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Tag: Ogunlewe

  • Ex-minister Ogunlewe set to quit PDP, join APC

    A former minister of works and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, is on his way out of the party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ogunlewe, a former Minister of Works, confirmed his potential move to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    His son, Moyosore, who was a PDP candidate in the state assembly election held in March has already dumped the party and joined the APC.

    Moyosore announced his resignation from the PDP soon after he lost the elelction.

    The elder Ogunlewe told NAN that he would be joining his lawyer son in the APC within the next 30 days.

    He said he decided to dump the PDP because the party was rudderless and perpetually enmeshed in crisis.

    Ogunlewe said he saw no future in the PDP and that nobody should expect a politician of his status to stay in a house where some leaders are only after their selfish interests.

    The former minister said that issues arising from the governorship election exposed the fact that some people are only after money and not the progress of the PDP in Lagos State.

    He said: “Yes, I am set to leave. My son is already there and he is expecting me to join him. I am leaving in the next 30 days.

    Read also: When will peace return to Rivers APC?

    “You see, for now, there is no chairman in PDP. We don’t have leaders and you don’t expect me to stay in a party that is not stable and with people that lack focus.

    “Look at what happened in the last elections. The supposed chairman of the PDP in the state asked members to vote for the opposition for whatever reason.

    “Is that a party? Should I remain with people like these?

    “What they (PDP) care about is only their selfish interests and not the interest of the party. I am giving the party 30 days’ notice, after which I will leave.

    “I am tired of a party running into one problem or the other, and I tell you, these people can never change.”

    The former minister said that he was also joining APC because he was convinced that the party would zone the presidency to the South West in 2023, apart from being a better-organised party.

    Ogunlewe said he would not want to be left out of any arrangement to give the region the presidency in 2023.

    He said he would be leaving the PDP with his teeming supporters, promising to add value to the APC.

    Ogunlewe was a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) on whose platform he won election into the Senate in 1999.

    He was later appointed minister of works by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

  • Ambode, Ogunlewe honoured at opening of Ikorodu’s ‘Great Hall’

    With a sitting capacity of 1500, the ‘Great Hall’ built by the Oriwu Club of Ikorodu was opened with fanfare yesterday by Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The club described the hall as the biggest in Ikorodu Division and one of the biggest in the state.

    Ambode, a grand patron of the club, said the facility “will be of immense benefit to members, non-members and all the people of Ikorodu.”

    Represented by Physical Planning and Urban Development Commissioner Rotimi Ogunleye, the governor praised the club for empowering the less-privileged, among other socio-economic acts of philanthropy.

    He added: “I’m impressed by the level of passion and commitment demonstrated by the members of this great club towards ensuring that Ikorodu takes its rightful place among the five divisions.

    “This, I believe, is the primary essence of community-based clubs, and for this, the government will always support you. Through your activities, you have continued to complement government’s efforts, particularly in promoting social stability and community development.”

    Ambode pledged to sustain “more than a passing interest in the development of Ikorodu”, in line with the state’s policy “of an all-inclusive government.”

    Oriwu Club President Olukayode Anibaba described the event as historic.

    He praised the governor “for making the project a reality.”

    Anibaba said: “Over 11 years ago, Oriwu Club under the leadership of Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe began the long walk to the realisation of constructing the Great Hall.

    “I had the singular honour of serving in the exco and leading the supervision of the construction team in building the edifice you are seeing today up to the German floor with all the columns in place. I give glory to God almighty.”

    The event featured the presentation of awards to Ambode “in appreciation of his service to humanity,” among others.

    The governor was made a honorary member, but his membership will not take effect until May 29, when his tenure ends.

    A former Minister of Works and ex-Oriwu Club president, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, was also honoured for his service to humanity and contribution to the project’s success.

    The Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, Olubeshe of Ibeshe, Oba Richard Abayomi Ogunsanya and Sekumade of Ipakodo, Oba Basiru Aremu Sotonwa, among others, attended the event.

  • Lagos PDP needs prayers for headway in 2019, says Ogunlewe

    A former Minister of Works and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, has urged party members in Lagos State to pray for peace and unity.

    Ogunlewe, a senator during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, noted that without peace and unity the party would not rise above its present “challenges” toward realising its goal of winning the state in 2019.

    “What Lagos State PDP needs are prayers, prayers and prayers. Members in the chapter should pray together for peace and unity so that the goals of the party can be actualised.

    “Members must particularly unite at this challenging period to get victory in 2019,” the PDP chieftain told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Ogunlewe, who described as unfortunate the recent killing at the party’s rally in Eti-Osa area of the state, said divine intervention was needed to avert a recurrence.

    NAN reports that some hoodlums, on July 21, invaded the party’s rally at Eti-Osa, killing the Chairman of the Apapa chapter of the party, Mr Adeniyi Aborishade.

    The invasion by the hoodlums and subsequent violence followed disagreements among members at the rally.

    The police arrested the State PDP Chairman, Mr Moshood Salvador, and 10 other chieftains and charged them with murder at a Yaba Magistrates’ Court on July 25.

  • FUNAAB: Court strikes out EFCC suit against Ogunlewe, ex-VC

    •Accused discharges, acquitted of wrongdoing

    An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital, yesterday struck out the corruption charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe; the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Olusola Oyewole and the Bursar of the institution, Mr Moses Ilesanmi.

    The court, presided over by Justice Olatokunbo Majekodunmi, also discharged and acquitted the three for the fraud allegations.

    The accused were in court and heard Justice Majekodunmi pronounce their acquittal.

    The judge held that the anti-graft agency failed to establish a prima facie case against the trio.

    The EFCC, in November 2016, charged Ogunlewe, Oyewole and Ilesanmi to court separately and jointly on an 18-count charge bordering on alleged stealing, abuse of office and fraudulent conversion of the university property.

    Ogunlewe was the Pro-Chancellor of FUNAAB and the other two were principal officers of the institution.

    They were arrested by EFCC operatives following a petition by some concerned workers of the university.

    The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court granted them bail.

    Following the arraignment, Ogunlewe announced his resignation as the institution’s Pro-Chancellor, citing personal reasons; Oyewole bowed out on May 23, last year, after completing his five-year tenure as vice chancellor.

    Delivering judgment yesterday in the 18-month-old suit, Justice Majekodunmi held that the EFCC failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt all the allegations against the accused.

    The judge averred that the evidence presented by the prosecution had been manifestly and thoroughly discredited during cross-examination to the extent that the court could not rely on them.

    The judge dismissed the suit for lacking in merit, discharged and acquitted the accused.

  • 2019: Ogunlewe calls for unity in Lagos PDP

    2019: Ogunlewe calls for unity in Lagos PDP

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Adeseye Ogunlewe, has urged members to work together for the progress of the party in the state.

    Ogunlewe, a former Minister of Works, made the call in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    He was reacting to Thursday’s parallel events organised by the Moshood Salvador-led executive committee and another group in the state.

    While Salvador was organsing the party’s general assembly in Ikeja, a group of aggrieved members led by former deputy chairman of the party in the state, Prince Ola Apena, was holding another rally in Ikorodu.

    Ogunlewe said the party would not realise its objective of winning the state in 2019 if members work at cross purposes.

  • PDP group slams Ogunlewe’s backing for Wike

    PDP group slams Ogunlewe’s backing for Wike

    The League of Yoruba Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned former Minister of Works Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe for supporting Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s  ”indecent statement against the Yoruba”

    The Group’s Chairman Dr Adegoke Adaranijo, in a statement yesterday said it received with “dismay and total shock  the unwise pronouncements of Senator Ogunlewe in which he virtually derided his own people by defending Wike who insited on not apologising to the Yoruba  following his derided comment before the PDP’s December 9 national convention.

    The Group said “Wike publicly demeaned our people and our leaders as symbols of failure. “Even when all leaders in the Yoruba nation within the PDP fold had denounced Wike’s utterances as crude, uncouth, virtually uncivil and primitive, Ogunlewe, in his characteristic mischievous manner aligned himself with the traducer of his own people.

    “ Is Ogunlewe happy that our people are being lampooned and dishonoured in the market square? A true born Yoruba person will never partake in this crass idiocy.

    ”Former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba even rose above partisan politics to demonstrate his anger against Wike’s immoral pronouncements. That is the way it should be,” the group said.

    The League demanded an immediate retraction of the defence of Wike by Ogunlewe, saying “at once Ogunlewe should tender a public apology to our people”.

  • Court to try Ogunlewe, FUNAAB VC, Bursar Jan 27

    Court to try Ogunlewe, FUNAAB VC, Bursar Jan 27

    An Ogun State High Court ruled yesterday that the trial of the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), Prof Olusola Oyewole, the Pro-Chancellor, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and the Bursar, Moses Ilesanmi, will continue on January 27, next year.
    The trio was arraigned on November 25 on an 18-count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent conversion of the institution’s funds totalling N409 million.
    They pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court granted them bail of N50 million and two sureties.
    Justice Olatokunbo Majekodumi also announced February 9 and February 10 to determine if the court had jurisdiction to entertain the case or not.
    Ogunlewe’s counsel Wale Adesokan sought to strike out his client’s name from the case, saying the court has no jurisdiction to hear the case.
    But counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Benedict Ubi, opposed the application, insisting that the court had jurisdiction to try the accused.
    “We are opposing the application. They have a case to answer and the accused should face trial rather than dancing round. We have acted strictly based on law and we have not offended the law,” Ubi said.

  • Update: FUNAAB pro chancellor has case to answer – EFCC

    Update: FUNAAB pro chancellor has case to answer – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday told a state High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun state, that the Pro – Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has a case to answer before the court.

    The EFCC, who put forward this position while opposing Ogunlewe’s application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit, said the FUNAAB pro chancellor and other accused persons have a case to answer.

    Ogunlewe, the institution’s Vice – Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole and the university Bursar, Moses Ilesanmi, were last Month  brought by the EFCC before Justice O.O. Majekodunmi on 18 –count charge of conspiracy, stealing and  fraudulent conversion of money belonging to FUNAAB.

    The charges putting included putting amount of money totaling N800m in a fixed deposit account with a commercial bank without following due process and paying the interest accrued from such fixed account into the personal account of private individuals.

    The trio had since pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    At the hearing of the case on Monday, Ogunlewe filed an application, asking the court to quash the case against him.

    He argued that the court lacks the competence to entertain the case.

    Ogunlewe’s counsel, Wale Adesokan, who filed the application, told the court that the application was filed to terminate the trial, and prayed the court to end the trial.

    But lead counsel to EFCC, Mr. Ben Ubi, opposed the application, saying Ogunlewe and others have case to answer.

    “We are opposing the application. They have case to answer and the accused persons should face the trial rather than dancing round. We have acted strictly based on law and we have not offended the law,” Ubi said.

     

     

  • Court picks January 27 for FUNAAB Pro Chancellor, VC’s trial

    Court picks January 27 for FUNAAB Pro Chancellor, VC’s trial

    An Ogun State High Court on Monday picked January 27, 2017 for the trial of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), Pro-Chancellor, Adeseye Ogunlewe, the institution Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole and the Bursar, Moses Ilesanmi.

    The trio are arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N409 million fraud.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Olatokunbo Majekodumi picked January 27, February 9 and February 10, 2017 respectively to determine if the court had the jurisdiction to entertain the case or not.

    Counsel Ogunlewe, Mr. Wale Adesokan, had brought an application seeking to strike out the pro-chancellor’s name from the case, saying the court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case.

    But the counsel to the EFCC, Benedict Ubi, opposed the application, insisting that the court has the jurisdiction to try the accused persons.

  • Court orders Ogunlewe, FUNAAB VC remanded in prison

    Court orders Ogunlewe, FUNAAB VC remanded in prison

    An Ogun State High court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, the state capital, on Friday ordered that the former Works Minister and Pro – Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and the institution’s Vice – Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole be reminded in prison custody pending the perfection of the bail conditions granted them.

    Lead Counsel for Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Mr Wale Adesokan and that of Prof. Olusola Oyewole, Mr Benjamin Ogunmodede secured bail for the duo after long hours of intense legal battle at the court.

    Ogunlewe and Prof. Olusola who were brought to the court in an Air Conditioned fitted Urvan bus marked BWR 633 AT by over half a dozen Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), were arraigned before Justice O.O. Majekodunmi on 18 counts charge.

    The duo were docked by 9:12am for alleged offences bordering on conspiracy, stealing, fraudulent conversion as well as unathorised depositing in a fixed account of funds belonging to FUNAAB in which they pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

    Also docked along with the FUNAAB’s Pro-Chancellor and V.C was the institution’s Bursar, Mr Moses Ilesanmi, who also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Prior to their arraignment on Friday, however, Ogunlewe, Oyewole and Ilesanmi had been kept at the EFCC’s cell at the agency’s Ibadan zonal office since last Wednesday.

    Part of the 18 count charge preferred against the three accused persons included: putting N400m in a fixed deposit account with a commercial bank without following due process, while the interest accrued from such fixed account were paid into the personal account of two private individuals.

    Delivering ruling on the applications for bail, the presiding judge, Justice Majekodunmi O.O granted the duo of Ogunlewe and Oyewole N50m bail each, with two sureties each in like sum.

    The judge, who emphasised that she neither found reason to refuse them bail nor did the prosecution (EFCC) also showed cause why they should not be granted bail, further ruled that there was no evidence before the court to show that Ogunlewe and Oyewole were “habitual offenders.”

    The judge also ordered that the sureties should be landed property owners within the jurisdiction of the court and they are to tender to the court, the title documents of the property, and should also not be lesser than level 15 officers in the Ogun State Civil service.

    The two are also ordered to submit their International Passports to the Court while they should be reminded in the Prison custody pending the perfection of the bail terms.

    But ruling on the third accused person, Justice Majekodunmi ordered that Ilesanmi be reminded in the EFCC’s custody till Monday 28th November when the court would be hearing the bail application filled by his counsel as such was filled late yesterday, Friday.