Category: Featured

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has flagged off the construction of a flyover in Lagere area, Ile-Ife, valued at N14.9 billion.

This is as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi pleaded with the Governor to ensure that the project is not abandoned for the sake of the economic prosperity of the ancient town’s residents.

Speaking during the flag off of the project at Lagere, Ile-Ife yesterday, Governor Adeleke said the project which was awarded to Sammya Construction Company is billed to be completed in 12 months.

Besides the flyover flag off, according to the governor, the construction of 55.86kilometer roads across the 30 local government and the Area office in Modakeke valued N30.67billion would also commence across the state and would be completed within 12 months.

“We are here for two in one event. We are flagging off the flyover bridge at Lagere Junction as well as the commencement of 55 kilometers of roads across the 30 local governments and the area office.

“After compliance with the due process and procurement laws, the flyover bridge was awarded to Messrs Sammya Nigeria limited at a total project cost of N14.9billion. The completion period is 12 months.

“Additionally, flag off the construction of Local Government Roads totaling 55.86km at the cost of N30,677,814,099.42. This is also to have a completion period of twelve months.

“I urge the various contractors and the host communities to partner closely for the successful execution of the projects. Community relations must never be downplayed”, he said.

Earlier in his remark, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi urged the Governor to ensure that the project is not a white elephant, pleading with him to not just monitor progress but ensure timely completion of the project.

“When the governor proposed this project I was very happy. Ile-Ife is his origin. Despite that the governor is from Ede, he remembered his ancestral home. I want to plead with the governor to remember Mayfair Road.

“I want to plead with the governor not to deceive us with the flag off but please help us to complete this project. Don’t just come here to cut the ribbon but please complete this overhead bridge you unveiled today,’ he said.

The Department for State Security Services DSS has arrested the former Chairman of Oyo State Park Management System, Mukaila Lamidi popularly known as Auxiliary.

He said to have been whisked away at his Olodo residence in Ibadan by operatives of DSS at exactly 4pm.

The report of his arrest was disclosed to Oduduwa News by one his closed associates.

Details later.

Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, unveiled a shocking revelation in an interview with Lagos Reporters recently. According to Olumide, a staggering 80% of buildings in Ibeju Lekki have been constructed without proper approval from the authorities.

Olumide highlighted the concerning trend during a recent inspection of the Ibeju Lekki and Epe axis, emphasizing that many estates in the area operate without the necessary permits. He explained, “Over 80 per cent of them do not have approval. The procedure to get approval is first to get the planning information, as to what those areas have been zoned for.”

Furthermore, the Chief Executive Officer of Octo5 Holdings, Jide Odusolu, shed light on the situation regarding the master plan of the Lekki Peninsula. Odusolu noted a significant deviation from the original masterplan post-2010, attributing it to the rapid development and a disregard for existing regulations by newer estates.

Odusolu remarked, “Almost all large estates along the Lekki corridor, especially those developed between 2000-2008, have approved layout plans. However, starting in 2010, the plans became distorted with accelerated development, and many of the smaller schemes that sprung up deliberately sought to avoid the large infrastructure burdens carried by the legacy era developments.”

The revelations have raised concerns about the legality and safety of numerous buildings in the area. As the state government vows to crack down on illegal constructions, questions linger over the future of these unauthorized properties and the potential risks they pose to residents and investors.

Ogun state police command, Mowe Division, has arrested a 30-year-old man identified as Praise, for defiling a 14-year-old girl.

The arrest came after a report was filed by the teenager’s grandparents who reported her missing.

This was made known in a statement by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, on Wednesday, May 1.

The statement partly reads: “Police in Ogun frown at sex crimes and partners Commissioner for women affairs for rehabilitation of victims.

“The Divisional Police Officer of Mowe Division has arrested one actor. Praise a 30 year old ‘m’ for alleged defilement of one a 14 year old ‘f’.

“The arrest came following a report on the 1st of May at about 1405 hrs from the grand parents on the teenager, that their granddaughter got missing since the 27th of April ,2024.

“The grandparents of the abducted teenager also alleged the suspect of having unlawful carnal knowledge of their grand daughter, who under careful observation was discovered to have been bleeding profusely.

“Medical forms have been issued for examination and treatment in a government hospital for more credible evidence.

“He will be charged to Court upon conclusion of investigation”.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a gang of suspected ritualists who specialise in killing people and harvesting body parts for sale in various states. The suspects include a woman who is an Osun priestess, a community chief, an Ifa priest, an Islamic cleric, and a trado-medicine practitioner.

While confirming this burst on Friday, the spokesperson of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the suspects who operate in one of the extreme divisions of Lagos were arrested through intelligence reports from the public.

According to him, the leader of the gang, a 33-year-old man, Ademola Akinlosotu, confessed initially that he was exhuming corpses from cemeteries and selling their parts to ritualists but later graduated to killing and selling human parts to customers on demand.

Speaking on his antecedents, Akinlosotu said that he moved from killing people to harvesting parts because his clients requested fresh parts rather than dead body parts. Akinlosotu said ”while I and some members of the gang would do the killings,” he would supply the parts to a 52-year-old man, Ahmed Wahab, aka Alfa Bororo, who operated from Badagry in Lagos State and Ogun State, to supply his clients.

The suspect said a fresh human head is sold at N45,000 or N50,000 while a dried human head sells between N30,000 and N35,000; heart for N70,000 and hands for N50,000.
Akinlosotu speaking further admitted to killing two persons, which included a friend he met through social media, before he was arrested.

He said before they killed anyone, the herbalist would be contacted to consult an oracle to determine whether the killing would be successful or would bring trouble. The suspect alleged that a traditional ruler in Badagry requested him to kill his son because he was giving him problems. He also said that the day they were to carry out the killing was when a friend he met online visited him, and he was killed. Akinlosotu said that all he harvests, when he kills, is the person’s head, the heart, and the hands.

Hundeyin said exhibits of different human parts were recovered from the suspects as the police continued the trail of other suspects. The command said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are completed.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that a policy that would enforce road worthiness of truck heads plying roads in the state would be put in place.

Addressing the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo and his entourage, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, after visiting the site of last Saturday’s explosion, Governor Abiodun said attention would also be paid to gas cylinders used by the trucks to ensure quality and standard.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, said the steps became necessary in view of the preponderance of gas utilisation in the state.

He said: “I was very worried when the report of the incident reached me, and the reason for that is that Ogun State is the industrial capital of Nigeria with over 6,000 manufacturing industries and companies. We enjoy gas reticulation more than any other state in Nigeria.

“With the explosion, a lot of questions were asked as to what happened, how it happened, and the lessons learnt. We have received a preliminary report from the Ministry of Environment.

“We have taken some steps to forestal future occurrence. We have shut down the company involved to conduct a safety audit, and investigations are ongoing to determine the immediate cause of the incident and how to ensure that it does not repeat itself.

“We must ensure that truck heads that convey gas are road worthy. We are going to put in place a policy that enforces road worthiness of trucks and looks at issues around standards. These issues will govern quality and assure us of the quality of the gas cylinders.”

Prince Abiodun said he was worried about how the public would perceive the incident, especially with the constitution of the Presidential Task Force on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to deepen the provision, utilization and off take of gas across the country.

He stressed the need for the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to be up and doing as the gas industry is fast evolving, noting that it was necessary to ensure adequate regulation of the industry.

While appreciating President Bola Tinubu for commiserating with the government and the people of the state on the incident, Governor Abiodun assured that his administration would collaborate with the federal government to find out the immediate cause and what needed to be done to guide against future occurrence and how to support those affected.

“I am glad that you have come and demonstrated that utmost responsiveness and concern which is heart warning and I am sure that your coming itself will assure the people of Ogun State that they are not alone in this incident and we, both the state and the federal government, are cooperating and collaborating to find solution to the incident,” the governor assured.

Speaking earlier, Rt. Hon. Ekpo, said he was in the state in his capacity as the Minister in charge of gas on behalf of the president, to assess the extent of damage done by the explosion and report same for proper and prompt response.

While sympathizing with the families of the victims and those who lost property and businesses, the Minister said despite the incident, there was a need to continue with the CNG initiative to drive the economy as it is the cleanest source of energy.

Ekpo said he came with managers of the gas industry to find out what happened with a view to looking at how to address it to prevent future occurrence, even as he appreciated the governor for rising up to the occasion to assuage the sufferings of the people.

“Let me assure you that at the Ministry, we are taking gas infrastructure very seriously and by the time we complete the AKK, the conveyance of gas through the visual means will be reduced by taking the impact away from our roads.

“I have also told the Authority Chief to ensure that the companies they may be releasing license to have the capacity to pipe the gas to the end users so that we do away with this unforseen circumstances that took place here,” the Minister assured.

Speaking while receiving the Minister and the deputy governor of Ogun State in his company premises, the Managing Director of Gasco Marine, Mr. Segun Ogunwunmi described the gas explosion as unfortunate, as the company, over the last five years since it commenced operations, has not recorded any incident.

He said facilities at the company are topnotch while the drivers are trained by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, and the premises are checked regularly to ensure complaints with safety standards.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun said that his administration would do all in its power to come up with a decision on the new minimum wage.

The governor said a meeting with labour leaders in the state would be held with a view to arriving at a decision that is favourable to both the government and the workers.

The governor, who made this known during the year 2024 Worker’s Day celebration and rally, tagged: ‘People First’, also added that his administration has paid a total of N128.3 billion as pensions and gratuities to both local and state government retirees in the state.

“On minimum wage, your ever responsive administration has done a lot of work, which is aimed at arriving at a position that we can sustain in line with our inclusive style of governance.

“We will soon be calling a meeting with the organized labour leaders to finalize the Ogun State Government Minimum decision,” he said.

Prince Abiodun noted that the state government has paid N2.8 billion as leave bonuses to workers, with the bonus entitlement for the year 2023 and January to March 2024, also paid by his administration.

In addition, N13.4 billion outstanding deductions have been paid to workers.

While also noting that his administration has paid over N8 billion as palliatives to state government workers and pensioners, Abiodun added that car and motorcycle refurbishing loans have been increased by 100 per cent by his administration.

Governor Abiodun further added that about 10,982 civil servants have benefitted from the loan scheme with about N1.3 billion disbursed so far.

The governor added that his administration has also consistently provided a N10,000 transport allowance to all civil servants for the past nine months, totaling N8billion.

“We are diligently remitting the backlog of inherited deductions and have consistently paid the agreed outstanding deductions. These deductions that have been paid up to March 2024 have totalled about N13.4billion since I assumed office.

“We continue to pay pension and gratuity to both state and local governments, totalling approximately N118.7billion and N9.6 billion, respectively, for a total of N128.3billion.

“Payment of leave bonuses for all beneficiaries at the state, local and SUBEB amounting to about N2.9 billion.

“It is important to state that bonus entitlement for 2023 and from January to March 2024 have all been paid. Payment on palliatives for state government staff, parastatals, corporations, institutions, and pensioners totalling about N8 billion.

“The car and motorcycle refurbishing loans have been increased by 100 per cent, providing enhanced financial support for all civil servants.

“Up to March 2024, about 10,982 civil servants have benefitted from the loan scheme with about N1 billion disbursed,” he said.

The governor also added that his administration has continued to pay 40% of the basic salary of workers in the state as Peculiar Allowance, adding that Ogun Teach interns will after two years minimum meritorious service get migrated into the mainstream of the civil service.

“I directed last year that TESCOM and SUBEB engage additional 2000 OgunTEACh interns, increasing the total number of interns engaged to 4,000 out of 5000 target …I directed that 1000 of the interns that have served more than two years and have been evaluated and found worthy be absorbed into mainstream civil service

“I have now decided to turn this into a policy going forward, Ogun TeacH interns will now after 2 years minimum meritorious service and passing evaluation will be migrated into mainstream civil service,” he said.

While noting that he has directed the Head of Service to start the process of appointing Principal Generals to fill the vacant offices, Governor Abiodun said that his administration has updated and reviewed the Public Service Rules and Financial Instructions, the first overhaul in over two decades.

Governor Abiodun also said that his administration has expanded its health insurance coverage with the introduction of the ‘Ileradapo’ scheme for the state workforce and the public, noting that over 70,000 people have benefited from the health scheme, with over 1,500 surgeries done so far free of charge.

“We have expanded our health insurance coverage with the “Ileradapo” scheme, benefiting all state workers and the public, and I can proudly say that over 70,000 beneficiaries have participated in the scheme. Furthermore, over 1,500 free surgeries have been performed to date.

“Under the Ibidero Scheme, we offer comprehensive support for pregnant women, including free pre-natal and post-natal care, and an additional N5,000 per birth in our state hospitals and primary health care centers,” he added.

In his remarks, the Minister of Labour and Employment Barrister Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, represented by the state controller, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nnambi Enuah restated the commitment of the present administration to continue to pursue policies and programmes that prioritizes the rights of workers in the country.

She further said that the federal government in order to mitigate the consequences of some of its recent policies have rolled out palliatives like the wage award, Presidential Constitutional Grant Scheme, grant for large manufacturers, loans for small and medium businesses, consumer’s credit scheme, among others, urging workers to continue to renew their strength and renew their commitment and support to government at all levels.

Also,the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Akeem Lasisi, called on the government to address unemployment and the high cost of living in the country.

He commended Governor Abiodun for his leadership capability and unmatched response to doing what was necessary in the wake of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

The labour leader also appreciated the governor for the implementation of the N10,000 transport allowance and the 40% increment in workers’ basic salary.

The highlight of the May Day celebration was the presentation of the Best Friendly Governor Award to Governor Dapo Abiodun by the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress and match past by various unions in the state.