The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ONDO

  • Land grabber arraigned, gets N2m bail

    Land grabber arraigned, gets N2m bail

    The Ondo State Police Command has arraigned a middle-aged man, Oyeniyi Aro, at the Chief Magistrates’ Court at Odode-Idanre in Idanre Local Government Area, over the forceful invasion and malicious damage of farmlands.

    Aro was slammed with a five-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, forceful entry to a portion of land, and illegal grabbing of land belonging to Akinmade and Akinwalere families.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

    The Police Prosecutor, Omoniyi Lebile, had informed the court that the defendant forcibly entered a farm belonging to the families of Akinmade and Akinwalere in the Idanre community.

    Lebile informed the court that he would be calling five witnesses to prove the offences and consequently applied for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file.

    Counsel to the defendant, Samuel Omomowo, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms, saying the offence is bailable, while assuring the court that the defendant would not jump bail.

    But the Police Prosecutor opposed the application, arguing that the defendant would jump bail, disclosing that the defendant had earlier failed to appear before the police when he was granted administrative bail by the police.

    Lebile told the court that the defendant also refused to honour police invitations and became evasive until the police tracked his phone number before he could be arrested.

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    He further informed the court that after being granted administrative bail by the police   the defendant abused the privilege as he refused to show up on subsequent police invitations until he was tracked down again and charged before the Court.

    Counsel to the families of Akinmade and Akinwalere, O. S. Akintububo, while making his submission, argued that the defendant is a flight risk as he had no known place of abode.

    According to him, when a civil suit was filed against the defendant, to serve him court processes became very difficult as no one knew his place of abode.

    The counsel to the two families noted that the action of the defendant is not only reprehensible but capable of causing communal clashes between Akure and Idanre.

    He explained that  the   defendant  hailed from Osun state but mischievously raised false alarm that the cocoa farmlands of Akinmade and Akinwalere families are located on Akure Forest Reserve which turned out to be false as confirmed by the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources.

     Akintububo urged the court to take into cognisance the interest of justice in considering the bail of the defendant

    However, the court granted the defendant bail of N2million and two sureties in like sum.

    The trial Magistrate said the two sureties must be within the jurisdiction of the court and must swear to affidavit and to submit two passport photographs with means of identification while their houses must be within jurisdiction and to be verified by court’s police orderly.

  • Who is Ondo LP’s candidate?

    Who is Ondo LP’s candidate?

    With less than three months to the governorship election in Ondo State, the Labour Party (LP) is yet to know its flag bearer in the contest. Two persons, Chief Sola Ebiseni and Olorunfemi Ayo Festus are laying claim to the party’s ticket.

    Olorunfemi hails from Ondo North while Chief Ebiseni hails from Ondo South whose zone is believed to be the turn to produce the next governor. Olorunfemi emerged at the party’s primary before the date set for the primary.

    Ebiseni, who lost at the PDP’s primary, later emerged through substitution in August. However, Olorunfemi, whose name has been published on INEC’s portal, has vowed never to step down for Ebiseni.

    At the party’s secretariat in Akure, there was no campaign poster of either Ebiseni or Olorunfemi pasted even though only the campaign poster of Ebiseni is visible across the state.

    Ebiseni subsequently filed a suit at the Abuja Federal High Court and judgment is expected to be delivered on September 27, 2024. Attempts by Olorunfemi to be joined in the suit were rejected by the court.

    In the suit, Ebiseni is seeking a declaration that by the combined effects of Sections 29, 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, the LP is entitled to produce and submit fresh candidates to INEC for the Ondo State governorship election.

    He has asked the court to declare that INEC is obliged to publish his name and Dayo Awude as the party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates, having conducted a fresh primary on July 18, 2024.

    Ebiseni sought an order from the court to mandate INEC to his name and Dayo Awude as the party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively.

    Among exhibits submitted in the court are receipts of N20m paid and received from Chief Ebiseni as Nomination Fees by the Party and another sum of N5m paid by him to Festus Ayo Olorunfemi for expenses as directed by the party.

    Ruling on the application by Olorunfemi to join in the suit as an interested party, Justice Emeka Nwite said, “Being a pre-election, time is of the essence and any truly interested and serious party would have taken advantage of the opportunity provided by the court to be heard.”

    After the parties adopted their processes including some interlocutory applications, Justice Nwite adjourned judgment to September 27, 2024.

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    Speaking in a phone chat, Olorunfemi vowed never to step down for Ebiseni to emerge as the party’s candidate. Olorunfemi accused the Nigeria Labour Congress of formating trouble in the party. He said: “I am the candidate of the Labour Party. Ebiseni should show the substituted primary where he was picked as candidate.

    “The NLC people that followed Ebiseni to Akure are not members of our party’. Let them put his name on the INEC portal. My candidacy is sealed. It is too late for them. They called me severally but I refused. I will soon flag off my campaigns across the state.”

    The Chairman of Ondo LP, Ganiyu Sidikat, said the party would wait for the court’s ruling. Sidikat said Olorunfemi was a surrogate candidate. He said: “Olorunfemi was supposed to be a surrogate. I do not know why he has refused to step down for Ebiseni.”

    To Chief Ebiseni, “I know my place in the Labour Party as a two-time commissioner, member of the 2014 National Conference on the party’s nomination, its Southwest coordinator and member of its presidential legal team to the Supreme Court in the 2023 Presidential election. I have no issue whatsoever with any member or organ of the Party.”

  • Ondo disburses N335m bursary to students

    Ondo disburses N335m bursary to students

    Ondo State Government yesterday in Akure disbursed N335 million as bursary, scholarship and financial assistance to 11,220 students of the state origin.

    Speaking at the event, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa reiterated his administration’s recognition of education as the cornerstone of development.

    Aiyedatiwa said it was noteworthy that his administration had made interventions through policies and programmes embarked upon to improve the quality of education in the state.

    Read Also: Aiyedatiwa swears in new Permanent Secretaries in Ondo

    The governor said the award was not just a financial support to the students, but also a vote of confidence in their abilities to ensure that they got results.

    Aiyedatiwa, who commended parents and guardians of the beneficiaries for their support and sacrifices in nurturing their children and wards, also acknowledged their invaluable roles in the children’s academic journey.

    The governor reeled out some of his administration’s achievements such as regular payments of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) registration fees for all students in public secondary schools across the state.

  • Parents, Ondo govt disagree on free basic education

    Parents, Ondo govt disagree on free basic education

    The concept of the Universal Basic Education is to ensure free education for the first nine years of a child. It extended to the Junior Secondary Schools. However, in Ondo state, parents do not agree that basic education is free. Osagie Otabor, reports

    As school is set to resume in Ondo State, it is brisk business for many carpenters operating within vicinities where Secondary schools are located. 

    This is because pupils entering JS one are expected to bring a desk and a locker or the child would be made to sit on the floor to learn. 

    Checks showed that a set of locker and desk cost N16,000. Besides, the money parents are asked to pay to enrol their children into JS1 put to question the concept of free basic education free in Ondo State especially at the Junior Secondary level? To many parents, education is far from free.

    The 2024 budget for the education sector is about N48bn which represented 12.4% of the total budget. 

    However, desks and lockers have not been provided for the pupils. It is, therefore, a common sight to behold within Akure, the state capital, for pupils to be carrying desks and lockers to school.

    A parent said he had to pay over a N100,000 for his son into one of the public secondary schools in Akure. 

    The money, according to him consist of books, desks and lockers, school uniforms, sports wear and other collectibles such as brooms.

    Read Also: Police receive three drones to fight crime in Ondo, Ekiti

    At the entrance of many secondary schools, many carpenters were seen displaying various lockers and chairs.

    Checks showed that pupils in Ondo Primary school pay N23,000 annually while those in secondary schools pay N43,000 annually. 

    The money is not termed school fees but covered school bus maintenance, computer, Parents Teachers Association (PTA) examination fess, digital platforms, administrative charges, security, medicals, utility amongst others.

    Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Hon Victor Olabimtan, said it was the PTA executives that met with the state and proposed to be paying the money as part of their ways to support educational development.

    Hon Olabimtan insisted that education remained free in the state saying it was the PTA that collects the money and disbursed. He said no pupils are allowed to pay for locker and desk.

    “Any school that collects money from parents for locker and desk or books is doing illegal business. Schools are not supposed to sell books to parents.

    “In the new dispensation, we want to start providing locker and desk for Junior Secondary Schools. We will start supplying furniture in the 2024 action plan of SUBEB. Basic education is totally free in Ondo State.”

    On his part, Ondo State Commissioner for  Education, Science, and Technology, Olaolu Akindolie, said the sum of N3bn has been earmark for renovation of secondary schools across the state. He said parents were not supposed to bring chairs and lockers to schools.

    Akindolie stated that it was not state government policy that parents should pay any fees and vowed sanctions for any school Principal that demanded for money.

    “There is nothing like that. That is not government policy. I have gone round and sensitised parents. Parents are not supposed to bring desks to schools. They should protest to us and we will sanction such Principal.”

    Some parents who spoke after paying the necessary fees declined to mention their names for fear of victimisation.

    They were see at the entrance of some secondary schools in Akure, the state capital, buying desk.

    One of them said, “Education is not free in this state. School fees is N20, 300, uniform is N34, 500, list of books is N39,500. Every thing I paid for my son to enter JS1 is over N150,000. I even bought desk N11,500.

    “Government will say education is free. Education is not free. We buy everything. I am going to the bank to pay the school fees. There is school fees. I do not agree there is free education in Ondo State.”

    Another parent said he had to borrow money to ensure his daughter got enrol into JS1.

  • Police receive three drones to fight crime in Ondo, Ekiti

    Police receive three drones to fight crime in Ondo, Ekiti

    The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 17 comprising Ekiti and Ondo State, Asabi Abiodun, has received three drones to tackle kidnappers and other criminals in both states.

    Asabi described the donation as the greatest gift for the security of lives and properties in the zone.

    He praised the Boing Luxury Estates for collaborating with security agencies to encourage the police zeal for crime fighting and the results achieved.

     “The two States in the zone are doing so much and we just have to deploy these Drones to ensure that we are on top of security so that residents of these states are better protected,” he said.

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    Managing Director of the firm,  Mr. Ory Martins Akinseloyin, who presented the drones, said the gesture was to mark the 10th anniversary celebration of the firm.

    Akinseloyin said there was a need to lend the government a helping hand to tackle insecurity.

    The donor assured that more drones would be donated after six months if the beneficiaries used available ones judiciously.

    He noted that it was disheartening for security personnel to be killed through ambush, when security drones could be deployed to detect criminals’ hideouts.

  • Police receive three drones to fight crime in Ondo, Ekiti

    Police receive three drones to fight crime in Ondo, Ekiti

    The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 17 comprising Ekiti and Ondo States, Asabi Abiodun, has received three drones to tackle kidnappers and other criminals in the States.

    Asabi described the donation as the greatest gift for security of lives and properties in the zone.

    He praised the Boing Luxury Estates for collaborating with security agencies to encourage the police zeal for crime fighting and results achieved.

    According to him: “The two States in the zone are doing so much and we just have to deploy these Drones to ensure that we are on top of security so that residents of these states are better protected.”

    Managing Director of the firm, Mr. Ory Martins Akinseloyin, who presented the drones, said the gesture was to mark the 10th anniversary celebration of the firm.

    Akinseloyin said there was need to lend the government a helping hand to tackle insecurity.

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    The donor assured that more drones would be donated after six months if the beneficiaries used available ones judiciously.

    He noted that it was disheartening for security personnel to be killed through ambush, when security drones could to deployed to detect criminals hideouts.

    He said: “This is our corporate social responsibility. Security situation in the country is alarming. There is need for everybody to play their little role to supporting security agencies in the country.

    “It is the use of technology and ICT that is helping other countries in tackling insecurity.

    “ In this contemporary time, policing has gone beyond relying on manpower and AK 47. We have enough of AK 47 rifles but we cannot fight the crime. So there is a need make use of modern technology as it’s the trend.”

    He said the firm was ready to train personnel from the police and NSCDC on logistics and required information on how the drones could be optimally utilized.

    “ I want to assure you that we are not just giving drones, we are giving much more than that. I’m advising Ekiti, Ondo police and NSCDC in Ondo to nominate two officers with basic ICT knowledge.

    “ In two days, they will be able to fly these Drones, capture and interpret images, process images and other necessary things accordingly,” he said.

  • Another group seeks recall of Ondo Rep Makinde

    Another group seeks recall of Ondo Rep Makinde

    A group of Ondo intellectuals under the auspices of Egbe Ojulogho Omo’ndo has called for the recall of the member representing Ondo East/West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abiola Makinde, accusing him of gross misrepresentation and lack of accountability.

    The EgbeOjulogho Omo’ndo is the second group of Ondo citizens after the Ekimogun Roundtable to call for the recall of the Lawmaker.

    In a statement signed by the Chairman, Oluwasina Oyeola, the group says public officers are servants of the people that should ordinarily and naturally render public account to the people without being forced to do so.

    It stressed that the character of any public officer that has to be forced to render account of his stewardship by his constituents must  be checked, adding that Hon. Makinde abandoner his legislative duties and relocated abroad, leaving the entire constituency without representation for the time under review.

    The group said that independent observers’ report on federal constituency projects across the kingdom shows that there are a lot of ‘questionable’ discoveries.

    The group, which said it is on a special tour of federal constituency projects allotted to the kingdom by the federal government, says something is definitely wrong and missing somewhere with the kind of gaps observed so far.

    Mr Oyeola decried the level of under-declaration of government interventions and noticeable gaps that existed between what the federal government has allocated to Ondo City and what is physically on ground.

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    According to him, the situation looks just like deliberately setting people against the federal government, a situation that needs urgent correction by recalling Hon Makinde to pave the way for an improved representation.

    ”Using different formats either by non or partial disclosure of actual fund/projects allocated, use of a special purpose family organisation disguising as humanitarian platform to divert public fund to run personal businesses and political campaigns is their usual style.

    “The EgbeOjuloghoOmo’ndo has decided to join the Ekimogun Roundtable at ensuring that all federal government interventions are adequately reported and constituency allocations are properly appropriated and fully used for the people rather than invocation of a one man running the affairs of the entire constituency like his private estate.”

    “With the kind of allocations to the Ondo East/West federal constituency, we can say that the federal government has been so kind to Ondo people but our representative is playing down these gestures of the federal government through misrepresentation.”

  • Ondo poll: Confusion in LP as party awaits court ruling on rightful candidate

    Ondo poll: Confusion in LP as party awaits court ruling on rightful candidate

    There is confusion in Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State over who is the party’s candidate for the November 16 governorship election.

    Two persons, Chief Sola Ebiseni and Olorunfemi Ojo are laying claim to being the party’s standard-bearer.

    Olorunfemi emerged at the party’s primary election before the expiration of the electoral body’s deadline for conduct of primaries.

    Ebiseni, who lost at the PDP’s primary, later emerged through substitution this month.

    But Olorunfemi, whose name has been published on Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) portal, has vowed never to step down for Ebiseni.

    Read Also: Ondo poll: Can Ajayi defeat Aiyedatiwa?

    A suit was subsequently filed and judgment is expected to be delivered this weekend.

    At the party’s secretariat in Akure, there was no campaign poster of either Ebiseni or Olorunfemi pasted, although only the campaign poster of Ebiseni is visible across the state.

    Speaking in a phone chat, Olorunfemi promised never to step down for Ebiseni to emerge as the party’s candidate.

    He accused the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of fomenting trouble in the party.

  • 16 die in Ondo accident

    16 die in Ondo accident

    No fewer than 16 persons have been roasted to death in an accident at Ajue community along the Ore-Ondo highway.

    They were said to have been burnt beyond recognition.

    The accident, which occurred around 8pm on Monday, involved a Toyota Hiace bus and a truck.

    Witnesses said dangerous overtaking led to head on collision and vehicles burst into flames.

    Three persons were seriously injured while two others escaped unhurt.

    It was gathered that the vehicles might have been conveying fuel which resulted to the fire incident.

    Ondo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Ibitoye Samuel, who confirmed the incident, said rescue operation ended around 11pm.

    Read Also: Ondo, Rivers, Jigawa, Oyo restate commitment to state police

    Ibitoye said investigations on what led to the accident has not been concluded.

    He said preliminary investigation indicated over speeding and wrongful overtaking.

    The Ondo Sector Commander urged motorists to drive while noting defensive technics and not to claim right.

    He identified over speeding as major cause if accidents on Nigeria roads.

  • Ondo Monarch pledges cultural revival

    Ondo Monarch pledges cultural revival

    The newly installed monarch of Okeagbe Akoko, Oba Mofolorunso Samuel Adegboyega Arasanyin, Okeladeokin Arole Agba 1, has promised to embark on the cultural revival of the community to boost tourism as well as ensure cultural values were imbibed in the youths.

    Oba Mofolorunso promised that his reign would witness prosperity for the community.

    He spoke after he was presented with a Letter of Administration and Staff of Office by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, at Okeagbe, the Headquarters of Akoko North West Local government area.

    The stool of Ajana Afa of Okeagbe Akoko became vacant following the passing of Oba Oladunjoye Fajana in February 2023.

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    Oba Mofolorunso, who thanked Governor Aiyedatiwa for his appointment as a “Grade A” Oba, pledged to work collaboratively with the community to harness its cultural, social, and economic potentials.

    “May I also use this opportunity to inform His Excellency, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa about our forthcoming Okeagbe Akoko Community Centenary Anniversary, this monumental event will come up on 30th November, 2024,” he said.

    Governor Aiyedatiwa commended the kingmakers for their sincere and invaluable roles in the emergence of the new monarch.