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Tag: Oyo

  • Court dismisses suit challenging Makinde’s candidacy

    An Oyo State High court sitting in Ibadan on Tuesday dismissed the suit filed by Senator Ayoade Adeseun and Sunday Adeyanju challenging legality of the primary elections that produced Engr. Seyi Makinde (governor-elect) as the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last governorship/House of Assembly election in the state.

    Adeseun, who was Makinde’s opponent in the PDP primaries held in October 2018 at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan had claimed that the list of delegates that participated in the election was imported and doctored.

    The complainant in the suit had prayed that the court to declare the primary elections of the party as undemocratic, null and void.

    During the court proceeding which started January 2019, the claimant’s counsel, Michael Lana, presented 14 witnesses, while the defendant’s counsel presented eight witnesses.

    The presiding judge, Justice Ganiyu Sunmonu, ruled on Tuesday in favour of PDP and dismissed all claims of the claimants.

    Ganiyu said the Adeseun’s counsel could not prove with substantial evidence that the delegates list for the primary was doctored.

    The judge said “he who assets must prove.

    The claimants must provide the names that were removed, to prove that the list was doctored.”

  • I’ll simplify governance, prevent NURTW violence in Oyo, says Makinde

    The Oyo State Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, has assured the people of the state that he would bring simplicity to governance and also do everything to prevent violence from commercial drivers when he eventually takes the reins of power on May 29.

    Makinde, who won on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), gave the assurance on Southwest Political Circuit, a live interview programme on Ibadan-based Fresh FM radio.

    The governor-elect said the most important value that will mark out his administration is simplicity, adding that he would use everything he has to make the state better.

    “I will keep the business of governance very simple; without any complication. We will communicate with the people. We will lead with the fear of God. I want to be remembered for simplifying the business of governance. We will work very hard for the people of Oyo State and they will be the judge. We will use everything we have to make Oyo State better,” he assured.

    Makinde also promised to protect the sanctity of any contract signed by the outgoing administration in order to protect investors and assure them that their investments are safe in Oyo State. He added that he would be transparent in all dealings, stressing that he would not witch hunt anyone, group or organization.

    On how he intends to further build the economy of the state, Makinde promised to look into how to improve electricity supply, build a vibrant and skilled workforce as well as sustain the peace and security across the nooks and crannies of the state. He assured that he would not politicize decisions.

    He said: “We are here to bring progress to Oyo State. We will dialogue with people in all sectors to find solutions to every problem in the state. We will be a listening government. We won’t cancel any ongoing project that is good for the growth and development of Oyo State. We will listen.”

    On the potential violence that may be foisted on the state by leaders and members of the state’s chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Makinde said he would not allow them to bring back violence because he would dialogue with them continuously.

    “I have sent messages to the NURTW to avoid violence. They don’t have my support. We want peace in Oyo and efforts are on to dialogue with them and ensure there is no resurgence of violence.”

  • Reps skip day of tributes for Sugar

    For the first time in a long while, the leadership of the House of Representatives has refused to accord a member, Hon. Temitope Olatoye Sugar, the usual valedictory session.

    Though, no reason was adduced for skipping tributes for the lawmaker who represents Lagelu /Akinyele federal constituency in Oyo state, a lot of eyebrows were raised on Tuesday.

    READ ALSO: Late Sugar: family petitions UCH for sharing gory photos on social media

    Traditionally, a day of tributes is usually set aside by the Green Chamber after both chambers would have adjourned for 24 after the death of a member.

    It was held for Hon. Ayeola Abiodun, who represented Ibeju-Lekki Federal constituency of Lagos and Hon. Funke Adedoyin who represented Irepodun/Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero federal constituency in Kwara State.

    The lawmaker was shot dead in Oyo State on March 9 during the governorship and state House of Assembly.

    However, terrible tales had trailed the personality of the lawmaker after his death.

  • ‘Women must encourage each other for political success’

    Oyo state director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Dolapo Dosunmu has urged women to imbibe the habit of celebrating one another and support their female folks politically if the women must make any impact in politics.

    Dosunmu made this call on Monday at the Agodi, Secretariat of the Agency while receiving a letter of commendation and an award of excellence from the Oyo state chapter of National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).

    The recognitions, according to the female journalists is to celebrate Dosunmu for the roles she played in sensitizing the people and mobilising voters towards a successful 2019 general elections in the state.

    Dosumu who is the first female director of the agency, said “it is quite unusual for women to publicly celebrate another woman, especially when such a person is doing or has done well in her chosen field.

    “I am humbled at the honour because I was only doing all I did because of the need to do what I was suppose to, not because of any recognition or award. So, this is a pleasant surprise.

    “Now that the elections are over, for NOA, we are in a sustainable communication with the people of Oyo state, and in Nigeria at large. The aspect of women participation in politics is what we want to talk about now.

    “We have been encouraging women that they should come out and see themselves as the potential that is capable of occupying a position of governance in Nigeria.

    “That campaign, I can assure you, will continue. We’re going to ensure that the confidence the women need, we will try and get it across to them, by way of dialogues and sensitization. It’s going to be a sustainable campaign.

    “I am very surprised and overwhelmed, but at the same time, I am grateful to NAWOJ as a whole in Oyo state especially the executives of the association. I am so grateful for this humble award given to me today.

    “The award of recognition is like an instrument of motivation to me, because when you’re doing something that you don’t even know you are doing, and somebody outside there is watching, to the point of being publicly recognised. It will only motivate me to be more dedicated.”

    The Oyo state director also said the next phase of work the agency is looking at is for people to be aware, what it is to be governed in a democratic setting.

    “What are the obligations, what are the duties, what are the responsibilities of citizens and also, to let the people in government know that, there is this responsibility for the people, to know what you are doing and to have a communication with them at all time.

    “The people need to know, that it’s not all about gratification, about personal demand, about doing something that is on a personal level.

    Earlier in her remarks, the chairperson of Oyo NAWOJ, Comrade Jadesola Ajibola commended Dosunmu for the passion with which she leads NOA.

    Ajibola said NAWOJ presented the award to the NOA boss because of her notable collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commissions, in getting the people of Oyo duly sensitised before and during the general election.

  • Late Sugar: family petitions UCH for sharing gory photos on social media

    The family of the late Hon. Temitope Olatoye Sugar has petitioned the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, seeking N200 million damages for the sharing of the deceased’s ‘horrific’ photographs on social media without approval.

    In the petition prepared by Barr. C. C. Amedu of Ikeh Sunday Chambers, Ibadan, a copy of which was obtained by The Nation newspaper, Olatoye’s family accused the hospital of allowing the gory photographs of the late lawmaker in his dying hours at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital to be circulated on social media, thereby causing members of his family a lot of grief.

    The petition was also sent to the Minister of Health and the Ibadan Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

    Though the family acknowledged that doctors and other members of staff attending to the late Sugar declared to themselves in the presence of Sugar’s family members that taking photographs of patients was prohibited, they were surprised to see such photographs circulating on online newspapers and social media hours later. They insisted that the ICU of a hospital is a restricted area; hence only members of staff of the hospital had access to the dying Olatoye in the pool of his blood.

    They also reminded the UCH management of the Hippocratic oath, ethics and international best practices in the medical profession which protect the rights of a dying patient to die in peace and dignity and which also mandate medical practitioners to maintain utmost respect for human life, avoid using their privileges as medical practitioners to violate human rights and which also mandate them to practice the profession with conscience and dignity. In spite of the ethics, the Olatoyes said it was disheartening that UCH staff allegedly allowed the taking, circulation and publication of the dehumanizing photographs of the deceased which have since been trending online.

    The petition read in part: “Flowing from the above, it is disheartening that despite the earlier instructions and directives from your staff at the Intensive Care Unit and Pathology Department, your staff caused/allowed the taking, circulation and publication of horrific and dehumanizing photographs of the deceased which have been trending online and all over social media without the prior consent of the deceased or his relatives. We hereby attached some of the photographs for your kind perusal and necessary action.

    “A cursory assessment of the attached photographs revealed that the deceased as at the time the photographs were taken, was still at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital in a pool of blood, therefore, it is reasonable and unarguable to believe that only your staff could access the unit at the material time.

    “The above conduct of your staff suggested that instead of your personnel on duty to have acted in their full professional capacity, focusing on taking care of the deceased, which might have probably saved his life, they were busy taking his pictures which perhaps for the purpose of selling same to social media operators as it can be seen trending online.”

    They posited that the trending online photographs have been serving as a painful reminder to Hon. Sugar’s gruesome murder, adding that they also subjected members of the family to “a lasting unimaginable depression, mental and psychological torture.”

    Describing the act as an “unethical and brazen display of professional misconduct” of the hospital’s staff, the Olatoyes also demanded the immediate recall of the published photographs from the public domain and punishment for the staff guilty of the offence. They also demanded a written apology from the said members of staff which should be published in not least than three national newspapers.

    Should the hospital fail to accede to the above request within seven days, the Olatoyes threatened to ‘commence an aggravated negligence action against the hospital in court.’

    Hon. Olatoye was shot in the eye by unknown gunmen at about 6:30 pm on March 9 while the counting and sorting of the governorship and House of Assembly elections were going on. He was immediately rushed to the UCH for medical attention but died shortly after. Until his death, he was representing Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

    The member representing Lagelu Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olafisoye, and four others are being questioned over his death.

  • Sugar’s death: we’ll ensure justice is done, Oyo CP vows

    Oyo state Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu has assured that the Command will not rest on its oars until the perpetrators of the heinous crime that led to the death of Hon Olatoye Temitope Sugar are apprehended and brought to book.

    He assured the families of the deceased lawmaker that the Command is currently working on available information in its custody to ensure that the perpetrators and their collaborators are nabbed.

    The assurance came on the heels of the plea for justice by the family, associates and friends of the deceased lawmaker.

    Vowing that the deceased family will get justice, CP Olukolu stressed that all that needs to be done will be done in line with the directive of the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the perpetrators does not go scot free.

    He gave the hint while featuring on a radio programme on Inspiration FM monitored in Ibadan on the topic “Do or Die Politics in Nigeria.”

    While expressing dismay at how the spread of fake news, especially on social media almost jeopardise the efforts of the security operatives, Olukolu warned the people to beware of the kind of information they believed and from people.

    He reiterated that the Command went through a hardous time trying to very and confirm the authenticity of the death of many prominent people in the state on the heels of the death of Honourable Sugar, which turned out to be false.

    Olukolu said, “We are working on the information we have and we are assuring that the culprits will be arrested and brought to book.

    “The family will get justice. We can assure you and that is also the assurance from the Inspector General of Police.

    “There was serious tension when the news of the death broke out on the day of the election, but with synergy with other sister security agencies, the support of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11 and the Inspector General of Police; we were able to tame the situation.

    “We stationed our men at strategic volatile places, including Iwo Road immediate and we recovered some arms. We also intensified our patrol and we were able to put the situation under control.

    “People must be circumvent of the kind of stories and information they spread and believed, especially on the social media. And I was shocked at the calibre of people who even believed the stories.

    “It took us a long time to be able to verify the rumours of those that were alleged to have been killed. We had to put calls through to the like of Senator Teslim Folarin, the son of Auxiliary and all those that were alleged to have been killed, only for all of them to say nothing happened to them.

    “Until then, we started debunking the rumours. Our people must know how damaging the spread of fake news could be and we must be very careful.

    “The Inspector General of Police had told us that there could be reaction from both sides after the election, either from the winner or loser and we also took proactive measures to ensure that there was safety of lives and property in the state.”

  • Opposition to Makinde: resist pressure to plunder Oyo

    AN opposition party in Oyo State, the Justice Must Prevail Party (JMPP), has advised the governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, to beware of praise-singers and be fair to all residents, irrespective of their political leanings.

    The party gave the advice in a statement in Ibadan yesterday, stressing the need to resist the pressure to “share the money”.

    The statement, which was signed by its governorship candidate, Mr. Oluseye Smith, advised him to be careful of praise-singers and party members, who may see his electoral victory as an opportunity to corner state resources.

    He said Makinde must resist the pressure from sycophants, who might be “mounting pressure on him to share the money”.

    Congratulating Makinde, the party also advised him against pursuing vendetta.

    The statement reads: “The governor-elect must ensure that the resources of the state are not cornered by a few, who might be seeing his victory as theirs. The resources of the state must be geared towards developing both human and capital projects that will benefit all. He must not be seen to be pursuing vendetta. He should endeavour to form an all-inclusive government to move the state forward. He must resist pressure from his supporters to plunder the resources of the state.”

  • Police to prosecute 18 suspects for ballot box snatching in Oyo

    The Oyo state Police Command on Wednesday said over 18 suspects have been arrested for various electoral offences during the Saturday’s governorship/state House of Assembly elections in the state.

    The police command said all the 18 suspects would face criminal prosecution after conclusion of investigation.

    Their offences ranged from ballot box snatching, violence and other related electoral fraud committed in different parts of the state during the Saturday poll.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Shina Olukolu who spoke through the Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) , Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi, a Superintendent of Police (SP) explained that the suspects who were been held at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) were arrested at various polling units during the Saturday poll.

    He said the names of suspects were still being withheld by the police not to tamper with the ongoing investigation.

    Read Also: Police arrest 9 suspected political thugs in Bauchi

    According to the state police boss, seven guns, 30 live cartridges, and some other miscellaneous items were recovered from the suspects.

    He further disclosed that the suspects who are currently held at the SCIID would soon be transferred to Abuja for further investigation in line with the directives from the Inspector General of Police (IG) before prosecution.

    ” I can confidently tell you that 18 suspects were arrested in connection with electoral offences during the last governorship/state House of Assembly poll in different parts of the state. And seven guns, 30 live cartridges and some miscellaneous items were recovered from them.

    “The State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) is handling the investigation and the suspects will later be transferred to Abuja for further investigation before prosecution,” he stated.

  • Oyo sets up committee on proposed Oke-Ogun University

    The Oyo State government, yesterday, set up a committee to work out the establishment of Oke-Ogun University, Iseyin.

    It also disclosed, that, it has commenced the payment of the financial benefits for workers in line with the 2012 – 2016 promotion exercise as recommended by the Technical Committee set up by the governor on February 14.

    The government said, that, the 12-man committee on the establishment of a tertiary institution in Iseyin has the mandate to submit its report in three weeks.

    The Head of Service, Olawumi Ogunesan, said, that the implementation of the promotion payment commenced with the February 2019 salary, which has been paid by the state government.

    According to Ogunesan, the committee on the establishment of a tertiary institution in Iseyin is headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Olalekan Ali, with a representative of Ministry of Education as Secretary. Other members include the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Administration, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology and representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Budget, Works and Transport as well as Justice.

    She added, that other members of the committee are the Chairman of Governing Council of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, the Vice Chancellor of the First Technical University, Ibadan, and three representatives from Iseyin.

    Ogunesan said: “Oyo State Government, acceding to the request of Iseyin people to establish a tertiary institution in Iseyin Area, set up a 12-man committee which is to submit its report within three weeks.”

  • Oyo sets up committee on proposed Oke-Ogun University

    The Oyo State Government Friday set up a committee to work out the birthing of Oke-Ogun University, Iseyin.

    It also disclosed that it has commenced the payment of the financial benefits for workers in line with the 2012 – 2016 promotion exercise as recommended by the Technical Committee set up by the governor on February 14, 2019.

    The government said that the 12- man committee on the establishment of a tertiary institution in Iseyin has the mandate to submit its report in three weeks.

    READ ALSO: Oyo releases N1.5b for teachers, council workers’ gratuities

    The Head of Service, Mrs. Olawumi Ogunesan, said that the implementation of the promotion payment commenced with the February 2019 salary which has been paid by the state government.

    According to Ogunesan, the committee on the establishment of a tertiary institution in Iseyin is headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Olalekan Ali, with a representative of Ministry of Education as Secretary. Other members include the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Administration, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology and representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Budget, Works and Transport as well as Justice.

    She added that other members of the committee are the Chairman of Governing Council of The Polytechnic Ibadan, the Vice Chancellor of the First Technical University, Ibadan and three representatives from Iseyin.

    Mrs. Ogunesan said: “Oyo State Government, acceding to the request of Iseyin people to establish a tertiary institution in Iseyin Area, set up a twelve man committee which is to submit its report within three weeks.”