During a recent live broadcast made by a well known Kalabari chief named Alhaji Asari Mujahid Dokubo, he recounted how he met the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Alhaji Asari Mujahid Dokubo said, “I became close with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 1992. Throughout the NADECO period till he became governor of Lagos state, I was close to him. When I was in detention, he paid my children’s school fees. He also gave a house to my wife. When I came from prison, he sponsored my medical trip abroad and bought my first (1st) car for me.” He added, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the one who also sent me and 6 other people to Hajj then.”
Narrating further, Alhaji Asari Mujahid Dokubo said, “it was because of former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan we parted ways in 2010. When I saw that he came out to contest for the presidency, I decided to pay him back because he was with me in my hours of travails. When he even came to campaign in my state, he did well by acknowledging me. That does not mean my relationship with him is political.”
Speaking further, Alhaji Asari Mujahid Dokubo said, “there were many people who went round to make sure Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not have anything in this election. Governor Nyesom Wike, who was my enemy, stood with me for my friend during the election and it made me happy.”
Lastly, Alhaji Asari Mujahid Dokubo said, “in the past, when I went to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s house and tell them I am hungry, they feed me. Now that I was supposed to pay him back, my people, who had agreed that we should all vote for Asiwaju, said they were directed after a meeting with Amaechi to vote for either Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar. That makes me feel very bad. I paid a price for trusting people. What happened will not have happened if I had stepped out that morning to organize the election.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has raised a fresh alarm over a case of misappropriation of a sum of N1.85 billion by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde which was allegedly removed from the account of the 33 Local Government Councils in the state for the purchase of 66 utility vehicles but which were not supplied.
It has been alleged that the state government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chiefttaincy Affairs, directed that two brand new Toyota Hilux vans be purchased for each of the 33 Local Government Councils with money deducted at source from the monthly allocation due to each of the councils only for the ministry officials to invite Director of Works from all the councils and cajoled them to sign for collection of vehicles which were not handed to them.
In a statement issued on Monday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC faulted the open declaration made by Gov. Makinde that he would never support granting of autonomy to the local government council which is the third tier of government as enshrined in the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“There seems to be no end to the looting spree in the current PDP administration of Gov. Seyi Makinde as another case of misappropriation of public fund was recorded recently when Gov. Makinde reportedly asked some officials to work out a plan to further deplete the treasury of the 33 Local Government Councils. They immediately came up with a memo ordering council chairmen to key into joint purchase of two units of luxurious utility vehicles and Toyota Hilux brand was specified.
“The unit price of each vehicle was fixed at N28 million while each council was made to pay for two putting the total at N1.85 billion which was deducted from the federal allocation of the same month when the memo was transmitted. Early last week, Director of Works from each of the 33 council were invited for collection of their two brand new vehicles but nothing was handed to them after they had been made to sign relevant papers indicating the vehicles had been delivered to them in good condition. It is on this note we are calling on the relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the matter and all culprits to book.” APC stated.
In the same vein, Oyo APC has advised members of the Oyo State Traditional Council to disregard the promise made to them by Gov. Makinde that 10 percent of monthly council allocation would be paid to them stating it was a packaged lie “aimed at using the traditional rulers and dumping them again. The pertinent question is; how many times has Gov. Makinde released the statutory five percent deduction from local government monthly allocation to these traditional rulers in the last 45 months?
“It is an established fact that Gov. Makinde does not give these people (traditional rulers) their deserved treatment and one wonders why he could still deem it fit to offer them fake promise at this time when he needs their support for another term in office. The only thing he (Makinde) is good at is to bankroll funeral ceremonies to celebrate the transition of Obas in the state but we are of the opinion that they deserve to be treated well while alive.” Sadare added.
The news broke on the 17th January, 2022, as two people were proclaimed dead from the outbreak of Lassa Fever at the Gaa Agbaruru, a farming village at Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa local government of Oyo State.
So many were already admitted at the general hospital at Iganna, the neighboring community, where the efforts of the medical workers were already at the thinning end.
The Oyo State government, under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde, swung into action and established a committee of experts in the health, education, social and other aspects of life to restore normalcy to the affected community; this was important because of the number of cases of those already down with the fever and the panic raised afterward, which led to pupils of the only school in the village, Agbaruru, Gaa Agbaruru Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile, fleeing.
Among the members of the committee set up by Engr. Seyi Makinde in January of 2022 to support the Dr. Bode Ladipo’s Ministry of Health and other intervening agencies was the Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA), which was represented by its General Manager, Mr. Jelili Salau.
The purpose of the OYCSDA at the crucial moment was to bring forth infrastructural interventions to the people of the community and find further support for the dwellers to nip such outbreaks in the bud in the future.
OYCSDA swing into action immediately the tide of the contagious disease abated and constructed a standard Health Center and a motorized borehole which was to cater for the provision of portable water and avert spread of diseases through intake of contaminated river water.
The agency went further by providing psychosocial materials for the pupils of the primary school, an effort that led to the return of all the pupils that had earlier fled the community and drew many others to the school from neighboring villages.
Among the materials provided as intervention to Gaa Agbaruru Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile are teaching aids, recreational facilities, exercise books, to mention but few.
According to the General Manager, OYCSDA, Mr Jelili Salau, “we are very proud today to tell you that the intervention at Agbaruru community has yielded immense results for the people of the community, for the first time, the community had a health center with a standard motorized borehole which has made access to healthcare easy to the people of the community and those in neighboring communities as well.
“The intervention, with the blessing of the Governor, also saw our agency providing psychosocial support to the Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile, where our team of experts in the field gave the teachers and parents soul-lifting talks about the need to encourage the pupils are brought back to school to safeguard their futures.
“To this end, material supports were provided, among which are teaching aids, recreational facilities and exercise books, these we believe would ease the work of teachers and encourage good learning environment for the students as well.
“On our recent visit to the school has shown a prosperous development in the school as all the pupils that fled during the Lassa Fever outbreak last year have returned and others who have seen the swings and other recreational facilities that were provided have left other schools to join the school at Agbaruru.”
The Headteacher of Community Basic School, Agbaruru, Iwere-Ile, Mr Johnson Olatunde Oyeleye could not hide his joy when he spoke with the team that was at the school on inspection, as he appreciated the Seyi Makinde-led Government and OYCSDA for the intervention which he said has restored the confidence of the pupils in education.
“We thought all hopes were lost when the Lassa fever outbreak happened and our pupils were no more coming to school, I could not blame them, the parents feared for their children not to be infected, some people were reported to have died but with the intervention of the State government, the alarm was contained, today our people in the community have access to portable water and a health center.
“Our school is one of the best in the local government today because of the provision of psychosocial materials and facilities to the school, our students almost are rather to come to school during the weekend just to play among themselves with the swing and other facilities donated by the OYCSDA, we are grateful,” he said.
OYCSDA gave the support under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Oyo Programme 2022 Micro Project, with support from the Oyo State government, the World Bank and the Federal Government.
Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan is the Project Public Relations Officer (Project PRO), OYCSDA
The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Sunday visited Lagos in what could be described as a homecoming of a sort, during which he told Nigerians he would not disappoint them.
Mr Tinubu, according to a statement from his media office made available to journalists said he arrived to a tumultuous welcome at the Presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.
The statement signed by Tunde Rahman noted that the President-elect was received among others by the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Chief of Staff Tayo Ayinde, Musiliu Obanikoro and other top functionaries in Lagos.
The train then proceeded to the Iga-Iduganran Palace where the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, some other traditional rulers in the state and White Cap chiefs were already waiting.
Addressing the modest crowd gathered inside the palace, Mr Tinubu, a former governor of the state, likened the primaries and election he went through to a World Cup tournament while thanking God and the people for his eventual victory.
He said his message was one of gratitude, adding, however, that he would work assiduously for Nigeria from the get-go and would not disappoint the people.
Speaking in Yoruba, he specifically thanked Oba Akiolu and other traditional rulers in the state for their prayers and support.
Mr Akiolu described the president-elect as a special breed “who is destined for leadership at the very top.”
The Labour Party Chairman, Hon Sodiq Atayese has made a clarification on the news flying around that the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Taofeeq Akinwale had refused to jettison his ambition having been asked to step down during a stakeholders’ meeting of the party where Governor Seyi Makinde’s re-election bid was adopted.
Atayese made the clarification yesterday night while granting an interview to ODUDUWA NEWS.
The chairman maintained that Akinwale Taofiq still remains the candidate of the party if he desires to continue his ambition but the structure of the party has been pulled out from him and handed over to Engr. Seyi Makinde who is seeking to continue as the Governor of the State for second term.
He affirmed that the party never coerced its gubernatorial candidate to step down but what they did was to pull out the party structure from him and adopted another candidate who shares the same ideology with the party and has a brighter chance of winning an election.
The State Party chairman, Hon Sodiq Atayese further averred that the party arrived at the decision owing to the fact that the ideology of PDP led administration in the state resonates with that of Labour Party. Hence, the need to support his re-election ahead of Taofiq Akinwale who is the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party.
A socio-cultural group based in Iseyin, Ebedi Renaissance, Iseyin (ERI) has disclosed that they have information that suggested that the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the coming gubernatorial election, Senator Teslim Folarin would abandon the projects established by the present administration of Governor Seyi Makinde in Iseyin community, including the newly-established Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH)’s College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources.
The college’s campus, located along Iseyin-Okeho road has been experiencing various construction projects among which is the administration building, offices and lecture rooms.
The group, in a statement, issued on Sunday at Iseyin and signed by its Chairman, Mr Ismail Alani, said the people of Iseyin would rather keep their fates with the current administration by re-electing the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde than gambling by electing any other candidate in the 11th March 2023 election.
ERI claimed that the recent utterances and actions of the APC candidate did not show that he will favor Iseyin as a community and its people.
“The people of Iseyin have come to a conclusion to re-elect the candidate that stood with them at their time of need, we cried about poor roads, Seyi Makinde came to our aid, we asked for inclusion in his cabinet and he gave us a commissioner.
“He has touched our lives in every facet of life, education, health, social amenities among many other things that space may not allow us mention.
“What touches us most is the college which we have heard him (Teslim Folarin) say at different fora that Iseyin is a village that does not deserve an institution of higher learning, thank God he said it this early.
“We are using this opportunity to tell Senator Folarin and others with the same mindset about our community, that we are not gambling with our votes, we are solidly behind Seyi Makinde.”
Ebedi Renaissance, Iseyin (ERI) called on all indigenes of the community to be resolute in their pursuit of growth for the community by going out on the day of the gubernatorial election and vote for governor Seyi Makinde.
The Labour Party in Oyo State has adopted the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Seyi Makinde ahead of March 11 gubernatorial election.
The Party, which has been having impressive run during the election process has disclosed at Press Conference held on Sunday at the party Secretariat, Molete, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
The Press Conference was attended by all the State Working Committee of the party, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates and members of the party.
The State Party chairman, Hon Sodiq Atayese said the party arrived at the decision owing to the fact that the ideology of PDP led administration in the state resonates with that of Labour Party, hence, the need to support his re-election ahead of Taofiq Akinwale who is the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a businessman, Kingsley Celestino at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos over 9.40 kilograms of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags.
Kingsley, a business class passenger on Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday 4th March on his way to India. Though a native of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, the 49-year-old was travelling with a Guinean international passport.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets. He claimed he deals in clothing business between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from.
In the same vein, a 24-year-old passenger travelling to Oman, Etounu Monday, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday 27th February during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.
At the Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March, recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilograms concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada. The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.
Similarly, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe. No fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Pepe Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba state on Monday 27th Feb following credible intelligence. Also seized from him is a Daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances.
In Adamawa state, the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of Monday 27th Feb where he was arrested and drug exhibits recovered. The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday 22nd Feb at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits.
While a suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau state with 27.45kg of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday 4th March at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife south local government area of Osun state with 18kg of same substance.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole estate, Ojodu Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers, men and women of MMIA, NAIA, Tincan, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Osun and Lagos Commands as well as DOGI for their efforts. He charged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the ongoing mop up operations to deny political thugs access to illicit substances ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections this weekend.
The management of Dele Bajaj Foundation (DBF) and BMU Construction Limited extends its congratulatory message to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who won the just-concluded Nigeria Presidential Election with an incredible margin.
Dele Bajaj Foundation (DBF) is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, and nongovernmental organization founded by Mr. Usman Muhideen Bamidele (Olorunwa) with the aim of building a formidable society through developing capacities of different forms and youth empowerment.
In a congratulatory message released and personally signed by the founder of the foundation who also doubles as the CEO of BMU Construction Limited, Mr Bamidele Olohunwa expressed his joy for the election that went free and fair and commended the independent National Electoral Commisssion for thier sincerity of purpose towards the success of the election. He described Tinubu’s victory as an imminent sign of accelerated development in our dear nation.
The statement reads thus:
“I heartily rejoice and felicitate the newly elected President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his emergence at the just-concluded election. Your landslide victory is a testimony to your outstanding performance so far and leadership skills.
“Looking at his victory, everyone could testify to the fact that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a focused leader and an architect of modern democracy. His popularity and wide acceptability across all tribes in Nigeria attests to this. Nigerians will experience accelerated development without religion or ethnic sentiments. Asiwaju has been doing his assignment for a long time now and it’s no gainsaying that his victory is well-deserved. There are lessons to be learnt in the election, and the most important one is the need to build people, as by so doing, one is also building oneself.
“It is crystal clear that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a focused and transformative leader, dogged fighter, strategic planner, and builder of first-class. He transformed and improved the economy of Lagos State beyond reasonable doubt. Obviously, his wealth of experience in politics and leadership will be used for the transformation and development of our dear nation.”
While rounding off his message, he wished Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu good health and God’s wisdom to steer the ship of Nigeria in the next dispensation. He also used the opportunity to appreciate the supporters and beneficiaries of the foundation across the length and breadth of Nigeria for voting for competence, credibility, antecedent, and achievement over sentiments and religious bigotry.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has dismissed a report on the ownership of a property located on 15 Ganges Street, Maitama, Abuja, where some persons were arrested with electoral materials, including Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) during the Presidential election which took place on Saturday, 25th February 2023.
The Speaker, who clarified in a statement titled: ‘For the record: I do not own Property on 15 Ganges Street, Maitama Abuja’, disclosed that the occupants of the property are known to the authorities of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“A few days ago, while the collation process for the presidential election, which was held on Saturday 25 February, 2023, was ongoing, social media posts made by some unscrupulous people suggested that some persons were arrested with electoral materials, including the Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and that the property where the purported persons were arrested belongs to me.
“I wish to put it on record that I DO NOT own any property on 15 Ganges Street, Maitama, Abuja.
Besides, the Nigeria Police Force has debunked the news via a press release by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
The police press release stated: “Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), acting on a tip from residents of an area in Maitama who reported suspicious activities, visited the location, interviewed the occupants, and conducted a search on the house. In the course of the search, some electoral materials and BVAS machines were discovered in their possession. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, when contacted, confirmed that the occupants of the house are staff of Emperor Technology, outsourcing engineering services to the INEC, and they were immediately released to go about their lawful business.”
