It is yet another season of baton change as the Nigerian Correctional Service Ondo State Command welcomes newly posted Controller of Corrections Mr. Ope Fatinikun.

The seasoned Officer who was posted to the Command in the recently released posting took over mantle of leadership from Barr. Suanu. D. Kinane who was posted to Zone E as Zonal Coordinator (Covering Duty).

The outgoing Controller of Corrections charged all officers and men of the Command to give the incoming Controller all the cooperation he enjoyed as Controller and asked for forgiveness in any area he might have hurt anyone in the discharge of his duty.

He added that if such an area is as regards discipline, then he remains unapologetic as it’s for the good of the service.

While appreciating the outgoing Controller, CC Ope Fatinikun the newly posted Controller employed all staff to be diligent to duty and maintain discipline as aptly stated by the outgoing Controller as the Service should be the number one priority of all.

He appreciated officers and men for maintaining high level of standard, neatness, and decent surroundings that the Command is known for and calls for more effort.

The outgoing Controller took the incoming round the headquarters on a familiarization tour, and the handover and takeover note signed in the office of the Controller accordingly.

SIGNED

SC. Ogundare Babatunde G. Esq.
Public Relations Officer, Ondo State Command
Scoa45@yahoo.com
08033863154.

By Steve Daniel

Students of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, OAUSTECH, Okitipupa, Ondo State have called on the state Government, to as a matter of urgency order the security agencies to come to their rescue in curbing the incessant rape and robbery attacks on campus.

It will be recalled that some weeks ago, the students staged a peaceful protest over incessant robbery, molestation of their female students by hoodlums, threatening students with charms.

The students who believed that their previous protest has not earned them any positive response from the security agencies and the state government has staged another protest today Thursday 24 June 2021, since the incident continued to occur even till last night.

The student who blocked the Okitipupa-Igbokoda expressway does not allow total free-flow of commercial activities to let their grievances known to the public.

Speaking with the President of the Students Union Government of the school, Damilola Okunomo, said, last night experience was a bad one as the hoodlums came into the campus enmass to attack, which was massive than the previous attack.

He, therefore, called on the state government and well-meaning people in the neighbourhood to come to their rescue over incessant robbery and rape of students on campus and hostels as it is becoming more alarming.

“Just this last night, they came heavily armed to attack us. We can no longer sleep at night with our two eyes closed, we are living in panic on campus. We are here to learn and to be educated which can only be achieved in a conducive environment.

“These people came to our hostels, attacked us with guns, cutlasses, whether we are in academic session or not, they carted away, our shoes, clothes, phones, televisions among other belongings.

“Our lives are at stake because they come with arms and rape our students, we are tired of the insecurity of students lives and properties”.

“No fewer than four female students were raped two weeks ago, and the school management are not doing enough as we are the ones securing ourselves by waking as vigilantes most times, the situation is terrible.

“We urge the school management to do its best in securing us and complete all the uncompleted hostel’s accommodations in our campus as this will also give us a security guarantee,” Okunomo said.

The school management while speaking through the information officer, Mr Adebayo AbdulMajeed said the management had last week met with the Hostel builders, security agencies, stakeholders and council of Obas over insecurity on campus where a memorandum of understanding(MOU) was signed.

“Therefore, we are making move to combat insecurity on campus. We will not relent until we achieve a positive report”, he said.

Remains of the pioneer Chairman and Chief Executive of Owena Press Limited, Publisher of Ondo State Government-owned Newspaper, The Hope, Mr Bode Betiku, will be interred in his Ondo City home on July 2.

The fearless, flamboyant, meticulous, brilliant, no nonsense, go getter veteran journalist, public relations and marketing guru popularly called ‘Uncle B’ in his hey days as a top rank marketing officer at the flagship of the Nigerian media, The Guardian in the 80s and lately ‘Hammer Head’ after his highly celebrated punching column in his personal weekly newspaper which rankled the then government of the day before he was appointed by the Olusegun Mimiko administration to head The Hope, died at 69 on Saturday during an illness.

According to the widow, Ibiyemi, the departed Betiku had “been sick for a while since December last year. We have been in and out of the house. At times we spent five and 11 days in the hospital until this last time. We were there for three weeks. He went into coma on June 12 and he didn’t come around until his last breath.”

She said: “I thank God for his life and the memories he left behind, all the good deeds he has done for people are the only consolation we had for him.”

She spoke during a condolence visit by the Management of The Hope, thanking the incumbent Chairman and Editor in Chief, Sir Ademola Adetula, the Management and Staff of the company for their love for the family.

Mrs Ibiyemi Bode-Betiku said: “I know how diligently the staff of Owena Press worked with my husband when he was there with you for eight years.

“I know how he took you as his own. You loved him when he was there and after he left. He was always with you even after he left the place and also talking about the newspaper.

“I thank God for his life and the memories he left behind.”

The son, Bababunmi, also appreciated the Management and Staff for the condolence visit to identify with the family in their hours of grief.

While commiserating with the family, Adetula said the company received with shock Betiku’s untimely death, assuring that the company would actively participate in the funeral ceremonies.

He described his predecessor as a fearless journalist and a man of tough mettle who brought discipline and brilliant ideas to the company, saying: “His various articles under the Hammer Head imprint elicited controversies for public agenda and discussion.

“The company joins his admirers to mourn a go-getter who accomplished whatever he set for himself and pursued his political objectives with utmost doggedness.”

He added that Betiku would be remembered for his commitment to the revival of both Owena Press Limited and the Government Printing Press which he managed together during his tenure.

He was represented  by the company’s Administrative Manager, Mr. Kole Akinjeji.

In his own condolence, a former Managing Director of the company and Betiku’s predecessor, Mr Osewole Modupe, prayed that the Almighty Father would pave the way for the deceased and grant him all necessary help on his path.

Also, the chairman of the paper’s Editorial Board, Dr. Gbenga Abimbola, in his condolence to the Management and Staff of the newspaper house, described the deceased chairman’s death as a huge loss to his family, the print media industry and the state at large.

He said Betiku would be remembered for his bold, daring and goal getting spirit he exhibited in all places he had worked.

Reacting, the publisher of The Radiance Newspaper and a former Editor of The Hope during Betiku’s tenure, Mr Banji Ayoola, said: “I accompany him with my loving thoughts and wishes.

“May he find help on his path into the Beyond; and may he be open to recognise and grasp the loving help of the Almighty Father which, mercifully is extended to him at this very moment; the help that will, hopefully eventually lead him on higher towards the heights, upwards towards the Luminous Kingdom of the Most High and Almighty Father, towards the Light.”

Also, the Olujigba of Ijigba, Oba Luyi Rotimi, commiserated with the Management and Staff of Owena Press Limited and prayed for God’s protection for the deceased’s family.

Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Ondo State chapter is celebrating Betiku for his immense contributions to the progress of the association especially when he seved as its Chairman between 2008 and 2012.

A top member of the association and a former member of the Editorial Board of The Hope during Betiku’s tenure, who is also an ex Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the state, Dr (Mrs) Yemi Mahmud-Fasominu, posted on his Facebook wall that: “As the Chapter’s Chairman, he led Ondo State contingent to Minna 2009 where Ondo State bided and won hosting right for 2010 ANA International Convention.

“The conference, held in Akure under his leadership in 2010, is being acclaimed up till date as one of the best of ANA outings.”

Dr Mahmud-Fasominu had broken the news of Betiku’s passage on her Facebook page at 9.41 pm on June 19, hours after he passed on with a short message below his photograph: “You’re not mourned; you desired not to.”

Meanwhile, since his demise in the early hours of Saturday, Betiku’s  Ondo City home has been playing host to numerous sympathisers, both high and low who throng the residence to pay their tributes.

Early callers include Dr Mahmud-Fasominu; a former Ondo State Commissioner for Public Complaints Commission, Mrs. Cecilia Fayase; and former Majority Leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon Ifedayo Akinsoyinu, who wrote in the condolence register: “Bode Betiku fought the battle of life very well and fought on the right side of history.”

Reacting to the passage, a member of the Editorial Board of The Hope and a columnist with the newspaper also during Betiku’s tenure, Barrister Remigius Akinbinu, said: “I was shocked to hear the sad news. Bode Betiku was a brilliant, hardworking journalist and good family man. He introduced me to editorial journalism when he made me a member of the Editorial Board of The Hope Newspaper and later a columnist. He will be sorely missed.”

On his own, an ex Chairman, Ondo State Pensions Board, Mr. Reuben Akintunde said:” Egbon, goodnight. You were a trusted ally and a pillar that could be relied upon to break a rock. I only knew and became acquainted with you when we both served in the Mimiko government. But I quickly realised that you were a man to be trusted in anything you do or say.

“As the Chairman of Chairmen, you piloted the affairs of that Association with a blue print that made most of us to have inheritance in Akure Land. You kept reminding us that our position is not for ever and that when we leave office, if we do not do anything for ourselves, nobody will remember us.”

The deceased was reportedly hospitalised few days to his 69th birthday which came up on June 3 and spent about three weeks in a private hospital in Ondo City, where he eventually passed on on Saturday morning.

Betiku was the pioneer Chairman of the Ondo State owned newspaper, The Hope and Government Printing Press, during the eight years administration of former Mimiko administration.

He initially served as Editor of the newspaper between 2003 and 2005, in the administration of the late Dr Olusegun Agagu.

He studied Mass Communication at Norfolk State University, VA, United States of America and graduated in 1978.

On his return to Nigeria, he worked with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), The Guardian Newspaper and served as Media Consultant to many organisations before delving into politics during the glorious days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), where he served as the Ondo State Publicity Secretary of the party.

radiatingthetruth

No fewer than two people lost their lives in a crash on Airport Road, Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State on Thursday.

The crash involved a Toyota Corolla car and a bullion van.

Mr Ahmed Hassan, Ondo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said six people were involved in the accident while two people died.

Hassan said a male and a female lost their lives out of the three males and three females in the vehicles.

According to him, the injured victims were taken to Joe Jane Hospital by passersby, the same hospital where the corpses were taken to.

He said the Toyota Corolla was towed to Oba-Ile Police Station, while the bullion van was towed to the CBN office, Akure, by men of Oba-Ile police station.

According to an eyewitness, the driver of the Toyota Corolla, coming from Akure towards the Airport in Oba-Ile, lost control as a result of speeding.

The car was said to have jumped over the central barrier dividing the dual carriageway and crossed to the other side of the road, colliding with the bullion van heading to Akure.

The witness, who further explained that the four occupants of the Toyota Corolla were made up of two girls and two boys, however, said three died on the spot while one was still alive.

According to the witness, policemen from Oba-Ile Division evacuated the victims to the state hospital in Akure.