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Tag: OSUN

  • What House of Assembly polls victory means for Osun, by Oyetola

    OSUN State Governor Gboyega Oyetola has hailed the people for voting candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s House of Assembly election.

    The governor said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Adeniyi Adesina that having absolute majority in the legislature would enable the government to move at the pace that would fast-track the growth agenda of his administration.

    The APC won 22 of 25 Assembly seats, whose results were declared yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The party is leading comfortably in Oriade State Constituency, the only State Constituency whose result was declared inconclusive by the electoral agency.

    “The outcome of the House of Assembly election is a further proof of the popularity of our party in this state. It shows that nobody can describe our victory in previous elections as a fluke,” the governor added in his reaction to the overwhelming victory.

    Oyetola said with a steady support from the House of Assembly, there would be no inhibition for the government to deliver the democracy dividends that it promised its people during the campaigns.

    The governor added: “Already, we have launched out on a massive scale in road rehabilitation across major towns. The grading of critical rural roads is ongoing.

    “We have also flagged off revitalisation of nine major/secondary hospitals and 332 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) (one per ward) to take healthcare to our people at the grassroots.

    “Our big plans for agriculture and mining will come on steam soon. We are set to hold our First Economic Summit to launch the state into a boom.”

     

  • Tribunal reserves judgment in dispute over Osun guber election

    …To notify parties 48 hours before delivery date

    The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the September 2018 governorship election held in the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    The tribunal, after entertaining final arguments and adoption of written addresses by lawyers to the parties, announced that judgment has been reserved.

    Tribunal Chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo said parties will be informed, at least, 48 hours before the date of delivery of the judgment.

    PDP and Adeleke are, by their petition, challenging the declaration of Adegboyega Isiaka of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Wole Olanipekun (SAN) appeared for Isiaka; Akin Olujinmi (SAN) represented the APC, while Lasco Pwahomdi appeared for INEC.

    In adopting their separate final addresses, Olanipekun, Olujinmi and Pwahomdi urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the grounds that the petitioners have failed to prove their case.

    Lawyer to the petitioners, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), while adopting his final address, urged the tribunal to uphold the petition and grant all the reliefs prayed by the petitioners.

    Thursday’s proceedings of the tribunal was witnesses by the Osun State Governor, who was accompanied by some officials of the state.

    He was dressed in white agbada, but declined to speak with the media, who sought his views after the tribunal’s proceedings.

    Details later …

  • Breaking: Thugs set INEC office on fire

    A section of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Office in Ijebu-Ijesha Oriade Local Government, in Osun has been gutted by fire.

    The incident occurred around 3 am on Sunday.

    It gathered that some hoodlums suspected to be political thugs allegedly set a section of the building ablaze along with some election materials.

    An electric generator owned by the commission was also burnt.

    Some of the staff at the building, however, fled the scene.

    Confirming the incident to NAN, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, said it was a minor incident.

    Agbaje said the fire did not affect Saturday’s election results.

    “What happened was purely criminal and does not have any political undertone.

    “Some of our staff heading to the office met some yahoo-yahoo boys on their way.

    “On getting to our office, they discovered that the hoodlums were after them.

    Read also: NEC yet to commence collation in Edo South

    “Our staff dropped the election materials and the generator with them and fled.

    “The hoodlum thereafter poured the petrol on the generator on the election materials and set them ablaze.

    “What I heard was that the hoodlums said someone called them a nickname which angered them but whosoever called them the nickname is not one of our staff.

    “But I can authoritatively confirm to you that the election results were not affected and the building was not razed,’’ Agbaje said.

    The REC added that the collation officer for the Local Government was already at the INEC State Headquarters collation centre in Osogbo with the election results.

    Agabaje also said that no lives were lost. (NAN)

  • Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, others meet in Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday met in Abuja in the party’s caucus meeting.

    The meeting started at the APC National Secretariat around 11.30am when the President arrived.

    Those in attendance included the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

    State governors at the meeting included that of Zamfara, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kebbi, Niger, Lagos and Kaduna state.

    Read Also: Buhari: no plan to remove INEC Chairman Yakubu

    Also in attendance were the Senate leader, Ahmad Lawan, senators, Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Boss Mustapha, ministers, among others.

    Discussions at the meeting will not be unconnected with the issues affecting the party, including the postponement of the general elections by a week.

  • NGO to complement FG effort on peace building

    The Working Group on Women, Youth, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel (WGWYPS-WAS) is set to commence its peace building campaign in some states in Nigeria.

    Mrs Bridget Affiah, Co-state representative of WGWYPS-WAS NG in Delta, said this on Tuesday during the official inauguration of the #Workingroupng4peace Campaign in Warri.

    Affiah said the campaign would be conducted in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that the objective of the NGO was to propagate peace, particularly in  violence prone states.

    She listed the states to include; Abia, Benue, Borno, Delta, Enugu, Gombe and Kaduna,.

    She said the others were Kano, Lagos, Kogi, Osun, Rivers, Plateau, Yobe and the FCT.

    According to her, the campaign was to further ensure increased awareness on the need to reduce violence especially against the vulnerable populations like the youth, women, children and the physically challenged persons.

    “WGWYPS-WAS was set up in April 2009 with the support of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) across 15 West African Countries and the Sahel.

    “WGWYPS-WAS NG with the hash tag, #workingroupng4peace was inaugurated in  December 2016 in Nigeria.

    “It is an all inclusive platform for experience sharing, analysis and participatory evaluation within the West African Region and the Sahel.

    ” It is also for the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related ones on women and youth participation, conflict prevention mechanism and peace building,”she said.

    Affiah said the group recognised states where violence, hate speeches, conflicts and insecurity were prevalent, adding that there could be no meaningful development in a conflict situation.

    “We will try and see what we can do to achieve sustainable peace for sustainable development.

    ” We are going to be working with the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in Delta,” she said.

    Read Also:Breaking: INEC declares Benue guber election inconclusive

    Another Co-state representative, Mrs Rachael Ruppee, said other objectives of the NGO was to strengthen the capacity of members and bring skills together to achieve good result.

    “The aim is also to enhance information and knowledge sharing in peace, conflict and violence resolutions,” she said.

    One of the guests, Dr Agboro Andrew, said that peace and security was the collective responsibility of everyone.

    “There are a lot of issues right now in Delta, post political issues, cult issues and without peace the communities will be under developed.

    “A lot of companies are leaving the state as a result of issues related to conflict,” he said.

  • 2019: Osun monarchs warn politicians against heating up polity

    As the general elections draw close, the traditional rulers in Osun State have warned the politicians not to heat up the polity.

    They also charged the politicians not to encourage violence and spread of fake news and information.

    The traditional rulers under the aegis of the Osun Division Conference of Obas after rising from their First Quarterly meeting held at the Palace of Alayegun of Ode-Omu in Ayedade Local Government Area of the state issued a 5-point communique to address challenges facing Osun State.

    In the communique signed by the chairman and secretary of the Osun Conference of Obas, the Orangun of Ila-Orangun, Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun, and the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, the traditional rulers said Nigerians should remain peaceful and eschew violence, during and after reading the polls.

    The monarchs, who congratulated the state governor, Mr. Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, on his victory and inauguration as the fifth governor of Osun, commended his immediate predecessor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, for running a courageous and visionary government, therefore, advising Oyetola to build on the achievements of the former governor.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC employs 16,500 ad-hoc staff in Osun

    The traditional rulers also called on Oyetola to “re-invent” the security architecture of the state, adding that “Obas should be considered in the scheme of things.”

    According to them, issue of security of lives and property must be considered as critical to survival of the societies, noting that the security operatives should be motivated to do more of intelligence and crime prevention.

    They advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to be fair in the discharge of their duties.

    They also appealed to Governor Oyetola to give attention to the welfare of traditional rulers and ensure that “monthly meetings of the Council of Obas are held regularly.“

  • Nine die in Osun auto crashes

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Osun on Tuesday said nine persons died in various road accidents in the state in January.

    The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Peter Oke, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Osogbo that the accidents were caused by speeding, wrongful overtaking and carelessness of drivers.

    “The total number of road traffic accidents for the month of January was 22 leading to the death of nine persons,” he said.

    Read Also: Osinbajo enjoys God’s grace, says Osun monarch

    Oke noted that 2151 road traffic offenders were apprehended, out of which 218 were educated and cautioned on the sensitivity of road driving during the period under review.

    The sector commander further said that no fewer than 1403 persons were issued with driver’s licence in the month under review.

    He added that the command executed 12 radio and eight television programmes to educate and enlighten the public on the dangers associated with dangerous driving.

    Oke warned motorists to always obey traffic regulations, noting that the command would not spare any person caught flouting the law.

  • Why INEC ordered rerun in Osun, by witness

    The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal heard on Friday what informed the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to order a rerun in the last governorship election in the state.

    The State Collation Officer (SCO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), during the election, Adegboyega Rasaki Adeosun, told the tribunal that the rerun, to which the People ‘s Democratic Party (PDP) consented, was informed by the need to comply with the law and avert the disenfranchisement of many registered voters in the state.

    He said, after the collation of all the results, INEC’s Returning Officer (RO) for the state, explained to parties’ representatives at the collation centre, why a rerun was necessary.

    Adeosun, who testified as a witness of the second respondent (Adegboyega Oyetola) in the petition by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Ademola Adeleke, said the RO was moved to direct a rerun because the margin between the scores of the two leading candidates was less than the number of registered votes in the seven polling units where elections were voided.

    The witness said the RO explained to all present, including the representatives of the PDP and other participating political parties, that it would not be right to disenfranchise the large number of registered voters in the affected polling units.

    Adeosun, who was Oyetola’s 11th witness, and the only one on Friday, said the PDP, whose agent was present at the collation centre, did not object to the RO’s announcement, which informed why all representatives of all the parties endorsed the document.

    Adeosun, under cross-examination by lawyer to INEC, Adesina Agbede, said: “At the State Collation Centre, when the Local Government Collation officers came to report Local Government by Local Government, the LG Returning Officers gave explanations on what happened at some polling units and said the results could not be finalised.

    “That led to the cancellation of the results of these polling units. At the point of aggregation of all results from the 30 LGAs, the RO of the state informed us that the number of voters in these polling units exceeded the margin between the scores of the two leading candidates – the second petitioner and the second respondent.

    “The margin showed that difference was small, compared with the number of the registered voters, and they cannot be disenfranchised. All the party agents were there as reflected by those who signed the Form EC8D,” the witness said.

    The witness said he voted on the day of the election after he was duly accredited. He said he did not vote during the rerun election because the rerun did not take place in his polling unit.

    Earlier, at the commencement of proceedings, Oyetola’s lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), led Adeosun to adopt his written statement and tendered result sheets from some Local Governments, through him.

    Some of the Local Government Areas are: Egbedore, Ife Central, Ejigbo, Ede South, Ede North, Irepodun, Boripe, Ayedaade, Isokan, Ilesa East, Ife East, Obokun, Ayedire and Oriade.

    Adeosun stated, that, when the discrepancies were corrected, the correction was signed by all the representatives of the political parties, including the PDP.

    Under cross-examination by the petitioners’ lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Adeosun said he did not know who effected the cancellation in the result sheets because he was not at the LG collation centre.

    Adeosun stressed that he did not serve as a polling unit agent on the day of the rerun election. He said he was not at any polling unit, because his polling unit was not affected.

    At the conclusion of his testimony, Owonikoko prayed the court to adjourn to February 5 to enable the second respondent prepare witnesses, following which tribunal Chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, adjourned the hearing to February 5 for the second defendant to conclude his case.

    Justice Sirajo, with assurance from Sanusi (lawyer to the third respondent), announced that the APC will open its case on February 6.

  • Osun tribunal: INEC is allowed to rectify errors in result sheets, by witnesses‎

    *Tribunal asks PDP, Adeleke’s lawyer to be organised

    The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal has been told that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is allowed to rectify discrepancies in entries in election result sheets.

    Three witnesses called by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, at the resumed sitting of the tribunal on Thursday in Abuja, said they were trained on the operation of INEC’s Manual and Electoral Guidelines before they were engaged as agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the election.

    The witnesses – Bello Mukaila, Olatitoye Sodeeq, Iyiola Ismail – (who served as APC polling agent in Osogbo and Ikire) said they learnt, at the training, that INEC reserve the right to correct errors in result sheets.

    They also identified some of the result sheets where such discrepancies were corrected.

    Some of the result sheets were from polling units won by both APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The tribunal is hearing the petition by the PDP and its candidate in the last governorship election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    Adeleke witnessed the tribunal’s proceedings on Thursday. He sat from beginning of proceedings (10am) to around 12noon.

    The legal team of the PDP and Adeleke got an additional hand on Thursday with the attendance of proceedings by former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Kanu Agabi (SAN).

    Agabi only announced his appearance but allowed Onyechi Ikpeazu to conduct the case of the petitioners.

    Wole Olanipekun (who led Oyetola’s legal team) also allowed Abiodun Owonikoko (SSAN) to conduct his client’s proceedings. He only intervened when necessary.

    Olanipekun contributed to argument, in favour of the 3rd respondent (APC) when Ikpeazu objected to the move by APC’s lawyer, Lasun Sanusi (SAN) to tender a copy of INEC’s Manual and Electoral Guideline through Mukaila.

    In a ruling, the tribunal, led by Justice Ibrahim Sirajo upheld the argument by Olanipekun and Sanusi and admitted the document in evidence.

    At the commencement of proceedings, Justice Sirajo advised Ikpeazu to be organised. The judge’s advice was informed by the discrepancies noted in the list of lawyers he submitted to court and the one with him.

    Read Also: Osun gov election dispute: Oyetola opens defence

    Ikpeazu announced the names of some lawyers in his team and left some out, an omission the judge noted from the list submitted to the tribunal.

    The tribunal Chairman later called out the names of about five lawyers, who were omitted by Ikpeazu, following which the petitioners’ lawyer apologised.

    Justice Sirajo then said: “Get more organised please, get more organised. That is all I have to say for today, get more organised.”

    The tribunal rose at about 12.30pm, after Olanipekun announced that the 2nd defendants were done for the day.

    Proceedings resume on Friday at 10am.

  • Infrastructure boost for Osun new town

    The dream of creating new towns in Osun State got a boost as elders in Osogbo, the state capital,  mobilised indigenes in the Diaspoara to buy into the new project.

    At a Tripartite meeting  among Osun New Towns and Growth Areas Development Authority, Osogbo Progressives Union and the developer, Akeeb Investment Limited, Osogbo Progressive Union President, Ambassador Razak Siyanbola, assured  Oranmiyan New Town management that indigenes, both at home and in the Diaspora, would support the project.

    The  Oranmiyan New Town streches from Abere to Fountain University and part of Owode. According to the managers, when completed, the new town would have all the facilities a modern  city like Dubai has.

    The new town, which has 2,572 hectares (6340Acres) of land, is located within Osogbo, the state capital territory; in the precincts of the state Secretariat and the Osun Osogbo Grove. It is made up of seven neighborhoods and has a 42-meter right-of-way main boulevard, which cuts across six neighborhoods. Already, over 2, 000 applicants have submitted their forms for the scheme, while a few have received their allocations.

    Speaking on behalf of others elders, Siyanbola said he was ready to stake his credibility for the project. “We will now bring our credibility online now because  we have personally seen it.”

    The elders, who were not oblivious of the problems those in the Diaspora face as regards building houses and estate, said with  what was on ground at the Oranmiyan New Town there is nothing to be afraid off. When The Nation visited the site, workers were busy at different locations, constructing culverts and drainage.

    Speaking on the project, spokesperson for Osogbo Progressive Union (OPU) Mr. Oyesiku Adelu said: “It is commendable looking at the way the place has been opened up.  I want to commend the determination of the state government of Osun, which has invested so much into this project.  We hope that many people from the state, particularly from Osogbo, will patronise this project because obviously, the government still needs to recoup its money and one of the way to re coup the money is to get people to buy into it.”

    The Nation was at a meeting where  the managements of the projects; Osun New Towns and Growth Areas Development Authority, representing the Osun State government and the developer of the projects, Akeeb Investment Limited, addressed some grey areas such as the project credibility, payment term, and the size.

    The project, which started in 2014 by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration,  was initially sold for N3, 000 per square meter and the least that a subscriber could get was 1,000 square metres, which is a bit above two plots. Right now, the land is currently  being sold for N6,500 per square metre.  According the Head of Administration of Osun New Towns and Growth Areas Development Authority, Mrs Caroline Abiona. “For those, who have cash between now and the end of January, we are selling for N6,500 at minimum of 1,000 square metre which is about 6.5 million naira.  The 1000 square metre is equal to 2 plots plus.  But it is going to be N10,000 per square metre after January,” she said.

    Unlike what obtained in the past, Abiona said subscribers are expected to show commitment before getting their allocation letters.  “There is the need for initial deposit even before the allocation letter is given, you will see where you will buy, but you must make commitment so that we will know that you’re ready to buy.  If there is no commitment, we will not treat your form until you say you’re ready. We cannot afford to give you an allocation letter and you witholding it and another person comes with cash and we don’t have land to give to that person,” she added.