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Tag: Oyo Govt

  • Oyo govt seals 14 gaming centres for ‘tax default’

    The Oyo State government yesterday shut 14 gaming centres in Ibadan, the state capital, for alleged tax defaults.

    The government, through its Board of Internal Revenue (OYBIR), enforced the law regulating such outlets in the metropolis.

    The areas affected include Sango, Mokola, Iwo Road, Awolowo Way, New Bodija, Beere, Molete and Challenge.

    Some of the centres found culpable are: Collabobet, Surebet247, 1960bet, Jackpot Pools and Dollars Pools.

    Others are: Zeus Bet, Saint Victory, ocean Pools, Betnaija, Golden Chance, Winners Bet, Fortune Bet, Yangabet and Westcobet.

    OYBIR Chairman Bicci Alli said the board was concerned about ensuring that organisations and business interests operating in the state comply with the tax laws governing their operations.

    Addressing reporters yesterday, Alli said it was high time the residents developed the culture of paying their taxes to the state and federal authorities.

    He said: “Basically, what we are doing is not different from what we are supposed to do. It is just that we are ensuring that people do what they are supposed to do and that what is due to Oyo State accrues to it.”

  • Olubadan to govt: respect chieftaincy law

    The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, has urged the public to perish the thought that the controversial approval of beaded crowns by the Oyo State government to Ibadan high chiefs and baales is irreversible.

    The frontline monarch stressed that “our case against the state government is alive”.

    In a statement yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by his Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Public Affairs, the Olubadan urged Governor Abiola Ajimobi to be mindful of the court on the controversial chieftaincy review and respect the rule of law.

    Apparently reacting to a statement credited to Ajimobi while distributing cars to 36 traditional rulers, Oba Adetunji recalled that a judgment delivered  by Justice Aiki of the Oyo State High Court had declared the chieftaincy reform illegal, null and void.

    He said: “Afterwards, the Oyo State government decided to file an appeal at the Court of Appeal. My position is that if a case is in court, it is no longer open for discussion, as this statement is automatically subjudice. If it is not reversible, why did the two parties have to go to court?”

    Oba Adetunji also faulted the statement that the controversy which followed the crowning of Ibadan traditional rulers was political, saying the issue raised is customary and traditional.

    He said: “My humble opinion is that the procedure for approval of beaded crowns for any chief or baale in Ibadan was not discussed at the Olubadan-in-Council level. If it was discussed, how would any of the high chiefs bear two titles at the same time? Oba and high chief! An abomination!”

    The Olubadan, who said though he did not oppose the government’s presentation of cars to traditional rulers, urged Ajimobi to prevail on the kings to release the 11-month salaries of palace workers they have allegedly been withholding with Olubadan’s salary cheques, when the allocations to traditional councils had been released.

    According to him, it is to avoid a breakdown of law and order in Ibadan and beyond he had maintained dignified silence.

    Oba Adetunji noted that if the motive behind the reform was to modernise tradition, the move had bred indiscipline and what he called “gangsterism”.

    The Olubadan recalled what he called a failed attempt by “the so-called new kings, backed by the Oyo State government, to undermine the authority of the Olubadan, who decreed ‘no masquerade dance’”.

    He added: “Even when all masqueraders under the leadership of the Olori Alagbaa, Baale Labala and Aare Isese of Ibadan complied with the order, the state government with one of its commissioners went on propaganda spree, saying the Olubadan’s order had been disobeyed as masquerades danced in one of the embattled high chief’s compound.

    “We told them to produce the pictures on newspaper pages or television screen. Was Atipako there? Was Alapansanpa there? Was Olunlade there? Was Oloolu there?”

    On the purported statement credited to Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, decrying long-term reservation of Ibadan to have more monarchs, Oba Adetunji advised the Oyo top monarch to recommend his high chiefs to become crown-wearing obas, if it was so desirable.

     

  • Oyo warns masqueraders against violence

    The Oyo State government has urged custodians of the Egungun Festival in the state not to renege on their promise of celebrating a festival devoid of violence and hooliganism.

    The government noted that peace, security and safety had been predominant during stakeholders’ meetings involving heads of masquerades across the state: the Olori Alaagba, the Aare Isese from the zones and custodians of the masquerades with government officials at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

    It said representatives of the government’s security department always attended such meetings preceding this year’s Egungun season.

    In a joint statement by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun and the Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Community Relations, Alhaji Bidemi Siyanbade, the government said another stakeholders’ meeting will be held today at 12 noon to further deliberate and consolidate the modalities and conduct of masquerades during this year’s Egungun Festival.

    The statement said this would give it the prominence it deserves and promote the state’s rich cultural values and tourism potentials.

    The government said 23 of the 27 Egungun in the state had signed a non-violence pact with the police Command.

    It said the government had secured the commitment and readiness of security agencies to maintain peace, law and order during the festival.

    The government hailed the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, for keying into Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s peace initiative during the festival by admonishing the custodians of the masquerades (Egungun) to maintain peace and order.

  • Oyo govt allays butchers’ fear over abattoir relocation

    The Oyo State government at the weekend allayed the fears of butchers in Ibadan, the state capital, about the relocation directive to the central abattoir at Amosun Village.

    It said tight security and transportation systems were in place to sustain peace across the state as well as facilitate the ease of doing business.

    The Executive Secretary of the State Bureau of Investment Promotions and Public Private Partnership, Mr. Yinka Fatoki, who spoke in Ibadan, said the relocate of the central abattoir to Amosun village in Akinyele Local Government Area was reached after consultations and deliberations with major stakeholders.

    The agency chief said this led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the government and the National Butchers Union of Nigeria (NUBN), the umbrella body of the butchers.

    Fatoki said Governor Abiola Ajimobi addressed various issues that were raised before the signing of the MoU, adding that the petition by some members of the union on insecurity was uncalled for.

    According to him, the government has reassured of tight security while the MoU addressed security matters.

    He said the state government was surprised by the actions of those he called disgruntled and recalcitrant members of the butchers union, who allegedly resisted government directives to relocate to the central abattoir after several meetings with the governor.

    Fatoki said the government would not be deterred by what he called fabricated security challenges to reverse its decision.

    The executive secretary noted that peace, security and safety formed the foundation of the Ajimobi administration while the interest of the public supersedes that of a few members of the union.

    The agency chief said the decision to move all abattoirs in Ibadan to the central abattoir was hinged on sanitary and health importance of the residents.

    Fatoki said the Ministry of Agriculture had unlicensed all slabs or abattoirs in Ibadan for about two years (since 2014) for reasons bordering on unsanitary condition of the major slaughter slabs at Bodija, Aleshinloye and Gege area among others.

    He said: “It was on this premise that the state government met several times with the butchers and the chairmen of the 11 local government areas in Ibadan to discuss the relocation to central abattoir and address the issues raised.

    “After the discussions, all parties agreed to sign an MoU that butchers in 11 local government areas of Ibadan should relocate to the central abattoir on June 4. On Monday, June 4, majority of the butchers moved amid fun fair and during the prayer session to commemorate the commencement of operations at the central abattoir, the butchers, represented by the South West Coordinator of NUBN, praised the state government for the relocation. It described it as a welcome development and that the facility is the best in Nigeria and Africa. It is now surprising that a few members of the union are proving recalcitrant.

    “The present administration, being a responsible and responsive one, owes it a duty to protect its citizens against infection and diseases that can arise from unhygienic handling of meat. Hence, the steps to centralise abattoir operations by relocating them to the central abattoir with state-of-the-art facilities that would be coordinated by professional veterinary officers to ensure that hygienic meat is produced for people’s consumption.”

     

  • Oyo govt, IFM celebrate children

    THOUSANDS of children across Oyo State were yesterday entertained as the world marked children’s day.

    To celebrate the event, the Oyo State government honoured the children with a march past at the Lekan Salami stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

    A private radio station, Inspiration FM, also treated the children to fun and excitement at the Palms Shopping Mall, Ring Road, Ibadan.

    The Adamasingba event, organised by the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, was attended by children from public, private primary and secondary schools, top government functionaries, political office holders, trade groups and non-governmental organisations.

    Others were cultural troupes, voluntary organisations, beneficiaries of the Federal Government N-Power scheme, children homes, children with special abilities among others.

     

     

    The state’s deputy governor, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, who delivered President Muhammadu Buhari’s address on behalf of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, said the government is committed to protecting and promoting the rights of children as evident in the signing into law the Violence Against Women Bill and others.

     

     

     

     

  • Earthquake: Oyo govt allays fear among residents

    The Oyo State government has allayed fears among the residents, especially in Oke-Ogun area, over the likelihood of an earthquake in the state.

    Last month, there was a suspected earthquake incident in Oke-Ogun.

    The government assured that the land-shaking incident was the result of a “force exploration leading to Meteorite breakages of Galatica Rock on the earth surface”.

    It said samples of the meteorite had been sent to the Department of Geology at the University of Ibadan (UI) to analyse the body of the rock and determine its composition.

    The government said it planned to discover the rock radioactive and hazard associated with the meteorite breakages “as investigation result is being expected”.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Solid Minerals, Mathew Oyedokun, recalled that on April 19, a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid or meteoroid, which originate from the planetary orbit between Mars and Jupiter, survived its way through the atmosphere to reach the surface of the earth and hit villages near Ipapo in Itesiwaju Local Government Area; Aba Leke, Anberee Oke, Owode and Tede in Atisbo Local Government Area.

    Oyedokun said meteorite was accompanied by series of reverberating and disturbing noise on the Earth’s subsurface as observed by residents of the affected localities and other parts of the state, including Ibadan, Oyo and Ibarapa.

    The governor’s aide said he was accompanied on a two-day investigation in the localities by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Chief Isaac Ishola and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Relations, Alhaji Abidemi Siyanbade, to ascertain the level of impact and damage to the communities.

    He urged the residents to be calm, saying the meteorite impact did not occur in a built-up area, gas station, among others, which could have resulted in deaths and destruction of property.

    He said ground impacts were made in the localities and a tree was burnt down because “meteorites are hot bodies moving at high velocity”.

  • Council election holds tomorrow, says Oyo govt

    •Seven opposition parties join APC

    The Oyo State government has said the local government elections will hold tomorrow.

    It said movements will be restricted between 8 am and 3 pm.

    The Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner Oluseun Abimbola said the suit against conduct of the election was dismissed by a Federal High Court in Ibadan.

    The suit, filed by some persons from Eruwa, said Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) could not conduct elections into new wards.

    Abimbola said Justice Joyce Abdulmaleek, of the Federal High Court in Ibadan held that the powers of OYSIEC is being challenged by the plaintiffs and not those of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is joined as a federal agency.

    He said: “She (the judge) agreed with the submissions of …Abimbola that the joinder of a federal agency will not automatically confer jurisdiction on the court if the subject matter contested is outside the jurisdiction of the court.

    “The court then held that the suit was not for the Federal High Court but for the State High Court and accordingly struck out the suit in its entirety along with any previously made orders.”

    He added: “It will be recalled that the court had earlier made an order of injunction restraining defendants from using the new ward delineation for the elections. That order is equally now vacated.

    “With this ruling, the coast is clear for the exercise of democratic rights by residents to elect chairmen and councillors into Local Government Councils, Local Council Development Area (LCDAs) and their constituent wards on tomorrow.”

    Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said students with proof that they are writing the National Board of Technical Examination (NABTEB) would be allowed to move to their centres.

    He said the election will hold in 33 local government areas and the 35 LCDAs.

    He urged the public to troop out and vote for candidates of their choice.

    Also, seven opposition parties have confirmed their participation.

    The election is coming 11 years after the last one held by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja.

    The parties, participating are: Progressive People Alliance (PPA), Unity Democratic Party (UDP), African Peoples Alliance (APA), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Young Political Party (YPP), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP).

    They urged security agencies to ensure a peaceful election.

    In a statement by Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) yesterday, State Publicity Secretary Dr. Smart Afolayan said the opposition urged the electorate to come out and participate in the poll.

    They said they decided to participate after OYSIEC dropped the N150,000 and N100,000 for chairmanship and councillorship nomination forms.

    The statement reads: “As we have no other state we can call our own, we are thus saddled with the responsibility of maintaining peace and ensuring that the election is peaceful and devoid of rancour and disruption from any quarters.

    “We call on security agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere to facilitate a free and fair local government election devoid of rancour and blood-letting.”

    Court dismisses suit against poll

    Justice Joyce Abdulmaleek, of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, yesterday dismissed a suit challenging the conduct of the local government election tomorrow.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suit was instituted by some aggrieved member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa East Local Government Area.

    Justice Abdulmaleek held that the State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) was duly constituted to conduct the election.

    He said: “The position of the law on jurisdiction on this matter is well settled.

    “This court is mindful of the fact that the law does not give the Federal High Court jurisdiction over local government issues.

    “The act of delineation carried out by OYSIEC, which is the second defendant in this case, is duly backed by law.

    “Therefore, this court has no jurisdiction to entertain the matter and the position of the plaintiffs is hereby struck out.”

    NAN recalls that the plaintiffs challenged the powers of OYSIEC to carry out delineation and create new polling units in the state.

    Commenting after the judgment, Justice Commissioner Seun Abimbola said the ruling was a victory for democracy.

    But lawyer to the plaintiffs, Mr Solomo Adeseun, could not be reached for comments.

    NAN reports that others joined in the suit are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Oyo State governor and commissioner for Justice.

  • Oyo approves beaded crown, coronets for new Ibadan obas, others

    The Oyo State Government in Thursday approved beaded crowns and coronets for 48 obas across the state.

    They included the recently crowned 21 Ibadan obas and traditional rulers and chiefs across the state.

    The new law provides alternative legal validation and cover for the controversial elevation of the 21 newly crowned Ibadan monarchs.

    A state High Court had nullified the crowning of the obas based on the recommendation of a judicial panel in August last year.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, who made the disclosure, said the decision was taken after due consultation with members of the state’s Council of Obas and Chiefs.

    He said the approval was in line with the exercise of powers conferred on the governor by Section 28(1) of the Chiefs Law Cap 28, Vol. 1 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria and by virtue of all other powers on the matter.

    The commissioner said the approval has been gazetted with Oyo State Notice No. 20-67 of Oyo State of Nigeria Gazette No. 3, Vol. 43 published March 29, 2018 and endorsed under the governor’s command by the Secretary to the State Government, Ishmael Olalekan Alli.

    According to Arulogun, 26 Obas will wear beaded crown based on the approval, while the remaining 22 will wear coronets.

    He said over 100 applications were received for beaded crowns from all the geo-political zones of the state.

    The commissioner further disclosed that the consultative meeting with the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs was attended by 23 Obas and Chiefs led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi.

    He said three of the monarchs did not attend the meeting due to old age while three others opted out for different reasons.

  • Oyo govt condoles with Isola’s family

    Oyo govt condoles with Isola’s family

    The Oyo State government yesterday visited the home of Yoruba literary icon, Prof Akinwunmi Isola in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The government, through the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun, paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Prof Isola, who died at the weekend.

    The government described the late Isola’s death as a monumental loss to the culture of Oyo State and Nigeria.

    It added that the late Isola stood tall on the nation’s culture and theatre landscape.

    The government said his scholarly output and theatrical contributions to art and culture would be sorely missed.

    Leading the ministry officials to late Isola’s house at Akobo, Arulogun said the late Isola was an epitome of Yoruba culture who left an indelible mark that would forever be remembered.

    The commissioner urged the family not to be bereaved but thank God for the contributions of the deceased to the development of the country, the uplifting of the Yoruba culture as well as the prestige and honour he gave Oyo State.

    He added that the late Isola’s name would remain as a household name in civil and academic societies.

    On behalf of the family, the son of the deceased, Akinjide, lauded the efforts of the state government for the visit.

     

  • Oyo govt injects N5billion in education in one year

    Oyo govt injects N5billion in education in one year

    Oyo State government at the weekend said it has realised about N5 billion direct investment injected into public primary and secondary schools education one year after the introduction of School Governing Boards (SGB) in the state.

    The government said the objective of establishing

    SGB, which is to provide management functions for secondary schools and meet performance targets, is bearing much fruits.

    Participatory management of schools under the SGBs introduced a year ago, though, met violent resistance, the government said it has been vindicated by the success story of the SGBs.

    The state Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Professor Joseph Adeniyi Olowofela, who was elated by benefits accrued from the policy, told newsmen in Ibadan yesterday that the SGB has brought massive infrastructural development in the education sector a year after it was introduced.

    The SGB , which he said is based on international best practices, is like a tsunami and a revolution that people and corporate organisations embraced, adding that the achievement recorded just a year after it took off was beyond expectations.

    He added that the policies on education sector continue to serve as strategic framework for improving quality and performance in the education.

    Without being immodest, the commissioner said, the investment from the SGBs cannot be less than N3billion in the last one year from old students and corporate organisations.

    Giving the breakdown, Professor Olowofela said “the education development levy of N1000 stays with the boards. So, if you have 420,000 students, multiply by N1000; that is N420million multiplied by three, that is about N1.2billion.

    Those are the ones coming indirectly from the students to the boards. But in terms of what old students are putting into the schools, it cannot be less than N5billion. I am not talking about government efforts; don’t forget that the government in the last two weeks has awarded contract for the renovation and rehabilitation of 100 out of the 628 schools to the tune of about N2billion.