Author: oduduwanews

A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged irregularities in the recently conducted South-West Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, describing the exercise as a scam.

The PDP held its zonal congress on April 12 where the candidate backed by the camp of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman.

Arapaja polled 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist to ex-Governor Fayose who scored 330.

But reacting to the exercise during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Fayose said he conceded and accepted the outcome not because the process was transparent, but because the PDP must not lose its quest to take over power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the South-West.

While the PDP is currently holding the grip of Oyo State with Governor Seyi Makinde at the helm of affairs, other states like Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Ondo and Osun are being controlled by the APC.

“I have conceded, I conceded not because they won. I conceded because the PDP is a bigger picture. I want to say that conceding does not amount to defeat, it is sheer exhibiting leadership,” he said.

“Take a look at the result and the characters behind the result before I will tell you the issue. I am on one side alone; I have on the side of Governor Makinde, two former governors – Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. They have on their side seven deputy governors and two speakers and serving senators.

“The results in quotes, Arapaja scored 343. My candidate Eddy Olafeso scored 330, a difference of 13 votes. I’m glad because that is a show of strength. Whether the result is right or wrong, the world can see in the one-man army that has faced them all and without rigging, they lost.”

When asked if the election was rigged, Fayose replied in the affirmative saying: “Very clearly.”

The ex-Ekiti governor said he approached the court to obtain an order to prevent the PDP from conducting the congress in Oyo State over the fear of violence.

He alleged that the violence came from Oyo to Osun with 200 buses bearing the number plates of Oyo, adding that they blocked the venue of the exercise.

Fayose added, “They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge.”

Speaking further, he accused the collation officer, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State of discrepancies while counting the votes cast.

Despite his reservations for the zonal congress, Fayose insisted that he wouldn’t be a party to those who will say the PDP will not move forward.

“For me, as to that election, it was a scam but I must agree as a leader of the PDP. I have been working for this party. I am one of the voices that cannot be forgotten in the PDP.

“And I will not sit down here and say because of 13 votes, because of manipulation the party must not move forward,” he added.

The Governor of the State of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday said his Administration has been strategically curbing the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic as seen in the outward manifestation of the government’s efforts to flatten the curve of the virus in the State.

He said the Administration has also been working assiduously to ensure quick recovery of its economy through the implementation of informed and people-oriented policies designed to stimulate the economy for prosperity.

This is even as the Governor inaugurated four infrastructural projects comprising the newly-constructed Academic Block Complex, Health Centre Extension, Human Performance Laboratory Fitness Centre and Water Factory in the premises of the Osun College of Education, Ila-Orangun.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the First National Conference on the Impact of Covid-19 on Nigerian Education and Official Commissioning of Infrastructural Projects, Oyetola said series of measures have been put in place as well as necessary awareness efforts by the State Government through the State Ministries of Health and Information to combat the virus.

The Governor who described the conference as a round peg in the round hole, said it was heartwarming that the forum was provided to interrogate, deliberate and chart a new course on the need to permanently stem the tide of the deadly virus.

Oyetola who declared the conference open, expressed optimism in the fact that the forum would in no small measure, be of great assistance to the participants and the people of the State.

“The topic of this conference is not only germane to the academia, but also very helpful to complement the effort of this present Administration in combating this deadly disease, called COVID-19 in our dear State.

“I count it a great honour to have this conference held in our State, especially in the ancient town of Ila-Orangun.

“On our part, we have strategically been curbing the spread of COVID 19 in our State, as series of measures have been put in place as well as necessary awareness efforts by the State Government through the State Ministries of Health and Information.

“I wish to state that the present Administration appreciates the efforts of our health workers, as we, on our part would continue to ensure that their welfare is paramount at all times.

” I am optimistic that this conference will, in no small measure, be of great assistance to the participants and the people of the State.

“It will enable the participants to interrogate the effects of Covid-19 on Nigerian education as well as the impact of the pandemic in the areas of strategies, technological requirements, operational capacity development issues and other related matters that will enable us to cope with the new normal in the education sector, going forward.

“I congratulate the Osun College of Education, Ila-Orangun for hosting this first conference in the college. It is also another landmark achievement for the college and the entire town,” Oyetola added.

Commending the school management on the successful completion of the infrastructural projects, Oyetola said, “indeed, is a worthy feat which I commend you for, as it aptly demonstrates the commitment of our Administration to improving the quality of education in our State.”

He said his Administration has taken education as a priority hence the need for the 18 percent allocated to fund the education sector in the last financial budget of the State.

The Governor urged the participants to take the conference seriously and make proper use of the knowledge acquired in the course of it just as he urged them to put the newly-built facilities to good use.

The Governor expressed the hope that “the communiqué of the conference at the end of the programme will be circulated to all the nooks and crannies of this nation for proper usability to the advantage of the entire citizenry.”

Earlier, the Provost of the College, Prof. Isaac Olayinka Oyewole, said the major outcomes expected from the conference would constitute a national framework for the changing education systems around the world and how it could be inclined with concept of social distancing caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He assured of Management’s commitment to supporting all programmes and activities aimed at developing the mind of all the teaching and non-teaching staff in the institution.

The Provost, who commended the Administration of Governor Oyetola for attaching great importance to people-oriented projects in the State, said the newly-commissioned projects were another landmarks in the history of the College.

According to him, the newly-built Academic Block Complex, being the first of its kind among the tertiary institutions in the State, would serve as the College administrative block in the future while Human Performance Laboratory, Fitness Centre, Health Centre Extension and Water Factory were put in place to enhance healthcare delivery and jerk up the Internally Generated Revenue of the institution respectively.

Those in attendance were Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi; former Governor of the State, Chief Adebisi Akande; member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Fakeye; Speaker, Osun House of Assembly represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Babatunde Ibirogba; members of the State Executive Council; State Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Gboyega Famodun; the Principal Officers and members of staff of the institution, among others.

For the first time in the history of Government/Labour Industrial dispute resolution, the leadership of the House of Representatives led by Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, has met with the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the association’s secretariat over the strike action declared by the doctors.

The Speaker said the leadership coming to the secretariat to hold the meeting was to appreciate the respect and understanding the association had shown for the Speaker and the House to suspend the strike to allow for the resolution of the issues.

He said: “The decision to visit you is a clear message that we are with you because the role of doctors cannot be understated and to thank you for calling off the strike because of what we have done.

“We are here to encourage and thank you for calling off the strike and give you assurances that the House will be there with you, talking with the executive on what needs to be done”.

In its determination to proffer an enduring resolution of contending issues with resident doctors in the country, the leadership of the House of Representatives will next week invite the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, over the issue of industrial action by the doctors, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed on Tuesday.

According to Gbajabiamila, the meeting will be over how to secure the commitment of the Minister to the execution of the Memorandum of Action entered into between the government and members of NARD.

The Speaker, while meeting with the executive of the NARD led by the President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, at the association’s secretariat in Abuja, assured that the House would ensure an amicable and acceptable resolution of the contentious hazard allowance issue among others.

Recall that the resident doctors had suspended the industrial action that began on April 1, 2021, after 10 days of its commencement.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker noted that though it was impossible to accommodate the hazard allowance in the 2021 National Budget, the House would ensure that it was included in the supplementary budget.

While commending the doctors for suspending the strike on the request of the House, the Speaker said, “Even the constitution talks about essential services, but there’s nothing as essential a service than that which seeks to save and protect lives.”

Saying that the House believes that “the labourer must earn his wages,” Gbajabiamila said “We’ll monitor issues being processed, the IPPIS, training fund, hazard allowances which the House championed at the peak of the Covid-19 crisis.

“All the issues will be addressed. We’re looking to come to a reasonable and acceptable hazard allowance as well as the training fund, which when the supplementary budget is introduced, we hope and expect to justify why this should be accommodated

“I think it was an oversight in the last budget, but we will do everything we need to do to see how we can capture that.

“We are inviting Finance Minister next week so that we can talk and see how as best as we can accommodate all these issues and cement the Memorandum of Action”.

On why the leadership of the House had to visit the NARD secretariat for the meeting, the Speaker said it was to appreciate the respect and understanding the association has shown for the Speaker and the House to suspend the strike to allow for the resolution of the issues.

He said: “The decision to visit you is a clear message that we are with you because the role of doctors cannot be understated and to thank you for calling off the strike because of what we have done.

“We are here to encourage and thank you for calling off the strike and give you assurances that the House will be there with you, talking with the executive on what needs to be done”.

Earlier, the president of the association, Okhuaihesuyi, who expressed appreciation for the visit, said the strike was called off on the heels of the intervention of the Speaker and the House.

While thanking the Speaker for all his previous interventions, he noted that the association has entered into a Memorandum of Action with the Executive and work has commenced on some of the issues.