TheNewsGuru

Tag: Makinde

  • What Seyi Makinde is doing about Sunday Igboho’s freedom in Cotonou – Gov’s elder brother speaks

    What Seyi Makinde is doing about Sunday Igboho’s freedom in Cotonou – Gov’s elder brother speaks

    Governor Seyi Makinde’s elder brother, Barr. Muyiwa Makinde has offered insights into his brother’s strained relationship with embattled Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho.

    Muyiwa, who is the Jagun Olubadan, stated Governor Makinde is making efforts to ensure Igboho regains freedom in Cotonou.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG gathered that Igboho had once disclosed that the Governor commissioned his house in Soka area of Ibadan, which was razed in the early hours of Tuesday, in 2013.

    He said: “Governor Seyi Makinde and I have been together for a long time. He commissioned my house that was razed by hoodlums in 2013 and also provided a 500kva transformer for my street.

    “I supported him and campaigned for him during the 2019 governorship election in Oyo, I met him through former governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja.’’

    In a teaser with Yoruba-based platform, Yoruba Tooto, Muyiwa said: “If not that God saved Sunday Igboho, they wanted to kill him. They killed two persons in his house.

    “If not that he escaped, if they had met him inside, they will kill him. They will frame it up that he engaged them in a gun duel, and put a gun in his hands.

    “The love he (Seyi Makinde) had for Sunday Igboho did not diminish, and they are working underground to ensure that where he is in Cotonou, he is freed. We won’t lose focus, we will continue doing the best.”

    Speaking on rumours about Makinde joining the APC, he said “Seyi Makinde can never join the APC, never. It is a rejected party.

    “Ladoja is a our father, he is a national hero, his politics is beyond Oyo state. He has instituted a good history, and he knows what the citizens are also saying about APC.

    “The opposition in Oyo state are still pained, they are yet to get over shock of 2019.”

  • I enjoyed being ‘audio’ governor- Makinde

    I enjoyed being ‘audio’ governor- Makinde

    Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Friday instated seven reappointed commissioners and charged them to work harder to further develop the state.

    He said the names of the remaining commissioners would soon be made public.

    The governor said this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Taiwo Adisa, on Friday.

    He said detractors would always continue to have something to say but said his administration would not relent in executing various projects that would have positive impacts on the people of the state.

    The governor equally urged the reappointed commissioners to explore more new ways to deliver on their mandate and positively touch the lives of the good people of the state.

    The governor said, “I remember that over a year ago, they said everything we were doing was audio. Then, I actually enjoyed being the ‘audio governor.’ For me being audio, they are acknowledging the visuals and by the time we are done, they will understand that we have set a new bar on governance.

    “I was recently talking to a brother-governor and he said to me that, first, they called you audio. Now, they are saying we are seeing what you guys are doing. But then, they ask if those things are sustainable. We have sustained payment of salaries for our workers and pensioners in the state for over two years. So, they will constantly be shifting their position until they have nowhere else to shift to.”

    He equally added that the new commissioners would all need to play their parts in ensuring that emphatic and service-oriented leadership becomes the norm in the state, saying:

    “The people of Oyo State will no longer be dragged down to the days of mediocre leadership. You all have a role to play in ensuring that ‘emphatic’ leadership becomes the new normal in Oyo State and, by extension, Nigeria because the whole country is watching. We should not relent but keep raising the bar.”

     

  • We spent N400m on Alum for water treatment in Oyo – Makinde

    We spent N400m on Alum for water treatment in Oyo – Makinde

    Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has disclosed that his administration has purchased N400m worth of aluminium sulphate for treatment of water in the past two years.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, in a statement quoted the governor to have said this in Ibadan on Thursday while speaking at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the 2022 budget.

    The statement read, “In addition, almost N400million was spent on the purchase of 1,194 metric tonnes of aluminium sulphate to boost the production of potable water in the state.

    “Let me also mention that we have awarded the contract for the construction of two-bay permanent Fire Stations at Atiba and Ibarapa Central Local Government areas,” he said.

    Speaking on the issue of security challenges in the state, the governor maintained that the administration has put a lot of measures in place to combat the challenges, including the setting up of the Amotekun Corps and massive investments in the security sector.

    The governor used the opportunity of the gathering to call for a minute of silence for seven Amotekun Corps who lost their lives in the line of duty, stating that the government has approved N2.5m for each of the families of the seven members.

    The governor said the state would also undertake to give scholarships to some of their children where possible.

    He urged residents of the state to always report their suspicion on security-related issues using the 615 code.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Affairs, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, lauded Makinde for bringing inclusiveness, sustainability and equality to the budgeting process.

    He added that the state would give equal opportunities to all zones, noting that though resources are scarce and the state needs to draw a scale of preference on projects, the governor has proven to be a good manager of resources.

  • Makinde blasts FG over Customs operatives’ invasion of Igangan community, vows not to release seized ammunition

    Makinde blasts FG over Customs operatives’ invasion of Igangan community, vows not to release seized ammunition

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has insisted that Federal security operatives must henceforth inform states before carrying out any covert operation.

    The governor was reacting to the recent crisis that rocked Igangan and its environs in Ibarapa Local Government of the state.

    Some operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had arrested suspected smugglers in the community, leading to a face-off between the operatives and the residents who mistook the operatives for the belligerent herdsmen and resisted the arrest.

    The incident led to the death of the Coordinator of Amotekun in Ibarapa Central Zone, and two other people.

    Makinde threatened to withhold the weapon seized from the operatives who invaded the community until he gets the attention of the Federal Government.

    Addressing some Muslims serving in his administration when they visited him for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration on Tuesday, the governor said recent data indicated an improved security situation in Oyo State, following various security measures the government had taken.

    He said part of the measures was the instruction to local government chairmen to involve traditional rulers as well as other voluntary residents in policing their areas.

    Each local government is to spend N10 million monthly on this security arrangement.

    Makinde explained that the initiative amounts to spending N330 million in the 33 local government areas, besides other efforts the state government had put in place to tighten security.

    “On security, most of the data in the past months shows that things are now improving. The Igangan incident, some days ago, was only falsified by some people who were saying that Fulani herdsmen had invaded Igangan again. The truth is actually about the NCS and smugglers. They know each other.

    “Customs officials were accused to have entered Igangan, which is not a border town. But we are working with Federal authorities and they have arrested most of them.

    “The gun that was collected is still with us. I said I won’t release it until I get the attention of the Federal authorities.

    “In the Constitution of Nigeria, Oyo State is a federating unit. We are not saying Federal agencies should not carry out their operations here. But they must tell us; they must inform us. They may not disclose the details of the operation to us, but we must know about it.

    “If we had known about the operation, we would have pre-informed the security detail in the town and those who died could have been alive. The Amotekun Coordinator that died in Igboora would have still been alive today.

    “How can you go operating in an unidentified vehicle in a town where the security tactics have been heightened? As they wanted to enter the town, they were confronted because we have heightened security in all of those places.

    “So, we will keep appealing to them and to our people that false information won’t help anybody. Nobody will profit politically from the security issues we are faced with. It is our collective responsibility. The people will play their part and the government will play its own part.

    “We said each local government should set up a security committee, which should include traditional rulers and voluntary people willing to police their areas. I encouraged them to budget N10 million to service the committee every month. For the entire state, that’s N330 million per month by all local governments, excluding what we are doing generally at the state level.”

  • Makinde dissolves cabinet, retains SSG, two others

    Makinde dissolves cabinet, retains SSG, two others

    The Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the state’s executive council.
    Governor Makinde constituted the cabinet on August 14, 2019.
    The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, made this known in a statement on Tuesday night in Ibadan.
    Adisa said that Makinde announced dissolution of the state executive council at the end of its weekly meeting, which lasted about five hours.
    According to him, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka and 17 commissioners were affected.
    “The council members, who were not affected include the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun; Head of Service, Mrs Amudat Agboola and the Director-General of Due Process Office, Ms Tara Adefope.
    “The governor expressed the gratitude of the government and the people of Oyo State to the sacked executive council members and wished them well in their future endeavours.
    “He equally praised the dedication to duty and the commitment of the council members to the cause of taking the state from poverty to prosperity,” he said in a statement.
  • Gov Makinde joins June 12 protest in Ibadan (VIDEO)

    Gov Makinde joins June 12 protest in Ibadan (VIDEO)

    Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde on Saturday joined the June 12 protest in his state.

    Makinde, a governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, joined the protest in Ibadan, the state capital.

    According to a video that surfaced online, the governor is seen among protesters who were chanting his name as he addressed them.

    The youths could be heard chanting “that is our governor, we love you” as he addressed them.

    As Nigeria celebrates its Democracy Day, countless young Nigerians embarked on a series of protests in different parts of the country to express their displeasure over the current state of affairs in the nation.

     

  • Igangan killings: It’ll never happen again, Makinde vows for the umpteenth time

    Igangan killings: It’ll never happen again, Makinde vows for the umpteenth time

    Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Tuesday, said that people of Ibarapa geo-political zone should hold him responsible for the recent attack that occurred in Iganga.

    Igangan is one of the towns in Ibarapa North local Government Area of the state.

    Recall that the latest attack was the killing of scores of Igangan residents between Saturday and Sunday.

    But, Makinde, who visited the town two days after the incident, advised people of the zone to hold him accountable for what happened.

    Makinde, who spoke during a visit to the town on Tuesday, declared that he was the one to be held responsible for what happened.

    He, however, promised that such thing will not happen again.

    “Once again, I beg of you; give us the opportunity to come back and rebuild things and put a more solid architecture such that you will be able to go to farms and do whatever you want to do without fear.

    “But I should be held accountable. I am responsible for this and will do everything within my power to make sure that it will not happen again.”

    Makinde, while speaking further, maintained that he would empower local security guards and vigilantes in order to secure the area.

    “I have told your chairman that all the vigilantes and security guards, the government will be responsible for them. This is your government, please give me the opportunity to do the needful so that a meeting like this would not come up again.

    “I urge you to give me that chance to make the issue of insecurity here become a thing of the past. Don’t take laws into your hands. We have identified where there are hitches. We are supposed to be going to our farms by now because of the favourable weather. But hold me accountable, I have nowhere to go.

    “I believe there are some certain things we put in place, which we think would work but unfortunately, they did not work. Please, give me some time, everything will be resolved.”

  • Igangan Killings: Convoke security summit now, APC tells Makinde

    Igangan Killings: Convoke security summit now, APC tells Makinde

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has described Saturday’s killings in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government area, as one too many, and urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to promptly convoke a security summit.

    It said the summit would seek to find a lasting solution to the security challenges facing the state.

    This is contained in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan.

    Igangan in Ibarapa area of Oyo State was on Saturday night invaded by unknown gunmen numbering about 50.

    According to reports, the dastardly act left no fewer than 11 people dead and several properties burnt including the Palace of the Asigangan .

    The APC appealed to the governor to forget the rhetorics of having Àmotekun and Operation Burst, adding both had shown to be ineffective.

    According to the party, it won’t stop in advising the governor to be proactive and stop playing lip service or politics with the security issues in the state.

    “Obviously and certainly, the current situation of Oyo State was not what Makinde and PDP took over from the immediate past APC government in the state under Gov. Abiola Ajimobi in 2019.

    “The excuse of general security issues has been with us in Nigeria since 2009 even before Ajimobi took over the mantle of governance in 2011. In spite of the issues, Ajimobi secured Oyo State,” it said.

    The party said that it was obvious that there were security lapses all over the state, saying the governor also admitted the carnage which occurred in Eruwa area of Ibarapa East during the May 22 local government election.

    The APC asked how the governor has been utilising the monthly security vote allocated to his office, considering the present security challenges in the state.

  • Makinde urges FG to reverse Twitter suspension

    Makinde urges FG to reverse Twitter suspension

    Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has urged the Federal Government to reverse its suspension of microblogging site, Twitter, stating that the platform has become a profitable one for Nigerian youths who make a living via the platform.

    Makinde made this known in a statement on Saturday titled, ‘Statement by Governor Seyi Makinde Regarding the Suspension of Twitter’s Operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government’.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Twitter removed a ‘civil war’ post by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

    Subsequently, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension of Twitter on friday, citing the “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.

    In his statement, Makinde said, “As leaders, we should go beyond emotional reactions to issues and think about how our actions will affect the people we lead and our international ratings socially and economically.

    “Twitter has become the platform for young people and indeed all Nigerians to exercise their fundamental right to express and publish an opinion. They use the platform to complain, argue and give feedback to government and its agencies who in turn, use these to improve policies.

    “This is a fundamental point that should be kept in mind as we debate the necessity of this suspension.

    “We should also remember that Twitter has gone beyond a source of communication for many of our hardworking youths in Nigeria. It has become a source of livelihood for many, irrespective of their political affiliations or religious leanings.

    “Nigerian youths and digital communications organisations earn a living from being able to use the platform to post communications on behalf of their clients. Others who may not have physical stores also rely on Twitter to give visibility to their products and services.

    “Furthermore, I believe the Federal Government should be actively interested in how certain policies and action will affect investor confidence.

    “I, therefore, use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to reverse this suspension for the greater good of Nigerians.”

     

  • VIDEO: Wild jubilation as Makinde visits LAUTECH, slashes tuition fees by 25%

    VIDEO: Wild jubilation as Makinde visits LAUTECH, slashes tuition fees by 25%

    Governor Seyi Makinde on Tuesday, announced a 25 per cent reduction in the tuition fees payable by students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).

    The governor, who made the announcement during an unscheduled visit to the institution in Ogbomoso, said that the reduction would be enjoyed by all students.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Makinde as saying that he was thankful to the students for according him warm reception despite the impromptu nature of his visit.

    He also stated that he was happy to fulfil the promise of securing the sole ownership of LAUTECH for Oyo State.

    “I am glad to be back among you. After the 2019 election, I should have returned to say thank you to you but I didn’t want to come until I fulfil what I promised you, which is the sole ownership of LAUTECH by Oyo State.

    “I am still coming back to spend the night here and we will really celebrate then but I can leave you with a parting gift for today.

    “Let me tell you, the LAUTECH fee is still the lowest in the entire South-West. Having said that, I will reduce your fee across board; whether indigenes or non-indigenes, even new students.

    “There will be a reduction of 25 per cent across board.”

    The governor explained that part of his electioneering campaign was to fix Under-G/ Stadium road with street light so as to prevent students from being molested, robbed, and killed by miscreants.

    He added that the road has been completed and is now being used by residents and students.

    The governor stated that from now on, a four-year programme in LAUTECH will not be turned to eight years again.

    The governor, who equally spoke at the commissioning of the High Dependency Unit of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, said that his administration would construct a befitting flyover in Ogbomoso.

    He also reassured the re-engaged 170 staff of the Teaching Hospital who were relieved of their employment by the previous administration that the current government will pay their five months salary arrears.