The Lagos State Judicial Panel on Restitution for victims of SARS and other related matters on Tuesday heard the petition of a man who accused men of the Nigeria Police Force of battering him.
Monday Ojon was among the 10 petitions listed for hearing.
The panel reserved judgment till a later date in three of the petitions. It also heard the encounter between a petitioner Ojon and the Nigerian police.
Ojon testified that he was stripped naked and beaten by a police officer even when he did not commit any offence.
“On 4th December 2013, I was coming from CMS, going to Tinubu, a policeman Mr. Kabiru with force number 354962, he was coming with a stick and gun in both hands respectively, and he asked where I was going? I told him I was going to Tinubu. He said I should kneel down, I asked for what? He said I should kneel down now and he started to beat me with the stick until the stick got broken into pieces,” he said.
“He picked another plank and started beating me with it until I knelt down. He told me to remove my clothes, but I refused and started shouting which attracted passers-by, he said he would waste me and cocked the gunshot it into the air. He told me to undress naked, he then told me to start crawling from that point to CMS bus stop with others whom we met on the way.
“Some motorists who accosted him were threatened and they left. He also told a man and a girl to kneel down and when they refused, he shot into the air. A friend and motorcyclist who saw me asked what I did, when I told him what happened, he said he was going to report at Adeniji Adele police station.
“A fellow policeman who saw us, talked to him privately and asked for my cloth. I told him that my cloth was at the other end, he then told me to go and take my cloth and go. Suddenly, a lion building police patrol van with the DPO came to the scene and took me to lion building and told me to go and treat myself because I had been battered.”
According to the petitioner, efforts to get justice at the Lion Building Police Station did not yield any results. Instead he says he was offered a paltry ₦100, 000 which he refused.
The petitioner is seeking adequate compensation and he wants the panel to help him get justice against the police office, Mr. Kabiru who he alleged committed the assault.
The None Academic Staff Union of Educational And Associated Institution (NASU), Oyo state chapter has protested against the Federal Government (FG) policy on service years and retirement age which the union described as discriminatory and undeserved denial of their rights.
The Union State Secretary, Comrade Folorunso Olubunmi, while speaking on Monday 22 of March, during the protest at the governor’s office, explained that President Buhari had in his address on year 2020 World Teachers Day approved 40 years as the new service years as against the initial 35 years for all teaching staffs in secondary Schools and colleges in Nigeria.
5th October is World Teachers Day set aside globally to celebrate teachers across the world who have chosen teaching as their profession.
The Nigerian government has announced a special salary scale for teachers while also increasing the years of service from 35 years to 40 years in a bid to motivate teachers.
During a ceremony marking the World Teachers Day on Monday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced this gift to teachers across the country in a speech presented by the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu.
Buhari said the move is in recognition of the roles of teachers in nation-building and to encourage them in delivering better service.
The new approvals include a special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, automatic employment for graduates from universities and colleges of education, building of low-cost housing for teachers in rural areas, increasing service for teachers from 35 years to 40 years and among others.
“The future of this country will be a function of quality education delivered to our children today and this depends on the quality of our teachers and the quality of our teachers depend on the motivation and their motivation depends on how happy they are doing what they are doing,” Buhari said.
On the same occasion, Minister of State for Education Chukuemeka Nwajuiba identified the teaching profession as the greatest profession in the world which must be accorded adequate recognition and respect.
He said having a day to celebrate the teacher is just but a token gesture of recognition to the sacrificial contribution of teachers.
Speaking further, Oyo state chapter of NASU explained that the President also extended retirement age from 60 to 65 years for teachers across all secondary and colleges for same category of workers.
They alleged that such policy was discriminatory as it was not a crime for any worker in the academic environment to decide not to become a teaching staff but rather non teaching worker.
The union noted that since the President gave the new approval in his last world teachers’ day address, only workers in the teaching line have been enjoying benefits of the new FG approval.
“If any student is entering any school to begin an academic journey, the first point of contact is the non academic staff, even before going into the classroom, they are guided on everything needed to be done by the non academic staff.
“Even after they are through with their education and about to graduate, the last person they will see is still the none academic staff, we then wonder why all these incentives will be given to teachers alone.
“As none academic staffs, we are in the bursary department, we are in the laboratory, we are in the library and when it comes to administration we are there so, what is our offense?
“I can decide to go to the university and chose not to go the teaching line, is it a crime, even with my Masters, should I be denied any opportunity or incentives.
“It is totally wrong and at this point we decided to come to the Federal Government, we have written letters to the Federal Government, to the IGP, to the Senate, to the House of Representatives, even the Speaker on the pronouncement of 5th October 2020,” the union stated.
The union expressed it’s confidence and faith in the Seyi Makinde led administration’s commitments to workers welfare without discrimination stressing that the protest had nothing to do with the state government but federal government policy as it affects teachers and none teachers alike.
The union however, delivered a message to the federal government through the Oyo state government, the letter which was received by Comrade Bayo Titilola Sodo, Special Assistant on Labour Matters to Governor Seyi Makinde.
Speaking on behalf of Oyo state government, the Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde, Comrade Bayo Titilola Sodo, commended the union for their comportment and courage.
He however, assured that the message which is expected to the be delivered to the President through the state governor will be duly delivered and in a timely manner.
The traditional ruler of Iwo, Oba Abdurasheed Akanbi Teluwo has attributed the agitation for Oduduwa Republic by some groups as a calculated attempt to deprive Yoruba of Nigerian president comes 2023.
Oluwo made this statement known yesterday during a courtesy visit to Sultan of Sokoto in his Palace.
“Scheming won’t work. Enemies within won’t succeed. 2023 project is a Yoruba assignment. The traditional rulers and Yoruba stakeholders have fundamental roles to play. The bottom line is to see Yoruba conducting the affairs of Nigeria in 2023 after the incumbent. Yoruba Obas, Stakeholders and all of us should rally round Yoruba son. Calling for division of Nigeria is synonymous with working against our near bright future. Let’s harmonize interest in canvassing support for a Yoruba as the number citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I pray we understand the politics behind division of the country. I’m a Nigerian. I spend her currency, Naira.Nigeria can’t be divided when it’s our turn to preside”, said Oluwo.
Paramount Ruler of Iwoland stated this today while talking to the Yoruba community in Sokoto, he further said
“The Yoruba Presidency coming up is the future of our children and it’s non negotiable … we should all fight for this great gesture coming our way “orire yi koni fowa ru” biwon bafun were ni oko odo ara re niyo rosi, nigba ti Yoruba baje president it’s the freedom we clamouring for”.
As part of efforts to address flash flooding around the newly constructed Agege Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge and other parts of the State, the Lagos State Government has called on residents of Agege community to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels.
Speaking against the backdrop of the recent flash floods experienced at Oke-Koto and environs after a heavy downpour, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye noted that the flooding was caused by clogging in the main collector drain conduits along Capitol Road.
Noting that the Agege Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge was designed to eliminate the perennial traffic gridlocks across the intersections at Agege, Adeyoye said the adjoining roads were also constructed by the State Government with an adequate drainage system to mitigate the recurrence of flooding associated with the corridor.
She added that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels by the residents of Agege community was solely responsible for the severe clogging and siltation of the drains, thereby resulting in the flooding as experienced recently at Oke-Koto.
The Special Adviser warned residents to desist from the act of dumping refuse into the drains, stating that the Emergency Flood Abatement Gangs (EFAG) of the Ministry of The Environment and Water Resources have embarked on desilting of the drains to allow free flow of run-off/stormwater and prevent flooding on the carriageway.
Adeyoye said: “At the moment the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration is making efforts to reduce the number of bad roads in the State. A drive through the streets and highways of Lagos will reveal that roads had either been repaired or are being fixed across many locations as Government is making frantic efforts to provide infrastructural facilities that will ameliorate the suffering of the citizenry”.
“Any road is as good as its drains, once we clog the drains with refuse, we compromise the integrity of the pavement and overall riding surface. Therefore, as we continue to prepare for the rains, people must stop the various abuses on road transport infrastructure challenges associated with the rainy season”, she added.
Speaking further, the Special Adviser emphasised the need to ensure the sustainability of road assets and optimise the level-of-service outcome in return for the most cost-effective financial input, calling on community leaders to be actively involved in guiding against vandalism of public infrastructure.
“The State Government holds as premium the responsibility of strategic provision of road infrastructure across the State. Sustainability also requires we engage with the citizenry to register in their subconsciousness and seek their support in terms of taking ownership of the roads and to guide jealously these collective assets against misuse and abuse”, Adeyoye stated.
The call for secession by some agitators seeking for the declaration of Oduduwa Republic has been likened to frustration by Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi.
He said this amid calls by some quarters for the breakaway of the South-West region from Nigeria and the establishment of Yoruba nation.
Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, Fayemi said such agitation is expected when there are stress and laxity in society.
The Governor said, “Frankly, when you have stress and laxity in society, you’re bound to find a whole range of responses. Some rational, some irrational, some that speak to the fears of the people, some opportunistic and harebrained. There’s no question that some of the reactions we’ve seen will fall into all of those categories.”
He expressed optimism that the country will triumph and survive the challenges it is currently faced with.
He said the time has come for the devolution of power and that the country needs to adopt other measures at managing its diversity.
“I have gone on record to say that I have unfailing optimism that in spite of all our challenges, this country will triumph and we’ll survive current challenges. We as leaders must focus on the goal of protecting lives and property, and focus on safety and security as the primary responsibility that we have,” Fayemi said.
“The people who are talking about secession frankly, some of them are doing it out of frustration. I don’t think that’s the solution to the Nigerian predicament right now.
“In matters of economic development, we may need to begin to look at other ways of managing diversity and difference in our country and that devolution of power is an idea whose time has come.”
This comes a day after his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, dissociated his state from the calls for the secession of the South-West from Nigeria.
As the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, PASAN begins an indefinite strike across the Country, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin says the call by the Association for the implementation of financial autonomy for the Legislative arm of Government is a laudable course and the constitutional right of the workers.
The Speaker stated this while addressing Oyo Assembly workers who gathered at the main Gate of the Parliament Building Secretariat, Ibadan for the commencement of an indefinite strike in compliance with the directive of the National body of the Association.
The workers who shut down all the Gates leading to Oyo Assembly complex displayed different placards showing their displeasure on the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the Legislative arm of Government across the Country.
Hon Ogundoyin said the strike will no doubt paralyse the activities of the Oyo State House of Assembly, adding that it was however in the interest of democracy and the independence of the Legislative arms of Government.
He assured them that the Governors Forum will soon come up with a uniform way or modality of implementing the financial autonomy.
” No state will go about it in different way. Everything will done in a uniform manner. Let me also say that, the Speakers’ Forum too will not relent until the financial autonomy is achieved. ” The Speaker said.
Earlier, while presenting the Communique from the National body to the Speaker, the Chairman Oyo PASAN , Comrade Yemi Alade said the financial autonomy bill was passed into law in 2018 and assented to with a Presidential Order 10 by President Muhammadu Buhari and wondered why the implementation has not commenced.
According to Comrade Yemi Alade, if the Legislative arm of Government is not independent and autonomous, true and pristine democracy will not be achieved.
” Our appeal is to all the Governors to commence the implementation of the financial autonomy. It is surprising that they are not following the Presidential Order. We will not return to work until our demands are met. ” Oyo Assembly PASAN Chairman insists.
A PDP stalwart, media personality, and a member of socio-political group MATOP, Jumoke Akinade has revealed that Makinde has good intention to change the course of history of Oyo State but the problem is that, he is being surrounded by selfish political leaders who offer wrong advice that may likely have negative impact on his political carrier.
The party stalwart said this in a statement she sent to ODUDUWA NEWS today.
She said Makinde is a blessing to Oyo state, capital of intellectuals, he attributed his type to a person that wants to right the wrong, in term of series of uncommon achievements he has achieved since assumption of duty as the governor of Oyo State and such person needs to be encouraged to do more.
“God forbid! if Makinde steps down before his time, it will pave way for shenanigans and self-centered politicians to turn Oyo State to their private business”, said Jumoke.
She spoke further that it takes the grace of God for Makinde to discern who and who to work with in order to deliver the true dividends of democracy he promised the good people of Oyo State.
“He needs your prayer to succed and my message to all those that have political ambition or wish to attain certain level of position in Makinde-led administration is that, God will guide you as you strike to make your dreams a reality.
She however implored Makinde to embrace all party faithfuls irrespective of their political leaning within the party so that PDP in the State can be further strengthened than the present state.
A group agitating the independence of the Yoruba nation has flooded Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State with posters for the proposed Yoruba nation, Oduduwa Republic.
The group is being sponsored by Koikimedia, a company owned by Sunday Igboho’s spokesman Olayomi Olakunle Koiki.
One of the descriptions on the poster captioned: ‘Support Yoruba Referendum Now’.
It would be recalled that a group also posted the image of a proposed currency for the Yoruba nation on its Twitter handle.
The tweet read: “Oduduwa National Currency shall be called ‘FADAKA’ Meaning Silver .. or short as just ‘FAD’. Here is a 20 Fadaka Sample Banknote.”
Also, Yoruba Historian, Banji Akintoye alongside Sunday Adeyemo popularly called Sunday Igboho, in a recent viral video, declared the sovereignty of the Yoruba nation.
Akintoye and Igboho, among other Yoruba leaders stated that the Yoruba nation can be independent and yet, thrive.
Professor Akintoye said the most important thing for the Yoruba nation is to learn to work towards its sovereignty.
According to him, this is not a time to discuss issues surrounding restructuring, resource control or a new constitution but rather to secede from Nigeria.
A stalwart of People’s Democratic Party PDP, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, on Monday urged the party’s stakeholders to embrace peace to strengthen the party in the South-West.
The chieftain, lecturer at the University of Lagos, Pearse who made this appeal while granting an interview to newsmen said that the real opponent of PDP remained the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “There is no need for us to be fighting ourselves within the PDP when our real opponents are in the APC.
“We should desist from actions, disposition and utterances that are tearing the party apart. “Let members promote candidates of their choice and tell us why they want us to support such candidates,” Pearse said. RecallPDP has been embroiled in controversies over the leadership of the South-West chapter of the party which precipitated suspension of its zonal congress recently.
Pearse was the former Governorship Candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2019 elections in Lagos State. According to him, the suspended South-West congress is an exercise in democracy for members to choose the candidates they think are best to run the South-West zone of the PDP.
The chieftain advised party members in the zone to allow the congress to hold and stressed the need for all to go to the convention as a family whenever the zonal congress is rescheduled.
“I would suggest that people who are holding up the congress now should withdraw their suits in court so that we can have a less acrimonious, smooth and peaceful election.
“We should follow the direction of the Reconciliation Teams, the one led by the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the one led by the former Gov. Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun. “We can agree to disagree, but we do not need to be disagreeable. We are members of the same party and at the end of the day, all of us must work together,” he said.
According to him, the crisis in the Lagos PDP chapter has stagnated the party. He also urged the Lagos State PDP Chairman, Mr Deji Doherty, to allow peace to reign.
“In Lagos particularly, there is no need for us to fight each other,” he added. NAN reports that the former Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State have been embroiled in controversy over the leadership of the South-West chapter of the main opposition party in Nigeria.
Also, the brouhaha over who should take the position of the National Vice-Chairman of PDP in the South-West was tearing the party apart. “While Fayose-faction was support of Mr Eddy Olafeso to retain the position, Makinde’s loyalists were in support Mr Taofeek Arapaja. The Saraki-led and Oyinlola-led PDP reconciliatory committees have visited some state chapters of PDP in the zone to resolve their crisis.
ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that students of state-owned tertiary institutions have decided to embark on protest today in Ibadan owing to the ongoing industrial strike action embarked on by workers in their institution.
This was contained in a release jointly signed by SUG President, Ashaolu Victor Samuel and PRO, Abdulrauf Abdulazeez of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa and sent to Oduduwa News confirming the purpoted protest as read in part:
“We are using this medium to call the attention of Students Populace of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa to join us this morning at Sango Junction, Ibadan by 8:00am for the Massive Protest which is organized by Student leaders of all Oyo State Owned Institutions.
“If you are presently in Ibadan, join us as we converge at Sango Junction Ibadan and lead our peaceful struggle to State Secretariat. The Negligence of The State Government to Student Life and Qualitative Education needs to stop, also We must end this Jeopardizing and Ruining of Students Future due to Joint Action Committee (JAC) Body Selfish Interest. #StopWastingOurTime
“This protest will be covered by top media in the state and all our activities will be posted on social media. We enjoin every students to join us on both physical and online. “Let us dare to be so by ourselves and for ourselves.” – Jean-Jacques Dessalines. #EndJacStrike. The fight continues.
