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Peter Asa, Ibadan Bizman writes new Oyo Police Boss, alleges threat to life

By
Peter Ayoade
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By Adams Akorede

An Ibadan based businessman, Pastor Peter Asa on Tuesday wrote the new Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, alleging threats to his life. 

In the ‘Save My Soul’ letter to the police Boss and personally signed by him, Asa who had been having running battle over the property sold to him by the U.A.C. company in 2020 for N26million, alleged that some police officers in Iyaganku were being used to silence him on the said property.

Asa popularly called King Zion also alleged certain, Mr. Dapo Davies as the brains behind his recent detention for three days in the custody of Iyaganku police station.

The businessman who said he was happy with the inaugural speech of the new police boss that he would not tolerate any infringement on fundamental human rights by his officers, alleged Davies of sponsoring several attacks and harassment on him.

According to him, “two officers of Iyaganku on a recent Thursday afternoon around 2pm at the premises of a bank in Dugbe, arrested and treated me like a common criminal.

“I was taken to Iyaganku police station and kept in detention with criminally-minded suspects for three days.

“The officers arrested me and said my attention was needed at Iyaganku. There is no iota of truth in what I was alleged of. They said I was responsible for the fire incident at the said property which I duly paid for over 18years ago?

“The matter is still in court on the right ownership and I woudn’t want to go there but as a Pastor, I know truth will prevail in the end as I have faith in God that I will get justice no matter what.

“The said fire incident happened on a broad day light of April 15th and I was arrested a month after, precisely on the 14th of May, on a trumped up charge that I was responsible for the said inferno which even the Oyo state government officials said was caused by a welder working on one of the shops in the complex when the entire structure gutted fire.

“Sir, recently the fire gutted the property around 1pm and from available information in the Newspapers and some people within the shop, it was this Mr. Dapo Davies that brought the welder to demarcate shop and in the process,  he ignited the fire that caught up with some chemicals he (Davies) used in producing foams, nylon, bread, etc. which caused devastating effects of the incident.

“… Sir, I am writing this save my soul petition to your good office to save my life from this, Mr. Dapo Davies (Pelly Foam),” he alleged further.

Akala @ 70: Living by Destiny | Prof Abideen Olaiya

By
Peter Ayoade
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Man is just a pen in Divine hands and no matter the struggles of man, he cannot avoid his destiny. Chief Adebayo Alao Akala was destined to rule Oyo state and the circumstance as it were was destiny at play just as GSM contributed less to the coalition that brought him in. All is now part of history for future reference.

I started my political ventures almost at the same time with Chief Akala during the zero party election in 1995/96. His name came to political limelight in Oyo state when he won the Chairmanship position of Ogbomoso Local Council. In 1998, I went with Chief Adeojo to PDP while Chief Akala went with Baba Adedibu to APP. It was in the year 2002 when Baba Adedibu and his team came to PDP through President Obasanjo that we had the first contact at one of the meetings at Molete home of Baba Adedibu. Though we had contact but we belonged to different caucus more so that we are operating from different zones until God gave him the grace to become deputy governor of the state in 2003. We started the government on good note until 2004/05 impeachment crisis which eventually put us on different caucus again, he being in Baba’s camp with my political godson in Oyo house of Assembly while I belonged to Governor Ladoja camp, so we are still operating from different caucus which prevented me from seeing his good side until 2018 when interests brought us together under ADP.

It was then I realized that until you are closer to someone politically you may not have known anything about his personality.

My experience over the years have thought me a great lessons to evaluate political leaders on the basis of their relationship with their subordinates and by extension the general people under them in governance. I have had cause to interact with most of the political leaders in the state, starting with Chief Oyelese at GDM to Chief Adeojo in UNCP and PDP, to Baba Adedibu in PDP, Chief Ladoja in PDP, Labour and Accord and Chief Ajimobi in AC/APC, I sincerely make bold to say that Chief Akala personality stands distinct as a good leader on this note.

Unfortunately, Chief Akala due to circumstance of his emergence as governor of the state received the worst personality attack ( political guns or eba ) in the history of the state. My close association with him lately put me in vantage position for this tribute and I see it as an opportunity to clarify some misgivings.

That Chief Akala was fetish, encouraged thuggery and had no idea about good governance could only be confirmed in all honesty as political gun or things of the past. He is humane in approach to issues, kind at heart and hands, and showed high sense of egalitarianism from 2018 till date that I had closer relationship with him.

May God preserve him in good health and prosperity till the end.

Prof Abideen Olaiya was Otunba (Dr.) Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala’s deputy governorship candidate on the platform of ADP in 2019 elections

SHINA PELLER APPOINTS FOUR SPECIAL ASSISTANTS

By
Peter Ayoade
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By Oluwakemi Ishola 

A member representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa Federal Constituency, Hon. Shina Pelletier, has approved the appointments of four constituents as his Special Assistants on Political Matters and Grassroots Media.

The appointees: Mr. Audu Raheem Bolatito, Alhaja Taofeek Ajarat Bukola, Com. Ismail Shuaib Jibola and Mr. Azeez Kazeem Olaniyi Arigbabuwo, were selected from each of the four local governments of the constituency.

According to their appointment letters, the four Special Assistants started their official duties from Monday, June 2nd 2020. ”You are to serve as grassroots aides and a link between the office of Hon. Shina Peller and the constituency in your respective local governments on political matters and other relevant issues” the letter reads.

CAN describes Makinde’s achievements in 365 days as “Impressive Report Card.”

By
Peter Ayoade
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Debo Adeoye, Ibadan

As many governors serving their first term in office continue the celebration of first year in office, the Oyo State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has described the achievements of Engr Seyi Makinde, in his first year as ‘Impressive Report Card’.

The statement was made by the chairman of the state chapter of CAN, Pastor Benjamin Akanmu while responding to questions from journalists gathering responses from personalities across the state on the accessment of governor Makinde’s first year in office.

Makinde joined other first term governors in Nigeria to celebrate first year in office on May 29, 2020 as the executive governor of Oyo State.

The Oyo CAN through its chairman who rated Governor Makinde’s achievements within the first year in office as Impressive Report Card, however charged him to consolidate on the gains of the past 365 days and work harder to deliver more democratic dividends.

“For our governor in Oyo State it’s a time of praise and commendation. Of course, no parents would bash or condemn a child that returned home with excellent report card, it’s impossible.

“Governor Makinde deserved our praise if we put into consideration how the administration of Seyi Makinde has been positively affecting lives of the masses in the state. To us, his report card is impressive and we congratulate the governor and his team for moving to the second session with enviable report card.

Answering question on modus operandi used in rating the governor, Pastor Akanmu said “the perspective by which we grade or rate governor’s performance defer, the politicians or contractors likewise some groups are not likely to be on the same page with us.”

“Our decision to award His Excellency passmark was borned out of the direct impact of his administration on individual, especially masses, and common man’s life, by extension, standard of living in general.

“Giving capital projects preference over regular payment of salaries, entitlements, gratuities, provision of welfare packages, free medical treatment for senior citizens and children and settlement of pensioners arrears while rating performance of a state governor is unacceptable and anti-masses.

“Even if the governor does every roads, water, and others, but does not do well on renumeration, welfare, agriculture, education, his grade would have been negatively impacted,” Pastor Akanmu emphasised.

“How would the masses and civil servants not support or stand up for him when their children’s education (school fees, books and other associated bills) is no longer a burden on them. With this, parents are opportune to commit little resources to other areas of their needs. Many children have returned to school with joy.

“Pensioners and civil servants were able to settle outstanding bills, the purchasing power of the common man has been lifted because civil servants and retirees could afford to meet up with their needs. And that’s the only thing that has the power to set people free from the boundage of poverty and live better. Death among the pensioners and public servants has reduced drastically, for the fact that they could afford necessity, purchase of drugs and eat better meals as against what they suffered in the past.

“For instance again, very insignificant number of population condemned governor Makinde, whereas masses are praising his decision based on the fact that over 75% of the population source for means of livelihood/survival on daily basis. Besides, as a state having its comparative advantage in agriculture lockdown the state during rainy season would lead to famine. Masses would have been greatly affected, so, we appreciated his decision on that.

“Let me tell you this, our position on his one year in office is also premised on the laid down principles of our Lord Jesus Christ, which mandated us to care more for the survival of people around us, especially the poor/masses. This was clarified in the last lesson Jesus gave to his disciples before the passion story begins his suffering and death.

“In the Bible, Jesus says: “Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me”.

“Jesus teaches—and warns us—that what will count in the final judgment are only deeds of love and mercy performed for the needy.  In fact, at the end of his discourse, he says, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not to it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life,” he quoted

“Our salvation, in this passage, is a matter of how we treat the least of these.  Jesus has made it clear that what matters most is taking care of people in need.

“By feeding the hungry, we discover our own hunger and our own connection to others.  And we find Christ there.  When people respond to human need, or fail to respond, they are in fact responding or failing to respond, to Christ.  For Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me,” Pastor Akanmu added.

He however advised the governor to embrace everyone, see criticism as a motivating ladder and not to relent on his past achievements but intensify efforts to touch other sectors.

“My candid advice for the governor is to bring together all instruments used during electioneering, discuss his activities so far and the next steps with them. See criticism as another means catalyst. Now he must spread out his tentacles to touch other sectors and improve on those he started work on earlier.

“We all know he cannot satisfy everyone, but larger percentage of the population should be able to speak well of his administration. He should work harder than before, give check and balances priority in his administration. Never embark on antipeople’s policies. Secure at least 75% of people’s support for every policies to be introduced. There must be regular interaction between the governor and the people of Oyo State.

“As a leader, he must be vigilant, he must be conscious of his environment, dissociate himself from sycophants. Put a system in place that will force some of his lieutenants who failed to live up to expectations in the last twelve months to re-examine and rewrite their stories.

“We commended the governor for giving people’s oriented projects priority in his first year in office. It’s a reflection of his love for the masses in appreciation of their support, when they refused to allow anything to hinder them from massively voted him in as the governor of Oyo state,” Pastor Akanmu concluded.

Folarin Nominates Constituency Projects Worth N500m, Facilitates Rehabilitations of bad roads

By
Peter Ayoade
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By Oluwakemi Ishola 

Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Oloye Teslim Folarin, said he has nominated constituency projects worth Five Hundred Million Naira (N500m) between 2019 and 2020. He has equally facilitated the inclusion of some dilapidated roads in the State for rehabilitation.

The federal lawmaker made the disclosure on Tuesday while reacting to the sorry state of roads at Gbaremu-Idi-Obi and Odo-Omi Olosun Bridge. Oloye Folarin said, “I am aware the roads in question have caused a series of accidents leading to deaths. The painful experience of drivers and other road users along that axis necessitated the inclusion of the roads as part of those to be fixed by the Ecological Funds office.

In fact, Engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works have done the necessary documentations but the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the process of rehabilitation.

Oloye Folarin clarified that the roads at Gbaremu-Idi-Obi and Odo-Omi Olosun Bridge fall under Oyo State Government but they have been neglected. Pending the approval by the Presidency, Senator Folarin promised to reach out to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and other relevant authorities for temporary fixing of the dilapidated roads.

The three-term Senator further stated that he has nominated Zonal Intervention Projects worth of N500m for his district for years 2019 and 2020.

According to Folarin, considering the agrarian nature of Oyo Central, he has nominated five projects in 2019 under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development. These include supply of grain grinding machines for women and youths; procurement of farm Implements and seedlings for rural farmers; supply of farm inputs and seeds for rural farmers; provision of grants for selected rural farmers; and purchase of solar street lights. Each of the five projects to gulp N50million”.

“In this year 2020, I nominated three constituency projects, which include N100 million for empowerment of cooperatives, N100 million for the empowerment of youth, women and vulnerable people in the industrial business environment of the district, and N50 million for the supply of empowerment items to constituents” he declared.

Senator Folarin while promising his constituents full implementation of the N500m worth of projects, said he would give account of his legislative activities, employment opportunities secured for constituents and projects executed so far on June 12, 2020, which marks his 365 days in the red chamber.

Oyo Drops to 6th on COVID-19 Log as Total Cases Hit 302

By
Peter Ayoade
-

By Oluwakemi Ishola

Oyo State on Monday recorded 10 fresh cases of coronavirus to take the state’s confirmed cases to 302. Despite the spike, the state drops to 6th position on the national COVID-19 log.

The new active cases were revealed in the routine update released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) late Monday. The Pacesetter Newsunderstands that the iSON Xperiences, which is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in Oyo State has lion share of the fresh cases.

Also, the agency also said 416 cases of the deadly virus were recorded on Monday June 1, 2020, in the FCT and eighteen states of the country. The total number of confirmed cases is 10578. Total Discharged cases stands at 3122 while 299 deaths cases have been recorded so far.

Here is the breakdown of 416 new cases of #COVID19;

Lagos-192          Edo-41           Rivers-33

Kaduna-30          Kwara-23     Nasarawa-18 Borno-17             

FCT-14.                Oyo-10.         Katsina-7

Abia-5.                 Delta-5.        Adamawa-4

Kano-4.                Imo-3.          Ondo-3

Benue-2.              Bauchi-2.      Ogun-2

Niger-1

Makinde Grants Poly Ibadan N300m, None by Predecessors in 10 years

By
Peter Ayoade
-

By Olubukola Adio

The rector of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Prof. Kazeem Adebiyi, has disclosed, recently, that the institution received a grant of two hundred million naira for capital projects from the Oyo State government in the first year of Engr Seyi Makinde led administration in the state.

The institution also received another one hundred million naira for routine accreditation of courses offered by the institution.

The rector who made the disclosure at a press conference held at the institution’s central administrative block recently, said that the last time the institution received such grants was in 2009.

He noted that the management of the institution sometimes went as far as taking bank loans in order to finance accreditation of courses for the period of ten years that the institution did not receive any grant for accreditation from the state government.
The Rector, who was full of praises for Governor Makinde, said that contrary to the opinion of some management staff, the requests presented to the state government were approved ‘without stress’.

“We are just using this avenue to appreciate the government for what they have done for us when we received the letter from NBTE that we passed all our accreditation, we were very joyful. We did accreditation for thirteen programmes and we passed all the thirteen programmes”.

“Also, we did three professional accreditation programmes which we passed and that looked like magic to everybody that how were we able to achieve that and then we said, since we have the support of the government”.

“When we looked at the records, the last time the institution benefitted from such accreditation grant from government was in 2009 and when the present government came on board, we were bothered because about fifteen to sixteen of our programmes were due for accreditation”.

“I said, ‘look, let’s go and meet the governor,’ they asked if I was sure because we have not received anything from them in years, but I insisted that we make a trial.”
Prof. Adebiyi added that the grant made it possible for the institution to embark on several projects that were long overdue, one of which is Poly FM Radio that was scheduled for commissioning as part of projects to commemorate the first anniversary of Governor Seyi Makinde in office.

The commissioning, however, could not be held because of the coronavirus pandemic that disrupted the planned activities of the institution.

The don explained that the accreditation grant also enabled the institution to get approval to run the Higher National Diploma programme in Mechatronics, the first in Nigeria.

Investigations reveal that the Seyi Makinde led administration has restored hundred percent monthly subventions to the institution and other state owned institutions since assumption of office.

It can be recalled that the institution could not run smoothly because of dwindling monthly subvention from the state government for some years before the present administration took over governance in the state.

Celebrating Otunba Alao-Akala at 70 by Oselu Paul

By
Peter Ayoade
-

To the Glory of God, Humanitarian Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala JP PCs+ becomes a septuagenarian on Wednesday, 3rd of June 2020.

The Otun of the Source is undoubtedly a political colossus, achiever, and a man with very large heart. He couldn’t have succeeded if he had not listened to God’s direction, wise counsel and well imbued forgiving spirit, particularly his closest associates who had wronged him, believing that, it is only God that is infallible.

As much as I will not want to dwell on the formative years of his childhood, his adventurous journey, as an auxiliary teacher, and his career in the Nigeria Police Force, which incidentally, has become public knowledge through various write ups. I will however, not hesitate to make an addendum in x-raying the Personality of Otunba Alao Akala.

Without mincing words, the Ogbomoso-born retired police officer is an embodiment of humility, humaneness, kindheartedness, unparalleled leadership traits, very dynamic, charismatic, pragmatic, accessible and urbane. His tenure as Governor was punctuated with laudable accomplishments, and is today being measured as standard, unsurpassed in the history of infrastructural and human development of Oyo State. Of particular importance, is in the area of construction and rehabilitation of roads, massive construction of projects at LAUTECH Ogbomoso, establishment of Oyo State College of Agriculture – Igbo Ora, the first of its kind in South-West of Nigeria. His impact in the health, education, transport and other sectors were highly commendable.

Otunba Alao-Akala, who still bears the Sobriquet of ‘Akala’in the political arena, blazed the trail in Ogbomoso Zone as an astute politician and a master strategist who had never been defeated in his federal constituency. It is apparent to stress that, his short sojourn in ADP is an evidence and a clear manifestation of his firm grip of his domain in the 2019 general Elections. It is also noteworthy that Otunba Alao Akala’s inclination to a political party, unarguably, dictates the direction upon which Ogbomoso voters will go, and that may have informed key political figures across the State to reach out to him, and going by his natural endowment, he is broad-minded, tolerant, unassuming and always obsessed with the determination to succeed, oblivious of the fact that, he passed through the vagaries and vicissitudes inherent in the Nigerian divisive politics.

He is currently a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and in recognition of sterling leadership qualities, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Senator Abiola Ajimobi appointed Alao-Akala as Oyo APC reconciliation committee chairman, ostensibly to resolve all intra-party squabbles.

Omo Iya Alaro is mostly loved, adored, venerated and celebrated by his people, and as he celebrates his birthday of 70th birthday anniversary of God’s faithfulness in his life, we wish him God’s abundant blessings, protection, wisdom, knowledge, robust health and long life as he journeys through his political life.                                  

Mr. OSELU PAUL is an aide to former Governor Alao-Akala and also a public affairs analyst

COVID-19 Pandemic – Our Common Enemy| Teslim Folarin

By
Peter Ayoade
-

My dear constituents and good people of Oyo state,

The spread of novel COVID-19 in Nigeria continues to rise as the latest statistics released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reveal Nigeria now has 10,162 confirmed cases. On the 31st of May 2020, Oyo State total confirmed cases hit 292.

The realities of Covid-19 are here with us, aside the threat to our existence as a people, it has also brought our socio-economic, religious and communal life to a standstill with its attendant adverse effects and toll on all our structures and systems.

The healthcare system seems to be the most vulnerable to this disease that presently has no known cure while efforts are ongoing globally to develop vaccines against its impact. We must therefore do all we can to prevent an uncontrollable outbreak of the disease in our constituency, State and Country while contributing our quota to end the disease globally.

I wish to commend the efforts of Nigerian Governments, its agencies and all stakeholders in the frontline of controlling its impact on our communities as well as everyone that has contributed resources in fighting this rampaging scourge, we however need to do more to ensure total victory.

I want to implore everyone across all divides to shun partisanship, religion, status and ethnicity in coming together to reduce the spread of the disease in our environment. Government cannot fight the scourge alone; we should allow our communal spirit, resilience and bravery to come to fore at this critical time in the fight against this novel enemy rampaging our land. Our forebears improvised in many ways in the earlier centuries when faced with existential challenges of this nature, now it’s our turn do the same.

Let us adhere strictly to all the instructions and preventive measures advocated by our leaders at this time and pay attention to personal hygiene in addressing this common enemy at this time. “Together we can end the pandemic”.

We are constantly in touch with the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 and all agencies saddled with providing information and succor during this period and will ensure that the State get its fair share in stimulus as and when due. We have also been reaching out to the most vulnerable people (aged and less privileged) in our constituency within our constrained resources to lighten the burden of the pandemic on them.

Our support groups across the State are assisting in sensitizing the populace on personal hygiene, necessary information as well as distribution of sanitizers, gloves and face mask, food palliatived and amongst other relief materials. To them I say a big thank you.

We are abreast of government’s activities and will be supporting the various Isolation Centres across the State with relief material in due course.

We are traditionally compassionate and supportive people. Let’s end the scourge together.

Thank You.

Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin (OFR)
Oyo Central Senatorial District.

OYO COVID-19 CASES JUMP TO 292

By
Peter Ayoade
-

By Oluwakemi Ishola 

Oyo State on Sunday recorded 12 new cases of coronavirus to take the state’s confirmed cases to 292. Despite the spike, the state maintains its 5th position on the log.

The new active cases were revealed in the routine update of information released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) late Sunday. The Pacesetter News understands that the iSON Xperiences, which is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in Oyo State has lion share of the fresh cases.

Also, the agency also said 307 cases of the deadly virus were recorded on Sunday May 31, 2020, in the FCT and fourteen states of the country. The total number of confirmed cases is 10162. Total Discharged cases stands at 3007 while 287 Deaths cases have been recorded so far.

Here is the breakdown of the 307 new cases of #COVID19;

Lagos-188.            FCT-44.          Ogun-19

Kaduna-14.            Oyo-12.          Bayelsa-9

Gombe-5.               Kano-3.          Delta-3

Imo-2.                     Rivers-2.         Niger-2

Bauchi-2.               Plateau-1.        Kwara-1

Mobile Police Squadron base: Don’t politicise security matters—Makinde’s media aide

By
Peter Ayoade
-

By Bushrah Kaffi

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, has counselled stakeholders in the state to desist from politicising the location of the newly inaugurated Police Mobile Force 72 Squadron base in Ago-Are, in Oke-Ogun axis of the state.

A statement by the governor’s media aide made available to newsmen indicated that he equally denied reports that the Mobile Police base was relocated by Governor Makinde from Oyo town to Ago-Are, adding that such allegations were unfounded, false and a misrepresentation of the true situation.

The statement read: “Contrary to the wrong impression being portrayed in the social media and on radio, Governor Seyi Makinde had secured the nod of the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, for the location of a Mobile Police Squadron base in Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State in August 2019.

“The governor made a direct request for the approval of the Mobile Base, in view of the determination of his administration to make agribusiness a major ladder to grow the state’s economy.

“You will recall that on September 1, 2019, the South-West Governors held a security summit in Ibadan, which was attended by the Inspector General of Police.

“Governor Makinde, had, on that occasion thanked the IGP for approving a Mobile Squadron base for Oke-Ogun, which he said would enhance food security and the help the state’s desire to rally agriculture to jumpstart its economy.

“It is instructive to note that the letter being paraded on social media made no reference to Governor Makinde and was neither copied to the governor.

“It needs to be placed on record that there is no truth in the social media allegation that Oyo town was short-changed by the decision to locate the base of PMF 72 Squadron in Ago-Are.

“There is also no need to politicise a security matter, because operational bases of security agencies are not always determined with political indication as reference points. Such decisions are often based on logistic realities and operational convenience.

“There is no ambiguity as to the decision of the state government to cite the base of PMF 72 in Ago-Are because the location is central in Oke-Ogun, has a ready-made site for temporary operations and equally has a space for permanent site, which has been acquired for the use of the state government since the Second Republic.

“Let me state clearly that the letter being paraded and the police signal dated February 2020 have nothing to do with the Ago-Are Mobile Police base.

“The state government would readily welcome it if the Federal Government decides to establish another Mobile Police base in Oyo town or any other town in Oyo State, after all, the size of the state can accommodate four or more Mobile Police bases.”

COVID-19: Sports Ministry Trains 7,000 youths on digital Skills – Sunday Dare

By
Peter Ayoade
-

By Oluwakemi Ishola 

As Nigeria Government prepares for post-Covid-19 era, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, said his ministry had trained 7000 youths on digital skills during the lockdown. The IBM in partnership with the Ministry engaged the youths with a view to getting them IBM badges.

The Sports Minister made this disclosure in an exclusive interview with journalists to commemorates his 54th birthday anniversary. He said his Ministry has moved from mere youth empowerment to design programs that focus on youth investment.

According to Mr. Dare, “We have tried to deal with the very needs of our youths in the 21st century. We have seen that digital skills gap is major. The digital world offers massive opportunities for our youths. We have designed programs in that direction to make sure that our youths get the relevant digital skills they need to be competitive in the 21st century digital economy”.

“The program we designed for this is called DEEL. DEEL plugs into the other programs we have in this ministry. What DEEL has done is to deepen these programs, to build more vehicles to deliver these programs in a pragmatic way and also to infuse the strategic implementation partners from the private sector to partner with us because government alone cannot do it. So D stands for Digital Literacy and Skills Acquisition, E stands for Entrepreneurship and the second E stands for Employability and L stands for Leadership and Mentoring”.

“Under each of this sub set you have initiatives and projects. We know that since COVID- 19 started we have been able to train almost 7.000 people who have joined us online for the IBM Ministry of Youth and Sports Digital Skills Training in various segments. Also we have advance level, intermediate level and junior level. Most of them have ended up collecting their IBM badge because once you finish the training online you get an IBM badge which is universally accepted as certification in that particular area. We have also done six webinars. Webinars are like virtual lectures. We realized that some of our youths will need to take one or two lectures before they can now go and try to take the course online. So there is a lot happening”.

“We are looking for coding for employment to train a lot of youths in coding. We are looking at mobile device training; we are looking at making entrepreneurs of our youths. We have seen the Asia experience particularly Thailand that the best way to deal with youth unemployment and underemployment is to put them on the path of entrepreneurship. In a deliberate way we are building an end to end process into our youth investment and development. What is end to end? It is not enough to give our youth training and then leave them to go back to the job market. We are looking at training them with the relevant skills”.

“Working with them to develop entrepreneur ideas and then providing access to credits, grants, loans that would make them self-starter entrepreneurs and they can be wealth creators and also employs others. That is what Thailand did. We are committed to President Buhari’s vision of lifting a 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. The mass of these people are youths. Once you lift the youth out of employment you have lifted that youth out of poverty and that will have a multiplier effect. We have the President’s support and mandate to go ahead and come and do what is necessary. The President each time I see him and after I greet him the next thing he tells me is; ‘are you keeping the youths busy? Make sure you keep them busy.’ I will say we are keeping them busy”

“The second mandate area is sport and for us we think that we need to put value on our sports development. The key focus for us is to develop a business model around our sports. To make sports an industry such that sports in this country would be able to create jobs for the mass of our youths. Sports in this country would be able to generate revenue for government and bring value to our sports men and women and the coaches’ sportscasters and all the others involved in the sporting industry”.

Mr. Sunday Dare reiterated his Ministry’s commitment to take sports off the column of recreation and place sports where it belongs in the column of economic activity, which would be able to generate two to three percent GDP for Nigeria. “We are committed and we are on the path of delivering a national sports industry policy; the first of its kind that would focus on the 3i’s and p. You need policy to drive that” he concluded.

BREAKING: Auxiliary in danger of getting sacked as Chairman of PMS – OYSG

By
Peter Ayoade
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By Oluwakemi Ishola 

The Oyo State Government has issued a stern warning to the the head of Motor Parks Disciplinary Committee in the state, Alhaji Lamidi Mukaila aka  Auxiliary to stop the excesses of his subordinates or risk being sacked.

Honorable Commissioner for Works and Transport, Prof. Raphael Afonja, made this disclosure while featuring on a popular socio-political programme ‘CROSSFIRES’ on Fresh FM Ibadan on Sunday evening. According to the commissioner, Mukaila Auxiliary is not indispensable, he could be fired anytime if the excesses of park managers under his watch are not curtailed.

The former factional leader of the NURTW was inaugurated as the Chairman of the State Motor Parks Disciplinary Committee in February 2020. Controversies, violence, misconducts and fraudulent activities have been the order of the day since the inauguration by Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration.

It will be recalled that Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), sometimes in April of this year, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to warn Mukaila Auxiliary, to stop using his position to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

Sunday Igboho, who made the call while reacting to a recent fracas at Soka area in Ibadan, also expressed his displeasure at the way Auxiliary and his boys caused mayhem in various areas from Challenge to Beere recently.

He then called on Makinde to put a square peg in a square by appointing people who are versed in the management of parks as the head of the committee because Auxiliary has failed to carry out the assignment given to him.

He also urged Makinde and other stakeholders in the state to advise Auxiliary to refrain from any activity that threatens the peaceful atmosphere in the state and also put a stop to the abuse of the power delegated to him by the state government.

Dugbe Inferno: Victims laud Makinde for Cash Support

By
Peter Ayoade
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By Rebecca Akinkanju

Barely a month after fire gutted a business complex in Dugbe and destroyed goods worth N500 million, the Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has fulfilled his promise by giving cash support to the owner and occupants of the building complex.

The victims lauded the Governor’s gesture on the support given to them to move ahead with their lives.

It could be recalled that on April 15th, 2020, fire gutted the complex building that housed Pelly Foam and other shops situated at No 1, Lebanon street, Dugbe Alawo, Ibadan, the state capital, which the cause of the fire is yet to be unraveled.

A day after the fire incident, the Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde visited the scene of the fire incident and promised that the state government would launch an emergency fund to address disasters and emergencies.

The governor, who described the incident as unfortunate and heartbreaking, maintained that the State would find means, despite the challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, to give palliatives to those that were affected by the inferno.

Few days ago, Governor Makinde fulfilled his promise by giving cash donation to the property owner and the occupants of the building complex.

While reacting to the good gesture from the State Governor, in a letter of appreciation dated 27th May and received by the Governor on 28th May, which copy was made available to Journalists on Sunday, the Chairman/Managing Director of Pelly Foam, Dapo Davies on behalf of other traders affected by the Inferno expressed their happiness on the development.

According to the letter, “I personally wish to state that your Excellency surprised us when you arranged and paid us palliative as opposed to your predecessors in office who will promise and will never fulfill same.

“Your palliative came to us in fulfillment of your Excellency pledge to support us in seeing to it that our pains and sufferings are assuaged by the unfortunate incident.

“We are indeed very grateful for fulfilling your promise barely one month after the unfortunate incident. This gesture stands you out as a listening, responsible, society friendly, honest and responsive government”.

Ajimobi’s aide, Deji Aboderin, Dumps APC for PDP

By
Peter Ayoade
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By YSO Olaniyi 

An aide to former Governor Abiola Ajimobi and Federal House of Reps candidate on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the last general elections, Mr. Deji Aboderin, has reportedly defected to the ruling party in Oyo State – the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Aboderin sought to represent Ibadan Southeast/Northeast Federal Constituency but failed in the 2019 elections. He served as the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

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