The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyo

  • ‘Oyo has improved’

    The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State, Mr. Yekeen Popoola, has hailed the urban renewal programme of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration.

    Popoola, who is the chairman of Irepo Local Government Transition Committee, said the programme has improved the aesthetics of the state.

    He said the beautification of the cities has confirmed that the Oyo people are not as dirty and resentful to modernity as was previously believed, adding that the state’s “pace-setting position” has been restored.

    Popoola urged residents to embrace the positive change introduced by the Ajimobi administration by obeying the laws and cooperating with the government to improve the state.

    He said council chairmen have, in the last 15 months, impacted positively on the grassroots in line with the transformation and restoration agenda of the Ajimobi administration.

    Popoola said: “Development requires the joint effort of all stakeholders. Citizens need to support the government by fulfilling their obligations and remaining law-abiding.”

  • Oyo warns against indiscriminate pasting of posters

    Oyo warns against indiscriminate pasting of posters

    IN its bid to rid Oyo State of dirt, the state government has warned against indiscriminate pasting of posters within the metropolis.

    The Director General of the Oyo State Signage and Advertising Agency (OYSAA), Mr. Yinka Adepoju, stated this yesterday while speaking with journalists during a sanitation exercise at Sango/Iwo-Road area of Ibadan.

    He vowed the state will continue to pursue the existing zero tolerance policy on indiscriminate use of posters.

    Adepoju emphasised that the warning should serve as a reminder to all religious organisations, companies, schools and other multinational companies to refrain from the indiscriminate use of posters in Oyo State.

    He frowned against the non-compliance of the members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), churches and schools with the policies of Oyo State Signage Agency and Advertisement Agency.

    He added the agency is giving IPMAN, banks, religious bodies and schools 14 days ultimatum to register and pay for all sign boards across the state.

  • Oyo gets land committee

    The Oyo State Government has inaugurated a committee that will identify suitable land for various investments across the state.

    The 10-man committee is headed by Mr. Tayo Oyetunji, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Lands.

    It comprises two representatives from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey and a representative each from the Surveyor-General’s Office and the ministries of Physical Planning and Urban Development; Culture and Tourism; Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development; and Justice.

    The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Survey, Bimbo Kolade, said the committee would identify land in various locations, which can be acquired by the government and allocated to investors.

    Kolade said the government is determined to maximise the state’s resources and improve its economy.

    He urged members of the committee to be professional and thorough in the discharge of their duty.

    The committee is expected to submit its report in three months.

    Last month, the state offered generous land discounts to investors.

  • Oyo prepares to tackle flood

    Oyo prepares to tackle flood

    Less than 24 hours after the Nigerian Meterolo-gical Agency (NIMET) predicted an above normal rainfall, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has directed redoubling of efforts by all MDAs, local government councils and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to ensure the impact of the rainfall is mitigated in the state.

    Ajimobi, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, ordered massive awareness campaign on radio and television throughout the state.

    The campaign, he said, is geared to educate residents on the need to avoid dumping refuse that could block drainages.

    The governor, according to the statement, also ordered all local government caretaker chairmen to embark on a massive awareness campaign on radio and television as well as one-on-one campaigns to flood-prone areas on the need to free water channels of all blockages.

    He also ordered the state ministry of health to deploy ambulances in all strategic places especially during rains for emergencies.

     

  • In Oyo, race for 2015 gathers storm

    In Oyo, race for 2015 gathers storm

    Governorship aspirants for the 2015 elections are on the track in Oyo State. The competing political parties have also intensified their mobilisation at the grassroots. BISI OLADELE writes on the gladiators’ struggle for power in the Pacesetter State.

    Politics is always hot in Oyo State. It may not be different in 2015. Three parties-the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party (AP)-are on the prowl. Who wins the governorship race in the Pacesetter State?

    Many factors will shape the forth-coming poll in the State. TheACN has endorsed Governor Abiola Ajimobi for a second term. The implication is that the ruling party has devised a method of putting its house in order. If there is no serious objection to the governor’s adoption and if he sustains the tempo of performance, then, ACN is a party to beat.

    However, the PDP is not in slumber. Unlike ACN, it parades the largest number of contestants. This may reenact the crisis that rocked the party, ahead of the 2011 elections.

    The third party, AP, cannot also be ignored. Although it lacks the capacity to garner the majority of the votes, it can play either a supportive or spolier’s role in Oyo politics. It is expected that the only towering figure in the party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, will still emerge as its governorship candidate.

    For Ajumobi, the Agodi State House will not be vacant in two year’s time. He is not just mouthing it. The governor has doubled his efforts at turning the state around in the build up to 2015. Many people believe that his tenure ended an era of brigandage, political upheavals, dirt and lawlessness in Oyo State. But the power of incumbency is only meaningful in the politically conscious state, if the chief executive has justified the confidence reposed in him by the masses.

    Between now and the critical year, it is expected that more politicians will declare their ambition in the PDP, which is the major opposition party. Party sources said that both ACN and PDP chieftains are still wooing the AP strongman, Ladoja, to join forces with their parties..

    Senator Teslim Folarin (PDP)

    Folarin, who was the Senate Leader until 2011 under the PDP, has been a major governorship contender. Since he left office on a crisis note, the politician has been consistent in his underground moves to succeed Ajimobi in 2015. He failed to seek renomination for the Senate and forfeited his governorship ambition in 201, following his detention over the alleged killing of Alhaji Lateef Salako (aka Elewe Omo), the leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    Folarin was locked in a battle with former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala for the seat. But the former governor, who was itching for a second term, pulled the rug off the senator’s feet. The murder charges preferred against Folarin prevented him from participating in the party primaries.

    But since the exit of Alao-Akala, who was believed to have roped him in the murder case, Folarin has worked hard to hijack the PDP structure in the state, using his influence at the national level. He has been building his own structure with the hope of launching a strong campaign for the 2015 election.

    However, top members of the factionalised PDP believe that the embattled senator lack the political clout to dislodge the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), confront the Accord Party (AP) under the firm leadership of Senator Ladoja beat other stronger PDP contenders are the primaries.

    Jumoke Akinjide (PDP)

    Chief Jumoke is the daughter of the Second Republic Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide.

    A brilliant lawyer and witty politician, Jumoke, who is currently the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is another candidate eyeing the most exalted seat in Oyo State.

    Jumoke contested against Senator Femi Lanlehin for the Oyo South seat in the Senate in 2011, but she was defeated. She came third behind the AP candidate, Mr. Bayo Lawal, a lawyer. It is believed that her current appointment was a compensation for her loss in the election and a reward for her father’s staunch support for President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2011 elections.

    The minister is pulling strings in the PDP in Oyo State. She is a candidate that may be very acceptable to President Jonathan, due to her current relationship with him as a minister and her father’s intimacy with the President.

    Jumoke built a good structure during the last election and she is still oiling the structure in preparation for future elections. She is not relenting in her ambition to emerge the first female governor of the state.

    However, the odds are many. The state seems to have bidden farewell to the PDP, owing to the party’s inability to make an impact on the people during its eight years in power.

    Also, the party is factionalised along the camps of Alao-Akala, Senator Lekan Balogun , Elder Wole Oyelese and Teslim Folarin. Other leaders may not surrender their years of labour in building and controlling the party to Jumoke, moreso when her father is considered to be operating in his own world as a party gerontocrat.

    Since the last election, the PDP has lost many supporters to the ACN and Accord Party due to the protracted crisis and lack of continued reward for loyalty.

    Since the PDP lost power to Ajimobi’s ACN, it has made fruitless efforts to foster internal harmony and rise above intra-party squabbles. The party is bedeviled with the failure to instill discipline into the its operational structures.

    Azeez Gbolarunmi (PDP)

    Gholarunmi served as the deputy governor under Alao-Akala, when Ladoja was shoved aside. He is a native of Ibadan. He was the political son of the late Ibadan strong man, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu. But the people do not see him as a formidable aspirant.

    Taofeek Arapaja (PDP)

    Arapaja was the deputy governor under Alao-Akala. A native of Ibadan, he was a member of the House of Representatives. He is popular in the party.

    Rashidi Ladoja (Accord)

    Former Governor Ladoja is eyeing the governorship for the third time. The 68-year old business mogul crossed to the Accord Party in early 2011. Along with his followers, he built a formidable party that came third in the election. Some aggrieved members of the PDP have decamped to the AP to swell its ranks in recent times. With four members of the House of Representatives and six House of Assembly members, AP is like a major opposition party in the state.

    Since Ladoja was illegally impeached in 2006, he has been enjoying sympathy from residents, but the sympathy could not earn him victory in the 2011 election. Ajimobi defeated him with over 40,000 votes.

    As he throws his hat into the ring again for the 2015 election, the state will be left to see the outcome of another keen contest that may reveal the poor strength of the AP in the larger part of Ibadan and other major towns in the state.

    Many analysts are also of the opinion that Ladoja should rather stay behind as an elder statesman and face his potential rise to the throne of the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

    Besides, the Oyo State government has been calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to speed up the trial of the former governor over alleged misappropriation of funds at the twilight of his administration in 2007. This may be another albatross on the neck of the AP leader .

    Abiola Ajimobi (ACN)

    He is the man currently occupying the seat. The governor has not declared his intention for second term, though some party members and leaders have openly adopted him as the candidate of the party..

    Ajimobi has not disappointed voters who voted him for change. Since 2011, the man has been pursuining his urban renewal and transformation agenda, gradually restoring the glory of the state. From the dirtiest city in Nigeria, Ibadan, the state capital under Ajimobi, is wearing a new look of neatness and orderliness. As “We shall be the founder of a new Oyo State by the end of our tenure”, the governor told reporters last week.

    The ACN is strong in Ibadan and other major towns. But it is weak in Ogbomoso where the top leaders of the party are gradually breaking the grip of former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    Ajimobi’s construction of neighbourhood markets, beautification projects and a promise of interest-free loans to traders are, however, marking him out as a man with the determination to make positive change more acceptable to his people.

    If he stands as a candidate in the next election, it is doubtful if any other candidate can upstage him, given his landmark achievements.

    Femi Lanlehin (ACN)

    The senator currently representing Oyo South at the Senate is interested in the race. He was a credible aspirant in the last election.

    The senator is a core politician who knows his onions and has a good standing in the state. He won his senatorial election convincingly, defeating Jumoke Akinjide and Mr Bayo Lawal. He is still doing well in his constituency and the state as he still connects with the ,in spite of serving in Abuja.

    But Lanlehin will have to contend for the ticket with Ajimobi again in 2015, if both of them choose to contest. That may pose another uphill task for the politician.

  • Oyo ACN’s winning team

    Oyo ACN’s winning team

    The current hoopla being raised by some elements calling for the disbanding of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at executive levels in Oyo State is to say the least appalling and irritating . For what it is worth, the present crop of executive has, thus far, been effective in maintaining party unity, internal cohesion and internal democracy in the party. It is worthy of note to state that the ACN under the leadership of Chief Akin Oke, contrary to these irredentist elements, played a pivotal and very crucial role in midwifing the victory of Governor Ajimobi in the 2011 election.

    Need we remind these naysayers that in the said election, our party could not secure a decisive victory even in Gov Ajimobi’s Ibadanland . Had it not been for the effectiveness of the party machinery in Chief Akin Oke’s homebase in Ogbomoso, inspite of what was universally acknowledged as the almost insurmountable odds, could the then sitting Governor (Akala) have lost the election ?

    To set the record straight, in 2007 when Chief Alao-Akala was just a deputy governor with limited power and access to the state resources, he garnered over 195,000 votes from Ogbomoso zone alone to clinch the governorship mandate. Conversely , in the 2011 Election , after Alao Akala had not only served for four uninterrupted and politically active years as the governor, he, as incumbent governor and member of the maurading PDP, virtually presided over the 2011 Election exercise .Despite his overwhelming advantages, however, and contrary to his natural desire and expectations, Alao Akala’s vote tally from his Ogbomoso home base, but which also doubles as Akin Oke’s base was drastically reduced over 50% .If one may ask, what was Governor Ajimobi’s margin of victory over the then incumbent Gov Alao Akala in that election ?

    If the Oke-led exco , along with others, worked so assiduously to snatch victory from the jaws of the defeat, should their reward be castigation and threats of removal? The Oke team secured the coveted crown for our party in the face of no-holds barred onslaught from a well-oiled competitor with almost unlimited power, patronage and huge state resource-based war chest and financial muscle. But even more importantly, a widely acknowledged dexterity ,willingness, effectiveness and courage and /or ruthlessness to deploy same, as evidenced, for instance, by the abduction of over 160 accredited ACN Party agents from their respective accredited polling units on the election day across Ogbomoso zone !

    By these abductions, ACN was thus denied the service of the polling agents of numerous polling units, with obvious implications for the outcome of polling at the affected units .

    It is a fact, that while almost every political party in the state has been bedevilled by one unending crisis or another , the Chief Akin Oke led exco has deepened cohesion in ACN and further continued to work on further popularising our party among the electorate . It is therefore a disgraceful act for some set of political scavengers and prostitutes who dubbed themselves’ Integrity Parliament’ to call for the disbandment of the exco. Such group that never existed before, or during elections, obviously do not even wish our party well. Otherwise, how can any rational mind situate their call for disbandment of our party’s team of winners ?

    Differences of opinion are the norm in politics. However, when they do occur, matured, disciplined and loyal party members channel such for consideration by appropriate party organs, rather than seeking to bully and blackmail others into submission through issuance of libellous news releases and/or levying of jaundiced and unfounded accusations against otherwise respected organs of the party. One cannot but conclude that given the high level of embarrassment caused and the deep-seated animosity that these individuals have, by their actions, sought to engender in our party, serious disciplinary action must be considered against them.

     

    Abdul Azeez Bolaji,

    Chairman, The Progressive Mind, Ibadan

     

  • ‘We ‘ll continue to serve Oyo people diligently’

    Wife of Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, has said the current administration will continue to serve the interest of the residents of the state.

    She stated this while declaring open a one- day workshop organised for workers in her office at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Ibadan.

    Ajimobi’s wife noted that it was a privilege to be appointed to serve in public office, adding that the opportunity should be taken seriously.

    On the purpose of the workshop, she said it was necessary to increase the capacity of those working with her, in order to enhance effective service delivery.

    According to her, “It behoves us that we should serve the people of Oyo State to the best of our abilities during the length of the life of the administration. You must be very accommodating, because attitude for me is important to service delivery, ensure you tolerate everyone around you and be nice to people,

    “We should all persevere in the face of every obstacle and hostility to do our best in the positions that we have found ourselves. If we do this, we will come away with a clear conscience at the conclusion of our assignment. There is a wind of change blowing in Oyo State and I want the wind to reflect in my office, because I cannot work alone.,” she said.

    The workshop was organised for both civil servants and appointees in Mrs Ajimobi’s office which has been supporting the transformation, repositioning and restoration agenda of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration.

    One of the resource persons at the training, Mr Idris Busari while thanking her excellency for organising the workshop, said the training wouldl enable the workers perform better in 2013, adding that it was coming at an appropriate time to meet a diligent service in line with the transformation agenda of the governor.

     

  • 17 held for robbery, cultism in Oyo

    The Oyo State Police Command has arrested 17 suspects for robbery and cultism.

    Parading them at its headquarters in Ibadan, the state capital, Commissioner of Police Joseph Mbu, who was represented by his deputy, Clement Adoda, said weapons, charms, stolen vehicles and some foreign currency were recovered from the suspects.

    He said the parade was necessary to discourage criminals.

    Mbu said on December 9, Victor Okafor, Alhaji Ibrahim Animashaun and seven others allegedly snatched a Toyota Avensis, marked TT 273 AAA, from Mrs. Florence Oluwamida at gun point in Ibadan.

    He said they were arrested in Ikire, Osun State.

    The CP said on December 3, Yakubu Olamide and Muraina Amuda were arrested in possession of a stolen Toyota Prado Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and two pistols.

    He said eight suspected members of the Black Axe Confraternity were arrested last Friday around 3am, while initiating new members in a bush at Ajibode, Ibadan.

    Mbu said the suspects, who claim to be students of the University of Ibadan (UI); The Polytechnic, Ibadan and Lagos State University (LASU), have confessed to being members of the cult.

    Asalu Babatunde (22), a student of Guidance and Counselling at UI, said he joined the cult a month ago.

    He said: “I was blindfolded and beaten up about a month ago in a bush. I am regretting my decision now.”

    Mbu said the police would sustain the peace and security in the state.

  • Oyo Governor sues PM News

    Oyo Governor sues PM News

    •Demands N1b damages

    OYO State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has sued the Independent Communications Network Limited, publishers of PM News, for libel.

    The governor is demanding N1 billion damages.

    PM News yesterday published a piece entitled: “Anxiety over Florence Ajimobi’s alleged arrest in UK”, which it claimed was written by an online agency, Newsleak.

    The publication claimed that the governor’s wife was arrested in London with a money.

    In a statement yesterday, Ajimobi’s media aide, Mr. Festus Adedayo, said it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that the media do not become an instrument in the hands of blackmailers.

    He said: “We state unequivocally that the report is not only wicked, but a figment of the writer’s imagination. Mrs. Ajimobi was never arrested for any offence.

    “Even though our investigation has shown that the report was the work of some arrowheads of the opposition, it was done in such an amateurish way that beats the imagination of any responsible reader.”

    Adedayo said though the government had much respect for the media, PM News must explain details of the report in court.

    Ajimobi’s lawyers denied the report.

    One of the family’s lawyers, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) of Adeniyi Akintola and Co. Chambers, described the report as “untrue, malicious and wicked publication intended solely to injure the good reputation of the Ajimobi family.”

    Akintola said Mrs. Ajimobi was not arrested anywhere, “either at home or abroad”. He said she was in her Ibadan home, attending to visitors during the Sallah festivities on the Saturday the report claimed she was held in London.

    Akintola faulted the claim that a renowned lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), secured her bail. He said Olanipekun has not left the country since last week.

    Akintola said Mrs. Ajimobi travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday because her child was to be given the country’s naturalisation certificate on Monday.

    He said she would return today.

    The lawyer said: “We do not know where they got the malicious, wicked and untrue rumour from. She was never arrested by any security agency, either in the UK or anywhere. She is not in custody anywhere and has always been a law abiding citizen. She is on her way back home as we speak and will be inaugurating some projects at home today.”

    Akintola said his colleague, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), was taken aback when he heard about the untrue report. He said Falana, who was with him when he received the information on the telephone, later spoke with Mrs. Ajimobi, who denied the allegation.

     

  • Oyo awards N29.3b road contracts

    Oyo awards N29.3b road contracts

    The Oyo State Government yesterday awarded N29.3 billion contracts for the dualisation of five major roads.

    Commissioner for Information Bosun Oladele; his Works and Transport counterpart, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde; the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, and his Information and Orientation counterpart, Mr. Gbolagade Busari, announced this in Ibadan, the state capital, while speaking with reporters after the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting.

    The dualisation of the 4km Ibadan-Oyo Expressway/Iseyin-Oyo Junction to Owode; the expansion of the 2.5km Owode-Akesan-Palace Road and the sectional repair of a 3.8km portion of the Old Ibadan-Oyo Road will cost N7,785,840,123.47.

    The dualisation of the 6.32km Ilorin Expressway Junction-Ikoyi-Takie-Palace-Ogbomoso Grammar School will cost N5,695,147,363.60.

    The contract for the dualisation of the 6.2km Ibadan-Oyo-Iseyin Junction-Iseyin/Okeho Junction Road, Iseyin will cost f N6,092,448,322.40.

    The dualisation of the 7.4km Dugbe-Magazine-Eleiyele-Aleshinloye-Onireke/Agbarigo Road in Ibadan was awarded at N7,066,762,166.86.

    The construction of the dilapidated Ijokodo-Apete Road and its two bridges, including the Apete Bridge, whose contract was revoked earlier, were awarded at N2,649,420,593.

    Oladele said the projects would be completed within 18 months.

    He said they are a fulfilment of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration’s promise that all roads leading to major towns and cities would be dualised.

    Akintunde said the contract sums include compensation to those whose property would be affected; relocation of facilities, such as water pipes, electricity poles and telecommunications facilities and consultancy cost.