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  • Mimiko declares for presidency

    The former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has declared his interest to contest for Presidency in the 2019 general election.

    Mimiko made his declaration at the National Headquarters of the Labour Party with all LP National Executives and smaller political parties present in Abuja.

    The two-term former Governor is contesting under the platform of the Labour Party.

    He vowed to frontally attack corruption, end killings, injustice and restructure the country with great support from the youth.

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    According to him, “Restructuring is not about about North vs South, Muslim vs Christian. Restructuring will empower every parts of Nigeria. Development will be unleashed in every part.”

    He added that, “There is enough landmass to feed Africa.”

    Mimiko assured women of inclusion and promised to work with any other party willing to join his political ambition.

  • Suspected fake drug dealer arrested in Ondo

    Security operatives in Ondo State have arrested a man, Olowolayemo Ifetayo, for allegedly selling fake drugs.

    The state government had vowed to deal decisively with quarks, fake and counterfeit drug dealers.

    The Commissioner for Health Dr Wahab Adegbenro said government holds the lives of residents seriously and would not allow anybody to toil with them.

    Adegbenro said the government would also prosecute those operating hospitals under the guise of patient medicine stores and endangering the lives of residents.

    The commissioner was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Dipo Durojaye, after a monitoring by the Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs in Akure, the state capital.

    He urged the residents to be careful where they seek medicare, saying there are accredited facilities where they can get good treatment when the need arises.

    Ifetayo, who was arrested during the monitoring, was paraded before reporters.

    Various control and banned drugs and injections, including Enagin, were reportedly found in his possession.

    He had allegedly been administering drips, transfusing blood with wrong instruments, injecting his victims with banned and dangerous injections and using medical wastes in an unlawful manner.

    Ifetayo was handed over to law enforcement agents to remand for prosecution.

  • Panel reports: Ondo Poly’s ASUP seek release of White Paper

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, at the weekend called for immediate release of the White Paper on various panels’ reports on the state-owned institution.

    The union decried the prolonged delay in the release of the documents, calling for their immediate implementation.

    In a 16-point communique issued after its emergency meeting in Owo and signed by its Chairman, R. O. Ijawoye, and General Secretary, Arikawe Ade, ASUP also condemned the non-payment of 10-month salary arrears owed the polytechnic workers.

    ASUP described the development as insensitivity, adding that the situation had led to the deaths of many workers in the polytechnic due to their inability to foot their medical bills as a result of financial incapacitation.

    The communique reads: “We are also much disturbed by non-payment of 16-month migration arrears owed staff of the institution which depicts extreme callousness, we are now calling for its immediate payment.”

    The union kicked against what it called inadequate release of only N100 million by the state government for accreditation of over 40 academic programmes, adding: “We will not condone the use of fund for no other thing except accreditation/reaccreditation of courses.”

    It said academic workers would be held responsible for failure of the exercise.

    ASUP also regretted the poor state of infrastructure on the campus and called for appropriate processing and utilisation of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) meant for staff development.

    On the recent student unrest in the institution, ASUP charged the management to compensate those whose properties were destroyed having collected reparation fees from all students.

    The union also called for immediate payment of all outstanding deductions meant for the Cooperative Societies in the School, which it noted was currently about N500 million.

  • APC Primaries: Disquiet in Ondo, Kaduna, Borno, Rivers, others

    There are grumblings in some states as All Progressives Congress state chapters resolve on direct, indirect or consensus modes of selecting candidates for the next elections, report our State Correspondents

    FOLLOWING All Progressives Congress’ recent resolution to allow its state chapters to decide on the method of choosing its candidates in the forthcoming general elections, there are ripples in most of the states as some of the aspirants have expressed open disagreement with the decision reached by their state’s working committees.

    The party’s national leadership had urged the state chapters to choose between, direct, indirect or consensus method of choosing its candidates in the forthcoming primaries.

    Our state correspondents report that in some states, some factions have gone ahead to take different decisions, a development that may lead to greater confusion except the party’s national leadership steps in to resolve the issues. For now, the situation has remained a mixed bag.

    THE battle-line has been drawn between the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State, who is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers and the Southsouth zone; and the lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, who is a governorship aspirant on APC’s platform.

    Amaechi was Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly between 1999 and 2007, then as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Abe was Minority Leader of Rivers Assembly from 1999 to 2003, then as a member of the All Peoples Party (APP), which later became All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

    Abe was Rivers Commissioner for Information between 2003 and 2007. Shortly after Amaechi became Rivers State Governor on October 26, 2007, following the previous day’s landmark judgment of the Supreme Court, which sacked Sir Celestine Omehia, he (Amaechi) appointed his bosom friend (Abe) as the Secretary to Rivers State Government (SSG). He proceeded to the Senate in 2011.

     

    Senator Abe was APC’s governorship aspirant in 2015, but a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, emerged as the standard bearer of the party for the 2015 poll, with Abe returning to the Senate.

    Abe, an indigene of Bera-Ogoni (upland) in Gokana Local Government Area, is again aspiring to be governor on APC’s platform, but Amaechi, the Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo Reelection Campaign Organisation, prefers APC’s governorship candidate in 2019 to be a riverine person, in the multi-ethnic state, to ensure even development, justice, equity and fairness, considering the fact that Rivers governors since 1999 (Dr. Peter Odili, Sir Celestine Omehia, Amaechi and Nyesom Wike) are all from the upland part.

    Stakeholders of the main opposition APC in Rivers, on August 30, during the apex leadership caucus meeting in Lagos, which was attended by most of the governorship aspirants and presided over by transportation minister, before he travelled to China, as part of Federal Government’s delegation, endorsed the co-founder of Sahara Group, Pastor Tonye Cole, as the governorship candidate of APC for the 2019 election.

    Cole, an architect, hails from riverine Abonnema-Kalabari, the headquarters of Akuku-Toru LGA and he was born in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on January 11, 1967. He is the son of a former Managing Director of Daily Times, Dr. Patrick Dele Cole, who is also an ex-Ambassador of Nigeria to Brazil.

    In attendance at the Lagos meeting were some of the governorship aspirants: Cole, a Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG); Peterside, who is the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and hails from coastal Opobo, the seat of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, as well as an oil magnate, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, also an indigene of Abonnema as Cole.

    In spite of the endorsement of Cole as the governorship candidate of Rivers APC, Abe, who was not at the Lagos meeting of stakeholders, insisted on participating in the primary election of the party.

    Abe said: “I am not aware of any meeting of APC stakeholders in Rivers State that has been held and endorsed anybody. I have not known Tonye Cole to be a member of the party (APC). I will vie for the governorship ticket of APC.”

    Abe had earlier opened a parallel secretariat of APC at Waterlines Bus Stop on Aba Road, Port-Harcourt, with a former Rivers Deputy Chairman of the party, Prince Peter Odike, as the Acting Chairman, while a suit was filed at the Rivers High Court in Port-Harcourt by Abe’s allies to challenge APC’s congresses in Rivers, but the duly-elected Chairman of APC in the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, maintained that there was no faction in the party in Rivers, stating that Abe’s inaugurated secretariat was his governorship campaign office.

    An Abuja High Court 14, Bwari, presided over by Justice A. O. Musa, on September 4, granted an order of perpetual injunction, restraining APC and its National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, from tampering with the mandates of Flag-Amachree-led executive of the party and other elected officials at the ward and local government levels in Rivers State.

    In view of the controversy generated by the May 2018 ward, local government and state congresses of the APC in Rivers, the State Chairman of the party, (Flag-Amachree) and members of his executive, approached the Abuja High Court in suit number: FCT/HC/BW/CV/115/2018, seeking perpetual injunction against the APC, its national chairman, members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) from tampering with the Rivers executive of the party, until all pending matters regarding the congresses were resolved.

    The order of perpetual injunction was to the effect that the officials/delegates elected at the APC’s ward, local government and state congresses in Rivers State on May 19, 20 and 21, 2018 respectively, should not be removed and their elections should not be nullified, while ordering that new congresses must not be conducted in Rivers State by the national leadership of APC.

    The court affirmed the validity of the congresses which took place on May 19, 20 and 21, which culminated in the election of Flag-Amachree-led executive committee, with the congresses having been conducted in compliance with the constitution of the APC.

    Justice Musa also ordered that both the APC and its national chairman were bound to give effect to the outcomes of the congresses in Rivers State.

    The Publicity Secretary of APC in Rivers, Chief Chris Finebone, declared that the party in the state had one authentic executive, led by Flag-Amachree, and a secretariat, with Amaechi, remaining the leader of APC in Rivers and Southsouth zone.

    Finebone said: “The implication of the perpetual injunction graciously granted by the Abuja High Court is that all the lies and deceits by the supporters of Senator Magnus Abe have expired forthwith. Every lie has an expiry date, as can be seen in this case.

    “The ruling, which has effectively retired a set of baby politicians with overrated ego, is underlining the need to be grateful to God and those whom God has used as vessels to bring about succour and uplift to you. When you bite the hand that feeds you and feels that you are winning, just watch it, because you will pay the price at God’s own time. Many studied history, but never learnt from history.”

    Rivers Publicity Secretary of APC also stated that the reality was that a set of individuals had dribbled themselves out of the system and only God Almighty could help them, adding: “That is what inordinate ambition brings.”

    Members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the APC in Rivers, on September 6, adopted indirect primaries for picking candidates of the party for the 2019 General Elections.

    The APC stakeholders from across the 23 local government areas of Rivers, at the SEC meeting, which took place at the new state secretariat of the party at 63, Aba Road, Port-Harcourt, suggested the three options: direct, indirect and consensus, in line with APC’s constitution.

    The three suggestions were put to vote, with indirect primaries recording 106 votes, consensus with three votes and direct primaries having just one vote.

    The SEC meeting, which was presided over by Flag-Amachree, was also attended by other members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party; Senator Andrew Uchendu (Rivers-East); and the Deputy National Secretary of APC, Chief Victor Giadom, an indigene of Bera-Ogoni in Gokana LGA of Rivers State; among other chieftains of the party.

    Flag-Amachree said: “Let me sincerely thank you for taking this decision (on indirect primaries). You are aware that at the NEC meeting (of APC in Abuja), it was agreed that each state should adopt its mode of primaries.

    “I want to announce to the whole world that members of the Rivers State APC, having sat down and considered all the various options, agreed to go for indirect primaries, based on reasons including insecurity, lack of data base and logistic challenge.”

    While also speaking, Uchendu stated that opting for indirect primaries was particularly considering the peculiarity of Rivers State, which he described as insecure, thereby not exposing APC faithful to danger of being killed by opposition politicians and their thugs.

    The senator said: “I am a foundation member of PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and APC. I must praise the Rivers State Chairman of APC (Flag-Amachree) for organising this type of platform for us to air our views.

    “We will definitely not have a safe venue, at which we will call all our teeming supporters together for direct primaries. We know that the government of Nyesom Wike does not want APC to exist in Rivers State. If we gather at a place for direct primaries, we will be in trouble. We know what Wike and his supporters are capable of doing and what they had done over the years. Opting for direct primaries in Rivers State will be putting the lives of APC faithful at risk.

    “It is better we spread out to the various wards and LGAs and conduct indirect primaries. By the time they attack one or two places, I am sure the weakest security will be available to arrest the situation, than mobilising and focusing on just one point.”

    The Deputy National Secretary of APC, in his remarks, also alleged that Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, could not be trusted, in view of his desperation to win reelection next year, which he said would never happen.

    Giadom said: “As a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC and also from Rivers State, I am back home to participate in taking decision on the primaries of my party. The collective decision of APC members in Rivers State will be respected. That is what the people want. Majority will always have their way, while the minority will have their say. That’s why the decision was democratically taken.

    “The NWC of APC does not want to force any state to a particular mode of primary, especially when the constitution of the party is very clear that the states can adopt direct, indirect or consensus. So, it became obvious that we must throw the options to the people. The people have decided that they prefer indirect primaries. We have no option, but to allow the wish of the people to prevail.

    “Rivers people, especially members of APC, should pursue the path of peace and come together, to have a united party, so as to enable us to face the members of PDP, who are already jittery, because of the strength of APC in Rivers State.”

    The Deputy National Secretary of APC also admonished Nigerians to continue to support the focused administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Odike, on September 7, suddenly described himself as the chairman of APC in Rivers (no longer Acting Chairman) and he signed a notice of meeting, inviting APC stakeholders in Rivers to a State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting on Monday, September 10 at 10 a.m. at the party’s “secretariat” at No. 173, Aba Road, Catholic Mission Estate, Port-Harcourt.

    Odike said: “Those to attend are as contained in Article 12.1 and 12.8 of the APC Constitution.”

    It was gathered that Abe group’s SEC meeting would adopt direct primaries in electing candidates for 2019 elections in Rivers, in order to spite Amaechi, Flag-Amachree and their loyalists. Observers said this will likely cause confusion.

    Abe also declared that Rivers APC would not adopt indirect primaries to elect its candidates.

    He said: “Rivers State is one of the states where we cannot have indirect primaries. The entire structure of the party in the state is embroiled in legal controversy with about four or five court cases. So, if you want to do indirect primaries, which particular list of delegates are you going to use and which particular congress?” Indirect primaries breed corruption, through financial inducement of delegates.

    “They say where you stand on an issue depends on where you sit. What you call indirect primaries is a situation where known party members meet in a place to elect candidates.

    “The known party members are invariably part of a structure that is already organised. So, when people have control of such structure, the entire exercise is predetermined, because they already know who they are going to elect.

    “You have to understand that life is dynamic and part of what we promised Nigerians is that we were going to bring change into the country and make it better. Part of the challenge people have with indirect primaries is that the outcome is predetermined.”

    The senator also stated that indirect primaries would be very vulnerable to financial inducement, since the delegates would be known.

    He said: “In bringing our message for change in Nigeria, there is every need for us to look at these things and improve the processes, as the country grows older and our democracy matures.

    “No matter the argument one may have or may not have, I believe that as far as Nigerian democracy is concerned, the days of indirect primaries are fast drawing to a close.”

    As things are in Rivers APC, the national leadership of the party must quickly intervene, to prevent an implosion, if members of APC are determined to unseat Wike next year.

  • Direct Primary: ‘APC’s decision should go beyond individual interests’

    The lawmaker representing Idanre /Ifedore federal constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of All Progressives Congress APC in Ondo State, Bamidele Baderinwa at the weekend emphasized the need to let party supremacy be above personal interests in the Nation’s democracy.

    Baderinwa spoke with reporters after collecting expression of interest and nomination forms to re-contest the House of Representatives seat in 2019.

    The representatives member who commended the system put in place by the National leadership of the party towards the 2019 general elections, stressed the need for party loyalists to respect party’s constitution, rules and regulations in every conduct.

    He said “I believe in the party supremacy and feel other stakeholders should key into this and work in tandem with laid down rules of the party”.

    “Let all those that have genuine interest of the party follow the procedure of the party and align with what the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party want in the interest of building a virile party that can withstand every political storm”.

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    Baderinwa promised to improve on what he had impacted on the people of his constituency if given the opportunity to represent them again.

    He urged all party members to support the change mantra of the APC in order to transform the Nation and rebuild the economy in line with best practices across the world.

    The lawmaker expressed optimism in the National leadership’s resolve to use direct method for the conduct of primary elections in the interest of party members and fair play.

    The also urged party members to start mobilization and work towards the victory of the APC in the 2019 general elections.

  • NMA President bags ‘Ondo Man of the Year’ award

    The National President of the Nigeria Medical Association ( NMA ) Prof Dayo Faduyile has been named the Ondo State Man of the year, 2018.

    A statement by the Coalition of Community Newspapers Publishers in Ondo state signed by its Chairman, Oludaisi Adetarami said Faduyile’s choice followed a rigorous selection by eminent indigenes of the state for his remarkable contributions to the development of the state in various endeavours.

    Faduyile is a Professor of Medicine and an accomplished Unionist,who is regarded as a strong advocate of transformation of the Nigeria’s health sector.

    He was recently elected as the National President of NMA and medical professional from Ondo state who strongly identifies with the grassroots populace in the state.

    The event which will feature a public lecture entitled: Transforming the Nigerian Health Sector,the critical roles of all stakeholders comes up on October 21 with Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as Special Guest of Honour among other eminent dignitaries across the country.

  • Rain washes off bridge, cuts off community in Ondo

    One of the bridges along Oba Akoko – Ikun – Afo – Idoani road in the Northern part of Ondo state has been reportedly washed off by an all night heavy down pour of several hours.

    The development had caused confusion in the Akoko and Ose local government axis of the state as prospective travelers have been stranded because of no access road.

    Sources said the next bridge to this collapsed one is also about to go the same way any moment from now as the sand by its side had also been eroded.

    The road has been in a deplorable state since,while armed robbers and kidnappers have been having a field day with impunity because of the poor state of the road.

    Read Also: Ondo youths rally support for Buhari, Boroffice

    According to a former Councillor in Ose local government, Isaac Obiniran,who spoke to ‘ The Nation’ there is hardly a week that travelers will not be robbed or kidnapped along the road.

    According to him, the other Ipele- Idoani- Isua road which is federal highway that would have been a good alternative to Oba – Akungba -Oka road is also in a very bad state.

    He urged Ondo state government to quickly come to the rescue of numerous travelers passing through this impassable road.

  • ADC gives automatic ticket to 118 legislators

    Fix Oct. 6 for Presidential primary

     

    Ahead of the 2019 general election, the African Democratic Congress rewarded 118 federal and state legislators who joined the party with automatic ticket, while planning to nominate its Presidential candidate on the 6th of October.

    National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu who disclosed this at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party in Abuja said the party decided to reward the lawmakers for coming out boldly to identify with the fastest growing party in Nigeria (ADC) at a crucial time in the history of the country’s democracy.

    He said that among those to benefit from the automatic ticket are five senators, Eighteen members of the House of Representatives and Ninety five me,bets of state Houses of Assembly.

    The ADC Chairman said, “We need to honour and appreciate them because they abandoned the ruling and bigger parties for a party that is just gathering momentum.

    “The development can be attributed to the fact that the lawmakers and Nigerians at large have agreed that an end must come to anarchy, insecurity, lack of focus and terrorism in Nigeria. And the best platform, right now, is ADC. They are from Adamawa, Ondo, Osun, Imo, Ebonyi, Ogun and Oyo states, among others.”

    Speaking on the party’s preparedness for the 2019 elections, Nwosu said that the primaries for aspirants contesting for the House of Assembly elections would hold on September 29, 2018, while governorship primaries would hold on October 2, 2018.

    He said the the party has also scheduled National Assembly primaries for hold October 4, 2018, and presidential, October 6, 2018, pointing out that “Aspirants have been coming to take forms for the presidential primaries. We will unveil our aspirants very soon”.

    He disclosed that the ADC has launched a campaign against vote buying and electoral corruption under the name: Coalition for Electoral Integrity, saying “We invite the media and the general public to join the party in enlightening the Nigerian electorate that trading their votes for money means mortgaging a very bright future and we must stop that”.

    He described ADC is a vision driven grassroots political party with Role-Modelling Leadership paradigm and is not in the ridiculous ‘Harvest-Bazaar’ money politics and ‘godfatherism’.

    Read Also: ADC to hold State congress to elect leaders in Ogun

    Speaking on the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, Nwosu said the party was confident of victory, pointing out that the party has received letters from labour unions, civil servants and other pressure groups in the state showing great support for the party’s candidates.

    Nwosu said, “We are assuring Osun State workers and the people, who, on their own, have shown great support for ADC’s Governorship candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and his running mate, Rtd Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, based on their excellent public service records, that our candidates will take them away from the grip of insensitive leaders and lead them far away from poverty

    “The people of Osun should be assured that we will always stand by them at all times and will not betray the confidence reposed in us. We are set to hit the ground on September 15, 2018, with our mega rally, as the first step towards taking the state to the path of prosperity.”

  • Ondo to partner Lagos on rice production

    The Ondo State government has said it will partner its Lagos State counterpart on rice production.

    Commissioner for Agriculture Adegboyega Adefarati, said this while inspecting Fadama III Additional Financing projects in Akure North Local Government Area.

    Adefarati said the state government had secured over 4,000 hectares of land in Ogbese, Okitipupa, Ese-Odo and Ilaje for rice production.

    “The Lagos State government, as it is doing with Kebbi State, is coming to Ondo State to partner with us on rice production,” he said.

    The commissioner said a Fadama-sponsored rice factory would produce the state’s branded rice.

    Inspecting the installation of the 14-tonne per day rice mill funded by the Fadama project at Ogbese, Adefarati said farmers got necessary support due to government’s intervention through prompt payment of counterpart contribution.

    Adefarati, who also visited the 20-hectare cassava farm of Iju-Ifedapo cluster in Akure North Local Government Area, urged farmers to continue to support the administration to enjoy more dividends of good governance.

    The commissioner assured farmers that the state government would soon enact enabling laws that would prevent incessant farmers-herders conflict in the state.

    The Chairman of the Production Cluster at Ogbese, Mr Ajewole Ajisafe, attributed the success recorded in farm operation to the peaceful and harmonious relationship between farmers and herdsmen.

    Ajisafe said herdsmen in the community had been operating without conflicts, adding that this had been the recipe for mutual relationship

  • ‘We are ready for Ondo Council Polls’

    The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ondo state has expressed its willingness to participate in the December 1, local government polls in the state.

    Its Chairman, Bisi Ogungbemi disclosed this at the end of the party ‘s Congress and election of new executives held on Monday at the party’s secretariat in Akure.

    Other elected members of the executive were Obakpolor Jephter,Secretary, Adewi Samuel, Treasurer and Omoegun Adams as financial secretary among others.

    Ogunbemi said ADC was participating in the election to win and defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state

    He expressed the readiness of the ADC to take over the mantle of leadership in the state, stressing that the current government in Ondo state has failed woefully.

    According to him,”We are ready to dislodge the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu government because the government lacks vision, focus and zeal to turn the state around.

    ” Since Akeredolu took over, nothing seems to be working. The health and education sector remain in shambles. He is paying lip service to infrastructural development”, he added

    He also assured members of the party that a level playing field would be provided for the aspirants vying for elective positions in the party.

    He pointed out, “There is no automatic ticket for any aspirant in our party, ” they must all slug it out in line with the constitution of the party”

    He challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to find a lasting solution to voters’ inducement which is gradually affecting the nation’s electoral system

    The ADC chairman and other executives who emerged through a voice vote warned that if the trend is not urgently addressed, Nigeria will be turned into a banana republic where criminals would take the center stage of governance.

    He further urged the electoral body to do everything possible to ensure voting buying is not allowed in the September the 23rd governorship election in Osun state.