The Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Labour Matters, Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo has said that there is no rift between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Oyo state chapter and the state government.
This he said while reacting to an ultimatum by the NLC State chairman, Kayode Martins, that there would be a sit-at-home by the end of October if an agreement was not reached by both parties on implementing a N35,000 wage award for workers in the state.
Comrade Titilola-Sodo while featuring on Crest FM’s Breakfast Show on Wednesday, stressed that the reason the N35,000 wage award has not been concluded by the 11 man committee set up to negotiate with labor, is due to the ultimatum given to the Oyo State Government by a “faction” of NLC Oyo state chapter.
While commenting on the palliative measures rolled out by the government, the Special Adviser noted that what was given to the most vulnerable was not palliative but food assistance.
He said the SAfER intervention measures are in different phases in which the state government has done three phases and the next phase will address the workers of the state.
Comrade Sodo then appreciated the labour unions for not embarking on the planned strike.
He further said that the Oyo state government will continually engage the labour unions and also rely on the feedback received from various agencies to better cushion the effects of the hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy on petrol.
The Aseyin of Iseyin has today welcomed his newly wedded wife to the ancient Palace of Iseyin after necessary rites were done in Lagos.
Oba Sefiu Oyebola Adeyeri III was announced last month by Oyo State Government as the new Aseyin of last month after the kingmakers’ declaration. The new Olori is now the second wife of the traditional ruler.
The new bride, Maryam Omoronke Abike was officially betrothed to Oba Oyebola today Thursday at a planned Nikkah programme held in Lagos.
The new bride was immediately taken to the Aseyin’s palace upon arrival at Iseyin to meet the Kabiyesi after which a befitting party will follow at Iseyin.
The new ‘Olori Aseyin’ is an indigene of Osogbo in Osun State and her parents have for long, lived at Oyo township.
Meanwhile the coronation of Oba Olawale has been officially approved by the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde last week Thursday and the ceremony is due to hold in a matter of weeks.
President Tinubu, on Monday, said Nigeria’s power sector privatisation had failed to meet its objectives, as the national grid was serving only about 15 per cent of the country’s electricity demand despite being privatised 10 years ago. Tinubu canvasses N2tn Discos’ recapitalisation, tariff review.
Tinubu, who spoke during the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry market participants and stakeholder roundtable that focused on privatisation, also called for the recapitalisation of power distribution companies.
Represented by the Special Adviser, Energy and Infrastructure, Office of the Vice President, Sodiq Wanka, the President said, “10 years on, I believe it is fair to say that the objectives of sector privatisation have, by and large, not been met. Over 90 million Nigerians lack access to electricity.
“The national grid only serves about 15 per cent of the country’s demand. This has left households and factories relying on expensive self-generation, which supplies 40 per cent of the country’s demand.
“What is worse is that the total amount of electricity that can be wheeled through the national grid has remained relatively flat in the last 10 years. The grid capacity has increased from just over 3,000MW to roughly 4,000MW today. Versus a 40,000MW target by 2020 that the Federal Government had set pre-privatisation.”
The President stated that the reasons for the sector’s underperformance in the last decade were well known, including deep commercial, governance and operational issues that had beleaguered the sector.
“As of Q2 2023, for every kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity sent to the grid, only 60 per cent is paid for. But as we know, even the tariff paid for that unit of electricity is far from being cost-reflective, especially in light of the recent devaluation of the naira.
“The sector has suffered chronic underinvestment, especially in transmission and distribution. Many of the successor utilities of the PHCN have failed to meet their performance
Over 70 students of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Osun State were reportedly arrested by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a midnight raid on hostels outside the campus.
Multiple sources in Ile-Ife confirmed to our correspondent on Wednesday morning that the officials, around 2 a.m., stormed the Fine Touch and Superb hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife, broke into rooms, and arrested the students.
Reasons for the arrest have not been confirmed as of press time, but the Students’ Union President, Abass Ojo, said the union had details of “72 students picked up from the hostel with phones and cars taken away.”
A former union official, Joy Abiola, told our correspondent that the students were beaten.
“The EFCC officials came between 1:40 a.m and 4:00 a.m. Only students stay in those hostels,” Joy said, adding, “How can you arrest people for owning iPhones, laptops, and cars?”
Another student, identified simply as Ewatee, said, “Female students were among those picked up. Even some fresh students who just went to greet their senior colleagues were arrested. The approach is wrong.”
In a video shared with our correspondent, taken by one of the students, several young persons said to be students of the hostel were seen being marched into a white Hummer Bus with some security officials hitting them and ordering them to move and enter quickly.
In another video, about six vehicles were seen alongside the white Hummer Bus on the move.
Students said the officials were leaving the Ile-Ife area and heading to Ibadan.
Contacted, the head of Public Affairs Department of the EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Command, Olumide Egbodofo, said an update would be given on the incident.
“If we have chosen the position in life in which we can most of all work for mankind, no burdens can bow us down, because they are sacrifices for the benefit of all; then we shall experience no petty, limited, selfish joy, but our happiness will belong to millions, our deeds will live on quietly but perpetually at work, and over our ashes will be shed the hot tears of noble people.” – Karl Marx.
Whenever I see the nearly-impassable Iseyin-Okeho road, especially at those points where the roads have collapsed and motorists now have to navigate the bush to get by, I remember that the Honorable member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedeji will soon get delivery of a #130million SUV bulletproof Jeep to do ‘oversight functions’.
My letter is not aimed to dissuade him from taking his own SUV, he must have already done so. It is for him to rise above ‘selfish joy’ as Karl Marx put it up here in his quote, and work assiduously for the ‘benefit of all’, by finding a lasting solution to the jinxed Iseyin-Okeho road.
I remember that during his term in office, the erstwhile honorable representing this constituency, Hon. Abiodun Olasupo once exposed the corruption associated with the road, saying whatever fund allocated for palliative measures on the road then were shared at Abuja by the contractor and some big wigs over there. He went against them and forced the contractor to spend the fund for 2017 and a stretch of the road was tarred, leaving about two kilometers to Okeho town that year.
That was when people were able to use this road after an abandonment that lasted almost a decade. During the second term of the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister for Works, Mr. Babatunde Fasola visited the road and it was announced that the road would be reconstructed. The palliative platform was scraped and up till today, nothing concrete was done. The culverts put in place since then have been abandoned and today, we are back to two decades again.
This is not a medium for me to demand what Hon. O-Shine has achieved within the short period he got to the Green Chambers, though some of his colleagues that have just got there anew are pointing to one thing or the other, but it is time for him to start working on this particular road by reaching out to the concerned federal ministries and agencies.
At least we have the compendium of the achievements of Honorable Kola Olabiyi, Abiodun Olasupo, Shina Peller and those who came before them in the areas of human capital development, social infrastructure and good legislation with us, we are cataloguing yours too, though our pens are still hanging, as we see nothing yet to write about.
Oke-Ogun region, which Okeho community is a part of and which is the hometown of the lawmaker, is the proud food basket of not just the Southwestern Nigeria, but Nigeria, this road, like the Moniya-Iseyin road, Iseyin-Fapote-Ognomoso road, Iseyin-Oyo road, Saki-Okerete road and the Saki-Sepeteri road, reconstructed by the incumbent administration in Oyo State, will add socioeconomic values in the areas of agribusiness, solid minerals in mining of natural resources along the Iwajowa axis, which will propel employment opportunities and good standard of living for the people.
I am not begging you to go cap-in-hand to solicit for the good of your own people from those hoarding it at Abuja, I’m begging you to do all you can and more, so that upon “your ashes, will be shed hot tears of noble people”, as your deeds on Iseyin-Okeho road will then be remembered for eternity as we remember those of Honorables that came before you.
As the 2023 Supplementary budget forwarded to the Oyo State House of Assembly by Governor Seyi Makinde scales 2nd reading, the State lawmakers have harped on the need for the State Government to put new measures in place towards expanding and broadening the tax net of the State in order to fund the budget increment.
This was part of the submission of the lawmakers as the 2023 Supplementary budget is referred to the House Committee on Finance, Appropriation and Budget for further scrutiny.
It would be recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde is seeking the upward review of the 2023 budget from #310,432,500,000 to #352,282,500,000.
The Governor said the supplementary became necessary due to the adverse economic effects of removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit PMS and the floating of the exchange rates by the Federal Government.
While deliberating on the supplementary budget, the lawmakers noted the vital need for the State Government to increase and expand its tax revenue base to fund the budget so as to avoid placing additional burden on the citizens who are already feeling the adverse effects of the two Government policies.
They appealed to the State Government not to increase the tax rates but to ensure that more people who have not been paying taxes are captured in the tax nets.
This is just as they appealed to the State Government to ensure that adequate and necessary tax remittances are made to the coffers of the State Government to avoid leakages
The Speaker, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin who appreciated his colleagues for their various contributions assured that the State legislature would continue to perform its oversight functions on Government activities.
Gates leading into the Oyo State House of Assembly were shut as legislative staff under the umbrella of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Oyo State chapter commenced an indefinite strike, on Monday.
Holding up placards with inscriptions to drive home their demands, the legislative staff blocked the entrance with some sitting while others gyrated to the sounds of music that blared to enliven the spirit of the protest.
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has said no amount of propaganda can derail the current administration’s focus.
In what appears to be a reaction to the news making the rounds, especially on social media, that cabal has hijacked Tinubu’s administration, Gbajabiamila said the agenda of the current administration is not driven by pecuniary politics.
In a post on his X account on Sunday, the Chief of Staff said the Tinubu administration has a critical assignment to deliver and the objectives will not be interrupted by baseless accusations from unverifiable quarters.
“Last Thursday, the SC gave the renewed hope agenda a stable platform to deliver good governance to Nigerians. Our agenda is not driven by pecuniary politics, and no amount of propaganda can derail our focus. We have a critical assignment to deliver and our objectives will not be interrupted by baseless accusations from unverifiable quarters. Nigerians can rest assured that the President and his strong team will deliver without distractions,” he wrote.
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, who had been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), was reportedly released on Thursday night but swiftly apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to insider sources.
A high-ranking security official revealed, “Emefiele regained his freedom last night, but he was immediately picked up by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” confirming the transfer of his custody to the EFCC as directed by the Presidency.
Emefiele had been detained by the DSS in June, coinciding with his suspension from office by President Bola Tinubu. He faces serious allegations of terrorism financing and fraud. Reports indicated that Emefiele was on the verge of being released by the DSS due to a plea bargain agreement with the federal government. This arrangement hinged on his willingness to return a sum of N50 billion, which he was accused of embezzling.
The delay in Emefiele’s prosecution reportedly stemmed from the requirement for President Tinubu’s approval, which was pending because he was out of the country. While Tinubu was still out of the country, a source had then stated, “The exclusive deal has been finalized awaiting Tinubu’s order. Tinubu is expected back in Nigeria this weekend after a medical visit to France.”
Allegations have surfaced concerning substantial sums of money traced to Emefiele’s accounts, which he allegedly intended to use for his presidential campaign.
Notably, the Ministry of Justice spokesperson denied the existence of any non-prosecution plea bargain involving Emefiele. This development follows the recent release of Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former chairman of the EFCC, who had been detained by the DSS for 134 days without trial. Bawa’s arrest had come following allegations of abuse of office, coinciding with his suspension by President Tinubu on June 14, 2023.
