TheNewsGuru

Tag: Oyo State

  • Oyo lawmaker turns security guard, chases journalists out of COVID-19 probe

    A member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State, Adedeji Stanley Olajide, on Friday turned a security guard, chasing journalists out of a public hearing at the National Assembly.

    Olajide who represents Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency exhibited what many described as “toutish display” akin to garage boys on Friday at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on COVID-19 on the need to investigate the status of medical research in the fight against COVID-19 and other diseases in Nigeria.

    Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of health, minister of state for health, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, the director general of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu and other heads of agencies and parastatals in the Ministry of health were all in attendance.

    The drama started when a member of the ad hoc committee observed that the meeting room was becoming crowded and sought the directive of the chairman of the committee, Rep. Haruna Mshelia (APC, Borno) to control the number of people at the venue.

    Consequently, Rep. Haruna Mshelia instructed that no one should be allowed into the hall again so that social distancing could be maintained.

    “Please, we have the minister of health with us here and we have to adhere strictly to the PTF social distancing recommendations. So, Sergeant at arms, please, open the doors but dont allow any more people to come in.

    “Let’s just maintain the number we have in the hall. Hon. Colleague, your observation is sustained”, Hon. Mshelia stated.

    But instead of preventing more people from entering the hall, Olajide, arrogated to himself the functions of a security man and started walking out guests and journalists out of the hall.

    Olajide ordered the sergeant at arms to drag out any guest or journalists who dares to question his unparliamentary and hostile behaviour towards them.

    His actions led to a protest by the journalists at the venue, who all walked out of the investigation and threatened to leave.

    Following this, two members of the ad hoc committee, led by Hon. Aniekan Umannah from Akwa Ibom intervened and pleaded with the journalists to forget about the embarrassment and continue with the coverage of the investigation. Most of the journalists refused to return to the hall.

    It is on record that Olajide, a first time lawmaker in the House has never sponsored any bill in the last one year neither has he sponsored a single motion on the floor of the House.

    This is not the first time Olajide is seen engaging in a dishonourable behaviour. At the last meeting of the committee, he was seen harassing people for not wearing face mask, when he had none on his face and many of the lawmakers did not wear any.

    His behaviour eventually made journalists and the guests to lose track of the purpose for the hearing due to unnecessary distraction occasioned by his loud noise and confrontation with people he chased out.

  • Oyo State Govt addresses issue of rape

    Oyo State Govt addresses issue of rape

    The Oyo State Government says is addressing issue of rape to protect girls and young persons from abuse.

    The State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Seun Fakorede, disclosed this on Monday in Ibadan.

    Fakorede spoke while receiving protesting members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by the National President of the association, Mr Bamidele Akpan, ay the State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

    He said the State House of Assembly is working on laws to tackle the menace of rape incidents in the state.

    The students were protesting the death of an 18-year-old Barakat Bello, who was gang-raped and murdered on June 2, at Akinyele area of Ibadan.

    Bello until her death was a student of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production, Ibadan.

    Fakorede, while addressing the students on behalf of Gov. Seyi Makinde, described rape as a very condemnable act, assuring that the state will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of Bello to justice.

    “As part of measures to bring the perpetrators to book and nip such dastardly acts in the bud, the state government, in collaboration with the police, has swung into action.

    “All concerned institutions will deal with this seriously and I want to say that Oyo is one of the states leading and giving adequate direction to how we are meant to handle this dastardly act.

    “Of course, this act is very condemnable and we deeply condemn it as a state. I can assure you that we will do everything to bring justice for Barakat.

    “It will not only be for her but a whole lot of people that are victims of these unfortunate incidences.

    “I salute you, NANS President and everyone that is part of this entourage. I bring you the greetings of Gov. Makinde,” the commissioner stated.

    Earlier, Akpan said students from different parts of the country were in Ibadan to protest the unfortunate killing of Bello.

    “The dastardly act of the rapists who chose to go the other way by raping our students to death.

    “This we are doing as our own contribution to the sustenance of the society and of government because they say evil thrives when the good people stay quiet,” he said.

    He extended NANS’ condolences to the deceased family, the Federal College of Animal Health and Production, the Oyo State government and the people of the state.

    Akpan also called on the Nigeria Police and other relevant authorities to speed up the investigation process and fish out those behind the dastardly act.

  • COVID-19: Oyo records 6 more cases

    COVID-19: Oyo records 6 more cases

    Oyo State has recorded six new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number recorded in the state to 143.

    According to the latest figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday night, the six cases in Oyo were among the new 226 recorded in 16 states.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had repeatedly called on residents who believe they had come in contact with COVID-19 cases to come forward for test.

    The government had also admonished people with COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, fever, tiredness, body ache and shortness of breath as well as health workers who had been in contact with high-risk groups to present themselves for test.

    Experts had attributed the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the state to the high number of people that were responding to the call for testing.

  • Amazing! 10-year-old boy flees after testing positive in Oyo

    Amazing! 10-year-old boy flees after testing positive in Oyo

    Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has recounted how a 10-year-old boy reportedly absconded to the northern part of Nigeria after testing positive in Oyo.

    Makinde, who made the revelation via his Twitter handle in the early hours of Thursday, confirmed eight new COVID-19 positive cases in the state.

    He said, “We also have a further update on the two absconded cases reported earlier today. They absconded before being admitted to any of our isolation centres.

    “After intensive contact tracing, one of them has been found and admitted to the Infectious Diseases Centre, Olodo, Ibadan.

    “The other is a 10-year-old boy who, eyewitnesses claimed, boarded a north-bound vehicle. His details had been sent to the Sokoto State PHEOC. Contact tracing is still ongoing.”

    The eight new COVID-19 positive cases bring the number of infections in the state to 52.COVID-19

    The governor also noted that two COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in the state facility have been discharged.

    Makinde wrote, “The COVID-19 confirmation tests of eight new cases just came back positive from the laboratory. This increases the number of confirmed cases in Oyo State to 52.

    “Two confirmed COVID-19 patients were discharged from the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo after receiving their second negative test results. This brings the number of discharged cases in Oyo State to 13.”

    The governor urged members of the public to call the Emergency Operations Centre on any of the designated telephone numbers if they find travellers from other states arriving in their communities.

     

  • JUST IN: Police detain trailer load of passengers heading to Oyo State [PHOTO]

    JUST IN: Police detain trailer load of passengers heading to Oyo State [PHOTO]

    The Police in Kwara on Sunday intercepted a trailer carrying many passengers at Oyun in Ilorin East Local Government Area of the State for contravening the lockdown order.

    A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, who was at the scene of the interception, reports that the trailer, with registration ZAR 180 XW (Kaduna) was coming from Zamfara and heading to Ogbomoso in Oyo State.

    The vehicle, carrying food items also had no fewer than 40 passengers, comprising men, women and children on board.

    The Police, however, intercepted the vehicle and asked the driver to return back to where he was coming from.

    It was gathered that two police vans escorted the trailer to the boundary between Kwara and Niger.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said the command had stationed its men at the boundary with Niger but that the driver resorted to avoiding arrest by going through the bush-path.

    “I have directed that the trailer be escorted out of Kwara. It is the first time we intercepting vehicles that come in through an illegal route,” Egbetokun said.

    He said that he had directed his men to go and identify the route and block it.

    Recall that Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara had on April 10 ordered a complete lockdown, restricting vehicular movement in and out of the state as a measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

    Police in Kwara intercept trailer with passengers heading to Oyo State on Sunday, May 3, 2020 (NAN photo)
    Police in Kwara intercept trailer with passengers heading to Oyo State on Sunday, May 3, 2020 (NAN photo)
  • COVID-19: Gov Makinde laments shortage of reagents in Oyo

    COVID-19: Gov Makinde laments shortage of reagents in Oyo

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says the shortage of reagents is delaying the processing of COVID-19 tests.

    Makinde said on Wednesday that this had caused a backlog of 300 out of 775 samples collected.

    The governor revealed this via his official Twitter handle @seyiamakinde.

    He apologised to those waiting for the test results and appealed to them to exercise patience while the state government ramped up efforts to source for the chemical required for the process.

    “Due to a shortage of reagents required to process COVID-19 tests, we currently have a number of pending results. Of the 775 samples collected so far, 300 are awaiting results.

    “We are already in the process of acquiring more reagents in the shortest possible time to enable us clear the backlog. We appeal for patience from those awaiting results.

    “Meanwhile, we will continue conducting tests at the drive-through/walk-through testing centre at Adamasingba Stadium,” he tweeted.

    Makinde also said that the state government was also on course to opening up testing centres in other areas for the much-needed coronavirus mass testing.

    “Also, in a bid to continue ramping up testing, from next week, we will be moving to other zones in the state to conduct tests.

    ” Details of the schedule will be provided in due course.

    “We are grateful to IHS Towers for the donation of an ambulance to the state government.

    ”We also thank all individuals and corporate organisations that have continued to donate in cash and kind to government’s effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

    A total of 21 COVID-19 cases had been reported in the state since the first case was recorded on March 21.

  • UCH doctor tests positive for Coronavirus, Gov Makinde says

    UCH doctor tests positive for Coronavirus, Gov Makinde says

    A medical doctor at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan has tested positive for Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

    Gov. Seyi Makinde revealed this on his verified Twitter handle on Saturday night.

    “The COVID-19 confirmation test for one suspected case; a doctor at the University College Hospital Ibadan came back POSITIVE today.

    “Isolation and contact tracing have commenced, So there are currently eight active cases in Oyo State” Makinde stated.

    The development brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in Oyo to 16.

    The state government said seven people infected with the virus have been discharged while one was transfered to Lagos.

  • COVID-19: Makinde contracted Coronavirus at NEC meeting, Aide speculates

    COVID-19: Makinde contracted Coronavirus at NEC meeting, Aide speculates

    Mr Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that his principal did not contract the virus at the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) unification rally held on March 18 in Ibadan.

    The Governor’s aide said in a statement on Tuesday in Ibadan that there was no known incident of COVID-19 as at the time the rally was held.

    He stated that insinuations in some quarters that Makinde, who on Monday tested positive to COVID-19, contracted the disease at the rally was not correct.

    “The issue of the governor being said to have contracted Covid-19 at the March 18 PDP South West Zonal Unification Rally doesn’t come to play because there was no known incident of the virus in Oyo State at that time.

    “Also, the governor didn’t have any symptom(s) as of that time. At the time that the rally was held, there was no known case of the COVID-19 and after the rally. Gov Makinde actually put out a message to indicate that if he had got a hint of the existence of coronavirus in the state an hour to the rally, he would have cancelled the event.

    “He took responsibility for holding the rally. So, we can’t afford to politicise the issue of COVID-19. It is beyond politics,” Adisa said.

    The aide, however, said the only plausible case of exposure that Makinde had to coronavirus was when he attended the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on March 19, a day after the Ibadan rally.

    He stated that all governors who attended that meeting were advised to self-isolate and undergo testing after one of the attendees tested positive to the virus.

    Adisa warned individuals trying to politicise the governor’s case to desist from doing so and look for ways of supporting the efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

  • APC urges Makinde to lock down Oyo State

    APC urges Makinde to lock down Oyo State

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has called on Governor Seyi Makinde to declare a total lockdown of the state for about 14 days to prevent a rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

    In a statement by its Director of Publicity Dr Azeez Adeduntan on Monday, the party said that the rising number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state calls for a total lockdown to contain further spread.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Prof. Jesse Otegbayo and two other professors at the hospital tested positive to the virus on Sunday.

    The APC emphasized that treating the pandemic with kid-glove will only worsen the situation and put the lives of millions of residents of the state at great risk. It pointed out that while states that were yet to have confirmed cases have taken serious measures to prevent Coronavirus spread to their domains, Makinde, whose state already had confirmed cases, was still foot-dragging on totally locking down the state.

    The APC specifically recalled that Makinde announced to crowds at the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) unification rally held in Ibadan, the state capital on March 18 that the virus could not spread to Oyo State though infected people were already in the state. It added that the rapid spread of the virus may not be unconnected with the said rally.

    APC said: “It should be recollected that at the PDP needless and shameless rally of Wednesday of 18th March 2020 at Mapo Hill, Ibadan, His Excellency, Gov Seyi Makinde boldly told about 5,000 attendees that corona virus cannot get to Oyo State.

    “However, it was not only confirmed that an infected COVID-19 person had been living in Ibadan since March 3rd but In fact the latest information from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) claimed that COVID-19 infected patients has risen to seven as at Saturday 28th March 2020 in Oyo State.

    So who is fooling who between Gov Seyi Makinde and APC that felt the timing of the Wednesday 18th March rally was ill-timed?

    Most alarming is the arrogant manner of negligence with which Gov Seyi Makinde had been handling this COVID-19 war, considering that our past appeal has been falling on the deaf ears of Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde.”

    The governor just tested positive to the virus.

    The APC justified its call for lockdown by stressing that it will make contact tracing easier and enable government fumigate public places.

    It cited Osun and Kwara and states that have locked down as a serious effort at containing the virus.

  • How illness pushed me into stealing baby – Suspect

    How illness pushed me into stealing baby – Suspect

    A kidnap suspect, Oluwatoyin Lasisi, on Thursday, said a life-threatening illness made her get involved in kidnapping and stealing of babies in Ibadan, Oyo State.

    Lasisi, who was paraded for stealing three-year-old baby, Nimotallah Sulaiman in the Muslim area of Ibadan, said she did not know when she picked up the baby from a waste dump and took her home.

    Lasisi said, “I was going to where I beg for alms around a bakery in the Muslim area when I saw the baby. I reasoned that it won’t be good to allow her to be stolen by ritualists and that was why I picked her up.

    “When I got to my house, a woman in my neighbourhood challenged me as to where I got the baby from. I was heading for the police station to report the incident when some people accosted me and started beating me.”

    The father of the victim, Sulaiman Dauda, said the baby was taken from a waste dump, where she went to defecate around 11am.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, confirmed the incident and said the case was being investigated.