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Akeredolu mismanages COVID-19 fund, fails to give account of spendings – PDP

The PDP National Campaign Council for Ondo Governorship Election has described the excuse by embattled Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu that he submitted the account of the spending of COVID-19 response funds to an Abuja based Non-Governmental Organization as self-indicting.

The PDP berates the Ondo state governor for seeking to drag in an NGO as a cover to evade answering to queries put to him by the Ondo people who demand a detailed public account of the COVID-19 intervention funds following allegations of diversions by officials of his self-serving administration and urge Akeredolu to account to the people.

This was contained in a statement signed and released to the newsmen today by
Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee, Kola Ologbodiyan.

PDP said It is sickening that Governor Akeredolu seeks to confuse the citizens of Ondo state by referring to a bank account he claimed to have sent to an NGO, which provides no proofs of actual item purchases as well as actual delivery of materials and services for payments.

“We invite Nigerians and the Ondo people to note that Governor Akeredolu’s self-serving administration has failed to account to the people on the management of the fund, having failed to show the term of expenditures, approving details; quantity and quality of products and services paid for; as well as confirmation of actual delivery for payments made”, said Ologbodiyan.

“The response by Governor Akeredolu has only muddled up statutory financial accounting system by referring the people of Ondo to an NGO in Abuja.

“Our campaign therefore invites the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately commence investigation into the handling of the Ondo COVID-19 funds now that Governor Akeredolu has failed to give proper account as demanded by the Ondo people”.

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Yoruba Council of Elders rejects Oduduwa Republic, says it is unrealistic at this time

The Secretary of Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr. Kunle Olajide has condemned the agitation by some groups in Yoruba land seeking for secession and independence of Oduduwa Republic.

The Council berated the agitation and called it a child-play as there has not been a consensus on the parts of Yoruba land that will form the said Oduduwa Republic.

According to him, Lagos has said it is not part of Oduduwa nation, and the head monarch of Ijebu land in Ogun State said his people migrated from North Africa.

“I visited the war front almost immediately after the truce and what I saw there, I would not wish it for my enemies. As far as the Yoruba nation is concerned, I will not lead my people to commit mass suicide,” Olajide said.

“The idea that they can have a peaceful exit is more theoretical than real. There is nothing like the 107 groups,” he said, referring to claims by Akintoye that the call for self-determination for the Yoruba nation had been signed.

“There is nowhere we have sat down and had a consensus to say we want the Yoruba nation. For us, we believe that if we can have a true Federal Republic of Nigeria, in 50 years, Nigeria will be leading Africa in all parameters of human existence. In 75 years, we will be in the league of first-world countries.”

He said although the Yoruba were not happy with the imposition of the Fulani political elite, who are in the minority, breaking up the country is not the preferred outcome.

“Yoruba people are justifiably angry about the system we are running that has completely diminished the upward development of the Yoruba people and has rendered most of the youths who constitute the majority of our population jobless. Nigeria appears to have reached the beginning of the end to this unitary, centralised pseudo-federalism we are operating,” he said.

Olajide expressed optimism that other regions of the country will soon join the call for true federalism.

He said, “There is no part of Nigeria today that is happy with the Nigeria we have. Since the North Central pulled out of the Arewa Forum, you don’t have any North like we used to have before and if anyone believes there is still a Northern region, that is the most unsafe part of the country today.

“They have all the negative indices of human development in Nigeria. A time is coming, and it is coming too soon that they will be championing for restructuring.”

He said they had been mobilising to break what he described as a ‘tiny political Fulani elite’.

“We have started mobilising. We already have a relationship with the cultural groups in the South and the Middle Belt. We are going to reach out to the North-Central forum so that we can reduce this tiny Fulani elite who have gained power from the constitution and the false sense of population advantage the British gave them,” he noted.

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Oyo ex-guber aspirant, Hakeem Alao raises alarm over illegal sale of water pipes in Oyo State

The erstwhile governorship candidate of Alliance for Democracy AD in Oyo State, Engr. Hakeem Alao has raised alarm over the alleged sales of water illegal pipes in Oyo State.

It was learnt that some staff of the water corporation in connivance with the Chairman, Mr. Adebayo Anthony have been selling the water pipes acquired by the administration of the former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja.

OduduwaNews also gathered that some trucks while ferrying illegal water pipes were intercepted recently by OYRTMA.

But, Alao while reacting said that findings have shown that some directors of the corporation and the Chairman have been selling the pipes which were acquired before Governor Seyi Makinde came to power, since June 2020.

Alao in a statement through his media aide, Omotayo Iyanda, said, “We found out that some of these metal water pipes were procured by the past administrations of Alhaji Lam Adesina, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and late Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi through the African Development Bank’s grants.

“Since the 1999-2003 regime of Alhaji Lam Adesina to the tenure of Senator Ajimobi, according to investigation, more than 10,000 pipes in different sizes with some of them measuring while as each was valued at about N450,000 by the current price.

“Our sources informed that the idea of selling off the pipes illegally was borne out of the fact that they had been lying fallow at Asejire Water Works for so many years due to non-utilization”.

Alao while speaking further noted that the real illegal sale of the pipes, ongoing weekly, resumed under the current chairman of the board of the corporation, Mr Adebayo Anthony Adepoju, working with some directors, staff of the corporation and private individuals to sell the pipes illegally.

He called on Makinde to investigate and halt what he described as shady deal under his administration.

“The real illegal sale of the pipes, ongoing weekly, was allegedly resumed under the current chairman of the board of the corporation, Mr Adebayo Anthony Adepoju, working with some directors, staff of the corporation and private individuals, adding that a particular company (name withheld) was the intermediary who facilitated the sales.

“Although a memo was said to have been prepared and passed to the governor’s office to authorize the sale of the pipes, the circular had, however, been delayed or truncated so as to quickly make some sales without record. In fact, we found out that the police had actually arrested a truck loading off the pipes to Osogbo, the sales point, and the vehicle and the driver were later released by the police through the intervention of the corporation.

“Our investigations reveal that this nefarious activity is reportedly going on in other sub-stations of the corporation such as Agodi-Gate Water Schemes, Pade Water Schemes with the exception of Saki and Ogbomoso Water Schemes. We hereby call on Governor Seyi Makinde to investigate and halt this shady deal under his administration”.

Adepoju while reacting noted that the corporation is still investigating the allegations.

Adepoju who noted that the corporation has installed some cameras and street light at the water schemes to forestall any removal of pipes, added that the allegation is an ongoing issue the corporation is looking into.

He said, “It is something that we have put under investigation. Right now, we have security cameras there, we have street light there to find out if that story is true or not, but we have not found any, but, it is an ongoing issue we are looking into”.

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Ondo 2020: Akeredolu’s administration, a total disappointment – Mimiko

The erstwhile governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko has described the administration of his successor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu as a total waste and disappointment to the people of Ondo State.

Mimiko, who is the national leader of Zenith Labour Party, said this during a campaign visit by the ZLP and its candidate in the October 10 Ondo State governorship election, Agboola Ajayi, to Ile-Oluji, the headquarters of the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area on Saturday.

The former governor said, “There is no person that will say he has not performed. But how do we differentiate performance? Any government that has not democratized education is a bad government.

“This government that hiked school fees is a bad government. Akeredolu’s government is an enemy of the people.

“Anybody that votes for Akeredolu is selling his children’s future. Any government that does not make health free is your enemy.”

In his reaction, the spokesperson for the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, Mr. Richard Olatunde, said, “It is unfortunate that a governor that sacked over 10,000 workers in Ondo state is calling the Akeredolu administration an anti-people government.”

He said “It is on record that Governor Akeredolu since he assumed office, has not sacked anyone in the state workforce either at the local or state level.

“Those lecturers that were sacked unjustly at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko are still alive to bear witness to the anti-people government of Mimiko in this state.

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Recruit OPC members into Amotekun Corps – MURIC tells Southwest governors

Nigeria’s Islamic human rights organization, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised the handlers of the South West security outfit codenamed ‘Amotekun’ to recruit leaders and members of the Oduduwa People’s Congress (OPC) into the new security outfit.

The advice was contained in a press statement issued on Monday 28th September, 2020 by the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“We advocate for the recruitment of members of Oduduwa People’s Congress (OPC) into the new South West security initiative codenamed ‘Amotekun’. OPC deserves that preference because it was the only known militant organization which confronted the military during the June 12 struggle. Their leaders were incarcerated on account of the just struggle for the actualization of MKO Abiola’s high-jacked mandate.

“Apart from this, OPC played a central and unforgettable role in bringing sanity to the South West during the proliferation of armed robbery attacks between year 2000 and 2015. Their performance was heroic and they are still very much around. This was a period when even the police relied on the OPC for community policing. Many armed robbery suspects were apprehended with the help of OPC and handed over to the police. To a large extent, therefore, the South West owes the peace it enjoys today to the OPC.

“It is our considered opinion that South West governors should not forget these heroes in the ongoing recruitment exercise into Amotekun. We have observed attempts by charlatans to hijack the project. Two fraudsters were recently arrested for defrauding applicants: one Kareem Taiwo who claimed to be an Amotekun officer in Ibadan and Adeyemi Agboola, a cybercafé owner in Oyo town.

“OPC members are in every ward in Yorubaland. They know the territory very well. They are bold. They also have the experience in confronting criminal elements. Many communities in Yorubaland today employ OPC members as night guards. They are therefore used to night patrol and overnight duty. They did it when they were not being paid one kobo. This is the time to compensate them. They will be more reliable in combating criminality.

“Our suggestion is without prejudice to the recruitment of seasoned security personnel like retired soldiers and ex-police officers. But members of OPC will be good foot-soldiers for Amotekun. The handlers will be ignoring OPC at their own peril.

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Alaafin eulogizes Pa Fasoranti on his birthday, says he is a great leader

OduduwaNews had gathered that Alaafin of Oyo, Ikubaba yeye, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III visited the leader of Afenifere Socio-Cultural group, Pa Fasoranti on Sunday.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, Alaafin said he was in Akure to felicitate with the leader of Afenifere who clocked 94 last week.

He noted that the Fasoranti had been providing dynamic leadership despite his age, saying the old man has remained ageless both in physical and mental strength.

In a letter to Fasoranti titled, “Congratulation to Pa Reuben Fasoranti on his 94th birthday anniversary” personally delivered by the monarch, the letter read: “It is with a very warm heart that I rejoice and indeed to congratulate Pa Reuben Fasoranti on the occasion of his 94th birthday, out of which most of the years have been dedicated for service to humanity.

“It is not only rare but legendary for a 94-year-old man to still be beaming his searchlight for the progress and development of his people.

“At that age, papa, as the leader of the Afenifere had remained purposeful in providing dynamic leadership Yoruba for race in the pursuit of right direction to the Yoruba race .

“Papa has remained ageless in both physical and mental strength. It is my prayer papa will remain young in energy for many years to come in good health.

“That Pa Reuben Fasoranti is alive and healthy today especially at this critical stage of Nigeria development to give the necessary leadership direction for our people is a special gift for Yoruba nation.”

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Oyo NUT directs teachers to commence strike tommorrow

There has been fresh indication that the Nigerian Union of Teachers NUT Oyo State Chapter has directed its members to join the Nationwide strike action set to commence tommorow teachers in compliance with NLC and TUC directives

The teachers in Oyo State held congress said they are joining the nationwide strike in strict compliance with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) directives to workers, unions and public.

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Oluwo Must Go – Iwo Kingmakers’ Leader, Chief Bello Insists

Osa of Iwo, Chief Yekeen Bello, who is the leader of Iwo kingmakers and one of those seeking the dethronement of the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has revealed about the generation of the disagreement they have with their king.

The leader of the kingmakers while addressing newsmen said: “The petition was written because of his behaviour and attitude. You can always see that on social media and comments by the public about him are usually very bad. His behaviour is negatively affecting Iwo, Osun State, and even Nigeria in general. If an Oba conducts himself properly, nobody will say no to that. If a king does not respect us, his chiefs and elders in the community, what do you think will happen?

We have tried to condone those things, but we cannot continue like this. He is a disgrace to the community. Many times, we have sat down and talked about it. We have advised him, but still he would not listen. I’m sorry for Alli Ibrahim, Press Secretary to Oluwo, who said we received a large amount of money from somebody or people to remove Oluwo. That is a blatant lie. If we had taken that route, everything would have been over by now. We are also seeking help.”

When asked if the petition has affected the relationship between the kingmakers and the Oluwo, the Osa of Iwo said: “Our relationship is not cordial. If it had been cordial, you wouldn’t have seen the petition. He called for us last Sunday; we went and told him we could not be bribed. Unfortunately, he told us to find jobs that we would be doing. He said the allocation coming from the government is meant for the Oba alone and not the chiefs. I just laughed. He thought we did not know anything. If you investigate, you will know the allocation is for the Oba, chiefs and bales (community heads). He thought we were uncivilised. We are fighting for our rights. He will have to give us our rights. For a chief to be going home with about N4,000 or N3,000 per month is ridiculous. I am sorry to say this. You know, I am second in command to him.”

When further asked if there wasn’t an investigation that was done before Oba Akanbi was selected, he said: “One, he didn’t live in Iwo. Two, Yoruba people would say you can only help a man find a job; you won’t do the job for the person. You see, if I want to get something from you, I will be behaving like a saint but immediately I get what I want from you, I will show my true character. That’s what it is. Nobody thought he would behave like this; I am sorry to say this. I like him, because his father was my close friend and I supported him.

“When this Oluwo wanted to be the king, I had about 3,700 blocks I wanted to use to build a house. In the course of supporting him, I spent the money I had planned to spend on the project on something else. Eventually, the blocks were wasted. But we did not write the petition because of that. It is for the community and all the chiefs, not just about kingmakers. It is just that the kingmakers are expected to lead. I’m regarded as his number one enemy; he does not want to see me at all.”

While reacting to the allegation that someone is paying kingmakers to remove Oluwo, Chief Bello stated: “Look, it is a lie. I already told you that if that were true, everything would have been over. We thought we could sit with him, one-on-one, but now he is taking the matter beyond that. We have given Oluwo’s Press Secretary seven days to mention the man or woman that gave us money to remove Oluwo. If he is unable to do that, he will meet us in court. You know that’s defamation of character. He has to tell us the name of the person and the amount we collected from them.

“We should be 14 but one of us is dead. The 13th man, we didn’t inform him about it because of some reasons best known to us.”

When asked how the problem can be solved, he said: It is very simple; we have not gone on air, but he is already on air. His press secretary has already spoken. What do you want us to do? If he hadn’t spoken to newsmen, things would have been different. I would not have granted you this interview. That’s how it is. Iwo is disintegrated now. Olaoluwa gone, Ayedire gone. The Council of Obas has suspended him. If we are to take that one up, it will be very serious. We are not kids at all, but we have to play it cool, not because of him but because of the Iwo community.

“The Council of Obas has already suspended him. We are not going back (on that). We still stand by our position that he should go because he is not ready for amicable settlement of the issues; instead, he is going on air, damaging our names and characters.”

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