Building Collapse: EKSG Will Deal With Defiant Developers — Deputy Governor.

Building Collapse: EKSG Will Deal With Defiant Developers — Deputy Governor.

.....Committee recommends demolition of collapsed Event Centre.

Determined to checkmate occasional cases of building collapse that was posing danger to human lives, the Ekiti State Government, has indicated interest to henceforth deal with developers contravening extant rules and regulations in the state.

The state government, said such action became expedient to safeguard the lives of the people and curtail  actions of developers, who often circumvent the rules mandating them to get proper approvals and building to specifications while handling pubic structures.

The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, handed down the threat on Friday in Ado Ekiti, while receiving the report of the six-man committee on set up to probe the collapse of F & G Event Centre at Ijero Ekiti recently. 

Th building located along Ijero-Ido road, had on September 3, 2023 , suddenly collapsed on over 300 occupants during a burial reception holding  in the hall, leading to scores being injured in the ensuing melee.

Receiving  the report, on Friday, Mrs Afuye, said  the government will consider the committee's recommendations to curtail unprofessional conducts of some developers.

She appreciated the committee on behalf of Governor Biodun Oyebanji  for doing a thorough job, saying the governor is favourably disposed to taking any action that will ensure safety of the citizens and curtail professional misconducts among developers.

"Let me appreciate you for doing a thorough job. Safety of our people is very dear to Governor Oyebanji. We thank God that no life was lost during the incident. But we must guard against reoccurrence of such incident.

"I want to assure you that all the recommendations shall be looked into and the necessary actions shall be taken on this matter".

As contained in the report submitted by the Chairman of the Committee and Permanent Secretary,Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Abayomi Opeyemi, the body called for outright demolition of the Event Centre for non-compliance with building rules and  regulations.

Opeyemi also tasked the Standard Organisation of Organisation (SON) to mandate producers of cement and other building materials to comply with the best production practices to solidify building structures and halt  collapse.

Reeling out their findings leading to the collapse of the building, Opeyemi said: "The concrete used was of poor quality. The professionals were not on ground and there was  no regular site visisitation by government body. 

"We also found that the project has no approved drawing. The design was not properly done while the reinforcement was used unprofessionally".

Opeyemi revealed that developers handling any public building like schools, hotels, event centres, religious buildings, industrial buildings, shopping malls and town/family  halls must get all the requisite approvals from government. 

He said part of the recommendations included the establishment of a Planning Permit and Building Control Agency, warning of professionals against misconduct, rehabilitation and equipping of all fire fighting services across the local governments.

Other committee members  are: Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Olajide Borode, Chairman, Ijero Local Government, Hon. Adeola Adeyemi, and Director Physical Planning, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development,Mr Femi Bamisaye.

Others are:  Deputy Director, Public Building, Bureau of Special projects, Mr. Sunday Ariyo and Director of Administration and Supply, SEMA, Mr. Ayodeji Oguntuyi.

Ekiti First Lady Unveils Pet Project, WAOH.

Ekiti First Lady Unveils Pet Project, WAOH.

....Empowers 350 Widows, 25 Orphans.

....Oyebanji Urges Privileged Nigerians To Adopt Widows, Orphans.

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, on Thursday officially unveiled her pet project, Widows and Orphans Hope Project  (WAOH Project) giving out material and financial empowerment to 350 widows.

At an impressive and well-attended ceremony held at the Abiodun Adetiloye Hall of the State Trade Fair Complex in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti First Lady also gave financial support of N100,000 each to 25 students who are orphans under the WAOH Project.

The students majority of whom were drawn from federal and state-owned tertiary institutions in Ekiti State received the funds to assist them in reducing the burden of paying their school fees, examination fees and purchasing instructional materials.

The benefiting widows received materials like deep freezers, grinding machines, sewing machines, hair dryers, garri processing machines, washing machines, photocopying machines, computer sets, gas burners and cylinders which were based on what they requested for in the forms they had earlier filled.

Some of the beneficiaries received raw food for retail sale while the aged ones among them received N20,000 each and bags of assorted food items. All the beneficiaries who received material empowerment also received N10,000 to transport the materials back to their various destinations.

Operators of medicine stores among them were empowered with N100,000 each which had been paid to a prominent pharmacy in the state where they will receive the drugs worth the money to stock their shops.

The ceremony was attended by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (who addressed the gathering virtually in his capacity as chairman of the event), former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Deputy Governor, Mrs  Monisade Afuye; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; House of Representatives member for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2, Hon. Femi Bamisile; Managing Director of Premium Trust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim; state All Progressives Congress (APC Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso; state Assembly members and State Executive Council members.

The State Council of Traditional Rulers were represented at the event by the Chairman, the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro while monarchs' wives were also present.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji who spoke at the event urged privileged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of adopting widows and orphans for economic and educational empowerment to give them succour and make them fulfilled in life.

Mr. Oyebanji said the WAOH Project was an initiative conceived by his wife to continue the good work of her immediate predecessor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who was on hand to distribute the education empowerment to the orphaned beneficiaries.

The Governor who assured that the over 30,000 widows already registered under the scheme would be touched one way or the other throughout the life of his administration also promised that the exercise would be a continuous one.

He also expressed the readiness of his administration to organize business development seminars for widows through the state Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

While stressing the importance of adopting orphans and widows for support by the privileged in the society, the Governor expressed his readiness to adopt a little child described as "a double orphan" who was one of the beneficiaries of the Back to School Initiative of his wife held last month.

Earlier, the First Lady, Dr. Oyebanji, said she conceived the idea of WAOH to reach out to widows and orphans whom she described as the most vulnerable in the society to give them hope and support to complement the Shared Prosperity vision of her husband.

Dr. Oyebanji disclosed that due diligence was done before the beneficiaries were picked as they were visited in their localities and further screened at the WAOH office located in her office so that their needs could be properly identified.

She said no amount should be considered too small or big to spend to assist the widows and orphans noting that her passion for them made her to source for donors clarifying that WAOH is not a government-supported scheme.

The First Lady said all the beneficiaries would be monitored to ensure that the materials and the monies received are put to proper use. She noted that mechanisms have been put in place for effective monitoring.

She said further: "Today, we stand here with the purpose of uplifting widows and orphans, assisting them in attaining self-sufficiency, diminishing poverty, fostering gender equality, and fortifying the socio-economic fabric of the communities they call home.

"The designated categories of widows and orphans for empowerment include three distinct groups: active widows, the active widows are the ones between the ages of 25 to 50 years, semi-active widows are between the ages of 51 to 69 years and the inactive widows (aged) are the ones between the ages of 70 years and above, Today, a total of 350 widows are set for empowerment.

"The next category of  beneficiaries comprises 25 orphans that are currently pursuing higher degree in various institutions of higher learning in the country, majority of who were drawn from Ekiti State institutions of higher learning, making a total of 375 beneficiaries altogether in today’s programme."

"Our plan is to be able to carry out this empowerment programme like two to three times within a year, subject to availability of fund.This will enable us reach out to a larger number of widows and orphans and make appreciable impact in their lives."

Former First Lady, Erelu Fayemi, who was the mother of the day, said she was very proud of her successor, Dr. Oyebanji, noting that she fully identified with the WAOH project and would continue to give her support.

Erelu Fayemi said: "I am so proud of her and you will agree with me that over the past one year, she has done a fantastic job. Governor Oyebanji, I am also proud of you. You are doing a fantastic job for Ekiti people." 

Erelu Fayemi said there are laws in the state that protect widows and orphans adding that WAOH is a step in addressing the root causes of poverty in the lives of widows and orphans.

The President of Ekiti State Widows’ Association, Mrs Omoyeni Fatunase, who also gave a goodwill message at the event, lauded Dr Oyebanji for the initiative, adding that the association was happy that the widows were given the needed support to feed themselves and take care of the children . 

“What happened today gave us joy because the First Lady gave these beneficiaries the needed support for them to feed themselves and take care of their children and dependants. We thank the Wife of the Governor for putting smiles on the faces of widows and orphans in Ekiti.”, she added.

FIFA President wants greater investment in women’s football.

FIFA President wants greater investment in women’s football.

The president of the world’s football governing body Gianni Infantino has appealed for significant investment in women’s football which he described as the future of the game. 

Gianni Infantino was speaking at the start of the Asian Football Confederation congress. 

Since taking over the leadership of FIFA, Gianni Infantino has masterminded significant reforms aimed at projecting Women’s football to unprecedented heights. The football supremo has repeatedly called for more attention and investment to women’s football as part of blueprint geared towards revolutionizing the game. 

“We are discussing the 2027 Women’s World Cup. My appeal is to invest in women’s football, it is the future. I want every country in the world to have a women’s league, a women’s national team,” Infantino stressed. 

Women make up 50% of the world’s population. We must develop women’s football, opening more doors and opportunities. We have all the elements to organize competitions and invest in development.

“We must make sure we give every talent the chance to show off, so as to see world championships and, perhaps, world champions coming from Asia”  

The FIFA head also stressed on plans to further unite the world through football as well as initiatives underway to improve on the grooming of young talents globally via the Talent Scheme and FIFA Forward Funds. 

He continued: “We like to say that football is becoming truly global and it is and we have a responsibility in this respect. You have a responsibility in this respect. You play an important role in this unity of the world.

“For the FIFA Forward Programme, for the Talent Development Scheme we have been multiplying by seven the funds which are available to all compared to 2016 before I became FIFA President.

“We have been able to make available these funds for you to invest in girls’ football in boys’ football to invest in the future, in the zones and in the growth of our game.” 

With the Israelo-Palestinian war raging, Gianni Infantino expressed his sympathy to the populations affected by this war.

“Unfortunately we live in a divided and aggressive world. I want to send my deep condolences to the families and friends who are losing their lives in Palestine and Israel.” 

“My solidarity is with the people across the region who are suffering and paying an unspeakable price. My thoughts and prayers are with all the mothers who have lost their children and all those who suffer.” 

“Violence and hatred do not achieve anything. My appeal is for those who are involved and who have the power to stop all this, to find a solution that can make us live in peace and together,” he concluded.

Joshua, Fury to earn £100m in Battle of Britain clash.

Joshua, Fury to earn £100m in Battle of Britain clash.

Eddie Hearn has said that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could make over £100million each if they are to have a Battle of Britain clash next year.

Fury and Joshua had been locked in talks over a Battle of Britain bout last year but discussions broke down after the Gypsy King grew impatient.

Fury decided to move on and secure a bout with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, while AJ fought against Robert Helenius.

However, Hearn is adamant a fight between the pair will happen after Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk and AJ takes on Deontay Wilder.

If Fury and AJ win those bouts, Hearn said they will be in line to make over £100m for a Battle of Britain bout next year.

Hearn told The Overlap’s Stick To Football podcast with Sky Bet: “They will make over £100m each. If Fury beats Usyk and AJ beats Wilder, they’ll make over £100m each. That’s when it starts to become easy because, well, come on lads.”

When asked whether he thinks the bout between AJ and Fury will actually get over the line, Hearn said: “I think they will fight and I think it will be the biggest fight of all-time. But, you just never know with Fury. Fury could hang him up.

“I don’t think Fury is over the moon to fight Usyk. He just knows it’s a really tough fight. I think Fury wins and I think Fury thinks he wins but he knows how good Usyk is.

“But, they came up with the money and if they come up with the money he will fight. He thinks he can take AJ too. But, he might take the money from the Usyk fight and go missing.”

Fury and Joshua had been locked in talks over a Battle of Britain bout last year but discussions broke down after the Gypsy King grew impatient waiting for AJ to sign the contract.

Negotiations over the highly-anticipated bout had been ongoing for months before both parties declared the fight – which was scheduled to take place on December 3, 2022 – was officially off the cards.

The Gypsy King said he was furious at AJ for ‘wasting his time’ and stated he would never fight the 32-year-old in the future as a result. However, Fury made a shock U-turn just a couple of months later and returned to the negotiating table.

He took to social media to tell his fans that Queensbury had sent AJ a draft contract. His caption read: “A few days ago I sent a draft contract to Anthony Joshua for a fight in September.

Credit: The Nation Newspaper.

FIFA President wants greater investment in women’s football.

FIFA President wants greater investment in women’s football.

The president of the world’s football governing body Gianni Infantino has appealed for significant investment in women’s football which he described as the future of the game. 

Gianni Infantino was speaking at the start of the Asian Football Confederation congress. 

Since taking over the leadership of FIFA, Gianni Infantino has masterminded significant reforms aimed at projecting Women’s football to unprecedented heights. The football supremo has repeatedly called for more attention and investment to women’s football as part of blueprint geared towards revolutionizing the game. 

“We are discussing the 2027 Women’s World Cup. My appeal is to invest in women’s football, it is the future. I want every country in the world to have a women’s league, a women’s national team,” Infantino stressed. 

Women make up 50% of the world’s population. We must develop women’s football, opening more doors and opportunities. We have all the elements to organize competitions and invest in development.

“We must make sure we give every talent the chance to show off, so as to see world championships and, perhaps, world champions coming from Asia”  

The FIFA head also stressed on plans to further unite the world through football as well as initiatives underway to improve on the grooming of young talents globally via the Talent Scheme and FIFA Forward Funds. 

He continued: “We like to say that football is becoming truly global and it is and we have a responsibility in this respect. You have a responsibility in this respect. You play an important role in this unity of the world.

“For the FIFA Forward Programme, for the Talent Development Scheme we have been multiplying by seven the funds which are available to all compared to 2016 before I became FIFA President.

“We have been able to make available these funds for you to invest in girls’ football in boys’ football to invest in the future, in the zones and in the growth of our game.” 

With the Israelo-Palestinian war raging, Gianni Infantino expressed his sympathy to the populations affected by this war.

“Unfortunately we live in a divided and aggressive world. I want to send my deep condolences to the families and friends who are losing their lives in Palestine and Israel.” 

“My solidarity is with the people across the region who are suffering and paying an unspeakable price. My thoughts and prayers are with all the mothers who have lost their children and all those who suffer.” 

“Violence and hatred do not achieve anything. My appeal is for those who are involved and who have the power to stop all this, to find a solution that can make us live in peace and together,” he concluded.

President Tinubu seeks legislative support to strengthen economy, tackle poverty.

President Tinubu seeks legislative support to strengthen economy, tackle poverty.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the legislature to work with the executive to strengthen and grow the economy as well as fight poverty in the land.

The President expressed discomfort at having 63 per cent of the population in poverty, saying this is unacceptable to his administration.

He assured of his commitments to engender a better life for all Nigerians.

President Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, spoke at the opening of a two-day retreat on fiscal policy and tax reforms for senators of the 10th National Assembly at Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President promised to ensure that the three per cent progress made in developing the economy would be sustained.

He said: “We will ensure life is better for all Nigerians. It is unacceptable that we are quoted as having 65 per cent of the population, 84 million people, are found as multi-dimensionally poor.

“The antidote to this is that this government is committed to doing all we can to make the Nigerian economy grow and achieve rapid, sustained and inclusive growth.

“I cannot do this alone. There has to be a team network and, of course, legislations. The senators have a key role to play.”

He urged the National Assembly to remain committed, as it has always been, in passing the 2024 budget early so that it could be signed into law before December 31.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio restated the commitment of the 10th National Assembly to legislating on economic reforms that would bring more revenue to the national coffers for national survival.

The Senate President urged fellow senators to follow the dreams of their forebears in the development of the country.

He expressed the National Assembly’s commitment to an economy with double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth, greater food security, and one with a strengthened manufacturing base.

The organiser of the retreat and Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS),

Prof. Abubarkar Sulaiman, said the retreat would strengthen measures to deepen legislature–executive relationships and address issues of insecurity, which have hampered meaningful development in the country.

Atiku, Obi versus Tinubu: Legal fireworks on Monday.

Atiku, Obi versus Tinubu: Legal fireworks on Monday.

.....S’Court fixes hearing of appeal, bid by PDP candidate to submit CSU documents.

The Supreme Court will on Monday hear the appeals by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi challenging the affirmation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 poll.

It will also hear the appeal by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), as well as a motion by Atiku for leave to tender new evidence.

An October 19 hearing notice has been issued to the parties.

A seven-member panel of justices of the apex court will sit on the matter.

The Electoral Act prescribes a 60-day period between the verdict of the PEPC and the judgment of the Supreme Court. The PEPC delivered its verdict on September 6.

Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Obi and Labour Party (LP) and ChiChi Ojei and the APM are challenging the September 6 consolidated judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

A few days to the February 25 Presidential election, the APM collapsed collapsed its structure into the PDP’s and adopted Atiku.

The tribunal dismissed the petitions challenging Tinubu’s victory for being unmeritorious and because the petitioners failed to prove their cases.

In their 35-ground appeal, Atiku and his party want the highest court to reverse the PEPC verdict.

Obi and his party filed a 51-ground appeal seeking similar reliefs.

APM, in its 10-ground appeal, seeks to void Tinubu’s election on the grounds that his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, was not validly nominated.

PDP and Atiku are contending that the judgment is against the weight of evidence.

The PEPC, they argued, “erred in law when it refused to uphold the mandatory electronic transmission of results for confirmation and verification of final results introduced by the Electoral Act 2022 for transparency and integrity of results in accordance with the principles of the Act”.

According to them, the Electoral Act introduced technology, particularly in the transmission and collation of results, to forestall manipulation and compromise.

In ground two, the appellants argued that the PEPC erred when, despite the clear provisions of enabling statutes, including the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections and the Manual for Election Officials, it still proceeded to hold that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was not meant to be used to electronically transmit or transfer the results of the polling unit direct to the collation system.

They also faulted the PEPC for holding that the INEC Result Viewing portal (IRev) was not a collation system.

Clear doubts on CSU saga, Obi tells Tinubu

The appellants faulted the PEPC for holding that the requirement of electronic transmission of the result directly from the polling units to the INEC collation system is not an Electoral Act requirement.

They faulted the PEPC for failing “to nullify the presidential election held on 25th February 2023 on the ground of non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 when, by the evidence before the court, the first respondent (INEC) conducted the election based on very grave and gross misrepresentation, contrary to the principles of the Electoral Act 2022, based on the ‘doctrine of legitimate expectation.’”

The PDP and Atiku are also praying the Supreme Court to allow their appeal, set aside the judgment of the PEPC and grant the reliefs as contained in their petition.

The cases of Obi, LP, APM

Obi and the LP are praying the apex court to set aside the tribunal judgment and grant the reliefs in their petition.

They contended that the PEPC erred in law and occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice when they held that the onus was on them to prove that INEC failed to comply with the mandatory requirements of Sections 73(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

According to Obi and the LP, “the learned Justices of the court below erred in law and came to a perverse decision when they held that PW3, PW4, PW, PW6, PW7, PW8, PW9, PW10, PW11 and P’W13 were not witnesses of the court, but those of the appellants, who had paid fees for the issuance of the subpoena”.

They added the trial Justices erred in law when they held that Exhibit X2, a copy of the European Union Election Observation Mission Report, was certified by the Registry of the Court of Appeal and not by the Observation Mission, which is the custodian of the original copy.

The APM, in its appeal, is contending that the PEPC erred in law “when it wrongfully waved aside the allegation that Tinubu’s running mate and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was nominated twice for different positions by the APC, in relation to the 2023 general elections.

The party is also contending that it was wrong for the PEPC to dismiss its case against Tinubu’s election on the premise that it was not only incompetent but contained pre-election issues.

It argued that sections 131 and 142 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, were inextricably linked “and neither can be confined as a pre-election matter, as these qualifications are condition precedents to being elected to the office of President.”

APM added: “The appellant’s petition was not one founded solely on nomination, but primarily that the third respondent (Tinubu) contested the presidential election without a lawful associate running as his Vice President.

“The withdrawal of (Mr. Ibrahim Masari), the fifth respondent and the expiry of the 14 days permissible for changing a withdrawn or dead candidate under Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022 made the third respondent’s election and return invalid.”

APM argued that the PEPC abandoned its duty and jurisdiction of hearing and determining the question of whether President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima were validly elected under the law, given provisions of Section 239(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The APM wants the highest court to hold that the PEPC focused on technical issues rather than determining whether Tinubu and Shettima were qualified.

Eric Ikhilae

Credit: The Nation Newspaper.