Author: oduduwanews

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that Ekiti State Government has handed over over N100m car loan to workers across the State.

The Commissioner for Finance, Akintunde Oyebode, who described the gesture as demonstration of the state government’s commitment to the welfare of workers, promised mouth-watering offers to the workforce.

Oyebode, who, according to a ‘Press Release’ by the Press Officer, Ministry of Finance, Dayo Adeniyi, made available on Saturday, urged the beneficiaries “to make use of the loan positively and basically on what it is meant for.”

The commissioner said that beneficiaries of the N100.28m included 41 beneficiaries on Grade levels 02-06 which cost N3,280,500; 96 beneficiaries on Grade levels 07-09 which cost N24,000,000; while N45m was disbursed to beneficiaries on Grade levels 15-17; and N1.5m to one beneficiary on consolidated scale.

He said, “The state government under Governor Kayode Fayemi finds it necessary to make the workers happy despite the economic situation induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Lagos State government has set the resumption of the second term of 2020/21 academic session from Monday, January 18, 2021.

The state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo on Monday made this known

She said, “All public and private schools below the tertiary level in Lagos State should be reopened for the second term 2020/21 academic session from Monday, 18th of January, 2021.

“Schools should have flexible plans where students and teachers who feel sick can teach or learn from home via available online platforms. Schools should also strive to avoid any COVID-19 infection among all students and staff,” the statement read in part.

The commissioner advised students, teachers and all other stakeholders to observe physical distancing, regular sanitization and hand washing.

Melojeuekun Barakat Mayowa, the 16-year-old student who accused the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, of sexual harassment, has appealed to Nigerians to allow the issue to die down as her words in a video she had made on the allegations, were misconstrued, as many people misunderstood her.

The Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS111) student had, on Saturday, December 2, released a video where she accused Abudu-Balogun of attempting to rape her in the guise of helping her financially.

In the video, Mayowa had said, among other things:

“When Abudu-Balogun came into the room, he locked the door and put the key inside his pocket. He asked about my school and I said Victory Model College. He said how much is my school fee, I said N30,000. He asked who pays it and I said my daddy.

“Hon Abudu-Balogun now moved closer to me and pressed my breast. I moved away from him. He said won’t I cooperate, and I replied by saying why will I cooperate. He now started pressing my breast, pressing my body and harassing me, something like that. Then, I was struggling to free myself from him to get freedom.

“He started reciting some incantations and wanted to place his hand on my head, I now moved away his hand and said nobody touches my head. He wanted to force me into his room, but I struggled with him and started shouting.”

The video had drawn the anger of Nigerians who called for the dismissal of the Commissioner as well as his prosecution.

On his part, Abudu-Balogun swiftly released a statement debunking the allegation, saying it was the handiwork of his political enemies who wanted to tarnish his image.

“My attention has been drawn to a purported video circulating on social media of a girl alleging that I attempted to sexually harass her,” the statement read.

“On this said day, the girl was brought to my house by one of my loyalists who is her uncle, to assist her to get a job as a Computer Operator at the ICT Centre I facilitated while I was serving as a member of the House of Representatives years back which has been moribund

“I met her at my sitting room for a few minutes where many of my loyalists are, people that came to visit me for the New Year. I chatted with the lady for few minutes and as part of my usual gesture, I gave her some amount of money for her transportation.

“A day after, I was informed by some people that I have been alleged to have attempted to sexually harass the girl and I should invite the family for a meeting so as to settle the matter amicably.

“It was after my refusal to yield to their threats that they went ahead to make a teleguided video leading the lady on what to say to implicate me. This is purely a political blackmail by my adversaries.

“Let me state emphatically that I never attempted to sexually harass anyone.”

But his explanation did not hold water with the state government as Governor Dapo Abiodun promptly suspended him while ordering the police to carry out an intensive investigation into the allegations.

However, the teenager made another video on Sunday, which seems to hint at a possible recanting of the earlier allegations she made on Abudu-Balogun.

In the new short video, Mayowa pleaded that Nigerians should allow the matter to rest as she and her family were not ready to drag issues with the commissioner.

While thanking and appreciating Nigerians for standing up for her, Mayowa said:

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to meaningful Nigerians to please allow this matter to rest. We don’t want to drag issues with the commissioner.

“The former video I made, many people misunderstood it, so please you should allow the matter to rest.”

The Magistrate court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Omoyele Sowore and four others at Kuje Correctional Centre.

Their formal bail application will be heard tomorrow, January 5, 2020.

Sowore was arrested by the police for leading a protest against bad governance on New Year’s Eve in Abuja.

He is being arraigned alongside four others by the Federal Government on three charges of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, and attempting to incite others.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

An officer of the Oyo State Security Network also known as Amotekun Corps, Ibrahim Ogundele has shot a police officer, Mr. Fatai Yekini in Oyo town on Saturday.

Ogundele is a male officer working with the Amotekun Corps at Isale-Oyo area while Mr. Yekini is a Special Police Constabulary attached to Ojongbodu police station

Source said that Yekini was shot on his left leg at a very close range on the 2nd January 2021 adding that Yekini was taken to the Oyo State General hospital in the Owode area of Oyo.

It was revealed that the police officer is reportedly still receiving treatment at the hospital as of the time of filing this report.

Ogundele is a male officer working with the Amotekun Corps at Isale-Oyo area while Mr. Yekini is a Special Police Constabulary attached to Ojongbodu police station

Source said that Yekini was shot on his left leg at a very close range on the 2nd January 2021 adding that Yekini was taken to the Oyo State General hospital in the Owode area of Oyo.

It was revealed that the police officer is reportedly still receiving treatment at the hospital as of the time of filing this report.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi confirmed the incident.

Fadeyi told newsmen on Sunday that the incident happened when the police officers at Ojongbodu Division were responding to calls to dislodge some youths who were staging a carnival.

He added that the Amotekun Corps member has been detained at the police station for further interrogation.

Fadeyi said, “Yes, this happened when the Police personnel at Ojongbodu Division, Oyo were responding to calls to dislodge recalcitrant youths staging a carnival after several warnings that such should not be staged.

“The Amotekun personnel has since been arrested and currently being investigated at Ojongbodu Police station.”