Oduduwa News

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Oyo state chapter has described comments credited to Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello over the present PDP government under Governor Seyi Makinde as ‘uncharitable, unfair, inspired by the Tafseer royalty he received from organizers of the event noting that everything the cleric said against the present administration were against true teachings of Islam, spirit of Ramadan, the present rapid infrastructural developments being undertaken by Governor Seyi Makinde adminstration & the various developmental policies the people of Oyo State are enjoying.

The ruling party in a press statement signed by its State publicity Secretary, Engr Akeem Olatunji, on Thursday 15th April and made available to newsmen, condemned the sermon by Sheikh Bello, describing it as “sermon inspired by royalty”.

The party explained that it was very unfortunate that the cleric who failed to speak up during the dark days of Oyo state under the last administration when the 1 milion boys reigned unabated, civil servants and pensioners were dying in droves due to unpaid salaries & entitlement, contractors failed to or shodilly undertake projects due to kickbacks collected by Government Officials and also lost his voice to speak up for the suffering masses when the people of Oyo state were subjected to unspeakable hardship under the last APC administration despite the huge available resources available then is now expressing his political leanings and sentiments at the detriment of the people’s interest.

Oyo PDP stressed that despite the absence of COVID-19, EndSARS protest, Fulani herdsmen crisis and other security health and security challenges during the last administration era, APC government still owed not only workers reward for their labour but also the aged and retired workers who served the state meritoriously throughout their productive years without being considered for their retirement benefits by the last administration.

According to the statement by Oyo PDP, all of the aforementioned security challenges were fallouts of government failure at the federal level with exception to COVID-19 which is a global pandemic noting that if APC government have had to deal with a snippet of what the PDP government under Governor Seyi Makinde is dealing with, Oyo state would probably have been sold out to maybe China out of borrowings.

The party maintained that the cleric has openly abused and overstretched the privilege due to anyone called or identified as a true cleric since he preferred money by commercializing his sermon above the true gospel of Islam which preaches love, peace and truth at all times.

“Our attention as a party has been drawn to some very uncharitable, unsubstantiated, unfair, and financially inspired sermon credited to Sheikh Muhydeen Ajani Bello at the annual Abiola Ajimobi memorial Ramadan lecture which held on Wednesday 14th April in Ibadan.

Osun State government has dissociated the state from a seditious group going round some public schools across the state disseminating a secession message of the Yoruba nation to students in the schools.

This is just as the state government through the Ministry of Education has suspended the Principals of the three schools who allowed the seditious group into their school premises to speak with the students.

Reacting to a viral video that showed the group talking to the students about the plan of the Yoruba nation to secede from Nigeria, Commissioner for Education, Hon. Folorunsho Bamisayemi said the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was not aware and never gave consent to the group to speak with public school students in the state.

Bamisayemi who emphasized that the administration of Governor Oyetola frowns at any move to disunite the country maintained that the state had never at any point in time associated with such group on what he described as a move that is capable of hindering the unity of the country.

He said, “Nigeria is one entity and will continue to remain so. The state government of Osun never gave consent to any group to speak with students of public schools on a matter we know can cause disunity and chaos in the country.

“As a Nigerian state, we believe in the Nigerian dream. We urge every Nigerian to pray and work that Nigeria should not break up. As for those principals that allowed such group into the premises of our schools, be ready to face the consequences of their actions.

Also reacting, the Special Adviser to Governor Oyetola on Education, Hon. Jamiu Olawumi said it is unfortunate that some unscrupulous elements are going about polluting the minds of young children because they know that they are still naive.

While warning such seditious groups to henceforth stay away from the State of Osun, the Special Adviser to the Governor said students of secondary schools in the state and across the country will continue to be a symbol of Nigeria’s unity at all times.

A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged irregularities in the recently conducted South-West Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, describing the exercise as a scam.

The PDP held its zonal congress on April 12 where the candidate backed by the camp of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman.

Arapaja polled 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist to ex-Governor Fayose who scored 330.

But reacting to the exercise during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Fayose said he conceded and accepted the outcome not because the process was transparent, but because the PDP must not lose its quest to take over power from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the South-West.

While the PDP is currently holding the grip of Oyo State with Governor Seyi Makinde at the helm of affairs, other states like Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Ondo and Osun are being controlled by the APC.

“I have conceded, I conceded not because they won. I conceded because the PDP is a bigger picture. I want to say that conceding does not amount to defeat, it is sheer exhibiting leadership,” he said.

“Take a look at the result and the characters behind the result before I will tell you the issue. I am on one side alone; I have on the side of Governor Makinde, two former governors – Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. They have on their side seven deputy governors and two speakers and serving senators.

“The results in quotes, Arapaja scored 343. My candidate Eddy Olafeso scored 330, a difference of 13 votes. I’m glad because that is a show of strength. Whether the result is right or wrong, the world can see in the one-man army that has faced them all and without rigging, they lost.”

When asked if the election was rigged, Fayose replied in the affirmative saying: “Very clearly.”

The ex-Ekiti governor said he approached the court to obtain an order to prevent the PDP from conducting the congress in Oyo State over the fear of violence.

He alleged that the violence came from Oyo to Osun with 200 buses bearing the number plates of Oyo, adding that they blocked the venue of the exercise.

Fayose added, “They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge.”

Speaking further, he accused the collation officer, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State of discrepancies while counting the votes cast.

Despite his reservations for the zonal congress, Fayose insisted that he wouldn’t be a party to those who will say the PDP will not move forward.

“For me, as to that election, it was a scam but I must agree as a leader of the PDP. I have been working for this party. I am one of the voices that cannot be forgotten in the PDP.

“And I will not sit down here and say because of 13 votes, because of manipulation the party must not move forward,” he added.

The Governor of the State of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday said his Administration has been strategically curbing the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic as seen in the outward manifestation of the government’s efforts to flatten the curve of the virus in the State.

He said the Administration has also been working assiduously to ensure quick recovery of its economy through the implementation of informed and people-oriented policies designed to stimulate the economy for prosperity.

This is even as the Governor inaugurated four infrastructural projects comprising the newly-constructed Academic Block Complex, Health Centre Extension, Human Performance Laboratory Fitness Centre and Water Factory in the premises of the Osun College of Education, Ila-Orangun.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the First National Conference on the Impact of Covid-19 on Nigerian Education and Official Commissioning of Infrastructural Projects, Oyetola said series of measures have been put in place as well as necessary awareness efforts by the State Government through the State Ministries of Health and Information to combat the virus.

The Governor who described the conference as a round peg in the round hole, said it was heartwarming that the forum was provided to interrogate, deliberate and chart a new course on the need to permanently stem the tide of the deadly virus.

Oyetola who declared the conference open, expressed optimism in the fact that the forum would in no small measure, be of great assistance to the participants and the people of the State.

“The topic of this conference is not only germane to the academia, but also very helpful to complement the effort of this present Administration in combating this deadly disease, called COVID-19 in our dear State.

“I count it a great honour to have this conference held in our State, especially in the ancient town of Ila-Orangun.

“On our part, we have strategically been curbing the spread of COVID 19 in our State, as series of measures have been put in place as well as necessary awareness efforts by the State Government through the State Ministries of Health and Information.

“I wish to state that the present Administration appreciates the efforts of our health workers, as we, on our part would continue to ensure that their welfare is paramount at all times.

” I am optimistic that this conference will, in no small measure, be of great assistance to the participants and the people of the State.

“It will enable the participants to interrogate the effects of Covid-19 on Nigerian education as well as the impact of the pandemic in the areas of strategies, technological requirements, operational capacity development issues and other related matters that will enable us to cope with the new normal in the education sector, going forward.

“I congratulate the Osun College of Education, Ila-Orangun for hosting this first conference in the college. It is also another landmark achievement for the college and the entire town,” Oyetola added.

Commending the school management on the successful completion of the infrastructural projects, Oyetola said, “indeed, is a worthy feat which I commend you for, as it aptly demonstrates the commitment of our Administration to improving the quality of education in our State.”

He said his Administration has taken education as a priority hence the need for the 18 percent allocated to fund the education sector in the last financial budget of the State.

The Governor urged the participants to take the conference seriously and make proper use of the knowledge acquired in the course of it just as he urged them to put the newly-built facilities to good use.

The Governor expressed the hope that “the communiqué of the conference at the end of the programme will be circulated to all the nooks and crannies of this nation for proper usability to the advantage of the entire citizenry.”

Earlier, the Provost of the College, Prof. Isaac Olayinka Oyewole, said the major outcomes expected from the conference would constitute a national framework for the changing education systems around the world and how it could be inclined with concept of social distancing caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He assured of Management’s commitment to supporting all programmes and activities aimed at developing the mind of all the teaching and non-teaching staff in the institution.

The Provost, who commended the Administration of Governor Oyetola for attaching great importance to people-oriented projects in the State, said the newly-commissioned projects were another landmarks in the history of the College.

According to him, the newly-built Academic Block Complex, being the first of its kind among the tertiary institutions in the State, would serve as the College administrative block in the future while Human Performance Laboratory, Fitness Centre, Health Centre Extension and Water Factory were put in place to enhance healthcare delivery and jerk up the Internally Generated Revenue of the institution respectively.

Those in attendance were Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi; former Governor of the State, Chief Adebisi Akande; member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Fakeye; Speaker, Osun House of Assembly represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon. Babatunde Ibirogba; members of the State Executive Council; State Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Gboyega Famodun; the Principal Officers and members of staff of the institution, among others.