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Tag: ekiti

  • Gov Oyebanji mourns Afuye, postpones swearing-in of SSG, Attorney-General

    Gov Oyebanji mourns Afuye, postpones swearing-in of SSG, Attorney-General

    Gov. Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti has expressed ‘deep sorrow’ over the death of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, at the age of 66.

    Oyebanji, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, has consequently declared seven days of mourning for the late speaker.

    The governor, who described Afuye’s death as shocking, sad and unfortunate, also directed that state functions, including the swearing-in of the newly-appointed Secretary to the State Government and the Attorney- General be postponed indefinitely in honour of the speaker.

    The governor equally announced the postponement of the thanksgiving service, earlier slated for this week, as a mark of honour to the late Afuye.

    He said that Afuye’s death was unbelievable, as he was on his entourage during an inspection tour of some projects in Ado- Ekiti on Tuesday and did not show any sign of illness.

    Oyebanji said he was shocked when he got a call early Wednesday morning that the late speaker was rushed to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti.

    He said he that he had hoped that Afuye would leave the hospital hale and hearty, in view of the medical attention he was receiving when he paid him a visit at the health facility’s intensive care unit (ICU) on Wednesday afternoon.

    “I was, therefore, speechless when the news of Afuye’s death came later in the evening,” he said.

    The governor described the late speaker as a loyal friend and party man, a patriotic Ekiti leader and tireless advocate of good governance.

    He said that Afuye had, in the last 30 years, committed his time, energy and resources to the development of the state and the country.

    Oyebanji prayed God to console the family of the deceased and the entire Ekiti people on the irreparable loss.

    “Ekiti has lost an illustrious son, a perfect gentleman and champion of democracy and the rule of law.

    “My heart bleeds over the loss of this great leader who was a great friend and brother indeed.

    “On behalf of myself, my wife, the government and good people of Ekiti, I commiserate with the Afuye family and the people of Ikere-Ekiti.

    “May the good Lord give everyone of us the fortitude to bear this loss,” Oyebanji said.

  • Ekiti Assembly Speaker, Afuye cause of death officially revealed

    Ekiti Assembly Speaker, Afuye cause of death officially revealed

    The cause of death of the late Speaker of Ekiti House of Assembly, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye has been officially revealed.

    This is contained in a statement by Mr Yinka Oyebode, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Biodun Oyebanji in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.

    According to Oyebode, Afuye died on Wednesday evening at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, where he was receiving treatment after suffering a Cardiac arrest.

    The late Speaker, 66, was a former Commissioner, Ekiti State Ministry of Information and two-time member of the State Assembly.

    “He was inaugurated Speaker of the sixth Assembly on June 6, 2019,” Oyebode said.

    Meanwhile, the State House of Assembly, in a statement by Mrs Yemisi Ayokunle, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, said that the late speaker died during a brief illness.

    Ayokunle said that the assembly has declared a seven-day mourning period in his honor.

    She said that it was also directed that flag in the Assembly complex should be flown at half mast.

    Ayokunle described late Afuye as “an embodiment of courage, excellence and a highly committed man to public service” adding that he would be greatly missed.

  • BREAKING: Ekiti Assembly Speaker, Afuye is dead

    BREAKING: Ekiti Assembly Speaker, Afuye is dead

    The Speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye is dead.

    Afuye, who represents Ikere constituency 1, died on Wednesday evening at 66 after a brief illness.

    Afuye appeared at the inauguration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday and was said to have also attended plenary on Tuesday before the sudden turn of events on Wednesday.

    The late Assembly Speaker served as Commissioner for Information during the first term of former Governor Kayode Fayemi between 2010 and 2014.

    Details to follow…

  • You must deliver 95% of votes to me, you don’t know Atiku, Obi – Tinubu tells Ekiti residents

    You must deliver 95% of votes to me, you don’t know Atiku, Obi – Tinubu tells Ekiti residents

    The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has told the people of Ekiti to deliver 95% of votes to him in the 2023 presidential election.

    Tinubu told the residents to reject the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP) ), Peter Obi.

    Tinubu stated this while speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Abiodun Oyebanji as the governor of Ekiti State.

    “Another election is coming in February. They are coming. One will call himself Atiku, another will call himself Peter Obi. You don’t know them. The only person you know is Bola Ahmed Tinubu and you must deliver to me 95 per cent of the votes,” he said.

    The former Lagos State Governor said he would fulfill his promises, adding that he would take care of the people and their children.

    “Don’t be far away, the people that will give you a promise and keep the promise are here. We will take care of you and your children. We will give you a great future. We promise you a better Nigeria. May God Almighty continue to bless us all,” he stated.

  • New Ekiti gov, Oyebanji rolls out 6 points agenda

    New Ekiti gov, Oyebanji rolls out 6 points agenda

    The newly sworn-in Governor of Ekiti, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has rolled out six points agenda to further bring economic prosperity and good governance to the people of the state.

    Oyebanji, shortly after he was sworn in by the Chief Judge of Ekiti, Justice John Adeyeye, said that his six points developmental agenda would focus on youth development and job creation.

    Others are: human capital development, Agriculture and rural development and infrastructure, industrialisation, arts, culture, and tourism as well as good governance.

    The governor said that his vision for the state was for it to be a land of prosperity, opportunity, peace, progress, and land which transformed people and for communities to reap the fruits of their labour in dignity, good health and safety.

    Oyebanji said the six-point agenda was carefully selected based on his experience in the public and private sectors, coupled with the yearnings of the masses to improve the status of the state.

    He said for the vision to be actualised, there was need to focus on a roadmap to get there, urging the people to be partners in progress.

    Oyebanji said that creating employment and income-generating opportunities for residents of the state would be a critical component of his administration’s agenda.

    “We have identified some of the drivers, markets and industries that create these opportunities within the system and intend to nurture them and give them the enabling structures and support required to deliver the jobs we need,” he said.

    The governor promised that his administration would ensure that all eligible students have access to free and qualitative basic education up to the Senior Secondary School (SS3), with curricula that prepare them adequately for further learning or the job market.

    He also promised to further develop the agriculture sector by attracting more investment in agri-business to deepen the processing capacity of both the staple and cash crops, which would not only provide food security, but help the country to grow its non-oil exports.

    “We have a responsibility to support our farmers with facilitated adequate financing, value chain support, access to markets, skills and technology to increase productivity within the sector.

    “Giving practitioners the ability to provide food for the state and for exports, while creating the much-needed jobs and opportunities.

    “Priority will be given to strategic crops, including cassava, rice, cocoa, cashew, maize, yam and vegetables.

    “Accelerating the development of key infrastructure that is critical to our economic development will have a vast impact on our progress.

    “Power and transportation are two key priority sectors that will improve our competitiveness and generate positive economic and social impact.

    “We are committed to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure that we boost these underdeveloped core sectors,” he said.

    Oyebanji said that his administration’s modus operandi would be the establishment of numerous platforms for widespread participation, interaction and inclusiveness of all stakeholders in actualising the set goals.

    “We intend to ensure robust dialogue and uncensored expression and consultations across the length and breadth of the state, thereby ensuring the interest and participation of all in the welfare of Ekiti Kete.

    “We assure the people that we will hear you and truly see you. Our outlook is a government of the people, for the people and by the people through active involvement.

    “On this platform, I hereby pledge my accessibility to you all,” he said.

    The governor thanked his predecessors in the state, especially the immediate past Gov. Kayode Fayemi and his wife, for laying the solid legacies on which the new administration would stand upon.

    “Though, the Fayemis are leaving behind very huge shoes for me and Olayemi to fill, we are confident that with their supports, we will assuredly grow into them.

    “I am enthusiastically counting on the generosity of spirit of the Adebayos, Fayemis, Fayoses and other past leaders, to continue in the service of our homeland by constantly affording us their enormous goodwill, expertise, and experience,” he said.

    In his remarks, Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress party (APC), urged the people of the state to continue to vote for the party, especially during the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

    Tinubu expressed optimism that the legacies left behind the past administration of Gov. Fayemi would be sustained by the new administration of Gov. Oyebanji.

    He urged the people, particularly APC members in the state, to guide their Permanent Voter Cards jealously and ensure that they vote for APC for continuity and good governance to continue to flourish in the state.

    Present at the event were Governors of Kebbi, Jigawa, Edo, Lagos, Ondo, Plateau, former Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti and the Deputy Governor of Ogun.

    The major highlight of the event was the administration of the oath of allegiance on the Deputy Gov. Mrs Monisade Afuye and Gov. Biodun Oyebanji, who were later sworn in to pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years.

    Colourful parade was also mounted by members of the Nigeria Police Force, Ekiti Command to add colour and glamour to the occasion.

  • Gov Fayemi, others witness landing of first aircraft to touch down in Ekiti airport

    Gov Fayemi, others witness landing of first aircraft to touch down in Ekiti airport

    A jubilant crowd and the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; on Saturday, witnessed the inaugural landing of the first aircraft to touch down at the newly constructed Ekiti Cargo Airport, along Ado-Ijan road, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Other dignitaries that witnessed it include the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment- Niyi Adebayo; Ekiti Speaker- Funminiyi Afuye, his deputy- Hakeem Jamiu and other top government officials.

    The flight with registration number NAF 930 belonging to the Nigerian Air Force landed the airport around 10:20 am with the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and officials of the ministry on board.

    Fayemi was elated at the aircraft landing and construction of the airport in record time.

    The outgoing Governor, who described the airport as a dream come true for Ekiti people, said the facility would boost the socio-economic growth and development of the State..

    He added that the project, which began in 2019, was geared towards unlocking the vast potentials inherent in Ekiti to attract investors, provide easy transportation of agricultural produces, job opportunities and open Ekiti for rapid development.

    Fayemi said that the inauguration of the airport was in fulfillment of his promise to continue to work for the people of the state who elected him to his very last day in office saying the project saw the light of the day despite the very limited resources available to the state.

    He noted that his administration defied the challenges of COVID-19 which adversely affected global, national and state economies to ensure that the dream of the airport became a reality which culminated in the test landing of the first flight on his last day in office.

    Going down memory lane, the Governor recalled that the move to start the project began during his first tenure in 2012 with a Committee on the Viability of the Airport led by legal luminary, Aare Babalola, raised by his then administration noting that the Committee submitted its report in 2012.

    According to him, his first administration through the State Executive Council considered and approved the report submitted which was accommodated in its plan for the 2013-2015 Medium Term Sector Strategy but the plan was halted by his exit from office after the 2014 governorship election which placed the project on suspension.

    The Governor said his successor in office, Ayo Fayose, embraced the idea to continue with the project but it couldn’t see the light of the day until his tenure ended in 2018.

    He said further: “Upon my assumption of office in 2018, I appointed aviation experts and industry-related officials to kickstart the implementation of the project. They made several Advocate visits to communities in order to meet the requirements for the establishment of the airport.

    “The administration took the following steps: we secured the approval, the revalidation of approval from the Federal Ministry of Aviation. We also secured the Department of State Services (DSS) clearance, we paid all the necessary fees for the construction, planning and certification to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and conducted an Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment.

    “As a government that adheres strictly to the rule of law with unwavering respect for the rights of our people, we made several appeals to communities affected for enumeration of their farmlands to ensure commensurate monetary compensation is paid on their crops.

    “To this end, a total of 669 claimants were duly compensated out of those that presented themselves for the exercise. We acquired 4,017 hectares of land from nine communities: Ago Aduloju, Aso Ayegunle, Bolorunduro, Igbogun, Araromi, Obbo, Afao, Orun, Igbemo and Ijan covering three local government areas in the state.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Aviation Minister Sirika also announced to the excited audience that the Federal Government would site a cargo facility at the airport. He described the Ekiti Airport as “an extremely very important project” which would turn facilitate import and export of goods and commodities.

    Senator Sirika recalled that when he was on the site for the groundbreaking in October 2019, there were divergent views as to the viability of the project noting that airports are being used by what he called “one-city nation-states in the world” to drive their economy.

    He added: “I use to make an assertion, thay one mile long road leads to nowhere but one mile runway leads to everywhere. You see, I came here today through the runway of this airport provided by Governor Fayemi. There is future with this project, market and trade can drive everybody here.

    “I was at ABUAD, I saw the university,t he farm, the industrial park and the hospital. If there is an airport here, it will connect people to this facility and reduce foreign medical tourism. Airports are by no means the best catalysts for economic growth of any state or nation.

    “35 percent of global trade by value is moved through airports and $18.6 billion of cargo is moved daily through air transportation. The wealthy among you should take to agriculture for example and begin to produce things that you will export to other parts of the world.

    “You can be land-locked but you cannot be sky-locked. We can all see the importance of having a facility like this. Thank you Mr Governor, you have provided this facility for the people of Ekiti State; they should own it, they should own it.”

    In his welcome address, Mr. Zhang Zichen, the Chairman of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which handled the project, praised Governor Fayemi for the vision which he said would change the face of the state economy.

    Mr. Zichen explained that the airport is not just a project but “the engine of the economy of the state” and said it would open up Ekiti to more development and investment to the benefit of the state and business community.

    The CCECC boss who also described the airport as a “landmark project” said it was among notable projects completed by its corporation. He also hailed the Aviation Minister for being part of history and making the airport a reality.

  • Police parade man who allegedly stole N0.6m church offering

    Police parade man who allegedly stole N0.6m church offering

    Police in Ekiti paraded 19 suspects on Tuesday at Ado-Ekiti one of whom allegedly broke into a church in Osun and stole N600,000 offerings.

    Police spokesman, DSP Sunday Abutu, said the suspect already confessed to the crime and would be arraigned after the completion of the investigation.

    He said the 18 other suspects were arrested for offences such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, attempted murder, burglary, and conspiracy.

    Abutu said that the suspects were among those terrorising the people of the state and that their arrests were made possible using the information provided by residents of the state.

    He listed Items recovered from the suspects to include two big power generating sets, shoes, clothes, and cash.

    Abutu assured that they would all be arraigned at the completion of the investigation.

  • Unknown gunmen kill NSCDC officer in Ekiti

    Unknown gunmen kill NSCDC officer in Ekiti

     

    Unidentified gunmen have killed an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the Ikole Local Government area of Ekiti State.

    It was gathered that the incident occurred Saturday evening along Oke Ako – Ajowa Road, in Oke Ako Ekiti in Ikole Local government area.

    According to the report, the officer, who was travelling from Ado Ekiti to his home town, was attacked in his vehicle, and shot dead while the gunmen kidnapped his younger brother and two children with him in the car.

    Other sources claimed the gunmen whisked away two persons whose identities they could not ascertain while another occupant of the vehicle escaped from being kidnapped.

    A source, who said hunters in the neighbouring communities had started combing the bush for the possibility of apprehending the gunmen and setting the captives free, said, “As I speak with you, those kidnapped are still with them in the bush.

    “The NSCDC officer was shot dead in the car. Other persons were taken away, Some people say those with the gunmen are two, while others say three persons were kidnapped. To the best of my knowledge, the kidnappers are yet to make contact or demand ransom,” he said.
    The source added that a member of the Oke Ako community, who was passing by on a motorbike at the time of the incident escaped death by the whiskers as the gunmen fired gunshots at him.

    The Regent of Oke Ako, Princess Tinuade Ogunbiyi, who said she got the information that somebody was shot dead on the road while others were kidnapped, said, “I do not know exactly what happened yet, but I do not know what to say again. It is the same thing repeating itself on a daily basis. I am at loss over what to say”.

    NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Tolu Afolabi, who confirmed the incident, said, “We lost one of our officers.

    ” We were told he was shot en route to the town and unconfirmed reports have it that two of his brothers were abducted.

    ” We are still waiting for reliable information.

    “Meanwhile, the investigation of the state command will begin this night. What is confirmed right now is that we lost him,” the NSCDC spokesperson said.

  • INEC’ll be bold, courageous in conducting 2023 elections – Chairman

    INEC’ll be bold, courageous in conducting 2023 elections – Chairman

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday said it has learned from the recently conducted Ekiti and Osun governorship elections ahead of 2023 general elections.

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, made this known in Abuja at the Yiaga Africa  Post-election Roundtable and Public Presentation of Final Report on the Observation of the 2022 Ekiti and Osun Governorship Elections.

    Yakubu, represented by Mr Festus Okoye, INEC Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, said the commission would continue to listen and learn from valuable lessons from those who observed the governorship elections.

    He said, “I want to seize this opportunity to assure Nigerians that this present commission will be bold and courageous in prosecuting the 2023 general elections.

    “We will continue to harvest lessons from the Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti, and the Osun governorship elections in shaping the way we approach the 2023 general election.

    ” We are going to harvest all the good practices, we are also going to look at some of those issues we did not do so well and we will improve on them.

    “Our assurance is that this commission will  not lower the bar and we are going to  continue  to upload polling unit results to our INEC  results  viewing portal  this commission will not depart from it.”

    Yakubu said that citizens would be involved in every inch of the process in terms of knowing what is going on at the various polling units through INEC,s processes and procedures.

    He added the commission would continue to also manage the results collation process transparently.

    He encouraged civil society organisations, the media, political parties, and all the critical stakeholders to study the Electoral Act 2022 and have a working knowledge of the act.

    He said unless there is good knowledge of the document, it would be very difficult to follow the trajectory of the electoral process, the innovations, and some of the changes the commission would make.

    He also pleaded for the understanding and cooperation of Nigerians.

    “We recognise the fact that the 2023 elections will be challenging, but we have the capacity and we also have the courage to face those challenges in a very broad and courageous manner,” he assured.

    Dr Hussain Abdu, Board Chair, Yiaga Africa, said the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections marked a very significant turning point for electoral history in the country.

    He said this was more important as they were held after the amendment of the Electoral Act,  particularly the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

    He, however, said that logistics remained one major challenge of the electoral process, adding that the event was aimed at looking at some of the electoral challenges from past elections to chat a way forward for 2023.

    “Citizens are beginning to believe that their votes will count and when you raise the hope of citizens is always better that if you cannot improve on what you have done, then you must sustain it,” he said.

    Abdu also called on INEC to address the challenge of disproportional polling units where some units would be overcrowded with thousands of voters whereas other areas would be scanty.

    He urged INEC to work on its logistics and the distribution of voters to polling units among others and called on all stakeholders to work collectively towards achieving a better electoral process ahead of the 2023 elections.

    The Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory  Council (IPAC), Mr. Yabagi Sani, advised Yiaga Africa and INEC to work closely with political parties ahead of 2023 because the election would be a watershed in the journey of entrenching democracy in the country.

    Sani urged INEC not to rest on its oars but continue to work to build the confidence of citizens to own the process and promote democracy.

    He added that “As political parties, we observed that there is still a lacuna that all of us must have to weigh in ,that is the transmission of electoral results form polling units.

    “Yes, you transmit the results to the INEC portal but the biggest issue which is why our elections are questionable is the issue of collation because there is a saying that it is not those that vote that determine who wins but those who count.”

    Ms Cynthia Mbamalu, Director of Programmes, Yiaga Africa, while presenting the summary of the report said it covered the pre-election environment, INEC’s preparation, security atmosphere, voter education and critical incidents at the elections.

    Mbamalu said the report recommended that the National Assembly should expedite action in passing the National Electoral Offences Commission Bill to allow for the arrest and protection of electoral violators.

    She urged INEC to revisit voter allocation to polling units for equitable distribution of voters, prioritise an audit of voter register to avoid duplication and the inter-agency committee should be expanded to include anti-graft agencies among others.

    She said the report called on security agencies to be neutral and professional during election duties, build early warning systems against violence and develop strategic ways to prevent vote-buying.

    She said the report urged political parties to engage in issue-based campaigns, refrain from vote-buying, calling the media to remain professional, while CSOs should continue increased voter education.

  • Ekiti PDP, berates Gov. Fayemi over alleged WASSCE debt

    Ekiti PDP, berates Gov. Fayemi over alleged WASSCE debt

    Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has berated Governor Kayode Fayemi over the delay in the release of West African School Certificate Examination results in public schools in the state allegedly over the state government’s failure to pay their examination fees.

    The PDP state Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, who wondered why a government that volunteered to sponsor students for WAEC could not accord the fees’ payment a priority, said the governor’s failure to pay up the money, a week after the results were released by the examination body, had thrown parents and students into tension and trauma.

    Adeyanju, who spoke in a statement in Ado Ekiti titled, “Ekiti PDP chides Fayemi over non-payment of students’ WAEC fees”, stated that WAEC had, while announcing the results, said 10 debtor states, including Ekiti, should not expect the release of the results of the candidates they sponsored for the examination unless they demonstrate serious commitments.

    The PDP spokesperson said, “From the foregoing, it could be reasonably concluded that the Fayemi administration is paying lip service to the development of education. A state once noted for scholarship leading to its being christened ‘Fountain of knowledge’, has been turned to fountain of ignorance by the government of the All Progressives Congress.

    “It is surprising that while states like Borno, which is among the indebted states, promptly paid up its debts to get the results of her students released, the Ekiti government appears to be indifferent to the plight of its students.”

    However, the APC state Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, who described the allegation as unfounded and the delay being more of administrative reason rather than indebtedness, said, “A right thinking person or party should be able investigate deeply to know the reason for the delay.”

    Dipe added, “If any governor will be indebted to WAEC, it is not likely to be Fayemi.  You can all attest to the fact that he has been devoted to the development of the education sector. So, the PDP should not politicise the issue of education, it is all about our future.”