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Tag: Oyo state

  • EFCC re-arraigns Ladoja for diverting public funds

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja for allegedly diverting the state’s funds.

    The re-arraignment followed an amendment to the charge by the commission.

    Ladoja was charged with converting N4.7 billion from the state treasury to his personal use.

    He was re-arraigned along with his former Commissioner for Finance Waheed Akanbi on 11 counts of money laundering and unlawful conversion of public funds.

    In the amended charge, EFCC added that Ladoja allegedly “compelled” a broker to sell the state’s shares.

    EFCC alleged that the former governor allegedly did not remit N 1.9 billion realized from the sale of the shares.

    The commission told the court that the money allegedly went to Ladoja, his family and friends and was not refunded.

    EFCC had closed its case before the amendment, but rather than open their defence, the defendants opted to file no-case submissions.

    Moving the no-case submissions on Monday, Ladoja’s lawyer Mr Bolaji Onilenla said EFCC did not make out a prima facie case against his client.

    Read Also: EFCC to push for Diezani’s extradition

    An EFCC investigator, Abubakar Madaki, had testified that the shares, worth N6.6billion, were sold without the state executive council’s resolution.

    According to the investigator, Ladoja engaged Fountain Securities as a portfolio manager to sell the shares at a discounted rate, adding that the shares were acquired by McLace Securities.

    But, Onilenla faulted Madaki’s evidence, arguing that the evidence he gave should have been given by the banks concerned.

    He said documents tendered by the prosecution through Madaki ought to have been certified and tendered by the banks and were therefore invalid.

    The lawyer said there were no complaints by the state that the shares were sold illegally.

    “We urge the court to hold that there is no prima-facie case against the first defendant and we court to discharge and acquit him accordingly,” Onilenla said.

    Counsel for Akanbi, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), said what the prosecution witnesses said in their evidences were not sufficient to ask the defendants to enter a defence.

    “We urge the court to uphold the no-case submission of the second defendant,” the SAN said.

    But, prosecuting counsel Olabisi Oluwafemi urged the court to order the defendants to open their defence.

    He said the evidence given by the prosecution witnesses raises several questions for which the defendants should be called upon to answer.

    EFCC accused the defendants of converting N1,932,940,032.48 belonging to Oyo to their personal use through the Guaranty Trust Bank account of a company, Heritage Apartments Limited, despite knowing that it was proceed of crime.

    The prosecution said Ladoja removed £600,000 from the state coffers in 2007 and sent it to Bimpe Ladoja in London.

    Ladoja also allegedly bought an armoured Land Cruiser jeep with N42 million for himself using public funds.

    EFCC said he converted N728,600,000 and another N77,850,000 at different times in 2007, and allegedly transferred N77, 850,000 to Bistrum Investments, which he nominated to help him purchase a property named Quarter 361 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

    The alleged offence, EFCC said, contravenes sections 17(a) and18 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, punishable under sections 14(1), 16(a) (b) and 18(2).

    Ladoja and Akanbi pleaded not guilty.

    Ladoja was governor from May 29, 2003 to January 12, 2006 when he was impeached. On November 1, 2006, the Appeal Court Ibadan, declared the impeachment null and illegal.

    The Supreme Court upheld the decision on November 11, 2009, and Ladajo resumed office on December 12, 2006. He, however, lost a re-election bid.

    Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned until November 12 for hearing.

  • Stay away from politicians, Oyo electoral boss warns officers

    The Chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Mr Jide Ajeigbe, has warned electoral officers and their assistants to avoid mingling with politicians in their day-to-day professional activities.

    He gave the warning at the official inauguration of Forum of Oyo State Independent Electoral Officers (FOYSIEO) held at the commission’s headquarters in Ibadan, the state capital at the weekend.
    Ajeigbe emphasized that they must conduct themselves within the legal limits of their office to avoid tarnishing their image.

    Read Also: Oyo NURTW hosts ex-leaders

    While commending their efforts at the success of the last local government election in the state which he acknowledged was peaceful, he advised them to continue to work together as members of a team  for the progress of OYSIEC.
    Earlier, the convener of the program, Rev. Olubunmi Thomas, in his welcome address, explained that part of the mission of the forum is to assist government in mobilizing the masses and promoting integrity of the electoral umpire for the sustainability of democracy.

  • TETFund adds 14 new institutions to its intervention list

     The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has added fourteen new tertiary institutions as beneficiaries of its interventions.
     
    The agency said the figure has increased the number of public institutions benefiting from the agency’s intervention to 216.

    Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Baffa, broke the news in a statement on Wednesay in Abuja by the Director, Public Affairs of the agency, Benn Ebikwo.
     
    Dr. Baffa said the approval was granted by the Board of Trustees of the agency after screening the numerous request it received from qualified institutions to be enlisted as beneficiaries of its intervention.
     
    The institutions include; First Technical University, Ibadan; College of Education, Lanlate; Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Oyo State; University of Medical Sciences, Ondo; Gombe State College of Education, Billiri; Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo State and Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa.

    Others are Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade; Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna State; College of Education, Kangere; Bilyamunu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia; Federal Polytechnic, Ukana; Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji and Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo.

    Read Also: Group drags TETfund Boss, Baffa to EFCC


    The executive secretary advised the new institutions to adhere to the operational guidelines of TETFund as well as ensure transparency in their implementations of the various intervention lines.
     
    The statement added that letters of enlistment were presented to the heads of the 14 new institutions by Dr. Baffa.
     
    He said the institutions will begin to benefit from TETFund’s interventions with effect from 2019. 

    Vice-Chancellor, First Technical University, Ibadan, Prof. Ayobami Salami, who spoke on behalf of the institutions, hailed the Board of Trustees and management of TETFund for finding them worthy of enlistment and promised to be worthy partners in their relationships with the agency.
    “Enlistment as a beneficiary of TETFund is the approval given for any public tertiary university, polytechnic and college of education to receive annual funding from TETFund for the development of critical infrastructure for teaching and learning, provision of instructional materials, training of academic staff among other interventions of the Fund,” the statement added.

  • Oyo: 800,000 PVCs yet to be collected – INEC

    Despite the repeated calls on residents of Oyo state to collect unclaimed Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) , the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Barrister Mutiu Agboke has said about  800,000 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected by the people.

    Barrister Agboke disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting for Ibarapa Zone held at the Eruwa Town Hall on Thursday.

    According to him, the commission is committed to conducting free, fair and acceptable elections in 2019.

    He explained that the electoral umpire is concerned with the thousands of PVCs which remained uncollected despite the frantic effort by the commission.

    He further lamented that rather than engaging in political campaigns by parties, what should be paramount in their agendas is to sensitize people on the need to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards.

    In his words, “Without PVCs, there is no way any individual can exercise his or her civic responsibility during the general elections hence the need for INEC to intensify efforts in its sensitization programmes”.

    While appreciating the Ibarapa zone for their cooperation in the recent Ibarapa East State House of Assembly bye elections, the INEC chief said the task of ensuring credible elections cannot be left in the hands of government alone, hence the need for people to cooperate with the commission.

    On the issue of vote buying, Barrister Agboke assured that INEC will do everything within its power to eradicate vote buying in 2019 general elections, but called on politicians to desist from the dastardly act.

    Also in her remarks, the state Director, National Orientation Agency, (NOA), Mrs Dolapo Dosunmu emphasized on the need for people to eschew violence before, during and after the general elections.

    She explained that every stakeholder has a role to play at ensuring successful conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    Mrs Dosunmu called for more women participation in politics by contesting in 2019 general elections.

    Read Also: INEC bars Buhari, Atiku, others from campaigning till Nov. 18

    Some Council Chairmen and political stakeholders in their remarks pledged their continuous support for the INEC at ensuring smooth conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    Earlier, the Oyo INEC REC, Barrister Mutiu Agboke had visited the palace of the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Akindele where he solicited the support of the monarch in sensitizing people on the collection of the PVCs.

    The Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Akindele commended Barrister Mutiu Agboke and his team for his giant strides since assumption into office. The monarch also urged the INEC not relent on its efforts at ensuring one man, one vote clamored by the institution.

    This according to Eleruwa would strengthen the Nigerian nascent democracy.

    The meeting had in attendance traditional rulers, religious leaders, Community leaders and members of the political class.

  • Osinbajo, African business leaders for CIPM 50th anniversary

    The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will lead other African Business leaders and captains of industries to the 50th anniversary celebration of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) in Abuja.

    With Osinbajo as the Keynote speaker, the Director, ILO Country Office, Nigeria, Ghana Sierra Leone, Dennis Zulu; COO, Corporate Services, NNPC, Isa Inuwa; Justice of the National Industrial Court, Justice Kenneth Amadi; a Price Waterhouse Coopers Uyi Akpata; the National President NNEW, Modupe Oyekunle are the speakers.

    Other speakers for the annual national conference holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja are HR Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Tope Philips Aikhuemelo; Mercer Consulting, Kate Bravery and a former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Reforms, Joe Abah.

    The Vice President of CIPM, Mr. Olawale Adediran who represented the President of the body during the visit of the CIPM management to some stakeholders in Oyo state including the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan yesterday said the conference is open to all business leaders, Human Resource Practitioners, University students and the general public.

    Adediran who was flanked by Dr. Charles Ugwu; and the Registrar/CEO of the CIPM, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle told Varsity’s management, students and the Chairman, Oyo State Civil Service Commission, Chief Joseph Oladele that the body has continued to regulate the practice of Human Resource Management in Nigeria over the past five decades.

    The Vice president stated that the Institute contributes to sustainable National development through constant promotion of excellence in the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills by practitioners through continuous innovation.

    Read Also: Osibanjo vows to make it difficult for ghost workers

    Also, the Registrar stressed that “in the last fifty years, we have contributed to the development of the Nigerian nation through our members who are key decision makers spread across diverse sectors”.

    Both the University of Ibadan management represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Management, Prof Olanike Adeyemi and Civil Service Commission Chairman, Chief Oladele assured CIPM of their readiness to partner with the body at 50th anniversary and beyond.

  • Buhari greets Alaafin of Oyo at 80

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sent warm greetings to His Royal Majesty, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111, Iku Baba Yeye, on his 80th birthday.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, joined the Council of Obas and Chiefs in Oyo State, Traditional Council, family and friends of the Alaafin of Oyo, who is heir to the historic Oyo Empire, in celebrating the landmark age.

    As His Royal Majesty turns an octogenarian, the President believed his 48 years on the throne of his fathers have been most remarkable for the entire dynasty, illustrated by his contributions to the educational, social and cultural development of the people, both those at home and abroad.

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    He extolled the Alaafin of Oyo’s courage in upholding the values of integrity, hard work and search for knowledge, which has been the hallmark of the great Oyo Empire, commending him for regular counsels to governments, institutions and families.

    The President prayed that the almighty God will grant the royal father longer life, good health and more wisdom to sustain the legacies of his fathers.

  • ‘My wife doesn’t sleep with me’

    The President, Mapo Customary Court, Ibadan, Oyo State, Chief Ademola Odunade, at the weekend dissolved a seven-year-old marriage on the grounds of sex-starvation.

    The petitioner, Mr. Wahab Olabanmiji, sought dissolution of his marriage because his wife, Tawakalitu, denied him sex.

    Odunade said the marriage was dissolved because the estranged couple were resolute in their decision to part ways.

    He granted custody of the two children to Tawakalitu, and ordered Wahab to pay a monthly allowance of N6,000 for the children’s upkeep.

    Odunade advised housewives to maintain their vows of fidelity because it was vital to trust in marriage.

    Wahab, who lives at Olopo-Meta Estate, Ibadan, told the court his wife endangered his life with her extramarital relationships.

    He said: “Tawakalitu has remained a source of frustration to me for two and a half years, denying me of sex.

    “My efforts to change her attitude have yielded no result, as she has become a pain in my neck.

    “Tawakalitu is adulterous. I have caught her many times.

    “Worse still, she has been having grudges with my children from my first wife. She doesn’t want to see them, as she has not hidden her hatred for them.

    “I no longer want to have anything to do with her. Please separate us.”

    Tawakalitu agreed to the divorce. She did not deny the allegation of sexual starvation.

     

  • World Teachers Day: Oyo NUT calls for stiffer admission requirements

    The leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers in Oyo state has called on the federal government to increase the scores and admission requirements for those seeking to study education in various universities and colleges of education in the country so make teaching at par with other elitist professions.

    The Union says if the requirements are increased, many aspiring admission seeker will not see teaching and education courses as that of those who couldn’t secure admission for their dream courses.

    The call was made by the Oyo State Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr Waheed Olojede while speaking at an event to commemorate the 2018 World Teachers Day, which held at Teachers House, Oluyole Estate, Ring Road, Ibadan.

    Olojede who doubles as the State Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers noted that a key issue that has affected the quality over the years was the mindset which many people who joined the profession did. He added that admission seekers have been made to see education courses as that reserved for only those who don’t have the requirements to study medicine, law, pharmacy, engineering amongst other top rated courses.

    He stressed that the trend must be reversed and education courses and teachers training courses be taken as a first class course with stiffer admission requirements if there must be improvement in the nations educational system, particularly in the training of teachers

    In her remarks at the event, Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Oyo State, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola disclosed that the state government has approved the promotion of primary schools teacher across the state.

    She added that the promotion starts from 2011 and assures the teachers that the government is committed to ensuring that all beneficiaries gets their letter and the entitlements.

    Earlier in his remark, State chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Adedoyin Samson commended the state government for the promotion, urging her to also look into the various rooms of improvement that the educational sector needs in the state.

    Read Also: Oyo APC congratulates Oyetola



    Comrade Adedoyin stressed further that his year world teachers day celebration theme: “the right to education means the right to a qualified teachers” suggest that education is a constitutional right of every child as coded in by the United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and entrench in the Nigeria Universal Basic Education law.

    He urged Nigerians to rise to the rescue by providing the necessary support for the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), to forestall recruitment of unqualified teachers in Oyo State education system.He said, “The importance of education is more widely recognized today than ever before, but those who play the central role in providing it, it means teachers all over the world must be competent and qualify.

    “No nation can develop greater than the quality of its teachers and teachers deserve appropriate recognition, remuneration and rewards corresponding to their humanitarian efforts.”

  • Total trains, empowers 25 with SME skills in Ibadan

    A leading energy company in the country, Total E & P Nigeria Limited has graduated another batch of 25 young Nigerians with livelihood skills for self-reliance in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

    The six weeks training saw the trainees trained in five different skills of endeavours for five weeks while a week was devoted to entrepreneurship training on how to manage and run independent businesses by the trainees.

    The training held in collaboration with Isura Empowerment had five trainees each trained in the areas of beading and jewellery makings; batik, tie and dye; dressmaking; mobile phone repairs and basic solar production and installations. The beneficiaries were selected from the Olorunsogo -Agbatan community in Felele area of the capital city.

    The event tagged the Totalpreneur graduation ceremony held at the Scout Camp, neighbourhood Market, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo state had in attendance,  the state commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Abayomi Oke, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Mobilisation, Mr Abiodun Ambali, top officials of Total Limited, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Planning Commission, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, other top government functionaries, officials and facilitators from Isura Empowerment, market leaders, community leaders among others.

    Aside from the certificate of competence and completion of training presented to the trainees, each of the 25 trainees also got their business starter kits in their different areas of training to help them kick-start their small-scale business.

    Read Also: Community hails Total for resolving Akoka fuel leak

    While commending Total Limited for the efforts at empowering the youths with livelihood skills for self-reliance and independent, the states Youth and Sports commissioner, Mr Ayobami Oke said, small and medium scale enterprises are the secret to fighting poverty and unemployment across the country.

    He said the state is glad to collaborate with the oil and gas firm to help empower the youths and give them a ray of hope to living, pleading that more of such efforts should be replicated in other parts of the states, especially in the rural communities.

    He promised the support of the government to the facilitator, noting that the state government will by the gesture be encouraged to continue its efforts of skills acquisition and empowerments with other international agencies and corporate organizations.

    In his remarks, the company’s Executive General Manager, CSR, Mr Vincent Nnadi said the Totalpreneur is a corporate social responsibility initiative of Total E & P Nigeria Limited, designed with the objective of training and empowering Nigerian youths with livelihood skills for self-reliance to addressing the challenge of the growing number of school leavers with limited job opportunities.

    He said “With the growing number of school leavers and a disproportionate number of job opportunities, we believe that human capacity development leading to gainful self-employment is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty and ensure sustainable economic growth.

    “Through our capacity development initiatives, Total aims to empower as many people as possible and actively support nation-building efforts in the line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals number one and eight which are ‘No poverty’ and ‘decent work and economic growth’, respectively.

    “As of today, more than 15,000 individuals have been trained by Total in different skills and given starter packs to launch their careers in entrepreneurship adding their quota to national growth and economic indices.”

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Isura Empowerment, Mrs Efe Fagbeja said empowering young people with the training which is a livelihood skill will reduce poverty among the youth.

    She said beneficiaries which are between the ages of 22 to 35 male and females were selected and recommended by their community leaders and were screened for the six weeks programme.

    The representatives of each of the vocational skills group who spoke on behalf of their various groups thanked Totalpreneur for the empowerment programme, promising to put the skills into use in a way that would add value to the society.

    The speakers who expressed satisfaction at the training said they are determined to market their products aggressively in a way that would help build sustainable business that will add value to the society.

  • Oyo APC congratulates Oyetola

    The Oyo state chapter of the ruling All Progressive Congress has congratulated the Osun state governor elect, Gboyega Oyetola on his success at the just concluded governorship election.

    In a release signed by the Director of Media, Research and Strategies and Publicity Secretary, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde, the party saluted the doggedness of the good people of the state in renewing their mandate and reposing their trust with the progressives.

    Describing the victory as “phyrric”, the party said the new mandate will prevent “stagnation of trajectory of development agenda put in place by the current Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.”

    The statement reads in parts, “It is our believe that the Governor-elect, Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola on being sworn in, will instantly hit the ground running by not letting the good people of Osun State down, who weather the storm to cast their votes for our party despite daunting challenges of the agents of darkness and retrogression.

    Read Also: APC Governorship primaries now holds Sunday

    “Finally, we congratulate His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his Government support in making sure the security is top notch which ensure that the election was hitch-free with no blood letting

    “We equally congratulate the National Chairman of our Party, His Excellency, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomole, for making it two consecutive gubernatorial victories, within three months, just after the last gubernatorial election held on the 14th July 2018 in Ekiti State which reclaimed Ekiti state back to the family of Progressives from the clutch of retrogressive conservative PDP.

    “The trajectory of His Excellency, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomole’s led National Executive of APC Signposts nothing but good fortune in the approaching 2019 general elections for APC in Nigeria.”