Author: oduduwanews

Oyo House of Assembly has reinstated the Vice Chairman of Ona-Ara Local Government, Kunle Balogun who was suspended for alleged gross misconduct.

This decision was made today at the plenary.

The motion for the reinstatement was moved by the Chairman House Committee on Local Government, Hon. Akintunde Olajide while he was reading the committee report.

The report of the committee is reproduced below:

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, CHIEFTAINCY MATTERS AND STATE HONOURS THAT INVESTIGATED PETITION AGAINST THE VICE-CHAIRMAN ONA-ARA LOCAL GOVERNMENT MR.
KUNLE BALOGUN OVER GROSS MISCONDUCT AND ANTI-PARTY
ACTIVITIES AND HIS SUSPENSION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1.0
PREAMBLE:
1.1
Pursuant to the Directives of the House on Thursday, 22nd December, 2022, that the Committee on Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and State Honours investigate petition against the Vice-Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government and Political Head, Inukan Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Mr. kunle Balogun over gross misconduct and anti-party activities in the Local Government which was detrimental to the progress and goodwill of the administration of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde.

1.2 Prior to the House Directives the Committee had earlier received a correspondence to conduct investigation via the Office of the Clerk of the House on suspension of Vice-Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government- Mr, Kunle Balogun by the Legislative Council, Ona-Ara Local Government. The correspondence was authored by members of the Legislative Council, Ona-Ara Local Government and intimated the House on the resolution of the Legislative Council to suspend Mr. Kunle Balogun as Political Head, Inukan LCDA with effect from 15′ November, 2022 and replace him with the Deputy Leader of the House, Councillor Adedokun Mumini Ololade. The correspondence was duly endorsed by Legislative Council Members from the wards of Ona Ara Local Government namely wards: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10 and 11.

The Committee consequently swung into action and carried out investigations on the two (2) subject matters.

The Committee met with all concerned and relevant stakeholders on Friday, 6
January, 2023 with a view to investigating the matter. The Committee also affirmed the signatories to the petition and the correspondence authored by the Legislative Couneit Ona-Ara Local Government. Each person interrogated was put on oath in accordance with legislative practice and procedures. The members of the Committee raised critical and fundamental questions on each of the issues raised in the petition as allegations against Mr. Kunle Balogun in order to take informed decisions and make appropriate recommendations to the House.
3.0
FINDINGS:
3.1
The following are the findings of the Committee:
3.1.1 Investigation revealed that the actions and administration of Mr. Kunle Balogun, the Political Head of Inukan LCDA were very inimical and detrimental to the policy objectives and people oriented programmes of Governor Seyi Makinde in the State and Local Government levels.

3.1.2 Mr. Kunle Balogun did not regularly attend Security and Finance and General Purpose Committee (F&GPC) meetings when invited by the Officials of the Local Government. Investigations further revealed that on few occasions when he attended due to his ineptitudeness, he disrupted the meetings of important Government decisions.

His action was tantamount to loss of value for Governance and abuse of Office,
3.1.3 It was also found out that, Mr. Kunle Balogun had no human relations with the grassroot people in the Local Government. Whenever his attention was drawn to embark on meaningful and developmental projects within the Council Area, Mr. Kunle Balogun turned deaf ears to the elder’s advice. His action was definitely detrimental to the philosophy of good governance of Governor Seyi Makinde.

3.1.4 The respondent (Mr. Kunle Balogun) accepted in totality all allegations levelled against him by the petitioners while pleading for mercy and compassion from the Committee. He promised Officials of the Local Government, the Committee Members and others that he was going to make necessary adjustments on areas of negligence.

3.1.5 After an exhaustive interrogation and questioning, the Committee observed that the allegations levelled against Mr. Kunle Balogun over gross misconduct was basically on anti-party activities and not found culpable of any financial recklessness or mismanagement of Public Funds in his Official duties.

3.1.6 On issue of suspension of Mr. Kunle Balogun as Vice- Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government by Members of the Legislative Council of the
Local Government through resolution while replacing him with the Deputy Leader of the House, Councillor Adedokun Mumini Ololade. The Committee’s invesigations revealed that the suspension was carried out illegally and without due process or legislative procedures as required by Sections 20, 21 and 22 of the Local Government Law, 2001 (as amended) which provide the procedures for the suspension or removal of Chairman or Vice-Chairman. The action of O
na-Ara Local Government Legislative Council over the suspension of Mr. Kunle Balogun as Vice-Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government contravenes the provisions of the sections cited above. The Committee considered it null and void.

4.0
RECOMMENDATIONS:
4.1
In view of the petition against Mr. Kunle Balogun and his suspension investigated by the Committee and findings emanated from the investigations. The Committee pursuant to section 21 of the Local Government Law, 2001 (as amended) hereby recommends for the approval of the House as follows, that:

Mr. Kunle Balogun, the Vice-Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government and Political Head Inukan LCDA having not found culpable of any financial misconduct or mismanagement of Public fund except allegations of gross misconduct on Party activities levelled against him and having been suspended unjustly by the Legislative Council be reinstated as the Vice-Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government and Political Head Inukan LCDA with immediate effect; and

i. the Deputy Leader of the House, Ona-Ara Local Government Legislative Council, Councilor Adedokun Mumini Ololade who was elected without due process as Acting Vice-Chairman, Ona-Ara Local Government by members of the Legislative Council to vacate the Office of Vice-Chairman immediately

A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in the Sabo area of Yaba, Lagos has ordered the remand of a leader of the Igbo community, Eze Ndigbo Fredrick Nwajagu, for allegedly threatening to bring the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to the state.

Chief Magistrate Peter Nwaka ordered that the defendant should be kept at the Ikoyi custodial facility for 30 days pending the legal advice of the State’s Director of Public Prosecution.

The Chief Magistrate made this order on Wednesday after Nwajagu aged 67 was docked before the court by the police on a two count charge of conspiracy and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The police prosecutor, SP Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the Eze Ndigbo and some others at large committed the offences on March 26 at No. 2, Akeem Shitu Street, Ajao Estate, Lagos State.

He alleged that Nwajagu put fear in Lagos residents when he threatened to bring IPOB to the state. Nwajagu was also said to have publicly stated that IPOB would shut Lagos State for one month.

According to Nurudeen, this alleged offences contravene Sections 168 (d) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Being a remand proceeding to ensure lawful detention, the plea of the defendant was not taken.

The Chief Magistrate said he would await the advice of the state’s DPP, Dr Babajide Martins on how to proceed before adjourning the case to May 3 for mention.

Nigerian hip-hop artist, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has revealed why he does confrontational music.

In a recent interview with Arise TV, Falz said he was not afraid of death, stressing that life in Nigeria is not meaningful.

The multi-talented entertainer featured on the programme ‘Music as a Socio-political Tool’, on the heels of his latest song with his colleague, Vector – ‘Yakubu‘, titled after the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The rappers, in the song, called out INEC, its chairman and other political parties allegedly involved in the electoral malpractices in the just-concluded general elections.

According to Falz, he would rather go down fighting for justice than to remain silent and die from the failed system of the country.

The rapper, who joined the programme via Skype from the United Kingdom, explained that he was not abroad because he was afraid of confrontation from state actors over the controversial song.

He said, “I knew that was going to come up when you announced that I was doing this from London. Like I said earlier on, this is not the first time, this is not the second time, this is not the third time.

“I have released tons of records that are very confrontational. And I was on ground. I’m always on ground when I released these records.

“It is not to say that I’m running anywhere. Absolutely not. Everyone know where to find me. If anyone wants to find me. But I have no reason to fear anything. And I always say this when people ask me ‘how do you do these things without any fear of consequences?’

“And this is the same answer that I always give: the kind of life we are living already is one which we are more or less fading away already. It’s not a meaningful life what we have in Nigeria as a country.

“What’s the worst that could happen? It’s death. I don’t fear death. I would rather go down fighting for a just cause. I would rather be remembered as someone that lived a life that was meaningful rather than someone that for example was walking down the road and got run over by a danfo [bus] because he was driving recklessly.

“Or, someone that got a heart disease and could not save himself because there are no hospitals capable of saving him in Nigeria,” Falz added.

The Yoruba Afenifere Youths Organisation of Nigeria (YAYON) has asked Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the socio-political group, to resign from his position.

The organisation accused Adebanjo of abandoning the “uncompromising pursuit and defence of the interest of the Yoruba people”.

In a communiqué by Eric Oluwole, national youth leader, YAYON asked Adebanjo to provide “substantial reasons for attacking and maligning” Bola Tinubu, president-elect.

The group condemned the removal of two national officers of Afenifere — Jare Ajayi, the national publicity secretary, and Abagun Kole Omololu, national organising secretary.

“But we noted sadly that Afenifere began to derail from this long-head philosophy as soon as our father, Baba Ayo Adebanjo took up the position of acting leader,” the organisation said.

“He abandoned the uncompromising pursuit and defence of the interest of the Yoruba people for whatever reasons.

“We noted sadly too, that rather than rally the Yoruba people behind their son, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, now the president-elect of Nigeria, to emerge as president of this great country.

“Baba Adebanjo campaigned vigorously against him, and even after his well-deserving and hard-earned victory through a credible presidential election, he still wants the presidency out of Yorubaland.
“We noted for the purpose of clarity that Pa Ayo Adebanjo is not the Leader of Afenifere, but the acting leader authorised by Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

“We make bold to say that the action of making Pa Adebanjo the acting leader is in line with the precedence in our rich history.

“To our dismay and contrary to tradition and history, we discovered that immediately Pa Adebanjo took the mantle of leadership as acting leader of Afenifere, he has been protecting himself as the leader.

“Not only that, from all notes compared with history, he has not been working in accordance with the solemn sacred order, norms, ethics and virtues of Afenifere.

“We will not allow our future to be mortgaged by Pa Ayo Adebanjo. We challenge him to provide us with the substantial reason for attacking and maligning our son of the soil, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect of Nigeria, despite the conclusion of a free, fair, and credible election devoid of monetisation or rigging, which he won.

“We condemned in totality the gross insubordination of the acting Leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo.

“A vote of no confidence is hereby passed on the acting leader of Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo forthwith and he should stop parading himself as leader/acting leader of Afenifere.”

Since Adebanjo became the acting leader of Afenifere, it appeared that there has been division in the Yoruba socio-political group.
The stance of Adebanjo-led Afenifere on national issues has always been contrary to the stance of Fasoranti, the immediate leader of the group.

While Afenifere endorsed Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) for the presidential election, Fasoranti backed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In addition, Fasoranti equally condemned the suspension of Ajayi and Omololu from the group.

…..Bemoans Eight Years Neglect of Oke-Ogun Area By Buhari Administration

….Wants FG, Oyo Govt. To Complete Ikere Gorge Dam, Reconstruct Abeokuta-Iseyin Road

A socio-cultural group, Ebedi Frontliners, Iseyin (EFI) has congratulated Nigeria’s President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde, Senator Fatai Buhari, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedemi (Oshine) and Hon. Dele Adeola on their victories at the last general election, urging them to prepare to key into the community’s development agenda, which they said would have positive impacts on the nation.

The group in a Press Release on Wednesday, outlined various projects, programmes and actions that they believed would have benefits for the people of the community, Oyo State and Nigeria, in the areas of food sustenance, job provision, completion of the Ikere Gorge Dam project, re-construction of federal roads around Oke-Ogun area among others.

The organization also bemoaned what it called a total neglect of the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in his eight years in office, as no physical infrastructural project was allocated to the region that consists of ten local government areas.

The statement, which was issued after an emergency meeting of the group at the Aseyin Palace in Iseyin and made available to newsmen, indicated that EFI called on Bola Tinubu to see the completion of the abandoned Ikere Gorge Dam project as a must, so as to show gratitude to the people of Oke-Ogun region for their support towards his victory and to effect a positive change in power generation by reactivating the dam.

The group’s position in the Press Release, as signed by its President, Mr. Olusegun Adeleke indicated that the duo of Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde’s success to achieve the agenda would be anchored upon the legislative support from the likes of Senator Fatai Buhari of the Oyo North Senatorial District, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedemi of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola and Iwajowa and the member of the Oyo State House of Assembly representing Iseyin and Itesiwaju State Constituency, Hon, Dele Adeola.

“We congratulate the President-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his victory at the last Presidential election and the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, for his re-election.

“We are using this medium to also felicitate with the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Fatai Buhari for his re-election, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedemi (Oshine) of Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola and Iwajowa federal constituency as well as Hon, Dele Adeola of the Iseyin-Itesiwaju State Constituency for their victory and re-election, we have come with an agenda for development that will not only develop Iseyin community, but Oke-Ogun, Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.

“The agenda for development in our area is anchored upon sustainable agricultural development, security of lives and properties, provision of employment and public infrastructures like the federal roads in and around us.

“The Ikere Gorge Dam was inaugurated by the Shehu Shagari administration in 1979 to generate electricity and portable water for Oyo State and three other neighboring South-Western States, but has been abandoned since then while the multimillion naira equipments procured then have been outdated or left to rot, we believe that as part of the move by the incoming administration to increase power generation to meet the industrial and household needs of the people of the Southwest Nigeria, there is need to complete the project and as well put life into the water distribution aspect of the project to meet the yearnings of the people.

“This will also provide employment for the youths in the agro-allied industry, assist farmers with irrigation during dry season and create an all-year-round food production sustenance.

“Attached to this demand is the need for the federal government to urgently reconstruct the Abeokuta-Iseyin road that has been abandoned since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo reconstructed it, the road has since been left to damage, with casualties from robbery attacks, kidnapping and traffic crash that have led to many deaths of road users.

“It is our belief that the bird will not fly with one wing, the efforts of the legislators to assist the executive to make bills and laws that will aid human development, this is where our legislators like Senator Fatai Buhari, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedemi and Hon. Dele Adeola from our area will have to show that they are capable.

“For each of our legislators that got re-elected to have such opportunity, it means that our people have seen and attested to your capabilities, we beseech you now to make the demand for these major projects your priority and we promise that the people of Iseyin will never forget your name when the success thereafter is discussed.

“If these are done, we believe it will be a complete departure from the neglect that Oke-Ogun area and Iseyin community suffered under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, during which no single federal road was reconstructed until the Seyi Makinde-led government intervened by taking up the reconstruction of the Oyo-Iseyin road that has been abandoned by successive governments in Nigeria.”

Governor Seyi Makinde had also promised during the pre-2023 electoral campaigns that the road leading to the Ikere Gorge Dam in Iseyin local government will be constructed while the water project at the dam will be looked into.

E-signed:

Mr. Olusegun Adeleke – President

Mr. Abiodun Bambi – Vice President

Alhaji ‘Segun Fasasi – Public Relations Officer (P.R.O), (+234 812 960 0001)

Ebedi Frontliners, Iseyin (EFI),

Email – Ebedifrontlinersiseyin2020@gmail.com

Wednesday 5th April, 2023.