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Tag: ONDO

  • Bishop to Akeredolu: Don’t waste time probing Mimiko’s government

    Bishop to Akeredolu: Don’t waste time probing Mimiko’s government

    The Archbishop of Ondo Province of Anglican Diocese of Ondo State, Rt. Rev Latunji Lasebikan has advised the new governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) not to be distracted by probing his predecessors.

    Lasebikan, stated this while delivering a sermon at the thanking service of the governor at St. Andrew’s Cathedral Church, Owo local government area of Ondo State on Sunday.

    The 85th birthday of Akeredolu’s mother, Grace was also marked during the service.

    The Bishop said the focus of the new governor should be on how he will fulfill all his campaign promises to the electorates, who voted for him during the election.

    Akeredolu had on several occasions said he would not probe the immediate past administration, noting that the law is there to punish any corrupt officer.

    Lasebikan said “Probe of governments in the past, what do you make out of it? You get to an office, do your own job.

    “President Buhari was to ensure that all those who mismanaged our money are brought to book, what have we got so far?

    ” The precious time he would have used to do better things has been wasted pursuing people who are unwilling to bend.

    “The whole nation is suffering because of probe; probe has no meaning for anybody”.

    The Cleric however urged Akeredolu to ensure he clears all the seven months unpaid salaries left behind by his predecessor.

    He said ‎”You should pay salaries; many of our people have not been paid, not only in Ondo State but in different parts of Nigeria. It is in East, North and every part of the country.

    “It is not good, a labourer is worthy of his wage and government needs to do something that the public will know that the government is taking care of them otherwise people will not respond to the politicians.

    “I know recession has been a bad thing for the nation but there should be way that workers are paid‎”

    Akeredolu, ‎who commended those who attended the occasion, urged the people to always wish themselves good things.

    He assured the ‎people of the state that his administration would hit the ground running immediately.

  • Akeredolu’s inauguration speech: I see hope for redemption

    Akeredolu’s inauguration speech: I see hope for redemption

    Full text of inauguration speech by new Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

    Humbled by the uncommon kindness of the Almighty God and an unequivocal expression of preference by the good people of Ondo State, exemplified by the victory of our great party at the last gubernatorial election, I am extremely delighted to share with you all the joy of this day of glory.

    We are grateful to Almighty God for granting this state such a beautiful day and a beautiful moment like this. I thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of our great party, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, for his leadership and unwavering stance to support what is just and noble.

    Today’s celebration would, perhaps, have been impossible without his steely disposition to always stand against all acts not in consonance with decency, probity and justice. I thank the President of Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yakubu Dogara.

    I thank all APC Governors who stood to be counted with us in our hour of need andother eminent Nigerians too numerous to mention. An especial reverence must be reserved for our indefatigable party chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, whose strict adherence to lofty principles and doggedness laid the foundation for our resounding victory at the polls.

    This exemplary leader behaved like a true elder, whose sagely presence in the village square not only professed rectitude but acted it, resolutely, affirming nobility of the human spirit. Our party benefitted, tremendously, from his vast experience in public service. We are eternally grateful. The verdict of history shall be kind to him. Akeredolu takes oath of office as new Ondo state Governor We express our profound appreciation to all the leaders of the party, at the national, state, local government, ward and unit levels, for their untiring and selfless efforts during the election.

    May I also use this opportunity to pay tribute to those who have served this state in this capacity, both living and departed, for their invaluable contributions to the development of the state. On behalf of our State, I pay tribute to Governor OlusegunAbdulramanMimiko for his several years of service toOndo State. I thank all our guests and friends both far and near who have taken it upon themselves to be here or sent words.

    I thank all citizens of Ondo state, particularly our resilient youths and women. I come to you this day, with a message of hope, a clear agenda of prosperity and a vision of life abundant. I believe the greatest expression of faith in our ability is to be strong enough to look upon our imperfections and decide that it is in our power to remake our society to align with our highest ideals.

    We can rise out of this dust and build a new Ondo state where honesty, prosperity and confidence can once again be our self-identity. We can pull ourselves by the bootstraps and shake off our current frustrations and disappointments. We must recognise the need for a cohesive platform, indispensable to an effective and efficient implementation of policies and programmes of both government and party, respectively. Divergence of opinions is integral to party politics.

    We are bound to disagree as politicians but we must cast aside bitter recriminations and destructive predilections. Democracy thrives on infinite multiplicity of ideas. Popular participation is one of its fundamental norms. The subordination of individual preferences for the collective will is essential if we are to avoid anarchy. Party supremacy should be respected at all times.

    This should not be difficult for us to accept if we are truly desirous of bringing about positive change in the lives of our people. We listened to the voices of our people in the course of our campaigns to all the nooks and crannies of the state. We heard themloud and clear through their votes. We witnessed, first hand, the deplorable conditions under which they exist. To those who cast their ballots in favour of our programmes, your trust is not misplaced.

    We are determined to make the difference with the specific mandate of redemption liberally handed over to us. Those who expressed other preferences are no less patriotic. Before long their anxieties will be addressed, realistically. All of us will be involved in the reconstruction project. The collective interest of the state must be our paramount focus. Consequently,we stand before you to pledge, with the guidance of God and our resolve not to renege on our promise, that your welfare shall form the basis of all our activities.

    To achieve this, the main mission of our administration is therefore to lead a patriotic, highly inspired and competent team to rescue the ship of our state. We intend to help rebuild our economy, resuscitate damaged infrastructure, restore hope and return our state to a prosperous land. We are determined as an administration to break down the barriers that have made stagnation possible.

    We will break down the barriers to honest leadership, to comprehensive development, to physical growth and social security. These we intend to do through the promotion of transparent leadership, rule of law, extensive consultation, quality and accessible public utilities and social security; all in a sustainable manner. We acknowledge the enormous challenges faced by the state and the severely limited resources available to meet these ever-increasing and compelling demands.

    In readiness for this enormous task ahead, I have two months ago inaugurated a Strategic Development and Policy Implementation Committee comprising of eminent and very knowledgeable Nigerians to produce and articulate a compressive change policy and programme blueprint.

    They have since submitted their preliminary report. This blueprint is anchored on five cardinal programmes, which are popularly known as our Platforms for Change (JMPPR). These are: Job creation through Agriculture, Entrepreneurship and Industrialisation. 2. Massive Infrastructural development and maintenance. 3. Provision of functional Education and Technological growth. 4. Provision of Accessible and Qualitative Health care and social service delivery. 5. Rural Development and Community Extension services.

    This platform for Change is erected on strong pillars, which consist of the core sectors of government activities that our blueprint lays emphasis on. These are Finance and Management of state resources, Health and Social Services, Infrastructure and Public utilities, Agriculture and Natural resources, Commerce and Industrial development, Education and Technology, Land, Housing and Environment, Women Affairs and Social Development, Youth and Sports development, Culture and Tourism as well as Information, Civic orientation and Mobilisation among others.

    Our blueprint when unveiled shall explain in details our philosophy, vision, sectoral policies and comprehensive Programmes of action clearly calendared over a period of a tenure of four years. With this document our pact with the people will be clear, our path well defined and expectations clearly understood. In building the structure to deliver on our campaign promises, I come to you with a clear mind and an honest heart, to serve and give the very best of my ability to restore Hope and Happiness to our people.

    I urge you to see hope the way I see it. I see hope with limitless boundaries for endless opportunities for all of us. I see hope for progress, stability and prosperity for all people of goodwill who are willing to contribute their quota to developing our state to a land of honourable, contented, smart, honest, diligent and patriotic people. I see hope for self-confidence, job security and increased commerce and economic production.

    I see hope for redemption and renewal of our broken infrastructure, and social values. But make no mistake about it; our journey to redemption will not be without stress and undulating curves. There are mountains before us to climb. As we climb up these steep mountains. Sometimes we may trip or slip, we will get back up. We will focus on the journey. We will never stop. We will never stop. We will never stop. In the end we will reach our goal, which is to bring back jobs to our youths, food to families, safety, confidence and prosperity to this land.

    For all these to happen, I am humbly going to ask ONLY one thing from you, good people of Ondo state. What I ask for is Attitude. We need to come with an attitude of belief and transformation. Indeed, in all successful cultures and societies, attitude is the spirit and driver of victory. Ladies and gentlemen, for us to see the change we all desire, we must be ready to constitute ourselves into change evangelists with exceptional missionary zeal to succeed. We must know that the man in the mirror is you and I.

    We need to have faith and find courage in the words of the good scripture thats ays, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.” I believe if we combine these abilities with the force of Providence, a lot of great deeds will happen. We shall not subject ourselves to any specious and unproductive stereotypes, which find expression in the usual egregious celebration of the passage of time spent in office as achievement.

    We will be too busy to notice the pace of the itinerary of the administration. Our state is particularly lucky. We have men and women of quality. We set the pace for others in the not too distant past. The country depended, to a very great extent, on our resourcefulness. We contributed, immensely, to the GDP of the country at a time when agriculture was the mainstay of the country’s economy. Our people were exemplars in virtually all fields of human endeavour.

    The story is, painfully, different today. The fault, as the saying goes, is not in our stars but in ourselves that our fortunes have dwindled, considerably, and we have become underlings. We have transited, regrettably, from a producing economy to a basically consumptive society, which depends, almost solely, on handouts to survive. The resultant effect of this unproductive attitude is grinding poverty, desperation and hopelessness among our people.

    It is a cruel irony that a state, richly endowed in material and human resources, wallows in inexplicable privation. Our unproductive taste has sustained the dichotomy between the rural areas and the urban centres. All attempts at improving infrastructural deficits seem concentrated at the capital of the state. Government intervention, where available, has been grossly inadequate in addressing the socio-economic challenges faced by the masses.

    Our administration shall, decidedly, try to close the gap between the hinterland and urban centres. Real development can only be actualized and accentuated through an active symbiosis between the two, an understanding predicated on collaboration and co-existence designed for amity and progress. Our people will be encouraged to participate in the massive reconstruction contemplated by our administration in this regard.

    Any honest indigene of the state must be disturbed by the crisis in the educational sector at present. The philosophy of education, conceived on the idea of functionality for improved living by our forbears, has been reduced to a routine certification ritual, the culmination of which is the award of certificates, diplomas and degrees to graduates who are left more confused than when they enrolled in school.

    The unemployment crisis, apart from being a global socio-economic phenomenon, is self-inflicted. If education is the nurturing, training and mobilization of those who live in a society to confront the challenges of development, faced, primarily, by the people in that environment, the current situation confirms that we have since departed from that well-trodden path for a very long time now.

    It is a big shame that a state, which was a clear leader in education in the country, now lags behind. It appears that our curricula at all levels of training have failed to produce experts whose contributions to the growth of the economy are needed. Our administration will strive to reverse this unfortunate trend by promoting functional education aimed at real development. We shall also revisit the issue of vocational training with a view to improving the skills of our artisans.

    We recognize that the issue of unemployment is endemic. We equally understand that the greatest employer of labour, at a time such as this challenging period, is the private sector. The government will ensure that the environment remains peaceful and conducive for economic activities. In addition, we shall deploy considerable energy into agriculture. Through this, we hope to generate employment for the teeming youths. This administration will do everything possible to encourage investment in agriculture. Our youths must be ready for training necessary to kick-start this mission.

    We must begin to deemphasize white-collar jobs. The era of unproductive civil service is winding to a close, gradually. The current economic realities make the deployment of the unemployed to other sectors, other than agriculture and rural development, unsustainable. We must train our youths to acquire entrepreneurial skills as a corollary to our programme on agriculture. The health care delivery system currently operating in the state will be sustained and improved upon. We shall adopt a deliberate policy to ensure that our people have access to health care regardless of their social status.

    We intend, within the available resources, to provide qualitative primary health care delivery system to the rural populace. Health care centres in the rural areas will be accessible and functional. Our policy on massive infrastructural development will seek to open up the hinterland through our roads and waterways. Our state has the longest coastline in the country. It is unthinkable that all economic activities are restricted to land while our waterways are abandoned.

    Opening up the hinterland will reduce, drastically, the perennial rural-urban drift and encourage our sons and daughters who live outside the state to consider returning home to contribute their own quota. The economic propensities of such a venture will be, unimaginably, exponential. We are all witnesses to the negative impact that our local economy has been subjected to as a result of over-reliance on federally allocated funds for even the most basic recurrent expenditure items.

    It is high time that we looked inwards and come up with a solution that ensures we are sustainable and viable as a collective entity. We shall develop a comprehensive Development Plan that focuses on leveraging our collective resources and areas of comparative advantage for the benefit of our people. The plan will detail our philosophy and response to surviving in this harsh economic climate.

    In addition to this, it will also take a medium term view to our economic development on an overall basis, and more importantly ensure that we remain consistently above board during economic booms and bursts. We will adopt a collaborative approach to get this done by ensuring that we engage with the other segments of the public sector, as well as the private sector in developing and implementing our ideas of transforming the economy of our great State within the shortest possible period.

    All these lofty aspirations will remain a mirage if those saddled with the responsibility of implementing the decisions of the government do not support with dedication, honesty and patriotism. I acknowledge the very important role that the Civil Service has played, and continues to play in the development of our beloved State.

    I understand the challenges, and these are quite apparent to those within and outside the system. We will work towards addressing these challenges in delivering on our mandate to our people. We particularly seek the support and cooperation of the Civil Service and all organs of labour. We will drive efficiency through capacity building and training needs assessment targeted at retooling our civil servants. Be rest assured that your welfare, training, capacity building and the overall interests of our people will be one of the highest pillars of our mandate.

    We acknowledge the constraints that our current financial situation will place on our ability to deliver on our mandate. We however, believe that an adequate focus on transforming the current socio-economic status of our State will lead to substantial internally generated revenue for our State. We believe that Ondo State has the required resources – human and material to ensure our sustainability in the short, medium and long term.

    We are looking at building on our existing relationships with local and international development partners. Many of them have been there for us in the time past, and we reach out to them, especially at the new dawn in the administration of our State.I am therefore using this opportunity to reach out to businesses, manufacturers, private investors as well as potential international partners. You are welcome to Ondo State.

    We commit to partner with you in developing the economic potentials of our State for the benefit of all our stakeholders. The collective deployment of our resources, combined with those of our neighboring and sister States cannot be over-emphasized. Our administration believes that we can achieve a lot more if we work with a number of our sister State Governments to ensure that certain development efforts (infrastructure or otherwise) are channeled in such a way as to deliver maximum benefits for the participating States. We believe we don’t have to build or develop everything ourselves.

    There is a lot we can gain if we harmonise efforts and resources to build enduring assets that can cater for the needs of every one of us. Security of lives and property shall be guaranteed. Our administration will protect all and sundry. We will act in the interest of everyone. We will be there for all. All those who will add value to governance in the state shall be engaged. We believe that the inputs and participation of every stakeholder is required for us to succeed and deliver our mandate.

    We will provide numerous avenues for direct engagement with our people. Whether you are civil servants, market women, students, vulnerable groups, artisans, professionals, we will have specific means of reaching out to you to feel your pulse, and more importantly to seek inputs into programs and policies that will directly impact your lives. Ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a brand new day!

    With the assistance of the Almighty God and the good people of Ondo State, we hope to take the state out of the morass of privation, hopelessness and desperation. The welfare of our people shall be the fundamental objective and directive principle of governance in Ondo State. Your Excellencies, My lords, ladies and gentlemen and my good people of Ondo state, the hour is here and our Journey to Redemption commences now.

    And to God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, the author and finisher of all things perfect and excellent I say: “Forth in thy name oh Lord I go, my daily labour to pursue, thee only thee resolved to know, in all I think or speak or do. The task thy wisdom has assigned o’ let me cheerfully fulfil in all my works thy presence find and prove thy acceptable will”. Long live Ondo State, Long Federal Republic of Nigeria. I thank you very much for listening. God bless.

  • NDDC redeploys 11 directors in major shake-up

    NDDC redeploys 11 directors in major shake-up

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has redeployed 11 directors to different offices and directorates to boost its performance in the development of the Niger Delta.

    The Managing Director of NDDC, Mr Nsima Ekere, said on Thursday in Port Harcourt that the decision to shake-up the NDDC was taken after the commission’s retreat in Port Harcourt.

    He said the affected directors were drawn from the commission’s offices in Abuja, Bayelsa, Imo, Ondo, Delta and Rivers states.

    The NDDC chief gave the names of the affected officers redeployed as: Dr Princewill Ekanim, who was redeployed to the office of the Managing Director as Director of Special Duties.

    Mr Effiong Ephraim moves from Special Duties to head Abuja Liaison office, while Mrs Rachael Odiri, formerly Head of Bayelsa State office now heads Abuja office.

    Also, Mr Wanoro Weli, a former Director in charge of Utility Infrastructure Development and Waterways would head Ondo State office, replacing Mr Emma Audu who becomes Director of Project Monitoring and Supervision.

    In similar vein, Mr Nosa Agbongiasede takes charge of Imo State office, while Godwin Jaja, formerly Director of Imo office would take charge of Human Resources Directorate.

    Mr Etim Eyoette was elevated to the position of Acting Director, Utility Infrastructure Development and Waterways (UIDW), while Mr Ndubuisi Ahiakwo was moved from UIDW in Delta to Project Monitoring and Supervision (Western Zone).

    Mr Uno Uno now heads Project Monitoring and Supervision (Eastern Zone) while Mr Felix Aomreore becomes Head, Project Monitoring and Supervision (Central Zone).

    Ekere said the redeployment would enable the commission to actualise reforms designed to restore the commission’s core mandate and improve the living conditions of residents in the Niger Delta.

    `We are taking actions to reform our operations for optimum performance; and part of the first step was to deploy officers to where they would offer better service.

    “It is important to offer the region and our people better service; improve the quality of our projects; and ensure that we pay for projects and programmes that we implement,” he said. (NAN)

  • ‘PDP made costly mistakes in Ondo’

    ‘PDP made costly mistakes in Ondo’

     Ondo State Commissioner for Culture, Toursim and Special Duties Femi Adekanmbi, in this interview with LEKE AKEREDOLU, explains why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost last year’s governorship election. He also sheds light on why crisis broke out in Owo, two days before the governorship poll, and those responsible for the mayhem. 

    What are your achievements as the Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Special duties?

    I want to thank God that I have been able to offer my service to the state and indeed Nigeria. I have not been able to perform as expected because of the fact that the resources needed to achieve my set out goals are not there. You will agree with me that the recession in Nigeria is something that has drastically reduced governance in Nigeria. So, I was not able to achieve all my set goals due to recession.  But, I still give glory to God that despite the challenges, we were still able to record a lot of things.  We have been able to turn around ‘Mare Festival,’ and other things were also touched in the culture and tourism ministry. Also, we have been able to achieve a lot at the water sector in Ondo State. I have been the Commissioner for Water Resources for over a year and my achievements in the water sector is something that I have not been achieved in the state for the past 32 years. For instance, the state has been able to pass the water policy bill into law. When I came in, I met the governor and I told him if you want to achieve a lot in water, this bill must be passed into law and he gave me the go ahead and I traveled almost on weekly basis to Abuja. I want to commend the minister for water resources, who gave us all the encouragement to pass the bill.  Another achievement is that during my time, the Owena multipurpose, contrary to what the people are saying was not abandoned.

    We will soon complete the drainages of about 100 boleholes in all the 18 local governments. Concerning culture and tourism, when I came in, I look at Mare and I said I am going to set a standard that the festival supposed to show the culture of our people and that is what I have been able to do. The last Mare festival showcased all the cultural richness of each local government.

    What lesson has your political involvement taught you?

    My experience has been positive and negative. Negative in the sense that I have seen quiet a lot in politics. At my level and my age, I have discovered that, in politics, never trust anybody except yourself because somebody, who comes to your house today and smiling with you, can come another time and attempted to kill you. I have been able to gain a lot of experiences in politics, I am now wiser and mature. When you are in politics,before you sit, you must carefully looks at the seat. In Ondo  politics, I want to give kudos to Governor Olusegun Mimiko because what he has done in the past few months, especially prior to the election and after the poll.

    Why did the PDP fail to retain power in Ondo State?

    A lot of things went wrong. Let me start from the issue of  our party. A lot of mistakes were made by us. Everybody should know that the moron was in the party to destory the party and up till now, instead of them to sit down and settle the rancour, they are still destorying the party. Sheriff or no Sheriff, Markafi or no Markafi, this party does not belong to anyone. For goodness sake, this party belongs to all Nigeria and we have expected that by now, they should have forgotten about this matter. But unfortunately, somebody is set to destory it. That was where the problem started from. We did not get our hearts right and which gave room for Jimoh Ibrahim. If we have gotten our hearts right, we should not be talking about candidature three months to the election. It is sad because we have the best candidate, Eyitayo Jegede. I know Jegede very well, I worked with him closely. Mimiko did not canvass Jegede to me. I canvassed Jegede to him. I told him that look, Jegede is a person that can never take the state backward and I still stand by it. Since, we noticed the crisis in PDP, we should have returned to the Labour Party (LP). But we got it wrong from the on set. If Jegede has contested from Labour Party (LP) from the on set, we will have joined him in the party and forget about PDP crisis that got us to this level. Another issue is that we did not have sincered and honest people among those who worked for Jegede. A lot of people that work with us were fake. They are a lot of sycophants. I am writing a book on my experiences in Ondo State politics, and the book is going to be an eye opener. A lot of people are working in this government, when you look at their behaviours despite the fact that Mimiko did a lot for them and did not offend them, they prefered to pay him back with evil. I have worked with Mimiko and I used to tell a lot of people that he is not a perfect man but he had tried his best in the state.

    Was the neglect of zoning not a contributory factor to the PDP’s defeat?

    It was not zoning. The power of money ruled the day on the election day. Jegede, would have won the election but thank God that the man who won the election, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu SAN is a perfect gentleman, my brother, somebody I respect so much and I know he too is capable of performing. I am a PDP man, as at today, I am a PDP man.

    It was alleged that you were the brain behind the crisis that erupted in Owo, two days before the election. What really happened?

    Is saddened that people  will accussed me or associate me with any crisis in Owo. This is a community that is so dear to my heart. This is a community that I have been involved in the development of the community. So, what will I gain in causing crisis in the town, absolutely nothing. If you check the record in Owo right from the time when crisis I have been happening in Owo, I have never be associated with any rather, people I have been attacking me since I have been contesting in the community. I was attacked in all the local governments I went to. When I Akeredolu started his campaigns in 2012, a certain individual attacked him, and the same person was behind the November 24, 2016 crisis. What happen on that day was that, we got a court mandate, which pronouned Jegede as our authentic candidate and I told my people that there is no how we can campaign again but we should create awareness by dancing round our towns. When I got to Owo I told our party members that there is no how we can hold a rally in Owo because this is the hometown of the APC candidate, but they insisted we should do it. We held a sucessful rally that was monitored by the security operatives. Immediately after the rally, I left Owo for Akure for a meeting the governor and I was shocked that the APC people went and attacked our people where they were sitting. I never asked anyone to atack anybody, I cannot do that.  It got to a point that the APC petitioned the police and I went to the station and clearified myself.  That is what I said about the bad side of politics. When people don’t like your face, they put up fake stories just to nail you. I want to tell the people of Owo that I am a total and committed citizen of that community. I am totally committed to the development of that town. Presently I am doing some projects with my money. The water fountain at the Mapo Hall aroundabout is being constructed by me. Why I mine being accused is because I open my gate to everbody. I don’t discrminate. When you have a lot of boys in the society and everybody discrimate about them that they don’t want to associate with them, then you are building up criminalities. When you don’t have someone that can caution and assist them, then there is a crisis. So, I open my gate to all these boys, and I assist them in my ow n little way to get elevated. I have never used anyone of them to go an attack anyone. The main person causing this crisis is from Ose local government, but stays in Owo. He has attacked him, he has attacked Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, attacked Akeredolu, Mimiko, Adegbele and others.

    You relationship with Akeredolu was once cordial. What really went wrong?

    Barrister Rotimi Akeredolu, the incoming governor is my brother. Fortunately, my father and his own father are from the same street. It may interest to know that I am saying to tell Nigerians that I was the first person to call Akeredolu way back in 2011, to give the governorship a shot and he said Femi I don’t want to involve. I sat down with him in the presence of his colleagues and said if I am going to work with you, I don’t have an issue with that because we are brothers but you must support me for my House of Representatives election and he said oh! He would but when he election came, he declined. We were both in the ACN then and I said there is no reason of causing crisis in the party and that was why I left the party. It was not just I felt out with him but just maturity level.

  • Weather aborts Osinbajo’s visit to Ondo

    Weather aborts Osinbajo’s visit to Ondo

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday rescheduled his visit to Ondo State due to poor weather condition.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo was already air-borne on Friday morning when weather reports indicated dusty haze and very poor visibility at the Akure Airport and other alternative airports nearby.

    The presidential jet, the statement said, therefore had to return to Abuja following which the weather condition was closely monitored until about 2:30pm, when it became abundantly clear that the situation would not change in time for the Acting President to achieve the purposes of the visit.

    The visit has therefore been  rescheduled for Monday, the 20th of February, 2017.

    The trip had been set-up in continuation of his tour of the oil-producing communities which earlier took the Acting President  to Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Imo States.

    The Presidency has also extended apologies to the State Governor, the Governor-elect, traditional rulers and the generality of the people of Ondo State who had been awaiting the Acting President’s visit.

    Meanwhile, the inability of the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo to commission projects executed by Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko as previously arranged caused despair in the state yesterday.

    Osinbajo was expected to commission the International Events Centre (The Dome) a project executed by Governor Mimiko but he did not show up in the state.

    Many residents of the state who had expected that Osinbajo would personally commission the project waited endlessly.

    The absence of the acting president however prompted the state government to refix the date of the commissioning of the project for Monday, February 20.

    The state government had earlier prepared for the number two citizen as security agencies were stationed in different parts of Akure, the state capital.

    The event initially slated for 10am had several people in attendance, waiting impatiently until the Governor later announced that the commissioning could not hold any longer.

    Governor Mimiko however appealed to the people, stressing that the Acting President would be around again on Monday for the commissioning.

  • Kingmakers dispose Ilaje first class monarch

    The Amapetu of Mahin Kingdom in Ilaje local government of Ondo State, Oba Lawrence Omowole has been disposed by kingmakers for alleged abuse of office.
    Omowole was alleged to have removed Oba Beniah Idiogbe as the Alaboto of Aboto and installed a foreigner, one Oyetayo Ofoaye as the new king of the town
    The kingmakers alleged that Ofoaye, hails from Ukohi family who are total strangers and of refugee status in Aboto.
    They recalled that the same Ofoaye with one Omolere Menukuro has challenged the appointment of Oba‎ Idiogbe as the Alaboto of Aboto at Okitipupa High Court in 2007.
    Omowole however  denied the allegation saying the lawmakers were only on a mission to blackmail. 
    However, the decision to remove the first class monarch was taken at a meeting attended by Mahin Obas, Olojas, Baales and youth organization ‎held on February 14, 2017 at Igbokola, the headquarters of Ilaje local government.
    The dispositon letter, which copy was made‎ available to “The Nation” was signed by four out the five kingmakers.
    They also claimed that the copies of the disposition letter has been served on the embattled king, the local government and the state government.
    The kingmakers, who signed the letter were Urayen Ogefun of Mahinland, High Chief Akinyemi Omoyele, Asaron of Mahinland, High Chief Roju Malumi, Jadigba of Mahinland, Olibamayo Aladetan and Yasere of Mahin, High Chief Godwin  Balogun.
    The kingmakers also resolved that the Yasere of Mahin, Balogun, who is the chairman of the council of chiefs should be in charge of the affairs of the kingdom.
    The disposition letter reads “that by our history, no one, not even the Ama‎petu, has the power or authority to concede an inch of Mahinland or allow any stranger to weat a crown within our territory.
    “That after a catalogue of complaints by the Mahin people of different communities of the acts and omission of the present Amapatu of Mahin, particularly with respect to the kingdom teritorial integrity, land use, cieftaincy matters, including the issue of the Alaboto of Aboto and minor chiefs in Igbokoda; the meeting supported the decision of the Mahin Kingmakers passing a vote of no confidence on the Monarch and declaring the seat vacant for the time being.
    “That we are conscious of the special stake of Mahin in the Ilaje project on account of our larger population, overwhelming land mass, ownership of the headquarters of Ilaje accommodating all groups and our strategic geographical location without which others Ilajes have no access to their kingdoms and homes.
    “We shall however, not compromise our inheritance in any manner whatsoever including our kingdom’s territorial integrity, land use, chieftiancy and customs and tradition generally.
    “That we urged the government of Ondo State to accord Oba Idiogbe all his rights and privileges as the Alaboto of Aboto and resist any prompting or temptation from any quarters not even the Amapetu of Mahin to appoint any other person or by any means contemplate appointment of any person not being of Mahin origin or descent as Oba in Aboto or any other part of Mahin land”
    Omowole said some of those people who signed the disposition letter are fake kingmakers.
    He noted that they were only on a mission to blackmail his throne.

    Omowole explained that no kingmaker has the power to remove him ex‎cept his people, adding that his people are strongly behind him.
  • Provost of Ondo college counsels new students on morals

    Provost of Ondo college counsels new students on morals

    The Provost of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, has urged new students of the institution to be of good behaviour during and after their stay in the college.

    Ogen, represented by his deputy, Dr Samuel Akintunde, made the plea on Wednesday at the orientation programme organised for newly admitted students of the college.

    He congratulated them on their admission into the college and urged them to take their studies seriously to enable them achieve their dreams.

    The provost equally advised them to be mindful of the college environment by being security conscious.

    He reiterated the determination of the college to continue to provide basic facilities that would facilitate a good learning environment.

    The provost also urged them to work assiduously for good grades so that they could become more competitive in the labour market after the completion of their studies.

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Mr.Olaniyi Olaluwoye, said the occasion was epoch making and marked the beginning of the journey to greater and fulfilled height by the students.

    Olaluwoye advised the students to spend their time wisely and avoid acts that could put them in trouble.

    He listed such acts to include cultism, drug addiction, examination malpractice and prostitution.

  • Ondo prepares for Akeredolu’s inauguration

    Ondo prepares for Akeredolu’s inauguration

    Preparations are on for the inauguration of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as the sixth civilian governor of Ondo State.
    Governor Olusegun Mimiko will on February 24 bow out after eight years.
    The committees set up by Mimiko and Akeredolu have been meeting to ensure seamless transition.
    According to the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee, Yemi Olowolabi, on February 23, Akeredolu and his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, will be handed official documents at the Executive Chamber, Governor’s Office in Akure.
    He added that the inauguration will take place the following day at the Akure Township Stadium.
    According to him, the event will be attended by All Progressives Congress (APC) national leaders, Senate President Bukola Saraki; House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, governors, ministers among others.
    Guests will be entertained at the gala night to be held at the International Event Centre, Dome, Akure
    “On February 25, the governor will attend his first official assignment where an inaugural golf tournament will be held in his honour at the Smokey-Hill Golf Sport in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government.
    “On February 26, there will be a thanksgiving service at the St. Andrew’s Cathedral Church, Owo.
    “There will be Muslims thanksgiving at the Akure Central Mosque on March 3,” Olowolabi said.

  • Fresh start for cancer care in Ondo

    On this year’s World Cancer day on February 4, the BG Event Centre in Akure, the Ondo State capital, witnessed a huge crowd who trooped in to listen to medical experts from home and abroad discuss cancer prevention, control and community participation, reports HANNAH OJO.

    There is a new order in Ondo state. The Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), an NGO galvanising action for cancer care and prevention took the message of cancer care to the state by organising town hall meeting where the gown met the town as medical experts drawn from home and the Diaspora got to enlighten people on the cancer challenge.   Themed  ”Cancer: Prevention, Control and Community Participation”; the event couldn’t have come at a better time for a state where  96 percent of breast cancer patients present with stages 3 and 4, according to statistics from the Federal Medical Centre , Owo.

    The day stood out to be a period of talks with practical demonstration as Dr Aba Katung, a consultant Surgeon at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo set the pace for the day’s discourse with a presentation on cancer in Ondo state and the burden of cancer in Nigeria.

    Describing cancer in Nigeria as an undiscovered epidemic, Dr Katung reeled out statistic showing a grim reality of the cancer burden in Nigeria.

    “100,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in Nigeria (this figure is smaller than real) and about 71, 000 to 80,000 deaths are recorded annually. There has not been any cancer screening activity in Ondo state.  Most of our patients present with advanced tumors. The emerging trends in cancer development include increase in incidence in third world countries,” Dr Katung offered.

    For Dr Kingsley Udoh, a researcher and global health expert from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research centre in Seattle, Washington, the fact that data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington showed cancer has surpassed the deaths attributable to HIV, TB and malaria combined, is a call for concerted effort from home and abroad.

    Speaking on the role of the diaspora as it relates to healthcare reforms in cancer prevention, he said: “I think Nigerians in diaspora can do a lot. We have experts in many fields from developing cancer registers and knowing what the read epidermology of  cancer is in Nigeria to exchange trainings where our doctors can go to western countries to see how things are done and how they can adapt. Connections can be made by Nigerians in diaspora to really help the government improve the level of infrastructure in the health care system.”

    For Dr Olumide Aladesuru, a general surgeon at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife who delivered a presentation on understanding cancer, he charged the audience to use the advantage of the internet to educate themselves about the disease rather than give in to fear and superstition of what cancer is not.

    Tasking government and advocacy agencies to work in the area of creating awareness in communities, the medic added; “If people can learn to know that cancer can be identified and there are measures to prevent, treat and managed it, then it can be minimized. I believe the measure of call is enlightenment, especially in rural communities where many cannot use the internet”.

    There are a number of behavioural and dietary risk factors which can increase the risk of having cancer. To this, Dr Babatunde Adedokun, a lecturer from the department of Epidermology and Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, listed age,  tobacco use, alcohol intake, overweight and physical activity, air pollution, e.t.c.

    The Chair of the Nigerian Medical Association, Oyo State branch, Dr Mojisola Atalabi-Oladele,  who chaired the town hall meeting, urged the people of Ondo to rise up to fight the disease taking it’s toil on women in developing countries.  Also, the Eyesorun of Akure, Olori Abimbola Aladetoyinbo who attended the event in company of HRM. Oba Adelusi Aladetoyinbo, the Deji of Akure, the Royal Father of the day, gave a prepared speech, challenging government to rise up to the health challenge confronting women health. Whilst pledging to support awareness programmes in rural communities in Akure, she equally advised women to go for regular medical checkups in order to prevent cases of late presentation.

     

    A survivor’s road map to

    comprehensive cancer care

     

    For a woman who has been a breast cancer survivor of twenty years and still counting, it sure does not come as an exaggeration to label Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu  an elegant stallion. Founding BRECAN in 1997 after her experience with breast cancer, she has been at the forefront of galvanising action in the area of advocacy and awareness. This activity has taken her across states within Nigeria and countries around the world.

    As her lilt voice cuts across the room, she addressed the participants with liveliness, emphasizing to all that Ondo people are set for a new dawn where women health will become priority in the state.

    Delving into the “Igba Otun” song, a refrain meaning “new dawn” which her husband campaigned with and won the governorship ticket in Ondo state, Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu charged the audience to embrace a bottom-top-approach in fighting the cancer burden in Nigeria.

    “In today’s development sector, the top-down approach has been discarded because it did not produce the desired results. The new paradigm is bottom-top approach.

    “Hardly do we hear about any serious cancer awareness programme carried out by ministries of health at state and federal levels. This is where community participation comes in handy. It is driven by need”, she said explained.

    Disclosing that the town hall meeting is a starter of what more to expect in terms of health care in the state with the incoming administration, Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu affirmed that she is committed to demonstrating the fact that good governance is possible when there is sincerity of purpose.

    In a country where there are no comprehensive cancer care and treatment facilities, how does she hope to fulfill the mission of cancer care for Ondo women in the midst of dwindling health revenue?

    “I made it clear to the people of Ondo State that this is a non-governmental organisation programme   which depends on public support.  Already, I have laid the foundation so when people start programmes in the communities, they have to understand that they have to go and search for funds.  This is part of weaning people from dependency on government. Let the communities direct their own affairs and then go to government for support, I think they will earn more respect,” she stipulated.

    BRECAN also marked the 2017 world cancer day in Lagos, Ibadan and Enugu.

     

  • N500m “parting gifts’’ approved for Ondo political office holders, APC alleges

    N500m “parting gifts’’ approved for Ondo political office holders, APC alleges

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has alleged that the outgoing Gov. Olusegun Mimiko had approved N500 million as “parting gifts“ to political office holders.

    Mimiko’s eight-year tenure will end on Feb. 23, while Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the Governor-elect will be sworn-in on Feb. 24.

    The APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, on Saturday alleged that the money was from the state Local Governments Joint Account.

    “We have authoritatively gathered that Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, whose tenure expires in 12 days’ time has approved a take-home package of N500 million (taxpayers’ money) as valedictory packages for the 18 council chairmen.

    “Other beneficiaries of the parting gifts are officials of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, who oversee the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Mr Governor himself.

    “Each of the council chairmen and senior civil servants (names withheld), who are involved in facilitating the documentation and perfection of the loot, are to part with N20 million, while Mr Governor goes with a lion share of N300 million.

    “We want to warn the Accountant General of the state and permanent secretaries not to succumb to pressure by Mimiko and his cronies to milk our state dry before the expiration of their tenure.

    “There shall be commensurate negative consequences for every wrong actions or inaction.

    “The action is a daylight robbery of the commonwealth of the good people of Ondo State, ’’ the statement read.

    Adesanya warned banks and other financial institutions in the state not to get involved in any “shady deal’’ with this outgoing government.

    Efforts to get reaction of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Eni Akinsola, were unsuccessful as calls to his cell phone were not picked. (NAN)