Category: News

Oyo State Government on Thursday, revealed that it has partnered with Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to install a power substation, saying this will address problems related to power outage in some areas of the State.

The project, according to the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Barrister Temilolu Seun Ashamu is a 132/133/33kva sub-station in Oyo town.

During an inspection of the project today, the Commissioner who said the project will stabilize and sustain power generation in the state, added that it is a bold pronunciation by the Government to tackle epileptic power supply in the State.
The Commissioner emphasized that the present administration in Oyo State is ensuring no stone is left unturned in achieving steady power activities of the citizenry.

Barrister Ashamu who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Joel Olaleye Ajagbe said a 500kva transformer would soon be commissioned in Ilora Farm Settlement.

He stated that installation of the transformer was part of the present administration’s determination to ensure steady power supply to boost socio-economic and commercial activities of the people.

Barrister Ashamu also hinted that the communities which have vibrant economic activities but were not connected to the national Grid would benefit from the Mini-Grid scheme project.

He added that the first phase of the scheme would be enjoyed by residents of Ajia, Otefan community, Samu community, Iwajowa, Oyo Community and Ogbomoso south local government.

Ashamu noted with delight that efforts were in top gear to establish Gas pipeline station in the state as work had reached appreciable level on the project.

It would be recalled that Oyo state has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with shell infrastructure to expand its economy and attract big businesses.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, secured a total of 2220 (Two Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty) convictions across all its Commands in 2021. The figure which emerged from a review of the Commission’s performance in the outgone year, shows that the Lagos Command of the Agency recorded the most convictions-481, closely followed by the Ibadan Command with 324 convictions, while the Port Harcourt Zonal Command had 230 convictions.

The conviction secured by the Commission in 2021 is the highest by the EFCC Since inception. Before 2021, the highest record of conviction by the Commission was secured in 2019 with 1280 convictions. The 2220 record of 2021 is a 127.5 % improvement over the 2019 record.

Interestingly too, the 2220 record represents a 98.49% success rate in prosecution as the Commission lost only 34 cases during this period.

Commenting on the performance, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the personnel of the Commission for their industry and dedication despite the challenges of criminal prosecution in court. He assured that the EFCC will continue to motivate all categories of staff for greater efficiency through capacity development and other incentives.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has made known the outcome of the meeting held with the concerned people on the land dispute at Magodo Estate.

This was contained in a statement released by the Govenror via his official Facebook account as read in part:

“Today, in the pursuit of an amicable resolution to the outstanding matter of the Magodo land dispute, I chaired a meeting with the Judgment Creditors (Shangisha Landlords’ Association), their lawyers, Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Policemen from the F.C.T Command and Police Headquarters, the Executive and Trustees of the Magodo Residents’ Association and senior Government Officials on the enforcement of Judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on the 10th of February 2012.

“The meeting deliberated and agreed upon the following resolutions as follows:

“All the parties agreed to an amicable resolution of the matter and I thanked everyone for attending and restated our resolve to ensure that peace returns to Magodo and that there is justice for all.

1. “That the Committee set up by the State Government to resolve the Magodo dispute, chaired by the Hon. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is to meet with the Judgment Creditors (Shangisha Landlords’ Association) on Friday 7th of January 2022.
2. The Surveyor- General of Lagos State, Permanent Secretary Lands Bureau and Hon. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development are to immediately identify available plots of land within the Shangisha village scheme.
3. The Committee is also to identify how the available plots of land are to be accessed and if any infrastructural development is necessary to access the land.
4. Upon identification of available and accessible land, the State Government is to immediately allocate the land to the 549 Judgment Creditors.
5. In the event that there is no available and accessible land within the Shangisha village scheme to allocate to all the 549 Judgment Creditors, the State Government, in agreement with the Judgment Creditors, will provide alternative plots of land.
6. Whilst this exercise is ongoing, the Nigeria Police are to restrain themselves from any conduct or action that may instigate violence or breakdown of law and order in Magodo. They should be keepers of peace and act within the confines of the law – always.

I am convinced that with the step we have taken this lingering problem will be permanently solved and justice would have been done to all parties”.

The Olupo of Oluponna, Oba Emmanuel Onaolapo Oyebanji, Fadare II, has joined his ancestors, ODUDUWA NEWS reports.

According to the palace sources, Oba Oyebanji joined his ancestors yesterday, according to sources in Oluponna, the headquarters of Ayedire South Local Council Development Area, State of Osun.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has said more workers in the State employment would start working virtually as part of safety measures being put in place to guard against the spread of the new covid-19 variant, Omicron.

Dr Fayemi disclosed this on Wednesday when he paid an unscheduled visit to workers at the State Secretariat Complex in Ado Ekiti, the State capital. He said one of the opportunities in the adversity of Covid-19 is that more workers in the state would learn to work smarter with the aid of modern technology.

The visit, which also witnessed the distribution of new office furniture to state officials, according to the Governor, was meant to felicitate with workers in the New Year and to pay attention to issues that can serve as challenges to their performances in 2022.

Governor Fayemi maintained that a lot of development had taken place in the secretariat with landscaping and completion of more buildings to create more space for office accommodation. He added that adequate preparation had been made in all the offices to ensure compliance with covid-19 safety protocols.

“We ensured that adequate provision were made for the covid-19 protocols in the various offices, but what is important now is they are back and in coming back we still owe a duty of protection to them in their various offices that’s partly why I have to go round to see what is going on for myself.

“It is a new year, it is a new dawn and it is a year of fulfilment as we have described it and we pray that our workers would be imbued with the enthusiasm and the commitment to work smarter and work harder. Smarter because in the age of Covid, we worked virtually now, at the level of the Executive council, all our executive council meetings are being held virtually, we still meet every week but we meet virtually because we now have a new variant of covid-19 which is even mutating faster than the previous variants that we have had.

“Spending too much time physically within the same space is not the most advisable but in that adversity there is opportunity, many of our people will learn to work virtually and to work a lot more away from their physical space in a way that protect their wellbeing and health care.”, he added.

The Governor who was accompanied by the Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi; the Chief of Staff, Biodun Omoleye; Overseer, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Evang. Folusho Daramola; some leaders of the organized labour in Ekiti and top government officials was received by the Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Barr Akinbowale Omole, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade and Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr (Mrs) Bimpe Aderiye at their respective ministries.

Other offices visited included the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Pension Commission, Ministry of Land and Housing, among others.

The kingmakers who are high chiefs excluding former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja have converged at Mapo Hall to declare Senator Lekan Balogun, Otun of Ibadanland, as the next Olubadan of Ibadan.

The kingmakers said that there is no court case stopping them from appointing the new Olubadan, adding that the administration of late former governor Abiola Ajimobi did not tamper with the Ibadan chieftaincy declaration of 1957 by elevating them.

The declaration is also affirmed via a press briefing made available to the journalists by the council as highlighted below.

TEXT OF THE PRESS BRIEFING DELIVERED BY HIGH CHIEF LEKAN BALOGUN, THE OTUN OLUBADAN OF IBADANLAND AT MAPO PALACE ON 5TH JANUARY 2022 ON THE DEMISE OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, THE LATE OLUBADAN OF IBADANLAND KABIYESI, OBA SALIU ADETUNJI AKANMU, AJE OGUNGUNISO 1.
It is with gratitude to the Almighty God that I welcome you all here today in order to apprise ourselves with the latest development in the City of Ibadan.
One, as a bonafide indigene of Ibadanland, there is a natural need for me to join you in commiserating with the family of the late Oba on the sudden home call of our Kabiyesi, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogunguniso II the late Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Two, by way of duty, as the Prime Minister of the Olubadan-in-Council, we owe the people of Ibadanland and Oyo State in general the obligations to inform and update you all on the latest development at our Palace.
It is no longer news that our much-referred Kabiyesi, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogunguniso II the Olubadan of Ibadanland has joined his ancestors. It is my prayer that the Almighty God to whom all mortals shall return will accept his home call, forgive his sins and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus. May his gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace.

The good deeds he had done in respect of his dedication and commitment to the promotion and sustenance of peace and development of Ibadanland and Oyo State, in general, shall remain indelible in the hearts of our people.
He was a peace-loving and outstanding custodian of culture and tradition who held on strictly to the principles of excellent leadership. He would forever be remembered for his consistency and tenacity of purpose in whatever he believed would advance the course of Ibadanland.
He has come, served and had gone like everyone before him. And so will everyone at his own time. I pray the Almighty Allah to continue to protect the family he left behind.

I also wish to commiserate with the Chief Mourner, the Execute Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engineer Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde and members of his Cabinet who had been privileged to interact and intimately relate with the late Kabiyesi to sustain the peace and development of Oyo State.

There is no doubting the fact that Your Excellency would surely miss the late Oba if only for his fatherly counsels on matters of administrative importance to the State
My heartfelt condolence message also extends to the entire Royal Dignitaries of the Olubadan-in-Council as well as the members of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) on the sudden demise of the late Kabiyesi and I pray that the Almighty Allah grants you all the fortitude to bear the loss.

Finally, I wish to commiserate with the peace-loving people of Ibadanland on the sudden transition to an eternity of the late great Monarch and I enjoin you all to remain peaceful in all your conducts in order to sustain our unequalled historical peaceful co-existence for which Ibadanland is globally known.

I, therefore, enjoin you all to discard all unfounded rumours and insinuations capable of disturbing the peace of Ibadanland, irrespective of the quarter from which such fake news emanate.

In line with the traditional practice of Ibadanland when an occasion like this arises, the Olubadan-in-Council has been up and doing liaising with the Oyo State Government to ensure that every necessary step to sustain the peace of the City is strictly followed.

I thank you all for the expressions of affection and genuine love you have shown to the family of the late Kabiyesi. The New Year will bring unto your doorsteps the peace and prosperity you all deserve.
Once again, on behalf of myself, the Ali Iwo family and the entire members of the highly referred members of the Olubadan-in-Council, I pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of the late Kabiyesi.
Mo ki yin eku ara feraku o, Esi ku Aseyinde.
Ojo a jina si ara won o. Amin
I thank you all.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has waded into the lingering land dispute in Magodo Phase Two Estate.

The governor visited the estate on Tuesday and invited all parties involved for a meeting in his office tomorrow, Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Magodo residents had staged a protest over the presence of policemen in the estate.

Court bailiffs had also sealed some properties in the estate in the enforcement of a Supreme Court judgement.

The residents during the protest converged in front of the estate and displayed various placards lamenting over the situation and seeking the Lagos State government’s intervention.

Chairman of the Estate, Bajo Osinubi lamented that despite earlier intervention by the governor armed policemen have remained adding that residents had been living in fear as the policemen move around with their weapons.

Invasion, Planned Demolition

Earlier in December, some police officers said to have been accompanied by hoodlums arrived at the estate with bulldozers.

The hoodlums marked some houses in the estate with an inscription which reads ‘ID/795/88 possession taken today 21/12/2021 by court order’ in what appeared to be a move to demolish the marked houses.

In a move against this, members of the Magodo Residents’ Association (MRA) locked up the gates leading to the exit and entry points of the estate in a bid to resist what they described as “forceful takeover”.

Following the intervention of the Lagos government, the police withdrew and normalcy returned to the estate the next day.

The Lagos State government condemned the attempt to demolish structures in the estate and promised to investigate.

Attorney-General of Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo said upon investigation those any person found culpable will be prosecuted.

He said the government was concerned that the landowners, under the Shangisha Landlord Association led by one Chief Adebayo Adeyiga, misled the Nigeria Police in an attempt to execute a judgment of the Supreme Court, notwithstanding the pending appeal against the issuance of a warrant of possession by the then Chief Judge of Lagos