Category: Featured

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, says he won’t stay in the gutters with his detractors.

Makinde stated this in a recent interview with newsmen.

While arguing that his street credibility is still intact, he maintained that he can volunteer to walk the street of Oje with anybody to test it.

“From my experience in public service, which basically is 18 months now, I know people will try all their best to distract you but you need to stay focused. Otherwise, we will lose the people we are supposed to serve and deliver value to. So, I have chosen not to stay in the gutters with those folks trying to distract us; leave them to whatever it is they are doing. I am glad that we do have street credibility.

“If they think we don’t, I will volunteer to walk on the street of Oje with any of them and we will see who has the credibility. So, the people are appreciative of what we are doing and they know precisely what is going on,”he said

In its determination to curtail the spread of the second wave of the COVID-19, the Lagos State Government, on Saturday, commenced the full decontamination/fumigation of offices in the State Secretariat Complex and other Government offices.

A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mrs. Belinda Odeneye, stated that the exercise had become necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in the State secretariat.

She emphasised that the State Government will continue to adopt measures as part of the safety protocols to ensure that the pandemic does not further spread in the State, saying that the fumigation exercise will be a continuous process until the virus is contained.

Odeneye said the decontamination exercise which commenced on Friday, 15th of January, 2021 with the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Lands Bureau, and Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is expected to end on Saturday the 30th of January 2021.

The PS added that the exercise would commence at 2 p.m during weekdays, while it would start at 8 a.m on weekends and urged all workers to vacate their offices and complex on stipulated days to avoid inhaling chemicals used during the fumigation exercise.

According to the schedule, the Office of the Head of Service/PSO, Ministry of Special Duties & Inter-Governmental Relations, Management Services and Reforms Office, Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Office of Public-Private Partnership, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency and Office of Civic Engagement will be fumigated on Saturday 16th of January, 2021, while the Office of Secretary to the State Government Cabinet Office, Office of the State Auditor General, Audit Service Commission, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance are to be fumigated on Sunday, 17th of January 2021.

The Office of the Deputy Governor, Ministry of Local Government & Community Affairs, Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure will be fumigated on Monday 18th January 2021 in addition to the Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, Ministry of Housing, Civil Service Pensions Office, Ministry of Information & Strategy and Ministry of Health will be decontaminated on Tuesday 19th of January, 2021.

The Staff Clinic, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Establishments, Training & Pensions, Central Business Districts Office, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives are slated for fumigation on the Wednesday 20th of January, 2021 and the Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment, Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, Ministry of Home Affairs, Lagos State Liaison Office Annexe, Lagos State Valuation Office, Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department and the Lagos State Planning & Environmental Monitoring Authority are scheduled for Thursday 21st of January, 2021.

The State Treasury Office, Ministry of Finance, ABAT CENTRE, SPDV, Ministry of Science & Technology and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development are to be fumigated on Friday 22nd of January 2021, while Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State Safety Commission, Ministry of Economic Planning & Budget, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission and the Lagos Television LTV Complex, Agidingbi, are to be decontaminated on 23rd of January. Also, the State House of Assembly Complex, LASEPA Building, LASEMA, Fire Service Office – Alausa, Digital Village and RRS & GMT will be fumigated on Sunday 24th January.

The exercise moves to the Old Secretariat, Ikeja, on Monday, 25th January 2021 with Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Establishment & Pensions Office, Teachers Establishment & Pensions Office, Office of the Auditor General for Local Governments, Office of Youth & Social Development (COURT), Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, Muslim Pilgrims Board, Christian Pilgrims Board, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB), and Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) on Monday 25th January, 2021.

It would be the turn of the Lagos House/Office of the Governor, Office of Chief of Staff and Lagos Global on Tuesday 26th January, 2021. The exercise will continue on 27th January at Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), JJT and Ndubuisi Kanu Parks, Staff Canteen and Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Lagos State Printing Corporation, Office Of Surveyor General, Arts and Culture, Debt Management Office and Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency (LASRAA) Office are scheduled for Thursday 28th January, 2021.

The fumigation exercise holds in Oshodi on 29th January at the offices of LASTMA, LASDRI, Lagos State Task Force, KAI Office, Neighbourhood Watch and LAW Reform Commission and would be rounded up on 30th January with the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Public Works Bureau, Lagos State Cooperative College (Johnson Agiri) Oko-Oba, Agege and Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau.

Oduduwa News has gathered that the Seriki Fulani of Ibarapa, Saliu has frowned against order made by Chief Sunday Igboho to him to vacate Ibarapaland within 7 days.

Recall that Sunday Igboho had earlier visited Igangan, residence of Seriki Fulani to warn him to pack his belongings and leave Ibarapaland as excessive killings of Ibarapa indigenes by gunmen suspected to be his men could not be condoned again.

While reacting to the vacation order, Saliu Seriki’s daughter, Hauwau has reacted to the quit notice issued to her family to vacate Ibarapa region following the spate of kidnappings and gruesome killings that have ravaged the region in recent times.

The Fulani herders in the region have been alleged to be the perpetrators of the heinous acts, which include kidnappings and wanton killings.

The Igboho-born activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho had visited the Seriki Fulani’s residence at Igangan on Friday January 15, 2021 to express displeasure over brutality of the Fulani herdsmen that have claimed lives and properties worth millions of naira in the region lately.

Chief Igboho, however, gave Saliu Seriki and the entire Fulanis ultimatum of 7 days to vacate Ibarapa land. This, according to him is the only way to stem insecurity in the region.

Reacting to the quit notice on her WhatsApp status, Hauwau Seriki noted that Yoruba should be ashamed of driving fulani herdsmen out of their community, pointing that President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is a Fulani man.

Hauwau described the public outrage and the decision of Ibarapa residents to expel Fulanis from their land as uncalled for, adding that her father had spent more than fifty years in the area.

She threatened Sunday Igboho for his intervention in the security challenges by asking her father, Saliu Seriki, to quit Ibarapa land.

She wrote: “Sunday, Sunday, I pity your generation. You start the war and you will end it.

“You people want war right, you want your father’s land?

“Fulani is your President. You people should be ashamed of saying you will send away Fulanis in your father land. Did your fathers bring land from heaven?

“Saliu Seriki has been on that land for more than 50 years. Now you are telling him to vacate your father land. You must be stupid.

“By the time my father meets with Buhari, you will cry for help. You never know Saliu Seriki is on his way to Abuja. He is a man of his words, “awon were omo odudua,” she retorted.

The Commander, Ekiti Amotekun Corps, Brig. Gen. Joe Komolafe (retd.), on Saturday, warned residents against conniving with kidnappers to desist from such or face consequences.

Komolafe, who said that apart from facing the wrath of the law when caught, the collaborators would end up as victims of the kidnappers as a result of their greed.

The Amotekun boss spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, in reaction to the revelation of a kidnap victim that villagers were cooking for kidnappers who abducted him, just as some okada riders were privy to the kidnappers’ activities.

Reacting, Komolafe said, “We are trying as much as possible to speak to the minds of the residents that it is not in their best interest to aid the kidnappers because one day, they may fall victim.”

“The kidnappers are here. They are not spirits. Residents should give information. We tell residents – why don’t you cooperate with us and security agencies and give us information?

“You don’t need to collaborate with criminals. Why will residents stay by the roadside and call kidnappers in the bush to arrest a particular vehicle which they think conveys people who can pay ransom? I always tell villagers there is no point collaborating with kidnappers and that what they should rather do is to give information to the security agencies.

“We are intensifying the sensitisation because when we are able to remove the collaborators, when we are able to make our people report strange faces, movements and activities, busting the kidnappers will be a lot easier,” Komolafe added.

The Oyo State Western Nigeria Security Network Agency Oyo State Amotekun codenamed Amotekun has apprehended the two suspects for producing and selling fake Amotekun Uniform in Challenge Area of Ibadan, Oyo State. Details later.

Ekiti and Ondo States former speakers have dissociated themselves from the purported endorsement of the National Leader of the All-Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu to contest the 2023 presidential election.

It will be recalled that it was reported earlier today, January 15, 2021 that former speakers of Houses of Assembly in the Southwest geo-political zone had, at a meeting in Ibadan on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 and attended by the current Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, resolved to draw massive support for the candidacy of Tinubu for the 2023 presidential election.

However. in a release signed by Rt. Hons. Victor Olabimtan, Oluwasegunota Bolarinwa, Agbomuserin, Abdusalam Olawale Taofeeq, Kenneth Olawale (Ondo), and Ajigbolamu (Ekiti) and made available to journalist on Friday, the ex-speakers from the two states maintained that although they attended the said meeting, there was no endorsement for the candidacy of Tinubu and no communique was issued to that effect.

The former-speakers said the meeting was at the instance of Rt. Hon. Titi Oseni, the Coordinator of the Southwest forum of the Conference of Former Speakers of House of Assembly of Nigeria, under the national chairman of Governor Simon Lalong. Rt. Hon. Obasa came to the meeting to solicit support of the ex-speakers, as automatic national delegates, for the aspiration of his mentor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

They said when the issue was discussed they spoke in unison during the meeting and maintained that they would rather wait for the directive of the leader of their respective states. That’s Governor Akeredolu of Ondo state and Governor Fayemi of Ekiti State, who are in best position to speak for their states. They told the gathering that all candidates from the zone, including Tinubu had legitimate right to aspire to lead the country.

The ex-speaker from Ekiti State also informed the gathering that his Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is equally interested in the presidency and eminently qualified.

“As much as the issue of national politics is concerned, we are of the opinion that every eligible aspirant deserves equal right and opportunity. As a member of the All-Progressives Congress, APC, we are not against the aspiration of any member of the party from the Southwest Region. Every State in the Southwest, be it Lagos, Ondo, or Ekiti is qualified to produce a candidate and whoever that the leadership of the Party supports, we will support”.

“It is a well-known fact that, our Governors are the leaders of our party in every State, and we will never do anything that is contrary to their interest. If Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is interested in running for the 2023 Presidency, and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State is also gunning for the position, they are both qualified to run. However, none of them has openly declared interest or intention to do so. Therefore, the issue of drumming support for any particular “aspirant” as being circulated is out of place and we are not party to that”.

These positions were said to have been canvassed at the meeting by members from Ondo and Ekiti States, and now re-echoed in a joint press statement issued by the aforementioned ex-speakers.

“We hereby dissociate ourselves from such endorsement when the purported gladiator has not informed the Conference of his interest to run for the exalted position in the Country. We are party men, and will support the interest of all our leaders wherever they go”.

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its earlier pronouncement that all public and private schools in Lagos State below tertiary level should resume on Monday, 18th January, 2021 for the second term 2020/2021 academic session.

The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, who disclosed this today in Ikeja, noted the directive is in line with the Federal Government’s resolution after reaching a consensus with relevant stakeholders.

Adefisayo urged all students and members of staff to stay safe and adhere strictly to COVID-19 guidelines, adding that proprietors must provide soap, wash hand basins, alcohol-based hand sanitisers, thermometers and other essential items in public and private schools across the State.

While wishing both students and staff of the schools a happy and successful new academic term, she stressed that washing of hands, wearing of face masks and maintenance of physical distancing must be adhered to in order to avoid further spread of the virus.

The Commissioner, however, reiterated her earlier advice that all schools must ensure strict compliance with subsisting COVID-19 requirements for schools’ resumption, maintaining that administrators of both public and private schools are expected to ensure full compliance with the guidelines for schools’ re-opening as the State’s Office of Education Quality Assurance team will monitor situations in all schools across the State.