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Tag: Ogun State

Ogun State

  • Ogun makes U-turn, cancels COVID-19 test requirements for returning students

    Ogun makes U-turn, cancels COVID-19 test requirements for returning students

    The Ogun state government has stepped down its stand which held that the COVID-19 test is to be used as a mandatory requirement for returning students in exit classes.

    Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the cancellation of the initial injunction via a Twitter statement on Monday.

    In his communique which was titled “Ogun Makes COVID-19 Test Free For All Returning SS3 Boarding Students”, Governor Abiodun further stated that the admittance of students into boarding houses in private secondary schools will be at the discretion of the management and the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of such private schools.

    Parents of pupils in private secondary schools in Ogun had protested over the request of N25,000 COVID-19 test fee by the government, but the governor has assured that the test will now be carried out free of charge for all returning students.

    The governor ordered the Government Laboratories in the state to carry out tests for all returning SS3 boarding students at no cost.

    He also directed that all those who have paid for tests be refunded.

    According to the governor, the new directive has become imperative because the health of children remains an utmost priority to his administration.

    The governor, however, noted that in view of the total number of boarding students to be tested (5,340 private and 500 public), and bearing in mind the limitation of the state’s installed testing capacity of 500 tests per day, it may not be feasible for all boarding students to get tested and get their results prior to the resumption or even exams which commences on 17th August 2020.

    He recommended that students who do not have to stay in boarding houses should attend school from home, especially those with underlying health conditions. Adding that face masks will be availed to all students in both private and public schools.

  • JUST IN: Ogun Govt directs all secondary school teachers to resume Aug. 3

    JUST IN: Ogun Govt directs all secondary school teachers to resume Aug. 3

    Ogun government has directed all secondary school teachers in the state to resume on Monday, Aug. 3 ahead of the West African Senior Secondary Schools Examination (WASSCE) scheduled for Aug. 17.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, gave this directive in Abeokuta on Friday.

    Soyombo quoted Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun as saying that the aim was to enable the teachers work with their principals in preparation for students’ resumption on Aug. 4.

    Abiodun said the directive was for teachers in public and private schools to enable them assist in the distribution of materials provided by the state government for the examinations.

    He said all guidelines stipulated by the government for the students’ resumption were to be followed strictly by all school administrators.

    He enjoined all stakeholders to cooperate with the state government to ensure safe return to schools.

    “The Ogun state government wishes to inform the general public that all Senior Secondary School Three students both in the public and private schools will resume to school on August 4 in readiness for an intensive revision classes ahead of their WASSCE.

    “The revision exercise is being put in place to cover the academic gaps and lapses for students that could not follow the virtual classes tagged Ogundigiclass put in place by the state government while they were at home.

    “The concerned students are to resume to their individual schools on Tuesday, August 4,” he said.

  • Pastor confesses to raping daughter, getting her pregnant thrice

    Pastor confesses to raping daughter, getting her pregnant thrice

    A 44-year-old pastor at Ogo Oluwa Parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in Owode-Egbado, Ogun, has been arrested by the police for raping his own biological daughter.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abeokuta.

    According to Oyeyemi, the pastor was arrested following a complaint by his daughter at the Owode-Egbado Divisional Headquarters that her father had been molesting her.

    The statement said the suspect had been forcefully having carnal knowledge of the victim since 2015 when she was 19 years-old and shortly after the demise of her mother.

    The daughter, according to the statement, further reported that she had been impregnated three times by her father.

    According to her, the father took her to a nurse where the pregnancies were aborted.

    The statement said the suspect had procured family planning services for the victim so as to prevent further pregnancies.

    “Having realised that her father was all out to ruin her life, she ran away from the house and reported to an NGO.

    “The NGO, Advocacy For Children And Vulnerable Persons Network, took it upon itself to assist her in reporting the incident at the Owode-Egbado police station.

    “Upon the report, the DPO Owode-Egbado division, SP Olabisi Elebute, led her detectives to the pastor’s house where he was arrested.

    “On interrogation, the suspect made confessional statement that all what his daughter said is nothing but the whole truth,” the statement said in part.

    It added that the Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Anti-human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit for further investigation and prosecution.

  • Eight health workers test positive for Covid-19 in Ogun State

    Eight health workers test positive for Covid-19 in Ogun State

    Eight staff of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ogun State.

    The spokesman for the centre, Segun Orisajo, confirmed this to Channels Television on Friday.

    According to him, the affected staff consist of medical doctors, nurses, and an administration staff.

    “They were part of the team which had contact with a two and half-year-old coronavirus positive toddler currently receiving treatment at the Centre’s Isolation ward.

    READ ALSO: 72 Healthcare Workers Infected With COVID-19 In Enugu

    “The COVID-19 positive status of the affected staff was detected during the round of contact tracing carried out by the hospital Infection Control Team,” he said.

    He explained that none of the staff had so far showed the symptoms of coronavirus.

    Although the Medical Director, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu said although none of the staff is asymptomatic, they have however been asked to proceed on self-isolation and basic treatment has commenced for them.

    While wishing and praying for the quick recovery of the staff, the Managing Director of the centre expressed confidence that they will soon return to their duty post.

  • Pastor seeking powers to expand church killed by his native doctor

    Pastor seeking powers to expand church killed by his native doctor

    A Pastor, Kalejaiye Ezekiel, who went to seek traditional power, has been killed by the same native doctor from whom he sought help.

    According to available information, the pastor said he needed the power to draw worshippers to his church.

    The Ogun State Command has since last month arrested the native doctor, Isiaka Ogunkoya, for the murder of the pastor.

    The 48-year-old native doctor has also confessed to killing Ezekiel.

    Ogunkoya told policemen mid last month: “The Pastor came to me for power so that his church would grow.

    “I used the opportunity to use him for my personal job.

    “I mixed some sleeping solution for the pastor to drink and he slept off moments afterward.

    “As he dozed off, I picked a knife and slaughtered him.

    “I am a native doctor and I have helped so many people, including pastors who want their congregation to grow, in the area.

    “This particular incident happened because I personally needed human parts for a particular concoction that I wanted to prepare for one of my clients in Isoyin.

    “When the Pastor came, saying that he wanted power so that his congregation could grow, I used the opportunity to kill him and used the needed parts for the concoction.

    “I gave him some solution to drink and he fell deeply asleep and that afforded me the time to slaughter him and cut out the parts I needed for my concoction.

    “I know I have done wrong, but I want forgiveness because if you go around and ask about me, people will tell you that I am a good person.

    “This one just happened the way it did.”

    The spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the native doctor was arrested by policemen on routine stop and search duty along Isoyin Road.

    Oyeyemi, a Deputy superintendent of Police, said Ogunkoya would be profiled to know how many people he may have killed in the same manner.

    He said the native doctor would be charged for murder at the end of investigation.

  • Mad man burnt alive for killing siblings in Ogun

    Mad man burnt alive for killing siblings in Ogun

    A mentally deranged man who allegedly killed five siblings has been burnt alive by irate mob at Asa Village in Ojaodan, Ogun State.

    The angry mob reportedly descended on the mad man and lynched him.

    The mad man was identified as Oladele Adeola, 35.

    The incident occurred around 9:30am at Asa Village in Ojaodan, a Lagos border community, The Nation reports.

    Adeola reportedly used a cutlass to matchet the kids aged between two and five years.

    The children were said to belong to one Olaegbe Adeola.

    The children were identified as five-year-old Bolu, Johnson, Tosin, Joel and Sesan all aged two.

    The kids were reportedly playing when the mad man suddenly got hold of a cutlass and started matcheting them.

    By the time villagers knew what was happening, the kids were lying lifeless on the ground.

    The villagers were said to have mobilised and set the mad man ablaze.

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, Ogun Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the development.

  • COVID-19: Nurse, admin officer test positive at FMC Abeokuta after death of policeman

    COVID-19: Nurse, admin officer test positive at FMC Abeokuta after death of policeman

    The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun, has confirmed the death of a policeman who tested positive for coronavirus in the facility.

    This was contained in a statement issued by the Head, Public Relations and Information of the hospital, Segun Orisajo, on Sunday in Abeokuta.

    He also confirmed that two other members of staff of the hospital had tested positive for the virus.

    Orisajo, however, dispelled the report that a medical doctor in the facility had contracted the deadly virus.

    “The centre hereby confirms the case of three other patients, whose test results just returned positive.

    “Two of them are members of staff of this centre, that is, a nurse and an administrative staff, which brings the total number to five.

    “So far, no doctor in the centre has tested positive for coronavirus, contrary to some media reports.

    “The deceased, a policeman, presented himself to the general outpatients department of the hospital about three days ago and later died same day.

    “The result of his test returned this morning (Sunday) positive.

    “His body is being prepared for release to his family for burial in strict compliance with the World Health Organisation’s guidelines,” he said.

    Orisajo added that all the members of staff, who came in contact with the deceased, were currently on self-isolation.

  • Ogun State PDP congress followed due process – Kashamu

    The Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 elections, Senator Buruji Kashamu, has said that the recently held congresses of the party, which produced a new set of party executives in the state, followed due process.

    Kashamu stated this in a statement entitled “Setting the records straight on Ogun State PDP executive committee” released in Lagos at the weekend.

    According to the former lawmaker, the statement became imperative in light of falsehood and misinformation being peddled by some people.

    Kashamu said contrary to the lie being bandied in some quarters, that an order was made by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court stopping the conduct of PDP congresses in Ogun State, there was nothing of such.

    He explained that a suit was filed by some people in the name of the PDP against the authentic Ogun State PDP Executive Committee seeking a review of the judgment which had ordered that only the said authentic Ogun State PDP Executive Committee could conduct congresses or primaries of the PDP in Ogun State.

    According to him, “The reliefs sought were to the effect that the court should decide that because of some Supreme Court Judgments (that allegedly suggest that only the NEC of a political party may conduct congresses and primaries), the judgment in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/636/2016 was not valid in empowering the Ogun State PDP Executive Committee to conduct congresses for its successors in 2020.

    “In that action, they had applied for an order of the court to stop the Ogun State PDP Executive Committee from conducting congresses and the court had refused the application and directed that the Defendants be put on Notice.”

    Kashamu said the action was illegal because “It is an invitation to the Federal High Court to sit on appeal over its own judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/LCS/636/2016 after the appeal against that judgment had been rejected and dismissed at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in 2019.”

    He added, “By March 3, 2020, when this fatally flawed matter came up, a preliminary objection had been filed on behalf of the then Adebayo Dayo-led Ogun State PDP Executive Committee, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the action because the questions raised in the action had already been decided by the same Federal High Court in favour of the Ogun State PDP Executive Committee in 2019 (in Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/1323/2019.”

    The former lawmaker explained further that in the face of the preliminary objection, the court could not and did not entertain any application to stop the conduct of PDP congresses in Ogun State.

    “This is because the Supreme Court has directed that in such circumstances, the court whose jurisdiction is being challenged cannot make any order against the interest of the party challenging its jurisdiction,” he said.

    Kashamu noted that it was whilst adjourning the case for hearing of the preliminary objection and other applications that the judge on his own volition made the remark that “parties should refrain from doing anything that will tamper with the res of the action”.

    He pointed out that it was not an order restraining conduct of congresses or for maintenance of status quo “but some people mischievously misinterpreted it and claimed that the court had made an order restraining the conduct of PDP Congresses in Ogun State or for maintenance of status quo.”

    Kashamu added, “We clearly perceived the mischief inherent in this misinterpretation of the court’s remarks and therefore decided to take ourselves outside possible allegations of breach of the “order” or of contempt of court by appealing against the “order” and filing an application for its stay.

    “Every lawyer knows this as the exception to the rule in Hadkinson V Hadkinson. This rule admits of an exception to the perception that a party is in contempt of court when he disobeys an order he has appealed against and filed an application to stay.

    “The appeal and the motion for stay essentially neutralize the application of the order appealed against to the appellant. Therefore, the idea being bandied around that the congresses were conducted in defiance of a restraining order or an order for maintenance of status quo is clearly unfounded and completely false.”

    Kashamu also stated that the claim in some quarters that INEC nullified the PDP congresses conducted on the 7th, 21st March and 3rd April 2020 was false.

    He said, “Already, INEC has received the reports of the congresses and is aware of the new officers that will now take over from the Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP backed by FHC/L/CS/636/2016.

    “Hon. Samson Kayode Bamgbose now leads the new Ogun State Executive Committee of the PDP.

    “He and his colleagues have already approached the Federal High Court for protection from the anticipated antics of the desperate elements and their new allies in Ogun State.

    “On the 9th of May 2020, they will effectively be in charge of the running of the party as specified by the judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/636/2016.

    “If INEC has any complaints against the congresses the new case (Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/44/2020) will give INEC the opportunity to make that complaint.”

    While emphasizing his desire to work with others to change the fortune of the PDP in Ogun State, Kashamu said this had to be done through the newly-constituted state executive committee. “I wish to reiterate again that we are ready for genuine reconciliation through the Samson Bamgbose-led State Executive Committee.”

  • Resident doctors begin warning strike in Ogun amid COVID-19 crisis

    The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun, says it will begin a three-day warning strike on Monday over non-implementation of its demands by the state government.

    The doctors’ grievances were contained in a letter written to Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abeokuta.

    The letter jointly signed by the ARD OOUTH President and the General Secretary, Dr Mutiu Popoola and Dr Tope Osundara respectively stated that the association decided to down tools because of “the noncommittal response to several letters written to the government on the matter.”

    Some of the doctors’ demands included non-implementation of the new minimum wage, hazard allowance, inappropriate remuneration, entry level and absence of life insurance policy for its members.

    According to the doctors, the alleged refusal of the state government to appropriately attend to previous warning letters has shown that the government was less concerned about their plight.

    They described the purported increase in hazard allowance from N5,000 to N15,000 as a charade by the government.

    The aggrieved doctors, however, said their members working at the COVID-19 Isolation Centre would be exempted from the strike action.

    “We were taken aback by the arbitrary change in only hazard allowance to be given as COVID-19 Special Hazard Allowance to all health workers.

    “The 200 per cent increase in hazard allowance is just an increase from N5000 to N15,000 for just the month of April.

    “We are in quandary about how the government will put up a charade without giving attention to what our concerns and the real issues are.

    “It is also unsettling to know that our members are without a life insurance or a tax rebate as seen with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and Health Professional Associations and Unions,” the letter stated in part.

  • COVID-19 kills pregnant woman in Abeokuta, FMC confirms

    COVID-19 kills pregnant woman in Abeokuta, FMC confirms

    The Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, has confirmed the death of a pregnant woman in the facility as a result of contracting Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    The Head of Clinical Services (HCS) of the hospital, Dr Fidelis Ojeblenu, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday in Abeokuta.

    The hospital was thrown into confusion on Saturday, as people in and around the area took to their heels on hearing the news.

    Ojeblenu said that two patients, a man and the expectant mother, had tested positive to COVID-19 at the hospital.

    He stated that the man had since been transferred to one of the isolation centres in the state, adding that he was “clinically stable.”

    Ojeblenu added that both patients were managed at the accident and emergency unit of the hospital and that they were isolated from other patients throughout their stay in the unit.

    He also said that the members of staff, who attended to them, observed standard protocols, adding that contact tracing and decontamination had commenced.

    “They were suspected cases right from the onset; hence, they were isolated from other patients and staff throughout their stay in the unit.

    “Also the staff, who attended to them, observed the prescribed standard protocols and procedures.

    “The standard practice of contact tracing and decontamination, among others, have commenced,” he said.

    Ojeblenu, however assured that the hospital was “safe and generally calm”, stressing that anti-panic measures had been put in place and that necessary updates would be made available.