The new Akarigbo of Remoland HRM Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi on Thursday received his staff of office as the 19th Akarigbo from the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi graced the event.
Oba Ajayi also received the certificate from the governor.
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has dismissed rumours making the rounds that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC raided his Lagos home and found funds in different currencies stashed in vaults.
He also attempted to dispel rumours that a youth corps member, who was said to be his mistress, had a set of twins with him.
Amosun on Friday described the allegations as “unfounded” and a “concoction of idiots” while speaking at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, during a Town Hall meeting of stakeholders for the state’s 2018 Budget.
The meeting was organised by the state’s Ministry of Budget and Planning for the purpose of collecting inputs from all stakeholders and building them into the preparation of the 2018 Executive Appropriation Bill.
The governor used the opportunity to address the allegations against him.
The governor threatened to find the purveyors of the rumours and falsehood against him, and make them face the wrath of the law.
He accused some unnamed politicians, whom he said were jostling to govern the state in 2019, of being behind the allegations against him.
The governor said that instead of those aspiring to govern the state to sell their manifestoes to the electorate, they resorted to hiring people “to concoct falsehood in the vain hope that lies and rumour mongering would help the governorship aspirations of their masters.”
Amosun explained the rumour that he had a set of twins was so strong that his mother-in-law called him to ask him if it was true or not.
He said his wife, Olufunso, also heard the rumour.
Professing his love for Olufunso, who he said had been his wife for 26 years, the governor said he had never had a girlfriend, let alone had one with a set of twins.
He described having one wife as challenging in Nigeria now, adding that he had no plans to have a second wife.
Speaking on the proposed 2018 Budget, the governor promised to make judicious use of it when it is finally approved.
He said that his administration would ensure the completion of all ongoing projects in the state by the end of his tenure in office.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun has said the state owes a total of N103bn in both domestic and foreign debts.
The Governor disclosed this while addressing teachers at the Arcade ground, Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office, Abeokuta, the state capital during the 2017 edition of World’s Teachers Day.
He explained that the N103b debt included N48.9 billion inherited from his predecessor, Gbenga Daniel, and a foreign loan of about N40 billion incurred by the state since the days of Olabisi Onabanjo.
Amosun also justified the recent loan request of $350 from the World Bank, saying it is only rational to take the loan at 1% interest rate in the interest of state development.
According to him, in a manner akin to the experience of Lagos and Edo states, the loan would be beneficial to his successors as his administration may not access over 10% of the loan before its expiration.
Amosun said: “clearly, every debt is about 103 billion including foreign and local. Even if you take the foreign loan which was about 40 billion, I didn’t take the loan, our forebears did.
“If those ones are grants with 0.5%, they are just like ‘dash’, when people are shouting that we are taking loans, World Bank is not stupid, what they probably have is $1billion and they are giving Ogun State alone 35% of that, $350m dollars at 1% or 1.5%.
“That money is because of love we have for Ogun State, if not, I would have stopped the loan because of these talks, but this is the time, I will not be the administration that will collect this money, at best, we will be given 10% next years because world bank has procedures.
“Officially, Ogun State is owing little over 70billion, the one that is local that can be ascribed to this administration. How can anybody that is rational see a loan of 1% and you’re saying ‘don’t take’, they clearly do not know, and you can’t give what you don’t have.
“My predecessor officially said they left N49.8 billion dollars, that was what was left in the handover note if all that we’ve added to it is about $20 billion, can’t you see what we’ve done?”
He reiterated that he opted to repay the bailout facility for 10 years as against 20 years proposed by the Federal Government because of his financial re-engineering in the state.
…Say ‘We will act wise in 2019’
Some angry commuters over the weekend expressed their displeasure over the deplorable state of the Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way, saying the President Muhammadu Buhari administration should have fixed the road since it came on board in 2015.
The commuters who were held in the ensuring traffic caused by the bad state of the road said they often spend close to seven hours on a journey of just thirty minutes.
A visit by TheNewsGuru.com team on Saturday to the road proved the commuters right. Mostly affected were the Sango-Otta, Toll gate, Owode, Iyana Ilogbo and the Ilepa axis of the road. The aforementioned parts of the road are in total collapse and drivers (of both private and commercial vehicles) go through hell navigating their ways through.
Investigations by TheNewsGuru.com team also revealed that thousands of innocent lives have been lost on the road.
A road user who was in a haste to attend a wedding of a close relative could not hide his sadness when TheNewsGuru.com team approached him for reactions.
“Sincerely I don’t know this is what road users on this axis face. I’ve been warned severally that the road is bad but I never knew it was this bad. I’ve spent over three hours on this road and its still not clear now when I’ll get to Abeokuta. I’m coming from Lagos to attend the wedding of a close relative. This is almost 2pm. This how much of a suffering citizens face in the hands of terrible politicians elected into office. If I’m lucky to finish today’s programme in good fate, I’ll never cross this boundary again, the frustrated road user said.
Another road user, a commercial taxi operator said: I’m an indigene of this state and I can tell you that this road has been in this disgusting condition for years. What they usually do every year is to pour gravel, granite and some other materials at the disjointed parts and that does not really help. Before I could work this morning, I had to take my car to the mechanic who changed my crank shaft because the former had been affected by the flood on the road. We are seriously waiting for these politicians in 2019. Amosun and Buhari made a lot of campaign promises but look at what they are doing to us after we empower them with out votes? Amosun is only working in the capital (Abeokuta) as if that is the only place in Ogun State. They will surely come again and we shall show them that we the people that elected them can as well vote them out.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that each time it rains, the road is flooded because as observed, they are no good drainage systems for the waters to flow. This has further heightened the sufferings of road users on the axis.
A commuter, who works with one of the first generation banks in the state told TheNewsGuru.com: “Sometimes, I just wonder what these politicians really want. The APC begged Nigerians to give them control of the centre, promising change and Nigerians obliged. Now look at what they are paying Nigerians with. When Jonathan and the PDP hold sway at the centre, Amosun and his cohorts in the then opposition said Jonathan was playing politics because they were not members of his party. Now that they have the centre, what does he want to say? Even his former governor colleague, Babatunde Fashola is now the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, isn’t that enough windows of opportunity for Amosun to tap in to fix this road and several others in sorry state across the state? If they like let them fix it, if they like they should keep ignoring it, 2019 is almost here and Nigerians sure know the right thing to do with their voters’ card,” the banker said.
Ogun State governor, Ibikunke Amodun has said only ill- health will stop President Muhammadu Buhari from seeking re-election in 2019.
The governor stated this in Abeokuta shortly after attending a book launch put together to mark the one year anniversary of the death of renowned educationist, Chief Lamidi Sofenwa.
Amosun said the President has done a lot of work to put Nigeria back on track.
He said, “If President Buhari and his administration had not come in time with rescue mission, only God knows where Nigeria would have been today.
“On this 2019 for me, the only thing that can probably prevent Mr. President from contesting is ill -health because if not for this administration of President Muhammadu Buhari only God knows where Nigeria would have been today.
“As humans, we quickly forget things. If we could be fair to this administration, they came in at a time the country was plunged into a very deep end and imagine where the country is today. We were in recession and now we are out of it and it not easy to get to this point.
“Again, I am saying it, the only thing that can stop Mr. President is ill- health. But as we can see today, Mr. President is back, rejuvenating and very soon, it would be clear for everybody to see that Mr. President is so well now.
“Meanwhile, nobody will take the fact that from the three cardinal points he set for himself, this administration has been doing tremendously well in the area of security. We all know that nothing good can happen in any country without adequate security.
“Yes, some people are saying Boko haram has not yet been conquered but if you look at America and put into consideration how many years it took them to win the war against Osama Bin Laden among others you will know that this administration should be applauded as far as security is concerned.
“The same thing in our economy. Just look at our agriculture for instance, it has never been this good. At least I am a governor and this is my seventh year. This is the first time that Nigeria is truly diversifying.”
The ancient city of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Saturday witnessed an usual gathering of elite members of the Nigerian society, politicians, captains of industries and service chiefs for the society wedding of the daughter of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Miss Ayomide Amosun, and Mr. Oladipupo Dabiri; son of former House of Representatives member and Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, on Nigerians in Diaspora, Abike Dabiri – Erewa.
The African Church Primary School, Ita Iyalode, Abeokuta, the venue of the traditional engagement and Nikkah ceremony and Muhammad Buhari Presidential Estate where the reception took place was filled to the brim with the high and mighty in Nigeria’s political and business class.
The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo prayed for harmony and blessings of God upon the couple while his wife, Dolapo who supervised the cutting of the wedding cake also prayed God to grant them “joy, happiness and favour” in their marriage.
The officiating clergy, Abdul – Rahman Ahmad, who is the National Chief Missioner, Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, in his brief sermon, said marriage is an institution ordained by Allah and advised the couple to have the fear of Allah in dealing with one another and love each other.
Chief Obasanjo in his brief remarks, congratulated the parents of the bride and groom as well as the couple, urging them to have the courage to understand there would always be friction in marriage and said when it occurs, they should deploy effective communication to resolve it.
In his words: “Marriage is sweet but it must have a time of friction and when frictions happen please I urge you to iron it out immediately, do not let it last more than 24 hours and the only way you can do that is through communication. Always maintain good communication,” Obasanjo said.
Also, Speaker Yabuku Dogara advised parents to spend their energies to training the child, attributing high rate of moral decadence and loss of values to bad homes.
He said marriage is ordained by God and must be sustained by man, explaining that the family remained the most important institution on earth where discipline takes root.
In his words: “The rate of crime in the society is not because our security agencies are inefficient but because most parents have failed to properly train their children.”
“As parents, we must deploy our energies at properly training our children because bad homes bring about a bad society,” Dogara said.
Eminent Nigerians that witnessed the wedding include the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who was represented by former Finance Commissioner (Lagos State), Olawale Edun, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dogara, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Senator Dino Melaye, former Managing Director of GTbank, Fola Adeola, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Governor Yerima Shettima (Borno), Governor Abdul – Azeez Yari (Zamfara), Governor Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Governor Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governor Bello Masari (Katsina). Others are Governor Abubakar Badru (Jigawa), Governor Ahmed Abdulfatah (Kwara) and Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
Others are former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, former President Obasanjo, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Chief Bisi Akande, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, his Finance counterpart, Kemi Adeosun, Chairman of the defunct Interim National Government(ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan,
Chief Femi Majekodunmi, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Osile of Oke – Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom and Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu.
Also in attendance are father of the groom Bayo Dabiri and mother of the groom, Abike Dabiri – Erewa, and her husband, Segun Erewa, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former Commonwealth Secretary, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, former Inspector General of Police, Musiliu Smith, former Attorney – General and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola, Senator Lanre Tejuoso and Commissioner of Police Ogun State, Ahmed Iliyasu.
Others are business mogul and industrialist, Alh. Aliko Dangote, his counterpart in the oil sector, Femi Otedola, Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, Chief Femi Falana, former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel, a former Governorship candidate in Ogun State, Prince Gboyega Isiaka, Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, ex – Deputy Governor Femi Pedro (Lagos), Founder First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Olori – Omooba of Ijebuland, Otunba Subomi Balogun, former Governor Lateef Jakande (Lagos), General Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma, Senator Grace Ita – Giwa and Interior Minister Abdul – Rahman Danbazzau, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Senator Anthony Adefuye, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. John Odigie – Oyegun, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Kensington Adebutu, former Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Ogun State, Prince Jide Awosedo, and Prof. Pat Utomi and the nation’s Post Master – General, Chief Bisi Adegbuyi.
The Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun has disowned a phoney conversation circulating on social media purporting to be a phone call between him and Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the Governor of Borno State.
In what is turning out to be one of the most vicious and ungodly acts, meant to further create confusion in the land, a 20:38 (twenty minutes and thirty eight seconds) telephone conversation, purportedly between His Excellency, the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and his Borno State counterpart, His Excellency Governor Kashim Shettima, wherein issues focusing on, but not limited to, the current Biafran agitation were discussed, is presently making the rounds on social media.
According to a statement by the Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Dayo Adeneye, the alleged conversation never took place and is the handiwork of mischief makers and agent provocateurs bent on heating the polity and setting people against themselves.
The voice in the forgery which they paraded as that of Governor Amosun is not that of His Excellency and a simple search on the internet for any speech by him, would convince those who are not familiar with his voice that the producers of the audio recording did a poor and unintelligent imitation.
The pedlars of such falsehood appear to have a wild scheme which appears to be part of what may be turning out to be the wider script, by some unpatriotic elements, aimed at further causing divisions in Nigeria. It is meant to feed into, as well as further exacerbate the already highly combustible wave of agitation in the land. This evil plot will not work. Indeed this is not the first time some unpatriotic and vile individuals would spread falsehood about the person of Governor Amosun.
Amosun is committed to peaceful co-existence of all groups in Nigeria and will not engage in conversations that would threaten the peace and unity of Nigeria. He therefore counseled politicians and other public office seekers to play politics without bitterness and dwell more on things that unite us rather than those that seek to divide us.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State said on Monday in Abeokuta, that the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola paid the supreme price for Democracy in Nigeria.
Amosun spoke shortly after he led a walk from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto Abeokuta, to the Oke Ido family house of late Abiola.
The walk to celebrate the day is tagged “Democracy Walk: Lets Walk the Hope.”
The governor maintained that the June 12 event transcends Ogun, South West, Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
He said: “Late Abiola laboured so much for us, he paid the supreme price for Nigeria’s democracy. The struggle he died for transcends Abeokuta, Ogun, South West and Africa too, and we are happy about that.
“Nigerians trust him and that is why they voted for him. It is a history we must continue to recognise.
” He lives on. We political office holders must toe the path Abiola toed . M.K.O will continue to live on and generations will come to know what June 12 is all about. June 12 will continue.”
He promised that the state government would continue to honour the day, saying the government would take the celebration beyond walk in the nearest future.
Also speaking, Joe Okey-Odumakin said that Abiola paid the ultimate price for Nigeria’s democracy, adding that his votes cut across tribal and religious lines.
The human rights activist declared that until Nigeria is restructured , it would not move forward.
“June 12 votes cut across tribal and religious lines; it helps in promoting national integrity. June 12 was about three choices. It was non-violent, it was a raining day and people went out in a non- violent approach.
“As we are gathered here today, I want us to know that MKO died for us, it is our collective responsibilities to keep the spirit of MKO Abiola alive. MKO Abiola paid the ultimate price, so he lives forever.
The spokesperson of the Afenifere Renewal Group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said that the memory being celebrated today showed that MKO was still alive.
“The issues raised by June 12 are still very much with us and if we realise this with a restructured Nigeria, it will make Nigeria better for all nationalities and all in the country, ” he said.
Responding on behalf of the family, Alhaji Tajudeen Abiola, praised the state government for supporting the family.
He revealed that when their elder brother, Bashiru was sick, the governor flown him abroad for treatment.
” The government has been supporting us, the governor always help us and all his team too. Whenever they hear you are from Abiola’s family, they always help. We really thank the governor for his support,’’ he said.
Other personalities that participated in the walk were: Amosun’s Deputy, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, Speaker State House of Assembly, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, former governor of Kwara, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, among others.
NAN
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has vowed not to allow ‘imported politicians’ succeed him in office in 2019.
The governor also hinted that he would support only candidates from Ogun West senatorial district as his successor.
Amosun made the declaration on Tuesday at the inauguration of members of the Consultative Advisory Councils for the 57 local government and local council development authorities.
The governor vowed to openly support and actively campaign for a governorship candidate from the district.
He told a crowd of party faithful that in the interest of fairness, equity and justice, he would not support or campaign for any candidate from the Ogun Central senatorial district that produced him as a two-term governor.
For Ogun East, Amosun hinted that he would neither support any candidate from there nor campaign against such aspirants.
Amosun, however, admonished the people of Ogun West to be united ahead of 2019 elections and say no to “imported politicians.”
“This is Ogun State, we know ourselves and we should not allow anybody to impose people we don’t know on us as governor,” he warned.