Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

 

…Osogbo as flagship for now, other towns to follow soon…

 

Oshogbo:  Osun State Government has rolled out palliative buses to convey Civil Servants, Students and other residents of the State along selected routes/destinations in the State.

 

The intervention, which is kick-starting in Osogbo with five buses, is an effort to cushion the effect of the removal of subsidy from Petroleum products by the Federal Government on Civil Servants/Students and residents.

 

The buses are to work two shifts in a day, morning shift between 6:45am – 9am, while the afternoon shift will be from 3pm – 5pm, from Monday to Friday.

 

The routes for the five buses in Osogbo are as follows: Dada Estate-Capital-Okefia-Olaiya and termanate at Abere(Secretariat); The second bus will ply Stadium Roundabout-Ayetoro-Old Garage-Olaiya and terminate at Abere(Secretariat) and the third bus will convey passengers from Oja Oba-Isale Osun-Odi Olowo-Olaiya and terminate at Abere(Secretariat).

 

The fourth bus is scheduled to take off at Owode Ede-Abere-Ogo Oluwa-Olaiya and terminate at Old Garage, and the fifth bus will commence movement from Okinni-LAMECO-Dele Yes Sir-East Bye Pass and terminate at Abere(Secretariat).

 

Speaking at the official flag-off of the use of the buses, Governor Ademola Adeleke assured residents of the State that their welfare remains paramount to the present administration.

 

The Governor, who was represented by the State Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi said the present administration will continue to embark on programmes and policies that will put smiles on the faces of the State residents.

 

While commending Civil Servants for their resilience and commitment to their duties despite the harsh economic realities, the Governor assured them that his government will always prioritise their welfare.

In an address, Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Sesan Oyedele, who assured residents of more buses in the coming days,described the Adeleke government as a workers’ friendly one.

 

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Yakubu Adejare urged Civil Servants and residents to see the buses as their properties which they must maintain and ensure its sustainability.

 

Passengers will be charged a token fee on each drop for the running and maintainance of the buses.

A global political affairs analyst, Mr Paul Ejime says Nigeria and other African countries have a lot of lessons to learn from the just-concluded presidential election in Liberia.

 

The election was won by Joseph Boakai, a former Vice President of the country, who defeated incumbent President, George Weah, in a keenly contested run-off election on Nov. 14.

 

Boakai got 50.89 per cent of the vote having polled 712,741 votes with nearly 99.58 per cent of polling stations counted, according to results from the Nov. 14 election announced by the National Electoral Commission Chairperson, Mrs Davidetta Lansanah.

Weah got 696,520 votes, representing 49.11 per cent of the total votes.

 

Reacting to the election in a telephone interview with NAN on Sunday, Ejime, an international media and communication expert, rated the election as transparent.

 

He said that the electoral body displayed a level of trust by conducting a transparent and credible election.

 

According to him, there is a lesson to be learnt in transparency, confidence in government institutions and trust in the electoral umpire.

 

One of the key issues in Liberia during the first round of the election in October is that the voters did not wait for the results to be counted. They cast their votes and went back to their homes.

 

“It shows a level of trust. Election is supposed to be a process not an event. It requires an electoral umpire that can be trusted.

 

“When people can trust the electoral commission and the political agents can be the eyes and ears of the political parties, you know that democracy is growing,” he said.

 

Ejime described the election as a “multi-stakeholder enterprise” with separation of powers among the executive, legislature and the judiciary.

 

“We should have a judiciary that can dispense justice, a legislature that is independent of the executive and the judiciary.

 

“The people should not engage in vote buying and selling, ballot box coup and political coup, which give rise to military coup.

 

“The judiciary should understand that it is the last hope of the common man; if the executive and the legislature trample on the citizen, they run to the judiciary, if the judiciary is involved in truncating democracy, who will the people run to?

The military should learn that their job is in the protection of the nation’s territory and not to lead in political governance,” he said

 

The Asa’Ooni of Ora Igbominaland in Osun, HRM Oba Tinuoye Atolagbe has joined his accestors.

 

According to palace sources, the Asa’Ooni of Ora Igbominaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Surveyor Tinuoye Atolagbe FSN, Odumirinkanle II, died in the early hours of last Saturday, November 18, 2023.

It was gathered that the traditional rites to announce the king’s demise were conducted on Sunday

The National Durug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA on Sunday said it has arrested Ibrahim Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel, a notorious and wanted Abuja drug kingpin, seven years after he escaped from prison custody.

 

Ibrahim Momih was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the FCT.

 

NDLEA said he escaped from prison custody following his conviction for drug dealing, and being a notorious major distributor of illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

 

Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said “Ibrahim Momoh was first arrested on 27th November, 2014 with cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on 22nd July 2015.

 

“But while serving his jail term at Kuje, he escaped from prison custody on 16th May, 2016.

 

“Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on 20th November 2022 stormed the warehouse of the fleeing ex-convict, Ibrahim Momoh, and recovered 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,278kgs.

 

“The store was located within his poultry farm in Dei-Dei area of the FCT. Though Momoh was not around at the time, his warehouse manager, 55-year-old Ghanaian, Richard Forson Gordon was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail.

The Agency thereafter declared Ibrahim Momoh wanted.

The manhunt for the drug lord paid off on 5th November 2023 when operatives again raided his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja where he was arrested with 56.9kgs of cannabis sativa and 42.7 grams of Diazepam”.

 

In another raid in the same area of the FCT on Monday 13th November, a suspect Yusufa Ibrahim, 27, was arrested with 75.3kgs of cannabis.

 

Meanwhile, a massive operation in the forest of Efon Alaye in Efon local government area of Ekiti state on Saturday 18th November 2023 has led to the destruction of 52,500 kilograms of cannabis sativa covering over 21 hectares of farmland while a total of ninety two bags of same substance weighing 1,380 kilograms were recovered and another 250 bags weighing 3,000kgs stored in different huts on the farm were also burnt.

 

No fewer than 15 suspects were arrested on the farm during the operation.

They include: Okikiri Julius, 27; Ozoemene Friday Efajemu, 31; Tosin Ibrahim, 18; Israel Samuel, 25; Godwin David, 39; Friday Isaac, 19; Ayomide Igbekele, 18; Joshua Daniel, 27; Emmanuel Nwachukwu, 19; Emeka Onyeama, 31; Ani Augustine, 27; Obasi Ogbu, 32; Orsusue Peter, 23; Daniel Emmanuel, 18; and Yinusa James, 22.

 

In Ondo state, five persons including another wanted drug kingpin, Christopher Onyebuchi, 40, were arrested at New Bridge Compound, Idoani on Wednesday 15th November and a total of 1,945 kilograms of cannabis recovered from them.

 

Others include: Olorunda Ojo, 52; Femi Tomoye, 22; Abdurahman Salahu, 29; and Momoh Jimoh, 31. Onyebuchi had earlier been arrested by NDLEA on 25th March 2022 with 89kgs of same substance but jumped bail after he was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Akure.

 

Operatives in the state also on Sunday 12th November raided Upemen village in Owo where they recovered 1,834kgs of same substance with 273kgs also seized the previous day, Saturday 11th Nov at Ipesi Akoko.

 

While NDLEA officers in Sokoto recovered 290kgs of cannabis from a female suspect, Fatima Salmanu, 20, at Gangaren Tashar, Illela Sokoto in Sokoto North LGA on Thursday 16th November.

Their colleagues in Edo state evacuated 808kgs of the same psychoactive substance stored in a forest at Igueben on Monday 13th Nov.

 

Not less than 231kgs of cannabis were recovered and five suspects arrested in a joint raid between NDLEA operatives and soldiers in Kwande council area of Benue state on Monday 13th Nov.

 

Those arrested include: Denen Terhemba, 25; Liambee Iorhuna, 36; Iorhuna Sughnen, 20; Aboh Sonter, 23; and Msendoo Tyokaa, 36.

 

While operatives in Ogun state on Tuesday 14th Nov arrested a suspect, Tony Jonah at Abule Iroko, with cannabis sativa weighing 67kgs, those in Lagos arrested Chike Agu at Ago Palace way, Isolo with 364.3kgs of Loud, a variant of cannabis.

 

In Imo state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Owerri -Onitsha expressway on Monday 13th Nov intercepted a truck marked XS 669KRD driven by one Orji Ifeanyi, 33.

A search of the truck led to the seizure of 82,320 pills of opioids including Tramadol 225mg, and Diazepam as well as 32.5 litres of codeine cough syrup and 100 pieces of Molly weighing 49.62 grams.

 

The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign of the Agency continued in equal measure in schools, markets, worship places and others across the country in the past week.

 

Some of them include: WADA advocacy lecture for Muslim faithful at Badagry Central Mosque, Badagry, Lagos; WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Government Science College, Wase, Plateau state; WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Ogidi, Anambra state.

 

WADA advocacy lecture at St. Thomas Grammar School, Otan Aiyegbaju, Osun; WADA advocacy lecture for students and staff of Government Junior Arabic Secondary School, Maigatari, Jigawa state as well as students and staff of Mainland Technical College, Oron, Akwa Ibom state.

 

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohammed Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of the FCT, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Lagos, Edo, Benue, Ogun and Imo Commands for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

He urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to intensify the offensive action and tempo against drug cartels as the yuletide season approaches while maintaining a balance with their drug demand reduction efforts

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has reversed himself, denying the suspension of the State Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Ojo.

The Governor stated that he only forwarded the resolution of the House of Assembly asking the Chief Judge to “step aside” pending the investigation of the allegation of corruption against her.

The spokesperson to the Governor, Olawale Rasheed had in a statement on Thursday disclosed the Governor’s approval to the suspension of the CJ pending investigation of allegation against her. Another statement issued by the spokesperson the same day stated that the Governor has appointed Justice Olayinka Afolabi as acting Chief Judge with a swearing-in for his inauguration following (Friday).

 

 

However, the swearing-in ceremony could not hold as both the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, scheduled to oversee the event, and Justice Afolabi did not show up at the Executive Lounge, venue of the programme on Friday.

 

 

However, in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi on Sunday, he said the Governor has not even appointed any judicial officer as acting Chief Judge, saying he only recommended the judge to the National Judicial Council, being the most senior in line.

 

 

It reads, “The government of Osun state has denied news reports that Governor Ademola Adeleke has removed the Chief Judge and appointed an acting Chief Judge, clarifying that the Governor had only forwarded the resolution of the House of Assembly and recommendation for an acting appointment to the Chief Justice of the Federation for decision and action.

 

 

“With all sense of responsibility ,it is important to set the records straight that Governor Adeleke has only duly notified the Chief Justice as the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in writing about the resolutions of the House of Assembly following a series of petitions made against the sitting Chief Judge of Osun State.

 

 

“In the communication, Mr Governor intimated the CJN of the recommendation of the House that the Chief Judge should step aside and included his own submission for an acting appointment to fill the vacuum while the NJC reviews and decides on the petition.

 

 

“To that end, the Governor in the same letter recommended to the CJN ,the appointment of the most senior judicial officer, Hon.Justice Olayinka David Afolabi for thorough consideration and further processing by the same NJC through the CJN.

We urge the public to note that while the House of Assembly recommended the appointment of a replacement to the Governor in its resolution, the Governor however, toed the line of law by writing the CJN on the entire development and submitting all materials for NJC as mandated national agency

 

We therefore wish to state categorically that Governor Adeleke has not appointed any judicial official as acting Chief Judge and nobody has been sworn in as Acting Chief Judge of Osun state.

 

 

“Governor Adeleke is a man of due process and rule of law with a deep level of respect for the bar and the bench, the NJC and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

 

“We assure the public that Mr Governor is fully aware of the limits of his powers as well as the responsibilities of the various agencies of government and will therefore not act in any way to violate the constitution and rule of law”..

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday commissioned N1 billion Abdul Samad Rabiu (ASR) International Centre for Innovations and Entrepreneurship situated at the University of Maiduguri campus in Borno State.

The commissioning of the edifice which was donated by ARS Africa Initiative is part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Chairman and Founder of BUA Group of companies which have it’s co-mandate to empower, contribute, make impact, and have the opportunity to develop exceptional talents and skills in Africa.

The commissioning of the project herald series of programmes lined up for graduation and presentation of certificates to no fewer than 33,429 Graduates and 1,698 Post- graduates who have successfully completed their various courses of study in the University since 2018 to 2021.

 

Tinubu who was represented by the Vice- President, Senator Kashim Shettima, was also amongst Honorary Doctorate Degree recipients at the 24th Combined Convocation ceremony for the numerous contributions they offered to the growth and development of the institution.

 

The Vice -President therefore commended BUA Group for donating the centre to the institution, which according to him, would assist greatly in complimenting efforts of the Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda (TRHA).

 

In his welcome address, the Vice- Chancellor of the institution, Professor Aliyu Shugaba commended BUA Group led by latest benefactor, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu for the gesture.

 

He said, the Centre is important in two respects for the university, which has prioritized entrepreneurial training to physically offer the gigantic and befitting edifice for Entrepreneurial training in the University.

 

Secondly, he added, it provides the best prospect for the necessary paradigm shift in entrepreneurial learning.

 

“The initial Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (CEED) and the Centre for Innovation and Product Development, both aimed at training of Entrepreneurs and the creation of enterprises by graduates of the university.

However, despite the three months training provided in entrepreneurship and over 70,000 students exposed to it, the objective of creating enterprises by the students at graduation has not been realized, therefore, this new Centre is expected to remedy the situation.

It is expected to foster a thriving innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem that encourages creativity, collaboration and experimentation.

 

“It will provide a platform for individuals and other stakeholders launch and grow new ventures, creating a social and economic impact in the process. In future, products of the Centre will be capable of creating enterprises for self-employment. On behalf of the University I express our profound gratitude to say thank to Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu for his generosity and support.” Professor Shugaba said.

 

In his remarks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BUA Group, Alhaji Rabiu said, the gesture is part of Corporate Social Responsibility of the conglomerate and ASR Africa Initiative to assist society in economic growth and development, which the University and some other institutions were beneficiaries.

 

He said, “the Centre comprised of digital fabrication laboratory and virtual manufacturing, mechatronics, Robotics and Drone laboratory, Incubator spaces, Innovator’s Lounge, Training rooms, External Researcher’s Den among others which will advance curiosity, knowledge and Enterpreneurship”.

Meanwhile, at the convocation ceremony which was attended by many dignitaries at Mohammed Indimi International Learning Centre, Honorary Doctorate degrees were conferred on four distinguished Personalities, which include; the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima GCON, His Royal Highness the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji (Dr.) Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman BUA Group and Alhaji Dr. Dahiru Bobbo the former Registrar of the University of Maiduguri for their remarkable contributions to the University and society.

 

Likewise, Professors Emeriti were conferred on Abubakar Mustapha, Muhammad Yerima Balla and Bamidele R. Badejo.

 

Among those who graced the occasion include; the new Chancellor of the institution, the Emir of Lafiya, Nassarawa state, HRH, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, his counterpart from Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, Maiduguri -Based Billionaire and Chairman Oriental Energy Group, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, some serving and former ministers, national assembly members, traditional rulers, religious leaders