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Governor Fayemi approves supervisors, advisers for 16 LGAs

Governor Fayemi approves supervisors, advisers for 16 LGAs

This was contained in a statement signed and released to the newsmen by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode.

Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has approved the appointment of supervisors and advisers for the 16 local government areas, as submitted by the councils.

The new council officials include four supervisors and five advisers for each of the 16 local government councils.

The appointments take immediate effect.

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Ondo 2020: OAU VC is not Returning Officer – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has reacted to a statement credited to the Peoples’ Democratic Party that it has appointed the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife as the Returning Officer in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State.

In its reaction to the stance of the PDP, INEC in a statement signed by a spokesperson of the commission, Festus Okoye, said it will not be drawn into speculations relating to the performance of its constitutional and statutory functions. It also said Mr Ogunbodede has not been appointed the returning officer of the election.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Returning Officer for the Ondo Governorship election is not from Ondo State and not from the University mentioned in the said press conference.

“While the Commission will not be drawn into speculations relating to the performance of its constitutional and statutory functions, it is imperative to set the records straight for the benefit of the people of Ondo State and the integrity of the electoral process.

“It is the sole responsibility of the Commission to appoint a Returning Officer for the Ondo Governorship election and does not share this responsibility with any individual, group or Political Party.”

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Oyo Govt vows to enforce environmental laws as Task Force docks 27 in Ibadan

Oyo state government has vowed to continue its enforcement of the State’s environmental laws to address the state of sanitation among dwellers.

Not less than twenty seven persons were apprehended on Thursday for flouting environmental laws during the weekly sanitation exercise along Bodija, Sango-Eleyele and Orogun axis of Ibadan.

The State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Abdul-Lateef Idowu Oyeleke disclosed that the State has done a lot of sensitization towards changing the poor habit of some people to their environment, an effort he said was still ongoing on the media and through regular meetings with stakeholders.

He hinted that the essence of the sensitization was to inform the public on the need to desist from violating environmental sanitation laws, adding that the government was not out to witch-hunt the people but ensuring a habitable and investor-friendly State.

The Commissioner further enjoined business owners, traders and the general public to see the prosecution of environmental sanitation offenders as a way of ensuring compliance with the law.

Speaking at a scene of enforcement, the Chairman, task force committee on Environment, ASP Francis Ojomo accompanied by the Director of Environmental Health Services and other Environmental health officers, revealed that despite all efforts of the State government in putting necessary policies towards ensuring safe, healthy and sustainable environment, some people were recalcitrant against compliance to environmental laws, as they kept displaying wares during sanitation exercise, indiscriminately dump waste on road medians, waterways and roadsides.

“The problem is not about the availability of appropriate places to dump refuse, the State gas provided those places and containers to pack waste, the problem is about people willfully flouting the laws and we are not going to stop applying the law whenever we catch such people.

“So much sensitization efforts have gone into changing attitudes for a better environment, there are many radio jingles and television playlets to achieve this and they are still ongoing, enforcement is the final level and we shall not joke with it.”

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Lagos CBD charges 31 suspects to Court for violating environmental laws

In furtherance of the Lagos State Government’s resolve to combat street trading and other environmental nuisance, operatives of the Central Business Districts have arrested 31 persons for engaging in street trading within the Lagos Island Business District.

Speaking on the operation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts, Mr. Olugbenga Olarenwaju Oyerinde affirmed that the present administration is passionate about the cleanliness of the environment and has directed CBD officials to clamp down on all violators of environmental sanitation, traffic and physical planning laws in the State.

He also reiterated the determination of the State government to restore the original master plan of the Lagos Island Business Districts and its adjoining axis by checking the activities of street traders and developers, who have converted all available spaces like walkways, streets and roads to shops.

Oyerinde, therefore, called on traders operating in the CBD, especially those selling on the streets and walkways, to remove their extensions and makeshift shops from the roads immediately, as no one will be spared in the present efforts to clean up the business district.

The suspects, who were arrested at different locations in Balogun, Martins, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tom Jones and Broad Streets during a monitoring and enforcement exercise by the CBD operatives have, subsequently, been arraigned before Chief Magistrate Shakirat Obasa of the Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile Court) sitting at Alausa, Ikeja, for committing an offence contrary to the Environmental Management and Protection Law of Lagos State 2017.

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Makinde’s rejection of OAU VC as RO is a disgrace to public decency – Akeredolu

Says “INEC does not, and shall never appoint an indigene Ondo as Returning Officer”

The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has described his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde as a disgrace to public decency and an embarrassment to the exalted office of the Governor he currently occupies.

Akeredolu, who is the flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Saturday October 10th Governorship Election in the state said the statement from Makinde that INEC has appointed his kinsman, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer for the election is an evidence that his Oyo State Counterpart is an intellectual liliputian who found his way to the corridor of power through mischief.

Ogunbodede is the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. He hails from Owo, ditto Akeredolu.

Speaking through the Spokesperson of his campaign Council, Mr. Richard Olatunde, Akeredolu said Makinde, being a member of the Nigerian Council of State, should know that INEC would never, under any circumstance, appoint an indigene of the State as a Retuning Officer but the Oyo Governor circumvented truth and decency for political exigencies.

Akeredolu’s statements reads in parts: “we find as unfortunate, the statement credited to the Governor of Oyo State and Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Governorship election in Ondo State, Seyi Makinde, rejecting the Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, as the Chief Returning Officer for Saturday’s Governorship election in Ondo State.

“While it is forgivable for the PDP in Ondo State to continue to raise false alarm and make spurious allegations over the election, it is inexcusable for a Governor like Seyi Makinde to market ignorance in such a shameful manner. This ridicules, in no small measure, the exalted office of Governor.

“As at the time he raised the objection, INEC had not even announced the appointment of a Retuning Officer for this Saturday’s election. We cannot but wonder how and where Governor Makinde in particular, got the information.

“Governor Makinde, as a member of the Nigerian council of State, ought to know that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not, and shall never appoint a Returning Officer who is an indigene to administer elections. No indigene of Ondo State can ever be made a Returning Officer.

“By this pedestrian dance, Governor Makinde has shown himself to be a disgrace to public decency and the office he is holding.

“For us in the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation, we believe in fairness and the credibility. Our trust in INEC on a free, fair and credible election on Saturday remains undoubted.

“Therefore, we urge the people of the state to disregard the ignorance exhibited by the PDP and Governor Seyi Makinde while getting set to participate in the election on Saturday” the statement, concluded.

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Ondo election: PDP rejects OAU VC, Ogunbodede, as returning officer

The Peoples Democratic Party has rejected the choice of the Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, as the Chief Returning Officer for Saturday governorship election in Ondo State.

The Chairman, National Campaign Council of PDP, who is also the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said this at a press briefing in Akure on Thursday.

Makinde said Ogunbodede is from Owo Local Government Area like Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

He also claimed the VC is a known crony of Akeredolu and would not be neutral.

Although INEC has not announced Ogunbodede, Makinde said the party has been informed that the VC had been selected.

He said, “It has come to our notice that the people of Ondo State will not be getting free and fair elections if the Independent National Electoral Commission as presently composed will be overseeing the elections.

“We are speaking in particular about the appointment of Prof Eyitope Ogungbenro Ogunbodede, the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, as the Chief Returning Officer of the Ondo State Governorship election.

“The PDP totally rejects Prof Eyitope Ogungbenro Ogunbodede acting as Chief Returning Officer. He is a known crony of Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, candidate of the All Progressives Congress and hails from Owo, the same hometown as the candidate. He cannot be a fair party in the proceedings by virtue of their association.

“We also want to state that Professor A. S. Bamire, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, who conducted the training of returning officers is not a neutral party for the purpose of this election.

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MATOP proffers solution to challenges of waste management in Oyo State

A socio-cultural group based in Ibadan, MATOP has proffered solution to the waste management challenges in Oyo state.

This was contained in a statement sent to OduduwaNews today by leader of the group, Mrs. Temitope Aladegbowo which reads in part:

“We wish to call the attention of Oyo State government to some identified solutions to the challenges facing Oyo Waste Management Authority which inhibit its smooth activities towards making Ibadan and its environs a clean city.

“It is our resolved that the problems bedeviling waste management in Oyo State is as a result of putting round peg in square hole which the end-result will be counterproductive to the vision and aspirations of Seyi Makinde led-administration towards making entire Oyo State hygienic environment. We are very shocked from the information available to us that some of the contractors handling the waste disposal currently were part of those that aided the failure of West Africa Energy during the last administration despite the fact that their Managing Contractor had been sacked since last year November.

“We are aware that some contractors hired directly by the State government before the dissolution of board members of Oyo Waste Management Authority are yet to be allocated routes for the discharge of their responsibilities. There is need to resolve inherited crisis, the house divided against itself cannot bring meaningful result as some waste contractors contracted some months ago are currently left idled and have not been given letter of appointment. The delay in giving them their letter of appointment to bring them on board is a major setback to the waste management in Oyo State. We are aware that some of them have even invested huge amount of capital on documentation and other necessary requirements that qualified them for the task.

“The lamentation of the citizens on the state of dirtiness in Oyo State could be addressed holistically by putting measures in place to address the plights of the said idled contractors contracted some months ago but yet to be allocated routes and designations due to the delay in their letter of appointment and the formality of their contract. We therefore call on the State government to call on all the contractors, dialogue with them and charge them to expedite action in evacuating refuse littering the nooks and crannies of Oyo State within a short period of time. Staggering contract cannot achieve the desired results as it will only be a palliative or cosmetic approach to waste management in Oyo State.

“We hereby use this medium to also recommend that government should address below suggestions in its bid to ensure that the State is dirty free:

“All the dumpsites should be well taken care of on a daily basis by professionals in order not to become health hazard to the residents. We recall to the recent investigation, a Media platform which was said to have revealed  the state of Moniya and other dumpsites that have become horrendous and in need of urgent attention.

‘There should be transparency in the manner at which government gives waste management contract out so as to absolve serious minded people who will complement the effort of the State government towards the realization of a very clean environment. Also, more contractors need to be engaged so as to be able to cover every nook and cranny of Oyo state.

“PSP contractor needs to be strengthened by the government through soft loan so as to be able to improve service delivery as well as formation of environmental taskforce that comprises professionals to the core. All stakeholders must show a very serious concern towards the rejuvenation of agency in charge of waste management in Oyo state.

“Government should prioritized waste management in Oyo state and there must be adequate budgetary allocation for Oyo Waste Management Authority to perform supervisory role coupled with implementation, monitoring and enforcement of waste policy.

“Above all, we at the MATOP believe that the waste management agency should be placed under the supervision of the Deputy Governor,  Engr. Rauf Olaniyan as it was done during Akala and Lam Adesina regimes”.

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