The police have filed a criminal charge against a former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, for describing Kayode Egbetokun as an “illegal” Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
It was learnt that Sowore may be arraigned today before Justice Abdullah Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja
The police detained the activist and Sahara Reporters publisher after he refused stringent bail conditions granted him while honouring their invitation in Abuja.
Count One of the charges reads: “That you, Omoyele Sowore, on December 13, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did intentionally and knowingly send messages through your verified X handle account, ‘Omoyele Sowore’, and caused a publication against the Inspector General of Police, where you called him ‘illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun.” The police said he knew the statement to be false and intended “to cause a breakdown of law and order”.
The Osun State government under the leadership of Governor Ademola Adeleke has released the list of successful candidates for the much-anticipated Imole Youth Corps scheme.
Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Hon. Moshood Olagunju revealed made this known in Osogbo on Monday.
According to Olagunju, 10,000 youths have been selected from the pool of applicants and they have received congratulatory text messages.
According to Olagunju, the congratulatory messages officially mark the beneficiaries’ enrollment in the empowerment program. He encouraged those who were not shortlisted to remain patient, assuring them that another round of empowerment opportunities would soon be available, where they could also benefit.
“10,000 applicants have been successful picked and the text messages have been sent to them. Inauguration will come up on February 6th at the Freedom Park.”
While speaking on preparation towards successful inauguration, Olagunju said “the kits and other paraphernalia are ready and we have appointed a local government coordinators who will be distributing them to candidates before inauguration day.”
He also revealed that the state government has reviewed the stipend upwards and that each candidate will be earning N30,000 stipend monthly.
The Commissioner urged successful candidates to be diligent and committed to duties, emphasizing that periodic inspections would be conducted to ensure compliance and productivity.
He further advised the youth to uphold exemplary behavior and actively engage in meaningful activities, reminding them of the age-old adage that “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”
Legal luminary, Afe Babalola has said he is ready to withdraw his criminal defamation suit against Lagos lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
This follows a visit to him by a delegation led by Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Sunday night.
Ooni visited the elder statesman at his residence at Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) to plead with him to withdraw the suit against Dele Farotimi.
The Ooni, who arrived at ABUAD at about 10.30 pm, was accompanied by other top Yoruba traditional rulers, including the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti and Olojudo of Ido- Ekiti among others.
Chief Afe Babalola had sued Farotimi in an Ado Ekiti Magistrates’ Court following Farotimi’s publication of a book which allegedly defamed him.
The Ooni had said Yoruba leaders and the traditional institution had been following the development keenly.
The traditional ruler said that he and others resolved to intervene so that Babalola, ” can pardon his son, Farotimi.”
He commended the legal icon for building his integrity over the years and urged him not to relent following the development.
In his response, Babalola said he had received several letters as well as calls on the issue from eminent Nigerians asking him to withdraw the suit.
In this personality interview with Oduduwa News, the Executive Secretary/CEO of Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji explained how he rose through the ranks, gave update on the ongoing recruitment process and how he has been able to work round the clock to ensure the repositioning of primary health care system in line with the vision of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
Can we meet you?
I am Dr. Muideen Babatunde Olatunji, I am a native of Ibadan. I had my elementary and secondary education here in Ibadan before I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife to obtain my medical degree. I have served as the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association NMA Oyo State Branch before I later ascended the position of Chairman. I have served as President of Ibadan Metropolitan Lions Club; I am the Mogaji of my family, Ajayida, Idi-Arere. I am the immediate Past Secretary of Ibadan Progressive Union; I am a member of Ibadan Golf Club, a member of Ibadan Recreational Club. I joined Oyo State Civil Service in 2000 and currently I am the Executive Secretary of Oyo State Primary Health Care Board. By and large, that is the brief I can recall for now.
As the Executive Secretary of Primary Health Care Board, can you let us know some areas of achievements and the status of PHCs in Oyo State?
When I got appointed, the Board was just evolving and one thing we emphasized was to strengthen the principle and the concept of PhCs under one roof and we ensured we worked towards that. To the glory of God, we were able to thick all the boxes for the different nine pillars required for a full functional primary health care system.
When we came on board, all health care personnel were under the supervision of Local Government Civil Service Commission and by the dictate of the law they supposed to be under the supervision of Primary Health Care Board. We were able to achieve the restructuring with the support of the former Head of Service, Alhaja Amidat Agboola and the Permanent Secretary of Local Government Service Commission, Akin Funmilayo and as I am speaking to you our workforce is now under the full control of Primary Health Care Board.
Also, we have been able to upgrade and renovate primary health care facilities and we are currently upgrading at least one health centre in each of the 351 political wards with medical facilities. As at today, we have been able to complete the renovation and upgrading of 210 health care facilities and 90 are currently at different stages of conclusion. It should be noted also that since the inception of this current administration, and in line with the vision of Gov Makinde, we have been able to ensure adequate funding for the health care system in Oyo State and we have facilitated FG-World Bank sponsored grants to PhCs among which is the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) and we were able to create our counterpart fund for the execution of the project.
In addition, we have been able to digitalize health care system in Oyo State and the laudable one we have achieved in recent time is the IMPACT project which is currently ongoing. Through the project, we have been able to equip 264 primary health care facilities with reasonable medical equipment and we have been able to equip PHCs with ICT materials by procuring for them 264 laptops to assist them in data management. Above all, we are prioritizing stable and adequate running cost for the smooth operation of PHCs in all Local Government Areas.
Since inception of this administration, we have introduced mental health care in PHC service delivery and we are also bringing on board dental and eye care system at PHC level. By and large, we have been able to push for routine immunization and in testament to our performance was the vaccination we provided during COVID-19 and this made Oyo State to be ranked among the best performing States in Nigeria. We are also working assiduously to promote our work through media engagement and we are working with all stakeholders to ensure efficient service delivery to the people at the grassroots.
Some people in rural areas still find it difficult to have access to PHCs, what are the measures put in place to address this?
We have been able to promote the principle of world health system and we ensure that one functional health facility operates in each of the political wards. As at today, we have 351 wards in Oyo State and I can confidently say that we have 351 health care facilities functioning in all the 351 wards. Although, we have more than that as we have about 750 health care facilities in the State but what we did when we came on board was to ensure that we were able to spread them such that every ward will have at least one functioning health care system.
We are also working in collaboration with health insurance provider and most importantly the vulnerable ones are being enrolled into social health insurance scheme to be able to receive medical care at the PhCs. We have procured alot of drugs and we are supplying them to PHCs for people to get free of charge. PHC is about grassroots and what we are trying to do is that one health care facility must be able to take care of medical concern of people within 5km radius to where the facility is domiciled and this is a trekable distance for anybody to go and get medical attention.
In 2019, Nigerian Governors’ Forum outlined 5 point agenda in line with Seattle declaration, one of which is the recruitment of requisite workforce. If you get to some PHCs, they are understaffed and we believe there is ongoing recruitment process, is it to address that?
When we came on board, we put together minimum service package document and in that document we were able to do gap analysis of various areas of intervention, among which is the area of human resources and we were able to observe wide gap in human resources. As at today, based on that document, we have been able to present to the executive governor the need for the engagement of more hands at the PHCs and today we are engaging about 30% of our needs to add to the pool of workforce in the system. So we are recruiting almost 4000 personnel to work at the PHCs and those personnel will be distributed to all 33 LGAs in Oyo State. The Govt is working assiduously to ensure adequate staffing at the PHCs and in the next few weeks the process will be completed and successful candidates will be deployed to their various places of assignment.
As expert, what do you think will end the ‘japa syndrome’ in health sector as there is dearth of health workers especially at PHCs?
Everybody is ‘japaing’ because we are now in free market economy where movement of labour is not restricted and is quite disheartening that Nigeria has invested so much on the training of health care personnel but the country has not been able to reap the reward of its investment while foreign countries continue to reap the fruits. Although, the “japa syndrome” is not only in health care system alone as it is now rampant among the youths irrespective of their line of careers. What we should have been asking is that, why is the trend going upward? What exactly is causing the brain drain? How can we address it and make sure that those things attracting health care personnel to other countries are put in place here to be able to slower the trend.
The PHC staff are closer to the people at the grassroots and as such they are susceptible to kidnapping and banditry attacks. What are the measures put in place to ensure adequate safety of health care workers?
We are prioritizing security and welfare of health care personnel at the PHCs. Truly, we have heard cases of kidnapping and killing of healthcare workers but what we do is to collaborate with security agencies and the stakeholders within the community to ensure the safety of our personnel. We are adopting community-based approach through constant engagement with locals and security agencies to provide adequate security to our facilities especially in the volatile zone.
The ongoing recruitment in PHCs, what can you say about the process so far?
You know when you are dealing with recruitment of about 4000 people you have to be meticulous to achieve the best. In the recruitment of this magnitude, you have to ensure that you scrutinize the process very well to ensure that the best are selected as you know that health workers deal with lives and you can’t take chances. What I can say is that the process is still yet to be concluded and we are currently at the collation stage. In few weeks, the successful candidates will be deployed to their various places of assignment.
In recent time the PHCs requested those who scored below cutoff marks in Nursing cadre to come for make-up test, what motivated that?
Yes, only in one cadre, it was carried out to meet up with the total number of applicants we required in the Nursing cadre and we decided to give second chance to those who scored below 50 to write the second test and any candidate that scored below the 50% benchmark in the makeup test would be automatically disqualified because everything we have been doing is based on merit in line with the vision of our Boss, Engineer Seyi Makinde.
Candidates are curious to know their status having seen successful applicants from other cadres of civil service getting their appointment letters in recent time, when exactly should the shortlisted candidates be expecting response?
It is normal for humans to be a little bit impatient but what we are doing is that we want to achieve the best in the recruitment process. We are prioritizing meritocracy, we gave all the candidates equal chance to write exam and thereafter we invited those who scored 50 and above being the threshold for the interview. So, in the interview, we subjected them to further scrutiny and if any candidate didn’t scale through the interview process such person would be disqualified. We did this so that we could separate shaft from the grains.
Generally, what do you have to say on the state of PHCs in Nigeria?
PHCs are getting better in Nigeria and Oyo State is one of the leading states. We shall continue to set the pace for others and we will not rest on our oars until we fully achieve our target.
The Oyo State House of Assembly has extended its heartfelt condolences to the Oyo State Governor, His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde on the sudden demise of his elder brother, Engineer Sunday Makinde.
The death of Engineer Sunday Makinde happened on Friday January 24th ,2025 at the age of 65
In a statement issued in Ibadan by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Media, ICT and Public Affairs, Hon. Waheed Akintayo, the death of Engineer Sunday Makinde has been described as a great loss not only to the Makinde’s family but to the Pacesetter State and entire Nation.
“As you grieve your Excellency , know that the people of Oyo State and especially the entire Members of the State House of Assembly stand with you in solidarity and support.We hope that the love and support of our citizens bring you strength during this challenging period”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the entire Makinde’s family, and we pray that the good Lord will comfort you all.”
“Accept our sincere sympathies for your loss.May the fond memories of your brother’s life and legacy bring comfort and peace” , the statement read.
A Magistrate Court in Ilesa, Osun State, has ordered Rhoda Adu to pay ₦150,000 to her boyfriend, Olapitan Sola. She collected ₦3,000 as transport fare but failed to visit him as promised.
The incident began when Olapitan Sola.transferred the transport fare to Rhoda, who subsequently switched off her phone and failed to show up. Feeling defrauded and emotionally distressed, Sola reported the matter to the Ayeso Police Station. Rhoda was later arrested and brought to court.
During the trial, Sola presented evidence, including the mobile money transfer and WhatsApp messages exchanged between him and Rhoda.
In her ruling, Magistrate Akogun Oludare ordered Rhoda to refund the ₦3,000, pay an additional ₦100,000 for breach of agreement, and another ₦50,000 as special damages for emotional distress. The court emphasized that the ruling was intended to deter others from similar behaviour.
The impeached speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has criticised the procedure that led to his removal from office.
Speaking during a welcome rally at his residence in GRA, Ikeja on Saturday, January 25, the former speaker described the corruption allegations against him as “fictitious and unsubstantiated”.
He maintained that he was not afraid of being impeached but emphasised that due process was not followed.
The former speaker alleged that his removal was orchestrated while he was away, and accused the state commissioner of police of aiding the process.
According to him, “There’s no impeachment in national assembly. You can’t impeach the speaker. I believe in removal and I am not afraid of being removed, after all, it is not my father’s chieftaincy title.
I am representing my people and they have returned me six times. If you want to do anything, do it well.
They did the removal all because I was out of the country. Lagos is a special place, we cannot denigrate the state.
When former speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi was removed, he was in the assembly and we did not invite policemen. When my sister, former deputy speaker of the House, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho was removed, we did not invite the police.
They should not discredit an innocent person, they should prove their allegations against me. The Lagos State House of Assembly is above the common standard of excellence.
I believe in the image of our institution, we must not destroy it and I will never partake in its destruction.
I appreciate the members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of the state, he is my brother and he always calls me his younger brother.”
Obasa was impeached on January 13 by more than two-thirds of the 40-member legislative house over alleged misconduct and sundry offences.
His Deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected the new speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the South-West state.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of a popular hotel owner, Dr Ramon Adedoyin, who was found guilty in the murder case of an ex-Master’s student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.
According to the court’s judgment on Thursday, the appellate court noted that the judgment by the Osun State High Court which sentenced Adedoyin to death still stands.
The appeal court had reserved the judgment on October 29, 2024.
It further noted that the “Order of forfeiture of Hilton Hotel quashed and set aside. Order of education scholarship to children of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and set aside.” Recall that Adegoke was found dead in November 2021 at Adedoyin’s Hilton Honours Hotel, Ile-Ife, where the deceased had lodge.
The Nigerian Police have confirmed the rescue of abducted retired Assistant Inspector of General of Police, Mrs. Odumosu.
This was contained in a statement made available by Nigerian Police via its official Facebook account as read in part:
“In a commendable display of teamwork and swift action, police operatives attached to the Ogun State Command have successfully neutralized the kidnappers of Mrs. Odumosu, wife of Retired Assistant-Inspector General, AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and rescued her unharmed.
“On January 16, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, four masked gunmen forcibly abducted Mrs. Odumosu from her Lexus Jeep outside her residence in Arepo, Ogun State. The abduction sparked an immediate response from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Ogun State Police Command, who commenced a thorough investigation and targeted pursuit of the kidnappers.
“With the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged in extensive surveillance of the creeks surrounding Arepo, gathering crucial information to track down the assailants. Their efforts culminated in a raid on January 23, 2025, at around 06:45 AM. The intelligence-led operation took the police to a creek in the swampy area of Ikorodu where the kidnappers were reportedly planning their next attack.
“Upon arrival, the operatives encountered the kidnappers, who opened fire. In the ensuing confrontation, two of the gunmen were neutralized, while four others fled the scene, abandoning their operational weapons. The victim, Mrs Odumosu was rescued within the swampy creeks during the operation, unharmed. She is currently undergoing medical evaluation as a precautionary measure and has since been reunited with her family. The police also recovered 4 Ak-47 rifles, 3 locally made single barrel rifles, ammunition of various calibers, and the sum of N10,000,000 ransom previously demanded by the kidnappers, further ensuring that justice is served. The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his operatives for their displayed gallantry in this successful operation.
“This operation exemplifies the dedication and resilience of our Police officers. The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, providing safety and security to all citizens”.
The former French Minister of Transport, Mr. Djebbari Jean-Baptiste, has hinted at the desire of investors from his country to invest in the transport sector of Ogun State, especially the agro-cargo airport.
Other areas of interest for the investors, according to Mr. Jean-Baptiste, are the Dry Port, the Olokola Sea Port, and the railway system.
Fielding questions from newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Mr. Jean-Baptiste said he was impressed with the level of infrastructural facilities at the airport, hence the need to draw the attention of French investors to the state.
He said: “This is one of the several meetings I have had with the governor over the years. We discussed aviation-related items owing to the fact that the state is developing the Gateway International Airport, the Dry Port, and all the major infrastructural projects related to transport.
“We have many French operators who are involved in transportation, logistics, and aviation. There are many interested in investing in Nigeria and Ogun State because Ogun State is seen as a very dynamic and reliable partner.”
He said he had met the governor on many occasions, including last December at the occasion of the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to President Macron in France, and proposed to come and see how he could contribute to the amazing development in Ogun State in the area of transport and aviation.
According to the former transport minister, during the two-day visit, his team would tour the Gateway International Airport, assess the opportunities regarding the Dry Port, the Sea Port, and the railway system with a view to sharing experiences, adding that “because I can see your products are developing very quickly and booming, the demography and market demand are very high.”
He described Governor Abiodun as a man with a clear vision who took pains to assemble good hands to assist him in realizing his dreams for the state, noting that “it has been six years since the governor has been heading the state, and I can see that the changes are really massive and positive.”
Governor Abiodun had earlier informed his guests that his administration had developed a multimodal transport master plan meant to assist the state in designing its modes of transport to drive the state economy.
“We took advantage of the rail infrastructure that the federal government has invested in; that is what informed our Gateway International Airport, and that is also what has informed the construction of our Dry Port and our upcoming seaport.
“We believe that cargo destined for Ogun State or other states around can be put on the train and transported to Kajola and cleared there. It will make for a more efficient Tin Can and Apapa Ports and, of course, ease the troubles that manufacturers here have experienced in the past.
“Our airport, in terms of physical construction, has been completed; the runway is 100% completed, and the control tower is 100% completed with all the equipment installed. The terminal building is maybe 90% completed; it is completed physically, and they are doing the fit-out in terms of fittings. We have a temporary terminal building,” he said.
The governor said commercial operations would have started in the last quarter but for the non-installation of navigational equipment like the runway lights, emphasizing that the aim of his administration is to make it the best-equipped airport in Nigeria.
“The airport, as I told you, is an ecosystem. It is situated in what we call our aerotropolis, so we have a Special Agro-Processing Zone there, and we also have the Nigeria Customs and Excise Village because we envision the airport to have a system where Customs and Excise can process things very fast,” he added.
