The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oluwarotimi Akeredolu

  • Support our government, Akeredolu urges workers

    Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Tuesday sought workers’ understanding and support to enable his administration serve the state better.

    Akeredolu hailed the workers for the understanding liberally extended to this administration at the most difficult moment, assuring the people that no segment would be left unattended to.

    He said “They (workers) deserve especial mention for the resilience and renewed dedication for optimum service to the people”.

    Akeredolu, who spoke during this year’s May Day celebration entitled: “Labour movement in national development: Dare to struggle, dare to win” held at the popular Gani Fawehinwmi Arcade, Akure, called for the sustained rapprochement between the workers and the state government in his administration’s efforts to meet demands on the welfare of workers and the generality of the people.

    According to him, “I need not remind workers that this administration inherited a huge debt portfolio when it assumed office last year. It is also a notorious fact that a heavy burden of salary arrears of seven months was on the State.

    “We promised to offset all arrears owed. We have been able to keep the promise, partly. Four months out of the seven months’ salary arrears owed has been paid so far. We have paid salaries till date.

    “There has also been a monthly release of N200m to the Pensions and Transitional Department to offset backlog of gratuities of retired public servants who had served this State meritoriously.

    “Pensions are also paid with salaries of workers. These efforts are in fulfillment of our avowed commitment to prioritise the welfare of workers and that of our “senior citizens”.

    “This administration has kept its promise not to encourage partisan politics truncate the careers of deserving public servants. We made a solemn pledge to workers and God that the issue of promotion would be determined on merit. We present our score card today to you and posterity on our performance”.

    Akeredolu recalled that the last time permanent secretaries were appointed in Ondo State Civil Service was in 2012,stressing that there was a lot of disaffection among workers, especially the hard working and committed civil servants whose careers were stagnated.

    He pointed out that there was  frustration as erstwhile juniors were promoted above their senior colleagues in the service on account of extraneous considerations, hitherto unknown to civil service regulations.

    The governor said “This obnoxious practice negated the principles of Equity and Law. We did not stop at mere avowal to uphold the principles of equity and justice. We have appointed 15 permanent secretaries and one tutor-general based on merit.

    “We shall be appointing other deserving career civil servants.“Nobody will suffer persecution under our watch. We will continue to encourage our workers to give their best. We will not relent in ensuring that all interests are protected in the quest for optimum service delivery.

    “This administration has approved the sum of N500m as car loan for civil servants in the state. There is also the Housing Loan which is being disbursed on a continual basis. We shall keep to our promise to train and retrain public servants for enhanced performance.

    “May I, at this juncture, state the obvious, ladies and gentlemen. The current state of affairs is depressing. We are far away from our destination, even if we have found the right path.

    “The journey to redemption is arduous, no doubt. All of us must show sufficient commitment to drag the state out of poverty. The practice of near-total dependence on Federal Allocation must change. Other states can afford to be complacent, not our dear Ondo State whose people’s industry contributed immensely to the country’s GDP in the past.

    “It is a tragic irony that some people now refer to our state as a civil service enclave where governance has been reduced, virtually, to payment of salaries, allowances, grants and subventions.”

    Earlier, the state Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) chairperson, Mrs Bose Daramola, praised Akeredolu for prompt payment of workers’ entitlements and being a listening leader.

    She particularly commended the governor for slashing the tuition of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, to affordable amount.

  • Commonwealth: Akeredolu to reward medalists from Ondo

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State says athletes from the state who won medals at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Australia will be rewarded.

    Akeredolu disclosed this during a fund raiser and inauguration of the National Athletics Development Centre by the Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc. ( NSDFI ) on Monday evening in Akure.

    “Going to the Commonwealth and winning medal is not easy, that is what the minister of sports said.

    “If each state had won two medals at the event, the country should have topped the medals table,” he said.

    The coach and athletes to be rewarded are Purity Akuh, a wrestling coach with the State Sports Council and national coach,  Aminat Adekuroye and  Odunayo Adeniyi, gold medal winners as well as  Bose Samuel, a bronze medalist.

    The athletes won medals in the wrestling event at the Games.

    Commenting on the Centre, Akeredolu said the initiative would engage the youths of the state positively.

    The governor noted that the programme was bound to succeed because the money would come from the masses and not government.

    Akeredolu encouraged people of the state and the country at large to key into the programme as it would benefit both the rich and the poor.

    Earlier, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung,  said the funds from the programme would go a long way in  preparing  athletes for the 2020 Olympics.

    Dalung, represented by Mr Ademola Are, Director, Federation and Elite Athlete Department of the ministry, said the programme was a practical example that ‘government cannot do it all’.

    The minister said that a similar programme was initiated in 1994 and before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, urging people to see it as a Nigerian project.

    Read Also: ‘Osinbajo for Ondo MSME clinic Thursday’

    Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, said the programme and community lottery scheme was a partnership between Ondo State Government, Athletics Federation of Nigeria and NSDFI.

    According to Yusuf-Ogunleye, one of the benefits of the partnership was establishment of sports facilities in the three senatorial districts of the state.

    The Director General of NSDFI, Mr Olajide Fashikun, said the launch had a target of raising N900 million for 90 athletes in five sports for the Olympics.

    Fashikun said that the programme only needed 4.5 million Nigerians to donate N200 only in 90 days for the dream to come to reality.

    “For every of the 90 athletes, we shall as a nation give them what it takes to rule the world. The last time we did this was 1994 when our fund supported those preparing for 1996 Atlanta Olympics Games.

    ” We shall repeat the feat. By the last day of July 2018, we want to make sure we have delivered on this task,” he said.

    NAN

  • Akeredolu, El-Rufai make case for Curriculum review

    Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has expresed the need to restructure the education sector as a crucial step towards advancing development across all sectors in the country.

    Speaking at the 4th Distinguished Guest Lecture series of the University of Medical Sciences, UNIMED, Ondo, Governor Akeredolu said education policies should not be guided by political considerations but by serious concerns to accelerate pragmatic and systematic development of the country.

    The governor who is also the Visitor to UNIMED called on all stakeholders in the education sector to use the current challenges as a spring board to catalyze the country to greater heights by moving away from the unprofitable practice of certification which has rendered “thousands of graduates unemployable and helpless”.

    While emphasizing that education should be the veritable key to socio-economic development, Akeredolu agreed that the curriculum must be made to address peculiar problems confronting the country.

    He appreciated Governor El-Rufai who he described as a first-class brain for sharing his thoughts at the Distinguished Guest Lecture series of UNIMED.

    Akeredolu used the opportunity to assure that his administration’s policy on education will positively affect the present and future generations and its performance indices will be made manifest for all to appreciate.

    Delivering the 4th Distinguished Guest Lecture, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai who is the Governor of Kaduna State said for the Nigeria Education System to be reformed and made impactful to engineer development, the National Policy on Education was due to be overhauled.

    He said his state was already taking some steps in that direction.

    El-Rufai noted that the target of education should be knowledge acquisition driven by quality, based on Information Communication Technology, ICT, and not mere certification.

    According to him, teachers must be motivated to impact knowledge, while the school environment must be made conducive for teaching and learning process to be seamless.

    The governor who spoke on the topic ” Transforming Nigeria’s Educational System: Looking Back and Looking Forward, suggested the adoption of first degree as the minimum qualification for teaching in Nigeria as against the use of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).

  • Workers hail Akeredolu on reforms in Ondo Electricity Board

    Recent reforms introduced by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in the Ondo State Electricity Board (OSEB) have been applauded by workers in the establishment.

    They described the development as appropriate.

    The workers while welcoming the new Acting General Manager, Engr. Stephen Fadoju to his office said the new changes would enhance their performances in discharging their statutory duties more than before.

    They assured the governor of their unflinching support, saying “we want to assure Governor Akeredolu of our renewed commitment and unalloyed support. We are ready to deliver to schedules on the key plans for electrification of Ondo State.”

    Read Also: Akeredolu hails plan to upgrade airport

    Speaking Fadoju’s appointment, who succeeded Engr. Julius Adeloye as General Manager in the past nine years, the Chairman,  Workers Union, Abidakun Emmanuel said it would catalyze the exploits of the establishment having been familiar with the terrain.

    He also promised that they would give him full support to succeed in his new office.

    According to him,”We the entire staff of OSEB pledge our support and we shall re-double our effort to ensure that the organization succeed under your leadership,”

    In his reaction, the new Acting GM appreciated the Governor for the opportunity given him to serve.

    He promised to do all within his power with the cooperation of all members of staff to improve on the performance of the establishment.

  • Ondo: 110,000 pupils to benefit from Home Grown School Programme

    The Ondo State Government says over 110, 000 pupils will benefit from the Home Grown School Feeding Programme which took off on Monday.

    Mrs Olubunmi Ademosun, Special Adviser to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Multilateral and Inter Governmental Affairs, made the disclosure in an interview with the newsmen on Tuesday in Akure.

    She revealed that 1,500 cooks had been mobilised across the 18 local government areas of the state for the programme.

    “Environmentalists have also been trained and mobilised to ensure that the food are prepared in hygienic way.

    “110,000 Primary 1-3 pupils across the three senatorial districts of the state will enjoy the free daily feeding.

    Read Also: Ondo: Abraham’s men allege threat to life

    “I must commend President Buhari for this initiative that will not only alleviate the burden of parents, but also increase the nutritional status of children.

    “We pledge one hundred percent support for the success of this programme,” the governor’s aide said.

    Ademosun assured that all government machinery have been mobilised to ensure the success of the programme.

    The newsmen reports that a technical team from the Office of Vice President Yemi Osibajo had held a two-day strategic stakeholders’ meeting on the project in June 2017, preparatory to its take off in the state.

    NAN

  • Provide succor to Nigerians, Methodist Church begs Buhari

    Delegates to the 30th Annual Synod of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Diocese of Owo, Ondo have called for Christians active participation in politics and governance.

    They faulted the impression that politics is a dirty game,stressing that it would remain so if spiritually enlightened minds were not involved in polity.

    Besides, the synod pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to provide relief on the present hardship in the country.

    Delivering his address at the Methodist Church,Isure-Idoani in Ose local government area,the Diocesan Bishop, Revd Solomon Adegbite urged Christians in politics to make the difference, rather than messing up the name of Christ and the Church in political arena.

    The Synod noted that God gave Nigeria everything except leadership, stressing that it had been the bane of development in the country.

    The Church lamented that most political leaders were only mindful of themselves and their families to the detriment of those being led.

    Rev Adegbite said” as things are we have not had it rosy, the common man on the streets cannot afford three square meals, it baffled recently that some hungry Nigerians were exhuming chicken buried at a site by the custom officers.

    “The situation has gone so bad in Nigeria where we are blessed with Natural Resources in an unprecedented measure, this boils to bad leadership.

    “Security challenge has become part of our daily routine, herdsmen are on rampage everywhere and much is not being done to curb their wanton destruction of lives and property all over Nigeria”.

    The Church called for reinforcement of principle of Federal Character in the distribution of offices, saying there was no area in the country deprived of competent hands in any field of endeavor.

    It urged eligible voters to secure their voter cards and ready to vote in 2019, stressing that the umpire on election matters should remain unbiased and ensure that every vote counts.

    The Synod observed that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s administration in the past one year had ushered in more dividends of democracy in term of developmental projects.

    This, it noted, particularly in prompt payment of salaries, urging the state government to sustain the tempo and ensure that no project is abandoned.

    The Diocesan Lay President, Oladapo Olawoye highlighted various challenges facing the Diocese, stressing that the national and global economic downturn currently being experienced in the country was affecting them.

    He recalled that the Synod last year recommended a viable economic blueprint for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) modalities to put an end to existing practice where Development funds in the Circuits would be used to pay Assessment.

  • ‘Save us from ‘Cannabis Cultivators’ in Ondo’

    Timber farmers in Ondo state have accused some government officials  of aiding Indian hemp cultivation.

    A petition written to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu through one of the victims, Mrs Adenike Adeolu, who was allocated Compartment 124 Akure/Ofosu Forest Reserve, alleged that some government officials were bent on destroying her business.

    It was learnt that already, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)Zone 11,Osogbo and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) had sent an investigative team to know the veracity of the allegation.

    Adeolu, said to have been in the business legally for more than 22 years, hinted that some persons (names withheld) were arrested in 2014 and made to sign an undertaking to stop Indian hemp plantation in the reserves.

    Besides, she petitioned the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ondo State command, and reporting one Mrs Funmilayo Fayeun of planting and harvesting the illicit substance on her compartment.

    She pointed out that some government functionaries that called themselves “Commissioner boys,” guarded by security agents, often raid the forest to destroy and extort the farmers, collecting huge amount of money from them.

    According to her “These people storm the reserves and get as much as N500, 000 from the timbre farmers. And this money is not remitted into the state government’s purse.”

    She lamented that several complaints had been made to government agencies, ministries and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, Pastor Akin Olotu, for assistance.

    It was learnt that the Association of Olus and Baales Ala/Akure Ofosu Forest Area had sent a “Save our soul” plea to the governor on February 28, lamenting that those government functionaries were rubbishing his people-centred policies.

    Adeolu, who vehemently opposed Indian hemp plantation in the reserves, said she had been the target of the illegal dealers, who influenced government officials to persecute her due to the inducement received from the former.

    According to her, “I was banned unjustly through a stop work order, preventing me from doing my legal business just because I resisted the plantation of cannabis on the farmland which we inherited from our fore-fathers.”

    He said the woman farmer leveled wrong allegations against the ministry to cover up all her illegal activities since she started the business.

    Adeolu however warned that the action of the government will have multiple effects on the society, stressing that if the forest is allowed to be destroyed by the criminals, the teeming youths who get legal means of livelihood therein would storm the streets.

    The aggrieved timber merchant shown the “Stop Work Order” paper from Ministry of Natural Resources, dated 21/03/2018 to our correspondent and alleged she was being victimized with trump-up charges.

    She lamented that her business worth millions of naira were rotten away in the forest‚.

    Mrs Adeolu urged Akeredolu to call his aide, Lawal and others who hide under government to give order, warning that the plantation of cannabis would not deplete the forest.

  • Ondo, NIMASA to develop waterways

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Thursday expressed the readiness of the state government to partner the Nigerian Maritime and Aviation Safety Agency ( NIMASA ) to develop the waterways in the state.

    Akeredolu, who  made this known in Akure during a courtesy visit to him  by a delegation from NIMASA,  said the waterways could serve as another major  means of travel in Nigeria.

    He said that the waterways in Nigeria had suffered a lot and were mostly clogged with water hyacinth, urging that  something could be done to clean them.

    “When the water hyacinth is properly harvested, it could be used for something else, even for biogas,” he said.

    Akeredolu further said the time had come to have a proper department for  maritime studies.

    “Most boats in our coastal areas were built by our people. They have mastered that art, they have skills and we can tap into it,” he said.

    Earlier, Rotimi Fasakin, Executive Director (Operations) of  NIMASA, said the visit was to leverage on the state’s efforts to make the waterways pollution-free.

    Fasakin said the visit was also to sensitise people in the riverside  areas  on security and adequate management of maritime space.

    He also promised to work on the possibility of making the  Araromi-Lagos route a reality  to enhance transportation on the waterways.

    “All these are geared toward making our impact felt in a larger dimension.

    “Ondo State constitutes a large portion of Nigeria’s expansive coastline, so it’s important that the state should be able to exploit the resources of the marine environment,” he said.

    NAN

  • We are in financial predicament – Ondo Assembly

    The Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to bail it out of financial mess.

    It lamented the harsh situation of the hallowed chambers.

    The lawmakers at a plenary session observed that the situation had got to a stage where they used papers to fan themselves due to enormous heat occasioned by lack of stable electricity and funds to power generators.

    They emphasized that they were financially handicapped, stressing that they could not spend without the consent of the executives.

    The legislators noted that the financial autonomy of the state of Assembly would go a long way in alleviating their financial predicament.

    The Deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji raising a matter of urgent importance, appealed to  Akeredolu to release fund to the parliament in order to embark on constituency projects which they never had been deprived of in the last three years.

    The Minority leader, Sola Ebiwonjumi debunked reports that the state government had procured utility vehicles and gave them constituency funds.

    The Speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun said the little contributions of the lawmakers to their constituencies were from personal efforts through loans.

    Oloyelogun urged the governor to attend to their needs in the interest of true democratic values.

    The Deputy Speaker, Ogundeji in a chat with ‘The Nation’ lamented that since the past three years,the state government had refused to release funds to them to execute projects in their respective constituencies.

    He said” it has got to a stage our people at home are embarrassing us for having nothing to show for our representation in the past three years in the parliament.

    “Former governor Olusegun Mimiko refused to release the fund in two years we spent with him,now we have spent one year with the incumbent Akeredolu’s administration,it is the same problem and we are having only one year left with nothing to show in our respective constituencies.

    “In another clime, lawmakers are provided with utility vehicles the same day they took oath of office,but not in Ondo state, most of our members ride on ‘Okada’ to the hallowed chambers every day,those who can afford to own cars maintain them on their own.

    “We had it as a rumour last year October that the state government had concluding arrangement to provide us utility vehicles, but it has remained a tall dream till now.

    Ogundeji on behalf of other legislators pleaded with Akeredolu to release funds for the projects,which according to him would add glamour to his administration.

    Besides, he urged the federal government and the National Assembly to ensure the passage of a bill in financial autonomy to the 36 State Assemblies to facilitate development.

    Repeated calls made to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA)to the governor and former Speaker, Oluwasegunota Bolarinwa were not responded to as at press time.

  • We are in financial predicament – Ondo Assembly

    The Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to bail it out of financial mess.

    It lamented the harsh situation  of the hallowed chambers.

    The lawmakers at a plenary session observed that the situation had got to a stage where they used papers to fan themselves due to enormous heat occasioned by lack of stable electricity and funds to power generators. 

    They emphasized that they were financially handicapped,stressing that they could not spend without the consent of the executives.

    The legislators noted that the financial autonomy of the state of Assembly would go a long way in alleviating their financial predicament. 

    The Deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji raising a matter of urgent importance, appealed to th Akeredolu to release fund to the parliament in order to embark on constituency projects which they never had been deprived of in the last three years.

    The Minority leader, Sola Ebiwonjumi debunked reports that the state government had procured utility vehicles and gave them constituency funds.

    The Speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun said the little contributions of the lawmakers to their constituencies were from personal efforts through loans. 

    Oloyelogun urged the governor to attend to their needs in the interest of true democratic values.