The Special Assistant on Road and Transport, Egbeda Local Government, has sent his condolence message to the Chairman of Oyo State Park Management System, Alhaji Tomiwa Omolewa over the loss of his wife’ Alhaja Ganiyat Omolewa.
“Receiving the death news of our leader’s wife came as a rude shock to me, Alhaja Ganiyat Omolewa was a mother to all, and I can imagine the big vacuum that has been created in the family, I pray to God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss at this trying time”
Deacon further charges Alhaji Tomiwa Omolewa Tommy to be strong at this time for the family.
“Losing one’s heart rob comes with it mental stress, and I pray that God will give Alhaji the strength to be strong for the family at this time, and May God grant the departed soul Aljana-fridaous”
Police Operatives In Ondo State have apprehended a 34-year-old man, Monday Chukwu, for allegedly stabbing his friend, Kefa Ofando, 30, to death over a N2,000 debt.
Chukwu reportedly stabbed Ofando with a pair of scissors after a heated argument at Akintola village in the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
Ofando gave up the ghost while he was being rushed to the hospital, having lost much blood due to excessive bleeding.
According to Ondo State Commissioner of Police Oladipo Abayomi, what started as an argument degenerated into the killing of Ofando.
“Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command attached to the Odigbo Divisional Police Headquarters, acting on a complaint, swiftly responded and arrested Monday Chukwu.
“The Suspect allegedly stabbed Kefa Ofando, aged 30, to death while discrete investigation revealed that the deceased had borrowed the suspect the sum of N2,000.
“While demanding the money a few days later, it led to an argument, during which the suspect stabbed the victim with scissors on his neck.” Source:
Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has said that her husband, President Bola Tinubu, should not be held responsible for the current economic hardship in Nigeria.
She stated this on Thursday while speaking at the palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, saying Tinubu’s administration is still very young.
The president’s wife was in Ife to inaugurate a hostel and a 2.7-kilometre road donated to Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, by the Ooni of Ife and named after her.
“We are just two years into our administration. We are not the cause of the current situation. We are trying to fix it and secure the future.
“We know that subsidy has been removed but with God on our side in the next two years, Nigeria will be greater than this. Those who attempted removing subsidy before could not see it through. But with your prayers in the next two years, we will build a nation for the future,” she said.
ODUDUWA NEWS reports that Nigerians have been groaning under economic hardship since the removal of fuel subsidy which jerked up the pump price of petrol from N198 to N1,030.
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, launched the sale of subsidised rice in the state on Thursday, as he disclosed that his administration will soon begin implementing the sale of other subsidised foodstuffs across the twenty local government areas of the state.
Governor Abiodun noted that the implementation of the scheme across the state would help deepen the reach of the initiative, adding that food items like garri, rice, and beans would be sold at largely subsidised prices.
The Governor made this known during the official flag-off ceremony of the sale of rice at subsidised rates to residents of the state by the Federal Government, held at the Arcade Ground of the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“We will soon be implementing our own version of this scheme from each local government, meaning we will implement this across the twenty local government areas of the state to deepen the reach into our grassroots.
“We will be selling food items like garri, rice, and beans at heavily subsidised prices,” he said.
Governor Abiodun, while noting that both the federal and state governments believe that the key to sustainable development lies in being strategic, guided by the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, fairness, and accountability, commended the state’s Head of Service and his team for a job well done.
Prince Abiodun said that the distribution will cover groups like civil servants at both the federal and state levels, organized private sector, artisans, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, student bodies, market women, community development associations, traditional and religious organizations, among others.
He assured the people of the state that the office of the Head of Service and the Ministry of Agriculture, along with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), have developed a well-structured template that would ensure a wide and equitable spread of the commodity across the 20 local government areas of the state.
The Governor said that with the flag-off of the sale of the subsidised rice in Abeokuta for Ogun Central Senatorial District, that of Ilaro for Ogun West Senatorial District and Ijebu-Ode for Ogun East Senatorial District would also take off immediately.
Governor Abiodun urged the beneficiaries to maintain law and order at the various sales points and follow the timetable set by the committee to avoid crowding, adding that additional sales points will be established.
“To ensure accountability, there will be no cash payments; payment will be made through Point of Sales (PoS) machines, and beneficiaries will undergo physical verification at the point of sale.
“No double registration will be allowed; NIN will be verified to ensure that we prevent any sharp practices.
“This distribution will be carried out transparently and fairly, ensuring that these palliatives reach those we have targeted,” he said.
The Governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the initiative, which he said was a testament to his commitment to tackle the issue of food inflation, adding that the president has shown capacity and love for the people of the country.
He noted that if the sale and distribution of petroleum products were not liberalized by the government, it would have cost the country over N11 trillion in a year.
In his remarks, the Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, said that the initiative is powered by the Federal Government to enhance the livelihood of the citizens.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was represented by Mrs. Ayo Ajayi, commended the state for having the best template for the sale of the subsidised rice, adding that the Federal Government would be making use of the template in other states of the country.
Senator Kyari noted that the initiative, which is intended to bring relief to the people, would go a long way in reducing the price of foodstuffs, stating that the procedure involves verification of the National Identity Number (NIN) and the payment of the sum of N40,000 for the subsidised 50 kilograms of rice using the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM).
In his remarks, the state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Chief Waheed Oloyede, commended Governor Abiodun for the continuous release of funds for the settlement of the gratuities of pensioners in the state, also acknowledging the Governor for being the first in the country to key into the initiative of the Federal Government with the launch of the program.
The Oyo State Government has reopened the portal for application into the various vacant positions in the Civil Service Commission.
Recall, The portal was shutdown having experienced network glitch as a result of unprecedented traffic recorded immediately the portal opened for application.
The recruitment process which started on Monday is set to last for 10 days but was cut short after the 4th day due to the technical glitch.
The server has now been restored as various prospective applicants have been implored to continue with the registration process.
This is contained in a statement released by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
Mr Ologunagba said the decision was reached after NWC of the party extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the affected seniors officials.
The party’s spokesperson said the compliants were with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No:CA/PH/307/2024 against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who, according to the statement, vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Citing Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, Mr Ologunagba said the party consequently suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that the issue of Almajiri and out-of-school children is a national challenge that needs to be addressed before it gets out of control.
Abiodun stated this on Thursday when he received members of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The governor described the issue of Almajiri and out-of-school children in the country as a volcano waiting to erupt.
According to Governor Abiodun, the high number of out-of-school children calls for concern, as they could easily be manipulated to cause havoc in the country.
He said: “The issue of Almajiri is a national challenge. It is not a challenge for a section of this country, but a national challenge. The National Security Adviser and I sat down to discuss this issue, and we deliberated on what actionable steps can be taken that are implementable, breaking them down into immediate, medium to long-term, and sustainable steps to ensure that we collectively deal with the issue, which I described as a volcanic eruption that we can’t see now, that appears dormant, but is very viable.
“The last time we had protests, we saw an unusually high number of protests, significantly from the north. When you look at those protesters, they were Almajiri children. It was obvious that they didn’t have a clue about what they were doing. Some of them were carrying Russian flags, which means that they didn’t understand what that means. They were tools in the hands of manipulators, willing and ready tools in the hands of manipulators who probably gave them a meal or something meager, and they were ready to go for it.
“This is a very sad development in the history of this nation, and this is a result of years of neglect of the situation. My position is that we can successfully tackle it. This will be one of President Bola Tinubu’s best legacies. It will be an enduring legacy, and I know that the President, under his Renewed Hope vision, is very passionate about ensuring that he reduces the number of Almajiri and out-of-school children to an absolute minimum.
“I assure you that, as the governor of Ogun State and the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), we will do our best to address this issue, even though we have a lower number of out-of-school children in the south.”
He attributed the high number of out-of-school children in the state to a large student population due to the influx of people from other parts of the country coming to work or live in the state, adding that his administration is taking steps to address the situation.
“When you look at statistics, it shows that Ogun State has an unusually high percentage of out-of-school children in the southwest. In the primary sector, it shows 10.3 percent, compared to the southwest region’s 6.2 percent. In junior secondary school, we have 12.1 percent, compared to 8.5 percent in the southwest average. In senior secondary, we have 20.9 percent, compared to 19.2 percent average in the southwest.
“But you know, statistics at times can be misleading, so when you look at the number of students we have in Ogun State compared to the number of students in, for example, a state like Ekiti, and you see Ekiti showing a lower number of out-of-school children, you can begin to understand why ours is high because we have by far more students than some of these states combined.
“That itself is not an excuse, but it is something to ensure that we deliberately begin to work in order to reduce this to the barest minimum. That means we are also interested parties in view of what we are going through in our state,” he submitted.
He said his administration would provide the Commission with office accommodation as well as provide a focal person to liaise with its officials to meet the objective of addressing the out-of-school children menace.
The governor said that as the Chairman of SGF, he would liaise with his colleagues to replicate similar commission in their various states.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education, Hon. Almustapha Rabah, said Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children after Pakistan and India, urging all hands to be on deck to address the issue.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Muhammad Idris, disclosed that Nigeria has about 30 million Almajiri roaming the streets as a result of the irresponsibility of their parents.
He said the Almajiri, apart from constituting a nuisance, are manipulated and recruited into banditry, while some are made to join terrorist gangs, thus posing a security challenge to the nation.
He called for the cooperation of the southern governors to address the issue, as no part of the country is safe when the future of the children is not guaranteed.
The Ogun State Police Command have arrested two brothers, Femi Fagbohun and Kayode Fagbohun, for kidnapping, robbing, and raping a 17-year-old girl, Ajiboye Aminat, a resident of Abeokuta.
The victim stated that on June 3, 2024, she had booked an online ride in a Toyota Camry with registration number EKP 352 AE, driven by Femi, from Lekki in Lagos State to Abeokuta Garage, Mowe.
When the vehicle stopped in front of Deeper Life Church, Lotto in Mowe, another man, Kayode, entered with a broken bottle, threatening to kill her if she made any noise. Femi then drove off to an unknown location.
During the ride, the victim was informed that she had been kidnapped and was asked to call someone to pay a ransom for her release.
The spokesperson of the command, SP Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, October 9, said that the victim was robbed of her iPhone 13 Pro Max valued at N840,000, a sum of N50,000 cash, and a ransom of N200,000 was collected from her boyfriend.
Odutola noted that the victim was taken to a remote area at Omu Junction, Ofada, where she was also raped by the assailants.
Petrol pump price rose to N1,030 per litre at various outlets of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) in Abuja on Wednesday, Oduduwa News is reporting.
The recent development comes after the NNPC decided to terminate its exclusive purchase agreement with Dangote Refinery. Earlier on Monday, Premium Times exclusively reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) is ending its exclusive purchase agreement with Dangote Refinery, opening up the market for other marketers to buy petrol directly from the refinery.
This means the NNPC will no longer be the sole off-taker, and marketers can now negotiate prices directly with Dangote Refinery. This development aligns with the current practices for fully deregulated products, where refineries can sell directly to marketers on a willing buyer, willing seller basis.
ODUDUWA NEWS observed Wednesday morning that NNPC Ltd outlets in the Central area of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, adjusted the pump price of petroleum to N1,030.
At several other outlets in the Wuse, Lugbe area of the capital city, this newspaper confirmed that the pump price equally jumped to N1,030 as motorists and commuters grumbled amid the uncertainty.
In Akute, Ogun State, it was observed that the NNPC outlets were shut against motorists who formed a long queue along the Akute-Alagbole Road. Amotorist told newsmen that the outlets sold petrol in the early hours of Wednesday but dropped midway, claiming that one of its generating sets was faulty.But attendants said they are waiting for a directive on prices from the top,” a frustrated customer said.
At least 21 passengers are feared drowned following a tragic boat accident that occurred on Monday evening in Imore town, located within Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. The incident took place when two unregistered boats, each carrying 16 passengers, collided and capsized in the middle of the lagoon.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, confirmed the accident in a press release on Tuesday. He revealed that the Ilashe Police Division received a distress call at about 7 pm, reporting the tragic event.
Emergency responders, including marine police, local divers, and other rescue teams, were quickly deployed to the scene. Eleven injured passengers were rescued and rushed to the Naval Hospital in Navy Town, Alakija, for urgent medical treatment.
“On October 7, 2024, at about 7 pm, a distress call was received at the Ilashe Division reporting that two unregistered passenger boats collided in the middle of the lagoon at Imore town. As a result, the boats capsized, and the passengers drowned along with their goods,” the statement read.
While the 11 injured passengers are receiving medical attention, the fate of the remaining passengers remains uncertain, with recovery efforts currently underway to locate their bodies. Hundeyin added that an investigation into the cause of the tragic collision is ongoing.
This incident has once again highlighted the dangers of unregulated boat operations in the state, prompting calls for stricter safety measures on Lagos waterways.
