Tag: Ondo state

Ondo State Government has approved a comprehensive flood mapping exercise across the state as part of its proactive measures to mitigate the impact of climate change and safeguard vulnerable communities from recurring flood disasters.

Speaking to reporters  shortly after the State Executive Council meeting yesterday, presided over by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Tob Loko, said the initiative reflected the state’s commitment to adopting a preventive and data-driven approach to flood management.

“We are not just identifying flood-prone zones; we are also investigating the underlying environmental and structural factors contributing to their vulnerability,” he said.

Loko added that while the government was working to stay ahead of potential disasters, provisions were also being made to support residents who might be affected by unexpected flooding.

“Perfection isn’t humanly possible. If any area is inadvertently missed during the mapping and later experiences flooding, we are considering emergency measures such as temporary relocation and distribution of relief materials,” he explained.

He urged residents, especially those in high-risk areas, to cooperate with government officials as assessments and interventions begin.

In a related development, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Abiola Olawoye, an engineer, has said the State Executive Council has approved N3.5 billion counterpart fund for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) for World Bank-backed rural road projects.

According to Olawoye, the financial commitment underscores Governor Aiyedatiwa’s dedication to improving infrastructure and boosting agricultural productivity across rural communities.

He said the Ministry of Infrastructure had been directed to carry out a comprehensive inspection of roads across 18 local governments to identify those in critical need of rehabilitation.

“As part of this process, engineers will conduct hydraulic designs to evaluate water flow and upgrade drainage systems. We appeal to our people for patience as we focus on building durable infrastructure, not temporary fixes,” he said.

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Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, has announced the approval of two traditional rulers by the State Executive Council.

Prince Olusola Joseph Ajaka has been confirmed as the pioneer Gbogunro of Idi-Ogba Alagbon in Ilaje Local Government, while Prince Isiaka Oseni has been approved as the new Alale of Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government.

Takuro noted that both appointments followed due process and the recommendations of relevant authorities before receiving final approval by the Council.

Commissioner for Information, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said the far-reaching decisions made at the exco meeting underscored the commitment of Governor Aiyedatiwa to the infrastructural development of the state.

Ajanaku urged the people to continue to support the Aiyedatiwa administration, stressing that more developmental projects would soon be rolled out by the government.

Ondo State Government has taken a decisive step in addressing the spike in the cult related activities and kidnapping.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had on July 8 sent two bills to the House of Assembly for consideration.

They are: Bill to Provide for the Prohibition of Unlawful Societies and Cultism in Learning Institutions and Communities across Ondo State, and Bill for a law to provide for the Prohibition of Act of Kidnapping and Abduction.

Debating the two bills yesterday, the House of Assembly agreed that the government should address the menaces head-on.

Speaking on the kidnapping and abduction bill, Mr Olatunji Oshati, (Ose-APC), the Majority Leader of the Assembly, said that the bill captured contents that could address the menace if passed into law.

Oshati moved a motion for the bill to be committed to the Committee of Security and Community Development, Judiciary and Public Petition for proper scrutiny and Mr Nelson Akinsuroju, (Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo – APC) seconded the motion.

Also, Mr Suleiman Babatunde (Akoko-South East-APC) said the bill was long overdue.

Babatunde stated that his constituency was noted for kidnapping being a border area with Edo.

According to him, if the bill is passed into law, there will be respite for the constituency.

Similarly, Mr Olatunji Ifabiyi, (Odigbo 1- APC) asked the committee involved to swift to action and scrutinise the bill for speedy passage.

Mr Stephen Abitogun, (Akure South 2-APC), said that the bill if passed, would speed up prosecution on kidnapping and abduction, stating that it would address abetting and aiding of kidnapping and abduction.

Abitogun added that the bill also provided for penalty for anybody that had knowledge on kidnapping and abduction, and kept same to himself.

He said that all hands must be on deck so that the society could be set free from claws of kidnappers.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Olamide Oladiji, commended the governor for the bill, stating that the bill provided for forfeiture of any property linked to kidnapping and abduction

Oladiji asked his colleagues to support the bill so that people of the state could have a secured living.

He, therefore, asked the committee to submit its report on or before Aug. 15 for consideration.

In this vein, the House of Assembly committed the bill on prohibition of cult related activities to the committee stage.

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The speaker explained that the bill if passed, would ensure sanity and sanctity in higher institutions across the state.

Oladiji urged other lawmakers to sensitise their constituents on the bill, asking parents and guardians to caution their children and wards to avoid being members of cult groups.

Earlier, Mr Toyin Japhet, (Akoko North-East) said that the menace of cultism could not be over emphasised because of its negative impacts on the society.

Japhet stated that it was worrisome that institutions were grooming criminals through cultism, adding that the bill if passed would serve as deterrent and reduce intimidation and harassment on campuses.

He said it was sad that almost every community had cult groups threatening innocent citizens, saying the provisions of the bill when passed would caution intending cultists.

Mr Stephen Abitogun, (Akure South 1-APC), said that the bill should be of interest to all residents of the state, decrying the spread of the cultism menace into primary and secondary schools.

The speaker, therefore, asked the Committees on Judiciary, Education, Tertiary Institution and Security to scrutinise the bill and make the report ready on or before Aug. 20.

Oshati moved a motion for the bill to be committed to the committee stage, while Fatai Atare, (Akoko North-West 1-APC) seconded the motion.

The plenary was adjourned to Wednesday, July 23.

Assembly of Traditional Religion Worshippers (ATRWOS) in Ondo State, under leadership of Araba Oso (Araba Iwaro Oka-Akoko), has hailed Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye III, for his majestic advocacy for constitutional recognition of Isese, the traditional religion of their ancestors.

A statement at the weekend by Publicity Secretary, Prince Adeyinka Ojopagogo, said: ‘’Your royal voice has thundered with ancestral wisdom and divine conviction, echoing across Yorubaland and beyond. You have rekindled the sacred flame of our heritage, given honour to the gods of our land and restored dignity to the custodians of tradition.

“In an age where modernity often silence the spirituality of our forebears, you have stood like Oranmiyan, fearless and regal, calling for justice, inclusion and identity for the Isese faithful — in the spirit of truth (Otito), fairness (Ododo) and balance (Iwa).

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“Your words are not just royal proclamations; they are also historic declarations that shall awaken consciousness, spark reforms and remind the world that the root cannot be forgotten without the tree withering…’’

“As we chant Kabiyesi o!

We declare: Olowo ti s’oro, Oke ti gbo!

‘’The ancestors are pleased, and the children of Isese are uplifted! May your reign continue to be long, luminous and legendary.

“May Olodumare and the Orisa continue to guide your steps. Congratulations on your emergence as the chairman of Ondo State Traditional Council.’’

…it’s sad moment for us, AAUA students 

The two missing students of the Ondo State owned Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Andrel Eloho Okah, and John Friday Abba, have been found dead. 

The corpses of Okah, of the Department of History and International Studies in the Faculty of Art and Abba of the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Agriculture at the state university, were found over the weekend. 

The sad development occurred three weeks after the duo were declared missing from the institution by their coursemates.

The concerned colleagues had begun a search for the duo a week after they failed to report for academic activities on campus and subsequently reported to the police. 

A security source who confided in our reporter confirmed the death of the two undergraduate students in a chat on Sunday. 

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“It’s sad to inform you that the two missing AAUA students have been killed by their suspected abductors, and their dead body have been found where they kept them. 

“Some of our men are already on their way to recover their corpses inside the bush at a border town between Akoko and Ekiti,” the source said. 

An impeccable student in the school, who did not want his name mentioned, also confirmed the sad news, saying the university has been enveloped with darkness following the death of the duo. 

“Yes, it’s true. Their corpses have been located inside the bush. It’s sad moment for us as colleagues. There’s darkness everyone as i speak, people are mourning,” he said. 

Olayinka Ayanlade, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, promised to get back when contacted over the development. 

The Nation had reported that the whereabouts of the two undergraduate students, who are both in their second year [200L] in the state owned university, had become a mystery. 

Worried by the grim possibilities, the relations of the two students had reportedly began a frantic search for the duo and also reported the matter to the law enforcement agencies.

Medical doctors under the National Association of Government General and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) in Ondo State have embarked on a three-day warning strike, crippling activities in government-owned health facilities across the state.

The strike, which commenced on Monday, is in protest against what the doctors described as the “gross neglect of the health sector and welfare of medical practitioners” by the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

In a joint statement issued in Akure, the State Chairman of NAGGMDP, Dr. Richard Obe, and Secretary, Dr. Adekunle Owolabi, lamented the severe shortage of medical personnel, alleging that some government hospitals operate with only one doctor per local government area.

The doctors also decried an alleged hike in taxation since April 2025 without prior dialogue and condemned the non-payment of salaries and allowances to eight doctors who were recruited in October 2024.

They stressed that working under such difficult conditions without their rightful entitlements was no longer sustainable, warning that failure to address their demands could lead to further industrial action.

“Others include: unpaid hazard allowances for October to December 2023 and January 2024, outstanding promotion arrears from June to December 2024, and salary shortfalls and unpaid allowances for other members

While threatening that the strike would lead to total industrial action in all the government hospitals, the medical doctors demanded immediate action from the Governor Aiyedatiwa-led government to avoid the total shutdown of the state’s health sector.

According to them, parts of their demand include the immediate recruitment of more medical doctors across the 18 LGAs of the state and full payment of outstanding salaries, arrears, and statutory allowances.

“The reversal of the new tax regime, payment of outstanding salaries and allowances for newly employed officers and payment of owed hazard allowances and settlement of promotion arrears for eligible members,” they added in the statement.

The striking doctors, however, warned that failure to address these pressing issues and demands during the warning strike would result in further widespread consequences for the state’s fragile health system.

Read Also: Ondo doctors begin 14-day warning strike‘

The NAGGMDP had earlier issued a 14-working-day ultimatum to Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to address the challenges in the state health sector, but noted that it was ignored by the state government.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, said the state government was already addressing the challenges raised by the medical doctors.

“We have started paying the arrears because the governor has given an instruction that the funds be paid, and we are going to address their challenges.

“On the issue of shortage. The state government is employing medical doctors, and if they have people that they want us to employ, they should come forward with it.

“Don’t forget that we put up an advert and we employed the ones who applied. The government can’t manufacture doctors, but we are ready to employ them,” he said. 

The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Federal Government to create a special fund to tackle the menace of erosion in Ondo State.

This followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Donald Ojogo (All Progressives Congress, APC, Ondo) on the need for the government to provide relief for victims of the flood disaster ravaging Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State.

In the interim, the House asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief materials to the affected communities and provide shelter for those who were displaced.

 Moving the motion, Ojoho said the flood, which started on July 1, is raging in Ilaje Ese Odo Federal Constituency and has seriously affected many communities in the constituency.

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He expressed concern that the flood has affected 17 out of the 22 electoral wards in the constituency and displaced more than 15,000 people in the area, while nine persons affected by the flood were hospitalised.

 He said victims of the disaster were going through a lot of stress as a result of the flood with many rendered homeless.

He named the traditional Prime Minister(Tarabiritoru) of the ancient Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom as among those displaced.

 He said there was an urgent need for the Federal Government to tackle the worsening situation to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases which may become an epidemic in the area.