The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Wednesday disclosed that arrangement is being made to deploy drones and CCTVs to boost security of lives and properties in the South West.
He spoke with State House correspondents after leading other traditional rulers from the South West for a meeting with the President of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, the President has agreed to fast-track the monitoring of the forests in the region with the use of technology like drones.
He also said that CCTV will be mounted along highways in the region
The Oba also said that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and other key security heads were at the closed doors meeting with the President.
He said that policemen and officers will be recruited among people born and living in the various communities in the region.
“Community policing, so that they will recruit policemen and officers from the community, that were born there and brought up there and they won’t be able to move them around.
“We can use that strategy to avert a lot of tension going on around South West in the particular now.” he said
According to him, there will be restructuring of security architecture in the country.
He also disclosed that any identified bad Fulani must leave the South West
Tag: south west
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FG to deploy CCTV, drones to fight mounting insecurity in South West – Ooni
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Enough is enough of herdsmen killings in Southwest – Ooni
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has declared that the South West has heard enough of the killing by the herdsmen.
He declared it was time for the region to be united in purpose in combating the security challenges headlong.
Oba Ogunwusi, who spoke on Sunday in Kota Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government area of Ekiti State, at the thanksgiving ceremony of Olufemi Bamisile, who represents Ekiti South Federal Constituency 11 in the House of Representatives.
He said Yoruba people could no longer fold its hand and allow people to be killed, urging the Yoruba people to unite and defend itself against bandits from killing people.
“I call on all the people of Yoruba race at this time to be united. The time has come end this killing. This killings must end, enough is enough.
“We could no longer fold our hand and allow people to be killed. So, we must be united at this time and protect our territory,” Ooni added.
Bishop Diocese of Ekiti, Reverend Emmanuel Abejide of Methodist Church Nigeria, Ekiti State, declared that the current security situation in the country was unfortunate.
He warned that unless the leaders put on their thinking caps things might get worse.
He said: “W have failed so much. Many of our political leaders have failed to develop our potential. If by God give you have opportunity to be in a position, its by God grace please use it for the benefit of mankind “.
As for Bamisile, he said that the various stakeholders in the South West are already talking, adding that the region would defend itself against any aggression.
“The death of Pa Fasoranti’s daughter is one of the greatest mistake that ever happened in the South West. With the step that we are taking, we are moving ahead to stop the killings. “ -
Ninth NASS: Troubles for APC as group threatens to oppose zoning of speakership to South West
Sequel to moves by the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the South West, a group, North-Central APC Young Patriots, a coalition of youth groups of the All Progressives Congress in the geopolitical zone, has vowed to resist the zoning attempt.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday at the Stone Edge Hotel, Abuja, the Convener, APC Young Patriot, Mr. Dominic Alancha, said though the party had yet to officially announce the zoning to the South West, it should not do so to avoid opposition to the party’s candidate like in 2015.
Alancha said, “If the party goes ahead to zone the position of the Speaker to the South West because it wants to foist a particular candidate on lawmakers, disregarding popular support and equitable zoning formula, it will thereby be shortchanging the North Central of its hard-earned right which will be resisted by this group.
“One would expect that since the Senate presidency was zoned to the North East being the zone that contributed the highest number of votes after the North West, the speakership position will naturally go to the next in line, the North Central zone, which produced the second largest votes after the North East (2,465,599).
“So, why is the party suddenly shifting the goal post when it comes to zoning the Speakership position by considering the SouthWest that performed less than the North Central and even already has the number two position of a Vice President? ls this an equitable thing to do?”
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Fayemi tasks S’West leaders on unity, restructuring, development of region
The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has urged Southwest leaders to to jettison party politics in the interest of the region for the sustainable development.
Fayemi said the region can only regain its pride of place in the country’s political configuration unless leaders never allow national politics to divide them.
He stated that all efforts must be geared by the leaders irrespective of political affinity towards the development of South West region.
He added that for desirous interest of Yoruba to be promoted and protected, there must be unity of purpose and togetherness.
Fayemi who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Saturday at a national retreat held by Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), disclosed that the All Progressives Congress governors in the southwest will work with the governor elect in Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde in the interest of the region.
The governor, however, said Yoruba race needs to be more tactical if desirous to actualise its advocacy issue of restructuring .
He urged the proponents of the policy in the region to change strategy and reach out to other regions on how to actualise the dream of Nigeria being restructured economically and politically.
On the deeply entrenched voter apathy in the southwest region, the last election, 16.2 million registered in the southwest, but said the outcome in all the states were shocking.
“There are those who entertained fear on this issue of restructuring and whether this is legitimate or not, we must reach out to them, because we are not an island onto ourselves.
“We don’t need to be shouting on the roof top before we get it, but if we want to do it alone, the agitation will fall”, he warned.
Expressing regret over voter apathy in the southwest, Fayemi said : “in the last presidential poll, Ekiti registered 909,000 voters , only 381,000 voted, 0sun 1.67million , only 737,000 voted, Ondo, 1.8m registered , 586,00, Oyo, 2.7m registered , 891,000 voted, 2.36m registered in Ogun, 605,000 voted and Lagos with 6.3m, only 1.56m voted.
“This might be caused by deficit of trust or fraudulent multiple registration, but whatever the case was, as long as we remain a constituent part of this country, ARG should reflect on this and act appropriately.
“If it was as a result of deficit of voter education, then the ARG and governments need a lot to do. Religion also affected us, because some people were brainwashed to vote based on religious considerations”.
The governors of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu and Osun, Gboyega Oyetola, said all the distinguishable traits of the southwest region initiated during the old western region must he brought back in the interest of the zone.
Governors of Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, said what could be regarded as distinguishable attributes of the Yoruba people is quest for development and good governance and that these should be sustained in the interest of the people.
The Osun governor, Oyetola, represented by his chief of staff, Dr. Charles Akinola said: ” the Yorubaness in us and those things that separated us from others are our developmental drives, our intellectual rigour, our brilliance, circumspection and those values however, have not really taken us to where we deserve”.
Oyetola also appealed to the southwest governments to leverage on its human capital in the diaspora and bring them home for the benefit of all.
Also speaking, Ondo state governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, represented by the commissioner for Regional Integration, Prof Bayonle Ademodi, added that the southwest is also facing serious economic and political crises that needed to be addressed.
“We have to be really worried that the instability and insecurity in the sahel has started affecting us and we need to get worried.
” We knew we had to think outside the box in the southwest on how to bring our own paradigm and we thought of Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) to work on how to put us back on the right track.
Akeredolu said the act of using desperation to get into power is becoming high in the region, saying this has made it difficult for people to have control over their leaders.
The National Chairman of the group, Hon Wale Oshun, reiterated the issue of restructuring and advised that it should be taken back to the front burner to benefit the Yoruba race.
Oshun said in spite of different decisions taken by the southwest in the last elections that the values of whim he Yoruba people are remain the same.
“The Yoruba people are progressive people. We are lovely and we care for each other . We are welfarists and we remain the same despite out stand in the just concluded governorship and legislative elections.
” All we want as a people is to ensure that our interests at the national level are protected and that we get a fair deal in the scheme of things”.
Oshun, however, expressed fear that Yoruba language is fast going into extinction due to paradigm shift caused by globalisation and laxity on the part of some parents.
” This is one issue our governments and traditional rulers must correct and prevent from happening. That was why we started the Yoruba academy and we have been working on this with some States’.
The group’s leader also advocated true federalism urging political leaders in the region to take a firm stand to protect the rights of the Yoruba race.
“Our leaders who know that restructuring is an issue that is germane to speak up the way the ACF used to speak on some national issues”.
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2019: We deserve more than SGF, South-West PDP tells Atiku
The South-West Zone of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar, to give more key positions to the zone if he emerges as president.
The South-West Vice-Chairman of the party, Dr Eddy Olefeso, made the demand in Lagos on Friday night, at a meeting of key members across the six states in the zone.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the meeting, which lasted hours, had in attendance a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George; the current Deputy National Chairman (South),Chief Yemi Akinwonmi; and a former National Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo.
Also present were former Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Sola Obada; a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Makanjuola Badru; and a member of the National Assembly, Sen. Abiodun Olujimi.
The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde; the governorship candidate in Ogun, Mr Ladi Adebutu; and a former governorship aspirant in Osun State, Chief Akin Ogunbiyi, were also at the meeting, among others.
Olafeso said though the promise of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot by Atiku was a good development, the zone deserved more key political and government positions.
The Vice-Chairman said that the zone had been schemed out in the power arrangement of the party for the past few years.
Olafeso said for Atiku to give the zone a sense of belonging and compensate “for the years of abandonment”, he should zone key positions of the Chief of Staff to the President and Àttorney-General of the Federation to the South-West in addition to the SGF.
He said the South-West had the second highest voting population in the country and would demand its fair share of political positions if PDP wins in 2019.
“We have been denied for too long. In 2011, the country under the control of our party zoned the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the zone and it was taken away.
“And from 2011 to 2015, we were left just like that and the reverberating effect of that abandonment is the reason why we are still having the hangover of neglect till today.
“Now we are here again, the party is working with a zone with 14million votes, the second largest in the country. We refuse and we will not accept where we finish the job in the next election and for one reason or the other, we will not be considered.
“We don’t have to wait till after the election before we say what we want. We want to let the party and our candidate know that certain positions are strategic to governance and we want them.
“Yes, the SGF is great, but there is nothing wrong with having the Chief of Staff and Attorney-General on top of it to compensate us for the denials of the past, so that all of us can work as a united front.
“We will continue to fight for it, we will speak with a loud voice. We give so much, so the zone deserves a lot,” he said.
While congratulating Abubakar on his emergence as presidential candidate, Olafeso said the zone was pleased with the choice of Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, as his running mate.
He said the country was faced with serious economic challenges, and Obi had the pedigree that could realise the party’s economic vision for Nigeria.
Olafeso said the zone was concerned about the travails of former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over a case.
He urged members of the party to stand with Fayose at his trying moment, saying the former governor was paying for being truthful and standing against injustice.
“I was in the court the last time and I am glad to tell you that he has been granted bail.
“We will do our best to ensure that he perfects his bail conditions and he is released soon,” he said.
Olafeso also said he was confident that the verdicts of the Osun and Ekiti governorship elections, where the All Progressives Congress was declared winner in both polls, would be upturned at the tribunal.
Olafeso urged members to be leave behind post-primaries disagreements and work together to ensure the party’s victory in 2019.
He said the party had come out of its recent factional crisis to emerge strong, expressing the confidence that it would dislodge APC in 2019.
Akinwonmi, on his part, said the party was working assiduously hard to wrestle power from the APC in 2019.
He, however, said the party executive could not do it alone, calling on all members to do their bit to help achieve the electoral goal. -
What South-West stands to gain by returning Buhari to power in 2019 – Fashola
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday, urged the people of South-West to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections to guarantee a return of power to the region in 2023.
The minister stated this at a special town hall meeting on infrastructure organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Orientation Agency.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed led three other ministers including Fashola, Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu to the town hall meeting.
Fashola said besides, the massive investments by the Buhari administration on infrastructure across the country and in the South-West particularly, the region would benefit politically by voting for Buhari.
The minister, who spoke in Yoruba language said: “Do you know that power is rotating to the South-West after the completion of Buhari’s tenure if you vote for him in 2019?
“A vote for Buhari in 2019, means a return of power to the South West in 2023. I am sure you will vote wisely.”
On the performance of the Administration, Fashola said that the government had kept its promises to Nigerians in the three key areas of security, fighting corruption and rebuilding the economy.
He said the essence of the town hall meeting was to showcase what the administration had done in three and half years.
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Buhari dines with Tinubu, South West APC leaders [Photos]
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night hosted South West caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The event, which started at about 8.30p.m at the new Banquet Hall, was attended by APC chieftains from the region.
TheNewsGuru learnt that some national issues including the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states would be deliberated upon.
More important, Buhari would seize on the opportunity to appeal for reconciliation of all the aspirants in the Ekiti governorship primary.
Among those at the dinner were the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Bisi Akande, and the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Others included Segun Oni, Minister of Mines and Steel Development and APC flag-bearer in the forthcoming Ekiti governorship race, Kayode Fayemi.
Governors at the meeting included Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, who was the chairman of APC Ekiti Guber primaries committee.
Some members of the National Assembly, Ministers and stakeholders from the South West were also in attendance.
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Convention: Jonathan, Secondus, others embark on reconciliation talks with aggrieved south-west leaders
The new leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are considering options on how to pacify the Southwest geopolitical zone, following protest from its leaders and members over their abysmal failure at the party’s convention on Saturday.
The zone failed to realise its bid to produce the national chairman for the first time since the party was formed in 1998 as a result of the opposition from the party’s governors.
It was learnt that the PDP governors hijacked the party’s structure to have a say in the 2019 presidential plans of the party, secure second term tickets for eight of the party’s 11 governors and for the remaining three to be able to anoint their successors.
In a bid to rally support for National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has reached out to aggrieved PDP members.
Jonathan visited his ally, ex-Minister of National Planning Prof. Abubakar Olanrewaju Suleiman, who lost the post of National Publicity Secretary to the “Unity List” candidate, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan.
The former President urged PDP leaders and members to give the Secondus team “benefit of the doubt”.
Secondus himself initiated reconciliation with PDP leaders in the Southwest, meeting yesterday with a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, in Abuja.
Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson was also expected to hold talks with defeated chairmanship aspirant Prof. Tunde Adeniran.
Further investigation shows that top leaders of the party, especially the founding fathers, were disturbed by the sidelining of the Southwest in the scheme of things.
The leaders were worried that the number of registered voters in Lagos alone is about 5.8 million, which is more than the figures of Bayelsa, Ekiti, Cross Rivers, Gombe and Ebonyi put together.
It was learnt that while the leaders of PDP might have come to terms with the reality of the emergence of Secondus, they said the party must assuage the “genuine feelings of the Southwest.”.
According to a report by The Nation, the PDP options for the Southwest are as follows: engagement and reconciliation; inclusion of more Southwest leaders in party’s key decisions; likelihood of appointment of Senate President or Secretary to the Government of the Federation from the zone, if PDP wins the next presidential race; and juicy appointments after 2019 poll
A member of the Board of Trustees, who spoke in confidence, said: “The PDP chairman on Monday held a reconciliatory meeting with Chief George. We are hopeful that the healing process will yield fruits.”
National Publicity Secretary Ologbodiyan said: “There are efforts to begin a proper reconciliation in the Southwest and with some of our leaders. We believe it is not in the interest of all of us to allow the party to be killed.”
A strong stalwart of PDP, who spoke in confidence, said: “The governors took over the party structure because they have been funding it all along with their huge resources. So, they believe ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune’.
“Some of the governors were emphatic that they cannot entrust their future in the hands of some candidates from the Southwest, who might succumb to pressure from the bigwigs in PDP at any critical moment. They rated Secondus as a very strong character.
“A few others claimed that they were being patriotic by backing Secondus, who can restructure, reunite and make the party stronger to win more states than what the old generation of PDP leaders turned it into.
“But it was discernible to all that the governors are actually targeting 2019 presidential primaries in PDP. They are determined to have much say on who will secure the ticket of the party. Some of them are already working for some aspirants in PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).”
During his visit to Prof. Sulaiman, Jonathan arrived at the ex-minister’s home in Abuja at about 1.10pm and left after a 50-minute stay.
Those on his entourage included a former Minister of Special Duties Mallam Tanimu Turaki and some party leaders.
Jonathan pleaded with Suleiman and other leaders of the party, who felt offended by the results of the elective convention, to forgive and forget.
He said: “We should give the new executives of PDP some benefit of the doubt and see how things work out. If we fail to support them, we are not helping the party.”
He told Suleiman: “I thank you for your doggedness and passion for PDP
“You did well and members of our party know you are the best among the competitors. Put the events of Saturday night behind you and move on. Accept the outcome of the election as the wish of God.
“You should not allow yourself to be stampeded into any untoward action. I know better things await you. We cannot afford to lose you.”
Suleiman, who praised the ex-President for his solidarity visit, said nobody or group could intimidate others out of PDP.
He said: “I thank you for your compassionate posture. You are a consummate leader worthy of emulation. Your visit has inspired me more on my commitment to PDP.
“I promise to take to your advice. The party is ours and nobody or group of people can intimidate us out of the party. I thank you and other members of your entourage for the confidence reposed in me.”
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I stepped down to increase S/West fighting chance of clinching PDP chairmanship title – Agbaje
To better increase the fighting chance of South West, former Lagos State governorship Candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has shelved his ambition to be the next chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Agbaje said this in a statement on Saturday a few hours after the PDP convention began.
The PDP chieftain said the inability of the South-West PDP to pick a consensus candidate has affected the chances of the region to produce the next chairman.
He, however, said he was willing to cooperate with anyone who emerged as the chairman of the party.
Agbaje is the second aspirant to step down after Chief Bode George made a similar move last night.
Agbaje said, “Our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, has, from inception, adopted certain principles, which have evenly balanced offices amongst the country’s geo-political zones. In line with such and other parameters, I have, at different fora, expressed my strong belief that the next National Chairman should come from the South-West.
“I am however convinced that with sevenn out of all nine aspirants coming from the South-West, this multiplicity of contenders will work to the detriment of our zone when it comes to voting.
“Delegates’ votes split seven ways will not produce a chairman from the South-West. It therefore becomes necessary to prune our number down to no more than two.
“With less than 24 hours to the convention, I have painfully decided to withdraw from the race hoping that others will join me in bringing down the number such that the South-West can have a fighting chance of clinching the National Chairmanship of the PDP.”
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PDP National Convention: Why South-West cannot produce Chairman – Tom Ikimi
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former External Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, has alluded reason why the South-West cannot produce the chairman of the party.
Chief Ikimi was speaking at the PDP Zonal Congress that held in Port Harcourt on Monday when he said the PDP cannot afford to allow the South-West produce the chairman because it is prone to crisis.
Speaking at the zonal congress, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike declared the PDP still exists because of the investment and commitment of South-South members and leaders of the party.
He urged the PDP from other zones to extend their gratitude to leaders and members of the PDP from the South-South for their commitment to the survival of the PDP.
“If PDP leaders and members from the South-South are not committed, there wouldn’t have been PDP today.
“It is important that PDP members from other zones of the country congratulate South-South PDP members for their steadfastness at a time PDP was in crisis”.
“We are going as a family and we will continue to work as a family. We will not allow any external force to divide the South-South. We will continue to be together,” Wike said.
Also speaking, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson said, “We are in very trying times. We are in opposition, facing a very fierce and ruthless government at the Federal level. This is a time the governors need your support”.
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was present at the event said for the stability of the PDP, it is necessary for the next chairman to come from the South-South.
“It is important we stabilize the PDP. That is why we need a chairman of PDP from the South-South”, he said.
National Vice Chairman of PDP, South-South, Elder Emmanuel Ogidi said that the South-South will work with other zones to strengthen the party.
The congress attracted PDP leaders from all the six states of the zone.