The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ONDO

  • ‘We’ll raise self-reliant youths in Ondo’

    The Ondo State government under Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has said it will raise productive and self-reliant youths who will drive the state’s economy.

    The Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, stated this in Ondo town during a sensitisation programme for youths in Ondo West Local Government Area.

    Ogunleye noted that idle youths would become the devil’s workshop.

    He said: “This sensitisation tour is taking governance to the grassroots by giving you access to what is being enjoyed by residents of the state capital.

    “We are bringing governance to the rural area by exposing you. These opportunities are tailor-made to make your future secured.

    “You are being offered avenues to be up and doing by learning to make better use of your time through engagement, become entrepreneurs and employers of labour.

    “We have put the structure in place to take as many youths as possible off the streets and out of the labour market into responsible individuals.

    “It is on record that this government has appointed the youth population in strategic positions where they are helping to drive its programmes.”

    The commissioner said the tour was not going to be the last, adding that they would make a return visit before the year runs out to ascertain their level of participation in the opportunities before them.

    Yusuf-Ogunleye said: “Our campaign promise was to effect a change. This change is what you are witnessing. The present government has no plan to deceive you with fake achievements through the media.

    “We have to be realistic with ourselves. Nigeria cannot continue to do things the old way and expect a change. We have to return to areas where we have comparative advantage and maximise such.”

    The Chairman of Caretaker Committee of the local government, Ebenezer Akinsulire, hailed the state government for the initiative.

    He said the initiative would improve the lives of youths.

  • Fayemi, Babarinsa, others to speak at ‘June 12’ parley in Ondo

    The Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has declared tomorrow public holiday to mark the June 12, 1993 presidential election anniversary.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Yemi Olowolabi, said the day will be celebrated with a Town Hall Assembly at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome) in Akure, the state capital.

    The statement reads: “All civil servants, market women, artisans, politicians, clergymen, students and Ondo State residents from all walks of life are invited to be part of the historic gathering in honour of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M. K. O.) Abiola, winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. It promises to be a riveting event with extensive focus on: June 12: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

    The Town Hall Assembly will be anchored by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former governor of Ekiti State.

     

     

     

     

  • Man, 27, in court over attempt to rape 60-year-old

    A 27-year-old man, Adeoye Olatomide, was on Friday docked in an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State for alleged attempt to rape a 60-year-old woman.

    Olatomide is facing three-count charge of conspiracy, assault and attempted rape.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences with one other person currently at large on April 12 at 6.30 p.m along Okitipupa-Irele Junction.

    Orogbemi said Olatomide dragged the woman to a nearby bush and forcefully had canal knowledge of her.

    Read Also: ‘Killer’-wife arraigned for hubby’s death

    The prosecutor added that “Olatomide was apprehended by a passerby, while his accomplice escaped.”

    He said the offences contravened sections 356, 357 and 358, Criminal Law of Ondo State, 2006.

    However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to charges against him and the Magistrate, Mr Banji Ayeomoni, ordered that he be remanded in prison and adjourned the case until June 22.

  • Suspended school feeding programme resumes in Ondo

    The Special Adviser to Ondo State governor on Public and Intergovernmental Relations, Mrs Olubunmi Ademosu, yesterday said the suspended home-grown school feeding programme will resume today.

    Mrs Ademosu said the programme was carefully designed so that resources allocated for its success are not diverted, hence the direct crediting of the accounts of the over 1,000 cooks engaged for the programme.

    The governor’s aide, whose office coordinates the school feeding programme, said about 78,000 pupils were being fed in the state with a target of over 100,000 pupils in the three senatorial districts.

    She added that the agency discovered that about 95 per cent of pupils in Akoko area of the state were not benefitting from the programme when it took off.

    According to her, the processes of ensuring that the programme was not politicised was in place.

    Mrs Ademosu said the teething challenges in the programme were being rectified with a team of government officials working with the monitoring agency in Abuja to facilitate its resumption with better and robust coordination that would ensure that no area of the state is denied from benefitting from the programme.

    The governor’s aide said about 90 per cent of the vendors had rectified their accounts, saying: “Hopefully, the right vendors will be credited by Monday (today) and the programme will commence immediately.

    “Over 80 per cent of the vendors have complied fully and their details uploaded. The slight hitch is not only peculiar to Ondo State but to other states…”

     

     

  • ‘Why school feeding scheme was suspended in Ondo’

    The Special Adviser to Ondo State Governor on Public and Inter-governmental relations, Olubunmi Ademosu, has explained that the suspension of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the federal government in Ondo was as a result of discrepancies in the information submitted by food vendors. Ademosu, who addressed reporter in Akure, the state capital, said many of the cooks engaged for the programme did not have bank accounts before they registered for the programme.

    “They however hurriedly opened bank accounts without genuine Bank Verification Numbers. Many of the names submitted did not tally with the Bank Verification Numbers, (BVN’s). This created difficulty in crediting their accounts. Most of these cooks are not high-tech caterers in line with the decision of government to ensure that the programme does not only provide food for school children but also serve as an empowerment platform for the people,” she explained.

    Ademosu said the agency monitoring the programme in Abuja discovered that apart from giving wrong information about themselves, many of the vendors had plans to sublet the job for people that were not medically and professionally certified fit for the programm. According to her,the Home Grown School Feeding programme was carefully designed in a way that resources allocated for the success of the programme are not diverted, hence the direct crediting of the accounts of the over 1,000 cooks engaged for the programme. She said about 78,000 pupils were already being fed in the state with a target to feed over 100,000 pupils across the three senatorial districts.

     

  • Ondo condemns attack on journalists

    •Visits The Nation’s reporter

    Ondo State government has condemned last Saturday’s attack on reporters during All Progressives Congress (APC) state congress.

    It described it as ugly and capable of disrupting peace.

    The government said it frowned at any attack on journalists in any part of the country.

    Information and Orientation Commissioner Mr. Yemi Olowolabi said the government would not tolerate any form of violence by anyone, no matter how highly placed.

    Olowolabi, who visited the home of The Nation reporter, Mr. Damisi Ojo, in company with the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr. Segun Ajiboye, said the government had directed security agents to fish out the perpetrators.

    He said the Akeredolu administration placed values on journalists as strong partners in the wheel of progress and pillars of democratic processes.

    Describing an attack on journalists as an attack on the society, whose interest the media represents, Olowolabi assured the people that the government would engage security agents to prevent recurrence.

    He said: “We received the news with shock. It is totally unacceptable for anyone under any guise to unleash attack on journalists, who are doing their lawful duties. We are here to solidarise with you. Myself and the CPS are journalists. So, any attack on you is also an attack on us.

    “We want to assure you that the government will not fold its arms and watch respected professionals like journalists being attacked. Beyond this, this government does not joke with the security of life and property.”

     

  • Ondo Assembly gets new deputy speaker

    Hon. Abimbola Fojolu has emerged as new Deputy Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly.

    Fajolu, representing Ileoluji/Okeigbo state constituency replaced Mr Iroju Ogundeji who was removed on Tuesday during plenary following receipt of signatures of 18 members of the House by the Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun.

    The new deputy speaker was immediately sworn in by the Clerk of the House, Mr Bode Adeyelu.

    The House also used the opportunity to pass vote of confidence on the Speaker, Oleyelogun.

    Read Also: We are in financial predicament – Ondo Assembly

    The removed deputy speaker, however, staged a walkout of the plenary.

    Ogundeji was removed based on what the lawmakers described as “disloyalty to the 8th Assembly of hope which contradicts laid down rules.”

  • Police arrest four suspected abductors in Ondo

    Men of the Ondo State Police Command at the weekend arrested four suspects in Akoko for alleged conspiracy robbery, kidnapping and murder.

    The suspects are: Abdulahi Sheu, 21; Liberty Onimisi, 24; Suberu Haruna, 18 and Dada Alabi, 25.

    It was learnt that sometime last month, Omotomogun Tayo, who lives near the local government secretariat at Ikare-Akoko, lodged a complaint with the police area command headquarters that a commercial motorcycle (Okada) operator, Olawale Gbogi, left home and his whereabouts were unknown, while a new motorcycle he bought recently could also not be found.

    Sources said some unknown persons, who asked for an undisclosed amount of money for his release, answered his calls when his mobile was called.

    The police were said to have tracked the victim’s phone, which eventually led to the arrest of Sheu in Akure with the victim’s mobile phone and the unregistered motorcycle.

    Following interrogation, the suspect confessed that he and his friend, Haruna Suberu, requested the Okada operator to take them to Ihima-Okene in Kogi State for N3,000 and he agreed.

    But on their way, they reportedly directed him into a bush path where Onimisi had allegedly been waiting for them.

    The trio were said to have pounced on Gbogi, beaten him to a pulp and dispossessed him of his motorcycle, mobile phone and other valuables.

    It was learnt that Sheu took the motorcycle and the mobile phone to Akure, the state capital, in search of a buyer.

    Onimisi, Suberu and Rabiu, who is said to be on the run, allegedly cut off Gbogi’s head.

    The body part was reportedly taken in a polythene bag to one herbalist who refused to take it from them.

    Sources said Gbogi’s head was still with Rabiu, while the remaining body part was still missing at press time.

    Liberty said his master in Abuja, Alhaj Abudul Rama, needed the human head, adding that it had been sent to him.

    He later changed his statement with the police, saying the head was with Rabiu.

    The Police Area Commander, Razak Rauf, confirmed the incident.

    He said the matter had been transferred to the Homicide section of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) in Akure.

     

  • Parallel congresses in Ondo, Enugu, Kogi, Kwara, Zamfara, others

    Some of yesterday’s State Congresses of All Progressives Congress (APC) were marred by violence and disagreements leading to parallel congresses in some states, including Ondo, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Zamfara, Adamawa, among others.

    In Ondo State for example, no fewer than 50 persons, including some reporters who covered the congress, sustained severe injuries when some political thugs invaded the venue of the congress held by a faction of the party.

    Another state where thugs chased out some delegates during yesterday’s exercise was Enugu.

    Although there was no violence in Imo and Niger states, the outcome of yesterday’s congresses there also left much to be desired. While a faction of the party in Imo held the congress in a secret venue in spite of a court order, in Niger, some contestants publicly shed tears when the leadership opted to adopt affirmation.

    Besides these, many other states, including Adamawa, Kwara, Delta, Lagos and Abia states reportedly held parallel congresses.

    There are also reports of some top APC chieftains, like the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun of Edo State and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, from Bauchi, who boycotted the exercise.

    These problems notwithstanding, the exercise was successfully conducted in the majority of the states where new executives were either elected or unanimously retained.

     

  • Ondo: APC hold ward congresses amid controversy

    AHEAD of today’s state congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, there may be controversies in the choice of state officers by various factions within the party.

    The outcome of the past two consecutive congresses for Wards and Local Government Areas were embroiled in dispute. Many leaders and supporters of the party expressed displeasure over alleged manipulation of the congresses by the leadership of the party in the state, led by its acting Chairman, Ade Adetimehin.

    They accused them of hoarding nomination forms and refusal to follow due process in presenting the list of party officers both at the wards and local government areas. For example, in Ondo West and East Local Government Areas, they raised alarm over alleged manipulation of the exercise. They said asides the fact that the congress was marred by irregularities, their petition against the conduct of the congress, which was addressed to the Appeal Committee of the party was rejected.

    The chairman of the party in Ward 01 of Ondo West Local Government Area, Olusegun Fadairo, in an affidavit that he deposed to at a State High Court, alleged that some members of the party were deprived the right to exercise their franchise during the congress. He said the petition taken to the party’s Appeal Committee was to ensure that they utilise all internal mechanisms, but it was not received from them by the Appeal Committee. In the said affidavit, members of the Appeal Committee complained that they met at the party’s secretariat on the last day of their sitting, but they refused to receive their petitions.