The Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has disclosed plans by his government to launch palliatives to cushion the impact of subsidy removal, declaring his administration’s readiness to make life easy for residents of Osun state.
Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and other stakeholders of the party also commended the Governor for robust performance and delivery of good governance in the last seven months.
The Governor made the disclosure at a stakeholder meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its party’s office in Osogbo on Friday, stressing his conviction to run a government that bring smile on the faces of the people.
Governor Adeleke who appreciated leaders of the PDP for their support since assuming office, noted that his administration has been working in line with “our election promises and the agenda of the party.”
While detailing projects and interventions implemented so far recorded by his government in the health, education and public infrastructure renewal, Governor Adeleke said the PDP-led government in the state has achieved what the APC failed to do under seven months.
“We are implementing programmes and projects in education, health and infrastructures: what the APC could not achieve in four years, we have achieved in under seven months,” he declared at the meeting.
“We have positioned the public service, build roads, bridges and channelisation. We have commenced payment of salary and pension debt.
“Your (PDP) government has launched the Osun digital economy agenda. Abandoned projects are being completed. Your government is beating old governance records within so short a period,” he stressed.
Speaking on plans to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Osun populace, Governor Adeleke pointed out that “We (Osun Government) will soon introduce public transport buses. We are working on adjusted work hours and days. We want to make live easy and enjoyable for our people.”
Governor Adeleke went on to assure party leaders and members that he will run an inclusive government that leaves no one behind, adding that “We will all be accommodated. We will be fair to all.”
“I appreciate your support then and now. This is your government. We shall all realize the fruits of our labour,” he said.
Stakeholders’ Commendations
Governor Oyinlola in his message at the meeting recalled the initial skepticism on the governorship of Governor Adeleke and posited that under seven months the Governor has proved skeptics wrong.
He noted the superlative performance of the Governor which he said aided the electoral fortunes of the party at the state and national elections.
“Governor Adeleke has surprised even his worst critics. His performance impresses all and it has strengthen the party and the state. We commend the Governor and his team”, the former Governor who speaks for other stakeholders noted.
The President, Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, said he invoked the spirit of freedom during his electioneering in Ogun State.
He said during the campaign season, some of his popular statements that resonated with Nigerians and his supporters were used to invoke the spirit.
The former Lagos State governor said the hardship that accompanied the Central Bank of Nigeria cash swap policy during the electioneering period forced him to invoke the spirit of freedom in the South West state.
“I invoked the spirit of freedom in Ogun,” the president said while speaking at the palace of Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu Ode.
He added, “It is a homecoming and I owe so much to all of you and there is so much to thank you for. Because of the way you have taken me and the way you’ve responded to me, all I can say is thank you.
“To many of you, thank you for being there for me and being there for the country. You demonstrated so much loyalty, so much commitment and voted at a very crucial time.
“Your monies were confiscated. The cash swap didn’t work. It was terrible then. I realised that and I came to Ogun State to invoke the spirit of freedom for which we are noted for.
“I invoked that spirit twice. The spirit of Baba (referring to Awujale). The spirit of Baba – Emi l’okan (it’s my turn), that’s Baba. The spirit for being blunt and that is him.
“And the second spirit is that of money (Naira scarcity), ‘ama dibo ama wole’ (we will vote and we will win) even if there is no money. And that, ever since, has been the spirit that is driving me to serve.”
We had early reports that Tinubu had on June 3 set the social media on fire when he vented his frustration during a presidential campaign in Abeokuta, saying it was through his efforts that the ex-President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), made it to Aso Rock after failing thrice.
It was during the event that he blurted out his now famous quote, “emilokan” (It’s my turn).
“It is my time. I’m educated. I’m experienced. I have been serving people for a long time. Bring me the presidency, it is my turn,’’ Tinubu had insisted.
He also pointed at Abiodun whom he described as ‘Eleyi’ absentmindedly as one of the products of his political hard work.
“Look at this one (Eleyi) seated behind me, Dapo, he wouldn’t have become governor without my support,” Tinubu had stated.
Tinubu made the statement while addressing the APC delegates in Ogun State.
His outburst evoked mixed feelings from Nigerians, with many loyalists of the party including the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, saying the remarks were meant to slight the president and Ogun State governor.
Also, in reaction to the new naira scarcity and fuel shortage which provoked riots across the country, Tinubu accused unnamed powerful persons of masterminding the crisis to shoot down his aspirations. His ally, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, affirmed that some Presidency officials, including the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, were working against Tinubu.
Veteran Nollywood actress, Sidikat Odunkanwi professionally known as Iyabo Oko, has reportedly passed on.
Her daughter, Bisi Aisha, announced on Facebook , saying that the actress died on Wednesday evening.
She wrote “May ur soul Rest In Peace mummy”, . Actress Foluke Daramola-Salako also confirmed her death. On her Instagram page, Daramola-Salako wrote: “and finally we lost her.. rip Iyabo Oko, we did our best but God knows best”
Before her demise, the 61-year-old actress battled with ill-health which caused her to take a long break from the movie scene.
Sidikat had stage names such as “Iyabo Oko” “Apoti Aje” Sisi Mama”.
Last year, one of her daughters, Olamide, disclosed that her mother was diagnosed with ischaemic stroke about five years ago but kept her health issues away from the public.
Yoruba Nollywood stars including Foluke Daramola, Iyabo Ojo, Bolaji Amusan, Mercy Aigbe and Biodun Okeowo, others assisted financially in the past.
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned today’s invasion of the Muslim Praying Ground at Okebale, Osogbo by Governor Ademola Adeleke and his retinue of political thugs who are loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with some soldiers and policemen.
According to the state chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo today, the whole scenario which culminated into a rancorous scene orchestrated by Governor Adeleke and his political hoodlums amounted to executive lawlessness.
It was gathered that without prior notification by the advanced party and protocol unit of the Governor’s Office, Governor Adeleke’s handlers badged into the Muslim Praying Ground and ordered a respected leader of Osogbo, Alhaji Tunde Badmus, the Asiwaju of Osogboland and Senator Ajibola Bashiru, whom Adeleke to vacate where they were already seated and that it was the choice of the space for the governor.
It was an attempt to forcefully remove Alhaji Badmus and Senator Bashiru from their seats at the praying ground and subsequent executive order by Governor Adeleke who hails from Ede, to the police to effect the arrest of the two prominent sons of Osogbo that degenerated into the confusion which engulfed the scene.
It was also gathered that the governor who left the scene before the beginning of the Eid-Eil-Kabir prayers session issued an order to close the gate of the entrance of the praying ground in order to effect the arrest of Alhaji Badmus and Bashiru.
The indigenes of Osogbo who saw no reason for the arrest resisted the development which resulted in the ensuing rancorous scene.
It was also gathered that Governor Adeleke did not even alight from his official vehicle throughout the duration of the crisis which makes nonsense of those who are reporting an assassination attempt on the governor.
Lawal condemned the needless heating up of the polity by Adeleke and his co-travellers, advising him to go and sort out himself with the aggrieved members of his party whom he has been having a running battle with in recent times.
He went down the memory lane to recall how Governor Adeleke was attacked by some disenchanted members of the PDP in Ikirun sometime ago when he went to commission the Osogbo-Ikirun road of which the immediate-past Governor Gboyega Oyetola had achieved its 75 percent completion.
It would also be recalled that within the last one week, so many aggrieved members of the PDP and their allies in the dissolved Mr Rauf Aregbeola-led The Osun Progressives (TOP), have been publishing copious stories and video recordings with which they have been lambasting Governor Adeleke and regretted having to have identified with his political camp.
The Osun State APC chairman registered his disdain for the use of the soldiers in the convoy of a governor, advising the new Army Chief of Staff to look into the anomaly of security architecture in Osun State and promptly redress the situation.
Lawal stated that his understanding of protocol is that if a governor is to visit a place of which a praying ground is included, it’s the duty of the advanced party of the governor and his protocol unit to make a solid preparation with reference to the security of sitting arrangement.
The APC chairman observed that there was no reason why such lapses of the government protocols would not be experienced since the statutory security agents, the DSS, who were with Governor Adeleke before have not been brought back after there was an allegation that one of them was slapped by a female member of the governor’s family.
“The way and manner that the conventional policemen attached to the governor who are performing the statutory role of the DSS officers dress, has exposed them as heavily deficient in their strange assignment.
“We, in the APC, won’t tolerate the needless heating up of the polity and disturbance of public peace by someone who is supposed to be the state security officer of the state”, Lawal stated.
Governor Ademola Adeleke has alleged that he escaped an assassination attempt at the Osogbo Eid praying ground yesterday.
Governor who traded words with the ex-Senate Spokesman, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, who was speaking on an interview granted to Channels TV, Bashiru claimed that the Governor did not come to observe Eid prayer but came to disrupt it and that the allegation of assassination attempt was a figment of imagination from the governor as nothing of such ever happened.
Meanwhile, Adeleke while reacting through his Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, issued a statement to newsmen and thanked God for preserving him and his team, directing law enforcement agents to arrest culprits behind the incident.
“My good people of Osun, I appeal for calm and urge us to continue to celebrate the Sallah festival in peace. I am safe by the special grace of God”, the statement quoted the Governor as saying.
“I have directed security agencies to arrest those behind the incident and get them to face the wrath of the law. The Commissioner of Police has been directed to arrest those involved no matter how highly placed.
The State Government had meanwhile condemned the orchestrated attacks on the Governor by stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress at the praying ground. Members of the public will recall an earlier security alert on an evil plot to destabilize the peace and stability of Osun state.
The government particularly notes with shock and surprise the role played by former Senator Ajibola Bashiru who took over the space reserved for the Governor at the prayer ground. All efforts to get the former Senator to vacate the space proved abortive.
PDP members who agitated for respect for the office of the Governor were beaten up. It was a scene of chaos by the time the Governor arrived for the prayer.
The government was even more shocked that thugs armed to the teeth were spotted all over the praying ground with security information that they were imported to eliminate the Governor and key government functionaries.
The Governor who arrived at the venue hoping to observe the Eid prayers was practically surrounded by armed thugs, prompting security men to ferry the Governor into his jeep.
For the second time, the Governor attempted to enter the praying field but the encirclement by armed thugs was already visible. It was at that point that the Governor had to leave the praying ground.
The Governor is now safely at home receiving guests and leaders from all walks of life.
The former Governor of Oyo State and Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland , Oloye Rasheed Ladoja has broken silence on the recent elevation of all Ibadan High Chiefs to beaded crown Obas by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Pa Ladoja said that he was not interested in any crown than that of Olubadan of Ibadanland.
He made this disclosure while speaking to newsmen at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.
Ladoja was quoted as thus: “When I set out to join the race to become the Olubadan, I was focusing on how to become the Olubadan and the only crown I want to wear is that of Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Recall that reports say that the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, approved the promotion of 11 Ibadan High Chiefs to beaded crown Obas.
The report added that Friday, July 7, has been tentatively fixed for the installation, as stipulated in the letter sent to the governor by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun.
Other High Chiefs to be elevated are Balogun of Ibadanland, Owolabi Olakulehin; Otun Balogun, Tajudeen Ajibola; Osi Olubadan, Eddy Oyewole; Osi Balogun, Lateef Adebimpe; Ashipa Olubadan, Biodun Kola-Daisi; Ashipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola; Ekerin Olubadan, Hamidu Ajibade; Ekerin Balogun, Olubunmi Isioye; Ekarun Olubadan; Bayo Akande and Ekarun Balogun, Abiodun Azeez.
Background: Few months into the first term of His Excellency, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, the State government instituted the Light Up Oyo Project, which was targeted to cover over 240km of roads throughout the State.
According to the design and roadmap to the implementation of the project, it was aimed at improving the economy of the state by ensuring that the state economy does not go to bed at sunset. This initiative, when it was first introduced was said to be under the Ministry of Works and Transport in the state, and was highly commended by the people immediately the project kicked off and various towns began to be lit. The project, if successful, will not only improve the economic activities of people in the State, but also helps to address challenges of insecurity confronting the State.
The Project: The 240km street light project tagged Light Up Oyo was aimed to cover all the geopolitical zones in the State, from Ibadan to Oyo to Oke-Ogun to Ogbomoso and to Ibarapa for the good people of Oyo State. There is no gainsaying in the fact that this laudable project will bring economic development to the state. However, poor implementation of the project has been a major setback holding down its progress.
The funding arrangement was on Independent Power Producer IPP with the contractor providing larger percentage of the funding and Oyo State government fulfilling its own part too till the project is finally handed over to the State government after the agreed number of years.
According to findings, the street lights were to be powered by tribrid energy source grid, gas and inverter, with diesel as the first means for test running of the project.
What Went Wrong? After 2years of the project, darkness has returned to the State, most especially in key areas where the project has been carried out. As the darkness looms, it is not out of point, if people begin to ask questions as regards the setback of the project and its failure to meet up with expectations.
Findings further reveal that the project started to fail immediately it was moved from Ministry of Works to Ministry of Energy, as it was alleged that those who were appointed to be in charge at the new ministry didn’t study the already-prepared contractual document developed by the Ministry of Works on the roadmap to implementation of the project via-a-vis transition from diesel to gas and Inverter.
It is a fundamental defect for a project of this magnitude to be allowed to go through its life cycle, without a designated dedicated champion. It is even problematic, if not chaotic, when one observes, that the implementation that goes with rigorous supervision is, in this case, left in the hands of inexperienced politicians, who too, possess no clue or any background knowledge of the complexities that normally come with managing such engineering technicalities necessary to pilot the project to a successful execution.
The idea of entrusting a handler and negotiator without requisite knowledge to champion this gigantic project, instead of assigning such role to a seasoned and tested professional engineer, detracts from the excellent merit the government pontificates about.
Another disturbing aspect of the detected flaws in the Light Up contract, is the project’s heavy concentration on “low hanging fruits”, that is, some noticeable short term hurriedly carried out meeting arrangements culminating into quick-fix problems and challenges, the solution to which could give a shot in the arm, to the prevailing problem.
The Issues: The rising cost of diesel during the early implementation stage (2019 to 2020) hindered the effective functioning of the street lights making some people in the state to speak up and ask questions as regards the project. The government agreed that the project wasn’t meant to be placed on diesel and that they are doing all possible best on its transition to gas.
In 2022, the government successfully started transition from diesel generator to gas generator, still the lingering issues still persist.
In April 25th, 2023, the Honorable Commissioner for Energy, Barr. Seun Ashamu confirmed the speculation going around that there’s disagreement between the contractor and that the state government has rendered the project ineffective. According to further findings, the disagreement between the contractor and state government is based on funding, the state government is owing the contractor almost N20bn. While this figure of debt seems to be daring, owing a state contractor to that amount is not palatable for a state that is struggling to be financially viable in the comity of the states. Hence, the government’s decision to audit the project infrastructures to ascertain the veracity of the claim by the state handlers of the project.
Nonetheless financially, it was also revealed that the stealing and theft also responsible for the failure of the project, as cables were alleged to have been stolen by some hoodlums, including vandalization of street light materials. While this has been brought under control by security agencies, the disagreement between the contractor and the state government over payment remains unresolved or partially solved.
Way Out: The project if successful will be one of the legacies of the Seyi Makinde’s administration, and for this, it’s in the best interest of the governor to make it work.
Conclusively, those in charge of the project at the Ministry of Energy are not doing enough. Either attributable to inexperience or lack of political will. All what Oyo State citizens want is that there is need to review operational guidelines and that value is given to every penny spent from the tax payers’ money to the project.
It is our suggestion that once the project is restored, committed hands should be put in charge with oversight supervision and all hands should be on deck to ascertain certain areas of key performance indicators.
This is monthly editorial of ODUDUWA NEWS and for more info you can reach out to oduduwanews1@gmail.com
President Tinubu Observes Eid Prayers with Muslim faithfuls at the Obalende Eid Prayer Ground at Dodan Barracks, Victoria Island Lagos.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday in Lagos urged Nigerians to have faith in God that the country will experience peace, stability and prosperity.
Speaking to reporters after observing the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at Dodan Barracks prayer ground, the President stressed the need for unity and cooperation, appealing to Nigerians to eschew ethnic and religious rivalries.
While noting that Allah would not burden the country with what it cannot bear, the President said:
Tinubu was accompanied by NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, CoS, Femi Gbajabiamila, former Governor Fashola and other top political leaders.
