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Tag: ONDO

  • ‘Ondo bitumen first exploitation begins this year’

    Ondo state government on Friday said in the next two years, it would be on the world map for bitumen exploitation as arrangements have been concluded to begin processing of the natural resources in the state.

    The Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Prof Bayonile Ademodi dropped the hints in Akure at a meeting with Licencee Bitumen Companies Operating in the state.

    Ademodi, who said some companies had been licensed to begin production in the state, noted that the essence of the meeting was to receive presentations from licencee bitumen companies on the level of work done in line with their workplan for bitumen exploitation development.

    He reiterated that the present administration under the leadership of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was committed to providing bitumen investors, the necessary conducive atmosphere to thrive in the state.

    Ademodi said, “Since the beginning of the present administration in Ondo state, bitumen exploitation project have been put in the frontline.

    “This is the first time the ministry would be established for the purpose of overseeing the development of bitumen project in Ondo state.

    “The major task of this ministry is to prepare grounds for the successful operation of these bitumen companies and the host community. But the ministry has taken it upon itself as a major task to develop a conducive operational environment for the bitumen licencee companies. So we are fully engaged with the community.

    “I can assure the whole world that in two years time, Ondo state would be on the world map in terms of bitumen exploitation”.

    In his welcome address,the acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry,E.O Ogunsanmi,an engineer,said the programme was borne out of the ministry’s avowed commitment to ensure that bitumen exploitation in state was devoid of crisis which is usually associated with mining, particularly, crude oil as we have it in the Niger Delta Region.

    Ogunsanmi who also reiterated that the state governor was committed to the industrialization of the state and bitumen development was considered as a veritable means to transform the state from purely a civil service state to an industrial hub in Nigeria.

    According to him, “The present administration has improved the road infrastructure, and this again will aid the movement of your products to the market”.

    The Director, Project Manager of Kabara Mining Nigeria Limited, one of the companies that bid for the exploitation, Anit Wiener, expressed the readiness of his firm to begin work in the area.

    Wiener, however, charged the state government to prepare a ground with the host community for the commencement of the project saying that the company could not do it alone without the support of the state government and the community.

    He said, “We have bitumen licence that we have intent to establish, plant for separation and to finally take the bitumen from ground for the prosperity of the country, and the first exploitation would commence this year”.

  • Pensioners to Buhari: have mercy on us

    Pensioners in the Federal Civil Service have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give more attention to the welfare of the senior citizens who had served the country meritoriously during their active service.

    Although, they appreciated the efforts made so far by the present administration, but still pleading that the payment of the remaining outstanding allowances should be made for the survival of their members.

    They spoke through the new chairman of the Federal Civil Service Pensioners( FCSP) in Ondo state, Kehinde Durotoye on Monday during the inauguration of its new executives in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

    The election was coordinated by Officials of FCSP from Abuja under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Pensioners( NUP).

    He said the federal government should fast track the efforts in settling all outstanding arrears of pensioners, stressing that many of them had died due to lack of funds to meet various needs especially food and medication.

    Durotoye recalled with dissatisfaction May 2011, when he was appointed as the state coordinator of the union by former leadership of the union and inaugurated alongside other sister states of Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi and Ogun.

    He said”: We thought we had arrived but the shenanigans that played out between the former leaders and NUP National Headquarters scuttled that dream.

    The chairman noted that the National Headquarters decided not to recognize the inauguration on the grounds that they were not carried along despite being duly informed in writing and approved fund for the exercise.

    The state NUP Chairman,Chief Raphael Adetuwo congratulated the new officers, noting that as leader of Pensioners, he should be ready to tolerate incessant worries from senior citizens because of old age hazards and poverty.

    Other new executive members include Segun Ayegoro, Vice Chairman, Mrs O.Agbi, Treasurer, Olusegun Jacob, Auditor, James Aremu, State Trustee 1 and Femi Owoeye, State Auditor 11.

  • Ondo ADP candidate urges for peaceful election

    Ahead of next month general elections, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) Candidate for Ondo North Senatorial District, Prince Foluso Adefemi has expressed the need for violence-free elections across the state particularly in Akoko area.

    The Senatorial candidate particularly urged traditional rulers in the area to impress it on their subjects to embrace peace before, during and after the 2019 elections.

    He said democracy thrives in an atmosphere devoid of rancour and acrimony, pledging his determination to prioritize health sector transformation if elected.

    According to him, his passion for development of the area and popularity among the constituents would give him edge to emerge victorious after the coming election.

    Adefemi who spoke during his campaign tours of the four local government areas in Akoko division decried in strong terms the decadence in the health sector.

    The ADP senatorial flag bearer criticized the past successive representatives in the area and governments at all levels for alleged neglect of health care delivery system for the benefit of the people.

    He described situation in the state health sector as precarious, noting that both World Health Organization (WHO) and the Sustainable Development Growth [SDG] Index frowned at health services that were inaccessible to the people.

    Read Also: Court sacks Ondo lawmaker as PDP candidate

    The ADP Candidate reiterated that as a lawmaker, it would be his priority to do everything humanly and legally possible to give everybody affordable, accessible and qualitative health services without discrimination.

    He said “Our Government Hospitals, Community Health Centers will no longer be death centres, nor mere consulting rooms but a place where life will be restored by qualified experts and personnel who will operate with most modern sophisticated equipment under a very conducive environment”

    Adefemi, who defected to APC last year following the post-primary crisis also promised robust representation and donation of six ambulances for the local government councils in the district.

    The ADP candidate visited traditional rulers in the area to receive their blessings on his aspiration.

    Residents expressed their solidarity with the candidate, describing Adefemi as the best material for Ondo North because of his good pedigree.

  • EFCC, ICPC should investigate 2016 audit report – CSO

    A civic organization, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) on Wednesday called on the anti-graft agencies the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission to investigate the 2016 Audit Report.

    The organization stated that N2.97 billion meant for 30 critical projects in the country was unaccounted for as stated in the report.

    Executive Director of PLSI, Olusegun Elemo, stated these at the launch of its Independent Findings of priority projects captured in the 2016 audit report.

    Elomo stated that the organization monitored 19 priority projects in 12 states captured under the report this year and found out that most of them have been abandoned.

    According to him, ten out of the projects have been abandoned even when monies have been paid for them.

    He noted that only one out of the 19 projects had been completed when PLSI visited the states this month.

    The monitored states by PLSI include; Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Adamawa, Imo and Enugu.

    Some of the abandoned projects include; construction of mini-water scheme phase two, contract for the construction of small earth dam, rehabilitation of two-township water supply schemes, improvement of Olode water supply scheme under the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority.

    Others are construction of Weru bridge fencing of Okene water works among others which was supposed to be implemented by the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority.

    Read Also: EFCC arrests six suspected internet fraudsters

    Projects abandoned under the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing include the rehabilitation of Ikorodu road with about N112.8million unaccounted for, also the rehabilitation of 24km Akungba-Ikare-Omuo-Kabba road among others.

    Elomo said: “We visited 12 states over the last six months and monitored 19 out of the 30 priority projects highlighted in this report. While one of the projects had been completed, two were not executed, 10 abandoned, three poorly implemented, another two currently ongoing and one now provided for in the 2018 Appropriation Act.

    “The major issue for us is how procurement laws and financial regulations are flagrantly disregarded at the risk of public funds and the negative effect on Nigerians, many of which are in rural areas in terms of access to clean portable water, access roads, quality health facilities.

    “A total of N2.97 billion is said to be unaccounted for by different contractors on these 30 projects and we are calling on the anti-corruption agencies to quickly investigate these cases in order to ensure deserved value for money is achieved.”

    Also, Project Director, TrustAfrica, Chinedu Nwagu, called on the National Assembly to carry out a review of the 2016 report.

    He said it is only when a review of the report is done and recommendations forwarded to the Executive arm of government that the anomalies found in the report could be corrected.

    Nwagu said: “There is need for the National Assembly to do the needful by ensuring extensive review of the 2016 audit report of the federation. It is only when this is done and recommendations forwarded to the Executive Arm that these anomalies can be corrected.

    “Parliament should equally make effort in sending the new Audit Service Commission Bill 2018 to the president for assent. The new law will go a long way in preventing such illegality from occurring again,” he said.

  • Appeal court dismisses ex-Ondo council Chiefs’ suit

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo state capital on Wednesday dismissed the Appeal filed by elected 18 Local Government Chairmen in Ondo State.

    The appeal was heard by a three-man panel of Justices of the Appeal Court, Akure, including Justices M. A Danjuma, R M. Abdullahi and P. A. Mahmoud as members.

    Justice Danjuma in his lead judgment upheld the part of the preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of Court of Appeal filed by Charles Titiloye who is the counsel appearing for the 6th to 8th Respondents which are the Attorney General of Ondo State and Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, (ODIEC).

    Titiloye had argued that the former local Government chairmen and councillors lacked the locus standi to appear at the Court of Appeal on the issue of counsel representation before the trial Court in respect of another political party-the Peoples Redemption Party(PRP) which is different from the party that sponsored the appellants for the local government election.

    The dissolved PDP local government council chiefs had appeal the dissolution of local Govt council by Ondo state High Court as interested party on the ground that the counsel who filed the action on behalf of PRP at the lower Court did not receive the blessings of the PRP at the national level.

    It would be recalled that the Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure dissolved the 18 Local Government Council of Ondo State in 2017 based on a suit filed by PRP that the party was unlawfully excluded from participating in the local government election in the State.

    The Court of appeal held that parts of the grounds contained in the Notice of Appeal of the dissolved local government boss was incompetent and struck them out along with issues formulated by the lead appellants Counsel, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN)relating to counsel representation for PRP.

    It ruled that the election that brought the PDP local Government bosses and councillors into office was an act of illegality and no enforceable right can be based on the said election.

    According to the court, the election was conducted in flagrant disregard of the Federal High Court orders that PRP was a registered political party entitled to nominate candidates for the said election.

    The Appeal Court further pointed out that the case before the lower Court was a pre- election matter and the amendment of reliefs granted by the trial Court to include consequential reliefs which allowed it to dissolve the local government Council and invalidate the election conducted in contravention of orders of Court and pending case in Court was in order and valid.

    It rejected the contention of Adedipe that the trial Court lacked jurisdiction to have entertained the case in view of the fact that it is not an election petition tribunal recognised by the constitution.

    In resolving the issue in favour of Respondent’s Counsel, Titiloye, the Court noted that the cause of action in the case involved sponsorship and nomination of candidates for election, saying it is, therefore, a pre- election matter within the jurisdiction of Ondo state High Court and not election petition tribunal.

    It had earlier ruled on the preliminary objections filed by Femi Emodamori, counsel to one of PRP candidate on failure of the appellants to attach lawyers seal to the appellant’s notice of appeal and filing of the notice of appeal before the High Court instead of the Court of appeal.

    The court, therefore, dismissed both objections as lacking in merit.

    It also dismissed similar objections filed by Sola Oke challenging on behalf of the appellants the respondents brief filed by Titiloye.

    The Appeal Court resolved all issues in favour of the respondents and dismissed the appeal filed by the former PDP local council chairmen and their councillors thereby affirming the 2017 decision of the Ondo State High Court, Akure dissolving the 18 Local Government Councils in the state.

  • APC’s lawyer stalls hearing in suit seeking Akeredolu’s sack

    The planned commencement of trial in the suit seeking the sack of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State was stalled on Friday owing to the absence of Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), lawyer to the APC and its Chairman.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja had on December 11 last year adjourned the case, filed by APC chieftain, Olusegun Abraham, to January 15 this year for hearing. But, upon request by lawyers in the case, the court rescheduled the case to January 18 for trial.

    When the case was called on Friday, Muritata Abdulrasheed, who announced appearance for the APC and its Chairman (1st and 3rd defendants), informed the court that the lead lawyer for his clients, Fagbemi was absent in court because he was bereaved and had travelled to Kwara State for his auntie’s burial.

    Abdulrasheed, who said he was informed about the development on Friday morning, said he could not handle the case in the absence of the leader of his team, who he said participated in the pre-trial meetings. He sought an adjournment.

    Lawyers to Abraham and Akeredolu, Akin Oujinmi (SAN) and Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) confirmed the development and agreed to the request for adjournment.

    Read Also: Lawyer advocates legislation on vocational education

    Abraham, who was the 1st runner-up in the APC governorship primary in Ondo State in 2016, is by the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/788/2016, challenging Akeredolu’s emergence as the winner of the primary and the party’s candidate for the last governorship election in the state.

    Abraham alleged that the primary was manipulated to favour Akeredolu and wants the court to nullify the outcome of the primary and pronounce him (Abraham). As the winner of the primary and the party’s candidate for the election.
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    Defendants in the case are the APC, Akeredolu, APC Chairman and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Details later.

  • Seven suspected kidnappers arrested in Ondo

    Men of the Joint Security Task Force, initiated by the Ondo state government to curb insecurity in the state have arrested seven suspected kidnappers at Emure-Ile junction on Owo/Akure road.

    Parading the suspects at the police headquarters, in Akure on Wednesday, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations Owena Cantonment, Major. Ojo Adenegan and the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph said they were arrested at a hide-out inside Emure-Owo Forest during the taskforce raid.

    Read Also: Three die in Ondo road crash

    Joseph said the taskforce also arrested kidnappers’ informant who were monitoring the operations of the taskforce in the area while they were apprehended with about 20 guns, 15 daggers, 15 cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, charms, N27,820, as well as clothing materials.

    Besides, the state police command arrested two suspected weed planters, Friday Ami and Sunday Femi who allegedly assassinated a 75year-old woman, Mrs Modupe Olorunfemi at her Owo farm.

    According to PPRO, the aged woman was assassinated on February 2017 for allegedly giving security operatives information about their nefarious planting and selling of Indian hemp in Owo area.

  • Three die in Ondo road crash

    Three persons are reportedly feared dead in a ghastly auto crash in Olokuta area along Ondo-Akure road in Ondo state.

    The incident which occurred around 8.00 am on Wednesday morning involved a black Toyota marked FGB 940 AA and a blue truck numbered LND 274 XP.

    They were said to have had a head-on collision.

    Sources hinted that the incident was caused by overtaking on the driver side.

    It was learnt that the early morning fog, which covered the cloud might have also aided the inability of the driver to see the incoming vehicles.

    Read Also: One dead, 10 injured in Ondo road crash

    Victims were said to include a woman and a boy suspected to be family, while the driver of the ill-fated truck dashed into the bush.

    Neighbours and motorists were said to have assisted in pulling the vehicle back to see if there were still victims that could be saved.

    However, they were all found dead.

    Officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission were struggling to clear the wreckage of the vehicle from the scene of the carnage.

  • Ondo to hold security summit tomorrow

    The Ondo State government will tomorrow organise the maiden security summit at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome) in Akure, the state capital.

    The chairman of the planning committee, Jones Ogunmusere, noted that the summit became necessary due to the ravaging security challenges and the need to proactively look at the future security needs.

    He said the developmental efforts of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to attract capital in-flow to the state also made it necessary for tighter security across the state.

    According to him, the geographical location of Ondo State is such that people with criminal tendencies make inroad into the state, especially from neighbouring states.

    Ogunmusere said it was imperative for the government to create a conducive environment for investors and their investments.

    The theme of the summit is: Improving Security in Ondo State for Sustainable Peace and Development.

    The chairman said security experts from across the country will critically examine security issues at the summit.

    He said: “It is our hope that ideas and recommendations that will emerge from the this summit will be harvested, processed and packaged into a draft security policy document that will be submitted to Governor Akeredolu for the consideration of the State Security Council.”

     

  • 20 vehicles, office for Ondo APC

    The Ondo State Coordinator of Buhari/Osinbajo Re-election Group (BOREG) Otunba David Oyewole said the group was determined to mobilise voters in order to guarantee victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in this year’s presidential election slated for February 16.

    He said every progress-minded Nigerian should contribute fully to ensure that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate was re-elected to continue the good works he started for the benefit of the masses.

    Oyewole spoke during the inauguration of 20 branded vehicles, 16 giant bill boards and campaign secretariat donated to BOREG in Akure, the Ondo State capital by the Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Sola Iji.

    The donor, who was former Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State, said he made the donation in order to facilitate the victory of President Buhari in next month’s presidential election.

    Besides, eight sub-committees for election campaigns were inaugurated which included strategy and planning, contact and trade union, finance, chieftaincy, religion and non-indigene.

    Others were women, mobilisation, youth, publicity and media.

    According to him, the convener of the group, Ambassador Iji had been in the forefront of the emergence of progressive governance in Nigeria in the last 20 years.

    The Coordinator said the inauguration of the committees would fast-track the goal of ensuring victory for Buhari and the APC.

    He said: “Each committee is allocated N50, 000 each, zonal executives N20,000 each and local government executives with N20, 000 each for take-off, while a branded car will be released to each federal constituency and senatorial zone.

    The Chairman, Contact and Trade Union Committee, Kenneth Olawale who is former Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, said the group was made up of grassroots politicians, even as he stressed that they would carry the message to the nook and cranny of the state to guarantee victory for Buhari and the APC candidates in the state.

    Notable APC stalwarts from across the state were in attendance at the event. They included Wale Akintimehin, Brig. Gen. Oyenehin (rtd) Rahman Rotimi, Alhaji O. Oloruntoba and Chief S. A. Idris.

    Also among them were Mrs Kehinde Adeniran (KK), Mrs Fagbamiye, Hon. Peter Omogun, Rotimi Agbede and Dr. Jide Owoka.