The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyo

  • Reps seek military deployment in Oyo

    The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to deploy military machinery to quell killings and other violence in Irepo/Oorelope/Olorunsogo Federal Constituency of Oyo State.

    The lawmakers said President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Abubakar Sadiq and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to carry out the deployment.

    They said the call was a non-partisan advice to the Federal Government because being a national issue, security of life and property should not be narrowed to partisanship.

    This followed the adoption of a motion by George Oladele (APC, Oyo), who complained that his constituency, covering over 200 villages, has been under siege by bandits.

    He said the hoodlums robbed, maimed and killed villagers, adding that their activities may have evolved from decimation of trained groups from their stronghold in the Sambisa forest and Northeast by security agencies.

     

  • Oyo offers free TB treatment

    Oyo State government has offered free screening and treatment in health facilities.

    They are meant for individuals with persistent cough suspected to be Tuberculosis (TB).

    Health Commissioner Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, who spoke at the weekend in Ibadan at an event to commemorate the 2018 World Tuberculosis Day, with the theme: “Find and notify all TB cases in Nigeria”, said the free screening and treatment initiative of the Governnor Abiola Ajimobi administration was to reduce the spread of TB.

    He said health facilities in the 33 local governments and 35 local council development areas (LCDAs) had been mandated and mobilised to carry out TB screening and treatment.

    The commissioner advised individuals with persistent coughing to visit health facilities for check-up, saying the most common symptom of tuberculosis was persistent cough lasting two weeks or more, accompanied by fever, night sweat, weight loss, chest pain, loss of appetite, coughing up of blood mixed with sputum and tiredness.

    He said the spread of TB could be attributed to living in an overcrowded environment, poor hygienic conditions, indiscriminate spitting of sputum and poor cough etiquette, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus and smoking.

    Ajimobi said every March 24 was set aside by the World Health Organisation since 1882 as the World Tuberculosis Day when Dr. Robert kochs announced the discovery of the germ mycobacterium tuberculosis that caused tuberculosis disease.

    He stressed that TB was a contagious disease that affected all ages and killed nearly 5,000 people everyday worldwide due to lack of access to treatment.

     

     

  • Police arrest suspected kidnappers in Oyo

    The police have arrested suspected kidnappers terrorising motorists on Igboho-Igbeti Road and other parts of Oke-Ogun in Oyo State, it was learnt yesterday.

    The Nation gathered that the suspects were nabbed by members of a local vigilance group and policemen deployed in the area.

    The suspected kidnappers last week abducted passengers on the road. They were said to have demanded ransom from the victims’ families.

    There had been reports of kidnapping on the road before then.

    The incident prompted the police to swing into action, working with vigilance group members.

    Confirming the arrest yesterday, police spokesman Adekunle Ajisebutu said he could not confirm the number of the suspects.

    He said the commissioner of police has ordered a 24-hour patrol of Igboho-Igbeti Road, adding that people are now safe.

    The Chairman, Oorelope Local Government, Mr. Samuel Okunlade, said the situation had been brought under control by security agents and other stakeholders.

     

  • INEC: over 600,000 PVCs unclaimed in Oyo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said over 600,000 permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) have not been claimed and or collected by registered voters in Oyo State.

    The commission said 649,183 PVCs of registered voters across the state were still in its custody.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mutiu Agboke, broke the news when he led an INEC top delegation to visit Oyo State Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Munta Abimbola.

    Agboke recalled that since the beginning of the current Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), over 13,000 new voters had been registered.

    The REC said the current CVR, which started on January 8, will end tomorrow.

    He added that the second phase would be held soon to enable more Nigerians, who have attained the voting age and those who have never registered before to do so.

     

  • Oyo shuts eight facilities for ‘quackery’

    The Oyo State government has reiterated its commitment to eradicate quackery in the Health sector. It has closed eight facilities.

    The government warned that the training of auxiliary nurses in private facilities will not be tolerated in the state.

    It noted that such a practice is against the ethics of training nurses, which leads to quackery.

    It said there are 12 qualified institutions in Oyo State that train nursing students in tandem with global best practices.

    Also, the government announced receiving 34 motorcycles to improve surveillance and ensure that the population of Oyo State attains the highest standard of health.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr Azeez Adeduntan, who led a task force during routine monitoring and inspection of private health care facilities in Ibadan, urged those interested in nursing to go through schools established and identified by the state.

    Speaking through the Director of Secondary Health Care and Training, Dr. Ayoola Adebisi, the commissioner stressed that to be qualified as a nurse, weeding test is important to participate in capping and knotting of tie ceremony.

    He said this would confirm the certification of professionalism given to such nurses at the end their training.

  • Oyo/Osun Customs intercepts N92.77m goods

    The Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) on Tuesday said it intercepted contraband goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N92.77 million in February.

    The Area Comptroller, Christopher Odibu, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Ibadan, said the seizures were made through the utilisation of the intelligence reports by its officers.

    Odibu said that 4,000 bags of 50kg  foreign parboiled rice with  duty paid value of N48,596,321 and nine trucks and two used cars with duty paid value of N34,782,792 were seized during the period under review.

    Other items seized include 150 pieces of used tyres with DPV of N1,298,345.53, 51 bales of second hand clothes with DPV of N7,043,205 and 50 kegs (25litres) of vegetable oil worth N1,057,375.

    He said that the total Duty Paid Value of the seized goods was N92, 778, 048.

    Odibu  said some of the seizure were made along Opara/Bodo Musa axis of Iwajowa Local Government Area of the state while one suspect was arrested.

    “Let me sound a note of warning and advice to all unpatriotic Nigerians, who engage in smuggling of   rice and other contraband goods, to desist.

    “It is worrisome to note that some Nigerians remain unrepentant even as they continue to lose.

    “The Federal Government’s  efforts in transforming the agricultural sector, especially in the area of rice production,  should be encouraged while importation of rice should be discouraged by all,” he said.

    Odibu, however, called for collaboration between the command and the media,  especially in the area of enlightenment of local communities on the consequences of smuggling activities on the nation’s economy.

    NAN

  • Imo, Oyo, Osun top JAMB candidates list

    Imo, Oyo, Osun top JAMB candidates list

    •367 virtually impaired among 1.6m registered

    Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says Imo State, for the third year running, topped the number of applications for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with 92,890 candidates.

    The state was closely followed by Oyo (86,695) and Osun with 86,044 applicants.

    Sokoto, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had the least applicants with 13,456, 10,077 and 6,418 candidates.

    Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who gave the figures, said 367 virtually impaired persons would join 1.6 million candidates to write this year’s UTME tomorrow.

    The UTME, Oloyede said, would hold in 605 Computer Base Test (CBT) centres approved by JAMB across the country.

    The registrar, who spoke in Abuja yesterday, said the board received a shortfall of 55,642 (3.2 per cent) in the sale of 2018 UTME application documents when compared to the 1.7 million applications it received last year.

    The decrease, according to him, was because of innovative measures introduced in the system by the board to forestall multiple registrations and cut other illicit practices by candidates.

    He said: “At the end of the two months application window, we realised that 1,662,763 candidates registered for the 2018 exam. This was contrary to 1,718,425 candidates that registered for same exam within a month and two weeks period in 2017.

    “A total of three hundred and sixty-seven virtually impaired candidates registered for this year’s examination as against the 201 last year.

    “The board will continue to provide all necessary support and logistics to the physically-challenged candidates for them to attain their educational pursuit. The Equal Opportunity Group under Prof. Okebukola, who assisted last year, will be conducting the examination for the virtually impaired candidates.”

    He said the board would not release the results of the UTME immediately because it wants to review the entire process after the examination.

    This, the registrar said, would help reduce the number of cancelled results at the end of the exercise.

    “We will not release the results immediately this year because last year, we wanted to prove a point that there was nothing extraordinary in immediate release but we know that that is not global best practices. Because we had to cancel some results as a result of what we found out later.

    “This year, if it takes us one, two and three days to look at those things, we will look at them before we release the results so as to minimise the number of cancellation that we will do,” he said.

    The registrar also said the board would pay N600 per candidate to write the examination at any approved CBT centre.

    He said the payment was to discourage candidates from paying any amount to examination centres.

     

  • Oyo extends caretaker chiefs’ tenure

    Oyo extends caretaker chiefs’ tenure

    THE Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday extended the tenure of local government chairmen and Council Development Areas (LCDAs) by two months.

    Deputy Speaker Musa Abdulwasiu told reporters in Ibadan, the capital, that the decision was unanimously adopted following a request by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    Abdulwasi said the tenure extension was for three months; March to May 4 – pending the conduct of election.

    According to him, the extension is to avoid any vacuum in council administration.

    NAN reports that Ajimobi appointed the caretaker chairmen last March.

  • DPR shuts down 26 erring filling stations in Oyo

    DPR shuts down 26 erring filling stations in Oyo

    The Oyo State office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday warned petroleum marketers hoarding the product or selling above government approved prices to desist from the illegal act or risk six months suspension or revocation of their operating licences.

    The Head of Operations for Ibadan Office, Sadiq Ibrahim, issued the warning yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, during an inspection, monitoring and enforcement across the metropolis.

    His inspection team went tough on some independent marketers for allegedly selling petrol above approved pump price of N145 per litre.

    It sealed up 26 stations across the state.

    During a monitoring, some filling stations allegedly caught dispensing fuel for N165 and N180 at Olomi, Olunde, Odo Ona Elewe, Elebu and Orita Challenge areas of Ibadan were sealed up.

    The affected stations include Solace Global Resources Limited, Olomi, RBK Global Petroleum, Olunde, Olojuoro Road, Deenbas International Limited, Iyana Sheu, Olomi, Nurdock Energy, Olomi Market and Foresee Golden Profile Limited at Odo-Ona Elewe.

    Besides the affected filling stations, majority of independent marketers still dispensed petrol at N170 per litre.

    All filling stations, except those of major marketers at Apete, Eleyele-Sango axis, were said to be selling the product between N165 and N180 per litre.

    Major marketers, including Bovas and SAO Petroleum, sold petrol at N143 per litre to customers on long queues.

    Addressing reporters after the monitoring, Ibrahim said DPR would not relent until the owners of filling stations complied with the directive of the Federal Government that the pump price of fuel remained N145 per litre.

    He said: “We are here to carry out one of our official functions to ensure that all filling stations within our zone dispense petrol at the rate of N145 per litre. It is a routine job. Every filling station must, I repeat, must sell petrol at N145 per litre. Government has not increased the price. So, we cannot allow marketers to fix their price arbitrarily.

    “Today, we have sealed four filling stations. We sealed three for selling above the pump price and one for absconding on hearing that we were on routine inspection, despite our record that they had fuel in their fuel dump.

    “Till date, we have sealed about 25 filling stations. We have various penalties for erring filling stations. Whoever complied and paid the fee penalty, we’ll unseal the station. But that does not stop us from sealing the station again, if the same marketer commits the same offence or a similar offence.

    “There is a sanction for stations that are notorious. But so far, we have not come across any in Ibadan. After sealing and unsealing a station and the station commits the same error or a similar offence, we will seal the station again.

    “Petroleum marketers should comply with the present pump price at N145 per litre. That is just my advice to them. Failure to do that, we are going to take more drastic actions against them. It will not only be payment of fine. We are going to suspend the station from operating, ranging from three months to six months, even revocation of their operating licence. We have the power to do that.”

    The station manager of Nurdok Energy, Mr AbdulAzeez Agbede, who was allegedly selling at N180, denied doing so, though his customers confirmed that he sold at N180.

    He said: “I don’t know why they sealed up my station. I was not selling at N180; I sold it at N145 per litre. Those people you spoke with were lying.”

     

     

  • Oyo legislature and LG autonomy

    SIR: I call on Oyo State House of Assembly to come out with a definite position on the issue of local government autonomy, which according to media reports, it stood down. It is certain that Oyo State House of Assembly would not support autonomy for local government, hence, the jargon – stand down.

    From the body language of Oyo State government which the House of Assembly is an appendage, it is in support of a lame duck local government system. This is why it has not conducted local government election almost seven years after its inauguration. Our House of Assembly members are collaborators in crippling our local government as their assent is sought each time the three months tenure of local government caretaker committee chairman is to be renewed.

    Expecting Oyo legislature to stand on the side of history by supporting local government autonomy is as futile as hunting for a snow in a blast furnace. The pretext that they will listen to public opinion before taking a decision on autonomy is to buy time and suspect.  Or are they not part of the people whose opinion they are to listen to? Or why did they not seek people’s opinion before they passed the bill on financial autonomy for the House of Assembly?

    The fact is that the House of Assembly as constituted does not represent Oyo people who are bearing the brunt of destruction of hitherto flourishing local government system. In actual fact, majority of them are sponsored by the political elite in the state and not by popular choice, so they should not be expected to be on the side of the people. Many of them hardly visit their constituencies any longer, or if they visit at all, go to distribute poverty escalation items for few party members. They are so alienated from the grassroots to know the effect of a stifled local government on the grassroots.

    In my part of Ogbomoso today, drainages, rivers, abandoned sites and road sides have become dumping sites. Not only that, many roads constructed by the local government in her glorious era are dilapidated because of lack of maintenance; neighbourhood markets being maintained by the local government are comatose. Caretaker chairmen imposed on local governments instead of duly elected chairmen are not known by the people. They are only seen in a convoy of tinted cars. There is no doubt that those who make fortune from the local government misfortune would not allow the autonomy to scale through. However, those who know that democracy may not grow without grassroots participation will continue to fight on.

    One expects Oyo people who witnessed the glorious day of local government to speak out against the rape on democracy by Oyo House of Assembly. However, the fact is that the people are disillusioned and have accepted their fate. Nonetheless, few who are still conscious of their rights should not shirk the responsibility of speaking out because according to Edmund Burke “the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.

     

    • Adewuyi Adegbite

    ayekooto05@gmail.com