Oduduwa News

The chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, Barrister Isiaka Olagunju has said the upcoming local government election may not hold this year due to premature logistics.

The OYSIEC Boss disclosed this on Friday in a chat with Oyo Affairs correspondent, maintaining that the commission’s feasibility studies are yet to be concluded.

He noted that the election will hold after the commission has successfully conduct advocacy visits to all the 33 local government areas of the state and put other logistics and
necessary machinery in motion.

Barrister Olagunju further said OYSIEC has written letters to the 18 registered political parties in Oyo state and the commission will start paying each of the political parties a courtesy visit starting from next week in a bid orientate and sensitize the political stakeholders on the conduct of the forthcoming local government election, as well as to assured a democratically elected representative at the grassroots.

The OYSIEC chairman, however, hinted that the commission is in constant touch with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and that the electoral body which oversees elections in Nigeria has promised to assist the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission to have a free, fair, and credible local government election.

…as Akeredolu inagurates Bola Tinubu Skills Acquisition Centre in Ile-Oluji

Former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday urged Nigerian youths to brace up to emerging socioeconomic challenges by committing themselves to different technical, vocational and skill acquisition programmes.

The programmes, he noted, are designed to make them to be self-employed, self-independent and self-reliant.

He said the time has come for government at various levels to narrow down focus on the informal sector by premising their policies and programmes on things that would reduce drastically, the mad rush for white cola jobs among the unemployed population.

Tinubu spoke at the official launch of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Skill Acquisition Centre, in Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, through Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the State of Osun.

The Centre, built by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Nigeria, was established to provide technical and vocational skills for the teeming populace.

The APC National Leader said the state of the nation’s economy has made it imperative for the citizens to think out of the box and brace up for entrepreneurship programmes.

He called on the people to see the Centre as a place where they can acquire maximum training and skills, saying the era of seeking jobs under government and its parastatals has gone.

“It is important for us to appreciate that skills acquisition is the best way to go for now in view of the nation’s economy.

“The era of white collar job is gone. Entrepreneurship is the best way to go for now. Just as it is important to acquire conventional education, skills acquisition is also the way to go.

“I commend the initiator of the Centre, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, for this wonderful vision to rescue the people out of the scourge of unemployment.

“It is evident that this Centre can provide jobs for the teeming citizens, particularly residents of Ile-Oluji and Ondo State in general.

“I appeal to you all, particularly the beneficiaries of this Scheme to take the advantage of this Centre to learn skills that can make you to be self independent and become employers of labour and create jobs for others”, Tinubu said.

While commending the Federal Government for the timely implementation of the SDGs programme, the former Lagos governor also urged the host community to put the facility to good use.

He seized the occasion to canvass for the people’s support and cooperation for the Akeredolu-led Government in the State, just as he urged them to re-elect the governor for a second term.

Inaugurating the centre, the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, applauded the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for taking the welfare of the citizens as priority.

He lauded the leadership of the SDGs in the country for taking Nigerians out of the scourge of unemployment, poverty and hunger.

Akeredolu who described the initiative as a complement to numerous people-oriented programmes of his administration, said the Centre would go a long way to reduce poverty among the people.

He sought the continued support of the people of the State and assured them of further good works when he is re-elected for a second term.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said the Centre remains a strategic tool for the economic empowerment of the teeming youths.

Orelope-Adefulire who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his continued commitment and support for the implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria, said the initiative was aimed to improve the economy, eradicate poverty, banish hunger and stamp out societal vices among the unemployed segment of the population.

“A crime-free society is the one that its youths are productively engaged. Investing in youths will lead to poverty eradication, which in turn leads to social security”, she added.

The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Thursday, said he never could have treated his estranged Deputy, Agboola Ajayi, better than he did, stating that “he is just greedy and lacks contentment”.

Akeredolu said he paid his Deputy #13million monthly as running grant which makes Ajayi the highest paid Deputy Governor in Nigeria.

The Governor who spoke while responding to questions on the state-owned Radio Station, Alalaye FM, in Akure, the state capital, said Ajayi had a free hand to operate with unfettered access to all state properties and to his office, stating that two ministries was given to Ajayi to manage but the Deputy Governor was never contented.

“Agboola Ajayi is the highest paid deputy Governor in Nigeria as I speak. He earn more than the Deputy Governor of Lagos State. He earns over N13 million monthly as running grants for his office.

“Ajayi is just a greedy man that lacks contentment. I gave him a free hand to perform as a deputy governor. I gave him two ministries to run. He constructed roads. He built a number of schools. His wife also built a number of schools. The list is endless.

“Ajayi enjoyed more benefits than his predecessors as a deputy Governor but was only greedy. He had a free access to all state properties. He had a free access to me and all documents.

“He was even nick-named Arakunrin Kekere. So, a man that would betray you would betray you no matter how you treat him. I have left Ajayi to God and posterity to judge him” Akeredolu, said.

Shielding more light on the #4.3billion discovered in a secret account by the state government in Zenith Bank, Akeredolu said contrary to the affirmations of the opposition elements, the money was found in a dormant account without any interest paid to the state Government.

He however disclosed that he has petitioned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ask reasons why interest is not paid on the fund.

“The recovered N4.3 Billion naira was discovered in a Zenith Bank account. When the bank was asked to release the fund, they said the account was already dormant. The money was in a current account and not a fixed deposit account.

“So, the bank didn’t pay any interest on the money. But we are currently talking to the CBN about getting something out. The recovered money has been accounted for in the budget. It wasn’t stolen. It has been accounted for. Those saying the money was stolen are merely playing politics”, the Governor stated.

On why he should be reelected, Akeredolu said he is coming to complete the projects he has started to drive the State towards the path of industrialisation.

He disclosed that the Ondo-Linyin Industrial Hub at Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the State is a joint ownership between the State Government and the Chinese Company.

“Today, by the grace of God, there are about 10 industries at the Ondo-Linyi Industrial hub. There is a textile industry, cassava to ethanol, production of MDF, HDF plant, production of ply-wood, truck assembly plant and others. These industries have employed over 4,000 people. We made it happen within four years.

“Business activities have increased in Ore. Farmers sell their cassava to the cassava to ethanol plant at a more higher price. There is still another industrial hub at Ore. There are about five companies that have gone there to start up businesses. Denki, a company that produces electric wires is currently at the Ore hub. I really mean business. I want to leave an Ondo State that will pay salary to her workers without relying on Federal Allocation. We can make it possible.”

On infrastructure development, Akeredolu said “my administration has constructed more roads than my predecessors in three and a half years. I stand to be corrected. Examples are; Ore flyover, dualization projects in Akure – the dualization of Oda road, Idanre to Ijoka road, Owo road and Ikare road among others.

“Today, Over 700 public primary schools have been renovated and reconstructed with perimeter fence and play ground equipment. I have built over 700 boreholes to provided water for those at the grassroots.

“My administration is working on five major dams in the state. We took a bank loan to construct the Owena Dam. It is only the reticulation that is left to be done. We have also repaired five dams. By the grace of God, water will soon be flowing in all taps across the state.

On Education, Akeredolu stated that his administration has successfully managed the three state-owned Universities without abandoning anyone.

“The Ondo State Government has three Universities. By the grace of God, we have successfully managed the three Universities with significant strides recorded at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH) which was abandoned by the Mimiko led-administration for 8 years.

” Equally, gaint strides have been recorded at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) where courses were not accredited with no equipment until we facilitated the accreditation of over 14 courses and established a teaching hospital in both Ondo and Akure.

“A 500-bed teaching hospitals in both Akure and Ondo are currently being constructed at UNIMED. The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko has been ranked the best state University in Nigeria for three consecutive years in the World University Ranking” the Governor, stated.

The renowned socialite based in Ibadan, Chief Sunday Igboho who is the convener of Oduduwa Republic in Ibadan has berated some Yoruba leaders who betrayed the struggle to seccede from Nigeria.

Chief Sunday had sometime made it known that he would gather some youths and elders in Yorubaland for a rally seeking for the declaration of Oduduwa Republic come October 1st, the day Nigeria celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Meanwhile, the rallies that were carried out by Yorubas in diaspora suffered a setback in Nigeria due to the low turn-out across Nigeria.

According to Sunday Igboho, the rally which was to kickstart in Ibadan yesterday did not receive the people he expected to join the rally having agreed prior to the day of rally.

Igboho while addressing journalists yesterday at his residence said, he was very disappointed with some Yoruba elders who had sold their conscience in the struggle to liberate Yoruba race. He stated further that those he planned the struggle together left him to carry his cross alone.

“I am utterly bewildered that some Yoruba elders and youths cannot come out en masse to join us, as you can see the Federal Government has stationed security agencies in my residence. We said we want to liberate ourselves from slavery and some people in Yorubaland connived with the government to disrupt our plans”.

“I am totally disappointed with some of our people, we planned the struggle together and in the mid of the night they had sold their land for the sake of porridge. Meanwhile, if the security agencies did not allow us to go beyond our residence, we shall organze those who we see here and do our rally within our enclave to send signal to the whole world that in Oduduwa Republic we stand”, said Igboho.