Author: oduduwanews

The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA), has on Monday, taken its sensitization campaign to the National Youths Service Scheme (NYSC)’ Permanent Orientation Camp along Okeho road, Iseyin, calling on the corps members avoid acts that will bring the names of their parents into disrepute when they start working in the public or private sector after their service.

The Chairman of OYACA, Hon. Justice Eni Esan (rtd.) who was represented at the event by the agency’s Executive Secretary, Barrister I. O Tijani told the youth corps members that parts of the reasons for the sensitization was for them to imbibe the anti-corruption spirit from the camp so as to guide against corruption and corrupt practices predominant in the working society they will soon join.

While defining corruption, Tijani said the act is an abuse of a position of trust for personal gain, listing its forms to include demanding and accepting gratification in the performance of one’s duty, taking actions that reflect conflict of interests and using political power inappropriately for sexual gratification, nepotism, appropriation of public funds for private use, among others.

“We decided to extend our enlightenment campaign to the NYSC Corps members because you will soon be posted to the nooks and crannies of Oyo State for your primary assignments and to serve in different MDAs and other government establishments.

“In addition, as the future leaders of this nation, we want you to imbibe the anti-corruption spirit from the outset so as to guide against corruption and prevent all forms of corrupt practices that are prevalent in the society.”

He went further to enunciate the impacts of corruption on the individuals, the implicated coworkers and their organization that will also share from the blame.

In his response, the Oyo State NYSC Coordinator, Comrade Odoba Abel Oche appreciated the Oyo State government and the leadership of OYACA for what he called a very impactful orientation programme against corruption, which he said has caused so much negative consequences for the nation.

Odoba said the sensitization has achieved the success of pre-emptying any corruptive acts and as certainly nipped in the bud, any thought to carry out such dastardly act in the future by the corps members.

Borno South Senator and Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has said President Bola Tinubu took the right decision by removing fuel subsidy.

Ndume said the Nigerian Government has saved a lot of money since Tinubu announced subsidy removal.

He spoke while featuring on Channels TV programme, Politics Today on Friday.

According to Ndume: “All Nigerians also agree that some of the hard decisions needed to be taken. You can imagine what we have saved from the period he announced that subsidy would be no more.”

Tinubu had announced the removal of fuel subsidy during his inauguration in Abuja on May 29.

The Federal Government had saved about N1.45tn from earnings generated from the removal of subsidy between June and September.

This is according to FAAC allocation documents on the website of Nigeria’s Governors Forum and National Bureau of Statistics. We

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Thursday, said discussions were in top gear on the exploration of oil in Tongeji Island and Olokola in Ipokia and Ogun Waterside local government areas of the state respectively.

The governor noted that the state would soon be given the frontier status and would join the league of oil-producing states in the country.

Prince Abiodun stated this during the presentation of the year 2024 Appropriation Bill christened, ‘Budget of Sustained Growth and Development’ at the Ogun State House of Assembly.

The governor said, “Discussions are ongoing regarding the exploration of oil in Tongeji Island, Ipokia Local Government Area, and Olokola, in Ogun Water-Side Local Government Area, respectively. We are confident that very soon, we will be given frontier status and will soon join the league of oil-producing states.”

Abiodun also disclosed that his administration, in preparation for its new status as an oil producing state had established the Ministry of Mineral Resources saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the general administration and operation of the natural resources that abound in the state.

He also disclosed that his administration had established the Ministry of Energy to take advantage of the constitutional amendment that allows sub-national governments to participate in the energy sector.

The governor, who also disclosed that an education summit would be held in the first quarter of 2024, said that numerous challenges facing the sector would be considered with a view to repositioning education in the state.

The Senate, on Thursday, slammed the Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, for shunning an invitation to appear before its Committee on Solid Minerals. The Red Chamber said the relative inexperience exhibited by Alake has created a cloudy future for the yet-to-be-explored wealth of the ministry.

The Senate, which summoned Alake, to appear before its Committee on Solid Minerals Wednesday, chided him for disregarding its invitation and threatened zero allocation in the 2024 budget.

Alake is expected to brief the senate committee on the federal government’s work plan to develop the sector and block illegal mining.

The committee made the resolution, during its meeting and expressed dissatisfaction about the failure of the minister to appear before it

The panel said Alake usually gave excuses that he travelled with Tinubu, and expressed concerns that the minister had abandoned his primary duties of bringing the mining sector to international repute.

The committee, which threatened to give zero allocation to the ministry in the2024 fiscal year, if the Minister failed to amend his ways, advised him to start responding to the invitations of the committee.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Sampson Ekong, who issued the summon at the meeting, maintained that his panel would ensure the right legal frameworks that would bring a positive turn around of the sector.

Ekong pointed out that accountability and transparency would be the watch word of the Committee.

He noted that the Bitumen bill sent to the Committee would be expeditiously processed and presented to the Senate for passage and onward transition to the President for assent.

He said: “The Nigerian solid minerals and extractive industry is very vast and grossly under-taped. God in his unquestionable benevolence has blessed Nigeria with huge mineral deposits.

“However, a a number of factors have continued to hamper the sector. The sector has the potential to contribute significantly to our economy.”

Ekong also pointed out that the 2021 contributions of the solid minerals sector to Nigeria’s GDP stood at 0.63 per cent.

The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Director of Finance and Administration at the Governor’s Office, Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi, on Thursday.

Sharing pictures from the visit on his Facebook page, the governor noted that his administration will not rest until those responsible for his tragic death are apprehended.

He wrote, “While paying a condolence visit to the residence of the late Director of Finance and Administration at the Governor’s Office, Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi, I took the opportunity to convey my deepest sympathies to his family and the people of our state.

“It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the untimely passing of Mr. Oyekanmi, a diligent, hardworking, and humble individual who dedicated his life to serving not only his job but also his faith in God.

“The sudden loss of Mr. Oyekanmi has left the entire state workforce in mourning. I want to assure you that my administration will not rest until those responsible for his tragic death are apprehended and justice is served.

“I firmly believe that it is our duty to take complete responsibility for the welfare and well-being of the family he left behind.

“Rest assured, we will spare no effort in our quest to bring these criminals to justice. Every possible avenue will be explored, and no stone will be left unturned until the perpetrators of this heinous crime are apprehended and dealt with accordingly.

“Together, we shall overcome this tragedy and strive to ensure a safer and more secure future for our state. May God Almighty rest his precious soul. Amen.”

ODUDUWA NEWS reports that Oyekanmi was gunned down on Wednesday while returning from the bank where he had taken a bullion van to withdraw some funds for the state.

The founder of Christ High Commission Church, Araromi-Ugbesi, in Omuo-Oke, Ekiti State, Pastor Noah Abraham, has been accused of snatching and impregnating the wife of his choirmaster.

The church choir coordinator, Dare Ikuenayo made the allegation while speaking with Vanguard, adding that Abraham announced in the church that he had taken his wife and there was nothing anybody could do.

Ikuenayo said the cleric deceitfully snatched the mother of his three children when he told him that she had the gift of prophecy and she should allow her to stay with him.

“I joined the church in Kabba, Kogi State, but one day, the pastor called me and notified me that my wife had a gift of prophecy that I should allow her to stay with him for a month and work for God which I obliged,” Ikuenayo said.

“Suddenly, I noticed that my wife was not even willing to see or talk to me. While I was trying to raise my eyebrows, the pastor announced in the church that he had taken my wife and no one could take her from him. I tried my best to no avail until he impregnated her and moved her into his house fully.”

Abraham was arrested by the operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command in collaboration with the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NPTIP) for allegedly abducting more than nine persons including children. (Vanguard)

The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, revealed that the murder of the Director of Finance, Mr. Taiwo Oyekanmi, was likely orchestrated by insiders within the government.

According to Punch, Oyekanmi was fatally shot while returning from a bank where he had withdrawn funds for the state using a bullion van.

Alamutu stated in a telephone interview that the robbery seemed premeditated, with the armed robbers having inside information, such as the need for a sledgehammer to break into the bullion van.

According to him, “the gunmen must have been well-informed by an insider that the deceased was heading for the bank to make withdrawals.

“From the information we have, it is obvious that it was premeditated. It was an in-house (thing). We have this feeling because, how did they know that they would need a hammer to break the receptacle?

“And they must have been lurking around the bank area, waiting for the man or he must have been trailed to that area and they must have had information that he was going to take a large amount of money from the bank. So, we are working on it.

“They (the armed robbers) came in a Toyota Corolla with a registration number yet unknown. They are about five, putting on hoods to conceal their identity. By God’s grace, we will do everything possible to ensure we get at them,” Alamutu disclosed.

Oyekanmi visited Fidelity Bank and Sterling Bank to withdraw N97.335 million and N15 million, respectively. The bullion van carrying N112.335 million was ambushed on the Kuto flyover by armed robbers in a Toyota Corolla.

Oyekanmi was identified and shot dead with an AK-47 rifle, while the driver and another occupant were unharmed. Notably, the bullion van lacked police escort during the incident, as the assigned mobile police officer had traveled without permission.

Inspector Rasheed Adegbite, the absent police escort, has been arrested for investigation.