The Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Sen. Fatai Buhari had yesterday flagged off the construction of the Okerete-Saki road. At the Palace of the Okere of Saki Land, Sen. Fatai Buhari PhD explicitly stated his love and affection for the Saki people and Oke-Ogun at large.
He used the ocassion to assure the people of Okerete that he would oversee the completion of the road and also reassured the entire community of his unflinching loyalty for the progress and development of the entire Oke-Ogun.
Senator Fatai Buhari while speaking to newsmen said, “Out of the four roads, I have facilitated, the road that leads to the Okerete Border International Market is one of them. Two of the four roads are completed, one is under construction and the last one was flagged off today.
The roads; Isalu-Ikere Gorge Dam in Iseyin, Oke-Ado in Ogbomosho, Ofiki/Agunrege in Oke-Ogun, Okerete-Saki Road in Oke-Ogun, are all facilitated by Distinguished Sen. Fatai Buhari PhD. Thus was duly appreciated by the Okere of Saki Land, the Bagii of Saki and the National President of Saki Parapo at the palace of Okere of Saki Land.
The Senator used the ocassion to throw a jibe at Hon. Shina Peller by asking him to mention any Oke-Ogun indigene he appointed among his legislative aides.
“If anybody says he is representing the interest of Oke-Ogun more than me is lieing. I have chosen to make my campaign issues and not to join issue with him but if I don’t talk, people may assume his of Oke-Ogun Lokan’ agenda as truth.
“When we were welcomed as National Assembly members, we were given five legislative aides to appoint and out of five, I appointed four from Oke-Ogun and this Honourable is saying he is representing Oke-Ogun and never appointed at least one person from Oke-Ogun as legislative aide. So, who is now more of Oke-Ogun than me? I challenge him to mention one Oke-Ogun indigene he appointed as legislative aide openly with appointment letter. If he does so, I would not contest again.
The Okere of Saki Land, Oba Dr. Khalid Olabisi mentioned the importance of the Okerete-Saki Road as it dated the precolonial era.
The Trans-Shahara Trade: the people of Saki and Yoruba people entirely, plied the road to transact with the people of other countries. Particularly, the francophone countries. Of course, the importance of the Okerete-Saki Road can not be overemphasized in the economic activities of the entire Yoruba Land.
In company of Sen. Fatai Buhari PhD were the Chairman of the Oke-Ogun Youth Solidarity for Sen. Fatai Buhari, former Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr Azuzu Dauda, Barr. Lawal Waheed O., Alhaji Afeez Nasirudeen Bakoja, Hon. Prince Semiu among other important dignitaries who accompanied Sen. Fatai Buhari PhD to the flag-off of the Okerete-Saki Road.
Lagos reporters reports that the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, has revealed how his doggedness made way for Adams Oshiomole, Kayode Fayemi and Rauf Aregbesola to become governors of their respective states.
Peter Obi, speaking at a Town Hall meeting organised for presidential candidates by Arise TV on Sunday, recalled how he challenged what he described as “rascality” when he was removed from seat as Anambra Governor.
He said, “I had some remarkable things that happened in my transition into politics. I would say I was the first governor to be declared through the court. Because when I contested the election, I won but someone else was declared and went to court and challenged it and I was declared winner.
Six months after being governor, I was impeached. I went to court and challenged the rascality and I became the second person to come back as governor from impeachment.
“Five months after that, my tenure was terminated by an election that wasn’t supposed to exist and I went back to court and established the tenure of governor.
“Without me, the likes of Fayemi, Oshiomole, Aregbesola wouldn’t have been governors, it was my challenge of that rascality that made it possible for them to become governors.”
The governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday, played host to his colleagues from Rivers, Oyo, Abia and Enugu States respectively.
Governors Nyesom Wike, Seyi Makinde, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Ortom arę governors who have insisted on the removal of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu.
According to report, it was gathered that the G-5 governors met in Benue to restraategize on the next political step to be made since the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alh. Atiku Abubakar has concluded his plan to move on without them.
It was learnt that the governors had also concluded plan to back a presidential candidate from another party which will be made known to their political followers as soon as election remains few days to hold.
Gunmen have killed one Muhammed Oke, a leader of the vigilante group in Isaga/Ilewo-Orile in Abeokuta-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The slain vigilante leader was killed around 8:30 a.m on Thursday, after he received a distress call.
Oke was also the ward 15 chairman of African Democratic Congress, Isaga/Ilewo-Orile in the council.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police has commenced investigation into the incident.
Oyeyemi said, “It’s true he was killed. What I heard is that some people said they saw some gunmen hiding at a place and they now called the man, since he is a vigilante in the community; so they went there to attack those gunmen.
On getting there, the gunmen had laid ambush for them and that’s how he got shot. One person died while one was injured.
“But we have commenced an investigation into it.”
He, however, debunked the claim that it was a case of assassination, saying that the command would not restrict the scope of the investigation.
Oyeyemi said the police investigation would unveil the circumstance that led to the death of the vigilante leader.
Oyeyemi said, “We cannot jump into conclusion that it’s an assassination case. When you are jumping into conclusion, the implication is that, your mind will be diverted in the course of investigation.
“So, we don’t speculate until we find out the real fact of the matter. But the fact remains that the man was killed by some gunmen.
“I am not aware the man was an ADC chairman. I am not aware of him being a chairman of a political party; I am only aware he is a member of vigilante group and hunter.”
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has asked the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and others who are opposed to Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the National Chairman of the PDP to leave the party.
At a gathering in Abeokuta where he addressed non-indigenes resident in Ogun State, Adebutu asked those who could not abide by the decisions of the party to feel free to leave or form their own party.
Adebutu, in veiled reference to Wike and other members of the G5, said: “Unlike those that don’t understand that the party is supreme, that Iyorchia Ayu is our oga (boss), they don’t recognise that he has the power to hire and fire, we accept his leadership.
“By the Supreme Court judgements severally pronounced, those that don’t like your party have a few choices. They can either abide, go and form their own party or get out! We have chosen to abide and obey Ayu’s dictates.
“We agree that he is our chairman. We agree that Hon. Sikirulahi Ogundele is our leader in Ogun and he is representing Iyorchia Ayu. We agree to submit ourselves to the National Working Committee of the party. Those that don’t abide should go and form their own party.”
Adebutu told the Igbo, Hausa, Igede, Ijaw, Idoma and other tribes who were there to declare support for Atiku and other PDP candidates that Nigerians remain one big family regardless of tribe or religion.
He said: “We are one Nigeria because we are one family speaking different languages; but we are happy together. May we continue to live together as one family and be happy.
“We are happy that we have somebody joining us together, His Excellency, Waziri Atiku Abubakar. It is not in dispute that he is our leader and we shall all work hard to make him the president of Nigeria.
“He is the unifier. We have a duty to do him proud and do ourselves proud. We must continue to promote his ideologies,” Adebutu said.
In their remarks, leaders of Hausa, Igbo and other ethnic groups pledged to mobilise no fewer than four million votes for the presidential candidate of the PDP to win the 2023 election.
The leader of the Igbo community in Ogun State, Kinsley Chukwuleta, who spoke on behalf of the other tribes, described Atiku as the most experienced candidate who can fix Nigeria and return the country to the path of greatness.
Chukwuleta said: “We came out to support him (Atiku) because we know he has the experience, he has been to Aso Villa before as the Vice President of Nigeria and if he becomes the President, he will unite Nigeria.
“In Ogun state here, Atiku is going to get 4 million votes from us. He has the experience, he has been there before, he is not new to the system, he can fix things quick and he can make Nigeria one.”
The President of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, Abiodun Akintade has revealed why drivers are on strike in Lagos state.
In an interview with newsmen, Akintade revealed that drivers have been on strike since Monday over extortion by the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management.
Revealing why they are on strike, Akintade said: ” There is a court order by the Federal High Court, Ikoyi. The order has been out since June 24, 2022, banning these people (agberos) from collecting money from us on the road. The court order also banned them from harassing, intimidating, beating our conductors, and damaging our property.
The court order also said they should stop collecting any money whatsoever from us but the Lagos State Government refused to act on the court order; that is one of our grievances.
The second reason we embarked on the strike was that early this year, the Lagos State Government introduced a ticket of N800. The Lagos Commissioner for Transportation went to a radio station, telling the masses that the government had introduced the ticket and it would be the only ticket they would assume as our tax, and anybody that asked for money again should be arrested.
After the introduction of the N800 ticket, we don’t know whether by omission or commission, the Lagos State Government gave the ticketing job to the agberos. We believe that the ticket should have been given to the local government authorities, but the reason they gave it to them is left to them; our duty is to pay for the ticket.
But after collecting that N800 ticket, these agberos still harass us. For example, where I drive, after loading in their park, while going to my destination, there are 25 checkpoints on the road before I reach where I am going. And I have to drop N100 or N200 at each of these checkpoints
After loading in their park, whatever they demand, we will give them. Like in my park, they collect three passengers’ money out of our money. Before we load, there is what we call booking money; that is N500. After loading, two to four kilometers, we will start reaching different checkpoints where we have to drop money as well.
By the time you calculate all the money altogether, it is about N6,000. And when you drop passengers, they will still collect what they call offloading money.
With the announcement by the commissioner for transportation, we were all excited that the government has now recognised our predicament and is ready to come to our aid. Unfortunately, that was not the case because they added the N800 to the expenses we incur daily. So, the problem is getting worse every day; they will just wake up one day and create a checkpoint and there is nothing we can do about it.
All these led to the protest. What we are trying to push out is that we agreed that we don’t have parks, so let’s be using their parks to load passengers. We are ready to give them whatever they want; it is negotiable but we want them to put an end to all these illegal checkpoints. We are just trying to be lenient with them because in the court order, it was stated that they should not collect any money from us again.”
According to him, Agberos in Lagos have government backing.
“Yes, we believe they are working together. The way the agberos terorrize and intimidate us shows that they have government backing. Government cannot say they are not aware of the atrocities committed by agberos on daily basis.”
He added:
“We do take actions but the judiciary in this country is zero. The government that is preaching rule of law is the one not obeying the court order. They are aware of that court order but they just decided to disobey it knowing that heaven will not fall.
Before we can say anything on that, let’s see how our Friday’s meeting with them will go. Then, we will now organise ourselves during the weekend and see the next action to take. We are meeting them around 11am. The outcome of the Friday meeting will decide our own action.”
Revealing the outcome of the meeting with the government on Thursday, he said:
“We had a meeting with the Lagos State permanent secretary under the ministry of transportation. The meeting was successful in the sense that we expressed our displeasure at the meeting and he promised to look into our predicament. But he said that since those we accused were not at the meeting, he would advise us to be there again on Friday so that we could all be there, and see how to move forward.”
We put that into consideration; we know our people. But mind you, our eyes are open. All they are saying are just mere propaganda. During COVID-19, we were at home for more than a month, and nobody died.
If it will take one month to liberate ourselves, so be it. We are aware some people are working; we told our members to leave them because we are law-abiding citizens.
The agberos are just trying to be funny, it is just pure propaganda, but we know what we are doing.”
He added:
Yes, we have on several occasions made complaints. Some of us are bold enough to take then to police station, but if you don’t know your way, you will be the one the police will lock up, and they will ask the agberos to go and continue his work.
By the time they lock you up, you will start looking for money to get yourself and also to bail out your vehicle, while the person that committed the atrocity will be move freely.
Are you not concerned with what commuters are going through because of the strike?
We are aware of what they are going through. It is just that it is important to put ourselves first. They are our customers; we can’t do without them, but we need to put an end to this modern-day slavery.
By the time we come out and we are able to achieve our aim, the commuters will also benefit because whether you like it or not, we are going to reduce the cost of transport fares. We can’t help it, we need their support; they know what we are passing through on Lagos roads.
Everybody is afraid of confrontation, but we are ready to ensure we put an end to this modern-day slavery. The majority know how these people are treating us, we can’t continue like this
A man whose identity is yet to be made known has been electrocuted while allegedly destroying a campaign billboard of one of the governorship candidates in Oyo State.
It was learnt that the man was destroying a campaign billboard of Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, the gubernatorial candidate of Accord in the 2023 elections when his life was cut short by electric shock after he touched the electric wire beside the billboard at the Challenge area of Ibadan on Friday.
A resident in the area who begged to remain anonymous, noted that the residents of the area had already warned the man against destruction of the campaign billboard.
He said, “We had cautioned him against destroying peoples’ properties around.
“Suddenly, we saw him shaking, and no one could move closer to him as it is obvious that he had mistakenly touched the electric wire beside the billboard”.
Confirming the incident on this Saturday morning, the Media Director, Bayo Adelabu Campaign Organisation, Mr. Bolaji Tunji explained that there have been different reports of destruction of campaign billboards in the State. He added that Adelabu expressed deep regret about the incident.
“We heard of the unfortunate incident. There have been different reports on what the guy was doing. Some said he was fixing the billboard while others said he was vandalising it. Whichever it is, no one wishes for the death of anyone, not any citizen of Oyo State. Even if he was vandalising the board, we would rather engage him positively rather than wish him that fate.
The Lagos State Police Command says the autopsy conducted on the corpse of Ifeanyi Adeleke Jnr, son of David ”Davido” Adeleke, revealed that he died as a result of drowning.
The state Police PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development to newsmen on Saturday, November 5, 2022.
He said; “Autopsy has been concluded. It confirms the boy (Ifeanyi) drowned.”
The police also said two of the singer’s domestic staff arrested in connection with the tragic incident are still being quizzed.
It was gathered that the cook and nanny, whose job was to cater for the wellbeing of the three-year-old boy, are the ones still being detained for reasons including the failure to uphold the duty of care of the minor.
“The two suspects are still with us. Autopsy has been concluded. The autopsy confirmed that he (Ifeanyi) died by drowning,” Hundeyin told Channels TV.
On whether the two principal suspects will be charged in court, he said, “I don’t want to preempt that. Investigation is still ongoing.”
The police spokesman also debunked reports that Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus was arrested over the matter.
The popular skit maker, Ahmed Abiola known as Cute Abiola has resigned his appointment from Nigerian Navy.
This is coming a day after his appointment by Kwara State Gov, Mallam Abdulrazaq as Special Assistant on Creative Industries.
This was contained in her resignation note he shared via his official Twitter account as read in part:
“I was overwhelmed with regards to the approval of my exit from the Navy by the Chief of Naval Staff..”
“With profound gratitude, I deeply appreciate the Nigerian Navy for giving me the uncommon opportunity to imbibe discipline through a regimented procedure in the areas of career development, moral values, work ethics, to mention but a few. I can dauntlessly say that, I have the required intelligence and human development finesse to continue to live a prosperous life.
“I urge all my fans to join me in appreciating the Chief of Naval Staff and all my senior colleagues for contributing immensely to my career development, while I used their pedestal to realize my duty of protecting and defending our dear Country. Sincerely, Nigerian Navy has become my roadmap to a sustainable career path.
“I was overwhelmed with regards to the approval of my exit from the Navy by the Chief of Naval Staff so as for me to have enough time to passionately pursue my dreams. This singular act of the Chief of Naval Staff is highly terrific and it shows how the Navy is very passionate about the dreams of their officers.
“I am still a part of the Nigerian Navy family, and I promise to continue to positively represent the Nigerian Navy either in Nigeria or abroad. I am proud to have served in Such an institution like the Nigerian Navy.
“I want to sincerely appreciate all my Senior Colleagues, colleagues and junior colleagues who were very instrumental to my success story, for my wish to you is fair winds and following seas, because I know you will remain always faithful.”
