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The Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has sworn in Justice Iyabo Yerima as the Chief Judge of Oyo State.
The swearing-in event was taken place today at the State Secretariat.
Details later.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the speaker, Ondo State House Of Assembly, Bamidele Oleyeloogun before the state High Court in Akure , over alleged fraud .
The arraignment on Tuesday marked the begining of the official trial of the head of the state legislature .
Also arraigned before the court, were the lawmaker representing Akoko South-West Constituency 2, Felemu Bankole and a civil servant Segun Oyadeyi Bankole
The Speaker alongside others was docked on two-count charged involving fraud.
They however pleaded not guilty of the allegations level against them.
During the trial, the counsel to the EFCC, Kingsley Kudus asked the court to remand the defendants at the Olokuta Correctional Facility, even though they had pleaded not guilty, the defendants were still in the hands of the court while the trial continues.
Reacting, counsel to the defendants, Femi Emodamore who told the court that he was fully prepared for the commencement and continuation of the trial, asked the court to strike out EFCC’s prayer for remand saying the administrative bail application on the defendants were still active.
He explained that the second defendant (Oleyelogun) was having health challenge that needed urgent medical attention.
Emodamore also asked the court to caution the nominal complainant( the former deputy speaker, Iroju Ogundeji) in the case for allegedly sending messages to the speaker in an attempt to annoy him.
According to him, if Ogundeji did not desist from such action, he would be prosecuted as his actions towards the speaker is against the law.
In his rulling, Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye asked the defendants to be enjoying their administrative bail till the next hearing as he adjourned the case till May 18 for proper hearing of the trial.
Oyo State Government has sought the support and collaboration of the Energy Commission of Nigeria in a bid to improve on power generation and supply in the state.
The Director Genreal, Oyo state Liaison Office in Abuja and Lagos, Hon. Wale Ajani who spoke on behalf of the state government at a courtesy visit to the commission in Abuja on April 11 disclosed that the visit was key and strategic to the Governor Seyi Makinde’s Omituntun 2.0 agenda.
The Director Genreal of the Energy Commission, Eli Jidere Bala, who personally received Ajani commended Makinde for assigning such strategic role to a young, vibrant and energetic individual with passion for the development of the state assuring that with a good working relationship with oyo state being one of the most populous states, the energy commission would make a budgetary allocation for sustainable energy for the state in the next year’s budget of the Commission.
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, during his brief Salah holiday, Ajani who maintained that the federal commission must as a matter of necessity, partner with Oyo state in the area of Energy and power especially alternative energy and stressed that the state governor has laid the foundation for Oyo as a producing state with high prospects in manufacturing and industrialization.
Ajani noted that, with the magnitude of physical infrastructural development already in place and still ongoing, Oyo state has strategically positioned itself to compete favorably with other neighboring states with high level of manufacturing activities and industrialization such as Lagos and Ogun state.
Ajani explained that Makinde has already commenced the implementation of what he called green energy and sustainable power generation to meet the demands of consumers; both domestic and industrial consumption adding that such federal commission partnering with Oyo state would accelerate the process of achieving the desired goal in the sector.
While stressing the readiness of the state to fully key into the energy programmes of the federal Commission, he emphasized that such strategic collaboration would culminate into attaining the sustainable power generation and supply that would in turn reduce the pressure on national grid.
Ajani however, disclosed that he solicited for an annual consideration of oyo state in all the programmes of the energy commission and other job opportunities the commission may be providing Nigerians in order to also adequately capture oyo state indigenes in the Commission’s recruitment exercises.
“The essence of my visit to the Commission was to explore all available avenues and opportunities to attract the Commission’s presence to the state because power generation and supply have been two important items on Governor Seyi Makinde’s agenda and you could all see that the importance attached to these two items gave birth to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
“So, as we begin to prepare ahead for Omituntun 2.0 under the Accelerated Development Agenda, we must begin to seriously consolidate on the gains of Omituntun 1.0 under the Governor’s Sustainable Development Agenda so that the future does not catch us off guard, we are ready for it.
“We already have the buy-in and assurances of the Energy Commission through the DG, my very good brother, who has expressed readiness of the commission to also collaborate with Oyo state in all possible ways. Very soon you will see more come out of that very important meeting but for now, let’s keep working.” Ajani said.
Ajani told journalists that the Energy Commission DG, Eli Jidere Bala, has assured that whatever any Government wants to achieve required energy and with Governor Makinde being an energy person, the commission would do everything possible to support the State.
According to Ajani, the Director-General also affirmed that the energy commission had been a friend of oyo state as the commission had been doing alot in the state such as mini grids, constituency projects of most of the National Assembly members from oyo state in Lagelu, iyana offa etc.
He however, admonished Hon. Wale Ajani to synergize more with the National Assembly members from oyo state to harness more sustainable energy projects in their subsequent constituency projects in order to benefit more from the Commission.
Ajani also disclosed that the DG, Energy Commission Director-General afterwards, summoned the Procurement Director and Director of Budget Monitoring and Evaluation to give every needed support to Oyo state in any ongoing and subsequent sustainable energy projects of the Commission.
The Oyo State Government would like to draw the attention of the general public to the actions the authorities will be taking to resolve the technical and sundry difficulties the Light-Up Oyo Project has been facing in recent times, which has hindered the project from running optimally.
In the spirit of accountability and transparency, the authorities would like to put on record that there is a dispute between the Oyo State Government and the Contractor about how much work has been done and how the infrastructure is being operated.
The government is not satisfied with the infrastructure provided and its specifications. These have been the main cause of the operation and maintenance challenges the project is facing.
Therefore, the Oyo State Government is presently auditing the entire infrastructure to determine the level and quality of work done. The audit process will be completed in about six weeks, after which the general public will be updated regarding any decisions reached and the way forward for the project.
You will recall that in September 2019, the Oyo State Government embarked on the Light Up Oyo Project. The logic behind this project was two-fold. First, to grow the Oyo State economy. As Governor Seyi Makinde stated, Oyo State cannot compete with cities that run a 24-hour economy if economic activities are shut down by 7 pm. Second, to tackle insecurity. Crime thrives in darkness. And so, when major parts of towns and cities are lit up, criminals will not have anywhere to hide.
Oyo State residents are urged to remain assured that the government is doing all in its power to ensure that the entire 240 km of the Light Up Oyo project is delivered in the shortest possible time for the benefit of the residents of the state. This will ensure that the good people of Oyo State get maximum value for the money spent on this project.
Tension brewed on Tuesday morning at Moniya Axis of Ibadan as suspected internet fraudsters “Yahoo Boy” clashed with Police officers stationed along Kings College Moniya.
It was learnt that the Police Officers who were stationed along Moniya axis were on “search and stop” mission. In the course of their work, a car belonging to a suspected ‘Yahoo Boy’ was stopped which led to heated argument between them.
An eyewitness who spoke under the condition of anonymity said, “one of the Police officers pulled the trigger and shot directly at the tyre of the suspected Yahoo Boy’s car and in return a bullet from nowhere suddenly hit the Police. This led to the other Police officers to reinforce and started shooting sporadically”.
A resident identified as Iya Ibeji who also spoke to ODUDUWA NEWS disclosed that the incident is true. She said people are currently advised to stay behind at their various homes because of the fear of unknown due to the recent incident.
As at the time of filing this report, it could not be ascertained whether the Police Officer is dead or alive.
Details later.
The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME 2023 organized by Joint Admissions Matriculation Board has begun today across the country.
According to the areas visited by our correspondent in Ibadan, students have gathered at the entrance of various designated Computer Based Test centres as early as 6am.
Some students were seen with their parents and guardians at the various centres visited while some in some centres only students were seen.
The exam which is slated to commence by 9am would be having students divided into various batches.
A student identified as Oluwafemi while speaking to ODUDUWA NEWS said, “I am happy the exam has commenced today. This is my first attempt and I pray I come out in flying colours. So far, one batch has entered for their exam while we await ours to commence in few minutes”.
A mother of one of the students, Mrs Ariyo Oluwakemu also spoke to ODUDUWA NEWS, she narrated her ordeal before she could locate the centre, she said her student registered from Iwajowa area of Oke-Ogun but was posted to a CBT centre in Ibadan. “I thank God that we are finally here despite the stress we went through, said the Mrs Ariyo”.
Details later.
The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, also known as So-Safe Corps, has arrested an ex-convict for stealing.
The suspect is 21-year-old Timothy Sonyegbe, a vulcanizer by profession, who allegedly stole a motorcycle, also known as Okada, around Abule Teacher in Ipokia Local Government Area.
In a statement by So-Safe spokesperson Moruf Yusuf, Commander Soji Ganzallo noted that Sonyegbe resides in the Ijofin area.
The suspect, already placed on surveillance after he served a jail term twice, was seen riding a motorcycle during an odd hour of the night.
A team of officers on a routine patrol, led by CSC Abdulkareem Abdulrazaq, the Idiroko Divisional Officer, stopped Sonyegbe.
Though the rider made a U-turn in an attempt to escape, the suspect was chased, apprehended and taken into custody.
“The suspect is a two term ex-convict who served at Ilaro Correctional Centre for fuel and motorcycle theft,” Ganzallo noted.
During preliminary interrogation, he confessed that the motorbike – a Boxer Bajaj with engine number DXWLB46095 – was stolen.
So-Safe Corps also recovered two phones from Sonyegbe, who has been handed over to the Police Divisional Headquarters in Ipokia.
President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived Nigeria from France.
Tinubu was seen coming out from an aircraft with his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, Vice President-Elect, Kashim Shettima, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and other members of the entourage.
Tinubu had been away from his own country immediately after the 2023 general elections. His unavailability in his home country generated a lot of controversies from the opposing camps as some attributed his trip to medical tourism.
Details later.
First female Ondo Speaker Hon Jumoke Akindele Ajulo, has delivered her first child at 54.
Close friends said she gave birth on Saturday but further details were sketchy as of press time.
Akindele represented Okitipupa constituency 1 and was elected Speaker between May 2014 and March 2017.
It was her friends that broke the news on social media.
“First Female Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, got delivered of a baby yesterday.
“Her first baby!! GOD IS INDEED AWESOME!! Congratulations, Rt Hon Jumoke Akindele. My own darling big sister,” one of them wrote.
The National Association of Polytechnic Students has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu (retd.), to make efforts to end the dichotomy between the Higher National Diploma and Bachelor of Science holders before leaving office on May 29, 2023.
NAPS deputy Senate President, Adeniji Temitope, in a statement made on Monday, said it was no more news that Nigerian polytechnic students and polytechnic graduates “have been facing difficulties of dichotomy for the past years.”
Adeniji said stakeholders in the polytechnic education sector had urged the Ninth National Assembly to pass the “Bill for an Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma.”
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