Former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George said that he does not hate the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that when he lost his son, Tinubu wrote a beautiful letter to him.
Chief Bode George made the statement in an interview with Arise News during the Morning Show program and Reuben Abati asked him that now that the President-elect has called for an inclusive government, will he go if Tinubu invites him to Abuja for the inauguration on May 29 and congratulate him.
Chief Bode George first said that Reuben Abati tickled him with the question, however. He said that he will not go to the celebration because it is not his party.
Bode George added that he does not hate Tinubu as a person and that as a Christian, he does not have right to hate anybody. In fact he said that when he lost his son, Tinubu wrote a beautiful letter to him, so he does not hate him as individual but if he invites him to Abuja, he will not go.
“…If Tinubu invite me, I won’t go because it is not my party and you know it will be party celebration but let me say this, Bola is not my enemy, I don’t hate him as a human being, I have no right to hate anybody. When I lost my so he wrote me a beautiful letter but we are talking about issues that affect our nation. That’s all”
The Oyo State House of Assembly has described the death of Chief (Mrs.) Justina Iyabo Ogundoyin as a rude shock and devastating at this period when her motherly roles will be more required in the legislative support of the State.
The Clerk of the House, Pastor (Mrs.) Yetunde Awe made the declaration while commiserating with the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin over the death of his mother.
Mrs. Awe described the deceased as a loving and caring mother, a strong supporter of democracy and a peaceful woman of honour whose lifestyle is worthy of emulation.
Her statement revealed further that the death of late Chief (Mrs.) Ogundoyin has left a vacuum that would be difficult to fill up in many aspects.
She prayed that the Lord grant her soul eternal rest.
Further prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, added that late Chief (Mrs.) Ogundoyin will be greatly missed by the immediate family, Eruwa community, Ibarapa land and Oyo State in general.
Until her death, Chief (Mrs.) Justina Ogundoyin was the Iyaloja General of Ibarapaland and the fourth wife of the Ibarapa Business mogul, late Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin.
A suspected cultist identified as Eboto has been allegedly shot dead by a rival cultists on Monday night at Agbowo junction, opposite University of Ibadan main gate.
It was gathered that some rival cultists who stormed the area in the afternoon were allegedly hunting one another over an issue yet to be identified.
Narrating her experience, a young female trader at Agbowo UI who claimed anonymity said a regular customer at her mother’s shop had earlier alerted her on the need for her to close early
She claimed the warning was taken with a pinch of salt until late in the night when gunshots and stampede, earlier experienced in the afternoon resumed later in the night leading to the death of Eboto.
It was also gathered that at about 8 p.m most of the shop owners, commercial motorcyclists and passengers scampered for safety when gunshots were fired repeatedly by the suspected cultists.
The development according to him not only stired panic among pedestrians but also forced the area to be deserted earlier than expected.
Report has it that though no security operatives arrived early when the clash was obvious but normalcy had been restored following the presence of police operatives in the area.
The Coordinator of Dele Bajaj Foundation and CEO Pattern Agro Ventures, Mr Oke Wasiu (Pattern), has rejoiced with Hon. Usman Muhedeen (Olohunwa) CEO BMU, founder of Dele Bajaj Foundation, a nonpolitical and non-governmental organisation, as he celebrates his birthday anniversary. The coordinator describes him as a priceless gift to humanity.
The birthday message which was made available this morning by the coordinator reads thus:
“You are a priceless gift to humanity. Your acts of generosity have helped a lot of people find their path in life. Your actions have restored hope to the despondent. Your soothing words have put smiles on thousands of faces.
“You are a father that continues to commit your time, energy, and resources toward human and community development. What more could we have asked from you?
“Your life remains a lesson for many. Through your foundation – DELE BAJAJ FOUNDATION – you have extended love to thousands of people, while also giving them the opportunity to share same.”
While rounding off his birthday message, he wishes him good health and happiness.
“May you be rewarded with your heart’s greatest desires while you continue to enjoy God’s favour in all your ways,” he concludes.
The Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Oyelowo Oyewo, SAN, has addressed the issue of garnishee order of the court on its Local Government accounts.
He said: “The state is not in disobedience of the court order.
“Out of N4.2b, we have paid N1.5bn and we were also in the process of paying. But because of the cash swap policy, that disrupted our plans, so, the finances were disrupted and we could not.
“We are not in disobedience of the Court and we are going to go to the court, and also we observed that the Federal Capital Territory does not have jurisdiction on that matter, but these are matters that will be brought before the court.
“Oyo State is amenable to instalmental payment and even the judgements that were given during Ajimobi’s administration, we are still paying them. The obligation that the payment has is spread across the spectrum.
“At the end of the day, the court will give a hearing and we are amenable to instalmental payment and we are still going to go to court and quash the order.”
Fani-Kayode, the Director, New Media sub-committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, slammed the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, on social media, over visa ban threat he made.
During an interview with Nigeria Info FM on Sunday, March 26, Llewellyn-Jones condemned some Nigerian politicians for making “derogatory” remarks.
He said: “Yes, let’s be specific, there were some people, like Femi Fani-Kayode, what is he saying and why is he saying it? I don’t understand.
“It is wrong from my perspective that he will speak on behalf of a party and that party does not distance itself from him and say stop doing that. It is wrong to say that,” Llewellyn-Jones said.
Llewellyn-Jones also reiterated the fact that the UK government will issue visa bans to people undermining democracy.
Llewellyn-Jones said there are about 10 persons already on the watchlist.
“We have a list, we are working through our list but we don’t publish those names. I know people say we should, but we have laws, and the law prevents us from doing that.
“At the moment the list is between 5 and 10 and it is growing,” he added.
Femi Fani-Kayode took to Instagram and Twitter to react. He slammed the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, asking him to “keep his dirty nose out of our internal affairs.”
High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja has issued an order attaching funds standing to the credit of Oyo State Government and its agencies in four banks.
The affected banks are First Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Wema Bank and Zenith Bank.
The funds, according to court filings, are to settle the outstanding balance of N3,374,889,425.60 from the judgment debt owed some former Local Government Chairmen and Councillors sacked on May 29, 2019 before the end of their tenure by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
Justice A. O. Ebong issued the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte for garnishee order filed by the ex-Chairmen and Councillors led by Bashorun Majeed Bosun Ajuwon and Idris Okusesi.
The garnishee proceeding, initiated for the Chairmen and Councillors by their lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), is in execution of a judgment they got against the Oyo State Governor and six others from the Supreme Court on May 7, 2021.
The outstanding in the sum of N3,374,889,425.60 as awarded by the Supreme Court and conceded by the judgment debtors in Exhibit 11 attached to applicant’s motion.
“The garnishees (1st to 4th) shall file affidavits and attend court on the next adjourned date to show cause why the order nisi should not be made absolute.
“A copy of this order nisi shall be served on the judgment debtors as required by law. This matter is hereby adjourned to the 4/4/2023 for continuation.”
It was gathered that the judgment creditors have since effected service of copies of the order on the judgment debtors as ordered by the court.
Listed as judgment debtor with the Oyo State Governor are the state’s Attorney General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Accountant General, the House of Assembly, it’s Speaker and the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).
The ex-Chairmen and Councillors were elected in the election conducted by OYSIEC on Mar h 12, 2018 for a three-year term.
Upon learning that Makinde, who took office on May 29, 2019 had planned to sacked them, the Chairmen and Councillors sued before the High Court of Oyo State to challenge the constitutionality of sections 11 and 12 of the Oyo State Local Government Law 2001, which empowered the governor and the House of Assembly to dissolve LG executives in the state.
In its judgment on May 6, 2019 the Oyo State High Court declared sections 11 and 12 of the state’s Local Government Law 2001 as unconstitutional, on the grounds that it violated Section 7(1) of the Constitution.
Despite the subsistence of the judgment, Makinde sacked the Chairmen and Councillors on May 29, 2019 and subsequently appealed the judgment.
The Court of Appeal, in its judgment on July 15, 2020 set aside the judgment of the High Court, a decision the affected Chairmen and Councillors appealed at the Supreme Court.
In its judgment on May 7, 2021 a five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, allowed the appeal marked: SC/CV/556/2020 and set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The apex court, which awarded a cost of N20m against Makinde, ordered that the ex-Chairmen and Councillors, who were unlawfully sacked by the governor, be paid their salaries and allowances from May 29, 2019 to May 11, 2021 when their tenure ought to have expired.
In the lead judgment by Justice Ejembi Eko, the Supreme Court came down hard on Makinde, who it found, acted arbitrarily and undemocratic.
Justice Eko said: “I will not conclude this appeal without commenting on the disturbing ugly face of impunity displayed by the Governor of Oyo State (1st respondent herein) on 29th May, 2019, tantamounting to executive lawlessness, outrightly and vehemently condemned by this court in the case of the Military Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu.”
He noted that, even before appealing the High Court judgment, Makinde on May 29, 2019 “issued imperial directives dissolving all democratically elected local Government Councils in Oyo State in spite of the subsisting judgment of Oyo State High Court in the suit No. 1/347/2017.
“Series of applications were filed by the judgment creditors, the present appellants, to restrain, particularly the 1st respondent (the Governor), from embarking on the self-help designed to contemptuously frustrate the judgment of the High Court.
“He was not dissuaded. He proceeded in his imperial omnipotency to continue in his untrammelled, albeit invidious contemptuous, disregard of subsisting judgment of the High Court.
“It is unthinkable that a democratically elected Governor would embark on these unwholesome undemocratic tendencies. These no doubt endanger democracy and the rule of law. .
“It is almost becoming universal phenomena that the democratically elected Governors have constituted themselves into a specie most dangerous to democracy in this country.
“They disdainfully disregard and disrupt democratically elected Local Government Councils and appoint their lackeys as caretaker committee’s to run affairs of Local Governments,” Justice Eko said.
The mother of the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, Chief Mrs Justina Iyabo Ogundoyin is dead.
Chief Mrs Justina Iyabo Ogundoyin aged 63 died this afternoon during a brief illness.
She was the fourth wife of the late Eruwa born philanthropist and Business Mogul, Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin.
Chief Mrs Justina Iyabo Ogundoyin is survived by four children, Adesoji, Adebo (Oyo State Speaker), Adetoye and Aderemi.
The deceased was until her death the Iyaloja General of Ibarapa land.
Meanwhile, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin has described the death of his mother as devasting and shocking.
” My mum just bid farewell to this sinful world. This is really painful and nothing can be more painful than this to me and my entire family. She was a good mum to everyone of us and she was a good person to so many people. We have lost our jewel of inestimable value. To me there are no words to explain the grief and sorrow I am feeling at the moment. We will forever cherish the fond memories we had with her . She was the best mother anyone could have. “
Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said his entire family has lost a great pillar of support and a loving and caring woman who sacrificed everything for the success and growth of her children and everyone around her.
” The loss of a mother is huge and heartbreaking and this is the condition we are in presently. May the Lord repose her soul and grant her eternal rest. May God watch over everyone of us she left behind” Hon Adebo Ogundoyin prayed
The 2023 National Population and Housing Census is to commence on May 3, the Federal Government has confirmed.
Dr Garba Abari, a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on 2023 National Population and Housing Census, confirmed this on Sunday in Abuja when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.
He said that the three-day exercise would commence May 3 and end on May 5 across the country.
Abari, who is the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), explained that the census exercise would capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.
According to him, the change in the date was due to the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise,” he said.
He described the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with significant importance which had earlier been planned to hold not too far away from each other
“ The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29 to April 2nd, now to May 3rd to 5th.
“ There are two things that informed the shift in date. First, in the course of our planning by the National Population Commission, it was so factored that INEC will also tinker with its own electoral timetable.
“The gubernatorial election, as you are aware, had to be shifted by one week. This had a telling effect on the date of commencement of the census.
“Just like election, the Census is also a very long process, from the training, the sub-trainings, retraining leading uptill the very day of the actual house listing and numbering.
“These will then be followed by the actual capture of the population.”
On the level of preparedness, the NOA boss assured the nation that the National Population Commission was ready to embark on the exercise.
He described the exercise as a significant event that would aid national planning and execution of developmental projects.
He said: “Most of the information that have gone out to the public about the census like the awareness creation, sensitisation, enlightenment, advocacy around the census have all been taking place.
“Perhaps, not on a scale that will make us feel comfortable to say every Nigerian is now census conscious, census aware, in spite of the very significant role that it has to play in our national life.
“But, clearly, the census is absolutely important because it is for development, planning, security, infrastructure development, educational, health and other demographic considerations all encapsulating in one.’’
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has commiserated with the government and people of Nigeria, as well as the military, friends and associates of the Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya on the passing away of soldier-statesman.
He would have turned 79 next week (April 3).
Gen. Diya served as Chief of the General Staff (de facto Vice President of Nigeria) under military from 1994 until his arrest for treason in 1997. He previously served as Chief of Defence Staff and was Military Governor Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985 under the Buhari/Idiagbom military junta.
In a statement by Kunle Somorin, the governor’s spokesman, Prince Abiodun described the departed army General as a seasoned administrator, gentleman and officer whose contributions to the development of the security architecture of Nigeria would remain indelible, adding that others carried on where he left off and Ogun State would not forget Diya’s role in its history.
The governor recalled that the deceased who apart from being a former de facto Number Two Citizen in the country was also a military governor in Ogun State.
“He was couragrous and daring, quick-witted and patriotic. Gen. Diya played frontline roles in the evolution and development of the state and his activities in the military, in part led to the eventual return and enthronement of democracy in the country In 1999.
He called on the family members, friends and associates of the departed leader who hailed from Odogbolu in the Ogun East Senatorial District of the State to take solace in the fact that the late soldier-statesman played the parts assigned to him by providence diligently, conscientiously and patriotically meritoriously.
While praying Almighty God to grant the late Diya’s soul eternal rest, Gov. Abiodun also enjoined Nigerians to emulate the good virtues that he left behind.
