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At least 105 Medical Doctors have resigned in Ondo State in the past year – NMA

At least 105 Medical Doctors have resigned in Ondo State in the past year.

This was disclosed by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state on Monday.

The Association in a press statement, signed by the NMA State Chairman, Dr. Stella Adegbehingbe, and State Secretary, Dr. Olorunfemi Owa lamented the ugly trend blaming it on irregular and percentage payment of salaries by the state government.

According to the NMA in the state, the situation is so unfortunate that medical doctors in this cadre have left the employment of the Hospital Management Board without replacement over the last few months.

“We have it on good records that about 105 medical doctors have resigned their employment from the Teaching Hospital in the last year alone.

“Ondo State has not been able to engage requisite numbers of House Officers since 2019. This has made our work almost impossible because this group of Doctors have a peculiar role in Health service delivery,” the statement read in part.

They added that “It is troubling to note that only three House Officers are left in the service of the Ondo State Government across the three senatorial zones in the state.

“There is no gainsaying that the ongoing laudable efforts at having a Contributory Health Insurance Scheme in the state can only be successful it the urgent issue of manpower need is adequately addressed.”

Medical doctors in the service of the Ondo State government had earlier complained over the salary cut and unpaid wages by the state government.

The doctors in a statement issued at the weekend said they received their February salary in June.

They insisted on receiving their full salary despite the recent statement by the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, which suggested part-payment of salaries for all categories of workers in the state.

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Dele Bajaj Foundation Condemns Attack On Igangan Community, Charges Security Apparatus To Be Proactive

Dele Bajaj Foundation, through her Founder Hon. Usman Bamidele has condemned in stern term the attack that happened on the dark hours of 6th of May, 2021 to the people of Igangan axis of Ibarapa community.

In his words, he said : ‘We received with rude shock, the destructive attack on our people in Igangan Ibarapa North Local Government by marauders who came in the deadly hours of the night to take the life of innocent peace loving people and get their properties burnt into ashes. This incidence is devilish and is uncalled for. We sympathize with our people who lost, friends and relatives together with properties tó this unwanted incidence. We can only pray God wipe their tears and strengthen them in this hard time”

He went further to charge the Oyo state Government to see what happened as reason to do more in her efforts towards fighting the insecurities ravaging the land of Ibarapa, he also call on all the security apparatus of the state to be more proactive in their duties in ensuring the security of life and properties is ensured.

In his words, he said :
“While we know that the current government has put some measures in place to ensure the safety of the people of the state, we charge them to do more because this sad incidence has exposed the weakness of the state as well as the security apparatus of the state.. We charge the state government to kindly tighten her belt on the race to battling the insecurity issues ravaging the axis of Ibarapa. We also charge the Police, DSS, Amotekun Operative and other security apparatus within the state to be more proactive in their respective approaches to ensuring this land is secured”

He rounded off his speech with prayer and condolences message to the Baale of Igangan Land whose palace was burnt into ashes. He prayed the land never witness such sardonic situation again.

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Makinde Berates Oyo APC For Politicising Killings in Igangan

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, has described attempts by the opposition All Progressives Congress(APC) in the state to politicise the killings in Igangan as wicked and an unruly display of mindless politics.
He also declared that the statement credited to the APC on the killings in Igangan, which attempted to blame Governor Makinde, as a wicked attempt to dance on the grave of the dead.
Adisa, in a statement on Sunday, said that the leadership of the APC in
Oyo State and the country at large, must bury their heads in shame “each time we discuss security matters in Nigeria.”
“We all know the state of security of Nigeria when the APC took over in 2015. We knew that the much talked about insurgency was restricted to three states of the North East, while kidnapping was wiped out from South East.
“Even though the leadership of APC complained loudest against the government of President Goodluck Jonathan at the time, the situation Nigeria found itself under President Buhari’s APC is nothing comparable to the sanity we all enjoyed under Jonathan.
“It is obvious the APC was merely in a power grab mission, without a clue of what is needed to fix Nigeria.
“As we speak, insecurity has been weaponised and decentralised, while all parts of the country have become endangered. Even the President’s own state of Katsina is not spared as the sad incidents of kidnapping and killings continue to happen even during his official visits to the state.
“The APC in Oyo State has zero justification to comment on the security situation in the state, as we all know that the Constitution of Nigeria has completely vested the command and control of security agencies in the President. If the President has refused to use his constitutionally granted power to curb insecurity, why should members of his party attempt to shift the blame to Governor Makinde, who has provided needed logistics for all security agencies in the state, while also setting up homegrown initiatives to tackle insecurity.
“If the APC leaders want to be patriotic, they will call on the leader of their party, President Buhari, to wake up and stop the unwarranted killings across the land: kidnapping of school children and other innocent Nigerians and fix the economy.
“The APC campaigned on three fronts in 2015 and 2019: to fix security, economy and fight corruption.
“Those three areas have only been worsened in the six years of its leadership with live suddenly becoming brutish and short, while Nigeria is fast drifting to a pariah state with the recent ban on Twitter.
“Rather than seek to grandstand and dance on the grave of our innocent compatriots from Igangan, who were hacked down by agents of darkness, the APC should mount the podium in the 33 local governments of Oyo State and apologize for bringing a clueless government that has totally demobilised the nation’s security.
“Finally, the leadership of APC in Oyo State cannot use the Igangan crisis to stage a comeback to reckoning as even the South West APC leaders’ meeting held in Lagos last month did not feature any prominent APC leader from Oyo State.

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Minister of Youths, Sunday Dare Says Perpetrators of Igangan Killings Must Face Wrath

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, has condemned the Sunday attack in Igangan, Ibarapa North local government area of Oyo State, leading to the death of people and loss of property.

He said the perpetrators of the dastardly acts must be apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law, just as he charged Governor Seyi Makinde to collaborate with the Federal Government and other security stakeholders in finding a lasting solution to security challenges in the state.

In a statement issued by his media office, Dare described “the action of the yet-to-be-identified hoodlums as evil, barbaric and crude, called for calm and peace among residents of Igangan and environs.”

The statement reads: “The attack on indigenes and residents of Igangan, Ibarapa North local government area of Oyo State, by suspected hoodlums leaving scores of people dead and property destroyed is condemnable and unacceptable. The perpetrators of the devilish and cruel act must face the wrath of the law.

“Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State, must convene routine strategic meetings of the political class, regardless of political affiliation, security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations and key stakeholders in the state to find a lasting solution to the recurring attacks in Ibarapa axis of the state.

“Oyo State belongs to all sons and daughters of the state either in partisan or non-partisan politics. We have a collective responsibility of ensuring peace and harmony across Oyo State as the security situation in some parts of Oyo State is disturbing and worrisome. The governor must adopt a bottom-up approach to the security challenges in the state.

“I sympathize with the people and government of Oyo State over the unfortunate incident, especially the people of Igangan, where lives were lost and property destroyed.”

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Akeredolu Condemns Igangan Massacre, Seeks Joint Operations of Amotekun in Southwest

The governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu SAN has condemned recent attacks of killer herdsmen in Igangan, Ibarapa are of Oyo State where several lives were lost.

Akeredolu in a statement personally signed and sent to newsmen by Gov. Akeredolu as read in part:

“We have just received with rude shock premeditated attack on our people at Igangan, Ibarapa, Oyo State, in the early hours of today. This cowardly onslaught on a peaceful community has occasioned loss of lives and property on a large scale. It is horrendous, callous, and highly provocative. All well-meaning Nigerians must condemn, in the strongest term possible, this latest assault on decency and communal harmony.

“While we will encourage the security agencies to get to the root of this latest act of provocation, we have directed the Commanders of the South West Security Network, Amotekun, to convoke a joint security meeting of all Commanders in the South West with a view to commencing joint operations in the region immediately.

“We must reiterate the fact that certain elements are bent on causing friction among the peoples of this country with the sole aim of achieving a pernicious end. They will stop at nothing until their set goal is realized. It is, therefore, incumbent on all lovers of peace and freedom to rise against this current regression into savagery.

“We on our part are resolved to defend our people, their property, and all legitimate means of livelihood against both internal and external aggression. On this, there will be no compromise. We call on our people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their communities. In addition, they must be united in the task of defending our lives and properties”.

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Igangan Massacre: North has declared war in Yorubaland – Aare Onakakanfo

Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams on Sunday declared in clear terms that with the killing of over 50 people in Igangan town, Ibarapa, Oke Ogun area of Oyo state, it is evident that war is imminent in the country.

Adams, while condemning the gruesome murder of innocent residents of the town warned Fulani herdsmen and bandits to stay away from the southwest or be ready to face stiff resistance.

The killings in the early hours of Sunday brought the entire Igangan town and its environs to its knees with over 50 people, cars burnt and over 20 houses razed.

After news of the killings and destruction filtered in, with gory videos of the massacre, Adams said the North had waged war against the Southwest.

He said the North had unleashed terror on the region, stressing the need for the people to rise and defend themselves “without looking back”.

“In a situation like this, you rise and defend yourself. Where are the police when the bandits started killing our people in Igangan today?

“Even the palace of Asigangan of Igangan land, Oba Adewuyi Olaoye, was not spared and the monarch, according to reports had been whisked away by the bandits.

“Three days ago,the Director-General of Oyo state Southwest Security Network Amotekun, Gen. Kunle Togun(Retd) raised the alarm that herdsmen had invaded the southwest.

“I corroborated his statements and called for urgent surveillance across the southwest. Now with the recent onslaught on Igangan people, it is evident that the Fulani herdsmen are on a predetermined mission to kill, maim and decimate the southwest.

“This is one killing too many, I will not fold my arms seeing the blood of innocent people being shed like it is in Igangan.

“Now that North had declared war on the Southwest, we will never silent or compromise on the homicide going on in the southwest. I want to charge all the governors in the Southwest, as well as the traditional rulers to rise to this occasion.”

The Yoruba generalissimo warned criminal herders to stay away from the region,as the Southwest can no longer accommodate killers. OPC and other local security operatives will continue to ensure that the region is safe for residents.

“Those killed in Igangan town have their families and friends, there is blood flowing in their veins and in a moment their lives were cut short by killer herdsmen and bandits in their home”.

Adams disclosed that information at his disposal indicates that bandits and killer herdsmen have invaded the Southwest thus pushing the security outfits to the wall.

He urged all the governors to beef up the security of their respective states in order to provide adequate security for the people of the region.

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NDLEA intercepts 37.3kg cocaine, heroin, skunk at Lagos airport, arrests 7 traffickers

It was another busy week of battle of wits between operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA and drug traffickers who tried to either import into Nigeria or export to the United Kingdom and Italy illicit drugs including cocaine, heroin and cannabis weighing 37.3kilograms; all of which were intercepted and seized in five different bids while seven persons were arrested.

The first attempt to bring into Nigeria 76 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.150kg was made by Agudozie Peter Ihie on 25th May, 2021, but was arrested during inward security clearance of passengers on Qatar airline from Kenya, at the E-arrival hall of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

At the point of arrest, he was found in possession 36 pellets of cocaine concealed in his pants. While under observation, he excreted additional 40 pellets. During preliminary interrogation, he confessed to have swallowed the drugs in Nairobi but became pressed during the transit period in Doha and excreted some wraps onboard the aircraft en route Lagos.

Barely two hours after the arrest of Agudozie Peter Ihie for cocaine ingestion, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport also intercepted 4.2 kilograms of heroin bound for Italy. Two freight forwarders have been arrested in connection to the seizure. During preliminary interview, one of the suspects stated that the consignment belongs to one of his customers based in Italy, and that it was sent to him from Benin, Edo state through a transport company.

On the 26th May, 2021, during inward security clearance of passengers on Qatar airline from Doha, NDLEA operatives at the E-arrival hall of the airport also arrested one Nnakaihe Ikechukwu (a.k.a Peprah Livinus) with 600 grams of cocaine. The illicit drug was cleverly concealed inside Ankara dress buttons.

The suspect who hails from Imo state however fraudulently obtained a Ghanaian passport using Peprah Livinus as his name. He is suspected to be a member of some of the illicit drug trafficking groups with multiple passports bearing different names in order to evade detection by security agencies.

On the same date, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of MMIA intercepted 30.150 kg of Cannabis Sativa heading to Manchester in the United Kingdom via British Airways and arrested one Anyanwu Chika who is a cargo bag stitcher in connection to the bid. The drug was neatly concealed inside 30 pieces of bankus palm nut cream tin (banga soup) after emptying the real content.
In his confessional statement, he admitted to have been contracted by one of his customers based in Manchester and had negotiated with him for the sum of one million naira but was paid only seven hundred thousand naira.

On Thursday, 3rd of June, 2021, operatives equally intercepted 11 parcels of heroin weighing 1.2kg concealed in eleven packs of Indomie noodles at SAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport. The drug was to go with Ethiopian Airline to Malaysia via Addis-Ababa. A freight agent and an errand boy for the owner of the exhibit have been arrested in connection to the foiled bid.

Reacting to the latest arrests and seizures at the MMIA, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the Commander, Ahmadu Garba, officers and men of the airport Command for their tenacity and commitment to the mandate of ridding the nation of illicit drugs. He charged them to remain unrelenting and always watch out for the disingenuous modes of concealment traffickers employ to beat detection.

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Northern Onion Producers Threaten To Cut Supply to South Over N4.5bn Loss

Association of Onions Producers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria (OPMAN), has threatened to stop the supplying of Onion to the entire Southern part of Nigeria unless certain conditions laid down by the association is met.

The association disclosed that about N4.5 billion worth of Onions and properties were destroyed by suspected hoodlums across the Southern States in the last few months in addition to loss of lives of members of the association without any compensation.

The National President of the association, Alhaji Aliyu Isa, disclosed this while addressing newsmen after the emergency meeting of the association held in his office in Sokoto.

He called on State Governors to urgently collaborate with the federal government to set up a committee to look into the root causes of the numerous attacks on members of the association, or face total consequences.

“Reference to the national executive meeting held today, we are here to report to the members of the public that following the incident that happened in Aba, Abia State, Shasa in Oyo State and Mbaise local government area of Imo State respectively which resulted to the loss of several members, destruction of about 30 trailers and 9 utility cars, 50 stores and 10,000 bags of Onions including other valuables.

“During the last #EndSARS protests, other people were compensated leaving out our members. And In Shaha where we lost 27 lives, 5 trailers, 5,600 bags of Onions, 12 utility cars and other valuables.

“Also, in February, this year, in Imo State, two trucks of Onions were lost worth about N13,000,000. The above problems resulted to our earlier action to suspend the supply of foodstuffs to the Southern States in February through our parent union.

“After full deliberation by the executive of members of this association and the failure of government to respond to our cry, we have thereby reached these decisions.

“We are calling on the state and federal government to restore law and order in the state. We also called on the good people of the Southern part of Nigeria to live with the Hausa community in peace, as we are only their for our lawful businesses.

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OPINION: Twitter, Nigerian Government And The Rest Of Us – Babatunde Ajose

In 2017, Farhad Manjoo, New York Times Tech Columnist warned that Tech companies are becoming more powerful than Government and might spell doom if nothing is done to curtail their activities.

The Nigerian Government just banned the operation of Twitter indefinitely and compatriots are complaining bitterly. Those complaining don’t want their freedom of speech trampled upon, I share their position and acknowledged that the Nigerian Government took an extreme position on Twitter no doubt but these Nigerians should also remember that there can only be a citizenship rights if there’s a country . Looking at the activities of these Tech Giants around the world, various governments will have no choice than to take unpopular position on their activities regardless of their benefits especially in Nigeria where Twitter was openly soliciting for funds for the Anti-Government movement called #EndSars , where the President’s Obituary was published and nothing was done, where millions upon millions suffers abuses and bully on daily basis and Twitter only cares about their profit. I was in the Manchester Court room when a man was sentenced for insulting Rooney’s Wife on Twitter and there was no mention of failed state in England but reverse is the case here, anything goes in our media space. We have forgotten that every right comes with an obligation.

I appreciate the fact that this Government failed on almost all the promises that brought them to power, the reasons for the failure is a topic for another day. But should we loose a country because a government failed ? Buhari will leave in 2023 but the damages we’re doing to our country will hunt us in decades to come. Is it not possible to see this country beyond Buhari and rally round our God’s given land or have gotten any other place we want to pass to our children unborn.

We all know that the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) is a proscribed organization in Nigeria and classified as a terrorist organization by Nigerian laws and even in some South-Eastern States of Nigeria as at the last time I checked. The fairness and legality of this proscription is left to the legal practitioners to argue in courts or the lawmakers from Biafra Region to lobby on the floor of the Parliament. What we have seen is that the Leader of a Proscribed IPOB has chosen Twitter as his mouthpiece which has brought about arson, carnage and killings on the streets of the supposedly Biafraland and Twitter doesn’t see anything wrong in it. It’s like an organization providing a platform for Al-Qaeda or ISIS to disseminate messages to their sympathisers in America….Who does that ? Yet, my people love and hail Twitter because a government failed us.
Few months ago, Twitter announced the opening of their office in Ghana citing Freedom of Speech for their reasons for shunning Nigeria and my people fell for it. All around the world, multinationals especially Tech Giants look for Tax Haven to do their businesses; my people forgot to investigate if freedom of speech is actually the reason Twitter went to Ghana as they told us ? The simple reason is the repatriation of profit and taxes which Nigerian Government is now taking serious. MTN the South African telecommunication giant had same issue, ShopRite, the South African stores is another multinational that tried to mess with our tax laws, thank God Egbon Tayo Amusan came to our rescue and I’m happy those cash they have collected from Nigerians over the years will remain in Nigeria.

Apple Inc. the makers of world most expensive gadgets moved their Head Office to Ireland in an attempt to avoid the American tax or are we saying there’s no freedom of speech in America ? Same Apple moved their factory to China because of cheap labour, should we then say American doesn’t not have the right infrastructure like Nigeria. Have you forgotten the legal war between the FBI and Apple in respect of privacy right over American security ? How about the court drama between EU/Ireland & Apple Inc. over unpaid €14 Billion taxes.
All notable and luxury clothing lines in the Western world moved their production outfits to Asian countries because of labour laws of the West or should we assumed they went there because of NEPA and Bad leadership in their home countries ? Nigerians should wake up please, we are the second largest English speakers in the world after United States of America; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc cannot afford to loose the Nigerian Market, they need us more than we need them but will develop a funny narrative to appease the their Nigerian followers as their reasons. That is the style of multinationals especially the Tech Giants

Egypt is the largest Twitter user in Africa, did Twitter establish in Egypt ? They will not because the Egyptian tax laws doesn’t permit their “Wayo Activities” By the way how many Ghanains will Twitter employ in their new Ghana office(I’m very sure, it’s less than 200) compare to the 5000 jobs Microsoft is creating with it’s partnership with Nigerian Government but Nigerians prefer to mourn the loss of 200 jobs over 5000 created here. I have the privilege to have worked in the Nigerian Embassy in London where I met several business delegation wanting to come to Nigeria and I know how robust some of our investment laws are. I acknowledge the fact that there are several rooms for improvement in these laws but we’re not doing badly as we’re being made to believe. The chat below shows you that your preferred Ghana is not as popular as Nigeria in the Foreign Direct Investment Market so guys learn to support your country against this tax evaders.
The simple truth is that Twitter wants to evade tax by being in Ghana and enjoy the biggest Market in Africa, Nigeria through ECOWAS Treaties and AFCTA Agreement and let’s be guided more multinationals will still do the same thing in future. Do you know much Twitter is making in Nigeria ? Are you aware Twitter is having similar problem in India ? Do you know Twitter and other social media company doesn’t pay any tax in Nigeria ? Do you know they will prefer to to Ghana because the Nigerian Government just came up a tax reform that compelled them to pay our taxes they’ve been pocketing. Check the new Financial Act 2020 for details.

Finally, I want to submit that the Nigerian Government took this extreme decision at a wrong time and for wrong immediate reasons but we should not forget the remote reasons and the underlying factors. Twitter is just out to make profit and not to protect anybody right as portrayed in Nigeria; Twitter should realize that having a dominant share of 200million people Market comes with a lot of caution and decorum. The Nigerian Government should also have a legal framework to register and regulate these Tech Giants and institute a deterrent punitive measures like fines and the likes instead of outright ban.
Thank you for reading.

Babatunde Ajose DCOB is a Sustainable Development Strategist from Badagry with specialisation in Tourism, Foreign Investment, Microfinance. He is a Fellow of several professional bodies in the UK.

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Synagogue Church Reveals Last Moment Of TB Joshua As Police Seals Off Building

The Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) has provided an insight into the last moments of its founder, Temitope Joshua, who passed on Saturday.

ODUDUWA NEWS earlier reported that Mr Joshua, popularly known as Prophet T.B. Joshua, born June 12, 1963, died on Saturday at 57.

He was to clock 58 in about a week’s time.

In its statement posted on its website announcing his death, the church said Mr Joshua still spoke during the ‘Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting’ on Saturday.

Emmanuel TV is a cable television station owned by the church. It focuses on the church’s activities and that of Mr Joshua.

He spoke on the TV programme about how life is designed to have things happen at their different time, the church said.

The message was apparently referring to Ecclesiastes chapter 3 which dwells on the seasonal nature of life.

The church said Mr Joshua spent his moments on earth in the service of God.

“On Saturday June 5, 2021, Prophet TB Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting: “Time for everything – time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.”

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