The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ogun

  • Ogun officials embark on retreat

    Ogun officials embark on retreat

    Top Ogun State government officials converged yesterday on Ota for a three-day retreat.

    The retreat is to enable them review the administration’s performance in the last 32 months.

    According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, papers would be delivered on Information Management Strategy, Leadership and Governance, Mastering Public Private Partnership for Public Sector, Investment Planning, Time and Stress Management, Team Building, Education, Health, Environment, Agriculture, Works and Housing.

    There will also be an executive council meeting, after which participants would inspect the road projects in Ilo Awela, Sango-Ojodu and Mowe-Ibafo.

  • Malaysia to start rice farm in Ogun

    Malaysia to start rice farm in Ogun

    The Ogun State government partnership with the Malaysian government has started yielding dividend. The Malaysia Ministry of Agriculture and Agro based Industry is set to embark on Rice and Cassava cultivation in the state.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture Mrs Ronke Sokefun announced this at the Ministry’s strategic session aimed at achieving its targets for 2014.

    She said the Malaysians will acquire 500 hectres of farmland in different parts of the state for the project.

    The Commissioner also used the opportunity to reiterate the Minisry’s resolve to embark on rehabilitation of abbatoirs and slaugthers slabs throughtout the state to meet international standard while plans will also be intensified to establish a fish farm estate.

    Listing the Ministry’s projects like the Farmers Market in Asero,Rice Farm in Eggua,Green House in Kotopo, Cashew Plantation in Afon,Cocoa Plantation in Alagbagba, Mrs Sokefun said no effort will be spared to complete and get the best out of them this year.

    She, therefore, called on stakeholders to cooperate with the government in its efforts at achieving food security and youth empowernment through different agricultural programmes.

  • Ogun disburses N100m to small-scale industrialists

    Ogun disburses N100m to small-scale industrialists

    The Ogun State government has disbursed N100 million to 800 business owners and traders.

    The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Bimbo Ashiru, disbursed the loan to the beneficiaries through cheques in Abeokuta, the state capital, recently.

    In a similar move, the government had last year disbursed N13 million to some small-scale industrialists and traders operating in the state. The money was given to the beneficiaries as loans with very low interest rate.

    The loan scheme was initiated by the government in conjunction with the Bank of Industry (BoI).

    The Commissioner said the initiative was the government’s contribution to boost small-scale business as well as reduce the increasing rate of unemployment.

    “The government’s aim is to empower our traders and business owners to sustain their businesses,” Ashiru stated at the ceremony.

    He disclosed that the N100 million was disbursed to the beneficiaries through various registered co-operative societies in the state.

    According to Ashiru, the government was not happy that about 99 percent of small scale business owners get their business capital from their family members or friends with high interest rates under strict conditions, a situation which he said did not encourage business to thrive.

    The commissioner expressed the belief that the scheme would assist to check the rising unemployment rate, explaining that the loan would put the beneficiaries in a position to create “direct and indirect jobs” for about 100, 000 people by the middle of this year.

    Ashiru who was excited about the scheme stated: “We have started industrial revolution in our state.”

    Ashiru advised the beneficiaries not to see the loan as part of the “national cake” but must ensure that they pay the loans “as at when due” so that others too would benefit.

    Mr. Oluwole Kolawole, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the government for the “kind gesture” and pledged that they would use the loan for the purpose for which it was obtained.

    Kolawole also commended the government for its performance in office and promised that they would support the government at all times.

  • Road accidents drop in Ogun

    Road accidents drop in Ogun

    The situation in Ogun State was not too different. Even though there were cases of road accidents, ERNEST NWOKOLO reports that the FRSC did a good job in bringing down the number of such accidents

    Quite a good number of people entertain one form of fear or the other while travelling on Nigerian roads, particularly in the month of December. They dread the frequent cases of accidents on major and minor roads across the states of the federation, the attendant deaths and injuries.

    Their worry, sometimes irrational, may not be unrelated to the deplorable state of the roads, poor vehicle maintenance or recklessness of some motorists and other road users.

    Often, many believe there are malevolent hands or blood sucking demons lurking by the roadside and waiting to instigate road traffic crashes for purpose of collecting victims’ blood for drinking.

    In Ogun state, last December 23,  three persons were killed and 18 others, including seven children, critically injured in an accident that occurred at Obada- Oko stretch of the Lagos – Abeokuta expressway, Abeokuta following burst of tyre. The accident which happened Monday night involved a Toyota Hiace passenger bus marked LAGOS FKJ 07 AS.

    It was learnt that the occupants of the grey coloured Toyota bus were members of the Celestial Church who were going for their annual prayer congress at Celestial town of Imeko in Imeko/Afon local government area of the state.

    The Itori Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Fatai Bakare, who confirmed the accident, said 21 persons comprising of four males, 10 females and seven children were on board as at the time the crash occurred.

    It was learnt that the driver was on high speed when the tyre of the vehicle burst, he lost control of the wheel and the vehicle somersaulted, resulting in the death of three of the occupants.

    This and some other road traffic crashes occurred in various locations in Ogun State during the month of December, 2013.

    The Nation gathered from unofficial sources that over a dozen of persons were killed in the month of December in an equally over 25 cases of traffic accidents said to have occurred in the state.

    Although, the State Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Adegoke Adetunji, did not give data but he said the Command was able to reduce road accidents and the attendant challenges last month because of the road safety measure put in place and implemented during that period.

    According to Adetunji, the state witnessed less traffic accidents in the month of December, 2013 compared to that of the previous years.

    He explained that part of the measures deployed to check traffic accidents during the period was the use of mobile courts in various unit Commands of the Corps within the state to try offenders who engaged in conducts that could have led to carnage on the roads.

    In Sagamu for example, 32 offenders were arraigned before a mobile court there for various offences ranging from failure to use seatbelt to using phone while driving.

    While five of the offenders were discharged, acquitted and cautioned 27 others were penalised.

    Adetunji said: “From December 13, 2013 to last day of December, we carried out operation zero tolerance to road crashes. We embarked on motorised patrol operation, we extended our patrol period from 6am to 8pm in the evening. We also put on standby, as usual, what we called rescue team.

    “While those on patrol go to bed, we also have the standby patrol team who were  always ready to move in at anytime for any emergency call.

    We did Mobile Court enforcement in our commands in Ogun State where many offenders were penalised while some were discharged.

    “We also embarked on aggressive public enlightenment. We went to churches, mosques, garages not only to the drivers but also to the passengers, to let them know that they should not leave their safety in the hands of drivers alone because for any vehicle, you have one driver to about 14 passengers, one family to about 14 families if any driver is misbehaving on the road, they should diplomatically caution him but if you try to caution him aggressively, it could lead to another thing.

    “We also carried out pre – trip inspection, we go to garages and check all the loaded vehicles before proceeding for the planned journey. How good are those vehicles, and you could see some of the vehicles, their tyres are bad some have mechanical deficiencies and we called the parks managers and let them know that such vehicles were  not fit to embark on the journey.

    “We advised and insisted that the vehicle be changed for the passengers and they did oblige us because a vehicle that is in improper shape is crash – prone.  We did ‘beyond the road’ exercise where we go to garages along with our medical personnel to check the drivers and to know their blood pressure (BP) status and sugar level.

    “Most of them do not go for medical checkup and you would be surprised that most of them had high BPs. If you are hypertensive and drive, anything can happen. Any slight shock, the effect would tell on you as a high BP person.

    “Our medics checked them and referred them to the appropriate hospital to get medications, those that have high sugar level in their blood were also referred to the appropriate place. All these were done to ensure that the health of the drivers is in good shape.

    “As we advise them to manage their health well, we also advise that they take care of their vehicles. If you are tired, rest and if you are weak to embark upon a trip, let another person go. These were the things we put in place to reduce road traffic crashes in the state. And to some extent, we had crashless period in December during the yuletide.”

     

  • Warning for vehicle owners

    The Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands have warned owners of vehicles abandoned at Owode Onirin, Ipakodo-Ikorodu and Ago Okota police stations to remove them or lose them to the public through auctions 21 days after this publication.

    The vehicles are: Peugeot 406 TDU100AA, Honda Accord EJ712SMK, Honda Accord MUS564QA, Toyota DX BG575MK, Faragon bus YE653KJA and Toyota Camry LX418AAA

     

  • No room for criminals

    No room for criminals

    In Ogun State crime rate has dropped palpably. In the last quarter of the year, particularly in the month of December, there were no reports of violent crimes – bank robbery, murder, car snatching, shoplifting burglary, highway robbery among others.

    And save pocket of cases of assault and stealing and kidnapping of former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Dr Jasper Peter Akinola, Ogun State may be said to have enjoyed crime – free December.

    Akinola who is the immediate past Head of the Anglican Church and also ex – President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) was kidnapped along with his daughter and driver last December 24 opposite the entrance of the Peter Akinola Foundation Centre for Youth Industrial Training at kilometer 10 near Obada – Oko along Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway around 3pm but the Police rescued them unscathed seven hours later .

    Even the Bankers’ Committee in the state acknowledged that the waves of crimes have subsided significantly during their end-of-year Dinner and Awards’ night in Abeokuta compared to what obtained in previous years where banks operating in Ijebuland, Sagamu and Ilaro area of the state literary closed shops for weeks while GTBank locked its Ijebu – Ode branch for almost a year.

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch Controller, Abeokuta, Mr Adewale Joawo, who acknowledged this, said the resolve of the State government and the security agencies regarding provision of adequate security within the state and the “resultant reduction in the crime rate,” had afforded the banks the enabling environment to carry out their mandate uninterrupted.

    Joawo then  urged the Governor, Senator  Ibikunle Amosun to “sustain the effort” while the Bankers’ Committee conferred an Award of Excellence on the Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye, for efficient policing of the state.

    Explaining the reduction or drop in crime rate in the state in the last one year, particularly during the yuletide, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun, Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, ascribed the development to the commitment of the Police leadership and the management in the state coupled with the help of the state government in providing logistics support.

    Adejobi said: “Crime rate usually goes up every December but what we have in Ogun State now is far better off than what we had last year. It is far, far better off and it is what people can see because save petty crimes such assault and stealing which one cannot ordinarily eradicate in its entirety, there is no record violent crime either bank robbery, robbery, even the ATM robbery attempt at the premises of Crescent University was foiled, one person was arrested, the only major one was the kidnapping of the Rev.(Dr) Jasper Peter Akinola but he was later rescued along with his daughter and driver.

    That is another example to let you know that the crime rate had not gone up here.

    “Things that have helped us to keep the crime rate quite low is the leadership of the police in the state – the Commissioner, Ikemefuna Okoye and the management team, are accessible, intelligent and full of initiatives, they think of things and make sure we have adequate  security arrangement in the state.

    “The leadership qualities they have, they have been able to penetrate all strata of the society starting from other security agencies.

    “The CP heads the monthly security forum including the state’s traffic agency where they brainstorm on effective policing of the state. He relates well with members of the society, the CP believes in community policing, he goes to the grassroots to meet the village heads and by this, people have come to see the police as accessible people.

    “It has corrected the erroneous impression that the police are hostile people, people feel more comfortable relating with the Police. This is boosting our robust intelligence driven policing. People now see giving police vital information as part of their civic responsibility. It is this information giving by the public that helped the rescue efforts on Dr Akinola.

    “Police relate with the state government for effective use of equipment and facilities, deploy and supervise men to man strategic places for desired result.

    The Police Public Relations department programmes sensitizing and educating the public on the right step to take to either prevent crime or fight it are also working.”    On the kidnapped and rescued former Primate of the Anglican Church, Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told The Nation that passers-by alerted the police few minutes after the kidnapping act was carried out, adding that the police are still searching for the suspects and the vehicle belonging to Akinola.

    Adejobi said:” Passersby alerted us about five minutes after the crime, the caller said Baba has been kidnapped now, now. In fact I may say I was the first to be contacted. It is not up to five minutes the Baba and the vehicle were taken away that a call came. The information started spreading, everybody including the Commissioner of police moved to ensure that Baba is rescued alive.

    “ I know that the target of the suspects will be the border so, I quickly  informed the people at the border, I told Federal SARS, I told the state SARS, I notified the  FIIB at the border, DPO in Idi Iroko, DPO in Imeko and  Area Commander in Ilaro.

    “These are the places where you have border towns, I told them what was happening. A man on his own came and gave us information about the details of the vehicle.

    “Fortunately for the Police, when they (suspects) got to a point they started firing, the police now concluded that they were the suspects but the police were mindful of the fact that Baba might be inside the vehicle and should the police fire, it could turn out to be fatal and useless rescue operation.

    “Maybe the suspects thought the road was not safe and of course, their informants on bike they planted along the way had notified them the Police were everywhere, that was how they decided to abandon Baba between one police point and another, we knew they were moving towards the border, they abandoned the driver and daughter in another location.

    “We believed they may not have crossed the vehicle to neighbouring country of Republic of Benin because of the tight security mounted around the area. Whatever be the case we are still looking for the vehicle. Our operation discovered Baba and picked him. They started moving and later another team discovered. Baba’s daughter and the driver and brought them to Abeokuta.”

  • On the Ogun Home-owners charter

    SIR: The era of demolition of properties and houses in Ogun State has become a thing of the past with the newly introduced “Homeowners’ Charter Initiative”.

    Under the programme, owners of eligible properties built without the required approvals or illegally built on land belonging to Ogun State will be given a window of opportunity to obtain Building Plan Approval, Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) or other title documents. All penalties and fines are being waived and the documentation requirements have been relaxed; fees are also discounted to enable as many residents as possible to benefit.

    The consequences of building without approval are extremely serious for the people affected as well as government and many homeowners are now regretting their decision; not only are the properties so constructed illegal but the uncontrolled development of properties create unplanned areas devoid of essential infrastructure such as  water, schools, health facilities and road services.

    Owners of such illegal property have now found themselves between the proverbial “devil and the deep blue sea”. They are unable to process ownership documents such as Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) since Building Plan Approval is a pre-requisite for such, the fines payable for building without approval make the process unaffordable for many who now wish to regularize. In addition, those who have built on government owned lands live with the uncertainty about government intentions and, therefore, have no means of regularizing their status.

    Without documentation, thousands of property owners are unable to prove legal ownership of their property, such property, no matter how valuable, cannot be offered as security for even the smallest loan. In terms of valuation in sale transactions, Ogun State property is relatively undervalued compared to similar property in neighbouring states. This is a direct consequence of the absence of documentation.  In addition, our courts are regularly inundated with cases relating to property disputes that would be avoided if standard documentation were widely available.

    Homeowners’ charter initiative in the state is an extremely generous offer of Ogun State government to enable homeowners in the state to regularize their properties status, and it is a once in a lifetime offer and it is strongly advised that homeowners in the state should take full advantage of the programme to be self assured of their properties in the future.

     

    •Ademola Orunbon

    Olomore, Abeokuta,

    Ogun State.

  • ‘No money is missing in Ogun’

    The Ogun State government has dismissed reports published by a national newspaper that N11 billion was missing from the tax collected by its revenue consultants.

    In a statement, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Yusuph Olaniyonu said the report was a misrepresentation of what transpired when the Chairman of the State Board of Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS), Babajide Odubanjo, appeared before the House of Assembly on Tuesday to defend the service’s budget for next year.

    The government said total money collected on its behalf in 2012 was N27.1 million and N11.6 million was due to the consultants as commission. It said the consultants were paid N10.9 million after deduction of the five per cent withholding tax and one per cent administrative charge.

    It said: “The Auditor-General’s report quoted in the House attested to the above fact. We wonder where the newspaper got the N11 billion commission and N21 billion total PAYE tax receipt. The figures are fictitious; a clear misrepresentation and inaccurate recording of facts.

    “Contrary to the report in the newspapers, there was no mention of any missing money at the House of Assembly. A legislator asked Odubanjo about the rate paid as commission to consultants engaged to collect tax in border areas and the OGIRS chairman explained that the job given to the consultants was a lot different from ordinary Tax Audit.

    “He said the assignment given to the consultants included identification, enumeration and registration of companies based in Lagos, whose employees reside in Ogun State. The enumerated companies had either been remitting the taxes of their affected employees to Lagos State or not remitting at all. We urge journalists to always seek factual information about the state of affairs, so as not to be misled by mischievous elements.”

  • Police frustrating our fight against criminals, VGN cries out

    THE Commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), Lagos State chapter, Mr. Olusola Olawale, has bemoaned the frustration suffered by his men in the hands of men of the Nigeria Police in the fight to rid the state of armed robbery and other criminal activities.

    He disclosed this when he led a team on a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, at the Assembly Complex.

    Olawale accused the police of allegedly releasing suspects handed over to them by his men, thereby putting officers of the VGN at serious risk.

    He alleged further that after their release, these suspected criminals go after the VGN members who handed them over to the police, killing some and maiming others.

    To buttress his point, he presented gory photographs of the killing of some of his men by these released criminals, some of whom he said were still walking freely on the streets.

    The commandant said the VGN had been hit by seven of such incidents in the past one year.

    Olawale, who led over 60 of the 10,000 officers of his para-military organisation to the Speaker, recalled that it was the men of the VGN in Ogun State who rescued the wife of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly from her abductors, however lamented: “In Lagos State, we have been trying to curb crimes but there is no enabling law to support our operations.

    “So, whoever we arrest, we hand over to the police, but to our greatest surprise, after handing them over, the police release these armed robbers by ways we do not know. And when they come out, they begin to attack our members.”

    He therefore appealed to the Speaker for assistance from the State Assembly, saying some states governments have been encouraging men of the VGN in such states.

    Responding, Ikuforiji said, “Since I have my deputy and other colleagues here, I can confidently tell you that this issue will be looked into. I will also ensure that the House reaches out to other arms of government in the state to look in the direction of your organisation.”

  • Ogun exco honours Mandela

    Ogun exco honours Mandela

    Ogun State Executive Council at its meeting in Abeokuta yesterday observed a minute silence in honour of former South African President, Mr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who passed on at the age of 95.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who presided over the meeting, prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Mandela, describing him as “a colossus who bestrode the African continent and indeed the world”.

    He said the life of the late South African president was one that truly ran its full course and noted that “his 27-year imprisonment in the course of struggle for end of oppression of the blacks by white minority, eventual release from incaceration following the collapse of apartheid and emergence as the first black South African president in a multi-party democracy, are milestone events that will remain indelible in the annals of the world.”

    He expressed the hope that leaders across the globe, especially in Nigeria, would imbibe the sterling qualities of the late former South African president, saying “this is the only way we can truly honour his memory”.