Author: oduduwanews

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Gov. Oyetola eulogizes Borno Gov, Prof. Zulum as UI Alumni Association Honours Him With Award

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun has described his Borno counterpart, Prof. Babagana Zulum, as a man of strong character and conviction who is determined to carry on despite the daunting security challenges in his area.

Osun Governor said but for his strong character and conviction, the enormous security challenges in the State were enough for anyone to run away.

Oyetola spoke in Ibadan on Saturday at the 2021 Luncheon & Awards ceremony of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, where Zulum was honoured by the association as both Most Distinguished Alumnus and the Alumus of the Year.

“From the documentary we just watched, I can see that the governor in less than two years has done tremendously well. And like we all know, the reward for hard work is more work. I believe this award will spur him to do more great things for the people of Borno. I congratulate you for these honours. You truly deserve them” Oyetola said.

Zulum on his part, thanked the Alumni Association for the award, saying the honour would encourage him to improve on the tempo of service delivery in the State.

On his part, the Chairman of the occasion and former Health minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, commended Zulum for carrying on from where his predecessor, Senator Kashim Shettima, left off.

He commended Shettima for discovering Zulum, just as he described Oyetola as a magician, saying most times he wonders how the Governor manages to pay salaries and still carry on with infrastructure development across all sectors of the economy in the State.

Prof. Adewole said that with persons like Zulum and Oyetola as Governor of their respective States, there is hope for Nigeria.

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Borno Gov, Prof. Zulum, Kwara Gov, Razaq Abdulrahman Pay Courtesy Visit To Makinde In Ibadan

Earlier today, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, and his Kwara State counterpart, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde in Ibadan.

This was contained in a statement released by Gov. Seyi Makinde via his Twitter handle which reads in part:

“We were pleased to welcome my brothers, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State who paid us a courtesy visit this morning. Former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kassim Shettima and Senator Ali Ndume were also in the entourage.

“Governor Zulum is in Ibadan to receive an award from alumni of his alma mater, the University of Ibadan. I congratulated him for the well-deserved award, and thanked him for commiserating with us over the incidents at Sasa and the Auto Spare Parts Market, Agodi Gate. – Governor ‘Seyi, Makinde, FNSE”.

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S’West PDP Congress: Party Chairmen raise alarm over plan to use fake Amotekun to scuttle election process

The Congress of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Southwest region slated to hold on Monday in Osogbo, Osun State has been generating alot of controversies from the in-house gladiators who are the major players in the game of political power about to be shifted to whosoever that finally wears the crown in few days to come.

Earlier today, chairmen in Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Ogun States have raised the alarm over plan by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to bring over 150 armed thugs dressed in uniform of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun to Osogbo for the South-West Zonal Congress on Monday.

The State Chairmen, who spoke through the Ogun State PDP Chairman, Dr Sikirulai Ogundele, said presence of anyone in Amotekun uniform anywhere near the congress venue will be resisted.

Sikirulai, who spoke on behalf of the PDP chairmen in Ekiti, Lagos, Osun States, Otunba Bisi Kolawole, Engr Adedeji Doherty and Hon Sunday Bisi respectively, said there was credible information confirming the plot to clothe thugs in Amotekun uniform to invade Osogbo on Monday.

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He called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure that only authorised security personnel and delegates are allowed into the congress venue.

Sikirulai said; “We are aware that they want to bring in thugs under the guise of Amotekun and we are warning them to perish that idea because it will be resisted.

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Makinde, Tambuwal, Ortom, other PDP governors meet in Makurdi to discuss national security

Earlier yesterday, Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and other the PDP Governors met in Makurdi, Benue State.

It was learnt that they discussed various issues, including security, where they called for restructuring to decentralise the security architecture of Nigeria to deal with rising insecurity.

In the past few months, there has been rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, attacks on national institution. Recently, some yet to be identified gunmen stormed Imo State Correctional Service burnt the Prison and later freed thousands of prisoners.

This has been generating a lot of concerns from various stakeholders as the rising insecurity is taking its toll on national development.

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Gunmen abduct businessman in Ekiti


Some gunmen have reportedly kidnapped the General Manager of Prosperous Filling Station, Itakorodo Adebayo, at Isan-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

The incident, according to the police, occurred around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday when the gunmen stormed the filling station.

They came with six motorcycles and shot sporadically before whisking away the victim.

The police spokesperson in Ekiti, Sunday Abutu, in a statement confirming the incident said the police and other security agencies have been deployed to the bushes to rescue the victim.

“A team of Police Operatives and Detectives including the Amotekun Corps and the local Hunters have been deployed to rigorously comb the bushes and the forests across the State to ensure the rescue of one Itakorodo Adebayo, the General Manager of prosperous filling station, Isan-Ekiti, who was abducted by unknown gunmen numbering about eight(8) at about 1900hrs on Thursday 8th April, 2021.”

“It was gathered that the gunmen stormed the filling station through the bush on about six(6) motorcycles and started shooting sporadically before whisking the victim away.

“The Ekiti State Police Command, in addition to the rescue teams deployed, has contacted all the States bordering Ekiti State for possible assistance towards the rescue of the victim and the arrest of the perpetrators.

“The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police implores anyone with useful information that could assist the Police to rescue the victim and apprehend the culprits to inform the nearest Police Station or call 08062335577,” the police statement read.

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COVID-19: WAEC affirms shift of May/June exams, starts August 16, ends Sept 30

The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria, says the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination will commence in August and not May.

WAEC also debunked reports by some news platforms that it postponed the examination.

In a statement on Friday, Acting Head, Public Affairs, WAEC, Nigeria, Demianus Ojijeogu, said WAEC Nigeria Head, Patrick Areghan, was quoted out of context at a briefing on Tuesday when he announced the release of results of WASSCE for private candidates.

According to Ojijeogu, Areghan said the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic has distorted the academic calendars of schools, hence, it will be impossible for candidates to sit for the examination in May because most of the schools are still in their first term.

The statement was titled, ‘Conduct Of WASSCE For School Candidates, 2021 In Nigeria’.

The statement said Areghan had at the Tuesday briefing said, “Let me also use this opportunity to dispel rumours being peddled about by some people regarding the conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates, 2021. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still very much felt in the education sector.

“The academic calendar has been distorted. It will, therefore, not be possible to have the examination in May/June this year. A convenient International Timetable for the conduct of the examination will soon be released.”

The statement added, “The arrangement is in line with the current academic calendar and was done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.

“Consequently, the Council wishes to inform schools, candidates and the general public that the examination will hold from August 16, 2021 to September 30, 2021. The International timetable for the conduct of the examination will be released in due course.”

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S’West PDP Congress: Fayose led-faction fumes, kicks against nomination of Melaye as committee member

The group in the South West People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has rejected the choice of Senator Dino Melaye as Chairman of the Congress Screening Committee.

The group insisted on Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, earlier agreed upon by both parties, saying “the sudden emergence of Senator Dino Melaye is suggestive of a planned hatchet job.”

This was contained in a release jointly issued by Fayose, PDP governorship candidates in Osun and Ogun States, Senator Ademola Adeleke and Hon Ladi Adebutu respectively as well as the immediate past Zonal Chairman and aspirant in the next Monday Congress, Dr Eddy Olafeso.

They said “What the party told us was that Senator Abaribe will be chairman of the screening committee.

“To us, this sudden use of Senator Dino Melaye is suspicious and we will not accept it.

“If Senator Abaribe is not available, there should be someone acceptable to the two parties to replace him, not Dino Melaye.

“Therefore, for equity, fairness and transparency, we call on the National Working Committee to replace Senator Dino Melaye with someone that is acceptable to both contending parties as Chairman of the Screening Committee.”

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Lagos Govt Set To Reduce Orphans, Vulnerable Children in Nigeria

Determined to reduce the population of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Nigeria, the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, in collaboration with Association for Reproductive Health (ARFH), has set up a Technical Steering Committee on OVC.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Dr. Aina Olugbenga Ayoola, said that the Lagos State Technical Steering Committee on OVC was geared towards improving effective coordination of OVC programming among multi-sectoral actors within the State.

Dr. Ayoola disclosed that “Nigeria has one of the highest population of Vulnerable Children in the world, which is approximately 17.5 million. A large number of children in Nigeria were classified as vulnerable because they lack parental care and support, are at risk of food security and chronic malnutrition, lack of protection, shelter, psychosocial support, education and at the risk of physical and sexual abuse”.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the essence of the programme was to promote welfare and development of Orphans and Vulnerable Children while contributing to the reduction in the number of OVC in Nigeria for significant improvement in the quality of life and wellbeing of all vulnerable children.

On her part, the Country Representative/Senior Advisor at ARFH, Dr. Uche Ralph-Opara, stated that the desire of the organisation to partner with Lagos State was due to its well laid out plan to help ameliorate the situation of the orphans and vulnerable children, adding that the task should not be left for Lagos alone.

Dr. Ralph-Opara promised that ARFH would give the State Government every necessary support to implement the document that would be produced by the Steering Committee for the betterment of Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

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S’West PDP Zonal Congress: Dino Melaye, Four Others Appointed as Screening Committee Members

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic has named Senator Dino Melaye has the Chairman of screening committee for the Southwest Zonal Congress scheduled to hold on April 12th, in Oshogbo, the Osun State capital.

This was contained in a short statement signed by the National Organizing Secretary of the PDP, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd). Other members of the screening Committee are: Senator Shetimma Danjuma Laah (Member), Hon. Ekeleme Chima ikieje (Member), Dr. Mrs. Emilia Ezeude (Member) and Egede Ogo Israel (Secretary).

The Screening exercise is scheduled to hold on Saturday April 10, 2021 at Osogbo City, Osun State.

The statement reads in full:

YEAR 2021 SOUTH-WEST ZONAL CONGRESS:

SCREENING COMMITTEE:

The National Working Committee (NWC) of our great Party has approved your nomination to serve on the SCREENING COMMITTEE to screen all aspirants for the SOUTH-WEST Zonal Executive Committee positions.

COMPOSITION:

1. Sen. Dino Melaye (Chairman)
2. Dist. Sen. Shetimma Danjuma Laah (Member)
3. Hon. Ekeleme Chima ikieje (Member)
4. Dr. Mrs. Emilia Ezeude (Member)
5. Egede Ogo Israel (Secretary)

The Screening exercise is scheduled to hold on Saturday April 10, 2021 at Osogbo City, Osun State.

Congratulations.

Col Austin Akobundu (rtd).
National Organizing Secretary.

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Sports Festival: FG, Edo Govt Clash Over Funding

The ongoing National Sports Festival in Edo State have recently experienced some hiccups as athletes and officials say they are confused over the conflicting information passed by the Federal Ministry of Sports and the Local Organising Committee.

The Sports participants lamented that they are at a crossroads on whether to prepare to contest or return back to their base.

They also stated that some of the LOC officials have stopped attending to them at the venue of the competition due to several misinformation

The news of the postponement spread Thursday morning and activities at the venue of the Sports Festival went on low-key.

“We don’t even know what is going on again. We are all confused here. I hope that things will get clearer after 12noon,” an stated.

The confusion started when the LOC announced that the festival will end abruptly by 12 noon over the Federal Government’s failure to release funds.

A few hours after the LOC announcement, the sports ministry insisted that the festival would continue.

Athletes and officials at the ongoing National Sports Festival in Edo State say they are confused over the conflicting information passed by the Federal Ministry of Sports and the Local Organising Committee.

Ebomhiana Musa, the Coordinator of Media and Publicity, National Sports Festival, had in a statement on Wednesday night, said the decision to end the competition was taken at an emergency meeting of the Local Organising Committee headed by Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

“The Local Organising Committee, Edo2020 regrets to announce that it will end the games abruptly tomorrow, Thursday, April 8, 2021, for lack of funds.

“Regrettably, the FG is yet to redeem its pledge to support us as the host state financially for the cost of postponements. So, we are left with no option but to end the games at noon tomorrow.” Musa stated.

Reacting, the Federal Government in a statement by Ramon Balogun, Assistant Director Press Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, on Thursday morning, said, “The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has clarified that the 20th National Sports Festival, Edo 2020, is going on as planned with competitions going on as scheduled.

“For the records, the Edo State government due to the cost implications of postponements occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic requested financial assistance from the Federal government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development”. He added.

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