and its financial inclusion, particularly the embrace of cashless economy and use of Automated Teller Machine by residents had increased tremendously.”

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has in recent years acknowledged Ogun as the industrial hub of Nigeria by virtue of the massive inflow of investments into the state. This is a product of the enabling environment created for business growth by the current government.

    Only a few months ago, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils, declared that Ogun State alone attracted 75 per cent of the Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria.

    It is, therefore, natural for a global institution that is committed to poverty reduction to partner such states that have demonstrated enough capacity for results and is committed to the welfare of its citizens.

    Just as the Ogun State Ogun State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Ms Denrele Adesina, said at a recent press conference in Abeokuta, “The World Bank Budget Support is for states that have demonstrated ability for proven results. The leap of Ogun State from 35th position in 2010 to one of the best five in 2014 in terms of Ease of Doing Business, transparency, growth in IGR, among others, has impressed the global institution, and is ever willing to partner with our government.”

    Contrary to speculations by some mischief makers especially on social media, the World Bank will not credit the account of the state government with $350m in one fell swoop. At best, the current government can only get about 20 or 25 per cent of the facility while subsequent governments will be the major beneficiaries.

    The $350 facility being sought by the state government is  concessionary, offered at a rock bottom interest of two per cent with a five-year moratorium and redeemable over a period of 25 years.

    The revered government of Chief Olabisi Onabanjo was able to secure such facility because it met the required benchmarks. Why will another government that met the same criteria not secure such a facility to further boot the economy of the state?

    If my memory has not failed me, a neighbouring state obtained the same budget support facility of about $600m from the World Bank many years ago. The release of the money has stretched up to the current government.

    To quote Denrele once more, “The World Bank is concerned about the welfare of the people of Ogun State. It is interested in capacity building through education, development of agriculture, improved health care delivery and infrastructural development. The Amosun administration has met the benchmarks on these. The World Bank looks forward to partnering with such states to achieve its global objectives of development.”

    In sum, the reality is that the global financial institution is impressed by the giants made by the Ibikunle Amosun administration and is pleased to partner with it in order to improve the lot of the masses of Ogun State.

    • Soyombo sent this piece from Abeokuta via densityshow@yahoo.com

  • 2019: ‘No chance for PDP in Ogun’

    The Chairman of Leguru Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ogun State, Ololade Ahmed Onakoya, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has no chance of winning elections in the state in 2019.

    Onakoya, who  addressed reporters during the cleaning of the LCDA, said he was opportuned to serve his people effectively “because Governor Ibikunle Amosun gave room for youths to serve and contribute to his government. His style of governance is enough to emulate”.

    The council chair  said the party’s testimonials of completed and ongoing infrastructural development across the state and other parts of the country would speak and work for its re-election.

    He said: “I will ask Nigerians to vote APC in 2019. Ours is a party with a progressive mandate for all Nigerians; it’s obvious with what has happened and currently going on in Ogun State. Governor Amosun’s style of governance is the correct way to go. Pragmatic leadership is the only way forward for our nation and state to emulate to ensure continuity of APC’s good work, come 2019.

    “We are very happy for having a pro-active governor at a time like this in Ogun State. Sincerely, it’s a great honour for me to serve under him as the executive chairman of our LCDA. I learn a lot from him, closely and directly. Governor Amosun is indeed different from other governors in Nigeria today.

    “When someone has done something gigantic at the right time, I believe there is no better life than living among such good people, rather than living in seclusion. You cannot live in isolation of people’s wants and desires. The truth of the matter is that we have to intervene to ameliorate the suffering of our people in the area of infrastructural development…”

  • Ogun inaugurates 38-man committee

    The Ogun State government has inaugurated a 38-man committee on State Strategic Health Development Plan (SSHDP), in conjunction with Pathfinder International to reduce maternal, child mortality rate in the state.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babtunde Ipaye while inaugurating the committee at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, charged them to think out of the box in discharging their responsibilities.

    He added that the committee has only five years to deliver the task before them, enjoining them to make the state proud in terms of healthcare service delivery as it was the second cardinal programme of Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration.

    Ipaye said the committee would work round the clock for the next five years to fulfill the expectation of Federal Ministry of Health to have the bottom top approach to the development on the National strategic plan on health, adding that whatever development adopted in the state would be sent to the Federal Government as part of National Health Plan.

    “We are modifying the expectation of Federal Government plan in such a way that will have postive impact on our people, not only to fulfil our Federal Government template but to build around our three-tier programmes of primary, secondary and tertiary health services “, Ipaye said.

    He said that it was imperative to manage the healthcare of the people, especially in the community areas and to reflect the approach of the financing health particularly the Community Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS), “Araya” that permits indigent people of the state key into the scheme from the five years plan programme.

    He said the programme would mainly target the majority with Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Maternal care, immunisation and others rather than leverage on the state government alone but partnering  international bodies to achieve the best.

    He added that the committee would also provide a template for the state to fortify the over 477 primary healthcare centres across the state with necessary equipment, manpower and international resources to deliver these responsibilties in the various communities, noting that every federal constituencyof the state would have effective service care centres in order to provide comprehensive service to the people.

    The Pathfinder International Country Representative, Dr. Farouk Jega, admonished the committee to deliver their services as and when due and with utmost diligence, dedication and commitment, noting that their outcome would be a template for the Federal Government in planning and designing healthcare services for the people.

    He said that with the vision, mission and preparation of the committee and the state strategic health development plan, it was believed that they would deliver and make the state proud.

    In his goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Nofiu Aigoro, urged the committee to fast-track the implementation of health care services delivery that would be of benefit to the masses, noting that he has confidence in the committee.

  • Lassa Fever : One tests positive in Ogun

    Lassa Fever : One tests positive in Ogun

    A patient at the  State General Hospital, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has been placed under close observation on suspicion of suffering from the deadly and contagious Lassa Fever disease.
    The 22 years old male patient whose identity is not yet to be disclosed, has tested positive to the virus that causes Lassa Fever  and the  young man was said to have just returned from Lagos with feverish symptoms.
    The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, told journalists on phone that the patient is already being monitored.
    “He is resident here (Abeokuta), but, he travelled  to Lagos and returned with fever.
    “He is currently at the state  General hospital Ijaye where he is under medical observation .
    “We have carried out the first test. The first sample was positive. It shows some reactions, we need to do another confirmatory test has to be done.
    “We are doing everything to see whether it is a confirmed case . The patient’s  temperature was high, but, today, it has reduced considerably.
    “By tomorrow, we should be able to confirm whether it is Lassa fever or not. Meanwhile, the patient has been isolated,” Ipaye said.
    The commissioner however said the government has begun preventive measures against the infection .
    Two persons, including a 36-year-old pregnant woman, have reportedly died of Lassa Fever at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos while about 100 different health workers are currently under close observation in the same hospital.
  • BON Awards goes to Ogun

    BON Awards goes to Ogun

    Nollywood traveling reward show; Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards will, for the second time since inception, be hosted in Ogun State, organisers have revealed.

    The decision was reached last week when Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun received the BON Awards organising team which presented him the hosting rights for 2017 at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

    Receiving the team, Governor Amosun said he was happy that the BON Awards, now in its ninth year, was returning to the state, having been hosted in 2010 by former Governor Gbenga Daniel.

    He said, “I’m happy that the journey of Nollywood Awards started in Ogun State because this state is the home of notable figures in the entertainment industry like Hubert Ogunde, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Olu Jacobs and many new generation entertainers and we shall continue to support the industry by providing an enabling environment for the growth of that sector and all sectors of the economy.”

    The governor said he was particularly excited at the contributions of the entertainment industry to the Nigerian economy saying, “When the economy was rebased, people forgot to look at entertainment which accounted for about 40% while the real sector didn’t get near that. What this means is that nothing would help us more than our creative industry. We focused too much on oil and it has made us lazy. Yes, agriculture will lead to industrialisation but creative people will continue to work and provide jobs. This is why our government would continue to look for ways to improve the structures of the creative industry.”

    The governor then promised that the state would join forces with the BON Award team to produce an event that would surpass all other editions.

    “Whatever we do, we do well. BON Awards 2017 would be more than just hosting a ceremony; you would all be proud of what we will do. We would have a beautiful outing,” he said.

    BON Award Founder, Mr. Seun Oloketuyi, recalled that they started the journey by taking the BON Awards to different cities in Ijebu Ode, in Ogun State. “It is a known fact that Ogun State is a major player in the Nigerian film industry today, as among the Yoruba sub-sector of film makers, there is a faction popularly called ‘Abeokuta film makers’; represented here by Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr. Latin.”

    Continuing, he said, “We know for a fact that the filmmakers based here in Ogun State have refused to relocate to Lagos, which is reputed as the hub of entertainment, because the Ogun State government provided them an enabling environment to ply their craft and business.”

    He announced that BON Awards 2017 will hold on December 16, “and we shall have everyone that is relevant in the film industry all present under one roof.”

    He said, “before the main event, there would be build-up events like the BON Reading, where celebrities and past BON Awards winners read literature to motivate and inspire young pupils of the state; Talent Meets Class, where the corporate world and Nollywood practitioners meet in a forum to chart a course for mutual benefit while exploring the potential of the host state.”