Ekiti Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, Honored as Governor of the Year 2023 by Irohinoodua.

Ekiti Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, Honored as Governor of the Year 2023 by Irohinoodua.

The first and oldest Pan-Yoruba media online, Irohinoodua, has announced the Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji  as the 2023 Governor of the year. 

The group made the announcement in a statement on Monday. Irohinoodua Editorial Board said  Oyebanji was selected by the group’s Editorial Board enriched by reports received from thousands of respondents to the call for nomination announced by the group in November last year.

In the statement signed by Mr Adewunmi Akinola and Mrs Omolade Adegbuyi on behalf of the Editorial Board, the group said Oyebanji emerged based on important political, cultural and economic considerations.

On the economic front, Irohinoodua described his achievements within one year as indications that Oyebanji is a great leader to watch in Nigeria’s search for global standards in the country’s political and economic renaissance.

Irohinoodua said Oyebanji in just one year, facilitated the installation of 3.5MW Independent Power Plant, connected Ayekire/Gonyin to the National Grid after 10 years of neglect, reconstructed and launched massive road projects which included but not limited to the building of 43.4km farm roads in six Local Government areas of the state, backed by the recently launched 77kms roads to advance the Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), the notorious Ado-Ilawe Road, asphalt overlay of Ado township roads in the midst of on-going agrarian revolution. 

The Editorial Board said Oyebanji deserves full commendation for providing 50 percent subsidy for cocoa, cashew, coffee, rice, maize, cassava production apart from the huge funding provided for Livestock Productivity and resilience Support, (LPRES) with huge harvest outcomes beginning from the year 2024. 

These radical steps are bound to transform agriculture in the entire South West and place Ekiti on the map of sustainable food production. He has brought back the prospect of Ekiti State reclaiming her lost glory as one of the most successful producers of Cocoa and Coffee in Nigeria.

Irohinoodua stated.

 ‘We are impressed by his partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pro-CASHEW Programme which has led to the establishment of the first government owned scion garden and polyclonal cashew demonstration farm in Nigeria.’

It cited the Governor’s recruitment of sign language experts into public schools and public institutions as a show of deep concern to meet United Nations standards on People With Disabilities, (PWD) while his commitment to promote feedback mechanism by setting up Emergency Command Centre is remarkable. Irohinoodua said Oyebanji has shown commitment to productivity by setting targets for all his aides and by imposing sanctions on those found wanting, an indication of his commitment to fight corruption and instil discipline with the framework of good governance in the state.

He has ensured 90% CONHESS and 100% hazard allowance for health workers in all the local government areas while 50,000 indigenes in five local government are now covered under the Ulera Wa Health Insurance Intervention. With 17 Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) established to meet discovery and response to health emergencies in 17 Local Government Areas with the plan to extend the scheme across all the local governments, Ekiti State is in the process of building a primary health culture that ensures health workers visit homes of locals to provide medicare services within the shortest period.

In the area of Culture, ‘He has espoused the Yoruba concept of Omoluabi in the finest manner. Humanity and humility are essential ingredients absent in leadership in Nigeria. Oyebanji has combined both traits in the most astonishing manner. He has adopted the Philosophy of Collective Leadership through constructive engagement with the different layers and social strata in Ekiti State bringing the concept of servant-leader to the door steps of the people of the State.

This remains a huge source of inspiration to people who aspire to public office anywhere in Nigeria’, the group said. He is known for meeting people on the streets and in their homes sharing their experiences, fears and aspirations thereby closing the gap between people and their elected leaders with a people’s sense of ownership of governance enforced.

 He does this with neither photo opportunism nor attempt to harvest political capital.

According to Irohinoodua ‘We find the Ekiti State Governor, His Excellency Abiodun Oyebani as the greatest bridge builder in the year 2023. Politically, He sought and found conflict prevention and peace building necessary for sustainable development in his state.’ 

The group said Oyebanji made deliberate efforts to reach out to sworn political foes and bitter, recalcitrant enemies in the most practical and meaningful manner lowering the bar of acrimony often associated with politics in many of the South West States and in Nigeria at large

Irohinoodua said Oyebanji has established himself as a visionary, calculating, meticulous, righteous and  forthright leader driven by a deep sense of fairness combined with wisdom in his unflinching commitment to the advancement of the welfare of his people in all aspects of human endeavours.

Lawmakers budget fresh N30bn for N’Assembly renovation.

Lawmakers budget fresh N30bn for N’Assembly renovation.

Lawmakers have budgeted an additional N30bn for the renovation of the National Assembly Complex in the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

The N30bn earmarked for the renovation of the building was part of the N344.85bn budgeted for the National Assembly after they raised their allocations from N197.93bn.

The N344.85bn, signed by President Bola Tinubu on January 1, is the highest ever allocated to the legislature.

The additional N30bn brings to N60bn the amount being spent on the renovation of the National Assembly complex.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who is also the President of the National Assembly, had on June 30, 2023, declared that Tinubu would in December, last year inaugurate the N30bn different ongoing projects at the National Assembly.

Akpabio said, “The entire complex of the National Assembly is like a construction site due to ongoing general renovation work and fresh projects which would, on completion, be inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in December this year (2023).”

The renovation was initially billed to be completed and delivered in August 2022 but the delivery date was later moved to January 2023 and then December 2023.

As of January 2024, the renovation of the National Assembly Complex is yet to be completed with skeletal work ongoing on the premises.

Our correspondent, who was at the site on Saturday, observed that the contractor, Visible Construction Company, was still at work.

An official of the construction firm, who spoke to our correspondent anonymously, said, “People keep blaming us for not finishing the project but those with the money have refused to release money to us.

“How are we expected to finish the work without money? If money is released to our company, the project will be done in no time.”

Earlier during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, the site engineer, Tajudeen Olanipekun, blamed “fluctuations in the value of naira to the United States dollar for the delay.”

“This has hampered the importation of required materials and equipment, in addition to the need for more funds from the FCDA,” he said.

However, the Head, Public Relations, Federal Capital Development Agency, Richard Nduul, in June disclosed that N19bn had been paid to the construction company.

He said, “I would like to refer you to a recent press briefing by the Executive Secretary, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, just about three weeks ago, where disclosed that so far about N19bn has been expended out of the sum of N30bn being the cost of the contract awarded in 2021 to Messrs Visible Construction Nigeria Limited with a completion date of August 2023.

“This project when completed, will bring the Complex to the status of a world-class parliamentary building that will ensure both the comfort, convenience and functionality of the complex,” Nduul added.

However, when our correspondent called Nduul to get an update on how much had been expended on the project, he said he was on sick leave.

He said, “Please call back on Monday so that I can get the records from the concerned department.”

In the same vein, our reporter reached out to the site engineer, Olanipekun for comment on the amount paid, but he refused to pick up his calls and even blocked our correspondent from reaching him.

He had also refused to reply to the text messages sent to him.

Credit 

The PUNCH Newspaper 

Aiyedatiwa denies plan to dissolve Ondo APC leadership.

Aiyedatiwa denies plan to dissolve Ondo APC leadership.

The new Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has denied plans to dissolve the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, told The PUNCH that his principal had no such plan.

“I don’t think so; I am not aware of such a plan, it’s not true,” Adeniyan said in reaction to a statement on Sunday by a group, the Ondo Elite Group, warning Aiyedatiwa against tampering with the existing APC political structure of the state.

The PUNCH reports that Aiyedatiwa moved from being Ondo State’s acting governor to becoming the substantive governor on December 27, 2023, following the death of his principal, former governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Akeredolu died after a protracted battle with prostate cancer, which kept him away from the state for many months, with the opposition party pressuring him to relinquish power and focus on his health.

Amid the sickness, the relationship between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa broke down while the state House of Assembly plotted the deputy governor’s impeachment.

Aiyedatiwa survived the impeachment plot following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

Since he became substantive governor, there had been fear that he might go after Akeredolu’s loyalists, some of whom immediately resigned their appointments in the cabinet.

However, in his maiden address, Aiyedatiwa promised to continue from where his predecessor stopped, calling on all the stakeholders to join him in sustaining the legacy of the late former governor.

But in a statement on Saturday, the Ondo Elite Group called on Aiyedatiwa not to change the APC political structure in the state, warning that such a move would spell doom for the party in the governorship election coming up later this year.

The group’s General Secretary, Chief Yemi Oladiran, said tension was gradually brewing in the Ondo APC over an alleged plan to oust and replace the party leadership in the state to suit their candidate in the next election.

Oladiran said, “Dissolution of the state executive of the party will negate the agreement Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa signed with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the crisis that engulfed the state over the friction between the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa.

“What we are guarding against is a repeat of what happened in Zamfara State; we cannot allow this to happen in Ondo State because we play the game by the rules and are guided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Oladiran said the group was proud of the leadership of the Ondo APC chairman, Ade Adetimehin, warning that “tampering with the present leadership in the state party or the exco would be counterproductive and spell doom for the party.”

“The understanding between the executive members of Ondo APC and the government is cordial and we should go into this election as one.

“We’re proud of the leadership of the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin. He has been able to stabilise the party since he became the chairman of the party. Nobody changes a winning team, the present leadership has two more years to complete its term. They should be allowed to usher in a new governor after the November election,” Oladiran said.

Meanwhile, the APC Stakeholders in the Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State advised Aiyedatiwa to be strategic and conscientious in choosing his deputy.

The group also urged him to pick a young and vibrant person from the Ondo West LGA as the deputy.

Speaking in Ondo town on the matter, the leader of the group, Adekunle Fela, said all the APC stakeholders in the local government had endorsed a chieftain of the party, Dr Thomas Akinwolere to be picked as the deputy governor, calling on Aiyedatiwa to consider their choice.

He said, “It has become important for us to issue this emergency press conference as a way of calling the attention of the newly sworn-in Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, to matters that affect our dear state.

“Following the unfortunate loss of our great icon and leader, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, it has become our collective responsibility to ensure that the good people of Ondo State continue to enjoy good governance without any hitches. It is to this effect that we congratulate the erstwhile Deputy Governor who has now been sworn in as Executive Governor, in person of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.

“However, we must also use this medium to communicate to the governor that he must be strategic and conscientious in the selection of who will emerge as his deputy governor.

Before now, we have made it known that whoever will be chosen to deputise the new governor, must be selected from Ondo town and must also be a youth who understands the dynamics of our great party and is also passionate about public service.

“Hence, all party faithful, stalwarts and stakeholders in Ondo West of Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ondo State have agreed on the choice of our son, Akinwolere Babajide Thomas, popularly known as Apata, to emerge as the next deputy governor of Ondo State for the remaining part of this administration.”

Credit:

By Peter Dada

Punch Newspaper 

Sanwo-Olu to Lagosians: respect rule of law for safety of your lives, properties.

Sanwo-Olu to Lagosians: respect rule of law for safety of your lives, properties.

Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to enforcing laws and regulations. 

He admonished the people to respect rules because ‘they have been crafted to safeguard our lives and property’. 

Sanwo-Olu spoke on Sunday, January 7, during the New Year thanksgiving held at the Tafawa Balewa Square. 

The annual thanksgiving was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs in conjunction with the first family, with the theme ‘The Righteous shall praise your name’s. 

He told the people, ‘Nigeria will not fail’, but ‘we must live in an ordered society by obeying rules and pay taxes so we can implement the budget. We are responsible and will utilise finances prudently’, Sanwo-Olu said. 

The governor said: “This year will be an important one for us in terms of enforcement of the various laws and regulations that have been meticulously crafted to safeguard our lives and property. Without adherence to the rule of law, no society can guarantee progress and prosperity. 

“I, therefore, implore every one of us, as Lagosians, to play our part in respecting and obeying the laws of the land. From paying our taxes, to obeying traffic rules, to disposing of our waste responsibly, to speaking up when we see other people breaking the law. These are all responsibilities that we carry as good people of Lagos State. 

“On our part, as government, we will continue to strive to make it easier for you to be law-abiding. Our transport reforms are all aimed at improving the commuting experience for Lagosians, just as our emergency hotlines are there to make it easy for you to ‘say something if you see something’. 

“We also have in place various reforms aimed at making it easier for you to pay your taxes, and generally making Lagos a more enabling place for business and investment. Together, we can all play our part in achieving a truly Greater Lagos.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu also promised to complete all ongoing projects because to make the people enjoy more dividends of democracy.

He added: “The government is resolutely committed to fostering the robust growth of our state and ensuring the well-being of its citizens. We are dedicated to the successful implementation of pivotal projects. 

“Last year witnessed the historic commencement of commercial operations for the first phase of the Blue Line of our Lagos Rail Mass Transit.

“Work is already in progress to ensure that the second phase, the extension of the rail line from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, is completed in the life of this administration. Within the next few months, we will witness the formal launch and commencement of operations of the much-anticipated Red Line, from Oyingbo to Agbado.

“Furthermore, we are working very hard to finalise the project financing that will enable the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge, which will be one of the longest bridges in Africa, when completed. 

“In every sector, we have major projects ongoing, that will define the legacy of our administration, and positively transform the economy and the landscape of Lagos State…”

The governor, in thanking God for the New Year, said: “We have every reason to give all the glory and thanks to the Almighty God because He has been faithful in the affairs of our dear state.

He has granted us great achievements and testimonies; he has given us peace and security; and mightily blessed the work of our hands. There is indeed so much to be grateful for. As we raise our voices in praise, adoration and supplication, let us also remember to continue to commit Lagos State and Nigeria to God, for his guidance, and his mercies…”

The thanksgiving we attended by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, his wife Oluremi, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and his wife Bolanle, traditional rulers, religious and political leaders, among others. 

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Olanrewaju Layode, in his welcome address, urged the people to be ‘law abiding, do due diligence in carrying out our civic responsibilities and also continue to be our brothers’ keeper, while partnering with the government in making the state livable for all. 

“It is my prayer that this year will be way better and more fulfilling than last year. Please continue to commit Nigeria and Lagos State to God in prayers.”

PDP G5 will support President Tinubu in 2027, says Ortom.

PDP G5 will support President Tinubu in 2027, says Ortom.

Former Benue governor, Samuel Ortom has declared that the G5 group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. 

The G-5 include Ortom, Wike, Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo). 

All the members of the group finished their second term of eight years as governor last May except Makinde who is now in his second term.

Ortom spoke on Sunday, January 7, at a luncheon hosted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike in Rivers. 

He affirmed that the G5 had no regret for supporting Tinubu’s victory in the last poll, declaring that the group will again back the ex-Lagos governor for a second term in office as Nigeria’s president in 2027. 

Ortom assured Nigerians that Tinubu will fix security, economy and other critical areas of challenge to the citizens.

Ortom said: “If we work to ensure Bola Ahmed succeeds, there will be tomorrow for anybody to even contest the election at all.

“Our leader, Nyesom Wike, has already made a declaration that in 2027, we are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We have nowhere to go because that is what Nigerians believe. Even the past administration that took Nigeria from top to bottom, we allowed them to work for eight years. 

“So, why can’t a seasoned administrator in the person President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rule us for eight years.”

Adeleke lauds senator over road projects.

Adeleke lauds senator over road projects.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has inaugurated two road projects in Iwo, facilitated by the office of the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Dr Lere Oyewumi.

Speaking at the commissioning of the projects located at Oriolowo/Agbele Compound and Adediti/Paku in Iwo, Adeleke who was represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, commended the efforts of the lawmaker representing Osun West in the Senate for facilitating the projects.

Adeleke, who demanded more support for Oyewumi from his constituents, also noted the commitment of the federal lawmaker to the wellbeing of the people he represents at the Senate which he demonstrated through the distribution of empowerment tools to them.

He said, “We commend the doggedness of Senator Oyewumi for ensuring that his people benefit from the dividends of good governance which the Peoples Democratic Party stands for.

“We appeal to the people of Osun state not to waver in their support for our administration. We remain committed to improving welfare and social support schemes for the people.”

In his remarks, Oyewumi restated his readiness to deliver more on his electoral promises.

N44bn fraud: Tinubu orders probe of humanitarian ministry.

N44bn fraud: Tinubu orders probe of humanitarian ministry.

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday directed a thorough and comprehensive inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of N585m in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

“In light of recent events, the President has directed that a thorough and comprehensive investigation be conducted to ascertain the accuracy and validity of the reported details,” a statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Sunday.

The statement is titled ‘Minister of Information and National Orientation addresses circulating narratives on payments made by Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.’

It was reported that Edu came under harsh criticism after a leaked memo on December 20, revealed that she directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585m to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.

The FG said, “The Ministry of Information and National Orientation acknowledges the concerns raised by the public regarding the alleged payment of funds into a private account by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

“We are aware of the narratives circulating widely and wish to assure Nigerians that the Government takes these issues most seriously.

“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is transparent and accountable to the people, and committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated and utilized effectively and efficiently to address the needs of Nigerians.”