south-westnews Ex-gov candidate, 4 ex-commissioners, 10 others make Oyo cabinet list 35
By Wale Akinselure
F
ORMER governorship candidate, Dr Azeez Adeduntan and four former commissioners, Mrs Atinuke Osunkoya, Mr Bimbo Kolade, Mr Ajiboye Omodewu and Mr Wasiu Dauda are set to be ap-
Thursday, 2 June, 2016
pointed as Oyo State Commissioners. The list forwarded by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to the state House of Assembly also included former Special Advisers, Mr Toye Arulogun and Mr Abayomi Oke; former deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Abimbola Adekanmbi; former Local government chairmen, Mr
Fatai Salawu and Professor Niyi Olowofela. The names of commissioner nominees, which were reeled out by Speaker, Oyo House of Assembly, Honourable Micheal Adeyemo, on Wednesday, also included Mrs Taibat Adaba, Mr Oyewole Oyewunmi, Mr Isaac Adisa, Mr Abdulganiyu Mudasiru and Mr
Oluseun Abimbola. In addition, the names of members of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to oversee the forthcoming local government election were unveiled. Mr Adewale Ajeigbe is to serve as chairman of the commission and Mr Sunday Aborisade, Mr Adedeji
Raimi and Mr David Adeagbo as members. Other members of OYSIEC are Mr Bello Lateef, Mrs Omolola Odekunbi, Mr Abdulrasaq Akuru, Mr Rasheed Olajire. The set-to-be appointed commissioners and electoral commission members were mandated to submit 40 copies of their curriculum vitae to the House of Assembly by Friday. Screening of the nominees is scheduled to commence next week.
Unite the nation through prayers, Olubadan urges UNC By Tolu Olamiriki
Pastor (Dr) Johnson Adewuyi Adeniji, the celebrant, flanked by the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (third left); Chief Emiola Adesina (left); Dr Omololu Olunloyo; Chief Kola Daisi and Ambassador Olusola Saanu, to cut the 90th birthday cake of th President of Ibadan Progressives Union (IPU), held at the Union House, Ring Road, Ibadan, on Tuesday. PHOTO: ALOLADE GANIYU.
Commercial motorcycling viable means of transportation —Amosun Olayinka Olukoya - Abeokuta THE Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has identified commercial motorcycling as a major industry in the nation’s transportation system. He also said that commercial motorcyclists have contributed to internally generated revenue of the state. The governor, however, advocated the restructuring of commercial motorcycling business towards solving insecurity challenges in the country. He stated this on Tuesday, at the opening of a 2-day seminar organised by the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (ACOMORAN) with the theme: “Building Capacity in the Transportation Sector: Panacea for Economic Downturn. A case study of commercial motorcycling,” held in Abeokuta, the state capital. The governor said that commercial motorcycling business serves as a means of employment generation for the teeming unemployed youths. The governor, represented
by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honourable Suraj Adekunbi, called on government and other stakeholders on the need to adequately regulate the sector, to forestall being hijacked by criminal elements. He assured that his admin-
istration would continue to create enabling environment for the transportation sector to thrive. In his welcome address, the state chairman of ACOMORAN, Alhaji Samsudeen Apelogun, appealed to the state government against any move to ban commer-
cial motorcyclists popularly known as ‘okada.’ He explained that over seven million Nigerians were already employed in commercial motorcycling transportation sub-sector, saying any attempt to ban their activities would bring economic woes to the country.
Unpaid salaries: Ondo workers begin strike Hakeem Gbadamosi -Akure
FOLLOWING the directive from the leadership of Workers’ unions in Ondo State, workers in the state on Wednesday, observed the stay at home order while offices, hospitals, public schools and all offices were under lock and keys. Speaking on the development, the Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council in the state, Comrade Sunday Adeleye, explained that the strike became imperative in order to save the state workers from untimely death and crime. He disclosed that no fewer than three of its members have lost their lives to hunger in the last few weeks while a teacher was
caught stealing garri in Okitipupa because of the inability of the state government to pay salaries of the workers. Also speaking, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bosede Daramola, said the strike would not be suspended until the state government met the workers’ demands, saying that it would be morally wrong for the government to watch its workers die of hunger and ill-health caused by nonpayment of salaries. However, some workers of the state at the Board of Internal Revenue and the local government service commission, who defied the stay at home order of the workers union were
harassed and flogged out of the offices. Nigerian Tribune however, noticed that there was total compliance with the stay at home directive as nurses and other health workers also withdrew their services from hospitals across the state while families of patients have been advised to relocate their sick people. Meanwhile, the Ondo State government has urged workers in the state to join in the growing agitation for the restructuring of the country’s system of governance to pave way for the autonomy of its federating units and enable states carry out its responsibilities without recourse to the Federal Government.
THE Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, on Tuesday, tasked religious organisations in the country to continue to serve as pillar of support for the unification and corporate existence of the nation through fervent prayer. The traditional ruler said this through the Otun Balogun of Olubadan of Ibadan, High Chief (Dr) Olufemi Olaifa, when the Oyo State Commandant, United Nigeria Chaplaincy (UNC), Mr Wole Ajiboye, led a delegation of the religious organisation to the traditional ruler at his palace, Popoyemoja, Ibadan, on his ascendancy of the throne, recently. While commending UNC delegation for the visit, as well as recognising the significance of rain during his coronation, the traditional ruler assured the delegation of his massive support bearing in mind the multicultural and religious nature of the group. The traditional ruler promised to mobilise in getting more members for the UNC, adding that for the organisation to have only 200 members across the 33 local government areas of the the state, which is regarded as a pacesetter state, was not encouraging. While noting with passion, the financial level of the religious organisation, he said that all necessary machinery would be put in place at assisting it so that it would have positive effect on the economy of the state. Earlier, the state commandant had appealed to the traditional ruler in advising the people in his domain to join the UNC, appealed for financial assistance as well as presented gift to him.
Nigerian Tribune
Ogun set to promote over 5,000 teachers THE Ogun State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), has conducted promotion examination for 5,355 eligible primary school teachers in the state. Speaking at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta, one of the three centres for the exercise, chairman of the board, Alhaji Olatunde Okewole, said that SUBEB was irrevocably committed to teachers’ welfare, which included their regular promotion. He expressed satisfaction with the co-ordination of the exercise and appreciated the teachers for conducting themselves in an orderly manner in the course of the examination. While urging teachers to be diligent, the SUBEB boss advised them to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn, so as to sharpen their teaching skills to become more competent. Okewole added that the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led administration, which has been allocating the highest percentage of its yearly budget to education, would not relent in its determination to restore the lost glory of the sector. He restated government’s determination to ensure that the promotion exercise would be conducted regularly so as to guarantee timely promotion of teachers.
PDP guber aspirant seeks royal, town’s people support in Ondo A former commissioner for sports and youth development in Ondo State and a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Yekini Olanipekun, has solicited the support of the traditional institution and the people of Ondo town over his ambition. The PDP chieftain, who met with the Osemawe of Ondo kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo and party leaders in the town, said the state needed the consolidation of the achievements of the present administration. According to him, he was aspiring to become the governor to further better the lot of the people of the state, saying the state needed a committed leader that understands the yearnings of the people. He said he was embarking on the consultation and sensitisation to inform the people of Ondo kingdom about his ambition, preparatory to the nomination of candidates for the forthcoming governorship poll.