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Tag: Ondo state

  • Anglican Communion loses Bishop

    The Bishop of Diocese on the Coast, Church of Nigeria, (Anglican Communion) in Okitipupa Local Government area of Ondo State, Rt. Revd Ebunoluwa Ogunele is dead.

    The Anglican Cleric, it was learnt died on Thursday in Akure, the state capital, after battling with an undisclosed illness.

    A family source confirmed Bishop Ogunele’s death saying” we have lost our beloved Bishop Ogunele. He will be missed in the Diocese, in the community and indeed the Church of Nigeria”

    Read Also: Gunmen kill Akure Anglican Church bursar

    Revd Ogunele, who was consecrated as Bishop of the diocese in June 2002 was born in 1950 in Ilutitun, Okitipupa local government area of the state.

    He is survived by wife, Felicia, and six children.

     

  • Two cyclists crushed to death in Ondo

    A driver, Ayeyi Adegboye, has reportedly crushed two motorcyclists to death.

    The incident happened along Erinje-Okitipupa road, Okitipupa in Ondo State and involved a wine colour Audi car marked KTP 668 RG.

    Eye witnesses who spoke with reporters in Okitipupa on Thursday gave the names of the deceased as Olaniyan Akinmoye and Sola Akinlose.

    Bode Akinmoye, a family member of one the deceased, said although the driver was apprehended by the Okitipupa Police Division, the case was not being handled as required by the law

    He said some powers that be wanted to hijack the case so that the offender is not brought to book.

    His words: “The driver over sped on the highway on that fateful day and crushed two motorcyclists, Olaniyan Akinmoye and Sola Akinlose, to death.

    “The driver has been arrested by the Okitipupa Police but since then, we did not hear anything about the case again.

    “I think some powers that be want to hijack the case so that the offender will not face the law. This is injustice.”

    He said that the deceased were returning from Ode-Erinje when the driver allegedly ran over them.

    Read Also: Be more committed: Ondo APC urges workers

    Efforts to speak with Okitipupa Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Olubukola Abe were not successful.

    It was also learnt that the case has not been charged to court.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph,a Superintendent of Police( SP) however confirmed the incident.

    He said the accused driver was not the one who killed the motorcyclists, saying he only had an accident at a scene different from where the cyclists were killed.

    Joseph said investigations were ongoing to ensure that the culprit was apprehended by the police.

    According to him: “The alleged driver was not a culprit, his car is in our custody but he has been released partially on bail but investigation is still on to apprehend the original culprit.”

    The remains of the deceased were however taken to the Okitipupa General hospital.

  • Illegal cattle market shut down in Ondo

    Ondo state Government has ordered the immediate closure of a Cattle market purportedly opened by a faction of Akure Cattles Dealers Association at Uso, in Owo Local Government Area of the state.

    The commissioner for Agriculture Otunba Adegboyega Adefarati who gave the order also directed the law enforcement officers to arrest anybody or cattle find in the vicinity of the illegal market.

    The commissioner spoke on Thursday at an interactive meeting with the warring factions of the cattle dealers association in his office

    According to Adefarati, it was an affront for anybody or group to set up or establish a market of any sort anywhere in the state talk less of a cattle’s market without the prior knowledge and approval of the authority concerns.

    He said “In the case of Cattle Market or ranch the Ministry of Agriculture has the sole authority in collaboration with its Lands counterpart”.

    The commissioner maintained that setting up an abattoir or cattle’s markets or ranch in the state required some technicalities because of the health and security implications of such actions and not just be done by hunches.

    According to him, the state government cannot allow any other agricultural activities at Ogbese and Uso axis already earmarked for large scale farming because of the volatility of the zone.

    He said before now the Ogbese to Uso axis was notorious for perennial clashes between farmers and herders, settling up a cattle’s market in a volatile zone would further worsen the security situation in the areas as well as in the state.

    Read Also: Ondo varsity shut over students’ protest

    On the grievances of the Hausa/Shau cattle dealers’ faction, the commissioner promised that the government would urgently look into it in order to provide enabling environment for cattle business to thrive in the state

    Earlier, the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Segun Odusanya frowned at the action of the Hausa/Shau cattle dealers’ faction, vowing that government would not hesitate to visit its full weight of the laws on them.

    Read Also: Ondo revitalises cocoa production

    According to him because of the health and security to life and property, government had outlawed and prohibited open and illegal abattoir operations in the state.

    To ensure standard and in line with the best global best practices Ondo state government has established a modern abattoir with full complement and veterinary offices in almost all the Local Government areas of the state which were well staffed.

    Speaking on the essence of the meeting the Director Veterinary Services, Dr Adebayo Ehinmowo, said it was called to provide amicable settlement to the current issue of cattles dealers and market traders.

    Apart from the Ministry officials the meeting was attended by the executives of both factions of the Akure Cattle Dealer Association- Yoruba and Hausa/Shau.

     

  • Be more committed: Ondo APC urges workers

    The All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo State has urged public servants in the state to be more committed to their duties for greater development.

    The party commended the State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for promoting harmonious working relationship between the government and its members.

    A statement by its spokesman, Alex Kalejaye said the party regarded the State workforce as the pillar on which implementation of government policies rest.

    It therefore called for more sincerity and further commitment on the part of the workers to ensure the public derived maximum benefits from such policies.

    Read Also: Abe: I remain committed to APC

    The party assured that the APC would never shy away from supporting quality welfare package for the workers, believing that no government can succeed without the effective cooperation of its workforce.

    According to the statement “It is for this reason that Ondo State Government is among the first few states to announce its willingness to consider implementation of the new minimum wage.

    “We congratulate the State NLC on its recent election, and emergence of a new dynamic team, under Comrade Sunday Adeleye, to pilot the affairs of the chapter.

  • Ondo revitalises cocoa production

    Efforts are being intensified to ensure that Ondo State regains its glory as largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria.

    To this end, the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been resuscitated with the inauguration of new executive officers.

    In the recent past, the association had played important role in cocoa production, marketing and processing before it became moribund as a result of several factors.

    Observers said the decision of the stakeholders to revive the association was not only apt but timely in view of stiff competition faced by the state against other cocoa producing states.

    At the premises of the farmers’ congress in Akure, the state capital recently, stakeholders from the 18 local government areas elected new officers to run the affairs of the association. Consequently, a retired Director of Produce in the Ministry of Agriculture and currently, a consultant on cocoa development and processing, Dr Akinola Adeboye emerged as its Chairman.

    Speaking after the inauguration, Adeboye lamented the retrograde situation of the association and vowed to change the narrative.

    Adeboye, who said Ondo State produced 250,000 tons of cocoa in the past as against 100,000 tons it produces currently, promised to affect the value chains through international partners.

    While appreciating the school feeding programme of the Federal Government, Adeboye  called for  inclusion of pure cocoa drink into the feeding programme as, according to him, cocoa drink contains  best nutrients for overall development of children.

    He also urged Nigerians to develop interest in consumption of cocoa drink, saying “we should consume what we produce “.

    The National President of the Association was represented by Evangelist Joshua Oyedele who performed the swearing-in of the new officers.

    Other Officers elected were Olofinshawe Isaiah as Vice-Chairman, Ibitoye Ezekiel, Secretary and Olufemi Falayi as Treasurer, among others.

  • ‘Why I burnt my wife, eight family members’

    Ondo State Police command has arrested 45- year-old Deji Adenuga said to have burnt his wife and eight other family members to death in Okitipupa

    The suspect was paraded to reporters by Commissioner of Police, Mr Undie Adie at the command’s headquarters in Akure on Tuesday.

    Adenuga confessed to the crime, saying he burnt the house where the parents of his wife lived and killed eight persons.

    The suspect was one of the ex -convicts that escaped from Olokuta Prison after a jail break in 2013.

    According to him, he had in 2003 killed his first wife after she allegedly went away with N450, 000 belonging to him.

    On why he took the decision to burn the family of his wife to death, he said his wife aborted his four- month pregnancy and took away some of his personal belongings to her parent’s house.

    The arrested arsonist hails from Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

    He said he was ready to face the consequences of his action.

    His words: “I have no regret killing them because when they did their own nobody punished them.

    “I took the decision to set their house ablaze when it became clear that my wife had moved to her parent’s house with some of my belongings.

    Read Also: Apostle Philip Ilesanmi, wife, others awarded Doctorate Degrees

    “We had little altercations at home and she moved out of the house.

    “I was the one paying their house rent and I was also responsible for their day-to -day living. I am a palm wine tapper and I always live up to expectation both at home and at my in-law’s house.

    “My wife’s parent always asked for money from me and food stuffs and I always oblige”.

    Adenuga said he waited for months thinking that the family will rescind their decision but to no avail.

    According to him: “I also reported the matter to the Police but they did not take any action. I therefore decided to set their house ablaze for my belongings in their custody to be destroyed but they were also burnt.

    Adie, who assured that the suspect would be charged to court, said he was arrested in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State where he relocated to after committing the heinous crime.

    The police chief said his command would also investigate the case of murder that earlier led to his imprisonment and the magic he used to escape from the prison custody.

  • Ondo varsity shut over students’ protest

    Students of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa, have been directed to vacate the institution’s premises for two weeks following their protest over increase in school fees.

    Mr Felix Akinusi, the institution’s Registrar, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Okitipupa, that the two weeks began from April 30 to May 15.

    The Registrar said the institution’s management took the decision in order to restore peace on campus and for the protest not to escalate.

    He added that the the management was initially not aware of the cause(s) of the protest, but later dialogue‏ with the students without success.

    Read Also: Fear grips Ondo community over ritual killings

    “We later gathered that the students are protesting over school fees, this should not be an issue because it was agreement we reached since 2017.

    “We try to talk to them to stop the protest and maintain peace but they did not listen.

    “The management have officially shut the institution for two weeks and students are advised to vacate the campus,” Akinnusi said.

    NAN reports that the students had on Monday barricaded the Okitipupa-Igbokoda Road, disrupted academic, administrative and commercial activities on the campus and area.

    NAN learnt that the students were protesting the decision of the management to retain the fees between N150, 000 and N200,00 which they paid last year.

    NAN

  • Delta Ijaw community protests effect of well-head fire on people’s health

    The people of Polobubo (Tsekelewu), an Ijaw community in Warri North council area of Delta state have raised the alarm over the health and ecological hazard that an ongoing fire on a well-head in their community is now posing to their lives.

    The community, who raised the alarm during a peaceful protest carried round the waterlogged community on Sunday evening, also called on the federal government to prevail Chevron Nigerian Limited (CNL), the operator of the Ikpalakpala-bou well-head, not to set off another round of ethnic crisis between them and their Ilaje neighbours in Ondo state.

    The Nation gathered that the Ikpalakpala-bou well-head had been on fire as well as spewing gas into the atmosphere sing April 18, 2019, a situation which the leaders of Polobubo community claimed had resulted into a number of health cases and shortage of consumable water.

    Perhaps, the most heated of the issues raised by the current fire was the confusion the community claimed the oil company had generated over the ownership of the land where the facility is located. According to them, Chevron had addressed well-head in a letter sent to the community as Ojumale, name of a community in the neighbouring Ondo state.

    Addressing journalists during the protest, some of the leaders of the community, including the Secretary-General of Polobubo National Council, Mr. Midwest Kukuru; Chairman of Polobubo Oil and gas Committee, Deacon Ologun Azikboro; and the Secretary of Polobubo Bloc Youths Executive, Comrade Markson Aboh, all called on government to swiftly intervene before situations go out of control.

    According to Azikboro, Chevron is about sparking the sort of communal crisis that has been experienced in Ogoni land in Rivers state, saying Polobubo people would never allow their land be ceded to another community, adding that failure of Chevron to act now could lead to the shutting down of its operations in the area.

    “We will never agree to that because that place is known as Ikpalakpala-bou well-head, which belongs to Tsekelewu and Opuama communities and I can recall that this is the third incident on that well-head this year and Chevron has yet to close them out. We say a newspaper publication last week Wednesday in which a particular community is claiming to own that well-head.

    “I want to use this medium to inform the whole world that Chevron is at the verge of causing another communal crisis and if this happens, it will not do us good and Chevron will live to regret it. This is the same kind of crisis that Shell caused in Ogoniland, but we will never allow it. We will never allow our land to be ceded to another community.

    Read Also: Police foil kidnap attempt in Delta

    “The boundary adjustment cases are there, we have a lot of historical facts to prove that that place belongs to us. Chevron should address this issue once and for all. They should also address all the ecological hazards that have come with this incident of well-head fire, else we are going to shut down their operations and activities in this area”, he said.

    Speaking on the health hazard now posed against the community, Comrade Markson Aboh said “we are calling on both government and Chevron to wade into this situation, as a matter of urgency; they should send relief materials to the people of the community because our people are really facing health issues right now. At some point we had to announce to the people of the community to stop drinking and using rain water for consumables for the time being”.

    Also speaking of the efforts by the community to ascertain the level of damage and to get the company to set records straight on some grey areas, the Secretary of the Polobubo National Council, Mr. Kukuru said the community’s efforts had so far been rebuffed by officials of the company on site.

    “We were trying to access the place today, but the Field Security Officer (FSO) of the company refused us access to the place and we wonder why. We had been earlier told that the fire had been controlled, but when we got there we discovered that it is very much on. At the site they completely refused us to gain access to the place.

    “This fire has been on since 18th of this month and our community solely relies on rain water for consumption, this emission is already killing us. Our people use the rain water fetched from their roofs gutters, the roofs on which the soot from the fire as well as the emitted gas must have settled, meaning our people have been drinking polluted water, drinking dangerous chemicals”, Kukuru said.

    Meanwhile, when contacted for the company’s response, spokesman of CNL in Warri said a proper corporate response would soon be made available.

     

  • Fear grips Ondo Community over ritual killings

    There is apprehension in Arigidi,Akoko Northeast local government area of Ondo state following incessant ritual killings in the community,the recent  of  which was that of an octogenarian, Mrs kojusola Mogaji of Imo Quarters,  Arigidi-Akoko who was killed on Thursday night.

    Her death made it number six women to be killed and their breasts removed clinically in the community in the last few weeks.

    Two cases reportedly occurred opposite Ecobank,Ikare, one at Okeagbe Ikare,another at Agbaluku Arigidi with the recent one at Imo Arigidi.

    Sources said anxiety and fear had pervaded the community,as women are afraid of going to churches and mosques for morning  prayer sessions.

    Read Also: Ondo varsity shut over students’ rampage

    Also, people are no more ready to open doors of their houses to anybody knocking for fear of being attacked

    The younger brother of late Mrs Mogaji,who was the latest victim of ritualists at Arigidi-Akoko, Vicent Sunday urged Community leaders in Akoko to rise up to the challenge by organising security summit in Akokoland.

    He urged security agents to beam their search light on Akoko,stressing that nobody is safe from the recent security challenges posed by ritualists.

    The daughter of the deceased, Mrs kehinde Adewumi, a local governnent oficial appealed to the police to unravel the sudden death of her mother.

  • UPDATED: Fire guts five oil wells in Ondo riverine community

    A fire explosion on Thursday consumed five oil wells were in Ajegunle-Ikorigho in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    The oil wells affected by the fire incident include Isan West field, Parable field, Malu field, Ororo field and Opokaba field.

    Sources said the fire incident, which lasted for about two hours destroyed many facilities.

    The fire, it was learnt broke out in Ajegunle community and spread to Ojumole a community located within Ikorigho land where the oil wells are sited.

    It also affected Otumara, Iluayo, Ayeren and Kendo communities all of which fall within Ikorigho land.

    However, the cause of the explosion could not be ascertained as at press time.

    It was not certain whether or not there was any casualty.

    Read Also: Ondo varsity shut over students’ rampage

    Men of the Ondo State Fire Services were reportedly drafted to the scene of the fire incident.

    Two community leaders in Ikhorigo,Chief William Ayerin and Rev Judah Akinyomi lamented that the inferno had been raging for almost one week.

    They urged the federal, state and National Emergency Management Board (NEMA) to rescue residents of the community.

    The community leaders also pleaded with the federal government to impress it on Chevron to provide safety measures for its operation in the community

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Ondo state Command, Femi Joseph, a Superintendent of Police (SP) could not be reached for comment.