Tag: urges

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has urged monarchs to be upright and protect the interests of their subjects. He spoke during the 80th birthday prayers for the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II, at the Central Mosque in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

Extolling Oba Adetona’s doggedness, Tinubu said the Awujale was one of the few Obas who refused to align with the military regimes and abhored corruption.

He said: “I remember in 1991, 1992 and 1993 during the military junta, when the Yoruba were the target of the then government. They thought they could silence you (Oba Adetona); they planned to kill you; they planned to remove you through a local government, but they failed. They did it to the Sultan of Sokoto and they succeeded.

“You stood by us; you stood by the truth and despite all humiliation, depression and attack, you remained resolute. I will never forget when you invited us to your palace for one of our meetings. When we got there and were about to commence our meeting, we were told soldiers had surrounded the palace with guns. You told us then that there was no problem and we should continue our meeting. You said they did not know there were many ways into the palace. After our meeting, you opened another door for us and nothing happened to us.”

At the grand finale of the celebration on Saturday at the Dipo Dina Stadium in Ijebu-Ode, Oba Adetona described Globacom Chairman Mike Adenuga Jr. as the most generous Nigerian.

The Awujale, who was responding to a toast made by the Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Adekoya, said: “Adenuga is the most generous man in Nigeria today. This is my son in whom I am well pleased. We need more of your activities in Ogun State. God will continue to give you stamina, good health and grace. I thank you”.

The monarch, who has ruled Ijebuland for 54 years, decried the practice of tagging those pointing out the ills in the society as “committing treason”.

He urged governments at all levels to take constructive criticisms in good faith and warned political office holders against making inflammatory statements.

Oba Adetona thanked the people of Ijebuland, especially the Renaissance Group, for a job well done and pledged to continue to serve humanity to the best of his abilities.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who named the flyover in Ijebu-Ode after Oba Adetona, described the monarch as “a colossus, who typifies the finest and best in our traditional institution”.

He said: “As a lover of peace, Oba Adetona always ensures that peace reigns supreme whenever there are challenges. Past Ogun governors attest to the fact that Kabiyesi uses his rich wealth of experience to offer guidance. I cannot achieve anything without the support of the Awujale. Please continue to guide and correct us when we are not doing it right,” Governor Amosun pleaded.

President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, General Jones Arogbofa (rtd) said Oba Adetona had played numerous roles in entrenching peace in the country and urged him to continue in his detribalised fatherly role.

The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri, has urged governorship candidates in Ekiti State not to engage in killings to realise their ambition.

Omeri urged religious leaders to join the campaign for mutual tolerance and peaceful co-existence across party divides.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Agency in Oye-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of the state at the weekend, Omeri also noted the traditional rulers equally have a role to play in ensuring peace before and during the polls.

He said: “All of us are members of this same community and whatever harms one person harms another person. The conduct of a free, fair and credible election is the responsibility of all. Particularly, the religious leaders and traditional rulers must sensitise their subjects on evils that are associated with electoral violence.

“The youth and women groups also must be alive to their responsibilities. They should ensure that the young people are not recruited by politicians as thugs to destabilise the system”.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Halilu Pai, said the commission would be transparent and neutral.

Pai said: “We don’t have a favourite. Our commission is the umpire and we will ensure that we do what is right so that the outcome of the election will be acceptable to all stakeholders.

The Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers in the State, Oba Adamo Babalola, urged the people to participate fully and actively in the electoral process and elect a leader that would bring development to the state.

Oba Babalola, the Onitaji (Monarch) of Itaji Ekiti, appealed to all external forces not to meddle in party affairs in the state, noting “External forces should steer clear and allow Ekiti people to decide their leader.”

A gay club has been discovered in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has said.

The governor broke the news while delivering the Easter Sunday Message at the First Baptist Church, Warri.

Uduaghan urged residents to be vigilant, saying parents and guardians must keep an eye on their wards.

“These youths who engage in criminal activities are our children. Right here in Delta State, at Enerhen Junction we just discovered that we have children between 15 and 18 years, who rent rooms around Enerhen Junction and at night men come to look for them.

“These are boys and men come to sleep with them in their rooms. These boys called themselves ‘Yansh’.

“So they belong to a cult called Yansh. This is right in our society here. It was through the Edu Marshals Programme that we discovered homosexual homes right here.

“We used to know about female harlots but we now have male harlots.

“Unfortunately, they are young boys. They are our children. Yes, there is much the government can do, but there is much we can do as parents,” he said.

According to him, everyone has roles to play in stemming the rising insecurity.

The governor said the state was facing the challenge of herdsmen, whose activities have prevented some farmers from going to their farms.

Uduaghan, who has inaugurated a committee on the movement of cattle rearers, said the government would take measures to curtail the excesses of herdsmen.

“We are taking measures to deal with those issues. Those who will come and will not make us comfortable, we will not allow to stay.

“Those who will come and will give us problem we will not allow them to stay.

“So when you see me acting, please know that it is for the common good of our people. These are very trying times,”he said.

The Ondo State All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) candidate in the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency by-election, Chief Adewale Omojuwa, at the weekend, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the inconclusive April 5 by-election and conduct a fresh one.

Speaking with reporters in Akure, the state capital, Omojuwa said the by-election was marred by irregularities.

He alleged that the constituency was turned into a battle field by Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders.

Omojuwa said: “I am not desperate about the outcome of the election. If it was free, fair and devoid of irregularities, I would have accepted the outcome, knowing well that there can only be one winner in a contest. I would have openly congratulated the winner, if I did not emerge winner.

“But what occurred last Saturday was a direct “struggle for power” between the LP and PDP, ably represented by Federal Government officials from the state and outside.

“Nay, what was supposed to be a democratic exercise through which Ilaje/Ese-Odo people would elect their representative turned out to be a do-or-die contest between the LP and the PDP.

“Prior to the election day, Governor Olusegun Mimiko neglected his constitutional duties and relocated to Igbokoda/Okitipupa with members of the State Executive Council. They deployed the state’s arsenals to sway the election outcome to favour his under performing administration. Hurriedly, he began inaugurating ridiculous projects.

“Officials of the PDP-led Federal Government, led by Kingsley Kuku, Olusola Oke and Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, also abandoned their official functions in Abuja and relocated to Ilaje/Ese-Odo to monitor electoral activities.

“On the Election Day, various acts of electoral irregularities were perpetrated by LP and PDP members. First, there were reports and widespread circulation of fake voter cards. This led to the cancellation of the election in three wards at Ogogoro. Election was cancelled in the 12 units of Arogbo Ward Two due to the invasion of hoodlums.

“At Ajapa, also in Arogbo, thugs belonging to a particular party reportedly stormed a centre and carted away ballot boxes. An NYSC member, Ismail Lawal, who was an INEC ad-hoc staff, confessed that he and other members of his team were held hostage for several hours by thugs loyal to a particular party and made to thumb-print thousands of ballot papers.”

Omojuwa, a former Chairman of the State Oil Producing Development Areas (OSOPADEC), told his supporters that he would never dump the APC.

Also at the weekend, the people of Arogbo Ward Two urged INEC to fix a date for supplementary poll in the area.

In a statement after a meeting of traditional, religious, political and youth leaders from communities in Arogbo Ward Two, the people said their votes were important in the by-election.

The statement was signed by the Torunanawei of Ogidigba, Chief Morrison Tithiboh; the Amanaowei of Ebiaye/Gbaraungbini, Chief Josiah Pemi; the Ibe-atoru of Igangbo, Chief Fieleifa Buna; the Gbodo of Ewerebubogho, Chief Johnson Yeiyah; the Ago-Eri community; Boanerge M.J Ebeghe (JP); and Mr. Gabriel Ofoyeju.

The people said Arogbo Ward Two is an integral part of Ilaje/ Ese-Odo Federal Constituency.

Some youths suspected to be militants hijacked electoral materials in Arogbo Ward Two during the by-election.

They claimed that the government did not include them in the amnesty programme after they surrendered their arms.

Consequently, over 7,000 voters did not take part in the election.

Also at the weekend, an APC chieftain, Enas Mohammed, denied a report that he was planning to dump the party.

It was reported in a national daily (not The Nation) that Mohammed would be received by President Goodluck Jonathan into the PDP next week.

Mohammed, who was the former State Youth Leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), described the report as the handiwork of mischief makers, who wanted to cause disaffection in Ondo APC.

Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) founder Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) has urged the government to appoint individuals with passion to chair the councils of polytechnics, rather than politicians who only desire to make money.

Babalola said individuals who want to make money should look elsewhere to fulfill their ambition and not in schools, “which require a lot of commitment and funding”.

He lamented the dichotomy between polytechnic and university degrees, describing it as “unacceptable”.

Babalola spoke at ABUAD at the weekend while hosting the leadership of the Committee of Librarians of Monotechnics and Polytechnics of Nigeria (COMPLIN), who sought his intervention towards ending the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASUP).

COMPLIN’s President Tope Alogun said government and its agencies do not seem to care when polytechnics were on strike.

ASUP had been on a nationwide strike since May last year. It is demanding that the government sets up a regulatory body for polytechnic affairs as is the case with universities.

ASUP is seeking an abrogation of the dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates.

NASUP joined ASUP in the strike in November for the same reasons.

Babalola berated the councils of polytechnics and their members for the strike.

He said COMPLIN members must understand they were there to serve and lend their experience to the growth of their institutions.

The legal icon said as chairman of the Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Akure and Ado-Ekiti, and a Pro-Chancellor and chairman of Council at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), he declined allowances and salaries, and used his resources, goodwill and connections to develop the schools.

Babalola said if the country desires to grow, the government must accord education a pride of place in its yearly budget, train teachers, pay them handsomely and ensure their welfare.

He said: “This way, teachers will be committed and do what they are paid for”

The frontline lawyer advised the managements of polytechnics to send a memorandum to the national conference stating their positions.

He urged Nigeria to learn from the Mr. John Major-led government of England, which abolished polytechnics and upgraded them to universities, adding: “If our polytechnics are upgraded to universities of technology, their products, who would have imbibed functional and all-round education, would, upon graduation, be employers of labour, instead of pounding the streets looking for white-collar jobs which are scarce to come by today.”

A pan-Yoruba organisation, the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups (COSEG), has urged the Presidency to call Minister of Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan and Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro to order.

It said the conduct of the ministers was capable of threatening the peace in the Southwest.

COSEG said Adesiyan, who is from Osun, and Obanikoro, who is from Lagos, were using their offices to cause repression and endanger the peace in the zone.

In a statement yesterday, titled: Threat to Peace of Southwest by Police Affairs and Defence ministers, signed by COESG Chairman Dayo Ogunlana and Secretary Rasak Olookooba, the group said the use of policemen by Adesiyan to attack an Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, former Governor Isiaka Adeleke, and Obanikoro’s use of soldiers to halt a housing project of the Lagos State government were strong indications that Adesiyan and Obanikoro were on a sinister mission in the Southwest.

COSEG said: “Our attention has been drawn to an ugly unfolding drama in Osun State. As a concerned group and stakeholder in the Southwest’s politics, welfare and socio-economic growth, we deem it feet to promptly respond to any untoward behaviour by those whose action or inaction constitutes threat to this region.

“We gathered that at a venue slated for the meeting of Osun PDP aspirants, a section of its leaders, led-by Adesiyan, unleashed violence on Adeleke and his supporters.

“Adeleke narrated how he and his men were molested and assaulted by security agents; Adesiyan; another aspirant, Senator Iyiola Omisore and Mr. Sogo Agboola at an Osogbo hotel, venue of the meeting.

“Adeleke said he went to the venue to meet the five-man committee sent from Abuja to conduct the party’s primary, which held last Saturday. He first noticed the harassment of his supporters by security agents and he went into the hall to lay a formal complaint, having been told by the security agents that they were acting on Adesiyan’s instruction.

“Inside the hall, he said he saw Omisore, Adesiyan and Agboola sitting together and he approached them to complain. Adeleke said: ‘I went to Adesiyan to complain that police officers and DSS operatives were holding party men outside. Instead of listening to me, he jumped over a table before him and hit me on the chest. Agboola also attacked me. Before I knew what was happening, Omisore hit me from the back. About seven corked guns were pointed at me.’

“First, as a minister, one expects a man of Adesiyan’s calibre to observe and act with decorum. Second, as an indigene of the state, we think what should be uppermost in Adesiyan’s mind should be the peace and security of the state.

“Third, we are completely miffed that an ordinary familiarisation meeting among aspirants in his party could snowball into violence, the news of which has sent panic down the minds of the citizens over the possible violence about to be unleashed on the state in the PDP’s bid to capture Osun.”

The group said the appointment of Adesiyan, one of those suspected, arrested and prosecuted for the murder of former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Chief Ajibola Ige, is an insult to the Yoruba.

It said with Adesiyan presiding over the Police Affairs Ministry, the powers that be in Abuja have told Nigerians that Ige’s killer cannot be found.

On Obanikoro, the group said: “In the same vein, we view with concern the alleged show of power by Obanikoro, with his occupation of a Lagos State project site at Ilubinrin in Lagos by men of the Nigerian Army.

“The drama that is unfolding in the Southwest with the shameful conduct of Adesiyan and Obanikoro is a vindication of COSEG’s earlier position and alarm that the appointment of the two was targeted at some sinister moves by the PDP to repress the people of the Southwest.”

COSEG urged opinion leaders in the Southwest and the Presidency to call Obanikoro and Adesiyan to order.

If a firm, Bedding Holdings Limited (BHL), has its way, a Federal High Court in Abuja will stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from preparing for future elections.

Justice Ibrahim Auta, who turned down an ex-parte application by the plaintiff, ordered service on defendants in the suit, to enable them respond to issues raised.

The suit has INEC, its Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants.

The plaintiff contends among others, that the defendants cannot, without complying with the court’s earlier judgment of January 28, 2014 utilise its patented process of applying the Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines for voters’ registration for INEC’s continues voters’ registration exercise preparatory to the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states and the 2015 general elections.

The court had, in the judgment of January 28 held among others, the BHL possesses a valid and subsisting patent right over the process of using DDC machines for voters’ registration; awarded N17.3billion in damages against INEC, Jega and others for right infringement and ordered that subsequent application of the process must be with the firm’s consent.

BHL further contends that INEC and others have not only declined to comply with the judgment, they have commenced the deployment of its patented process for voter’s registration as part of preparation for the governorship elections in Ekiti, Osun and next year’s general elections.

It wants the court to determine among others, whether, by the combined interpretation of the provisions of sections 2, 3(3), 19,25 and 26 of the Patent and Design Act 2004 and the subsisting judgment of January 28, 2014 the defendants could employ its patented process for its continuous voters’ registration exercise without the plaintiff’s prior consent.

The plaintiff seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from further infringing on its patent rights by embarking on the voter’s registration or production of voters’ register in preparation for future elections without first obtaining it’s consent.

It also seeks an order nullifying the voters’ register produced by the defendants, using its patented process, without its consent.

BHL wants the court to declare that the continuous voters’ registration exercise being carried out by INEC in preparation for future elections, without its (plaintiff’s) prior consent amounts to an infringement on its patent rights.

It also wants the court to declare that by virtue of the provisions of sections 2, 3(3), 19,25 and 26 of the Patent and Design Act and the January 28 judgment, the defendants cannot use the plaintiff’s patented process for its voters’ registration exercise.

In a supporting affidavit, BHL’s Chief Executive Officer, Sylvester Odigie stated that this was not the first time INEC and its Chairman would violate the court’s judgment. He cited the continuous unatorised usage of his company’s patented collapsible and transparent ballot boxes by INEC and Jega despite a subsisting judgment given on May 28,2013 by Justice Adamu Bello, upholding BHL’s patent rights over the ballot boxes.

Odigie urged the court to grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff because if left unrestrained, the alleged continuous disobedience of court judgments by the defendants was capable of lowering the dignity of the court and endangering the nation’s electoral process.

Hearing in the suit has been fixed for April 30.