Oduduwa News

The Ogun State Government-owned Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, has become a degree-awarding institution.

According to the Polytechnic spokesperson, Yemi Abiola on Wednesday said that Abiodun granted approval for MAPOLY to commence the process of affiliation with Olabisi Onabanjo University for the purpose of running B.Tech programmes.

Abiola said “the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu conveyed the approval in a letter signed by the State Director, Primary and Higher Education, Dr. Olanloye Waheed, dated March 23, 2021.”

The letter, which was addressed to the Acting Rector, Dr. Adeoye Odedeji stated that the approval will be in tandem with the requirements approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Reacting, the Acting Rector had maintained that the programme will retain and sustain the hand-on policy of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) policy.

The acting rector explained that the B.Tech will be, mainly, for National Diploma graduates of programmes accredited by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in the Polytechnic.

“The reason is that we want to give maximum benefits to all our products and their counterparts from other institutions within the context of the programmes accredited in the Polytechnic”, he added.

Dr. Odedeji said, “as soon as all arrangements have been concluded with OOU and NUC, there is assurance that the programme will begin before the end of this year.”

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, today Thursday, April 1, 2021 begins a 15-day working vacation as first instalment of his 2021 Annual Leave.

In a letter transmitted to the State House of Assembly and addressed to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun, Governor Akeredolu said the leave will commence from Thursday, 1st to Friday, 23rd April, 2021, both days inclusive.

While Governor Akeredolu is away on vacation, the Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa will perform the functions of the office of the Governor.

The Governor will resume for duties on Monday, April 26, 2021.

ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors today Thursday morning commenced a nationwide strike despite Federal Government’s last-minute efforts to stop the action.

The resident doctors, however, assured Nigerians that their action was not meant to hurt them.

This was confirmed by ODUDUWA NEWS via the association’s Twitter handle this morning .

According to their message they said , “Nigerians must understand that we love them and the strike is not intended to hurt them but to challenge the Nigerian government @MBuhari @Fmohnigeria @LabourMinNG whose responsibilities amongst others is to care for her citizens and labour force to do the needful.”

The union’s President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, also confirmed to Channels TV that the strike had commenced by 8am Thursday.

The strike is happening at a time when the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is in London for medical check-up.

The crisis between farmers and herdsmen has been attributed to the reason why some farmers abandoned their farmlands in Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa land.

The statement was credited to Iku Babayeye, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, on Wednesday, who expressed his displeasure on killings of farmers and wanton destruction of farmlands in Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa.

The monarch said from his record, over 70% of farmers have left their various communities where they farm due to the menace of killer herdsmen and other criminalities ravaging the State.

This is as he accused security agencies of frustrating the efforts of traditional rulers by releasing suspected criminals after they have been arrested and handed over to them.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, Adeyemi made these assertions when Governor Seyi Makinde met with traditional rulers across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state, at the House of Chiefs, State Secretariat, Ibadan, on the state of security in Oyo state.

For states to effectively address insecurity in their domains, he reiterated calls for state policing noting that the nation currently operated a unitary system where the federal government directed security affairs of states.

While lauding South-West states for coming together to form Amotekun, he maintained that without state policing, states will continue to be puppets under the federal government.

Noting that the current system was such that Commissioners of Police were responsible to the Inspector General of Police and not the state governors, he stressed the need for the operation of true federal structure in the country.

Oba Adeyemi said: “We the traditional rulers are stakeholders. In our community and villages, those being killed are our wives and children. Our daughters and women are those being raped. They are killing our people. We cannot relocate to Ibadan in search of protection.

“All the suspected criminals that we arrested through our own local intelligence in the forests, we handed them over to the police. They were arrested for kidnapping, rituals, and so on. But we usually see them on the third day, walking around the street.

“70 per cent of our farmers in Ibarapa and Oke Ogun have abandoned their farmlands. People are no more farming. “Since 2018, we the traditional rulers have not been sleeping with our two eyes closed since they started the Jihad. They have been kidnapping kings too.

“When they kidnapped the Baba-Aso of Igbole, we the traditional rulers were the ones that contributed money for ransom and paid before the monarch, his wife and child were freed. We have secured the release of many victims. We have our own vigilante in the forests. We buy 10 bags of garri, 10 bags of semovita and so on for the vigilante in the forests. We would not declare our operation modality until after the arrest of the suspects and we hand them over to the police. I will leave the original copy of my address with the governor. He can investigate police formations, especially at the anti-kidnapping unit in Ibadan. None of those arrested and handed over to the police had been jailed.

“Governor Makinde is taking the right step, but the Constitution that we are operating in Nigeria is defective. The governor is doing what he can and he can do whatever you want him to do. But when it comes to the area of security, there is nothing the state government can do, if the Federal Government does not do it. The state governor cannot direct the Commissioner of Police to do something, if the Federal Government does not approve of it, the CP will not honour the governor. We should not deceive ourselves.”

The Governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Wednesday sworn-in two Permanent Secretaries as part of efforts to scale up the strength of the civil service for greater efficiency and productivity.

He said the administration was committed to bringing back the past glory of the civil service.

This is even as the Governor charged the new permanent secretaries to be more dedicated and see their appointments as a clarion call to the service of the State and humanity.

The new appointees are Messrs Taiwo Adeniran Agunlejika and Amos Oludiran Fashesin, mni.

Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony held at the Exco Lounge, Governor’s Office, Abere, Osogbo, Oyetola said their elevation was an affirmation to the fact that the administration was committed to the welfare and well-being of the citizens particularly the state bureaucrats.

Oyetola who described the appointment as a necessity to stimulate the civil service for better service delivery, noted that the government deemed it worthwhile inspite of the lean resources of the state.

“It is my hope that this appointment would, apart from stiring renewed commitment from all our civil servants, knowing that it pays to be diligent and committed to building a legacy of service worthy of commendation, also rekindle the hope in many others desirous of reaching the peak of their career that this government is committed to bringing back the past glory of the Osun Civil Service.

“Just as I had promised you during the electioneering, ours is an Administration that is genuinely committed to improving the condition of service for you our teeming bureaucrats and ensuring that you receive the right motivation to deliver on your duties.

“It is for this reason we have, despite our lean resources, put you first – in the payment of salaries and other emoluments. We have also prioritised the payment of the backlogs of gratuities owed our retirees.

“This is also in addition to the recent implementation of the minimum wage -which made us one of the first States in the country to do so. We are doing all of these because we know how invaluable you are in creating wealth and delivering dividends of democracy to our people,” the Governor added.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Head of Service, Dr. Festus Oyebade Olowogboyega lauded Governor Oyetola for taking the welfare of the workers as priority since assumption of office.

He said the appointments had justified the love, passion and commitment of Governor Oyetola to civil servants in the state.

Olowogboyega who described the appointments as timely and prompt, said the elevation would go a long way to inspire, encourage and rekindle the hope of other bureaucrats particularly top echelons of the civil service in the state.

Responding on behalf of his colleague, the newly sworn-in Permanent Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adeniran Agunlejika pledged to continue to discharge their duties with topmost dedication, commitment and loyalty.

He said: “The news of our appointments came to me as a surprise. I was surprised because I didn’t think of it. But I thank God and Mr Governor for considering us worthy. He has made us to thank and praise God from our innermost heart,” Agunlejika added.

The occasion was attended by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Benedict Alabi, Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Charles Akinola, Head of Service, Dr. Festus Oyebade Olowogboyega, members of the State Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries and top government functionaries among others.

The United States Government has said that information on the number of fatalities recorded during the #ENDSARS protests in Lekki Tollgate last year, is not available. 

According to the US Department of State’s 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, “Accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year’s end”.

The communique noted that on October 20, 2020, members of the security forces enforced curfew by firing shots into the air to disperse protesters, who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to protest abusive practices by the Nigerian Police Force’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Amnesty International had reported that 10 persons died during the event, but the government disputed Amnesty’s report, and no other organization was able to verify the claim.

The government reported two deaths connected to the event.

In its statement, the US government said one body from the toll gate showed signs of blunt force trauma while a second body from another location in Lagos State had bullet wounds.  The government acknowledged that soldiers armed with live ammunition were present at the Lekki Toll Gate,

At year’s end, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution continued to hear testimony and investigate the shooting at Lekki Toll Gate.

The Alado of Ado-Awaye land and paramount traditional ruler in Araromi LCDA, Oba Revd. Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi, Makuledoye 11, Soludero 1, on Saturday, 27 March,2021 organised a programme in conjunction with Red Alart Consult in commemoration of this year’s World Theatre day celebration.

The programme which commenced at 11:30 a.m featured royal dance, cultural display, bicycle ridding, traditional songs, launching of community website and mail addresses, award presentation and mountain climbing among others. The event which was chaired by Pastor Tunde Shittu had other important dignitaries such as Hon. Niyi Ismael, (Former Leader of The house, Iseyin Local Government), Director of Education and Social Services, Araromi LCDA, Kabiyesi, Oni Baasi of Baasi, Kabiyesi, Alageere of Ofiki, Chiefs, Pressmen and security agents among others.

Delivering his keynote address, Oba Folakanmi welcomed all and sundry to the programme with honour. Kabiyesi said, “today’s programme was organised to promote Ado-Awaye tourism heritage towards global recognition for patronage as a way of increasing revenue generation for the State, Local and the Federal Government, and particularly, for the development of Ado-Awaye community.

Speaking further, the Alado stated that “henceforth, all important days such as children’s day, worker’s day, tourism day shall be used in promoting our tourism heritage in Ado-Awaye for the economic advantage of our people. He said, “though, it was not easy to achieve this financially as you can see, today’s event cost us much money and if not for the financial assistance from some of our brothers and sisters to organise it, the programme would not have seen the light of the day. Hence the need to solicit for financial support from every concerned stakeholder towards the actualisation of the next edition, which has been slated for May 27, 2021 to mark this year children’s day celebration.

Oba Folakanmi used the avenue to invite would-be investors in tourism business for partnership arrangement as he promised better and profitable outcome in the deal.

In the meantime, the Federation of Iseyin Students’ Union, Ogun state Chapter presented merit award to his Majesty in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards the development of culture and tourism.

Kabiyesi in his quest to put Ado-Awaye into global arena and as an added way of promoting our heritage, launched website, e-mail addresses having the links as: https/Ado-Awaye.com, info@ado-awaye.com.

To cap it up, a College of Theatre and Business School in affiliation with the University of Ibadan was announced to be established at Ado-Awaye. Kabiyesi as a gesture passionately roled out scholarship for some youth to study theatre at the newly established college.

At the close of the event, his Royal Majesty led all and sundry to the newly discovered “LADEEBO CAVE and IFO OKO ANCIENT CAVE!.”

Prince Niyi Okunade-Maku
Principal Secretary to Alado of Ado-Awaye

ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has today held security meeting with security agencies and traditional rulers in Ibadan.

This was made known today by the State governor via his official Twitter handle which reads in part:

“This morning, we held a security meeting with the Traditional Council of Chiefs and heads of security agencies. As agreed at our inaugural Security Task Force meeting, I updated them on the measures we are implementing to address the security challenges in Oyo State.

“We recognise that our traditional institutions are closer to the grassroots, and we sought their collaboration, especially regarding intelligence gathering”.

ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu today unveiled the plan to train Lagos State Law Enforcement Agents on the use of Body Worn Cameras under the Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI).

Details later.