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Tag: Owo

  • Massive turn out in Owo

    Massive turn out in Owo

    Despite the attacks  on the residents of Owo in local government area of Ondo state on Thursday, there was still massive turn out of the electorate for today governorship election.

    Owo is the hometown of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN.

    They trooped out as early as 7.30 to cast their votes for candidates of their choices.

    Also, the election has been peaceful so far in Owo.

    At Iregun junction unit 09, the card reader is not working owing to configuration problems.

    Voting and accreditation commenced early at unit 13 C/S Grammar School, Ariyo/Osoye.

    Polling unit 006 Ijebu, has issues with authentication of finger print.

  • Ondo: PDP not to blame for Owo killing

    The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ayo Fadaka has denied the allegation that supporters of his party attacked All Progressives Congress (APC) members in Owo.
    Mr Afolabi Olaposi, a chieftain of APC was killed by unknown gunmen on Thursday night.
    He however condemned the crisis that rocked Owo, saying crisis does no good to community.
    He said he was aware that his party supporters organised a rally in Owo on Thursday but added that no one has fact that the same supporters caused the crisis.

  • Thugs attack AD supporters in Owo

    Thugs attack AD supporters in Owo

    Two supporters of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo State were reportedly attacked in Owo Local Government Area by suspected political thugs.

    Sunday Akadiri and Adeniran Adeyemi were said to be pasting posters of the AD candidate, Olusola Oke, when they were allegedly assaulted by members of All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Akadiri, who spoke to reporters at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he was admitted, alleged that his assailants were supporters of APC candidate Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

    Akadiri said: “My leader, Babatolu, gave me some posters to paste. While I was pasting the posters at Isokunodo Street, Mobil Area, some people in two APC branded buses came.

    “They disembarked from the buses, moved towards me and started hitting me with machetes. They took me from the area to the compound of a rival governorship candidate, who is an indigene of the town.

    “When I fainted and they thought I had died, they took me to a burial ground and dumped me there. An Okada rider took me to hospital.

    “My attackers collected N150,000 and an Infinix Hot 2 phone from me. It was my elder brother who gave me the money to give to those working at his site.”

    Akadiri identified some of the assailants as Ojo, popularly known as Skypo and Tope, saying he had earlier been warned by some people not to paste posters of any candidate, who is not an Owo indigene.

    The other victim, Adeniran, who was stabbed in the head and right shoulder, explained that he was attacked because he did not support Akeredolu.

    “I was formerly a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I recently defected to AD with my friend and leader, Obanoyen Kasseem. But this did not go down well with some people who accused me of not supporting Aketi, who is an Owo indigene.

    “They stabbed me because I don’t support Aketi. Don’t I have the right to support anybody I like? After all, Akeredolu is not feeding me. I have reported the matter at the police station in Ijebu-Owo,” he said.

    Media aide to the AD candidate, Rotimi Ogunleye, lamented the spate of attacks on members of the party.

    He urged security agencies to ensure that life and property are protected before, during and after the election.

  • Why Owo should produce governor, by Ekungba

    Why Owo should produce governor, by Ekungba

    Chief Jamiu Ekungba, a banker, is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State. He spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU in Lagos on his ambition, his manifesto and the proposed primary.

    What is your feeling about the crowded governorship race in Ondo State?

    It is the legitimate right of everybody to aspire, but what is necessary at the party level is for the party to be so organised, so educated and motivated to ensure that the only candidate that will emerge will be the right candidate. It shouldn’t be a candidate that buy votes, but one that is not only electable because of his antecedent characters and integrity, but one with the right kind of education.

    For instance, someone who would lead warriors must have the prerequisite training of leading soldiers; someone who would lead footballers must have the prerequisite training and someone who is going to lead the government at the time of economic crisis must have prerequisite demonstrable antecedent in the past of handling such crisis.

    And somebody who is going to lead a state at a time that there is medical crisis will be different from the person who would lead such community in the time of economic crisis. So, it is therefore, the responsibility of the political party and the leadership of the political party to ensure that nobody emerges as their candidate other than that person who is a round peg that can fit into that round hole of that particular time. Anybody can aspire, but the political party must ensure that nobody emerges by accident.

    What are your chances at the primary?

    Like I said, it is the responsibility of the party to ensure that those people who have the best materials are thrown up and delegates are made to make their choice. And in some circumstances, then, you now put some conditions to it. Whose turn is it? Which zone should produce last? Which zone should produce next? Somebody was arguing that zoning will throw in not the best. I remember as far back as over 20 years ago, Jubril Aminu was just a young man then, he argued: “I am a Fulani boy, whose father and mother were not only poor, but also illiterates. I attended the University of Ibadan and I was the best graduating student. I came to the university by quota.”

    He therefore, argued that there is no community in Nigeria that cannot produce the right thing at the right time. What is wrong is that the political system set up does not allow the right person to come at the right time. So the wrong person are always been thrown in.

    A friend of mine, who is a Briton that worked here in Nigeria for about 38 years, once said that Nigerians would have been better than any nation in the world, but our political system always throw up, not the first 11 to fifth 11, but the seventh or eighth 11, because the first and the second 11 would always think they are too good to be in politics. And that is what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu told me in 2011 when he invited me to his house to draw me into political activities. He said when the people of integrity and honour like you say that they don’t want to get involved in politics, then, you don’t have the moral right to complain when vagabonds and touts take over governments and rule over you.

    So, when the political system and party have been able to throw in the best material that is available in the community at that time. If they are more than one, then, other yardsticks will be brought into it. There are yardsticks of determining what zone produces the last governor, which zone should be next. If, for instance, the same zone now produces four or five people, then, you have to call the delegates of the party to come and vote and the vote will definitely throw up one person. Whichever of them comes up, if these three people are good, they will be ready to work together to move the state forward, if the system is transparent, open and objective.

    The APC aspirants are many. Will the flag bearer secure the backing of other aspirants?

    I was told that there are 42 aspirants, but I am sure that by August 5, when the collection of forms closes, the number would have reduced drastically. Then, there will be screening, and it is not even everyone that collected the form that will be screened to be qualified to contest. By the time aspirants that are screened to contest move into the gallery, of course, whoever loses at that level has no one to blame. Our leaders have said that there is going to be transparent, open and objective primaries and they have demonstrated that so far so good. A lot of people have been putting pressure on them to declare them as the candidate of the party, but the leaders have been just. I am not saying that our leaders are not human beings, they would have a preferred candidate, but it is not going to be a situation like it was in the past where they would say this is the preferred candidate and every other person should go and sit down. They might now campaign for their preferred candidate, and we pray that God will help all of us. But we all saw what happened in Edo State, t was open and transmitted live.

    In 2012, when the candidate was picked at the meeting, a lot of people were saying whoever is picked, but I told their leader that people are not objective because I know most of them. Immediately the candidate was picked, some of them went to other parties and that is human. But, the truth of the matter is that, with what the APC is doing in Ondo State presently through the national leadership and the national executive, which has transmitted to the state executive, everybody is working very hard and I am saying with all passion that whoever wins the primaries will enjoy the support of the majority of the aspirants.

    There is a lot of bickering going on in APC, especially among candidates…

    We have handled that. In campaign, no matter how close two people are, you want to outsmart the other. So, the chairman has called the social media handlers of each of the aspirants together, chose a leadership for them and made sure that we must not attack ourselves, no matter how much it becomes so important for your candidate to win. And since that has been done, you will discover that there is moderation in it. The truth of the matter is there are lot of things to talk about ourselves. Anyone that wants to contest election in Nigeria is trying to tell people to go and find out about his mother’s name and know every little detail about him. This is because in truth, a lot of slitting comes along with politicking and campaigning. But, I think in Ondo State, we have been able moderate it drastically to some extent.

    Is the ‘Akure Agenda’ not a threat to the APC?

    I have always told people that when you discuss politics. I am an accountant in politics and the first concept I was taught in accountancy is truth and fairness. Is it true that an Akure man has never been governor? Is Otiko not an Akure man? He was a governor of Ondo State under military. When you talk about past presidents and head of states, you mention Buhari and Gowon. So, why will you mention past governors of the state and not mention Otiko. We have to be truthful about it.

    Secondly, when we are talking about division, I tell people that Nigeria, as at today, doesn’t recognise division. Nigeria as at today recognises senatorial district, federal constituencies, state constituencies, local governments, wards and unit. So, do you now want to obligate the constitution?

    Third, in terms of the population of those in Akure, the question is: are the people there Akure indigenes alone? Are there no people from other states or local governments in that place? That is my argument. Everyone has a right to fight for his locality.

    If the slot is zoned to Ondo North, should it go to Owo or Akoko?

    As I said, I believe in truth and fairness. let the Akoko man be truthful about this matter and let them be fair. It is as simple as that. These are the things that we are telling the delegates and you will see what will happen on the day of the primaries. If our leaders can rise to ensure that the election is not monetised, then, you will see what the people will do.

    Whoever goes into equity must go with clean hands. These are the issues of becoming a governor of Ondo State. It is not like it was in the past. Ondo State is economically prostrate. Mimiko has ruined that state economically. Whoever becomes the governor of that state does not only need his experience, mental and academic strength, but he also needs the help of God. So, if you go ahead and win the election by crook and fair, where are you going to get the support of the vote to rule the state? So that is why everyone must be truthful and fair in this matter.

    People say that I am talking like that because it favours my locality, well, yes, accidentally as that is God’s plan. But, the truth of the matter is that, all the aspirants put together, when we talk of integrity, who can beat me? When we talk of academics, who can beat me? When we talk of demonstrable antecedent, who can beat me? When we talk of the skill and the capability to handle the financial mess Mimiko has put the state into, who can beat me? If there is none, then, everyone should let the state go to the right person, and that is Jamiu Afolabi Akungba.

     

  • Ondo 2016: Waiting for Owo Wise Men’s choices

    Ondo 2016: Waiting for Owo Wise Men’s choices

    In a bid to ensure Owo does not miss the chance of producing Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s successor, the Owo General Assembly is set to prune the number of indigenes seeking Ondo State’s governorship seat. OLUKOREDE YISHAU examines the processes leading to this much-awaited announcement

    IT all started on Saturday, February 20. Indigenes of Owo, Ondo State gathered at the town hall. The gathering had the blessing of their monarch, Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi. Traditional rulers of communities affiliated to the town subscribed to the meeting. Their mission:  to work out modalities to ensure an indigene of the popular town succeeds Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as governor.

    The meeting, which was convened under the umbrella of the Owo General Assembly (OGA), examined the rotational arrangement in the state and agreed that since Ondo North senatorial district, Ondo South senatorial district and Ondo Central senatorial district have produced the governor of the state it was time for it to return to the Ondo North senatorial district, which produced the late Adebayo Adefarati between 1999 and 2003. After the late Adefarati, the late Olusegun Agagu, who was from Ondo South, took over. He was succeeded by Mimiko, who is serving out his second term. The governor is from Ondo Central senatorial district.

    For the people of Owo, who are working with their Ose neigbours, the Akoko axis of Ondo North has dominated political offices in the district. In a position paper, which came out of the February meeting, they listed 16 sons of Akoko origin who have held key political positions between 1999 and now. Aside the governorship seat, Akoko indigenes have also been deputy governor, minister, Chief of Staff to the President, Speaker and so on.

    A statement by the Owo General Assembly signed by its National Coordinator, Chief Akinboro Aruwajoye and National Secretary, Dr Monday Duromola, said: “Even though all these high profile positions accrue as a result of zoning, it is only Akoko that has benefitted in the last 17 years. Owo has been totally sidelined. The senatorial seat which they used to leave for us after taking the governorship slot is already with them. Senator Ajayi Borofice (Akoko) is the sitting senator for the zone now, with a tenure ending in 2019. So, if they take the governorship this time, it would mean they eat both the main dish and the crumb.

    “It is clear and obvious that Akoko has had more than its fair share of political office. It is for the foregoing reasons that the national, state and local government leadership of the two political parties, APC and PDP, are urged to adopt the principle of equity and justice in their selection process for the governorship election.

    “Ondo South and Ondo Central senatorial districts cannot in good conscience be allowed to alternate the office of governor between just the two of them. It must go to Ondo North Senatorial District. Similarly, inside Ondo North Senatorial District, Akoko should not lord it over Owo/Ose, the historic headquarters of the old Owo division of which Akoko was just an integral part. ‘Owo indigene for governor of Ondo State’ is not just a mere slogan. It is a proclamation of equity and justice.”

    The OGA, after the February meeting, wrote Mimiko, in his capacity as the governor and the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, on why he must support an Owo indigene to succeed him. The Nation learnt that it has not received a reply from the governor. But, Aruwajoye, at the weekend, said a follow-up letter would be sent to the governor.

    One challenge the OGA has had to confront is the number of Owo indigenes who have indicated interest in becoming governor. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has seven. They are: Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, Mr Jamiu Ekungba, Mr. Niran Sule Akinsuyi, Mr Akinsehinwa Awodeyi and Chief Bukky Adetula. The OGA felt that for Owo to get the party’s ticket, the aspirants must work together. It called for a meeting of the aspirants. Since the PDP has fewer indigenes angling for the ticket, they were exempted from the meeting. At the meeting, the aspirants were encouraged to step down for one another. But nobody was willing to step down for the other.

    As a result of this, the OGA and the aspirants reached a compromise, which saw to the putting in place of a panel to prune the aspirants to three using parameters, such as educational qualifications, leadership qualities and so on.

    The aspirants were given a questionnaire to answer and return to the panel, which has Aruwajoye and four others as members. The panel has now concluded its work and ready to announce its findings.

    As not unusual with arrangements such as this, one of the aspirants, Ayorinde, who is a member of the House of Representatives and founder of Achievers’ University, Owo, has dissociated himself from it. In a June 29th letter, Ayorinde said at a meeting in Lagos on April 16, he had made it clear that the committee’s quest to prune the aspirants from seven to three would only be fair if the 146 APC delegates in Owo Local Government were allowed to vote and the best three picked based on the outcome of the shadow election.

    Ayorinde said: “Contrary to the above suggestion, your committee has gone ahead to handpick five members of your committee to carry out the selection without a clearly spelt out modalities for the selection. No doubt, your planned screening is alien to our party, it is unconstitutional and therefore unacceptable to me.

    “As a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party, I will not submit myself to any screening; in fact I will not submit myself to any screening outside the constitution and guidelines of the All Progressives Congress.

    “I therefore write through this medium to disassociate myself from the process entirely. I remain an aspirant for the governorship position of Ondo State under the banner of our great party, the APC.”

    But, will Ayorinde’s objection stop the announcement? Aruwajoye said it would not. The OGA would announce its choices before aspirants start picking up parties’ nomination forms.

    The Nation learnt that the announcement is also being delayed as a result of consultations between Owo and their Ose neigbours, whose support they believe is critical in turning the ‘Owo indigene for Ondo Sate governor’ dream into reality.

    Significantly, the Akoko axis of the Ondo North also believes the seat should be its for the taking. But a division broke out at the weekend following the decision of some Akoko APC elders led by Chief Felix Ayegbusi, who ‘zoned’ the governorship ticket to Akoko North Federal Constituency, which has Tunji Abayomi, Segun Abraham and Gani Dauda as aspirants.

    An aspirant from Akoko South Federal Constituency, Victor Olabimtan, rejected the ‘zoning’ which cut him, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Folusho Adefemi off.

    Olabimtan said: “Any arrangement that will pitch us against ourselves and further split Akokoland will not augur well for us and APC as a whole.

    “Their decision which we read in the newspaper does not have the inputs and blessing of the “genuine” APC leaders from Akoko North and the generality of Akoko sons and daughters who are fervently praying and believe that the next governor of Ondo state should be an Akoko indigene.”

    For Ondo people and politics, interesting times filled with dramas and intrigues are here.

  • ‘Why we set up the Owo General Assembly’

    ‘Why we set up the Owo General Assembly’

    Chief Akin Aruwajoye, the first indigenous deputy managing director of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), is the National Coordinator of the Owo General Assembly (OGA). In this interview with OLUKOREDE YISHAU, he spoke about the group and its mission.

    What is the reason for the setting up of Owo General Assembly (OGA)?

    If Nigeria has institutions and structures, we will not be talking about what we are talking now. We will just latch on to those institutions. I say this with particular reference to rotational or zoning arrangements. The founding fathers of the country recognise that to put all the various groups, tribes, religions, all the areas where we are divided, to put it together, there has to be some guarantees in the system that does not exclude a particular group. Even though a lot of people will argue that zoning does not involve meritocracy, I believe that that is short-sighted. If people don’t live in harmony, no amount of merit or meritocracy will change things. It will be continuous upheavals, continuous war, continuous agitation.

    So, what it became clear that the term of the current governor is running out, most of us who believe in things being orderly felt that for Ondo State, it is the North Senatorial District that should produce the governor. We started seeing people from even Ondo Central that has the current governor showing interest in succeeding him. I think it is unfair, it is unjust, it is not what will augur well for our future. We have to tolerate each other. We have to find a way to make everybody fell that he is a stakeholder in the state; that the state is not just for a particular group of people and it is only them.

    Take also, apart from the Central zone, the Southern zone, they were the penultimate governor. Again, they have the ministerial slot for the state. They want to add the governorship seat to that. And there are some people,  they don’t have anything. The last time they had it was the first governor in 1999. So, we feel that we have to be fair to each other and we should try to build institutions. This, to my mind, is what drives the Owo General Assembly. On January 20, the Owo General Assembly met and review the political situation in the state and it came out that the generality of the state should come from the North and it should go to the Owo/Ose axis because in the last 17 years there has not been any appointment of significance coming to the area.

    The Akoko group has dominated everything. They have taken governor, deputy governor. They have taken speaker, deputy speaker; they have taken minister. So, the Assembly, therefore, felt we should put our resources together and see that it comes to this axis which has been neglected over time. The Assembly is not a club, it is the whole people coming together.

    What led to the idea of pruning down aspirants?

    We reasoned that we have to be strategic to get the seat. The Assembly appreciated all Owo and Ose indigenes who have put themselves out as the vanguard for achieving this objective. The Assembly then felt having 10 to 12 people jostling for the position will not be optimising the situation and people will just be fighting themselves. So, we agreed we must prune the aspirants. So, we called the aspirants and we talked to them individually that they should step down for one another. After about two weeks, we went back to them and no one was willing to step down for the other. Then we started working on how they could step down for themselves. They said they would not step down for one another. After some time, they realise that only the community can lay claim to the governorship and not individuals and the interest of the individual should be a subset of the interest of the community. It took quite to some time and the Assembly was asked to set up a committee to reduce the number. The committee has no power to compel but only persuade. So, instead of reducing the number to one, we decided to pick three.  We came up with a formula of administering a questionnaire on their plans, contributions to the society and all that and we gave them a copy and all of them, Mr Akin Akinfenwa, Chief Bukky Adetula,Mrs. Olajumoke Anifowose, Barrister Rotimi Akeredolu, Dr Bode Ayorinde, Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba, Barrister Niran Sule Akinsuyi, sat together and criticized the questionnaire and we adjusted… They wanted to know the assessors. We gave them five names and they rejected two and we gave them another two and they accepted. We gave them the final copy of the questionnaire and they responded. Two weeks after, we opened the envelopes and did the evaluation.

    I understand that one of the aspirants did not return the questionnaire?

    By the time, the questionnaires were returned, one of them, Dr Ayorinde, did not return his. We got a letter from him that he told us that he would not participate.

    Do you think Governor Olusegun Mimiko will buy your idea?

    We have articulated it a paper we sent to him?

    Did he reply?

    No, but we are thinking of following up with a visit. I want to believe that if anybody takes the time to read our submission, it will be clear that Owo has been thoroughly marginalised and otherwise they will lose an important part of the state. I think for peace and harmony, this should go to Owo/Ose.

    What is your strategy for the PDP aspirants?

    We are working out how to handle the PDP aspirants because our mission transcends political parties. They are few. The PDP aspirants have been participating in our meetings.

  • Ondo 2016: Waiting for Owo Wise Men’s choices

    Ondo 2016: Waiting for Owo Wise Men’s choices

    In a bid to ensure Owo does not miss the chance of producing Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s successor, the Owo General Assembly is set to prune the number of indigenes seeking Ondo State’s governorship seat. OLUKOREDE YISHAU examines the processes leading to this much-awaited announcement

    It all started on Saturday, February 20. Indigenes of Owo, Ondo State gathered at the town hall. The gathering had the blessing of their monarch, Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi. Traditional rulers of communities affiliated to the town subscribed to the meeting. Their mission:  to work out modalities to ensure an indigene of the popular town succeeds Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as governor.

    The meeting, which was convened under the umbrella of the Owo General Assembly (OGA), examined the rotational arrangement in the state and agreed that since Ondo North senatorial district, Ondo South senatorial district and Ondo Central senatorial district have produced the governor of the state it was time for it to return to the Ondo North senatorial district, which produced the late Adebayo Adefarati between 1999 and 2003. After the late Adefarati, the late Olusegun Agagu, who was from Ondo South, took over. He was succeeded by Mimiko, who is serving out his second term. The governor is from Ondo Central senatorial district.

    For the people of Owo, who are working with their Ose neigbours, the Akoko axis of Ondo North has dominated political offices in the district. In a position paper, which came out of the February meeting, they listed 16 sons of Akoko origin who have held key political positions between 1999 and now. Aside the governorship seat, Akoko indigenes have also been deputy governor, minister, Chief of Staff to the President, Speaker and so on.

    A statement by the Owo General Assembly signed by its National Coordinator, Chief Akin Aruwajoye and National Secretary, Dr Monday Duromola, said: “Even though all these high profile positions accrue as a result of zoning, it is only Akoko that has benefitted in the last 17 years. Owo has been totally sidelined. The senatorial seat which they used to leave for us after taking the governorship slot is already with them. Senator Ajayi Borofice (Akoko) is the sitting senator for the zone now, with a tenure ending in 2019. So, if they take the governorship this time, it would mean they eat both the main dish and the crumb.

    “It is clear and obvious that Akoko has had more than its fair share of political office. It is for the foregoing reasons that the national, state and local government leadership of the two political parties, APC and PDP, are urged to adopt the principle of equity and justice in their selection process for the governorship election.

    “Ondo South and Ondo Central senatorial districts cannot in good conscience be allowed to alternate the office of governor between just the two of them. It must go to Ondo North Senatorial District. Similarly, inside Ondo North Senatorial District, Akoko should not lord it over Owo/Ose, the historic headquarters of the old Owo division of which Akoko was just an integral part. ‘Owo indigene for governor of Ondo State’ is not just a mere slogan. It is a proclamation of equity and justice.”

    The OGA, after the February meeting, wrote Mimiko, in his capacity as the governor and the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, on why he must support an Owo indigene to succeed him. The Nation learnt that it has not received a reply from the governor. But, Aruwajoye, at the weekend, said a follow-up letter would be sent to the governor.

    One challenge the OGA has had to confront is the number of Owo indigenes who have indicated interest in becoming governor. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has seven. They are: Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, Mr Jamiu Ekungba, Mr. Niran Sule Akinsuyi, Mr Akinsehinwa Awodeyi and Chief Bukky Adetula. The OGA felt that for Owo to get the party’s ticket, the aspirants must work together. It called for a meeting of the aspirants. Since the PDP has fewer indigenes angling for the ticket, they were exempted from the meeting. At the meeting, the aspirants were encouraged to step down for one another. But nobody was willing to step down for the other.

    As a result of this, the OGA and the aspirants reached a compromise, which saw to the putting in place of a panel to prune the aspirants to three using parameters, such as educational qualifications, leadership qualities and so on.

    The aspirants were given a questionnaire to answer and return to the panel, which has Aruwajoye and four others as members. The panel has now concluded its work and ready to announce its findings.

    As not unusual with arrangements such as this, one of the aspirants, Ayorinde, who is a member of the House of Representatives and founder of Achievers’ University, Owo, has dissociated himself from it. In a June 29th letter, Ayorinde said at a meeting in Lagos on April 16, he had made it clear that the committee’s quest to prune the aspirants from seven to three would only be fair if the 146 APC delegates in Owo Local Government were allowed to vote and the best three picked based on the outcome of the shadow election.

    Ayorinde said: “Contrary to the above suggestion, your committee has gone ahead to handpick five members of your committee to carry out the selection without a clearly spelt out modalities for the selection. No doubt, your planned screening is alien to our party, it is unconstitutional and therefore unacceptable to me.

    “As a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party, I will not submit myself to any screening; in fact I will not submit myself to any screening outside the constitution and guidelines of the All Progressives Congress.

    “I therefore write through this medium to disassociate myself from the process entirely. I remain an aspirant for the governorship position of Ondo State under the banner of our great party, the APC.”

    But, will Ayorinde’s objection stop the announcement? Aruwajoye said it would not. The OGA would announce its choices before aspirants start picking up parties’ nomination forms.

    The Nation learnt that the announcement is also being delayed as a result of consultations between Owo and their Ose neigbours, whose support they believe is critical in turning the ‘Owo indigene for Ondo Sate governor’ dream into reality.

    Significantly, the Akoko axis of the Ondo North also believes the seat should be its for the taking. But a division broke out at the weekend following the decision of some Akoko APC elders led by Chief Felix Ayegbusi, who ‘zoned’ the governorship ticket to Akoko North Federal Constituency, which has Tunji Abayomi, Segun Abraham and Gani Dauda as aspirants.

    An aspirant from Akoko South Federal Constituency, Victor Olabimtan, rejected the ‘zoning’ which cut him, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Folusho Adefemi off.

    Olabimtan said: “Any arrangement that will pitch us against ourselves and further split Akokoland will not augur well for us and APC as a whole.

    “Their decision which we read in the newspaper does not have the inputs and blessing of the “genuine” APC leaders from Akoko North and the generality of Akoko sons and daughters who are fervently praying and believe that the next governor of Ondo state should be an Akoko indigene.”

    For Ondo people and politics, interesting times filled with dramas and intrigues are here.

  • Eight Owo indigenes in Ondo governorship race

    Eight Owo indigenes in Ondo governorship race

    •Olowo urges unity among contenders

    Owo, a politically conscious agrarian community in Ondo State, has played important roles in the history of the Southwest. The first most important political meeting, which was the launch of the defunct Action Group (AG), led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was hosted by the Owo community in 1951.

    The town has produced many first class politicians. In the old Western Region, the first educated Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru-Olagbegi, was a prominent member of the House of Chief. Also, a prominent Owo indigene, the late Chief Michael Ajasin, was the last President of Egbe Omo Oduduwa and Second Republic governor of Ondo State. For many years, Owo was also at war with itself for partisan reasons. Political differences, clash of ambitions of leading lights and crisis arising from the deposition of the monarch and his reinstatement have paved the way for division, strife and rancour.

    When Owo was enveloped by communal clashes, houses were in flames. Prominent indigenes were hacked to death. The anger, animosity and culture of hate have not completely subsided in the ancient town. The memory of the sad episode lingers in the hearts of the victims. What is most striking is the lack of unity in Owo, despite series of reconciliation.

    The disunity also manifests in the clash of ambitions among the eight governorship aspirants from the town. The scenario is worrisome to the Olowo, Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi. The monarch was said to have held two meetings with the aspirants, urging them not to set the town on fire. A source said: “The Olowo, his chiefs and other community leaders want Owo to produce the next governor. But, there are fears that the votes may be split, if the eight indigenes insist on participating at the primaries.”

    The aspirants are Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose, Mr. Awodeyi Akinseyinwa Apata, Hon. Sule Akinsuyi,  Bukola Adetula, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, and Olubunmi Agbaminoja. A source said that Chief Segun Ojo may join the race.

    Akeredolu was the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2012 election. He was defeated by Governor Olusegun Mimiko. Party chieftains complained that he was imposed on the party. Shortly after poll, he indicated interest in the office of the National Legal Adviser. But, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) from Lagos eventually occupied the office because he had the backing of powerful leaders.

    Recently, Akeredolu hosted party members for the Yuletide celebrations. During the ceremony, some members resolved to work for the actualisation of his ambition. Akeredolu has a rich profile. He is a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

    Anifowose, a lawyer, is the daughter of Chief Ajasin. She also served as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Adefarati Administration. She was the chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    Ekungba, a banker, is a Board of Trustees (BoT) member. Party sources said he became a BoT member, when another female aspirant turned down the offer. He is being considered for a board appointment by the Federal Government, the source added.

    Akinsuyi is an experienced politician. In the Third Republic, he was elected into the Ondo State House of Assembly. He was the Commissioner for Special Duties under Governor Mimiko.

    Adetula is a lawyer. He is a household name in Owo, his father, Pa Soka Adetula, having served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic.

    Ayorinde, the founder of the Achievers’ University, is a member of the House of Assembly.

    Akinseyinwa Apata, the youngest aspirant, is a businessman.

  • Triple celebrations for Owo monarch

    Triple celebrations for Owo monarch

    The Olowo of Owo, Oba David Victor Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III (CFR), will be 74 years old tomorrow. He was given the certificate/ letter of his appointment as the  Chancellor of  the University of Jos, last Friday. One of his children, Prince Leke, is getting married this weekend. The monarch spoke about the triple joy with Taiwo Abiodun. 

    For the past one week  the ancient town, Owo in Ondo  state has been agog as it has been receiving visitors, and this week starting from tomorrow  again, the palace will be feasting  and hosting visitors. Reason?  Tomorrow, Oba David Folagbade Olateru  Olagbegi III  (CFR) will  clock 74 years old. The monarch was  born on June 26, 1941.

    Last  Friday, the palace received over 50 top management  Staff  from the University of Jos,  who came  to officially present the monarchwith a letter of his appointment as the Chancellor of the University.

    The monarch was among the Chancellors appointed by the immediate past President  Goodluck Ebele  Jonathan as one Chancellors of Federal Nigerian Universities.

    Decked in his white flowing  apparel (agbada), and dangling  on his  hand, legs and neck are beads meant for a royal status with his red cap to match, the monarch  was presented the official letter from the University by the Pro Chancellor , Dr Dan Etiebet, and assisted by  the Vice Chancellor Professor Hayward Babale Mafuyai.

    The  Monarch thanked the top management staff on the appointment and promised to do his best in making the university be ranked among the best in the country .

    On his birthday, the monarch said it would a low key , “I would like it to be a low key “, he said.

    The Olowo of Owo who could not do without celebrating his birthday in the Redeemed Christian Church of God  ‘Jesus Palace Parish’ in the Palace compound said he would be going to the  Palace Church for thanksgiving , he said “ though I want it low key but I will go to Jesus Palace Chapel to thank God for sparing my life till this moment .“

    Quoting  from the Holy Bible he said God has been merciful and kind to him,  adding that:  “I thank everybody for their prayer and love for Owo kingdom and for my humble self. We should endeavor to continue to love ourselves, be  prayerful and be positive”. He also extend his greetings to Muslim brothers who are observing the Ramadan fast to remain steadfast and do the will of Allah”.

    Before the monarch  was the Holy Bible  on his table where he quoted conspicuously from without using his eye glasses .

    At 74,  Olateru Olagbegi III does not use glasses  while he does not walk with the aid of walking stick except the royal beaded walking stick for occasions.

    According to him,  it is part of gift God  gave me. “I don’t use medical recommended glasses to read. God gave me good health and I thank him. There  will always be challenges but the important thing is to put  your trust in God, the bible says you should  not put your trust in Man but in Him  (God). Holy Bible contains the words of God .You cannot do without the words of  God. He is the King of kings, the saviour, omnipotent and omniscience and no one can be compared with Him,” he said.

    When reminded of the Bible passage that says a man  has fulfilled God’s given age at 70 , the royal father did not agree and said “It depends on where you are reading in the Bible. I think it is David in Psalm 70, but if you read another area in the Bible God says He wants us to live up to  180  while another passage says if  a person does not  live up to 100 years that means that person is accursed ,So those who want to  claim 70 can  claim 70, and for those who will claim 80 or 180  should but ,there are some people who live more than 100 , some don’t live up to 70, very few people live up to  120″.

    When asked about the speculation in town of the monarch living up to 100 years, the monarch said “there is nothing God cannot do, I claim it in Jesus’ name.  I pray to be up to that. Since I was young I knew its only God  that does not disappoint. He has not disappointed me in life, God is my refuge, companion and my father , He does not leave me. I put my trust in Him and when  you trust Him , He will supply all your needs.

    “In the book of Isaiah , it says if one is not up to 100 that means the person is accursed and yet in the  book of Genesis  Chapter 6 verse 3 says “and The Lord said my spirit shall  not always strive with man , for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”

    On his  name, David  and Victor that are synonymous with the Biblical David , he said “I was given ‘David’ by my parents. I tried my best but I can’t compare myself with the a biblical David‘, he  declared with humility.

    In the book of Isaiah, it says if one is not 100 that means the person is accursed and yet in the  book of Genesis  Chapter 6 verse 3 says “and The Lord said my spirit shall  not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years”. Another passage in the Bible of Isaiah,  says if a man is not  up to 100  it means he is accursed.

    On lawn tennis which has been the family trade mark , the monarch says he has long played it “ I am supposed to be playing it.  I have not played it for some time .You know as one is getting old  the bone is growing weaker.But as per my daily activities, I wake up in the morning and pray, in the afternoon I pray, in the night I pray.God says we should pray without ceasing .Prayer is the key”.

  • Owo: Fear grips Ondo town as robbers threaten revenge

    Owo: Fear grips Ondo town as robbers threaten revenge

    •Residents groan as banks remain closed
    •Natives turned their compound to vaults
    •Petty robbers now have free day 

    Nearly two months after a large ‘army’ of robbers invaded Owo town in Ondo State, killing no fewer than 20 residents in the process, residents are complaining about the continued closure of all the commercial banks in the town since then even as rumours of a likely second attack by the robbers rent the air, TAIWO ABIODUN reports.

    ORDINARILY, residents of the Owo community in Ondo State should still be enjoying soft pillows of sympathy over the 20 souls that were gruesomely mauled down six weeks ago when over 50 armed robbers took their reign of terror to the ancient town. But no; the residents remain fear-struck, unsure of whose head will host the next bullet as the bandits who escaped during the bloody raid are threatening to revenge the killing of some of them who fell to the superior fire power of soldiers during the March 26 tragedy.

    Penultimate Monday, there was pandemonium in the town when the rumour tore through the community that another set of armed robbers had come in. While some got injured while running for cover, not a few market women lost their money in the melee. In the end, all turned into a hoax.

    Natives have now turned their compound to vaults, making thieves and burglars have free day since all banks in the town had remained closed since March 26. Besides, the natives take the risk of travelling several kilometres to transact banking businesses.

    The Olowo of Owo, Oba David Victor Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi III is now pleading with the State and Federal Governments to secure his domain and the state as the robbers have made the state unsafe.

    Visibly shocked, the monarch said: “I have been to the scenes of the incident with the state governor, Dr.Rahman Olusegun Mimiko. It is painful and pathetic. I commiserate with the families of the victims who were killed. I learnt that some of these robbers who escaped had been arrested elsewhere. I learnt the robbers were over 40 and they came in different vehicles. I have gone round the banks to see the evil they perpetrated. In fact, God has been kind to us in this town; it could have been worse than this if God did not intervene. I am deeply moved and shocked by the ungodly act … May the souls of the deceased rest in peace. However, I thank our security officers, soldiers and the people who immediately went into action and exhibited their outstanding gallantry during the raid.”

    The Olowo, however, appealed to the people to be vigilant and prayerful, adding: “I am appealing to you all to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement or persons or anybody with suspected bullet wounds to the police. We have never experienced this since this kingdom was founded by our forefathers and this will be their first and their last in Owo. Armed robbers cannot come and spill innocent blood here and go scot-free. Owo is a sacred town.”

    He pleaded with the state government to compensate the families of the victims.

    The Owo Local Chairman, Tunde Owabimbola, said the townsmen had brainstormed over the issue, adding: “We are forming a formidable security group that cuts across all fields like the petroleum marketers, the traditional chiefs and hoteliers in the community who are ready to fund the security outfit. We cannot make all these known on the pages of newspapers.”

    While the Head and Chairman, Owo Kingdom Advisory Committee, Mr Kola Akinmulero, a US-based businessman who came home said he almost ran into the robbers on his way to Owo that evening. He advised that there should be security men manning the ancient town, adding: “I believe we should have a neighbourhood police as being practised in the United States. We should have local or state police and even the Friday Police who should be working as their brothers’ keepers. We want all Owo people to cooperate and make sure it works out.”

    Mr Ademola Adetula, a former Managing Director of Hope Newspaper, said: “The armed robbers unleashed terror on innocent and hapless citizens; the society will continue to experience organised crime and the kind of gory and senseless killings which occurred in Owo on that day. I believe that organised and violent crimes will continue to thrive until the country has the courage to identify and curb the menace of arms merchants who are presently providing the oxygen for violent crimes across the country.”

    Akinola Akintola Bayoriade, the NURTW Secretary (Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo), said: “People are tired of going to Akure which is about 35 kilometers to use ATM to withdraw money. Even those going to collect one thousand naira will still have to travel there. The banks should be opened with good security.”

    Prince Adesuyi Olateru-Olagbegi, a retired Justice, has also appealed to the state and federal government to provide security for the ancient town. “It is their duty to secure the lives and protect the property of the people,” he stated.

    Worse still, for the past few weeks, local robbers have been going from one house to another, robbing those who keep money at home for safety, while many are leaving the town in droves for safety since all commercial banks in the town had shut down. Those who want to transact business activities now face the rigour and the risk of travelling about 40 kilometres to neighbouring towns like Ikare, Akure and Ondo to withdraw money with their ATM or transact other businesses. Sadly too, robbers are now attacking them along the routes.

    A thrift collector who does not want her name in print (for fear of being traced) was waylaid and robbed in daylight while those who converted their homes and dug holes or vaults to save their money are not left out as they burgle their homes daily.

    Now the natives sleep with one eye open on hearing that the robbers who escaped had vowed to return and unleash terror on them.

    How they struck

    Mrs. Morenike Ogunseitan, a strong member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and a living witness, said when the armed robbers struck on that fateful Thursday, March 26, and started shooting, little did they know that they were robbers as they mistook them to be rival party members that had come to disrupt their rally.

    She said: “When our leader said he would go to the police station to report that the venue given us to use had been hijacked by a rival party, we supported him not knowing it was armed robbers that struck. But when we started hearing the sound of dynamite that sounded like bomb, we were quickly alerted that the dare devil armed robbers had come, and everybody fled to different places.

    “They barricaded all roads leading into the town and held everybody hostage while they positioned themselves in different places as operations went on simultaneously. Some stationed themselves at ECO Bank, First Bank, Skye Bank, WEMA Bank, while others invaded Divisions A and B Police Station where they killed six policemen and a pregnant policewoman. They seized their APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) and their guns while they started shooting sporadically at passersby and also used grenades to break into their vaults and ATM machines”. High Chief Jimoh Ayodele Ojomo, who escaped by the whiskers, said: “About 30 innocent people were killed while some were fatally wounded during the operation.  A final-year medical student who came home because of the election was killed; another one who was celebrating his birthday and his friend were forced out from where they were hiding in one of the shops and were made to lie flat on the ground before they were shot in the head.

    “Two mentally unbalanced persons (a male and a female) who were innocently roaming about were brutally killed by the dare-devil robbers for their refusal to keep off from the road. Two elderly men were felled by bullets. At the WEMA Bank, its manager, a security officer and an official in the marketing department were felled by a hail of bullets. Two secondary school students from same parents were shot. A 75-year -old man who, after spending 35 years in the United States of America, was mowed down despite the fact that he surrendered to them.”

    Explaining how her husband was killed, Madam Folakemi Olubaka, wife of the late Chief Oladimeji Kehinde Olubaka, said: “My husband was installed the Chief Olubaka of Ijebu land last year. He was a security officer at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo. When he heard of the invasion of Oceanic Bank by the robbers he quickly went to the police station to alert the police. But the news we heard of him was that before he got to Division A, the robbers who were in army uniform had overrun the station, killed policemen and seized their weapons. Thinking that he was reporting to the right people, immediately Olubaka reported the matter to the robbers to come and rescue the town, he was asked to leave as they pretended to be soldiers and police officers. As he made to walk out of the station, he was shot from the back, and his lifeless body left on the ground in a pool of his own blood. Olubaka was said to be preparing for the one-year anniversary of his installation.

    Among those were killed are two elderly men who were running back to their farm on hearing the news of the robbers invasion.

    WEMA Bank driver’s account

    Olamide Afolabi, a driver with WEMA Bank said: “It was around 4.45pm on that Thursday when we started hearing the sound of gunshots .We all ran for cover. The robbers came and blasted the door and asked all to cooperate. They kept on shouting, ‘where is the money, where is the money? Give us our money. We then gave them money. One of them came and said ‘if you people are not careful, we will kill you now, we have killed one of your colleagues; so you people should cooperate.’ They brought out dynamite and blew up the ATM machine and vaults. “They asked me to drive the car and block the road and the Bank Manager, Abiodun Olasemojo, Femi Olupona, Ademola Oyedokun (Head Marketing) had been killed outside. We later heard that it was soldiers that rescued us. The operation lasted about three hours. We were all in the room hiding till some soldiers came to rescue us. We heard that soldiers were alerted and went after them. I was surprised how they killed Ademola for when he was approached by one of the robbers and asked for official car key, we complied. They asked Ademola to lie flat and asked me to drive. When I was driving out, one of the armed robbers asked me to stop again or he would fire me. They had already hijacked the police APC. They shot from the APC into the car I drove out. When the robber who was with me saw that my head had been covered with blood, he asked me to go inside the bank. It was when they had all gone and we went out that we saw those killed.

    Recounting how it happened, Afolabi said: “The robbers started robbing at the same time. We heard that one was captured alive while 26 were arrested. They did not wear mask but nobody could look them in the face. Their ages ranged between 20 and 26.

    “Presently, some wounded ones are still nursing their wounds in the hospital, while Yinka Bolanle (30), was shot in the belly and still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC). Bolanle was shot in the belly when he went to the First Bank to collect money. Now, over 15 victims are still being hospitalised in different locations.”

    Why they struck

    Unsubstantiated claims revealed that the reason behind the robbery was that news filtered in that some millions of naira were brought to the banks by a political party which was to be shared among supporters on the eve of the presidential election. Another source said the robbers, having succeeded in raiding Ikare some months back, planned an attack on Owo. The attack was neatly carried out in a commando style as they were said to be over 50 robbers with different types of vehicles including Jeeps and Hilux vehicles, while they hijacked police armoured tanks and started shooting from the vehicles.