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Tag: Oyo state

  • Oyegun lacks moral right to challenge Oshiomhole – Oyo APC chief

    A prominent leader of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) in Oyo state, and Chairman, National Lottery Commission,  Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle has expressed bewilderment over the statement credited to the former National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun challenging  the fitness and  competence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to lead the ruling party.

    The statement by Chief Oyegun which has raised lots of concern among APC faithfuls across the country was greeted with mix reactions, leading to the vote of confidence passed by states’ APC chairmen on Oshiomhole last week.

    But, the Oyo state APC stalwart, Alhaji Ibikunle, a former Personal Assistant to the late former governor Lam Adesina  described the statement by the former APC Chairman, Oyegun as very unfortunate , particularly coming from someone,  who has caused incalculable damage to the party.

    The Chairman, National Lottery Commission said first and foremost, Chief John Oyegun  has no moral right to challenge the competence of Oshiomhole.

    He narrated how Chief Oyegun caused the loss of the party in Oyo, saying that due to his poor leadership the party witnessed more defeats in the states, and turned the governors to monsters.

    “The elderly man, Oyegun lacks the moral right to challenge Oshiomhole because he has caused the defeat and misfortunes of the party in many states . The party was grounded before Oshiomhole came, in many states the APC was already destabilized and in a bad shape.

    “Take for instance, Oyo state. We held a congress that was witnessed and observed by all including the National officers but Oyegun changed everything because the governor visited him with some gifts and over the night he made himself unavailable for us to talk to . How can an elderly man like that, doing injustice and still have the moral right to be challenging another person. He lacks moral right to say someone is not fit to lead the party.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole cleaning your mess, APC replies Oyegun

    “The man  loves gifts. An elderly man of his stature must look for the progress of the party first before and above personal gratification. He must take decision based on truth and justice. This governor does not obtain ward congress form for his own ward executive and that is the foundation of the party.  But we obtained form before the expiration date but the governor did not till date. But Oyegun decided to maneuver everything to the advantage of the ones who greased his hands.

    “And the same thing he must have done in other states. And he is the same person that is now challenging Oshiomhole that he is not capable to be the chairman of the party. Let me tell you that Oshiomhole is more capable to lead the party than him because Oshiomhole will always call a spade, a spade.

    “But Oyegun is skillful in  using  diplomacy to say okay be assured justice will be done,  everything will be looked into but overnight after something must have changed hands he will change white to black, how can an elderly person do like that . Am taking Oyo state as an example because I am an active participant, I am affected . And that is the beginning of the failure of our party in Oyo state. He caused it because he worshipped governors and he believed they are the people that determines his life and he was once a governor.

    “He turned the governors to be emperors and monsters . What we know is that party is different from government but Oyegun merged everything. So, Oyegun has no moral right to challenge anybody , not even challenge the capability of Oshiomhole. He should just go and sleep and retire,” he stated.

    Alhaji Ibikunle while calling on the party men and women to rally support for the leadership of Oshiomhole to rebuild and take the party to enviable position , expressed the optimism that APC would regain power in Oyo state in 2023 .

     

  • Oyo govt, ALGON trade words over dissolution of councils

    Chairmen of Oyo State local councils, sacked last week by Governor Seyi Makinde, have taken their case to President Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention.

    The sacked chairmen who are operating under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), dispatched a petition to the president on Thursday, accusing the state government of brigandage in bid to get rid of them.

    But the government claimed the sacked chairmen got into office through an illegal election and have no reason to parade themselves as elected officials.

    Governor Makinde’s  Chief of Staff (CoS), Bisi Ilaka,who announced the dissolution of the LGs, soon after the governor’s inauguration, asked the council bosses  to hand over to the Head of Local Government (HLA) in each council or the most senior director at the council.

    But the chairmen described their sack as an act of illegality, arguing that  they were elected on May 12, last year.

    They added, that, a May 6 High Court judgment had also restrained the state government and its representatives or agencies from dissolving the councils or freezing the bank accounts of the councils, among others.

    The court held, that, dissolution of elected council chairmen and other officers by the state government or the House of Assembly is contrary to Section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

    In their June 3, 2019, Save our Soul (SOS) letter to the President, the sacked LG chairmen  urged Buhari to call Makinde to order and prevail on him to respect the decision of the court.

    In the letter signed by its Chairman, Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, and the Secretary, Olayinka Jesutoye, ALGON also insisted that just as Makinde cannot be removed by any executive fiat, they cannot be sacked without recourse to the constitution.

    The chairmen said, appealing the judgment is the only legal means of resolving the crisis, which Makinde has created by his decision.

    ALGON also accused the state government on Thursday of planning to forcefully take over local government secretariats by deploying hoodlums, an act it described as a sad return to the years of brigandage, which ended at the emergence of the former governor, Abiola Ajimobi, eight years ago.

    Read Also: 20 inmates rescued as Oyo police raid shrine

    “The insidious plan of government’s hatchet men to forcefully overrun secretariats of local government councils in Oyo State is their next act of illegality spiced with hooliganism.

    “The general public is hereby alerted to this government sponsorship of political brigandage. This is a sad return to their old days of governance though violent intimidation of opposition and the general public with no regard to law,” they said.

    They added: “After eight years of civil peaceful governance in Oyo State, we should not allow and will not condone the old ways of the power vipers to return and push the state to reckless governance.

    “There is an existing High Court judgement, government should go to court instead of resorting to self- help.”

    “The subsisting Supreme Court Judgement on Ekiti State has removed such fanciful act of executive indulgence in using the House to perpetrate illegality and dissolve elected local government on the whims and caprice of a state government.

    The group’s chairman, Abass-Aleshinloye, has also alleged threat to his life. He pleaded with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to offer him security, stressing that, after  he addressed a press conference on May 30, on ALGON’s position,

    strange people suspected to be supporters of the governor and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), went  to attack him in his office.

    He said the men also trailed him on two different occasions after speaking on radio.

    Reacting to Abass-Aleshinloye’s claims, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, dismissed them, stating that their election was illegal, and that the state government’s decision was in defence of the constitution.

    He said: “The government of the Oyo State committed no illegality in dissolving the councils. Rather, the government took the step in defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The laws say that you cannot create local governments by whatever name called, without recourse to constitutional procedures.

    “The immediate past state government went ahead to create LCDAs in total disregard for the constitution. They also jointly conducted elections into the recognised councils and the LCDAs the same day.

    “By that singular act, they have tainted the elections conducted into the 33 local governments with illegality. Also, remember that the council chairmen were guilty of what lawyers call ‘forum shopping’ in trying to vacate the injunction that was issued to stop the conduct of the elections by rushing to a different court to get an order.

  • UCH oversubscribed, overwhelmed by patients — CMD

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, has said that high patient influx and inadequate personnel prevents the hospital from meeting the demand for high quality and optimum healthcare.

    The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, told reporters in Ibadan that the inadequacies of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and secondary health facilities, including the General Hospitals in many states of the federation has imposed a heavy burden on UCH.

    Oyegbayo, spoke at a news conference to herald the activities marking his first 100 days in office, stated, that, the uneven distribution of patients seen by UCH, is not an effective and sustainable approach for improving healthcare delivery in the country.

    He said:  ”UCH is oversubscribed and overwhelmed. Most of the state governments have neglected the secondary tier of healthcare such that these hospitals have no accreditation needed to train even the lowest cadre of doctors, which are the house officers.

    Read Also: Police nab four-man robbery syndicate in Bauchi

    “Low confidence in the quality of care provided by primary and secondary healthcare facilities, have pushed patients to seek general outpatient services from tertiary hospitals. This has effectively overcrowded the hospital and overburdened our workers.

    “We are calling on state governments to strengthen the general hospitals which form the larger part of the secondary tier of healthcare delivery,” he said.

    Otegbayo said the burden of healthcare delivery need to be shifted from tertiary hospitals to primary and secondary healthcare facilities, to enable doctors in tertiary hospitals focus on their specialties with a reduced workload.

  • Protest rocks Oyo town over ‘illegal installation’ of new monarch

    There was pandemonium on Wednesday in the ancient town of Iresadu, headquarters of Surulere Local Government, Oyo State, following the installation of Abraham Olafimihan Adeyeye Oyerinde, who proclaimed himself as the town’s monarch, Aresa-Adu of Iresa-Adu.

    His purported declaration as the new Aresa sparked off protest from scores of residents of the town, who argued that a litigation concerning the vacant stool is still pending before an Oyo State High Court.

    The protesting youths barricaded major roads leading to the town and burnt disused tyres and chanted war songs.

    They challenged Oyerinde to come out of hiding.

    It was gathered that praise-singers and drummers contracted by Ojerinde were beaten to a pulp during the protest, which lasted close to five hours.

    The development, however, compelled security operatives to pacify the protesting youths.

    It was gathered that an Oyo State High Court sitting in Orile-Igbon area of the local government, had in a suit dated April 17, 2019, restrained the state government as well as the self-acclaimed monarch from proceeding with nomination and other processes leading to the installation, pending the final determination of the suit.

    Read Also: You can’t sack us: Oyo council chairs tell Makinde

    Others restrained in the interim injunction included: the state governor, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Secretary to the Local Government Raji Oloyede, Tunde Oloyede, Nathaniel Oyediran and Oyewumi Oyeniran.

    But, in what appeared as defiance to the court order, Oyerinde, in connivance with others, however, went ahead and install himself.

    Policemen from the Iresa-Adu and Ogbomoso Divisional headquarters later whisked away the self-acclaimed monarch to safety in an unknown place.

    When contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Gbenga Fadeyi, said the situation has been brought under control.

    Fadeyi, a Superintendent of Police, added that it is the duty of the police to maintain peace and order, adding: “That we will not shy away from”.

  • My administration will be transparent, open – Gov. Makinde

    Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has promised to run a transparent and open administration.

    Makinde made the promise on Sunday, during a Thanksgiving Service, held at the Cathedral of St Peter, Aremo in Ibadan.

    He said it was the prayers of the churches and those who wanted him as the governor that were answered.

    ”Now that your prayers have been answered, I’m here and ready to serve the people.

    ”I implore the church to keep on praying for my administration to succeed,” he said.

    The governor further announced that the church – the Cathedral of St Peter, Aremo, Ibadan, would be official church for government activities henceforth.

    Read Also: Updated: Makinde appoints CoS

    Earlier, the Provost of the Church, Rev. Andrew Adebiyi, urged the governor not to allow the pressure of office work to take away humility, kindness and his other good leadership qualities from him.

    Adebiyi, in his sermon, with the theme: God’s gift to the church, said the Creator gave gifts to His children for the spiritual growth of the church.

    He charged the congregation to use their respective God’s gift for the development and spiritual growth of mankind.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the highpoint of the service was a prayer session for the governor and his administration.

    Among the dignitaries at the thanksgiving service were Alhaji Rauf Olaniyan – the deputy governor, Mrs Ololade Agboola – Head of Service and Most Rev’d Sunday Ola-Makinde – former Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria.

    NAN

  • APC to Makinde: let your actions be guided by the Constitution

    The Oyo State chapter of the  All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised Governor Seyi Makinde to let his actions be guided by constitutional provisions and the rule of law.

    Its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Azeez Olatunde, in a statement yesterday, said the APC viewed the statement credited to the governor that he would review all the appointments and promotions made by his predecessor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi from March 11 to May 28 as ill-advised.

    “APC views the decision of the governor as a reflection of the new government’s ignorance of constitutional matters. The governor should know and be advised that all the decisions made by Senator Ajimobi were within his constitutional rights to do as the sitting governor.

    “His mandate only ended on May 28 and actions taken while he held the mandate were within his right as governor and within the letters of the constitution,” the statement reads.

    The party frowned at Makinde’s decision to reverse the promotion of the Permanent Secretaries (PS) but refused to reverse that of the Head of Service, who incidentally is the wife of an ally of the governor.

    “For someone who professes to be the people’s governor, his action does not reflect this. By that decision, he has taken away the happiness and celebration by the newly promoted PS. His action could also be likened to the decision to dissolve the legally elected local government administration.

    Read Also: Oyo chairmen to Makinde: we were duly elected

    “How would he feel if someone takes his mandate from him through executive fiat as he has done? For a man who professes godliness, his actions are antithetical to what he professes. The APC is of the opinion that he wants to play politics with that action, that is why he took the decision, forgetting that these newly promoted PS are deserving of the promotion. It is ill-advised; it is ungodly and negates his professed love for the masses. The PS are first and foremost citizens of the state whom he professed to love,” the APC said.

    According to the Publicity Secretary, the actions taken by the governor, apart from being unconstitutional, also reflect impatience and overzealousness.

    “Governor Makinde seems to be forgetting that he has a four-year mandate; he should, therefore, reflect deeply on his actions before they are carried out.

    “What he has done clearly shows the impunity that was the hallmark of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) before the progressives brought sanity into governance. Oyo State and Nigeria should not go back to that era. The years of locust.”

     

  • Oyo APC to Makinde: you started on a disappointing note

    The Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed dismay over what it described as “myriad of disappointing actions already taken by Governor Seyi Makinde” less than 24 hours after his inauguration.

    The party warned that the new governor “might create more crises for himself, if care was not taken”.

    This came as local government chairmen vowed to remain in office despite Makinde’s dissolution directive.

    The chairmen contended that he lacked the power to dissolve a constitutionally elected local government administration.

    But, Oyo APC, in a statement in Ibadan yesterday by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Prince Ayobami Adejumo, regretted that the new governor started to breach the oath of office right from the venue of the swearing-in ceremony when he failed to condemn the activities of his supporters, who allegedly harassed innocent people and perceived opponents.

    The statement reads: “We, at the APC, had resolved to give him (Governor Makinde) a benefit of the doubt since he was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial poll in the state while the court is yet to decide on the attendant petition before it, but events in the last 24 hours have suggested to us that there is fire on the mountain.

    “How can one swear to an Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution of the Federal Republic and then turn back few hours later to wage war against democracy at the grassroots? The decision to dissolve elected officials in all the local government councils across the state is not only misplaced but a gross violation of the nation’s constitution as well as a coup against constitutional democracy.

    Read Also: Makinde sacks Oyo council chairmen, boards

    “One would have expected Governor Makinde to resist pressure from his PDP members who are desperate for political office appointments at the third tier level as mere compensation and uphold the sanctity of the rule of law in view of the fact that the current council chiefs hold a valid three-year mandate from a popular election and in addition to that, there is a Supreme Court verdict which shields them from being sacked from office irrationally.”

    It added: “Rather than dissipate time and resources on unnecessary actions in order to satisfy the whims and caprices of some political hangers-on, it would be in the overall interest of the state for the governor to approach governance with caution and seek proper guidance from God and appropriate resource persons. The good people are better informed after the successful two terms of Senator Abiola Ajimobi and they deserve the best from his successors.

    “The most important challenge before the new PDP administration is how to improve on the fantastic security architecture left behind by Ajimobi. The same bad eggs among the commercial driver’s union who unleashed terror on the citizenry with impunity during the previous PDP administrations are at it again, according to reports from some parts of Ibadan- the state capital, and the government seems unperturbed.”

    But, the Oyo State Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), has vowed that its members would remain in office until a properly constituted court of law voids their election.

    Addressing reporters in Ibadan on Thursday, ALGON chairman, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, called on security agencies to protect members of the association and elected councillors as they continue to carry out their duties in office.

    The council bosses said they remained the democratically elected chairmen and would still report to offices as such.

    At a news conference, which held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Abass-Alshinloye noted that there was a subsisting valid court order which prohibited the governor or even the House of Assembly from dissolving elected local council authorities in the state.

  • How Ajimobi’s infrastructural strides reposition Oyo

    When Abiola Ajimobi first emerged as governor of Oyo State in 2011, those who knew him were not in any doubt that he had a good understanding of the many problems facing the state and their solutions. He did not disappoint as he quickly got to work with an agenda to give the state a facelift.

    By the end of his first term in 2015, those who had little doubt over his capacity to fix the state had become convinced that he was the right person for the job. That earned him another term of four years, which is unprecedented in the history of the state. As Governor Abiola Ajimobi rounds off his second term, his name will go down in history as a man who transformed Oyo to a modern state in terms of infrastructural development. Within the first seven years of his administration, Ajimobi spent N200 billion on construction and rehabilitation of roads in the state. This was borne out of his resolve to create a network of roads not just to ease movement but also to encourage business.

    Among his landmark achievements, Ajimobi embarked on the construction of the first flyover by a civilian government at Mokola. Those who knew the state of infrastructural facilities in the state when he became governor admit that the project has enhanced the architectural landscape, improved traffic flow and decongested the grid lock within the Mokola/Sabo/Adamasingba axis.

    His administration modernised and dualised entry roads into the major cities and towns in the six geopolitical zones of the state, namely, Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomosho, Iseyin, Saki and Ibarapa. This has in no small measure, improved vehicular movement, access to different parts and enhanced commercial activities in all the geopolitical zones from about 7.8% penetration in the past to about 65% in recent times. Similarly, he constructed road and bridges across the geo-political zones of the state, which has enhanced the modernization and urbanization programme of his administration, resulting in reduction in road accidents by approximately 90% and travel time by 40%.

    The Ajimobi administration also embarked on the construction of the Ibadan Circular Road. Upon completion of this project, reduction of travel times by up to 48% will be achieved. And to further ease movement in and around the state, the government provided 100 units of 63-seater mass transit buses at subsidized fares. The impact is improved access and affordability of the transport system in the state particularly for the movement of civil servants and the general public.

    In the Environment and Water Resources sector, the Oyo State government under Ajimobi carried out restructuring and re-engineering of solid waste management thereby improving efficiency and effectiveness in waste disposal, collection and evacuation such that there is now an increase in the volume of annual waste collection and evacuation from 42,000 mt in 2011 to 1,893,000 mt in 2018. There is also, a corresponding increase in compliance level in proper waste disposal from 18% in 2014 to 48% in 2018. This also led to the development of waste to wealth ecosystem through Public Private Partnership, wherein two companies have been established to process wastes – Nylon Wastes Recycling Processing Company, which produces Basket Nylon at Oluyole and, a Green House Compost Energy plant at Abaeku Dumpsite, to contribute 14MW to the national grid from May 2019.

    The Ajimobi administration is credited with building a modern state despite political and economic challenges. He introduced the Urban Renewal Programme, aimed at beautification, cleaner and aesthetically pleasing environment. The Flood Control and Management project embarked upon by his administration is the first ever rehabilitation of Eleyele Dam since it was constructed in 1942 (over 70 years). The project has drastically reduced flooding in the state and increased water production capacity from 14,219cm cube in 2010 to 93,960cm cube in 2019. The introduction of Oyo State Water Policy and Law by the Ajimobi government is in compliance with federal law, leading to the establishment of governance structure thereby increasing accessibility to local and international grants for the state.

    Through its policy on Lands, Housing and Physical Planning, the government of Oyo State under Ajimobi’s watch introduced Master Plans (City, Waste and Sewage). This resulted in the creation and development of modern cities and structured physical development in the state. His government also deployed the Geographical Information System (GIS), which has led to improved data capturing and mapping of spatial features for analysis and management resulting in urban planning and modernization.

    Governor Ajimobi will also be remembered for creating new Government Reserved Areas (site and service schemes). These include Ajumose GRA Nitel, Old Ife Road, Ibadan; Ajumose GRA NIHORT, Ibadan; Ajumose GRA Ring Road, Ibadan; Ajumose GRA, Saki; and Omololu Olunloyo GRA, Ring Road, Ibadan. The creation of these new areas has enhanced the landscapes, improved quality of life and increased private land ownership in the state by about 50%.

    Read Also: Oyo workers threaten strike over demands

    The creation of new GRAs was complemented by the establishment of electronic Title documentation – Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). This now guarantees Title document security, reduction of processes and delivery time of C of O from 720 day to 60 days. Similarly, the introduction and issuance of Home Owners Charter Certificate of Occupancy has reduced the time frame for the processing and acquisition of C of O resulting in 35% increase in titled home ownership.

    To crown it all, his government also enacted the Oyo State Property Protection Law 2016 (A law against land grabbing). The signing into law of the anti-land grabbing bill by governor Abiola Ajimobi, which prescribes a 15-year jail term for offenders, is one of the landmark policies made by his administration. Available records show that the law which seeks to protect the rights of property owners and prohibit forceful entry, illegal occupation, violence and fraudulent conducts, in relation to real property owners in the state, has reduced cases of land dispute and associated violence in the state by about 73 %.

    Although the impact of all that Ajimobi has accomplished may not be immediately appreciated, future chroniclers of history will no doubt put his name in a pride of place in the history of Oyo State. This is particularly so when the numerous achievements of the governor are examined against the backdrop of what he met on ground – the level of decay and dilapidation of public infrastructure and the poor standard of living of the people of Oyo State, all of which he has transformed in his eight years of administration.

    In the years to come, his achievements would also be used as a yardstick for measuring the performance of governors that will come after him. He has set a standard for development and history will judge him fairly.

  • Oyo establishes response team on sexual offences

    The Oyo State Government has established a Sexual Offences and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Response Team in the Ministry of Justice to serve as a nimble quick responder to sexual and gender based offences.

    Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Oluseun Abimbola said SGBV would serve as a first responder unit to address complaints arising from sexual and gender based violence.

    At the inauguration of the SGBV team, Mr. Abimbola said the governor had signed into law, the Violence Against Women Prohibition law in the state, to curb the increasing incidence of child defilement, domestic violence and related offences.

    He noted that the establishment of the SGBV team would give fire and bite to the enforcement mechanism “for this law and other related laws against such offences in the state.”

    The attorney-general said: “It has become clear that dealing with sexual based offences will require an intervention beyond the traditional structures to be able to provide counsel to victims, provide professional medical assistance to extract evidence timeously, offer legal services and a shelter, where necessary, for victims, among other things.

    “The SGBV team will serve as a one-stop shop to deal with the multiple issues arising from such offences,” Abimbola said.

    Read Also: 51 Oyo inmates get CJ’s pardon

    He urged the team to hit the ground running by immediately setting up a help line for quick alerts by complainants, opening a sex offenders register “to document and deter these heinous crimes and ultimately midwifing the establishment of a Sexual Offences and Gender Based Violence Referral Centre, which will eventually house the unit and warehouse all the offered services.”

    The commissioner said the team is a collaboration of ministries and agencies including Ministries of Justice, Women Affairs & Child Welfare, Health, the Nigerian Police, Legal Aid Council, Civil Society, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the media, “with representatives drawn from these agencies and MDAs in the team.”

     

  • Oyo CJ pardons 38 inmates

    Oyo State Chief Judge Justice Munta Abimbola on Wednesday freed another 38 inmates of the Medium Security Prisons, Abolongo, Oyo, from a list of 357 cases presented by the state command of the Nigerian Prisons Service for consideration.

    The figure brings to 89 the total inmates, who were pardoned by the chief judge in a two-day prison decongestion tour in promotion of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2016.

    On Tuesday, the CJ released 51 inmates of the Agodi Prisons, Ibadan on the grounds of compassion, health and age of the inmates.

    Justice Abimbola said the monitoring committee on Administration of Criminal Justice Law are not in the prison to unduly release inmates awaiting trial and those that were not supposed to be released.

    He noted that the committee has a duty to the society that criminals are not left loose on the society, protect the right of the defendant and the victim.

    Read Also: 51 Oyo inmates get CJ’s pardon

    He said: “There are timelines in the prosecution of criminal cases and Administration of Criminal Justice Law stipulates that trial of the defendant must commence within 30 days of arraignment and completed within 180 days.

    “The responsibilities of the committee is to ensure that criminal matters are speedily dealt with to decongest the prison and the court.”

    While welcoming the visitors, the state’s Controller of Prisons, Mr. Akinrujomu Tosin.

    He said the command fell relief that the Chief Judge was in the prison to exercise his constitutional duty, adding that the Tuesday visit to the Agodi prisons was a huge relief with the number of released inmates.

    On the Abolongo prisons, the controller noted that although the facility was designed to accommodate 160 inmates, 456 detainees are in the facility, adding that 364 of them are awaiting trials with only 92 convicted.

    He also seized the opportunity to inform the CJ of plans to strike an agreement with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to assist willing and brilliant prison inmates have the opportunities to further their education while in custody.

    Akinrujomu added that 26 inmates of the Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, who registered and sat for the last National Examination Council (NECO), got a minimum of six credits pass.