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Chairman Akure South Local Government, Hon. Gbenga Olaniyi has felicitated with Muslim faithful on the occasion of this year Eid- el-Fitri which marks the successful completion of the Ramadan fast.
Olaniyi in his good will message stressed on the importance of putting the virtues of the Ramadan beyond the fasting season.
He noted that Ramadan is very significant to Muslims across the world as one of the five pillars of Islam.
While wishing all Muslim and residents of the local government a hitch free celebration.
Olaniyi called on them to put into practice all the lessons learnt and replicate same in their daily lives for a better Nigeria.
The LG Boss equally enjoined the faithful to use the period to offer prayers for peace unity and progess of the country as we move into a new political dispensation.
The deadline for submission of pitches for the Shola Ilesanmi Solutions Journalism Grant for Campus Journalists has been extended till midnight on Sunday April 30, 2023.
The Project Coordinator for the grant, Rahaman Yusuf, made this known at the maiden edition of Shola Ilesanmi Story Clinic held at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko (AAUA) on Thursday, April 20, 2023.
Yusuf said, “I can confirm that we have received a lot of applications but some also got in touch to complain about some technical glitches they encountered in sending their pitches to the email address earlier provided. To this end, we are extending the application deadline till April 30, 2023. Prospective applicants can now send their pitches to mediafriendsnigeria@gmail.com as an alternative”.
The competition is open to campus journalists and students across Nigerian campuses to pitch story ideas solving social issues in their communities. The winners will be paired with mentors for a period of one month to come up with stories that will be published in the national dailies.
Ondo State Acting Governor and Deputy Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa has frowned against criminality in every form of it, as he warned the public particularly, Motorcyclists popularly known as “Okada Riders” to desist from the act of jungle justice or taken laws into their hands.
He gave this warning in a stakeholders meeting he and other top government officials held with Okada Riders and Keke Napep Riders at the premises of Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS), Alagbaka Akure on Tuesday.
The Acting Governor expressed shock and disbelief on the recent mob attack that led to the stoning to death of 35-year old Tope Olorunfemi at Ijoka Akure few days ago.
Tope according to eyewitness, riding in a Toyota car reportedly ran into a motorcyclist and his passenger, resulting into some fatalities.
“As government does not condone criminality in whatever guise, it also does not subscribe to people taking laws into their hands”, declared Aiyedatiwa.
He said, accident do happen and most times, innocent users and passengers fell victims, but tagging such as internet fraudster or ritualistic was not the way to go.
“As a government which frowns against criminality in every form of it, we condemn killing a suspect who commit a crime, as doing it will lead you to facing the consequences of your actions under the law which might lead you to being jailed” , he warned.
He further said that, “any suspect caught in the acts that is against the law should be handed over to the law enforcement agencies around” .
The Acting Governor urged Ondo State citizens to have trust in the rule of law as government will not condone any form of mob action and hooliganism in the administration of justice in the State.
“Do not be the cause of the suspension of your rights by yourself”, he further warned.
Speaking further, Aiyedatiwa said, “yes the deed has been done, but the only favour we can do to the memory of the dead is to ensure that justice is served appropriately in order to serve as deterrence for others, and everyone involved in that shameful and criminal act must be identified and brought to justice”.
Other speakers at the event enjoined Okada Riders on self improvement that would add value to their conducts and way of life as government see them as responsible and realiable citizens.
They equally charged them to engage their time on things that would add good value to their existence as others will always build on the good foundation they built for themselves.
Responding on behalf of Okada Riders, their coordinators agreed that the message given them at the event calls for self consciousness at every point in time, as they promised an improvement in their conducts and way of life.
Others at the event are, Secretary to Ondo State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye, Special Adviser to Governor on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr Dare Aragbaye, Special Adviser to Governor on Transport, Barrister Tobi Ogunleye, Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Special Duties and Strategy, Dr Doyin Odebowale, Chairman, Akure South LG, Hon Gbenga Olaniyi, Executive Chairman, ODIRS, Mr Tolu Adegbie, Head VIO, Engr Alaba Adeleye and others.
…Deceased laid to rest as Police parade four suspects in Akure
The Ondo State Police Command, has paraded four of those who allegedly involved in stoning to death of a boy, Temitope Olorunfemi, at Ijoka area of Akure last week.
Temitope was lynched by angry mob for allegedly being a suspected “yahoo Boy” and allegedly being in possession of fetish objects.
The allegations that had been dismissed by the police and the mother of the deceased in a recent interview.
Parading the suspects before newsmen at the Police Headquarters, Akure, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya said investigations so far shown that the suspects participated in the lynching of the boy.
She said some of the suspects were neighbours to the deceased at Ijoka area of Akure, as they are Okada rider and commercial driver.
The police spokesperson listed the names of the suspects who are okada rider, yahoo boy, driver, to include; Ismaila Durotoye (32), Pelumi Farotimi (42), Samuel Olatunji (20) and Victor Amos (30year-old).
The principal suspects, Victor Amos said he only used block and not stone to hit the deceased on the head, noting that he was not responsible for his death.
Amos who is also being alleged to a suspected ‘Yahoo Boy’, is also a friend to the deceased’s elder brother at Ijoka area, but claimed that he didn’t know that the stoned boy was related to his friend.
However, Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya, said the suspects will be charged to court after completion of investigation for murder and arson and appealed to members of the public not to take laws into their own hands.
The PPRO said, “Some of the people that involved in the incident have been arrested, seven people put together are in the custody, but we are parading four principal suspects.
“We want to say this again that jungle justice is illegal, and it is against the law. There is a reason why we have police force and if any issues like this come on board we should be thinking of rescue the victims by taking them to the nearest hospital for the first aid.
“It is wrong for anybody to take the life of anyone, we should allow the law to take its cause.”
Recall that on Easter Monday, last week, a mob beat and stoned to death, Temitope Olorunfemi, after crushing some road users to death and injuring six others, over alleged reckless driving.
After killing the deceased driver, his car, a Toyota Camry (muscle), was also set ablaze by the irate mob in the presence of his wailing parents.
Meanwhile, the Boy was buried today by his family members as police authorities were represented at the burial held at a location in Akure south local government area.
Administrative Officers in the Ondo State Local Government Service have been charged to see their elevation into the elitist cadre as a call to serve.
The Chairman, Ondo State Local Government Service Commission, Mr Femi Idris stated this at the 2023 annual conference and induction of 22 new members into the Association of Administrative Officers in the local government service .
Idris who described the Administrative Officers as the pillars of service, charged the newly inducted officers to be diligent in the discharge of their duties.
He added that they should not see their elevation as an opportunity to bully their subordinates.
He said: “As a line manager, you are expected to relate with other key players in service to ensure better and efficient service delivery.”
The State’s Head of Service, Mr Kayode Ogundele while congratulating the newly inducted officers, urged them to contribute their quota to the transformation of the service.
He added that Admin officers are critical stakeholders in the service with enormous tasks, admonishing them to lead by examples through quality service delivery and discipline.
In his goodwill address , the Permanent Secretary of the commission, Mrs Adenike Ogunsola charged them to display dedication and discipline, saying good attitude is key, for them to function effectively.
The Chairman of the Association of Administrative Officers in the local government ,Mr Adewumi Arijeniwa thanked the chairman of the commission for its effort in rejuvenating, repositioning and creating enabling environment for the service to thrive by training and re-training of staff across all cadres.
Mrs Mojisola Olorunfemi, mother of Tope Olorunfemi who was lynched by some people in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Monday has urged the state government to ensure that those behind the killing are brought to book.
Tope, whose vehicle reportedly crushed two people to death and injured others in the Ijoka Area of Akure, was lynched while his vehicle was set ablaze by some people in the area.
They were said to have allegedly found some items such tortoise, black soup, casket among others in his car, raising suspicion that he was a ‘Yahoo boy.’
But speaking with journalists at her residence in Akure, on Wednesday, the bereaved mother said the deceased was a driver and not a fraudster as alleged and nothing incriminating was found inside his car, which was later set ablaze by the angry mob.
She said the deceased was based in Lagos and was in Akure with his wife for an Easter celebration when the incident occurred.
Mrs Olorunfemi said, “On Monday morning, it was his father that called me and said some people were beating our son (Tope). By the time I rushed down there, I met him in a pool of his blood. They lynched him.
“I wanted him rescued. Even his sibling, Oyindamola Olorunfemi, was there with me. But the mob resisted me and they also hit me with a plank. They stopped me from rescuing my son.
“The claims that they found fetish items inside my son’s vehicle are tissues of lies. The piggy bank that was found inside his car belongs to his wife. It is not a casket as alleged.
“The clothes found inside his car were the ones belonging to his wife and child. My son has been a hustler since his childhood age. He had engaged in many menial jobs like bricklaying before he started the driving job.”
While seeking justice on the matter, the deceased’s mother, called on the government to fight for her “by ensuring that those who killed my son are brought to book. I don’t have anyone but I know I have God and the government will fight for me.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has set a 90-day completion target for its 132/33kv sub-station in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the project site at Okitipupa, the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Mr. Charles Ogunmola, stressed that the contractor must work towards meeting the completion target since the project has hit 95 percent execution.”
Mr. Ogunmola stated that the NDDC is committed to providing electricity to oil-producing communities in Ondo South Senatorial District that have been without electricity for the past 15 years, adding that the speedy completion of the sub-station in Okitipupa will help achieve that goal and move the people from the 20th century to the 21st.
Mr. Ogunmola said: “We are committed to lighting up the seven local government areas and the oil-producing communities in Ondo South Senatorial District that have not been connected to the National Grid for the past 15 years.”
According to the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, completion of the sub-station project will boost economic activities in Ondo State, address the people’s needs and improve their living standards.
He said: “Access to electricity is essential for economic development and improving the quality of life. The lack of electricity has hindered growth and development in many communities in the Niger Delta region. Therefore, NDDC’s efforts to provide electricity to these communities will have a significant impact on their lives and contribute to the overall development of the region.” Mr Ogunmola added: “The completion of the sub-station in Okitipupa is part of NDDC’s mandate to provide infrastructure and development projects in the Niger Delta region. The Commission is committed to fulfilling this mandate by completing ongoing projects, and ensuring that projects are completed on time.”
Noting that the NDDC is also working towards diversifying the region’s economy from oil-dependent to other sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing, the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, said, “the provision of electricity will stimulate economic activities in the region, attract investment and create job opportunities. This is a step towards achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty in the region.”
He was accompanied on the project inspection visit by the Ondo State Representative on the NDDC Governing Board, Hon. Olugbenga Edema, the NDDC Director of Project Monitoring and Supervision, Engr. Nelson Onwo, and the Director of the Commission’s Ondo State Office, Mr. Salami Salami.
A 52-year-old Pastor, Ven. Joshua Bolarinwa Oluitan, and wife Mrs Mary Olufunke 50, of St Paul Anglican Church in Okitipupa Local Government welcomed their first child.
They gave birth to a bouncing baby girl after endless waiting for good 20 years.
Sharing his testimony, the Pastor said, the scripture has been their consolation, which says “no one shall be barren in my house”.
“I can not explain how I was able to cope with being childless after 20 years of marriage. When I look back, I know it has always been God. God is a Comforter. Being humans, no matter how spiritual we are, there were times when I will think aloud to say things like “God, I have dedicated people’s children and yet I can not even have a child of my own”.
“Since we got married, I have dedicated many children. But many times when those kinds of valley thoughts come to me, I quickly draw inspiration from Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were also in the ministry and they will have added challenges. They were children of God and both serving the Lord diligently. But they were barren for no fault of theirs. I consider the number of years they were in this barren situation and especially their old age until finally, the Lord answered them.
“The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth has kept me going. But once in a while, this thought also comes as to why some morally loosed ladies get pregnant immediately after marriage.
“This exactly is the reason many people don’t go into marriage unless the bride-to-be becomes pregnant.
“I remember my dad told me before our marriage that I should make sure that my wife got pregnant before I marry her but I quickly responded it cannot happen. Not even possible at all. Me that is a priest? I told my dad who is now late frankly the same words that came out from the mouth of Joseph. I cannot do this wickedness and sin against God. It is good to have the fear of God rather than relying on human wisdom.
I always claim the scripture because in the first place, I am a child of God and secondly, I am a servant of God. Third, I serve in his house as a priest. So, God as a sovereign Lord is a reward. I have always believed I will never die childless. So, I believe that I will have children one day just that I don’t know when they will come,” he said.
The Ondo State Government has charged Salary and Pension Remittance Officers in its service to always eschew errors that could be detrimental to beneficiaries of the Contributory Pension scheme in the state.
The state Head of Service, Pastor Kayode Ogundele, FCIPM gave the charge at a sensitisation meeting with the officers held in Akure, the state capital.
The Head of Service, who described the contributory pension as a relief from the old pension scheme whereby beneficiaries struggled to get their retirement benefits, said any error on the part of the Salary/Pension officers could impede the smooth running of the new scheme.
He decried a situation where officers would inherit and continue with errors of their predecessors in the areas of deduction and remittance without making efforts to correct them and thereby recording under deduction.
While thanking Gov. Akeredolu for his commitment to the welfare of the retirees and particularly on his recent approval of the consequential adjustment in their benefits, Ogundele called on the officers not to engage in any activity that could jeopardise the efforts of the government.
Also speaking at the event, the state commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa said inaccurate computation by Remittance Officers would not guarantee the expected success of the pension process and could lead to short-changing beneficiaries.
Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary and Director General of the state Pension Commission, Mr Gbenga Akingbasote, noted that the growing concerns to improve retirement benefits globally necessitated Ondo State keying to the Contributory Pension Scheme from 2014.
He however pointed out the need for desk officers to evolve new initiatives that would guarantee error-free processes in the deduction and remittance of contributions by the contributors
‘The State Government enacted the Pension Reform Lawthe in year 2014 for Public Servants in the State. The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), is an arrangement whereby both the employer and employee make monthly contributions into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) of the employee towards his or her Pension at Retirement.’ He said.
‘It dawned on everybody throughout the world that employers alone, governments inclusive, cannot bear the payment of retirement benefits. There had been accumulated pensions and gratuities, causing pain and disappointment for retirees and hopelessness for those about to retire.’ He added.
According to him, the need to address some noticeable challenges in the contributions informed the organisation of the sensitisation programme.
The Ondo State Football Stakeholders Forum (OSFSF) has disassociated itself from the calls for the removal of Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development in the State, Mr Bamidele Ologunloluwa.
The convener of the Forum, Otunba Dele Ologbese in a chat with newsmen said it’s unimaginable to call for the remover of a man whose resourcefulness and proficiency ensured Sunshine Stars started the first stanza of the highly competitive league on a promising note.
The pioneer Secretary of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) while assuring the Commissioner of Stakeholders support at all times in ensuring Sunshine Stars attained maximum successes in their outings, added that the Stakeholders remained resolute in their stand against outright sales of Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens.
A section of football fans and stakeholders had few days ago called for the removal of Sports Commissioner, Dele Ologunloluwa over poor results and sales news of the two State’s owned Clubs.
Ologbese, who was immediate past Ondo State Football Association’s Vice Chairman said: “It’s unwarranted stigmatization to call for the removal of the Commissioner whose resourcefulness and proficiency ensured Sunshine Stars started league’s first stanza on a promising note.”
The Commissioner, while reacting said the call for his removal is mischievous, exonerated himself from the team’s poor results.
Ologunloluwa said: “The game we had few days ago, even the blind could see that we were robbed. It is broad day light robbery, even the match before this one and this would be the third time. I am not a striker, people can be mischievous and it doesn’t matter it is part of sports anyway.
“So if they are agitating for my removal, there is no problem about that, it is normal. Football is a unifier. So it is normal when some people felt they should have won when they lost and it is normal when they react. But hope is not lost yet and I understand our people.”
Ologbese added that Sunshine Stars Matchday13 encounter with Rangers International at the Ondo State Sports complex, Akure was an eyesore.
He noted that it’s crystal clear that Akure Landlords were robbed by the centre referee in favour of Rangers.
The match had largely exposed inadequacies of certain Nigeria’s football referees thereby given Nigeria’s Premier league bad image nationally and internationally.
He said: “After painstakingly watched video clips of ill faithed tie, we were exceedingly stunned, that the centre referee who disallowed 83rd minute Sunshine Stars winning goal without infringements of any sort.
“It was scandalous scenario which should be immediately probed by the IMC and any match official found culpable of gross misdemeanor should be brought to book with a view to serving as deterrent to others.
“We appeal to IMC under the leadership of Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye not to relax on current efforts at sanitizing Nigeria’s Premier league towards making it one of top 10 best in Africa.
This can be expeditiously achieved through purging of the system of insatiable rots.”
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