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Tag: Oyo

  • Coronavirus: Oyo releases laboratory results of two suspected cases

    Coronavirus: Oyo releases laboratory results of two suspected cases

    The Oyo State Government on Friday said two suspected cases of corona virus in the state as speculated in some media reports have tested negative.

    The two cases according to the government did not even test positive to any of either corona virus or Lassa fever but that the suspects who were earlier quarantined are improving heathwise.

    This is as the government disclosed that the state is on high alert following the confirmed case in neighbouring Lagos state.

    The government spoke through the state commissioner of health, Dr Bashir Bello while responding to questions from journalist during a press conference to update the media on the efforts of the government at ensuring that the virus did not enter into the state.

    Saying the press conference became imperative in view of the proximity of Lagos to Ibadan, Bello said the state had deployed adequate resources to its facilities in case of unforeseen circumstances.

    Stressing that no case of the corona or Lassa fever virus had been reported in the state, the commissioner said the state has enlisted the support and collaboration of the Nigerian Army through the 2 Division, Ojoo where a quarantine facility had been set up in the case of any reported case or outbreak.

    Noting that all state health facilities had been put on high alert, he enjoined private based health facilities to also have a high index of suspicion for all cases of unexplainable fever and upper respiratory infections.

    Speaking further, Bello implored residents of the state to prioritise hygienic practices of regular hand washing with soap and water and ensuring that anyone with fever is promptly taken for medical attention.

    He also urged residents to reduce frequency of face touching, regularly disinfect surfaces and keep social distance with anyone sneezing or coughing.

    “As for the suspected case, the person is now improving. We know that a case will have to be taken into study and it was discovered that it is nothing related to either Coronavirus or Lassa virus.

    “What we saw at Oyo was nothing near Lassa or Coronavirus. We are ready as we don’t know who would have travelled in and out of Ibadan.

    “For the least symptoms of respiratory distress, we give them that maximum attention and we treat it like a case. A single case is considered an epidemic. That is why with the single case in Lagos, all other neighbouring states are on high alert.

    “What we are trying to do is that going by our proximity to Lagos and the high level of transaction between these two urban centres, we are being very prepared because no one can tell.

    “There is freedom of movement enshrined in the constitution and we cannot, for this reason, restrict movement of individuals. I wish to reassure the people of the state that there is currently no outbreak of Coronavirus in the state,” Bello said.

    In his own remarks, the Chairman, UCH Committee on Response to Emergency and Outbreak of Disease, Professor Kayode Osungbade noted that from the caliber of people at the press conference, the state is prepared to tackle the virus as all stakeholders have continued to come together and especially because a case has been confirmed in Nigeria which necessitated the press conference.

    He added that with the presence of all the stakeholders at the conference, including the military, the state government, the UCH, private facilities, Officials of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) among other is indicative of the readiness and commitment of the relevant stakeholders to tackle the challenge any outbreak.

  • Oyo government ousts NURTW from parks, appoints managers

    Oyo government ousts NURTW from parks, appoints managers

    The Oyo State government is forging ahead with the ousting of members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers from the motor parks and garages in the state by inaugurating on Monday state appointed managers in all the 33 local government areas across the state.

    Prof Raphael Afonja, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Ibadan on Friday.

    Afonja said that the park managers would be in charge of the N200 revenue collection from each commercial vehicle operating in the state.

    He said that the park managers would be the eyes of the government in each of the local government areas.

    According to him, the managers will collect the revenue on behalf of the state government and remit same government-appointed consultant, who will, in turn, pay the money into government coffers.

    He said that each local government would have a park manager, secretary and treasurer, stressing that all of them would be inaugurated on Monday and start work immediately.

    The commissioner further explained the new policy was different from the traditional practice of transport unions collecting money from commercial vehicle operators.

    He said that government felt there was need to have appropriate people who would be handling the collection of revenue for the state.

    Afonja reiterated that the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) still remained banned in the state.

    He also dismissed the rumour making the rounds that a prominent leader of the banned NURTW, Mr Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, had been named as the park manager for the transport union, stressing that the 33 park managers to be named had no connection with the union.

    He warned against collection of other forms of levies by any unauthorised person or group of persons at motor parks, saying it was illegal.

  • Oyo: Ajimobi drags Makinde, Attorney General, others to court

    Oyo: Ajimobi drags Makinde, Attorney General, others to court

    Former Oyo Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi has dragged his successor, Governor Seyi Makinde to court over the revocation of his landed property at Agodi Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Ajimobi also sued the State Attorney General, the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

    The former governor filed four suits numbered; I/183/2020, I/184/2020, I/185/2020 and I/186/2020 at the State’s High Court and also claiming the sum of N15million from the defendants being the cost of the action, including the expenses incurred to file each of the cases, and his attorney’s professional fees.

    The Oyo State Registrar of Deeds was also listed as a witness to be subpoenaed by Ajimobi during the trial.

    In the document before the court, Senator Ajimobi is contesting the basis of the notice which was sent by the state government on the 31st of January, 2020 and received by one Ms. Blessing on the 6th of February, 2020 via a Red Star Express Courier Service.

    The letter entitled, “ NOTICE OF INTENTION TO REVOKE INTEREST ON PORTION OF STATE LAND AT AGODI GOVERNMENT RESERVATION AREA, IBADAN, was sent by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development allegedly on the instruction of Governor Makinde, who was listed as the first defendant in the case.

    In the claims, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is seeking;

    · An order of perpetual injunction, stopping the state government from revoking the property with a Certificate of Right of Occupancy dated 6th February 2019 and registered as No. 56 at Page 56 in Volume 3771 of the Lands Registry Office;

    · An order of injunction against the defendants, their servants, agents and privies, to stop the listed persons from restraining any developmental work, or causing disturbance on the said property, describing the revocation as “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and one not borne of good intention.”

    According to the documents filed by the legal counsel of the former governor, the property to be revoked is no longer existent in name as it was merged with another property by the claimant with the “landed property comprised in the Deed of Gift, dated March 17th, 2015 between the former governor and Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland. It is registered as No. 17 at Page 17 in Volume 3714 of the Deeds Registry Office, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.”

    According to Ajimobi, the land in dispute was donated to him by Alhaji Alao, and was acquired by him by the virtue of Statutory Right of Occupancy dated February 10th, 2009 and registered as No. 35 at Page 35 in Volume 3556 of the Lands Registry Office, Ibadan. The donor was said to have enjoyed undisturbed possession of the land before donating it to the claimant.

    It was also merged with the property registered as No. 16 at Page 16 in Volume 3714 of the Lands Registry Office, Ibadan, and was fenced round for the development of guest chalets, church, mosque, recreation areas and the country home of the former Governor.

    According to the documents, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has not breached any of the covenant running on the land.

    In the lawsuit, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development were accused of forcibly entering, trespassing and breaking into Ajimobi’s landed property on the 17th of October 2019.

    The main gate of the property was allegedly destroyed, the doors of all the rooms in the property were smashed, and several valuable building materials in the property were also allegedly destroyed. All these, according to the lawsuit were perpetuated by officials of the ministry, armed Policemen and suspected political thugs of the Oyo State Governor.

    In what was described as an act of trespassing, the former Governor has since lodged a complaint with the Police, and the individuals involved are being investigated. The Police had also interrogated the Commissioner for Lands, who is the 3rd defendant, and his cohorts, and according to the lawsuit, was accompanied to Abuja by an official from the office of the Attorney General.

    The Commissioner and his cohorts have since been on bail but are still reporting in Abuja for investigations surrounding their alleged involvement in the trespass.

    Ajimobi also accused Makinde of boasting in different places and on several fora that he would revoke every property belonging to his predecessor anywhere in the state if he does not discontinue the charges against the Commissioner.

    The 4th defendant – the Attorney General was also accused of failing to advise the Governor, the Ministry and the Commissioner in the course of their revocation of the property.

    The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday, 12th of February at the High Court of Justice of Oyo State in the Ibadan Judicial Division, by a former Attorney General of the State, Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo Esq. of the Adebayo & Gbadamosi, Legal Practitioners

  • Makinde seeks out-of-court settlement with sacked chairmen

    Makinde seeks out-of-court settlement with sacked chairmen

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has opted for an out-of-court settlement.

    The governor had instituted a case against the 68 chairmen of the 33 local governments and 35 local council development areas (LCDAs), all of the All Progressive Congress (APC) he sacked on May 29, 2019, upon his swearing in.

    The sacked chairmen were elected on May 12, 2018 in an election the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) boycotted on the grounds that there was a court injunction against the conduct of the poll that was not vacated before the election was conducted. But the APC claimed that the injunction was vacated two days to the election.

    The PDP claimed further that the law that set up Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) that conducted the council poll did not give the power to the commission to conduct election into the LCDAs, which the party said, has rendered the election illegal.

    But the sacked chairmen relied on the pronouncement of the Supreme Court and a letter written to the governor by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and forcefully resumed in the 33 local governments and 35 local council development areas after Makinde appointed caretaker chairmen for the council areas last December.

    The government obtained an injunction from the Oyo State High Court last week, which restrained the council chairmen, Inspector-General of Police, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice among others from further action on the matter.

    Read Also: Oyinlola remains a strong pillar we want in PDP, says Makinde
    At the resumed hearing on the matter before Justice Mashud Abass yesterday, counsel to the state government, Dr. Akin Onigbinde (SAN), told the court that the state government had decided to adopt out-of-court settlement for the sake of peace and would come back to the court if the strategy failed.

    Counsel to the defendants, Niyi Akintola (SAN) and Kunle Sobaloju, said their clients would not accept any impediment against smooth dispensation of justice.

    They said that it would be necessary that all cases on the suspension of the council chairmen be dispensed with before the out-of-court settlement idea could work.

    Justice Mashud Abass hailed the counsel for their disposition and cautioned all parties to ensure that peace reigned in Oyo State.

    He said the judiciary will remain neutral in the matter and ensure that justice prevails.

    The court adjourned the case till February 12 for the parties to report on the level of progress on the out-of-court settlement or the continuation of the case.

  • Oyo Govt okays N30,000 minimum wage

    Oyo Govt okays N30,000 minimum wage

    Oyo State Government and the Organised Labour on Wednesday reached an agreement on the N30,000 minimum wage passed into law by the Federal Government in 2019.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agreement was reached following a meeting between the delegation of the state government and that of organised labour.

    Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who chaired the State’s Minimum Wage Implementation Committee, made the disclosure on Wednesday evening in Ibadan at the end of the committee’s meeting.

    According to the agreement, the new minimum wage for the state workers takes effect from January 2020.

    “We have just signed an agreement and the highlight of the agreement signed is that the least paid worker in Oyo State will earn over N30,000 monthly.

    “We also agreed with our colleagues all on the table here on the consequential adjustment required as a result of that minimum wage, which has also been agreed and reached.”

    “It has been a long process because we have had to look deeply into the books and all the factors required to ensure that even as we sign this agreement today, we get an agreement that is sustainable, agreeable and affordable for the government and the people of Oyo State,” Olubanwo said.

    Mr Bayo Titilola-Sodo, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Oyo State, said that the agreement reached would see the least paid worker in the state earn N30,000.

    Titilola-Sodo explained that the matter of consequential adjustment was agreed based on the financial strength of the state.

    “We all looked at the books and what our state was generating monthly, the least paid worker in the state will earn N30,000 but what we regard as consequential adjustments, we cannot follow the model from the Federal Government, because we had to cut our coats according to our sizes,” the NLC boss said.

    He disclosed that the agreement came after collective bargaining and due consideration for the resources available to the state to the best of the workers’ knowledge.

    He noted that the government had also promised to meet with the organised labour every three months to consider the state’s resources.

    On whether the issue of consequential adjustment might cause disagreement among the workforce, Titilola-Sodo said: “We also agreed that we would be looking at the books regarding the earnings of the state.There is another meeting coming up in the next three months and it is our belief that government will not fail us.

    “So far, Gov. Makinde has not made a promise to us and failed, so this gives us the confidence that we will all sit together with the government in the next three months to look at the situation of things. We will ensure that the agreement is not in vain,” he said.

  • Oyo gov Makinde reshuffles cabinet

    Oyo gov Makinde reshuffles cabinet

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Friday approved a minor cabinet reshuffle with two commissioners swapping ministries.

    A statement by Mr Taiwo Adisa, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, indicated that Prof. Daud Sangodoyin, education, science and technology commissioner, had swapped with Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye of the establishment and training ministry.

    The statement quoted the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, as saying that the change was “with immediate effect”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the two commissioners were part of the first batch of 14 commissioners inaugurated by Gov Makinde on Aug. 15, 2019.

  • Thugs abduct LG chairman in Oyo

    Thugs abduct LG chairman in Oyo

    Some people suspected to be political thugs, on Wednesday abducted the Chairman of Afijio Local Government area of Oyo State, Hon. Samuel Aderemi at the Local Government office.

    Aderemi, who is one of those sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde last year, was abducted by thugs who stormed the council in Jobele, when the Chairman resumed office.

    It was gathered that the rampaging thugs stormed the council Secretariat in an attempt to prevent the sacked Local government chairmen and councillors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from resuming their offices.

    Aderemi, after being beaten to stupor by the hoodlums, was whisked away in a bus to an unknown destination. He was later rescued after two hours by security agents.

    Chairman of the sacked Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye confirmed the kidnap of the council boss to to journalists on Wednesday night.

    Abass-Aleshinloye added that Aderemi is presently recuperating in an undisclosed hospital.

    It was gathered that violence was also recorded in Ibadan North, Ibadan North East Local Governments and Omi Apata Local Council Council Development Authority ( LCDA) where thugs had a field day, causing mayhem, while security agents, comprising of the police and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were on ground to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

  • 45-year-old jailed for stealing Oyo Govt.’s Christmas decoration

    45-year-old jailed for stealing Oyo Govt.’s Christmas decoration

    An Iwo Road Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ibadan, on Tuesday, sentenced a 45-year-old scavenger, Kamorudeen Salau, to a 30-working day jail term for stealing Christmas decoration worth N25,000, property of Oyo State Government.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Taiwo Oladiran, in his judgment, said that the defendant was found guilty as charged.

    Oladiran, who said that the convict must spend the jail term at Agodi Correctional Centre, however, gave him an option of N20,000 fine.

    According to the Police Prosecutor, ASP Sunday Ogunremi, the convict, on Dec. 26, at about 11.30 am., allegedly stole some iron rods, valued at N20,000 and some Christmas decoration materials, valued N5,000.

    Ogunremi said the total value of stolen items, being the property of Oyo State Government, was N25,000.

    NAN reports that the state government had decorated some roundabouts in Ibadan, the state capital, preparatory to the yuletide.

    The police prosecutor said that the offence was committed at the State Secretariat roundabout, Agodi, Ibadan.

    The offence, he said, contravened section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol.II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

    The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him.

  • We don’t want rubber stamp legislature – Makinde tells commission

    We don’t want rubber stamp legislature – Makinde tells commission

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on Tuesday, declared that his administration did not want a rubber stamp legislature.

    He stated this while inaugurating Chairman and three other members of the State House of Assembly Service Commission in Ibadan.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dr Abdulwasi Musah, the Deputy Speaker of the 8th State Assembly (2015-2019), chaired the commission while Moses Ojoawo, Adekunle Iyanda and Dele Hassan are members.

    Makinde said his administration believed in the separation of power among the three arms of government; executive, legislature and judiciary.

    “So we want you to assist us in achieving that objective, where debates on issues before the lawmakers would be robust, “he said.

    Makinde further called the chairman of the commission to utilise the experience he gathered while serving as the deputy speaker of the Assembly in the new assignment.

    He also urged the appointees to work toward the wider interest of the state while discharging their duties.

    Makinde also inaugurated 14 Federal Constituencies Liaison Officers and called on them to be good ambassadors.

    He also advised the officers to be unified factors in their respective constituencies and ensure that they serve well as feedback agents on demands and wishes of their people.

    Speaking on behalf of the liaison officers, Chief Jacob Adetoro, promised that justice and equality would be their watchword in carrying out their assignment.

  • We inherited almost bankrupt State from Ajimobi – Makinde

    We inherited almost bankrupt State from Ajimobi – Makinde

    Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has said his administration inherited an almost bankrupt State from his predecessor, Abiola Ajimobi.

    He urged Nigerians to join hands with anti-corruption agencies to fight corruption and stamp it out of the country, stressing that without eradicating corruption, no Nigerian citizen could experience dividend of democracy.

    Makinde stated this on Monday in Ibadan during a rally organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office to commemoration the International Anti-Corruption Day themed, “Zero Tolerance to Corruption”.

    The Governor, who pledged his support to EFCC in fighting corruption in Nigeria to a standstill, said that he inherited an almost bankrupt state due to the poor management of the state’s resources by his predecessor, pointing out, “Oyo State was almost bankrupt when we took over”.

    According to him, with corruption ravaging the country, it may be difficult for the good old days to come.

    “Do you know what corruption can do to you? Do you know what corruption can do to a nation? If you want free health system, free education, good road and infrastructural development, then fight corruption and kill it. Let me tell you, we have been able to achieve something because we are not corrupt.

    “If we are corrupt, we cannot do what we are doing right now. If you see anybody engaging in corruption, expose such. My government will fight corruption down to the local level. We will tackle corruption even at the grassroots level”, he added.

    He stated further, “Oyo State is happy to join EFCC to fight corruption. We are the first state in Nigeria to domesticate anti-graft law. We will ensure that whatever we do during this administration, we do it right”.