₦airaland Forum

2024 PressWeek: Chief Egungbohun charges journalists on verifiable reportage

The renowned business magnate and community leader, Chief Ibrahim Egungbohun has implored media professionals to always ensure their reports are evidence-based.

Chief Egungbohun stated this while receiving the honour bestowed on him during the 2024 Press Week of the NUJ Osun State Council held at the Council’s Press Centre, Osogbo, Osun State.

He acknowledged the indispensable statutory role of journalists in nation building, adding that investigative journalism remains the bedrock of every functional democracy.

“I am aware that without a free press and freedom of speech, no nation can have a thriving nation, however, every report, especially, that that has to do with name calling must be absolutely evidence-based.

“As a longtime friend of journalists in Nigeria and around the globe, I will continue to support the media in my little capacity in the ultimate bid to ensure a working Nigeria.

“I congratulate the Chairman, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu, his executive members and all journalists in Osun State Council on this year Press Week, as I am assuring you that this Award can only motivate me to put more efforts in the business of advocating peace and border sanity.

Earlier, the Chairman, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu in his opening remarks has enumerated the background and criteria for the Honour, saying that Chief Egungbohun being one of the seven shortlisted Honourees have been subjected to rigorous and diligent investigations.

He said “The NUJ will not commit the blunder of giving recognitions to anybody who does not distinctively pass the test of integrity and patriotism. The Screening Committee submitted that Chief Dende Egungbohun had carved a niche for himself in the several interventions aimed at entrenching sanity in the border areas around the axis.

“By our experience and findings, we found Chief Egungbohun, alias IBD Dende to be an harbinger of culture and the rich tradition of his people with rare sense of patriotism who does his legitimate business as a Border Community Stakeholder and Licensed Freight Clearing and Forwarder with utmost integrity

“Chief Egungbohun by our discreet investigation had worked closely with the highest echelon of Nigerian Customs and the Presidency to entrench sanity at the border areas of Ogun State and in the battle against smuggling and other nefarious activities at the border.

“As a revered Community Leader, the proud title holder of Olu-Omo of Yewaland remains a rallying point for his people for economic empowerment and youth engagement towards peaceful co-existence and harmony in Yewaland. A practical example was his appointment into a 20-member Peace-Building Committee on Herder-Farmer Conflicts by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, to find a lasting solution to the incessant clashes between farmers and marauding herders in the agrarian communities of Yewaland.

“Hence, it’s our honour at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council to decorate the man of Integrity and Patriotism, Chief Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun, the Olu-Omo of Yewaland as an Advocate of Peace and Border Sanity”, the Chairman stated.

Other awardees were Dr Adeleke Adeniyi Morenikeji (an accomplished finance manager and consumer banker), Dr Comrade Ogungbangbe Nathaniel Kehinde (NULGE President, Osun State), Honourable Adedipo Sunday Eluwole (Commissioner for Education, Osun State), General Bashir Adewinbi (Former Cmd, Osun State Amotekun Corps), Bishop Felix Owolabi (Presiding Bishop of Faithtriumph Ministries Int’l), CSP Folashade Odoro (Osun State Police Command).

The Council also offered Professional Awards to its exceptional members; Best Information Officer of the Year, Best Investigative Reporter of the Year, Best Newscaster (Radio) of the Year, Best Newscaster (TV) of the Year, Best Reporter (Print) of the Year, Best Reporter (Electronic) of the Year, Best Broadcast Station of the Year, and the Chairman’s Award.

Distinguished guests at the event were His Excellency, Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke of Osun State who was represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Hon Kolapo Alimi, the Royal Father of the Day, Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama (CON), Prof Clement Adegboye, Vice Chancellor, Osun State University, Osogbo (Chairman of the Day), Deputy President, NUJ B Zone, Princess Ronke Samo, NUJ South West Chairmen and Secretaries.

Ogun Court Refuses to postpone Forthcoming Local Government Election

The Ogun State High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, the State Capital, has strucked out prayers made by 16 Political Parties in the State, seeking to postpone the proposed Local Government Elections indefinitely.

Delivering judgment in AB/577/2024 Action Alliance & 15 Ors v. OGSIEC & Anor, the presiding Judge, Hon Justice T A Okunsokan, rejected the claims of the political parties that the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) had acted unilaterally and dictatorially by fixing the date of the Local Government elections without first consulting the political parties.

Justice Okunsokan, unequivocally held that there was no provision in the constitution or the relevant electoral laws that required OGSIEC to consult political parties before fixing dates of elections.

The court also found that the claim of the parties that Ondo State Gubernatorial elections would hold on the same day as Ogun Local Government elections is not a legitimate reason for asking the court to compel OGSIEC to postpone elections in the State.

The court thereby maintained status quo ante on the earlier announced date for the Ogun State Local Government elections slated for 16th November , 2024.

Ogun, leading in ease of doing business in Nigeria

One of the best considerations for global economic advancement is the concept of Ease of Doing Business, which is indeed a conducive environment for business activities to thrive and break even without hitches of any kind.

It is also an environment where presiding authorities provide requisite infrastructural facilities aimed at aiding economic growth, coupled with favourable governmental policies and economic friendly regulations.

Ogun State, under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, has turned around the business environment of the State since his assumption of office in 2019, and by implication attracted many investors into the State.

Many analysts have ascribed the sterling performance of Governor Dapo Abiodun to his rich business background and acumen, considering his enviable success in private business spanning many decades, while others attributed his exceptional feat to his preparedness for power.

In any way, the Governor have proven to the people of Ogun State and many of his opponents that he understands political economy better than they could have thought and that he was ready for leadership long ago before coming to power.

Recent report indicated that the State is leading other states of the Federation in Ease of Doing Business, owing to the provision of requisite infrastructural facilities through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in the State.

According to the report, since the State passed the PPP law in 2019, the initiative has facilitated projects with road networks rehabilitated and expanded as well as reconstruction many of which belong to the Federal Government.

The report noted that the collaborative agreement between the public sector and private sector in Ogun State was predicated on the strengths of both sectors to achieve outcomes that neither could effectively accomplish alone.

Without mincing words, under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State has harnessed the potential of PPP to drive significant developments and give Ogun State focused and qualitative governance and as well create the necessary enabling environment for a public private sector partnership.

This is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun. It is therefore, imperative to highlight some of the notable projects of the State Government and their impacts through PPP:

The Ogun State Agro Cargo Airport: Developed in partnership with the private sector, the Agro Cargo Airport was designed to facilitate the export of agricultural products, thereby boosting the agro-industrial sector.

ii.Ogun State Housing Development Projects: Several housing projects, including the Prince Court Estate, have been developed through PPP arrangements to address the housing deficit.

iii.Ogun State Energy Generation Projects: Lisabi Mini Power was developed in partnership with the private sector to generate 4.5MW Power for transmission and distribution within the State to Government core areas.

Other projects of the State Government in the pipeline through PPPs include the Olokola Deep Sea Port, Sagamu Trailer Park, Sagamu Stadium, Hillcrest Estate, PMB Estate, Lomiro Oil Palm, OGSG Pharmaceuticals, OGSG Forestry project, Gateway Hotel Ota, Inland Dry Port at Kajola/Papalanto, amongst others.

Without mincing words, Prince Dapo Abiodun has entrenched indelible legacy of economic advancement in Ogun State by creatively and optimally exploring the concept of PPP to create enabling business environment for investors and still attracticting more.

With over over seven thousands industries making wave in about five clusters around the State, there is no doubt that Ogun State will continue to lead in Ease of Doing Buinsess in Nigeria and West Africa business corridor.

In the words of Gen. Collin Powell, " Great Leaders are almost always great simplifiers who can cut through argument , debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.

Without mincing words, Prince Dapo Abiodun has defied every pessimism, doubt and illusion to provide workable solution to array of challenges plaguing Ogun State for decades. Thank you Omo Baba Teacher.

Olaniyi Ajibola writes from Abeokuta.

Dapo Abiodun, leading by example in responsive leadership

By Olaniyi Ajibola

A Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author, Brian Tracy, once declared that," Leaders think and talk about the solution, while followers think and talk about the problems".

Yes, it is the right of the people to think and talk about problems they are facing at a particular point in time, especially problems that directly affect their existence and survival as a people; issues of paramount importance and urgency.

Unfortunately, many people in various political climes have expressed their concerns about those issues continually without corresponding response nor empathy from their leaders in government, they have endlessly raised their voices and chorused in despair to no avail.; no one was listening and telling them anything, they later became perplexed and frustrated to the point of loosing hope in their governments.

It is indeed a different and sheering story in Ogun State under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, who in principle had vowed upon his assumption of office to do everything humanly possible to meet the yawnings of his people and change the old order of deceptive governance that characterised successive administrations in the State.

It is more than being a Governor of a State in Nigeria to willingly take over the obligation of the Federal Government in order to ameliorate the precarious situation of the people, this is without doubt a reflection of responsive and responsible leadership, the one that is really rare in this part of the world.

Governor Abiodun, since the inception of his administration has consistently reiterated his resolve to be at the fore-front leading his people with vision and at the back defending them with courage, this he has been doing passionately without blemish.

The Governor, in his usual character displayed this enviable passion for humanity again and set aside protocol for the superior interests of the people of Ogun State and Southern Nigeria in general when he immediately ordered palliative work to put the failed portion of Sagamu-Ore-Benin Expressway in good condition to make it passable.

This is the road under the purview of the Federal Government but remains terrible and a night mare for travellers for decades without any intervention from the Federal Government despite the significance of the road as it connects the South West Geo-political zone to the South South and South East of Nigeria.

More importantly, the deplorable condition of the road over time had responsible for constant traffic logjam which unfortunately had resulted to loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties worth billions of naira.

The Governor, on Sunday paid an unscheduled visit to the bad portion of the road and mentioned that although the reconstruction of the road was awarded by previous administrations, the contractors executed the project from the Benin end to the outskirts of Ijebu-Ode but could not complete it at the interchange before abandoning it due to lack of funds.

According to the Governor, "This is a federal road, and it is probably the most important road to Southern Nigeria because it is the only route to transport goods and people from Lagos to Ogun State and to the South-East and South-South parts of the country; it is a major arterial road.

"The reconstruction of this road was awarded several years ago by previous administrations. However, that reconstruction started from the Benin end of this road.

"Sadly, from what we have been told, the budget was not sufficient to allow for the completion of this road to the Sagamu Interchange. It stopped short of reaching Ijebu-Ode, somewhere around the outskirts of Ijebu-Ode.

"What we are seeing today is what our masses are suffering from. In the last three to four days, this road was totally impassable because, for some reason, there is a drainage that goes underneath this road that is meant to drain water coming from a canal. That drainage is completely blocked, and that is the cause of this problem."

Governor Abiodun added that officials from the State Ministries of Works and Environment are currently working to create another drainage that would channel water away from the road, while the bad portion has been filled with hardcore to make the road motorable.

He disclosed that he has brought the condition of the road to the attention of the Minister of Works, who has promised to look into how to award a contract for its rehabilitation or at least provide palliative measures or some sort of intervention to salvage the situation.

The Governor continued ", Let me confirm to you that last week Thursday, I also brought the issue of this road to the attention of Mr. President. For the avoidance of doubt, let nobody think that Ogun State has not been responsive.

"Knowing fully well that the Federal Government has many critical roads to deal with, and as a responsive state government, we deployed our Ministries of Works and Environment to this site. What they have done is identify the immediate cause; they found out there is a construction that has blocked the drain.

"I have requested from Mr. President that the Ministry of Works can immediately award this road to a reputable contractor, and I know they are working on it.

"However, Mr. President has also instructed me that if we do not get the attention as quickly as we want, the Ogun State government should go ahead and take ownership of this section and repair it".

Governor Abiodun further stated that if in the next two days there is no clear evidence coming from the federal government to commence serious reconstruction work, his administration would step in to take ownership of the section of the road and carry out a total reconstruction.

How else can one depict this gesture of a Governor than a sensitive and responsible leader with proactive inclination to put people first before protocol of any type.

This is not the first time Prince Abiodun would be taken over the responsibility of the Federal Government purposely to please his people, he recently did the same at Laderin Train Station as he took it upon himself to complete the construction of access road to the train station.

Governor Abiodun, who decried the idea by the Federal Government to conceptualize and build the train station without an access road, said that his administration, upon the construction of a world-class airport at Ilishan, deemed it fit to open up a new access road directly from the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, even as the Ilishan and Iperu roads still exist.

He said: "We don't understand why a train station is built without an access road as part of that project conception. Today, we have built a world-class airport in Remo; can you imagine that we built that airport without considering the access road to that airport?

"There are other existing roads to that airport. However, we have begun the construction of an access road that tees off the Sagamu-Benin Expressway. If you are coming to that airport, you don't need to go through Ilisan or Iperu; you make a left turn straight to the airport. This is what a project from inception should look like.

"In this instance, this train station was conceived, built, and completed without an access road being part of the project.

"As a responsible governor and government, we have taken it upon ourselves to award the contract for the road leading to that train station, and that contract is currently ongoing. However, the construction of two big box culverts that will channel stormwater away from the road has been completed.

"Earthwork and drainage will start. I will, however, personally urge the contractor to ensure he finishes on record time."

It would be recalled that this is the exact manner the Prince of Iperu broke the 21-year jinx of reckless abandon of the Abeokuta-Ota-Lagos Road and commenced construction of the 70km road in August; what a fantastic thought leader of immeasurable value!

As it stands, we can not obviously thank Governor Dapo Abiodun enough for changing the dynamics and scope of governance in Ogun State with utmost alacrity and with human face, all we can do is to continue to pray God for his mercy over him so as to continue to provide responsible leadership in Ogun State and the Southern Nigeria in general as the Chairman of Southern Governors' Forum.

Kudos Prince Dapo Abiodun!

Olaniyi Ajibola writes from Abeokuta

Dapo Abiodun's Gospel of Even Development- By Olaniyi Ajibola

That there is a total departure from the past in the governance of Ogun State is indeed an inchoate statement, what the State is presently witnessing is an unprecedented and significant improvement in all ramifications, as a result of purposeful leadership and inclusive governance of Prince Dapo Abiodun-led government.

Obviously, the Governor has taken governance in the State to greater heights and desirable level, to the admiration of all the citizens of the Gateway State living in Nigeria and in the diaspora, against all odds and to the chagrin of his numerous traducers, who had earlier deceived some unsuspecting members of the public about the capacity and acumen of the Governor to provide necessary democratic deliverables.

Interestingly, Prince Dapo Abiodun, since the beginning of his administration in 2019 has exceptionally performed beyond the expectation of many, changing negative perceptions and shaming pessimists at the same time without making noise.

He hit the ground running with his ISEYA pillars of action, putting critical areas of development into the front burner, namely: Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Well-being, Education, Youths Empowerment and Job Creation and Agriculture.

Governor Abiodun, as a result of his private sector experience and exposure, further conceptualized Multi-modal transportation system to suit the growing industrial hub of Ogun State and the increasing population of the State, considering its proximity to Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria.

With strict adherence to his ISEYA mantra, Governor Abiodun, has brought development to every ward in the 20 Local Government Areas of the State. Across the three senatorial districts, he has constructed, reconstructed, and rehabilitated over 500 kilometers of roads. Notable among them in the Ogun Central Senatorial district is the 45KM Sagamu Interchange-Siun-Abeokuta Expressway, now renamed the Muhammadu Buhari Expressway, a marvel of engineering that ensures both pleasurable and timely safe driving experiences as well as improved productivity.

In the Ogun East Senatorial district, the cognitive helmsman of Ogun State has developed the 14KM Ijebu Ode-Epe Mojoda expressway, connecting the State to Lagos and stimulating industrial growth in the area. This road serves as an evacuation corridor for all the industries within Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Epe corridor in Lagos State. Additionally there is an ongoing construction of the 19KM Atan-Lusada-Agbara expressway in the Ogun West Senatorial District. Efforts are presently in top gear to accelerate the project for the purpose of facilitating access to the Agbara Industrial Estate, the largest industrial Estate in the West Africa Sub-region.

Apart from these landmark road projects, other major city, township and rural road projects spread across all the four zones of the State, that is, Remo, Ijebu, Yewa, and Egba. Some have been newly constructed, rehabilitated, or reconstructed. These roads were chosen by the administration after consultation with the mass of the people at the grassroots, including traditional rulers, youth groups, business groups, labor, and students, in tandem with the administration's determination to abolish erstwhile practices of prior administrations of developing one section of the state at the expense of others.

The commitment of the government to infrastructural development also extends to the energy sector, with the installation of over 500 transformers across communities, in line with Ogun Light-up Initiative. This Community Electrification Project has improved power supply in the 20 Local Government Areas, while the expansion of the Ogun State Electricity Distribution System will cover more areas especially the corridor from the Sagamu Interchange to Abeokuta (As a phase 1 Project).

In the same vein, and as part of the recently-launched Energy Transition Programme, the administration has recently launched a CNG-fueled mass transit bus system in partnership with the private sector to reduce transportation costs for the citizenry.

Without mincing words, Ogun State is leading the pack in energy transition as it is on record as the first state to deploy these buses in Nigeria. As a result of the commitment and tenacity in steps taken to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal and high cost of diesel fuel, the State has been selected to host the 18th National Council on Transport Conference where the new National Policy on Transportation will be formulated. The State is no doubt leading in strategic exploration of green energy solutions.

Prince Dapo Abiodun, through his well tout out and diverse transportation system established the Ministry of Transportation and developed the Ogun State Urban Transport Policy and Strategic Multi-modal Transport Master Plan, which is currently being meticulously implemented. This includes optimizing the Gateway Status of Ogun State through the implementation of a multi-modal transportation network, comprising air, rail, road, and water transport infrastructure network. It is this dynamic Multi-modal Transport Master Plan that birthed the globally celebrated Gateway Agro-Cargo International Airport, which is one of the crowning achievements of his clear and dynamic vision.

This world-class airport, situated along the Iperu-Ilishan Road in Ikenne Local Government Area of the State and covering 800 hectares of land, was designed to handle cargo, including agriculture-related cargo, and passenger services. The construction of this airport which started in March 2022 has witnessed the completed 4-kilometer runway and near completion of other state-of-the-art facilities including the control tower, apron, fire-station, administrative building terminal and cargo warehouse, including a parking lot. This construction has progressed rapidly, positioning it to be one of the fastest-built airports in Africa.

The accompanying aerotropolis (airport city) spans 5000 hectares and has already attracted Federal Agencies, foreign investors and various businesses, including international logistics companies, a maintenance and repair operations facility, and agro-processing industries. Subsequently, the State has received several unsolicited proposals on concessions at the airport. After necessary evaluation of the deals, the State will be announcing and signing a major concession deal with a private sector player that will pay the state a percentage of their revenue during the term of the agreement in addition to a concession fee that will see it recoup the State's government spending.

Interestingly, the airport and its allied businesses in the aerotropolis are expected to generate over 25,000 direct and indirect jobs for the teeming youths of the State and as well speed up microeconomic activities in the State.

Governor Dapo Abiodun, by his style of governance considers youth development and job creation as critical components of his vision for the State, demonstrating this through various initiatives, such as the Ogun Job Portal, Ogun TechHub, and Ogun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OG-YES) thereby empowering youths with employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, and access to funding and mentorship. It is no more news that about 5000 teachers have been recruited through the OGUNTEACH Scheme, and just few months ago, 1000 of these interns were given permanent employment.

Abiodun's focus on agriculture and agribusiness has also created avenues for youth engagement and employment in the agricultural value chain.
The government has collaborated with development partners and private sector organizations to create internship and apprenticeship programmes for the youths and also made practical work experience for young graduates possible and effectively improved their employability.

The administration has also prioritized the upgrading of sports facilities in all the stadiums across the State over the past four years. By enhancing these venues, it aims to create an environment that fosters excellence and enables State athletes to train and prepare adequately for their respective sporting events. This commitment has yielded positive results, as athletes from the State have consistently performed exceptionally well in both local and international competitions, as exemplified in their outstanding performance at the last National Sports Festival held in Asaba, Delta State, where the State secured a total of 70 medals, placing it in the 8th position on the medals table.

Recognizing the crucial role of agriculture in ensuring food security and economic stability, the administration has implemented various initiatives to boost agricultural productivity, empower farmers, and enhance food security in Ogun State.So far, it has supported and subsidized grain supply to close to 14,350 farmers with inputs through the OGSTEP Agric programme, OG-CARES FADAMA RA2 programme, and the Value Chain Development Program (VCDP)

The government has also implemented various capacity-building programmes to enhance the skills and knowledge of farmers. Through agricultural training and extension services, it has equipped farmers with modern farming techniques, best practices, and entrepreneurship skills. This empowers them to adopt innovative approaches, improve productivity, and access markets for their agricultural produce.

These efforts in agriculture have yielded significant results, positioning Ogun State as a leading agricultural hub in Nigeria. The State has won several awards at national and international levels, as farmers witnessed increased crop yields and improved livelihoods. Moreover, the agricultural interventions have contributed to the overall economic growth of the state and attracted investments from both local and international partners.

As it stands today, the State is the largest producer of cassava in the world, the largest producers of poultry products in Nigeria, and the largest producers of rice in the entire southwest of Nigeria.

According to the Governor in one of his recent speeches at a function in Abeokuta, the State capital,''Our focus on agriculture is deliberate. We are an agrarian State with the potential to become the food basket of the nation. In this regard, I again, affirm that no sector of our economy, nor any section of the State, will be developed at the expense of another. This administration will continue with its diversification pursuit in bringing in new industries and maintaining existing ones while ensuring that the ease of doing business will remain seamless, as we sustain our position as the industrial capital of Nigeria".

Undoubtedly, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has redefined governance in Ogun State and set agenda in inclusive governance for coming administrations in the State; as he continues to fire from all cylinders.

Olaniyi Ajibola, SSA to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Strategic Media writes from Abeokuta

A leading Security Expert in Nigeria, Jackson Lekan Ojo has slammed those governors that took EFCC to court seeking scraping of the anti-graft agency.

Ojo, an Outstading Security Achiever of the year 2016 (South South) made the declaration in an exclusive interview with Newsmen in Portharcourt, the Rivers State capital on Saturday.

The security expert, who is also Certified Gold Member, International Security Association (ISA) Switzerland, concluded that these governors are only serving their selfish interests and cronies alike and not the people.

Watch Video Below

Akpabio is demonic, satanic by nature, and highly insensitive Jackson Lekan Ojo

A leading security expert in Nigeria, Mr. Jackson Lekan Ojo, as slammed the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over his recent comment in which he told Nigerians to eat wherever they see free food.

Ojo in a statement he made available to Journalists in Abuja on Sunday described Akpabio as a misfit and highly insensitive to the plights of Nigerians, adding that the Senate President represents demonic and satanic forces plaguing Nigerians and Nigeria .

He explained that by the import of Akpabio gibberish, he was simply telling Nigerians to take to stealing in the face of hardship, which according to Ojo implies that the Senate President don't symphatise but mock the Nigerian people on the galloping inflation that has impoverished majority of them.

The Security Expert noted that the statement credited to the Senate President portends serious danger in the political space as it reveals a total leadership failure.

Ojo added that while the Executive arm of government can be checkmated by the parliament, the legislative organ of government remains the bastion of democracy and the last hope for democratic survival, saying it is therefore catastrophic for the Chairman of Nigerian National Aseembly to be that callous and careless.

"By the statement of the Senete President, I can no longer recognise the parliament in Nigeria as the conscience of the public and the sanctuary of the common people despite their statutory status as the representatives of the people.

"Hundreds of security experts across the globe have been calling me to confirm if truly the statement emanated from the Chairman of the Natinal Assembly in Nigeria; they were seriously disappointed in Godswill Akpabio

"I strongly doubt it if the Senate President is really with President Bola Tinubu going by his careless and unguided utterances ever since he became Senate President, I greatly symphatise with Nigerians, members of the National Assembly as well as President Bola Tinubu for having a flippant and garrulous personality like Akpabio as the number three citizen of Nigeria.

"This is the man that told Nigerians who were protesting bad governance and unfavorable policies that they shall be eating while impoverished Nigerians would continue to protest.

"To tell you how hypocritical and deceptive Akpabio is, he recently told young Nigerians to stop seeking greener pasture abroad while all his children live abroad.

"Akpabio is the only unpatriotic and undemocratic Senate President Nigeria ever produced since independence, he passionately prefers foreign goods to that of Nigeria; he is indeed a disaster to Nigeria ", the statement read.

Akpabio is demonic, satanic by nature, and highly insensitive Jackson Lekan Ojo

A leading security expert in Nigeria, Mr. Jackson Lekan Ojo, as slammed the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over his recent comment in which he told Nigerians to eat wherever they see free food.

Ojo in a statement he made available to Journalists in Abuja on Sunday described Akpabio as a misfit and highly insensitive to the plights of Nigerians, adding that the Senate President represents demonic and satanic forces plaguing Nigerians and Nigeria .

He explained that by the import of Akpabio gibberish, he was simply telling Nigerians to take to stealing in the face of hardship, which according to Ojo implies that the Senate President don't symphatise but mock the Nigerian people on the galloping inflation that has impoverished majority of them.

The Security Expert noted that the statement credited to the Senate President portends serious danger in the political space as it reveals a total leadership failure.

Ojo added that while the Executive arm of government can be checkmated by the parliament, the legislative organ of government remains the bastion of democracy and the last hope for democratic survival, saying it is therefore catastrophic for the Chairman of Nigerian National Aseembly to be that callous and careless.

"By the statement of the Senete President, I can no longer recognise the parliament in Nigeria as the conscience of the public and the sanctuary of the common people despite their statutory status as the representatives of the people.

"Hundreds of security experts across the globe have been calling me to confirm if truly the statement emanated from the Chairman of the Natinal Assembly in Nigeria; they were seriously disappointed in Godswill Akpabio

"I strongly doubt it if the Senate President is really with President Bola Tinubu going by his careless and unguided utterances ever since he became Senate President, I greatly symphatise with Nigerians, members of the National Assembly as well as President Bola Tinubu for having a flippant and garrulous personality like Akpabio as the number three citizen of Nigeria.

"This is the man that told Nigerians who were protesting bad governance and unfavorable policies that they shall be eating while impoverished Nigerians would continue to protest.

"To tell you how hypocritical and deceptive Akpabio is, he recently told young Nigerians to stop seeking greener pasture abroad while all his children live abroad.

"Akpabio is the only unpatriotic and undemocratic Senate President Nigeria ever produced since independence, he passionately prefers foreign goods to that of Nigeria; he is indeed a disaster to Nigeria ", the statement read.

Alleged Turning human being to fowl in Ede, profound falsehood, product of hallucination-Timi

The Timi in-council, led by His Royal Majesty, Oba MUNIRUDEEN ADESOLA LAWAL, LAMINISA THE 1ST, THE TIMI OF EDELAND has described as a total falsehood the alleged claim of turning human beings to fowl in the ancient town, saying the claim remains mere hallucination of its proponents.

It would be recalled that a voice note recently surfaced on WhatsApp and had since gone viral where a male voice was heard making the allegation.

This was contained in a release made available to the newsmen on Wednesday by the Director of Public Communication, Dapo Akinyele and personally signed by HRM OBA DR MUNIRUDEEN ADESOLA LAWAL, calling on the residents of Ede community to completely ignore the claim and continue to go about their normal life without fear.

"The attention of Timi in -Council has been drawn to a recent voice note by some faceless persons who claimed that the ancient town of Ede is unsafe due to the activities of ritualists.

"The purported voice note that has gone viral on social media is a complete fallacy, baseless and sheer hallucination of these deranged elements who are out to create palpable fear in the minds of the peaceful residents of Ede for selfish reasons.

"To this end, we therefore, used the medium to seriously warn the mischief makers to desist from this type of divisive tendencies and dangerous propaganda in the community", the statement read.

Dapo Abiodun harvests projects in Gateway State, critics advertise ignorance

By Kayode Akinmade

It is amazing but not shocking: Ogun under Dapo Abiodun, boardroom guru and business mogul, has been taking the business of social engineering extremely seriously. Particularly in the last couple of days, the Gateway State has been in the news for positive things, with the critics of the governor habitually motivated by sheer partisanship completely shell-shocked amid their accustomed mischief. Only recently, shortly after reinventing diplomacy and obtaining the Federal Government’s permission, the governor flagged off the reconstruction of the 70-kilometer Abeokuta-Ifo-Ota-Lagos Expressway, with a pledge to complete it in 18 months. The road had been neglected for over two decades, and Abiodun’s previous requests for approval to reconstruct it had been sternly rebuffed. But he would not take no for answer. And so work has now begun in earnest on the second busiest road in Nigeria, the road which connects Abeokuta and its hinterlands to Lagos State, and links Ilaro in Ogun West to Sagamu in Ogun East through the Sagamu-Interchange-Papalanto-Ilaro road, and which on the Ota side connects the Sango-Atan-Owode-Idi-Iroko road, leading to border towns and the Benin Republic. The road, as the people’s Governor himself recognizes too well, “serves as a critical artery for numerous industrial hubs in Ota, including the Lafarge Cement Factory, Ile-Ise Awo, various schools, and higher institutions. The communities along this corridor are densely populated, and the road’s strategic location has a significant impact on trade and economic activities.” As a transport union chief, Taofeek Sokoya (Danku), noted: “Currently, we take about five hours to get to Ota from Ita Osin. When this road is completed, it will only take 45 minutes.”

Beyond roads, the airport city in the Remo axis of the state, easily Nigeria’s biggest and the most strategic, is nearing completion, and you cannot blame the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for heightening work on its N73bn Zonal Office and Training School at the Gateway Agro-Cargo International Airport. The airport lies within the airport city, together with an export processing zone. In another development, the Nigerian Navy, buoyed by the ongoing massive construction works in Ogun State, moved in quickly to obtain 100 hectares of land for its proposed dock yard, a facility for which the governor cancelled any payment in view of the national security imperatives. On the agriculture side, the Abiodun government is simply in a class of its own. Governor Abiodun recently flagged off the harvest of the 200-hectare rice farm at Magboro in Obafemi Owode LGA of the state. In just three months, the farm cluster yielded 1,400 tonnes or rice. Projected to bring in N1bn in revenue every three months, the project will now be scaled up to guarantee revenue in the region of N10bn-N25 billion.

The critics actually spun a false narrative on this laudable project, claiming that it is actually the initiative of a certain Alhaji Bello Zabarmawa from Kebbi State. PM News ran this fake news without the slightest prick of conscience. Yet, contrary to that piece of junk journalism, the much publicised rice harvest by Governor Abiodun is real, and the government’s combine harvester was on duty when the Governor called! The said individual and his colleagues from Kebbi were in fact extremely excited to see the harvester, saying that they had never seen one before, let alone use it for rice harvest. The World Bank-assisted project meant to ensure the increased participation of the private sector in the economic development of Gateway State is the brainchild of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP). Alhaji Bello and 199 other farmers were sensitized and aggregated into ten groups which constituted the rice cluster, and the government supported them with 65 per cent of the cost of land preparation/mechanisation, while they contributed the rest. Somehow, under junk journalism, Alhaji Bello who farmed just one hectare of rice became “the owner” of this 200-hectare project and the 199 other farmers in the cluster, comprising Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba farmers, were completely left out! The government which provided the land, segmented the farmers into one-hectare lots, and provided pesticide, grants and loans was pilloried for lying about the project!!


Of course, the critics aren’t ignorant. They know that what government often does in enhancing agribusiness is provide a clement environment for public-private partnership, as in the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who set up farm settlements and provided the farmers with the needed tools, including residences. It is, to bring the issue up to date, what Kebbi and Ogun states have done. Yet the naysayers managed to come up with a fake story, making a single individual the “real owner” of a public-private partnership project involving 200 individuals, and for which the Abiodun Government provided 65 per cent funding, not to talk of tehnical support. Character assassins can’t help themselves, can they?



Governor Abiodun’s farm clusters are anything but “audio.” Go to Ikenne zone and see if you do not find the following cassava clusters: Ibukunoluwa Farmers Cooperatives I & II (Akaka), Evergreen Farmers (Ibafo), Bethel Agro Allied Farmers Cms (Lukosi), Mosimi Farmers Association (Moro), and Ona Ara Farmers Association (Ikenne), while there are rice clusters in Ayiwere/ Ogboloko and Magboro. In Ijebu zone, go to Idekan Apoje, Omu, Asejere, Ojowo and Ijebu Igbo, and see if you do not find the More Agro Group 1-7, N-Power Cooperative Group 1-5, Agbegbemi -Yewo Farmers Cooperatives, Agberapo Cassava Farmers Group 6, Game Changers, and the Agbe-Parapo Farmers Ass. 1-5 clusters, with the last one being a maize cluster. In Ilaro zone, you have the Ijomo Vegetable Group 3&5, Ijomo Farmers Group 1 & 4, Vegetable and Fruit Grower Association 1 – 3, Irewolede Cluster I Maize, Araromi Group 1, Ife Cluster Maize I & II, Ore- Ofe Cluster I & II Omoluabi Farmers Clusters, and they are located in Awin/ Odanpopo/Ijomo (tomato), Ijomo (groundnut), Ayetoro (horticulture), together with the maize clusters in Eggua, Imeko, Ayetoro, Igbogila and Iwoye Ketu.


If the critics are already mad with rage over the rice harvest, what will they do when the harvesting of cocoa, groundnut and cassava begins? Jump into a lagoon, arguing with the waves? They go haywire any time they hear good things about Ogun State, intent on discrediting any action of Government. But what they succeed in doing is merely advertising their hollowness. In any case, if you are a worker in Ogun State, you can take Governor Abiodun’s promise during a recent meeting with the leadership of organized labour to the bank. Lauding the workers for being instrumental to the rapid economic growth in the state, Abiodun said Ogun State would not take second place in the implementation of the new minimum wage. His strategy: "I have told my team that we should roll up our sleeves: we should work as hard as we can without putting undue pressure on our people. We should be creative, more efficient, block loopholes, and increase our revenue so that we can afford to pay the new minimum wage comfortably."

In Ogun, it is one good news after another. And the best is yet to come as the Governor mobilizes the populace to take Ogun to the next level. As the Indian writer, Rohini Nikolani, puts it: "We cannot be mere consumers of good governance, we must be participants; we must be co-creators."


Akinmade is Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

Educational infrastructure: Rotary Club renovates school in Ede

In its bid to support the government in Osun towards providing condusive environment for learning, the Rotary Club of Ede has renovated 2 blocks of classrooms at Young Tajudeen School B, located in Ojoro Ede, Osun State.

According to the President of the Club, Rotn. Muraina Taoreed Adekunle, the gesture was borne out of genuine concern of the club to ensure qualitative education in Ede and its environs, adding that befitting learning environment is a catalyst for academic excellence.

He stated that the government in the State is making frantic efforts to gurantee quality education for the young ones irrespective of social status in the face of meagre resources at its disposal.

Adekunle added that the project is just the phase one of the projects as the Club would still continue to renovate more classrooms for the benefit of the teeming students.

"You will agree with me that the Government is trying but the government can not do it alone. This is the phase one of the renovation as the club still hopes to continue with the renovation. There are still over 10 blocks of classrooms that still need to be renovated. Rotary club of Ede is willing to partner with individuals or groups to embark on the phase 2 of the renovation.

"The phase 1 of the Project is the renovation of a block of 2 classrooms which include
- Replacement of damage roof and ceiling
- replacement of damaged windows and doors
- ⁠provision of classroom chairs and tables.
- ⁠repainting of the block of classrooms
- ⁠provision of marker board.

"The project was commissioned on the 9th of September 2024 by 12pm by the District Governor in person of Kayode OLOWOLAGBA ESQ , (District 9126). In attendance are the Head Teacher of the school , representatives of Ede North Local Government, Rotarians across the district, PTA members and some important dignitaries", the President said.

Educational infrastructure: Rotary Club renovates school in Ede

In its bid to support the government in Osun towards providing condusive environment for learning, the Rotary Club of Ede has renovated 2 blocks of classrooms at Young Tajudeen School B, located in Ojoro Ede, Osun State.

According to the President of the Club, Rotn. Muraina Taoreed Adekunle, the gesture was borne out of genuine concern of the club to ensure qualitative education in Ede and its environs, adding that befitting learning environment is a catalyst for academic excellence.

He stated that the government in the State is making frantic efforts to gurantee quality education for the young ones irrespective of social status in the face of meagre resources at its disposal.

Adekunle added that the project is just the phase one of the projects as the Club would still continue to renovate more classrooms for the benefit of the teeming students.

"You will agree with me that the Government is trying but the government can not do it alone. This is the phase one of the renovation as the club still hopes to continue with the renovation. There are still over 10 blocks of classrooms that still need to be renovated. Rotary club of Ede is willing to partner with individuals or groups to embark on the phase 2 of the renovation.

"The phase 1 of the Project is the renovation of a block of 2 classrooms which include
- Replacement of damage roof and ceiling
- replacement of damaged windows and doors
- ⁠provision of classroom chairs and tables.
- ⁠repainting of the block of classrooms
- ⁠provision of marker board.

"The project was commissioned on the 9th of September 2024 by 12pm by the District Governor in person of Kayode OLOWOLAGBA ESQ , (District 9126). In attendance are the Head Teacher of the school , representatives of Ede North Local Government, Rotarians across the district, PTA members and some important dignitaries", the President said.

Abisoye Osodi’s Diatribe and Character Assassination: Our Response


In the last three weeks, an intensely corrupt, irredeemably illiterate, morally crippled political scavenger, who goes by the assumed name Abisoye Osodi, has been launching acerbic attacks on the person, office, image, and personality of the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, on social media. Accusing the Governor of every crime under the sun, this character habitually throws up stupendous figures and makes bizarre claims, toying with the emotions of Nigerians and criminalizing the existence of the Ogun State Government with the intent to cause disharmony, create tension, chaos, and derail the climate of peace and tranquility that has pervaded the State since the People’s Governor took over on May 29, 2019.

The contents of his verbal diarrhea have been completely unsubstantiated. They are extremely incongruous and reveal not even the slightest shred of financial literacy, education, or finesse. Osodi, who claims to be an indigene of Lagos State, does not even bother to display a little bit of common sense. Purveying figures in billions and millions of dollars, this agent of destabilization and confusion lies shamelessly and with Luciferic consistency, which calls his sanity into serious question.

Without mincing words, Abisoye Osodi is a ready tool in the hands of desperate politicians, a professional blackmailer looking for patronage and money. National security reasons preclude us from naming the Politically Exposed Persons he has serially blackmailed over the years, and it is a fact that his dossier of crimes has long before now resulted in a manhunt for him by the security agencies. He is a Judas who readily makes allegations against politicians by day, then deviously tries to establish corrupt linkages with them at night. Governor Dapo Abiodun has nothing to hide, and no kobo of Ogun State money is ever going to drop into his accounts, which, by the way, are being closely monitored by the relevant agencies.

Taking advantage of the fact that he is outside the country and knowing that if he ever steps foot on Nigerian soil, he will be called in for questioning, the “Balogun of Lagos” has tried to derail second-term governors since 1999. It can be no wonder that he is desperately trying to pin a tag of corruption on Governor Abiodun. This character habitually brandishes pieces of paper, which could be anything from a collection of poems to sports betting printouts, flaunts them before the camera, and declares that they contain the “documentary evidence” of Governor Abiodun’s corrupt activities! What a senseless clown!

He and his sponsors previously used the state of federal roads in Ogun as illogical antics to blackmail and demonize the Abiodun administration, but realizing that the roads are now receiving attention after the Governor eventually succeeded in getting the Federal Government to grant approval to Ogun State to reconstruct them, they have resurrected the issue of the 2023 polls, which has already been decided by the Supreme Court. Osodi, in his criminal publications, casts aspersions on the integrity of the Supreme Court, suggesting that the court did not properly weigh the evidence before it. He claims to have superior evidence that his sponsors can now approach the Supreme Court with. Clearly, he cannot help giving himself out as the errand boy of certain election losers who, incidentally, are currently being prosecuted for vote buying and criminal conspiracy, among other charges.

Taking off his mask and directly addressing the PDP candidate’s father, Sir Kessington Adebutu, he says he has “enough evidence, both video and audio, that indicates that it was your son who won the last election, and he was robbed.” Mr. Osodi always has "enough evidence," but he never publishes it. The “evidence” apparently includes his pools and gambling papers. It is evident that the losers of the 2023 polls, who could not prove their endless but baseless allegations from the Election Petitions Tribunal to the Supreme Court, have now suborned this corrupt individual to push their case in the court of public opinion.

We hope that when he appears in court, charged with his monumental crimes, the “Balogun of Lagos” will substantiate his claim that Governor Dapo Abiodun bribed the electoral officer with $1 million and asked the Ogun Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) “to announce him winner before the counting of votes ended.” In his desperation to malign Governor Abiodun, this character assassin forgot the fact that RECs do not announce election results.

Obviously, this devious character is being used by certain politicians to push their negative agenda. We urge the public to disregard his tantrums. We dare him to publish the pictures of the cars and private jets that he accused Governor Abiodun of “keeping for Amosun.” This charlatan cannot even lie with some common sense! Abisoye Osodi’s plot to dress the Governor in borrowed robes is dead on arrival.

Hon. Kayode Akinmade
Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

*No trillions spent on projects –Ogun Govt faults mischief makers*


The attention of the Ogun State Government has been drawn to a misleading write-up titled "New twist in Ogun State re: #whereisourmoney?" making rounds on social media. The write-up contains fabricated narrative and malicious allegations of corruption against the Administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun in Ogun State.

The write-up, which is clearly the handiwork of some political adversaries of the Governor, claimed that the state Accountant General and five others were invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged diversion of Local Government Funds and that "the AG was given administrative bail to go produce more documents, vouchers on almost payments in Ogun State between 2019 to date, while others were detained."

The authors further falsely listed areas of interest for investigations to include: "payment of 50b to Craneburg Construction for Cargo Airport; rehabilitation of Abeokuta-Kobape-Siun-Sagamu Expressway at over 1trillion naira and the renovation of RIYE Roundabout at 30b; award of Ijebu Ode-Ijagun-Epe Road contract at over 800b to Craneburg; diversion of 50b palliative from Federal Government and the unaccounted and disappearance of 500b in Bureau of Lands."

We wish to state categorically that the allegations are entirely unfounded, mischievous and merely contrived to tarnish the good image of the Governor Dapo Abiodun Administration and officials of the Ogun State Government. To say the least, the allegations are not only a laughable hatchet job but also a figment of the imagination of the purveyors.

It is instructive to note that the disgruntled elements who are behind this mendacious propaganda had been architects of political disorder in Ogun State in times past. Some of them actively participated in ensuring that previous administrations were distracted and hindered from finishing the course of governance well. They are aggrieved and startled that even after a year into his second term, Governor Dapo Abiodun is still waxing stronger and remained focused on his job. In their desperation and plot of shenanigans, they probably think putting a toga of corruption around the Governor's neck would diminish his rising profile. They have failed woefully!

One does not require a soothsayer to see through the deception packaged as whistleblowing. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Dapo Abiodun-led Administration has been very diligent, transparent and accountable with the finances of Ogun State right from its inception. It, therefore, beats imagination for anyone to conclude that the present administration could expend humongous sums on projects whose contract awards strictly followed the extant rules and regulations.

The Ogun State Government under the able leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun has prioritised people-oriented policies, programmes and projects within the limit of its revenues. The Governor continues to receive accolades from far and near and, understandably, his detractors are unhappy; hence the resort to distressing tactics to score cheap political points.

Most recently, the spin doctors lied that the Accountant-General of the state was invited by the anti-graft agency because of their spurious petition. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Ogun State Government promptly debunked their antics in the public space and set the records straight.

The questions that should agitate the minds of right-thinking Nigerians is: how much did Ogun State make in a year for the government to spend a whopping sum of N1trillion on just one road? Can the size of the state's annual budgets accommodate the ludicrous amounts claimed in the write-up? How would a highly responsible, responsive and welfarist administration such as Governor Dapo Abiodun's divert palliatives meant for the people?

From all indications, the claims made in the write-up under reference are just a product of hallucinations and infantile schemes. Those pulling the strings are irritant propagandists. They should know that propaganda can only work when truth fails. In this case, truth has not failed and will never fail.

The good people of Ogun State and the generality of Nigerians should disregard the write-up and its contents, as it is mere fabrication intended to impugn the integrity and reputation of the Governor and his Administration.


E-signed
*Hon. Kayode Akinmade*
*Special Adviser on Media and Strategy*

Peoples Gazette’s Garbage Against Governor Abiodun: Setting the Records Straight

Our attention has been drawn to a mischievous, misleading, and libelous report by the Peoples Gazette alleging that Governor Dapo Abiodun demanded N7.5 billion from the Nigerian Navy after "dubiously handing over 100 hectares of land to it."

The allegation is that after he made headlines by announcing that he had handed over 100 hectares of land to the Nigerian Navy to build a naval Forward Operating Base and dockyard to develop the backwater Abigi community, Governor Dapo Abiodun turned around and asked the Navy to pay for the land in question.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This jaundiced, baseless, and salacious report clearly bears the imprint of political adversaries intent on distracting the Governor from fulfilling his electoral pledges to the people of Ogun State, dazed by his studious refusal to budge.

The fact of the matter is that the Nigerian Navy contacted the State Government, saying that it needed to have a base in Ogun State and requested land to actualize that purpose. Upon receiving the request, the State Government set up a committee comprising government officials and naval officials, including those from the Bureau of Lands, to actualize the request. The request was for 150 hectares.

The Bureau of Lands was mandated to source a suitable parcel of land. Contrary to the request by the Navy, however, the Committee was able to allocate land covering only 100 hectares. The provisional survey indicating the geographical location of the land and the supposed cost of allocation, which is standard protocol, was prepared for the attention of the Governor.

After this, the Bureau of Lands wrote, stating the cost of the land, putting it at N7.5 billion. However, exercising his powers as Governor and with national security imperatives in mind, His Excellency directed that the land should be granted to the Navy ex gratia (free of charge), and thereafter, the proper survey plan was executed, and a Certificate of Occupancy on the land was signed by His Excellency. The same has since become a registered document at the Abeokuta Land Registry as we speak. It is open for verification by the whole world. We dare naysayers to prove us wrong.

Strangely, in its inciting, poorly sourced, and warped report, Peoples Gazette tried to robe Governor Dapo Abiodun in the garb of a villain who publicly donated land to the Navy, then privately demanded compensation for the same land.

This is, to put it mildly, a horrendous con job, a hit piece by political mercenaries masquerading as investigative journalism. It is fake news, pure and simple, and we urge the public to consign it to the garbage can where it rightly belongs.

HON. KAYODE AKINMADE
SPECIAL ADVISER ON MEDIA AND STRATEGY
OGUN STATE GOVERNOR

OOU Has Made Remarkable Strides In 42 Years - VC

The Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola said the 42-year-old institution has contributed to manpower development in every sector of the nation's economy since its establishment

He said the institution has grown from five faculties to 14 and from fewer than 300 students to 30,000.

In a chat with newsmen over the weekend about OOU's achievements, especially under his stewardship in the last two years, Prof. Agboola noted that the institution has experienced infrastructural uplift with the addition of courses while all the programs of the school have been fully digitalized to encourage online learning. He added that examinations are conducted and results are released on time, while salaries and pensions are being paid as and when due.

"When I came in, the first thing I did was to ensure that from inception to graduation, everything is alright. Initially, one major problem we had was that we didn't know the number of students we had, and this affected our planning.

"What we did was that right from the time we were doing post-UME, after getting all the data from JAMB, those we admitted were put on our portal. We linked the portal to the Results Processing Management System so that students have their profiles on the portal. With this, the students can see how much they are to pay. When they pay, we link the students with our management system.

"All HODs, through the efforts of the DVC Accounts, must have looked at the curriculum they will use for that year, and the students just go ahead and register for the courses. From there, when examinations are about to take place, we already know the number of students to assign to examination halls, which makes it easy to conduct examinations.

"In the past, we used five weeks to conduct exams, but now, within two weeks, we are through, and the students see their results immediately. It doesn't take time to consider the results at the Senate because the students have all seen their results," he said.

He noted that courses like Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing, Forensic Science, Taxation, Criminology, Library Science, Geophysics, Building Technology, Quantity Surveying, and Estate Management have been added to expand the scope of the school.

"We are working on introducing Food Science, Data Science, Information and Communication Technology, Software Engineering, and Cyber Security," he added.

The Vice Chancellor hinted that OOU is collaborating with the National Incubation and Innovation Centre, Abuja, for the entrepreneurship training of its students. Teams from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, and from the Federal Ministry of Education were in the institution to finalize arrangements for affiliation for the take-off of the leadership training in the school through the Awujale Institute of Governance.

He appreciated the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the alumni, and corporate individuals who have contributed to the infrastructural development of the institution, stating that this has made the school a force to be reckoned with among tertiary institutions in the country.

"In terms of infrastructural development, the alumni are doing extremely well. The ICBM building was facilitated by one of them. In fact, the foundation was laid a week after I got here. Again, I commissioned the Business School facilitated by one of the alumni members. Alhaji Saheed Fagbohun donated a 750-capacity lecture hall for us, and it has been completed. I also commissioned Dr. Asekun's Resource Centre. Chief Femi Okenla's Centre is ongoing now.

"One of the alumni also donated a 15 KVA solar system worth about N20m. Another alumni member has employed two staff for us. One is from the United Kingdom, while the other is from South Africa for our students' Bio-Sensor project. He is paying them in dollars and has also signed an agreement to employ our students when they graduate. At least 100 of our students are attending lectures every Friday," he said.

The Vice Chancellor said the institution is collaborating with some foreign universities, including Swansea University, for further training of its students to broaden their scope and make them competitive at the global level.

"We are determined to ensure that our students have what we call the three Es, which stand for Knowledge, Skills, and Value, realizing that a knowledgeable person should be able to further his/her education; if you are skillful, you will be employable, and also, being an employer of labor, you add value to society.

"This has led to a working relationship with Swansea University and the University of Lancaster to enable our students to further their education if they wish to. Students from Agriculture and Management Science can have part of their studies at Swansea University so that they can have a degree from OOU and a degree from Swansea University. We are at the level of matching up our curriculum so that the two can work together.

"For the University of Lancaster in the United Kingdom, we are working with them for Forensic Science so that our students can start here and there and earn two Degrees," the VC added.

Prof. Agboola emphasized that the welfare of students, lecturers, and staff has been paramount to his administration, with prompt payment of salary arrears, earned allowances, cooperative society deductions, and pension deductions.

"We have been able to satisfy our staff unions to some extent. When we came in, we contended with the issues of arrears from 2013 to 2024, contributory pension, check-off dues, and cooperative deductions. We have paid close to N350m for arrears and have paid check-off dues and cooperative deductions for three months out of the seven months, and we have scheduled how we are going to pay the rest.

"The ones we deducted since I got here, we have been paying. We are not owing; it is only the backlogs that we are trying to solve.

"In terms of pension, we are not owing since I came here. All the deductions we made are also being remitted. From January, as we are paying one, we are also adding to it as we now have a schedule to clear the backlogs," he explained.

He stated that the cordial relationship between the management, staff, and students has led to the stability of the academic calendar, allowing students to complete their programs on time.

While appreciating the Dapo Abiodun-led administration for supporting the institution, Prof. Agboola called for more support, as the management has put strategic plans in place to make the university one of the best not only in the country but also globally.

Agboola also disclosed that a Reviewing Committee to look into the conditions of service of non-academic staff of the institution has been established.

This follows agitation from the non-teaching staff for the adoption of a three-year interval for promotion to the next level.

He stated that the university, since its inception, has been working on the amendment of conditions of service, expressing hope that the recommendations of the Committee, made up of relevant stakeholders, would go a long way in resolving the matter.

He said: "We have taken steps because we know that when the staff are agitated, there are some things we need to do. We constituted a Reviewing Committee on conditions of service, and all the staff unions have representatives on the committee. They have already started asking for memoranda from members of the community, including the staff unions.

"Today, we have written to the Chairman of the Review Committee to speed up action so that we can conclude on time."

BEING A PRESS STATEMENT BY ADVOCACY FOR ADVANCEMENT OF PEACE & HARMONY IN AFRICA INITIATIVE (ADAPHAI) ON 2024 END BAD GOVERNANCE PROTESTATION IN NIGERIA
The Conceptualisation of Regionalism; an Impetus to True Federalism in Nigeria!
It has been a blame game euphoria from the very inception of the End Bad Governance protestation between government office holders and the citizenry. It now appears that we are all at an economic deadlock, where our ideas have become unconditionally locked against the operationalities of basic economic principles. The politicization entrenched in pushing a right course along an economic direction that fosters a shared prosperity is just explicitly far-fetched among the political elites across our shores. All local and global statistical and economic numerations, as measues of basic human developmental indices are obviously in the negation with respect to the real number line. An indication that Nigeria is suffering one of its worst decades of independence ever in terms of its human capital development and living standard.
Without a mere desire to a hold on time in pressing home our demands as a revolutionary advocacy group, we shall be x-raying sub-thematic areas of critical needs in salvaging our country from its present politico-economic predicament in subsequent subheadings.
A Retrospective Overview of Regional System of Government in Nigeria
Majority of Nigerians actually believe a regional system of government offers a solution to some of the problems confronting the country. This model of government tends to align with Nigerians’ yearning for restructuring and this is evident in a survey conducted amongst citizens. Even though the call for a return to regionalism is often politically motivated, many Nigerians believe it offers a solution to some of the problems the country is battling with.
A regional system of government is a form of government in which each region is allowed to control the resources in its territory and pay royalties to the central government. It is the reverse with the current system the country operates in which the economic power and control are concentrated in the hands of the Federal Government, which in turn shares revenues with state and local governments. The regional system of government concept is not alien to Nigeria, as in the 1950s the country operated this model comprising a central government and three regional governments in the Western, Eastern, and Northern regions. The Mid-Western region was then later carved out of the Western region in 1963.
This system was sustained until 1966, when Nigeria’s first military Head of State, General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi promulgated the unification decree following the killing of national political figures by rebellious soldiers. The killing marked the first coup in Nigeria and the beginning of military interruptions in the country’s political system. In a bid to eliminate tribal loyalty and sectional interests encouraged by regionalism, Ironsi introduced a unitary system of government aimed at fostering unity and national cohesion.
Notwithstanding the tribalism entrenched in the model, each of the regions recorded significant developments in different areas as it encouraged healthy competition among the regions governed by the three major tribes: the Yorubas, Hausas, and Igbos. The development of these regions championed by their political leaders was largely predicated on an agrarian economy.
The Western region under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo had cocoa as its economic mainstay, while the development of the Northern region supervised by Sir Ahmadu Bello relied on groundnut, cotton, and other agricultural produce. The economy of the Eastern region under the leadership of Chief Michael Okpara was hinged on the production of oil palm and cassava while the Mid-western region had a rubber industry situated in Sapele, Delta State.
Most Nigerians who experienced regionalism as a system of government believe the country was better off under this arrangement, as all these regions were developing at their own pace with the resources available to them. They were contributing royalties to the central government. It is instructive to note that Nigeria practised a hybrid of a regional government and a parliamentary system of government between 1960 and 1963. This political setup had Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as the president who played a ceremonial role and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as the prime minister, who acted as the head of government.
Unlike the presidential system which vests so much power in the hands of the president, the real power in the parliamentary system rests in the hands of the prime minister. In this political arrangement, members of the executive are also members of the parliament and it is the political party with the highest number of seats in the parliament that produces the prime minister and forms the cabinet.
Should Nigeria revert to a regional system of government as practised in the early 1960s, the current arrangement would collapse in order to accommodate a prime minister and premiers who would act as heads of government at the regional level. And since a parliamentary system allows both unicameral and bicameral legislative setup, the current National Assembly may be retained or modified to conform with the new model. Also, the system may provide proponents of a unilateral lawmaking body with more impetus to drive home their demand.
The scrapping of regionalism eventually gave birth to systems of government that saw development through the creation of states from the regions. Currently, Nigeria is delineated into six main regions namely, South West, South East, South South, North West, North East, and North Central. Each of the regions has six states except North West and South East which have seven and five states, respectively.
Reverting to a regional system of government implies that the current regions will take over the control of the resources in their states while the Federal Government receives royalties from them. It will also imply that the central government will not interfere in the affairs of regional governments. Essentially, a return to regionalism will address five fundamental issues on which the clamour for restructuring is often predicated – resource control, security of lives and property, energy, constitutional review, and food security.
Resource Control: If adopted, regionalism is expected to reconfigure Nigeria in ensuring that the South South region, for example, has power and control over its oil and gas resources. The same applies to other regions with their mineral resources’ deposits, land and water resources.
Security of Lives and Property: As things stand, the Federal Government has an exclusive power over all security forces. This arrangement makes things difficult for governors to control troops in fighting militants, bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, and cultists in their various states. However, a readoption of regionalism is expected to allow each region tackle insecurity as they deem it fit without necessarily requesting the support of the central government. This means the regions are free to establish regional security outfits. On the contrary, it does not mean that the conventional security system will be jettisoned. It will still be under the control of the Federal Government to protect the sovereignty of the country while regional security outfits co-exist with it.
Energy: This is one of the banes of Nigeria under the exclusive control of the Federal Government. Even though the constitution allows both federal and state governments to legislate on energy, it did not grant state governments the power to generate, transmit, and distribute energy until June 2023, when President Tinubu signed the electricity bill, repealing the Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act of 2005.
Constitutional Review: The 1999 Constitution which was a military design would have to be thrown out, paving a way for the readoption of Richard’s Constitution of 1946 which introduced Regionalism in Nigeria. Each Region (Northern, Eastern, and Western) had a Regional House of Assembly merely for discussion but not empowered to manage their own affairs. The Richard Constitution was introduced in 1946 during the British colonial rule of Nigeria.
Food Security: The Federal Government’s overbearing influence on Agriculture makes it difficult to feel the impacts of state governments in the sector. Under the regional system of government, it is expected that a healthy competition commences in the production of livestock and food and cash crops to guarantee food security. Commodities’ Boards re-awakening will also help in exporting excess agricultural produce just for the country to increase its foreign reserves, consequently aiding the value of the local currency.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
The African Continental Free Trade Area is a free trade area encompassing most of Africa, under which Nigeria is a signatory. It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which has 43 parties and another 11 signatories, making it the largest free-trade area by a number of member states, after the World Trade Organization, and the largest in population and geographic size, spanning 1.3 billion people across the world’s second-largest continent. The Agreement establishes a single market for goods and services across 54 countries, it allows for the free movement of business travelers and investments, and creates a unified customs union to streamline trade on the continent (The World Bank Trade Publication, 2024).
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Intra-African exports were 16.6% of total exports in 2017, compared with 68.1% in Europe, 59.4% in Asia, 55% in America, and 7% in Oceania. Intra-African trade, defined as the average of intra-African exports and imports, was around 2% during the period 2015–2017.
Trade across the African continent has long been limited as governments have often erected trade barriers to defend their markets from regional competition, making it more expensive for countries to trade with near neighbours than countries much further afield. This also affected the amount of trade within Africa as seen in the statistics above, bringing about the need for AfCFTA. The aim is to enable the free flow of goods and services across the continent and boost the trading position of Africa in the global market (The World Bank Trade Publication, 2024).
The AfCFTA promises broader and deeper economic integration and would attract investment, boost trade, provide better jobs, reduce poverty, and increase shared prosperity in Africa. Africa could see foreign direct investment (FDI) increase by between 111 percent and 159 percent under the AfCFTA. Inflows of FDI attracted by the AfCFTA would bring jobs and expertise, build local capacity, and forge connections that can help African companies join regional and global value chains.
The AfCFTA can bring higher-paid, better-quality jobs, with females seeing the biggest wage gains. Wages would rise by 11.2 percent for women and 9.8 percent for men by 2035, albeit with regional variations depending on the industries that expand the most in specific countries. If AfCFTA’s goals are fully realised, 50 million people could escape extreme poverty by 2035, and real income could rise by 9 percent. Under deep integration, Africa’s exports to the rest of the world would go up by 32 percent by 2035, and intra-African exports would grow by 109 percent, led by manufactured goods.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aims to liberalise not just trade in goods, but also in services, and to facilitate intra-Africa investment. It will also create the necessary frameworks and capacity to enable and facilitate intra-Africa trade in services by addressing the challenges that inhibit such trade. The AfCFTA is also anticipated to be a “game-changer” in enhancing intra-Africa trade (The World Bank Trade Publication, 2024).
AfCFTA has a positive impact on cross-border payments such that, since 15% of trade is carried out within African countries, AfCFTA will increase the number of trades within African countries, thereby also increasing the need for cross-border payments.
In Conclusion
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should as a matter of both national interest and imperative, urgently initiate an objective Sovereign National Conference, followed with a National Referendum in order to renegotiate our co-existence as Nigerians. Hence, regionalism should be a front runner with regard to a true federal political debate that, at one time had inherently advanced the course of humanity in the early 1960s. Also, the seeming economic blue print of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), should immediately follow suit in the economic discourse with the assurance of a shared prosperity amongst our people.

E-signed

Comrade Sulaimon Suberu
National Coordinator (ADAPHAI)

Governor Dapo Abiodun never called Nigerians, protesters sore losers--Ogun govt




Ogun State Government, on Saturday, described as a total fabrication, the claim that Governor Dapo Abiodun called Nigerians sore losers over the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest.




Rather, it said, the governor was talking about certain losers of the 2023 elections who were cashing in on the dissent of Nigerian youth to destabilise the country, adding that the chaos that greeted the protest in several parts of the country had vindicated his position.



It said that nowhere in the referenced interview with Channels TV did the Governor suggest, even remotely, that ordinary Nigerians ventilating their grievances over the economic situation in the country are sore losers, adding that the Governor is well known for his deep appreciation of Nigerian youth, student and workers whom he has always held in the highest esteem and spoken about in glowing terms.




This was made known by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta on Saturday.




The statement added that only on Friday, the Governor lauded Ogun residents, particularly the youth, for shunning violent protest and conducting themselves in an exemplary manner, assuring that his administration remained committed to their happiness.





It said that the Governor was not only wilfully and maliciously taken out of context in his characterization of certain political opponents of President Bola Tinubu using the ongoing hunger protest to feather their own nests, but is now also being persecuted by the same individuals through sponsored attacks on his person and office.




The statement added: “The claim that Governor Abiodun insulted ordinary Nigerians is spurious, malicious and lacks any rational basis. Elementary rules of language indicates that the meaning of an expression resides in its context: Governor Abiodun could not have been referring to ordinary Nigerians as the sponsors of a faceless and leaderless protest.




“While Governor Abiodun did indeed mention sore losers, he was clearly emphasizing irredentist opposition leaders who do not wish the administration well, urging them to prepare for the 2027 polls instead of mindlessly discrediting every government policy just to excite passions and incite people against the government.



“To stretch his use of the word “Nigerians” beyond its intended referents in this context is, therefore, to engage in intellectual fraud and plain mischief.



“Governor Abiodun has utmost respect for the protesters and he has made that clear on many occasions.”

Abiodun Mourns Senator Ubah, Says Death Is Great Loss

The Chairman of the Southern Governors' Forum (SGF) and Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah as shocking and a great loss to the country.

Governor Abiodun, in a condolence message to the people and government of Anambra State on the demise of the lawmaker, coming just few hours after that of the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has left a great void that will be difficult to fill.

The Senator, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, reportedly died in London on Saturday.

The SGF Chairman described Senator Ubah as a self-made man, a politician, business mogul, and philanthropist, who contributed his own quota to the development of the nation.

He said the deceased as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Capital Oil was a major player in the oil industry while also contributing to the upliftment of the needy through his Ifeanyi Ubah Foundation.

He said: Today, we mourn the loss a visionary leader and a true advocate for the people of Anambra State and Nigeria.

"Senator Ifeanyi Ubah's sudden demise has left a void that will be difficult to fill. His untimely departure is not only a loss for his family and loved ones but also for the entire state and the nation as a whole. We recognize and appreciate the significant contributions he made during his tenure as a senator and his commitment to the betterment of Anambra State.

"Throughout his career, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and an unwavering passion for serving the people.

"Beyond his political achievements, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah will be remembered for his compassion, humility, and genuine concern for the well-being of others.

"We stand in solidarity with the Government and People of Anambra State during this difficult period."

Protest: Ogun workers dissociate self, call for dialogue, peaceful resolution

Ogun State workers, under the auspices of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria(TUC) and the Joint Negotiation Committee(JNC) has dissociated self from the planned protest over alleged unremitted pension fund in Ogun State.

The unions , which were represented by Comrade (Amb) Hameed Benco Ademola, the Chairman of NLC, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, TUC Chairman and Isa Olude, the Chairman of JNC, averred that the threats through a news broadcast on the proposed industrial action on 1st August by the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) is not only condemnable but highly uncalled for in all ramifications.

The Unions said it has never at any point in time engaged any groups or individuals to agitate over any issue whatsoever on behalf of the groups, saying the organised Labour in Ogun State is not in anyway privy to the said broadcast by CDWR.

According to the groups, there had been robust engagements over time with the Ogun State government, which had resulted to positive outcomes on the part of the government, adding that nothing could have warranted any threat of industrial action by the unions in Ogun State.

The statement reads in part: Our attention has been drawn to a said news broadcast on N40B unremitted pension fund by the Campaign for Democratic and Workers, Rights (CDWR) which is condemnable and uncalled for by the Organized Labour of Ogun State.

"The Organized Labour of Ogun State had never engaged any person or groups of people to broadcast the said news on behalf of Ogun State Workforce.

"Organized Labour of Ogun State wish to State categorically that, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiating Council in Ogun State is not directly or remotely involved in the broadcasted News.

"Organized Labour of Ogun State have been engaging the government through our usual channels of communication and the results are positive and therefore, have no reason to issue any threat to the Government on the above subject.

"Organized Labour of Ogun State believe threats/industrial action becomes necessary only when discussions and negotiations fail to achieve our aim.

"The Organized Labour of Gateway State equally disassociate from the lingering 1 of August Protest by groups yet unknown but call on different hierarchies of the Government to involve these groups to dialogue in averting the protest

"Organized Labour of Ogun State will continue to use all peaceful avenues and means to engage and negotiate with the Government and if need be, inform the public directly and not by proxy before resort to any action.

"The Government of Ogun State headed by His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun CON is a workers friendly administration and is always ready to engage social partners whenever the need arises".

Shooting in Pennsylvania : America has no moral standing to dictate democratic value in Africa-ADAPHAI
A leading Civil Society Organization in Nigeria, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace &Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has berated the recent violence in the American political environment, where the former President, Donald Trump and several others were shot during campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

ADAPHAI, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sulaimon Suberu, and made available to newsmen in Abuja, described America as pretentious nation without any guiding ideology, adding that the country has no moral fiber to dictate democratic value and ethos in Africa.

It said the unfortunate event in Pennsylvania, with casualty and where many people were fatally wounded exposed the political atmosphere in America as being fragile and vulnerable to political violence and manipulation.

According to the group, the neocolonial agenda of the West, in which America is spearheading in all the developing countries of the world, especially Africa is totally antithetical to the principles of free will and liberty, but a surreptitious antics of exploitation and oppression.

ADAPHAI, therefore, called on African leaders to work towards building a home-grown political ideology in tandem with the peculiar sociopolitical realities of the continent to guarantee speedy development in all fronts.

The statement reads in part:" How can anyone explain the degree of violence and gangsterism that have characterized the presidential election in America, despite the country's claim of advancement in democratic governance and civil administration.

"It is obvious that the country in truth and indeed accommodates a large percentage of desperate politicians who do not believe in the rule of law nor the spirit sportsmanship but the crude mentality of political chicanery and manipulation.

"It is now crystal clear that a country like America and its likes in the West have no moral standing to dictate democratic governance to the people of Africa and any other developing democracies for that matter.

"An assassination attempt on the life of the former President, who is also a contender in the election is the height of gangsterism in politics and violent ideology of sort, it is unbecoming of a country that prides itself as leading democratic nation".

Abiodun Sets Two Weeks Deadline for Completion of Denro/Ishashi/Akute Road


...says work to begin on Alagbole-Ajuwon, Akute-Ajuwon Roads, others soon-Abiodun


The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, gave a matching order to the contractor handling the construction of Denro-Ishashi-Akute road to ensure the completion of the project within two weeks.

The governor also disclosed that work would begin on the Alagbole-Ajuwon and Akute-Ajuwon road in Ifo Local Government Area of the state soon.

Other roads, whose contracts are to be awarded soon include Hercules Giwa (Oke Aro Rd), some section of Akute- Ijoko road, and the road leading to Yakoyo.

The governor, who made this known during an on-the-spot assessment of roads in the local government, assured residents that his administration would also construct a brand new Primary Health Care Centre for them.

Prince Abiodun said the construction of the Denro-Ishashi-Akute Road started almost three years ago, adding that the contractor must mobilise to site immediately and ensure the completion of the project in two weeks.

He recalled his promise to ensure equitable provision of infrastructures across the state, adding that this is being followed religiously.

He said his administration has ensured that road construction is evenly spread across the 20 local governments in the state.

"My pledge is that I have come here today to see things for myself. There are two roads that are considerably important to our people.

"First of all, the Denro-Ishashi-Akute road, I have given the contractor a matching order that the road must be completed in the next two weeks, asphalt and the bridge.

"I want to assure you all that it is your time now. It is your right. You voted for us. I am a promise keeping governor. I will not make empty promises.

"Now, within the next two weeks, maximum three weeks, active construction will start on Alagbole-Ajuwon and Akute-Ajuwon roads.

"Today, here, we've reconstructed Olusegun Osoba-Toyin Street, Denro-Ishashi-Akute is under construction. We have so many other roads we've constructed here. But because there is so much deficit in the infrastructural development in this area, at times, it appears as if we are not reconstructing them as fast as they want us to.

"The Primary Health Care Centre here, I will reconstruct it. I have told Hon. Fola Salami and the Commissioner (health) to look for a land for me here because I will build a new one for you. I want to build a brand new Primary Health Care Centre that is befitting for Ajuwon-Alagbole-Akute," he said.

Governor Abiodun, while noting that his administration owes everyone equitable infrastructure development, added that the deficit that he met on the assumption of office made him wonder what the previous administrations were doing.

Noting that although the past administration had very good intentions for the people of the state, Governor Abiodun, however, bemoaned why projects were abandoned after structures had been demolished and single carriageways were turned into dual carriageways,

He said: "When I assumed office on the 29th of May, 2019, the deficit that we met on assumption of office was such that we began to wonder what the previous administration was doing.

"In some instances, they appear to have good intentions, they go to the roads, they demolished houses, roads that should not be more than a single carriageway, they turned them to dual carriageway By so doing, they removed all the asphalt that was there serving the people and abandoned these roads.

"We inherited quite a lot of these roads. Some of those roads are federal roads, and you know our people cannot differentiate between federal and state. They will geo-locate their pains where and when they are feeling it."

He stated further that his administration had to draw up a priority list taking into consideration vehicular traffic and economic impact of some of the roads it had embarked upon till date, adding that his administration would continue to put the people first.

"Let me give you an example of the road that goes from Agbara-Atan-Lusada road. When I assumed office, trailers carrying containers were falling off on that road. That is the road that leads to the biggest industrial estate not just in Nigeria but one of the biggest in Africa.

"It is a road that counts for hundreds of thousands of employees and employers. So, it is important for us in Ogun State. I had to prioritize it, and it is a federal road.

"So, we have to draw up a priority list and the priority list amongst others factored in the vehicular traffic, the economic impact.

"Ijebu-Ode-Epe road is a road that evacuates people from the Lekki corridor to the Eastern flank of Nigeria. That road was non-existent. I had to prioritize that road. Sagamu-Abeokuta Road, the road leading to the state capital, was not good. People were dying. I had to prioritize that road, another federal road, and so many other roads.

"Today we can brag and say not only have we constructed 600 kilometers of highway or roads, both inter-state, intra-state, inner-city roads, but, I beat my chest that there is no local government in Ogun State today that does not have at least one or two roads that we have reconstructed in the last five years and that is in line with been equitable and fair," he said.

Abiodun called on those who derive pleasure in only reporting negative stories to, as a matter of fact, also learn to report about the over 600 kilometres of road constructed by his administration.

Dapo Abiodun and burden of inherited infrastructural deficit in Ogun

By Seye Abodunrin

One of the greatest challenges facing Nigeria since independence is shortage of infrastructural development, especially the issue of deplorable road network. Many of those roads and bridges that were built by the colonial administration and military regime are still in use in some communities around Nigeria.

Expectedly, those roads had seriously deteriorated and became death traps around the country even with several palliatives carried out on them by successive civilian administrations; they remain impassable and terrible, making road users to go through hell on daily basis.

Unfortunately, the military junta did not do much to develop road infrastructure in Nigeria, mostly in the subnationals, where military administrators ruled with utmost impunity and enmeshed in large scale corruption and maladministration.

Ogun State is one of those States that have suffered such infrastructural menace since its creation in 1976, as successive military administration's in the State were very indifferent to road construction and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, considering the proximity of the State to Lagos State, the commercial capital of Nigeria, Ogun became the safe heaven for millions of people who work in Lagos; as majority of them could not afford the outrageous rent in Lagos.

As a result of this, there was influx of hitherto Lagos residents into Ogun, as they settled at the border areas without government's approval and against extant buidling regulation and laws, thereby overstretching available infrastructural facilities in those areas.

Regrettably, successive administrations in the State for almost two decades, between 1999 and 2019 did not pay any tangible attention to road construction and rehabilitation in any part of the State, not to talk of border communities.The outright neglet of these areas for good 20 years worsened the conditions of the areas beyond imagination

While Aremo Olusegun Osoba's administration that lasted for just a term of four years could put up an alibi of insuffient time to make provision for those areas in its infrastructural development plan, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun completely negleted those areas with high level of insensitivity for 16 years altogether.

In the case of Daniel, the act of deception that characterised his administration did not create room for any consideration for the border communities, he was notorious of empty promises without action.

Amosun on his part held the State at its jugular and remained strictly sectional and lopsided in his development plan. He concentrated majority of his projects in his senatorial district of Ogun Central, coupled with many unnecessary construction he embarkedupon, like those bridges he constructed with billions of naira without necessity.

At the inception of Dapo Abiodun-led administration in 2019, one of those areas he identified as top priority is road infrastructure as he embarked on massive road construction and rehabilitation across the State, unlike his predecessors. Amidst limited resources, Abiodun rationalised the available resources to solve the enormous road infrastructural deficit confronting the State and consistently moved to address it holistically.

To the chagrin of many, Governor Dapo Abiodun has built over 600km of roads across the three senatorial districts, making it far beyond all what his predecessors had built altogether, including many around the corridor of the border communities.

However, because the inherited deficit is much, which according to stakeholders in the Built Sector would gulp up hundres of billions of naira to get it fixed completely, the only option left is to be patient.

Also, of particular interest is the frantic efforts made by the Governor to take over some Federal roads of profound necessity and urgency and the level of disappointment he had suffered in the course of soliciting for Federal Government's nod.

Obviously, Governor Dapo Abiodun has really tried to improve road infrastructure in the Gateway State even in the face of multifaceted constraints; he needs to be appreciated and supported.

That is why I was so sad when I first read the trending story on X and the resultant negative comments it gathered. While there is nothing wrong in demanding for good governance, however, the popular dictum says:" whoever wants equity must come with clean hand".

It is incontrovertible correct to say that many of those criticising the Governor neither live in the State nor working there. As a matter of fact, majority of them don't even have any knowledge about the history of the State but because they have access to data, they became emergency activists.

I don't envy Governor Dapo Abiodun at all, because, despite his impressive and massive investments in road construction, our people, especially the youths looked the other way without recourse to conscience.

Lastly, I want to say categorically clear that Governor Dapo Abiodun is now taking bullets for the insensitivity and ineptitude of his predecessors, but because the Governor is a perfect gentle man with necessasy political maturity and tolerance, he has come out to promise residents of the State more construction and rehabilitation across the State.

Kudos Your Excellency for this exemplary trait of stewardship and humility, despite carrying the burden of inherited infrastructural deficit.

Seye Abodunrin writes from Ijoko.

SGF Chairman, Abiodun Commiserates With Abia State Over Killings

The Chairman of Southern Governors' Forum (SGF) and Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, and the people of the State, over the killing of two police operatives in Umuhaia, the State capital on Friday.

Governor Abiodun, in a condolence message he personally signed on Monday said those who perpetrated the heinous act were enemies of the State and Nigeria at large, who would be caught and made to face the full wrath of the law.

He enjoined the people of the State to join hands with Governor Otti to tackle the menace of insecurity in the State by being vigilant and promptly providing credible information in their communities on activities of criminal elements.

Abiodun also called on the Police and other sister security agencies to swiftly fish out the assailants, in order to give residents of the State the assurance of safety of their lives and property.

He further reiterated the call for State Police by the Southern Governors Forum, adding that its introduction will help in resolving local crimes in various States of the Federation.

"I sincerely commiserate with the government and the people of Abia State over the killing of security operatives in the State. Indeed, the issue of security is too important to be left in the hands of security agents alone.

"I urge the people of the State to continue to work in collaboration with security agencies by providing credible information that will help to nip criminal activities in the bud.

"Obviously, every crime has a local outlook. It is on that note that I call on the Federal Government once again to look into the issue of State Policing as a way of strengthening our security architecture in the area of local intelligence gathering at the community level," Abiodun said

Viral Video of Sen. Lere Oyewunmi On 2023 Election Was Blown Out Of Proportion By Disgruntled Elements In Opposition

Our attention has been drawn to a viral video of Sen.Lere Oyewunmi, the lawmaker representing Osun West Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assemby, who also doubles as the Deputy Minority Leader at the Red Chamber, where he was addressing some of his followers at his hometown in Ikire, in Irewole Local Government Area of the State.

In the viral video, which some political jobbers in the opposition in Osun State, in cahoots with some section of media had twisted to suit their parochial tendencies; Senator Oyewunmi was simply narrating the gang up against his ambition in a particular voting area around the town, and alluded to the fact that all his efforts to convince the people of the area to support him was futile.

His notion of 'Mobilization' during the polls, which he expressed in Yoruba was mischievously translated by the media as Vote-buying, purposely to paint the lawmaker black in the eyes of the public.

We want to explicitly put it on record that what Senator Lere Oyewunmi meant connotatively was 'Funds for Mobilization ' and never mentioned anything close to buying of vote.

Without mincing words, Senator Lere Oyewunmi is a revered personality with impeccable pedigree, a consumate politician with high level of intellect, it would be therefore, illogical for a sagacious politician of that standing to involve in such infraction and still come out in public to say it; such thinking by anyone defies logic.

It is obvious that the lawmaker was addressing a gathering of locals with little or no formal education to understand the tenets of "Funds for Mobilization " hence, the option of that pattern of expression in Yoruba Language.

We, thereby, warn redundant politicians in the State and their co-travellers in the media to desist from such cheap propaganda, as Senator Lere Oyewunmi by ideology and orientation will never act in variance with rule of law and democratic ethos.

E-signed

Adeolu Ajayi

Media Consultant to Distinguished Senator Lere Oyewunmi.

SOUTHERN GOVERNORS’ FORUM
COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNORS OF SOUTHERN NIGERIA AT THE OGUN STATE PRESIDENTIAL LODGE, G.R.A, IBARA, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE ON MONDAY, 24TH JUNE 2024

At the end of the Southern Governors Forum meeting held on Monday, 24th June 2024, the following resolutions were made by the Governors:
The Forum paid respects to the immediate past Chairman, late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, and extended their courtesies to his family while appreciating the past Chairman for the solid foundation he laid by putting the forum in good stead.

1.The forum thanked all member Governors for their support and commitment to the "Asaba declaration" which was a resolve to ensure that Southern Nigeria produced the Presidential Candidate. The forum also thanked their counterparts in the North under the auspices of the Northern Governors’ Forum for their unwavering support for the resolution.
2. The Forum commended the laudable economic recovery reforms and policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA). The Forum unanimously reaffirmed their support for him in his unwavering resolve to reposition the country and build a great future for all of us.
3. The Southern Governors applauded the President for conceptualizing and commencing the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, which cuts across eight states. The forum noted that this laudable project will create employment in the construction industry ecosystem, boost productivity by drastically reducing travel time, promote tourism, and open up and integrate all the Southern States to more investment opportunities.
4. The Southern Governors advocated that the Federal government should rehabilitate, repair, and reconstruct Trunk A roads and transfer roads to states that have expressed interest in taking them over.
5. The Forum will commission a regional multimodal transport master plan that prioritizes connectivity by rail, road, air, and water to enhance regional connectivity and facilitate the interstate and intra-region ease of doing business.
6. Being the economic and industrial hub of the country, the Forum highlighted the need to address the inadequate power supply in the region. To achieve 90,000 MW of electricity to adequately serve the estimated 90 million people in the Southern Region (using the rule of thumb of 1,000 MW per 1 million population), member states were encouraged to take advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that now allows states to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity whilst also considering renewable sources of energy. The forum also noted the pressing need for an alternative power infrastructure grid to reduce the impact of grid collapse in the region.
7. The Forum recognized the necessity of total PMS (petrol) deregulation and pledged support to the Energy Transition program of Mr. President. The Forum urged member states to implement a quick transition to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) as a condition precedent to full deregulation to cushion effects on citizens.
8. Members of the Forum commended Mr. President on the different food palliative support to the states by way of rice and grains. Governors were also commended for complementing Mr. President in their various states through several initiatives ranging from food palliatives to transport allowances. The forum resolved to be more aggressive and intentional about food security. All states were enjoined to intensify their agricultural resurgence/revolution initiatives based on the cash and food crops best suited for each region to achieve food sufficiency, self-reliance, and employment generation. States are encouraged to set up special agro-processing zones to extract the most value from the agro-value chain.
9. The Forum discussed the minimum wage issues demanded by labour and unanimously agreed that the minimum wage should be reflective of the cost of living and that each state should be allowed to negotiate its minimum wage. This led to the forum’s discussion on fiscal federalism and devolution of powers.
10. Southern Governors resolved to continue to advocate for the creation of state police against the success of community-based regional security outfits that have significantly helped intelligence gathering. It is believed that this will enable Governors to be Chief Security Officers indeed.
11. The Forum, still on fiscal federalism, discussed the issue of solid mineral exploration and exploitation which today remains on the exclusive list in the constitution. Member Governors expressed concern over current practices where minerals licenses are issued, and exploitations are undertaken without recourse to state governments. These continue to be carried out often attracting criminal activities and attendant negative environmental impact, ecological degradation with no remediation commitments, and no revenue accruing to both States and the Federal Government.
12. The Forum expressed concern over the controversy of the tenure of Local Government Chairmen in Rivers State and took a common stand in support of the position of the law and constitution.
13. The Forum members resolved to remain united and very committed to oneness of purpose noting that the physical boundaries that divide us do not compare to the strong bonds of enterprise, resilience, and culture that we share and unites us. Member States resolved to be deliberate about intra-region trade, partnerships, and investment facilitation and promotion which was agreed will require a structured and coordinated collaborative approach.
14. The Southern States Development Agenda (SSDA) will be set up and will comprise a team whose primary responsibility is to outline a holistic plan to foster trade and investment, sustainable growth and development, economic prosperity, social harmony, and food security for the region. They will work hand in glove with individual states' Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agencies, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and other multilateral agencies.
15. The Forum unanimously chose His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun CON, to provide the needed leadership and appointed His Excellency, Professor Charles Soludo CFR as Vice Chairman.
16. Members expressed their support for the newly appointed Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Forum.
17. The Forum concluded that its meetings should be held quarterly and rotated among member states.

…………………………………………….
H.E. Prince Dapo Abiodun CON
Governor, Ogun State
Chairman, Southern Governors’ Forum






………………………………………..
H.E. Prof Charles C. Soludo CFR
Governor, Anambra State
Vice- Chariman, Southern Governors’ Forum
………………………………………..
H.E .Engr. Seyi Makinde
Governor, Oyo State

………………………………………..
H.E. Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu
Governor, Lagos State
………………………………………..
H.E. Mr Godwin Obaseki
Governor, Edo State

………………………………………..
H.E Sen Hope Uzodinma
Governor, Imo State
………………………………………..
H.E. Abiodun Oyebanji
Governor, Ekiti State

………………………………………..
HE Duoye Diri
Governor, Bayelsa State
………………………………………..
H.E. Ademola Adeleke
Governor, Osun State

………………………………………..
H.E. Pastor Umo Eno
Governor, Akwa lbom State
………………………………………..
H.E. Sir Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS
Governor, Rivers State

………………………………………..
H.E. Bassey Edet Otu
Governor, Cross Rivers State
………………………………………..
H.E. Rt. Hon. Francis O. Nwifuru
Governor, Ebonyi State

………………………………………..
H.E. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa
Governor, Ondo State
………………………………………..
H.E. Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah
Governor, Enugu State

………………………………………..
H.E. Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori
Governor, Delta State
………………………………………..
H.E. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa
Governor, Ondo State

………………………………………..
HE Dr Alex Otti OFR
Governor, Abia State

President Tinubu's travelling in chartered aircraft, a national embarrassment-Aviation expert

An aviation expert, Dr Godwin Emmanuel, has expressed grave concerns over recent developments that caused President Bola Tinubu to travel abroad on chartered flights.

Emmanuel, who said that the public shame that befell Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, as its president flew abroad for engagements in chartered flights was unquantifiable, urged the Presidency to prepare a supplementary budget providing new aircraft for the president and Vice President Kashim Shettima, and pass it to the National Assembly for legislative approval without delay.

Speaking in Lagos on Thursday, Emmanuel said President Tinubu's trip on chartered flights had reduced his personality, image, and security, as Nigerians could not guarantee the safety of the hired aircraft.

He said: "Nigeria must not toy with the safety of the president.

"It is on record that most of the planes in the Presidential Air Fleet are already old, and some of them are in deplorable condition.

"The 23-year-old Gulfstream GV is said to be due for major engine overhaul, while Falcon 7x, which is 13 years old, is undergoing C check, as two of the three engines are in engine shop for an overhaul.

"Nigerians must also note that the 19-year-old B 737 is also undergoing major maintenance.

"It is a national shame and disgrace that the Presidency has no functional aircraft.

"It's on record that the president can not use the aircraft in the fleet for his regular foreign trips to woo investors, build goodwill, and communicate with the external world in Nigeria's interest.

"Of late, the vice president, who was going to United States of America, had to shelve the trip because his plane developed technical faults.

"The President's wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, suffered a similar fate. This is a terrible development.

"God forbid that bad thing should happen to the president, vice president, or their spouses.

"The president and vice president represent the image, integrity, and symbol of the Nigerian government, and we should save ourselves from this shame by ensuring that they have functional aircraft."

Emmanuel, who added that no one should toy with the safety and security of the president as it would de-robe and detract from Nigeria's standing in the comity of nations, said that the president should be able to travel when the need arises, in order to build bridges and guarantee Nigeria's development and well-being.

Idanre community to honour Akinyelure, Akin Deko, Akintan, others

In recognition of their great contributions to the development of the ancient kingdom of Idanre, Ondo State, the Idanre Development Assembly (IDA) has penciled down prominent sons and daughters of the town for a grand reception and award ceremony.

Among those to be honoured at the awards scheduled to be held in the ancient town on Saturday, July 6, are the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Chief Pius Akinyelure; a post humorous award to former Minister of Agriculture and former LISA of Idanre Kingdom, Late Chief Gabriel Akin Deko; a former Executive Director of Wema Bank, late Prince Afolabi Ayinuola; a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Hon.Justice Samuel Akinola Akintan, as well as Chief Mrs Omolara Iwayemi Ogomudia, the wife of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia.

The awards will be presided over by the Owa and Paramount Ruler of Idanre Kingdom, Oba (Dr) Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye, JP CFR and will have the governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as one of the special guests.

This was made known in a statement issued by the President-General, IDA, Dr Anthony A.Omolola, and made available to newsmen in Lagos on Friday.

Referencing the profiles of the honorees, the statement described Akinyelure as a distinguished technocrat with a proven track record in the Oil and Gas sector, a seasoned administrator, businessman, foremost industrialist, philanthropist and astute politician.


It noted that following a stellar 35-year career, including two as a consultant with Exxon Mobil Oil, Chief Pius Akinyelure retired from Exxon Mobil on June 1, 1997, having held board level positions of several companies and financial institutions in the past, including NNPCL, Wema Bank Plc., Credite Bank Ltd., Odu’a Investment Limited, Oluwa Glass PLC., Okitipupa Oil Palm PLC., Odu’a Telecommunications Limited, Cocoa Industries Nig. Ltd, Hallmark Bank and West African Portland Cement Plc, among others.

It added that the eminent jurist, Akintan, an alumnus of the Holborn College of Law and Lincoln’s Inn London, began his career in the Federal Ministry of Justice on July 20, 1964 as a pupil counsel and rose through the ranks to serve on the Bench of the Supreme Court between 2004 and December 2008, when he retired, following which he served as a member of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and later the National Judicial Council (NJC) for five years.

It, therefore, described Akin Deko, a building contractor and former regional Minister for Agriculture in the Western region of Nigeria from 1957 to 1963 and a personal friend of Obafemi Awolowo, as the brain behind an agriculture settlement scheme that employed and paid an initial amount of capital to new graduates from established agriculture training colleges.