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Tag: Oyo state

  • LG Polls: No court can stop us – Ajimobi

     

    Party holds mega rally ahead of ward congress

     

    Following the controversy trailing the court ruling on the forthcoming May 12 local council election in the state, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Friday said that no court has the power to stop the conduct of the polls scheduled to hold across the 33 local government areas, 35 local council development areas and more than 600 wards in the state.

    He made the clarification on the heels of news making the round across the state that a Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, had on Wednesday delivered a ruling, stopping the conduct of the poll, when the court did not.

    Addressing thousands of the members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) during a sensitization mega rally which held at the State Party Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Governor Ajimobi explained that the ruling delivered by the court presided over by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik did not stop the council poll, but only restrained the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) from conducting elections into newly created wards by the commission in Ibarapa East Local Government Area, following issues arising from ward delimitation.

    According to a Congress timetable from the National office of the party, ward congress is slated for today (Saturday) across the country.

    But the governor insisted that the council poll would be held in all the LGAs, LCDAs and wards, including the wards in Ibarapa East Local Government, saying the constitution has made it clear that no court has power over an election.

    He said, “There is this speculation spreading across the state that the council poll will not hold as a result of the court judgment. The court has not stopped us from conducting the election, except in some newly created wards.

    “But we are telling the court that it is in the constitution that no court has power over an election. We are telling you that the wards mentioned and those that were not mentioned, we are going to conduct election there.

    “We are in touch with the aggrieved members of the party that had gone to court. I want to assure you that the election will hold across the state, even in the disputed wards.”

    It would be recalled that Justice J.O Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, had granted an interlocutory injunction restraining OYSIEC from conducting election into the new wards created by the commission in Ibarapa East.

    The ruling was delivered in a litigation instituted by five elders from Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area in a case with number FHC/IB/ES/47/2018 against the Independent National Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, Oyo State Governor and the Attorney-General of the state.

    The applicants had prayed the court for an order on interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents or privies from using, relying on or employing the use of any electoral areas or wards and polling stations for the purpose of any elections in Oyo State, including local government elections, other than the electoral areas or wards and polling stations created by the INEC, pending the determination of the substantive action.

    They also prayed the court to declare as illegal, null and void, the creation of the electoral areas or wards by OYSIEC in Ibarapa East council area of the state. The court has, however, adjourned the substantive suit to May 28, 2018, for hearing.

    Speaking on the ward congress, Ajimobi appealed to members of APC to ensure the success of the ward congress, warning that his administration does not tolerate hooliganism and that anybody that foment trouble will be handed over to the police.

    The governor, who passionately appealed to the party’s members to go back to their local government areas and wards with a view to reconciling with their people, however,  charged the loyalists of the party to defend themselves peradventure some people want to attack them during the congress, saying: “If they slap you once, slap them back six times.”

    He also appeals to the members to show understanding with their existing executive members who might be willing to continue in office but that if a peaceful agreement cannot be reached, “go to the field. It is not automatic to be a member of the executive.”

    The rally was attended by party chieftains, members from across the 33 local governments, lawmakers, members of the state executive councils and all relevant stakeholders.

  • Oyo AD opposes its NWC on caretaker committee

    A fresh crisis may be brewing in the Alliance for Democracy (AD) as the Oyo State Chapter of the party on Friday said it opposes the Caretaker Committee set up by its National Working Committee, saying the action is against the spirit of the party constitution.

    The party which also align itself with the decision of the Afenifere Group on the immediate restructuring of the country at the Southwest Yoruba Summit also said it is not planning to merge with any other political party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Rising from a stakeholders meeting which held at the Yemetu, Ibadan party secretariat, the party said its doors are wide open for members as well as decampees from other parties, provided they are willing to abide by the AD party constitution.

    The meeting which was chaired by the State Chairman, Chief Michael Akinropo also had in attendance the National Vice Chairman and Southwest Chairman, Otunba Tayo Onayemi, the party’s elders council, state executive members and party leaders from across the 33 local government areas of the state.

    Other stakeholders at the meeting also include four governorship aspirants including, Dr Akin Onigbinde, Mr Akeem Alao, Mr Opatoki and Mr Sanyaolu, among other leaders at the event.

    A communique issued at the end of the meeting said the NWC lacks the power to hold a meeting let alone taking decisions that are illegal and violates section 15 part 2 of the Party constitution.

    It read, “The Meeting passed a vote of confidence on the Oyo State Executive Committee led by Chief Michael Akinropo as Chairman and Hon. Wale Adebayo as the Secretary.

    “The meeting vehemently rejected the so-called caretaker committee illegally set up by a non-existent National Working Committee, as the group lacks the power to hold a meeting, talk-less of taking decisions that are illegal and violates section 15 part 2 of the Party constitution.

    “The meeting also resolved by an overwhelming majority to support the Afenifere resolution on the immediate need for restructuring of Nigeria as arrived at during the Southwest Yoruba Summit which held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, last year.

    “The meeting resolved to keep its doors wide open for old and new members as well as decampees from other parties, provided they are willing to abide by the AD party constitution. Such members should, however, join the party at its ward level as well as support existing leadership structure and programme of the party at all levels.”

  • How my cousin lost N40m loan to friends – Kemi Olunloyo

    …Akinkunle not ex-Oyo Governor Olunloyo’s son

    Dr Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo, daughter of former Oyo State Governor, Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo, on Tuesday shed light on the circumstances leading to the N40 million fraud charge the police brought against her cousin, Akinkunle Olunloyo last Friday.

    Kemi said Akinkunle was defrauded of part of the N40m by some of his friends, who are now on the run.

    She told The Nation that Akinkunle, a former night club owner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Code Media Ltd, had repaid N26 million to his creditors.

    According to the police, Akinkunle committed the offences in Lagos, “sometime in November 2014,” in connivance with unnamed accomplices.

    Kemi said: “Akinkunle owned a night club and when the economy nosedived, he sold it. He wanted to invest the money from the sale in a new venture: entertainment hall business. That’s what he wanted to do.

    “Some boys, his friends that he thought were trustworthy, met him and advised him to take a bank loan. They promised to assist him through the process. But when he got the loan, the boys made away with part of the money. They did not give it to him. The debt should ordinarily be owed by everyone involved in the loan deal, but the others are on the run. Nobody knows where they are, so he is the scapegoat for the offence.”

    On Monday, it was widely reported that Akinkunle was a son of Dr Olunloyo, a mathematician who left office after three months as governor in December 1983, following a military coup.

    But Kemi, a pharmacist and blogger, clarified the controversy surrounding Akinkunle’s identity and his relationship with her father.

    She said: “My grandfather, Horatio Olunloyo, who owns Molete House in Ibadan, had five children: three girls and two boys. The ‘boys’ are my dad, Dr Victor Omololu Sowemimo Olunloyo, and his brother, the late Prof. Vincent Olusegun Sowemimo Olunloyo, or my Uncle Segun, as I call him. My dad is the older sibling, Uncle Segun was the third born. Both sons have the same initials: V.O.S. Uncle Segun was famous in his own right. He was a top engineer, very popular at the University of Lagos, where he lectured. He died last October after an illness and was buried last December.

    “Akinkunle Olunloyo is Uncle Segun’s second son. So, he is my dad’s nephew and my cousin. I saw him just after he was born in 1978. It was the last time I saw his mum and his two siblings. So, when I saw him being identified in stories online as my dad’s son, i.e. my ‘brother’, it was really weird.

    “Akinkunle’s mother is Mrs Joko Olunloyo, wife of Prof. Vincent Olusegun Sowemimo Olunloyo. But they divorced after some years, so I don’t know if she’s still uses Olunloyo. I call her Aunty Joko.

    “Aunty Joko told me Akinkunle has paid back N26 million out of the N40 million, so he owes something like 13 or 14 million naira.”

  • Kwara Speaker mourns Oyo State counterpart

    The Speaker of the Kwara House of Assemby, Dr. Ali Ahmad, has described the demise of his Oyo state counterpart, Mr Michael Adeyemo, as a ”rude shock and utter disbelief’’.

    Ahmad stated this in llorin on Friday in a condolence message signed by his special Assistant on Media, Shuaib AbdulKadir.

    The Oyo state Speaker died at the early hours of Friday.

    The Kwara Speaker, in his condolence message, described his late colleague’s death as “a bitter pill that is difficult to swallow for other Speakers and entire Nigerians’’.

    Ahmad said Adeyemo, while alive, was a prominent and active member of the Conference of Speakers’ Forum, who at all times brought to bear his legislative and political experiences into the scheme of things, to achieve results.

    He noted that the late speaker always earned his respect for being a colleague in the lawmaking business and more importantly, having served the forum together in various capacities.

    The speaker said, “without doubt, his death has dealt a huge blow to Oyo State, especially the State Assembly, where he presided over as the Speaker and functioned effectively.

    Read Also: Kwara health workers to begin strike May 2

    Ahmad stated that the deceased lawmaker believed in the tenets of democracy and legislative independence.

    He urged his other colleagues in the state Houses of Assembly to sustain his good legacies as a way of immortalising him for what he stood for.

    The speaker commiserated with Oyo State Government, members and staff of the Oyo state House of Assembly Assembly, people of his constituency, as well as his immediate family, over the loss.

    In the same vein, the Speaker commiserated with the Sokoto State Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, on the sudden death of his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Imam Imam.

    He prayed that Allah, in his infinite mercies, would sustain the deceased’s family, as well as provide them the fortitude to bear their loss.

    NAN

  • Oyo approves beaded crowns, coronets for 48 Obas

    The Oyo State Government on Thursday approved beaded crowns and coronets for 48 Obas across the state. They included the recently crowned Ibadan and chiefs and others from across the state.

    The 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.

    The government said that 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 enabling in that behalf, stressing that 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 disclosed that 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, pointing out that three of the Obas could not attend due to old age while the other three others did not attend for different reasons.

    The government spokesman stated that after a thorough and fruitful deliberation, the consultative meeting unanimously stepped down the approval for six chiefs, promising that further approvals will be issued in due course.

    He pointed out that the issue of the baales stepped down would go for further consultations noting that what the Chiefs Law requires is consultation of the council and not approval.

    He said that beaded crowns were approved for the Alajaawa of Ajaawa in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government (LG) area of the state, the Aale of Oke’Lerin in Ogbomoso North LG, the Onijabata of Jabata in Surulere LG, the Onigbeti of Igbeti in Olorunsogo LG, the Ajoriiwin of Irawo in Atisbo LG, the Asawo of Ayete in Ibarapa North LG, the Obalufon of Sepeteri in Saki East LG and the trio of the Oluigbo of Igbojaye, the Olokaka of Okaka and the Eleyinpo of Ipapo, in Itesiwaju LG.

    Others are the Oloje of Oje-Owode in Saki East LG, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland in Ibadan South East LG, the Balogun of Ibadanland in Ibadan North East LG, the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland in Ibadan South West LG, the Otun Balogun of Ibadanland in Ona-Ara LG, the Osi Balogun of Ibadanland in Ibadan North LG, the Ashipa Olubadan of Ibadanland in Ibadan North West, the Ashipa Balogun of Ibadanland in Akinyele Local Government, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland in Oluyole LG, the Ekerin Balogun of Ibadanland in Ido LG, the Ekarun Balogun of Ibadanland in Egbeda LG, the Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadanlan in Lagelu LG, the Elempe of Tapa in Ibarapa North and the trio of Oniware of Iware, Oni Fiditi of Fiditi and the Onimini of Imini from Afijio LG.

    Arulogun stressed that the approved coronet wearing Obas include Onijaiye of Ijaiye, Oniroko of Iroko and Onikereku of Ikereku in Akinyele LG, Ololodo of Olodo, Elerunmu of Erunmu and Elegbeda of Egbeda in Egbeda LG, Onido from Ido, Alakufo of Akufo, Oloke of Okelade-Okin, the Olomi of Omi-Adio and Alawotan of Awotan in Ido LG, Olofa-Igbo of Ofa Igbo, Onilagun of Lagun, Onilalupon of Lalupon, Onilegbon of Ile-Igbon, Ologburo of Ogburo and Elejioku of Ejioku, all in Lagelu LG.

    Others are Alaba of Aba-Nla, Onidiayunre of Idi-Ayunre and Onilatunde of Olatunde in Oluyole LG, Alakaran of Akanran and Alajia of Ajia in Ona-Ara LG.

  • Adewole, others advocate lifestyle change to reduce cancer scourge

    …FG working towards reducing cost of treatment

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Radiotherapy and Cancer Specialists, Prof. Abayomi Durosinmi-Etti; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and others have advised against carefree habit and lifestyle that promote risk factors to cancer diseases.

    They gave the advice in separate addresses at the launch of the Oyo State five-year cancer control strategic plan, spanning five years (January 2018 to December 2022), in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

    Wife of the state governor and founder of Access to Basic Medical Care Foundation, Chief Florence Ajimobi, who was the initiator of the project, as well as the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adedutan, said that the strategic plan was aimed at reducing cancer-related incidence and mortality.

    In their goodwill messages, Wife of Niger State Governor, Dr. Amina Bello; Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Temitope Alonge; and representative of wife of Kwara State governor, Mr. Lanre Bello, harped on early detection and preventive measures to reduce the cancer scourge.

    The minister lauded the state government and ABC Foundation for setting the pace for other states in the country with the cancer control strategic plan, an initiative he said Oyo State pioneered in the country.

    Adewole, who rued what he called the low level of information and awareness on the debilitating effect of the disease across the country, said that the Federal Government was working hard to cause a significant reduction in the cost of cancer treatment.

    Although he put the cost at conservatively $2,000 (N734,000) currently in the country, he said it was still a far cry to the $10,000 (N3.7m) it cost to treat cancer in neighboring Ghana.

    He said that the FG would have loved to establish more cancer treatment centres across the country, in spite of the prohibitive cost, but was being hampered by competing demands of other life-threatening diseases such as heart diseases, hypertension, kidney failure, cirrhosis, among others.

    The minister said, “This is the first time in the history of cancer in Nigeria that a state will make a strategic plan on it. We now know that 40 per cent of cancer can be prevented if we change our habits and lifestyle, while 40 per cent can be cured if detected early.

    “In nearby Ghana, it cost $10,000 to treat cancer while it cost $2,000 to treat the same disease in Nigeria. But, even at that amount, it is still expensive for our people. We are working hard to make the treatment affordable.

    “It is also advisable to localize this cancer plan, as this will be strategic to its success. Involvement of the local government administrations and other health platforms like the Primary Health Care should be integrated into the programme.”

    In his keynote, Durosinmi-Etti, who was the pioneer chief medical director of the National Hospital, Abuja, identified smoking, excessive alcohol intake, albinos’ exposure to sun and excessive body weight as some of the habits and lifestyles that promote cancer.

    He said, “We need to pay attention to the spread of cancer in Nigeria in order to bring it to a near zero level. From research, we discovered that breast and cervical cancer account for 50 per cent of female mortality.

    “Apart from Gombe, Ibadan is the only state in Nigeria with facilities to treat cancer and this call for absolute readiness to campaign for prevention rather than treatment. 33 per cent cure is sure with prevention and early detection.

    “But, if people will just be careful about their habits and lifestyles, such as smoking, excessive drinking, exposure to paint and asbestos chemicals, excessive weight and obesity, as well as exposure to the sun in the case of albinos, there will be a significant reduction in cancer incidence.”

    Launching the strategic plan, the governor said that the initiative was birthed with the collaborative efforts of the state government and the private sector.

    Ajimobi stated that effective healthcare system could not be sustained by government alone, but with the support of the private sector, adding that mortality rate attributed to cancer had been alarming and must be nipped in the bud.

    The governor said, “May I reiterate the fact that effective healthcare service delivery the world over is a joint venture between government and the private sector. It is evident that health cannot be sustained by government’s efforts alone.

    “As a responsive government, we have taken a preemptive review of the structure of the healthcare system with the requisite intent of meeting the health needs of our people. An extensive restructuring of the sector, which involves the three tiers of service provision across the state, is currently on-going.

    “Permit me to use this opportunity to commend the efforts of my wife, who I unequivocally describe as a philanthropist par excellence. She is a woman with the milk of kindness and concern for the welfare and wellbeing of others. I thank her for this initiative and others before this.”

    In her welcome address, the wife of the governor said that the plight of cancer patients informed her decision to play a major role in bringing smiles back to their faces, adding that the plan would harp on prevention of the disease rather than cure.

    Mrs. Ajimobi hinted that the strategic plan was targeting 500,000 people for screening annually, with 165 centers to be created across the state, while soliciting a special cancer fund to assist cancer patients in the State.

    She said, “A significant proportion of the citizenry are not aware of cancer, neither are the majority equipped with much-needed information to protect themselves and their loved ones from it, leading to late presentation.

    “The strategic plan is targeted at five identified priority areas and will be implemented in two phases over the next five years. Its implementation will also be supervised and coordinated by a steering committee comprising of relevant stakeholders.

    “Over the next three months, 1,320 nurses across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state will be trained on cancer screening and 165 screening centers (5 in each LGA), capable of screening 500 thousand people annually, will be established.

    “Although this plan has been designed to be sustainable, there is a need to establish a Cancer Fund to support cancer patients in the state. I am also aware that the State Health Insurance Agency is almost done with plans to incorporate cancer care into all its products and packages.”

  • Ibadan twins kidnap: Olubadan visits king Balogun

    …Ladoja sympathises with parents

     

    The Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1 has paid sympathy visit to Oba Lekan Balogun, whose twins were abducted last week by yet to be identified kidnappers in Ibadan.

    Observers see the visit as a welcome development, even though both the Olubadan and Oba Lekan Balogun had disagreement on the recent review of the 1957 Declaration on Olubadan Chieftaincy Laws by the state government.

    Oba Adetunji assured that the perpetrators of the dastardly act would soon be brought to justice, and urged Oba Lekan Balogun to be patient as God would bring the kidnapped twins back home.

    Represented by the younger brother to the Olubadan, 80 year old Ambali Adetunji, the first class monarch described the incident as wicked and ungodly.

    Also, in the delegation was the Personal Assistant and Director of Media and Public affairs to the Olubadan, Mr Adeola Oloko.

    The royal father further charged the police and other security agencies in the state to intensify efforts to ensure that the criminals were tracked down and be made to face the wrath of the law .

    Also, High Chief Senator Rashidi Ladoja has expressed the hope that the kidnapped twins would soon be brought back home to re-unite with their parents.

    It was learnt yesterday that High Chief Ladoja in a telephone conversation sympathised with Oba Lekan Balogun on the kidnap of his twins.

    When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Ladoja, Alhaji Lanre Latinwo said High Chief Ladoja has been away from Ibadan since last Thursday.

    “It is possible High Chief Ladoja may have called him (Oba Balogun) on phone to sympathise with him .But am not aware if he sent any delegation. All I know is that he has been away from Ibadan since last week Thursday and he is likely to be back today”, he said.

    The twins were kidnapped in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital last week.

    Sources informed that the kidnappers have communicated the parents, demanding N100 million ransoms.

    The Oyo State Police Command has said officers of the command have been alerted and that all machineries have been deployed to ensure that the victims were rescued from the kidnappers.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Adekunle Ajisebutu, urged the public to be patient, assuring that the children would be rescued in no distant time.

    He said the command was deeply concerned about the plight of the parents but appealed for patience from the public, assuring that the command was working hard to record a breakthrough on the incident. “We are doing everything to get the innocent children rescued safely, ” he said.

    When asked about how the command was preventing a recurrence, Ajisebutu explained that measures put in place include aggressive patrol, raiding of criminal hide-outs and gathering up-to-date intelligence which has led to the arrest of many criminals and recovery of stolen items.

    He added: ”Search for the abducted children is being intensified. We are not resting on our oars. We are hopeful that the victims will be rescued alive soon by God’s Grace and with the support of the public.

    He urged members of the public to volunteer unsecured information that can help the police in recording a breakthrough on the incident.

    Meanwhile, a family source confirmed to The Nation yesterday that the kidnappers have reduced the ransom to N40 million. The source reinforced the earlier appeal to the abductors to release the little children.

  • N11.5bn fraud: Akala, Agboola, Babalola drag EFCC to Supreme Court

    A former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, former deputy Chief Whip of the senate, Senator Ayoola Agboola, and a business man, Mr. Femi Babalola, have dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Supreme Court over allegation of N11.5 billion fraud.

    The move by the trio stalled the commencement of trial in the case that was scheduled to commence, Monday before Justice Muniru Owolabi of an Oyo State High Court, holden at Iyaganku, Ibadan.

    According to the the EFCC, the alleged fraud was committed when the first defendant, Alao-Akala was governor of the state between 2007 and 2011.

    Agboola, the second defendant, at the time served as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters while Babalola owns an engineering firm, Pentagon Engineering Services, that executed some contracts during the administration.

    At the court on Monday, counsel to Alao-Akala and Babalola, Mr. Hakeem Afolabi, (SAN) moved two applications before Justice Owolabi, informing the court that his clients have filed an interlocutory appeal on the matter before the Supreme Court, seeking an adjournment of the case in order to await the decision of the apex court.

    He stated that the applications dated April 7 and filed on April 9, this year, were filed on 10 grounds, praying the court to allow the defendants to go, and “should be told not to return to sin, though they are not sinners.”

    He relied on some earlier pronouncements of the Supreme Court, including Amaechi versus Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Pastor Richard Ogunwole (SAN), who is the counsel to the second defendant, Ayoola Agboola, aligned himself with the two applications moved in the court, saying the interlocutory appeal in the Supreme Court would terminate the proceedings at the high court entirely, if it succeeds.

    He urged the court to “tarry a little, not resting it,” in continuing with the case so that it would not run on collision course against the apex court.

    But the EFCC’S counsel, Dr. Benedict Ubi, vehemently opposed the adjournment, arguing that granting the application would amount to “a violent violation of the Constitution of Nigeria, ” relying on the pronouncement of the Supreme Court in the case of Olisa Metuh versus Federal Republic of Nigeria. He urged the court to disregard the applications and go on with the case.

    Justice Owolabi, however, adjourned the case to June 4, 2018 for ruling on the applications, whether the court would await the decision of the Supreme Court or it would continue with the trial while the interlocutory appeal is still pending in the apex court.

    The EFCC had on October 11, 2011 filed the matter before Justice Moshood Abass of the court and the defendants were admitted to bail, which they perfected.

    Justices Akintunde Boade and Bayo Taiwo, had also sat on the case before the former retired and the latter transferred out of Ibadan Division.

    Alao-Akala was admitted to bail in the sum of N5million with two sureties in like sum, while the second and third defendants were also granted bail in the sum of N3 million each with two sureties in like sum.

    But the three defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Owolabi on March 5, 2018, over the same matter by the EFCC.

    The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

    Counsel to the defendants urged the court to allow their clients to enjoy the previous bail condition granted to them, which was granted by the court.

    The defendants are facing an 11-count charge of conspiracy, awarding contract without budgetary provision, obtaining by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from illegal act and concealing the ownership of such property, among others.

    The EFCC’s counsel, Dr Benedict Ubi, had told the court that when Alao-Akala was the governor of Oyo State, he awarded a road contract worth N8.5billion between 2007 and 2009 to Pentagon Engineering Services, alleging further that the firm handled the contract on behalf of the 33 local governments areas of the state without budgetary provision.

    Alao-Akala, he contended, ordered the supply of drilling machines on behalf of the 33 local government areas worth N3.5billion, saying Alao-Akala purportedly conspired with Ayoola to withdraw N2.9 billion from Oyo State Local Government Joint Account.

    Ubi also told the court that Alao-Akala illegally acquired some property on Old Bodija Road, Off Rotimi Williams Road in Ibadan, when he was the governor, saying the alleged offences contravened Section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act and Section 1 (18) of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act.

    The EFCC’s counsel, in an interview with journalists after the proceedings, noted that “the normal practice is that when applications of these nature are before the court, the court will entertain them first before any other step is taken. The determination of the application will show us the direction to which we are going.”

    He held that an appeal in the higher court “does not operate as a stay. It is not an automatic position. If you raise an application before the court or the higher court, decision will be taken on it. Upon the ruling ordering a stay, then the proceedings will be stayed.”

    Counsel to the first and third defendants, Afolabi, also told journalists that the “10 grounds in our applications were to demonstrate that it will be an act of injustice for this court to proceed when the defendants have their appeals, pending before the Supreme Court.”

  • Oyo: Rice farmers receive inputs worth N17.8m – CBN

    Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria ( RIFAN ) in Oyo State says it has received farm inputs worth N17.8 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) through the Bank of Agriculture ( BOA ).

    The state Chairman of RIFAN, Mr Victor Korede, said this in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Ibadan.

    He said that no fewer than 59 rice farmers had received farm inputs for dry season farming, while about 100 rice farmers were similarly expected to get inputs for wet season farming.

    “The inputs include water pumps with accessories, two bags of NPK and Urea fertilisers each, ten litres of pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides and two sachets of organic fertiliser to replenish the soil.

    “Other services include farm mapping, extension services and aggregation of harvested produce and insurance by Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Company ( NAIC ).

    “The RIFAN/CBN model is a strategic partnership between the CBN and RIFAN to increase domestic rice production, in support of the Federal Government’s agenda to ban rice importation in 2018.

    Read Also: Emergency: FG handover facility to Oyo govt

    “The partnership came right on time, as it will surely boost our protection and make our members to sell their produce in a profitable and ready market,” he said.

    Korede also noted that the scheme would enhance the ability of the farmers to engage in dry-season and wet-season rice cultivation.

    He urged the beneficiaries to resist the temptation of selling the products, saying that they should use the facilities judiciously so as to enable them to enjoy other agricultural development programmes of the Federal Government.

    He pledged the readiness of the rice farmers to increase rice production in the state.

    NAN

  • Emergency: FG handover facility to Oyo govt

    As parts of plan to provide succor to the people of the state in times of disaster and emergencies, the Federal Government on Friday handed over some completed facility at the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp, Ibadan.

    The facilities including administrative buildings, perimeter fencing, store house, gatehouse and kitchen among others were received by the Deputy Governor of the state, Otunba Moses Adeyemo at the camp site in Akanran, Ona Ara local government, Ibadan, Oyo state.

    Adeyemo was accompanied at the handing over by the Ona Ara caretaker chairman, Mr. Sulaimon Olasunmade, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Akin Makinde, a representative of the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, Abuja, Mr. John Owoicho, the project consultant as well as the project contractor.

    Aside the facility taken over by the government, two hostel facilities are still undergoing construction at the camp site.

    The team after the inspection of the facility lauded the contractor for the good job done and agreed to take it over, noting that there was no major setback for the project not to have been taken over by the government.

    Representative of the Presidential Committee, Owoicho said the committee decided to hand over the completed facility to the government to ensure adequate security and prevent any form of encroachment of the facility, assuring that it is uppermost in the mind of the government to ensure that the entire project is completed soon and put to use by the host state.

    He appealed to the state government and the host local government to ensure that the needed security is provided for the facility as similar efforts in some parts of the country had been damaged and vandalised by unknown and yet to be identified criminals even before the take over by the government.

    While thanking the FG for the facility,  the deputy governor who had visited the site for monitoring before the handing over assures the FG of the readiness of the state government in collaboration with the host local government in ensuring that the safety and security of the facility is guaranteed.

    He further appealed to the FG to impress the contractors handling the construction of the main hostel to speed up work and complete it as soon as possible so that the state government could complete the takeover and put the facility to full usage.