Oyo state Government

Nigerian youths have been called upon to learn a skill as a step towards becoming assets to society.

This call was made on Saturday by Miss Aminatu Aderayo Animasahun of Derayo Vocational Limited at an event in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

''Nigerian youths should not be distracted by hard drugs, lawlessness and criminality, they should learn a skill so that they will become assets to society, rather than liabilities.

Parents and Guaridans in Oyo state have been advised to monitor their children and wards.

This call was made  during the weekend by an Old student of Ibadan Gramar School(IGS), Mr. Adebolu Okikiolu.

'' The buck stops on the parents and gaurdians. Charity begins at home , each family should nurture their children and wards in the ways of God. They should monitor their activities. In addition, the state government should provide all that is necessary to encourage smooth education. The bad eggs among the teachers should also be dismissed,'' Mr. Okikiolu stated.

Running for and winning an office as a governor is an accomplishment to be proud of.

More importantly, Nigeria’s democratic political sphere, for the first time in history, gave the mandate to the people,  through BVAS and INEC Servers, to perfect our voting exercise to have more credible or so reliable results to produce credible leaders in the government of the next political dispensation.

However, the hackers' attempt was disturbing, while vote buying was at its worst practice despite the Naira redesign and cash crunch for the Nigerians making the winners, to look like beneficiaries of the highest syndrome.

However, we need to congratulate the winners for peace to reign and the transition to be smooth for the emerging leaders to be able to perform in a conducive and peaceful environment. After all, those who feel cheated or unsatisfied with the results have the basic alternative to seeking redress in a court of law.

For our Governor in Oyo State, I congratulate Engr. Seyi Makinde FNSE.  On behalf of myself as Mogaji Aare Alasa, Arole OgunElu Dynasty and the entire OgunElu Aare Alasa Dynasty, of which Aigbofa Compound among other 35 is your source, we congratulate your Excellency on your  second term bid success. The first Road of Oja'ba - Oranyan axis reconstructed by your Government and the Renovation of the First Central Mosque, Oja'ba, Ibadan endear all of us to  you and your Government. May your name never be soiled.

Join LeadsLeap

Every government is responsible to its people in the areas of food, clothing, and shelter. Unfortunately, this is the core around which everything else revolves. It is still a surprise that no Governor in Nigeria, past or present, has quite got this basic tenet of governance right. Only with improved income could people seek to build personal homes, however, when the government goes into schemes for people, the challenge of food and clothing would without much ado be surmounted.  Thus, my advice is that the governor take a cursory look into a low-cost housing scheme for civil servants and other people in society with regular incomes to procure. Work on the complaints of the people.

In particular, I put forward the following for consideration:

At the end of these second four years, what would you be noted for? The first has been known to cater to civil servants. What of other areas? Start with this end in mind. Go back in the history of the first four years, what area or sector was left unattended. Give them attention this time around. The focus should be on good government, not politics, which drains energy and time. Practice management by walking around. 

Set performance goals, with high priority goals for local governments should be established.  Each head should set out how it and its agencies will accomplish the goal. This information should be available in the public domain.

Employees more often than not have experience that can improve the administrative environment, but are rarely given the opportunity to air their opinions.

Give greater attention to the current state of State Universities and Polytechnic Campuses; give them a suitable look and review their tuition to be affordable to all; attend to the gloomy state of our water works; provide standard road networks that are not coloured with political undertones.

Pay attention to the poor state of major towns in Oyo state; rehabilitate our general hospitals and be fair to all the 33 local government areas of the state.

The issue of a high sense of insecurity bedeviling the state is a call for concern and action.  

As a religious leader who has observed Nigerian politics for some time, the most important advice I am going to give you is to be prayerful. Also, politics is local. I advise you to increase your local presence. 

On a final note, do not perceive other political parties as arch enemies for peace to reign and accelerated development that will be sustainable and bequeathable to mark the era of Omituntun 2.0 as your second term Blessing.

Alh. Engr. Prof. S. A. Olagoke JP

Ajagun Esin of Oyo State

Mogaji Aare Alasa, Arole OgunElu Dynasty

Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam

Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide.

A cross-section of Igbos in Oyo state have picked holes in the comments credited to the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, Eze(Dr. Alex Anozie. Eze(Dr.) Anozie had in an interview with a monthly local tabloid described the Oyo state Governor as a progressive-minded Governor and among other views including the appointment of  Igbos into political offices by the present administration in Oyo state among related issues. In this interview with People,  the Igbo leader insists that his support for the government goes beyond politics and self-centered interests.
Excerpts :
What is your reaction to the reservation expressed by a cross-section of Igbos in Oyo state on your comments revolving around the present administration in Oyo state?
My response to their reservations as the leader of my people in Ibadan and Oyo state is that any government that comes to power and was duly sworn in accordance with the law must get our support, particularly when that government is doing well.
We can also criticize and advise maturely when the government is not doing well. So when the All Progressives Congress(APC) was in government in the state, to be sincere to ourselves, they tried, they did not leave the state the way they met it, they improved on the previous government's performance. The Governor then,  late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, may his soul rest in perfect peace, may have had his own fault as a human being, as it is only God that is perfect in everything He does. But he performed, so it is now the turn of the present government under Governor Seyi Makinde. The present administration came in democratically and was duly sworn in accordance with the law, so we must support them because we are law-abiding people living in the state. 

When we identify that there are shortcomings, we will surely give mature advice, all for the benefit of the peace, progress, and development of our pacesetter state, Oyo state.
Whatever the number of years that God says the administration will spend in the office, we shall support it, the number of years as stipulated and allowed by the constitution, two terms.  And when this administration finishes and another one comes in democratically and duly sworn in, we are going to support them again. You see, one thing with me is that I so much believe in due process. This is the only way that we can make progress for peace and harmony in the state. So anyone saying anything outside this that I have stated is on his own.

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

               -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

               -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach     

The Oyo State Government has been accused of working against ensuring justice for the family of a 21-year-old undergraduate who lost his life in a factory incident in Ibadan, Nigeria.
This accusation was made on Wednesday by Barrister Femi Aborishade at an event in Ibadan.
''The Federal and Oyo state Governments have failed a worker who was consumed by the machine he was working with, Richard Gbadebo, an undergraduate of European Languages at the University of Ibadan. We wrote the Governor of Oyo state to prosecute the company, not even a reply to acknowledge the letter, we wrote the Attorney General, not even an acknowledgment came from his office, we wrote the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, they could not even acknowledge our letter. Same for the Commissioner of Environment, there was no acknowledgment, not even a reply. We wrote the Federal Ministry of Labor, the Minister through the Controller of Labor acknowledged our letter, they informed us that they have forwarded our request to look into what went wrong and also assured that the Minister of labor has been informed and we also received a letter that a panel has been set up'', Barrister Abroishade explained.

Residents of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state have expressed reservations over the increasing rate of petrol stations and gas plants cited in residentail areas.

The residents insist that these stations and plants pose great dangers to those who reside in and around these establishments.

''These petrol stations and gas plants are threats to people who reside near them. What if there is a negative occurence, what happens to the people ? The Oyo state government must do somwething about this'', one of the residents, Monsuru Akinleye stated.

Insinuations are that fraudulent officials of the Urban Development and Physical Planning Agency in the state connive with the powers that be  to approve the construction of these stations and plants to promote political patronage, in addition to the indiscriminate construction of hotels in residential areas.

There is also the suggestion that it would be extremely difficult for the state Government to muster the political will to reverse the ugly trend.

In his views, the Deputy Director of the state Fire Service, Mr. Moshood Adewuyi opined that since gas is for domestic consumption, the plants have to be located near the consumers.

''The public need to be informed that gas is for domesitc consumption and needs to be very near the consumers. People should not have nay fears for having it in theri domains, since necessary safety mesures have been put in place during constrcution. I want to advise the public not to panic over the way the gas plants are springing up in residential areas'', Mr. Adewuyi stated.

The incoming Government in Oyo state has been called upon to pay urgent attention to the needs of the Department of Fire Service in the state for effective service delivery.

This call was made by the Deputy Director of the Department, Mr. Moshood Adewuyi in a chat with People.

''The department needs prompt attention in terms of equipment that can cope with the present day challenges. We need sophisticated equipment and also we have shortage of outlets which cannot cope with the increasing population. Our personnel also need good welfare package. It is of note that firemen who were recruited sometime ago ran away due to poor renumeration'', Mr. Adewuyi stated.

On the fire incident that occurred at the UMC area of the state capital, Ibadan, recently, the Deputy Director disclosed that communication lag and faulty vehicle hampered the response of the department.

''Although the department's dedicated lines for distress calls are in the public domain, residents of the area did not call, when they went to the Molete office of the department, the fire fighting vehicle with water was faulty. The Molete office has a standard funcitional bore hole, so lack of water was out of it. However, we sent another vehicle from the headquarters to put out the fire'', he concluded.

Not long ago, a building collapsed along Molete/Idi-Arere road in the state capital, this has brought to the fore, the fact that several buildings got quesationable approvals from government for reconstrution. And nothing has been done to address the lapses in governance.

However, the state government, recently, distributed 33 excavators to the 33 Local Governments in the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has raised the alarm over the Oyo state Government's  use of intimidation, threats and harrassment  on the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in the state  to cow it to compromise the electoral process.

The PDP made this revelation  on Wednesday, through its Presidential Campaign Coordinator in Oyo state, Dr. Nureni Adeniran at a Press Conference in Ibadan, Nigeria.

'' It has been brought to our  attention that the ruling party, APC has been threatening, intimidating and pressurizing the top echelon of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to do their unlawful bidding. APC through the Governor, was alleged to have approached the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo state, Barr. Mutiu Agboke, to do their bidding and was harrassed and threatened that if he does not do their bidding, he would ensure that he is transferred out of Oyo state''

''Contrary  to the directve that sensitive  election materials should be returned to CBN, the Governor insisted it should be returned to Government House. Although it was resisted by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Mutiu Agboke. The fact that the effort was made by the Governor makes it bad enough for our Democracy at this auspicious time''.

''At the instance of APC and their cohorts, the smart card readers that were supposed to be configured at  INEC office in Ibadan,  concerted efforts were made to get it configured at the Agodi Government House, Ibadan through coercion''.

''Allegations of outright thumb printing at the Government House leveled against the Governor since last week, has not been refuted up till now. We demand investigation into this allegation since our campaign council was  inundated with calls from different quarters'', Dr. Addeniran stated.

The PDP also called on staff of INEC and other agencies that would play roles in the general elections, not to ''succumb to  pressure from the ruling party or anyone at all to carry out any illegal and untoward practices that could change the will of the people which can truncate our fledging Democracy''.

''We don't want a situation where they would subvert the will of the people. We should cry out on time so that the people of Oyo state will know what is going on'', he concluded

The electorate in Nigeria   have been advised to resist the temptations of selling their votes in the 2019 general elections.

This advice was given by the  Oyo state Chairman of the Young Democratic Party(YDP)Mr. Chris Ayantoye, in an interaction with PEOPLE.

''It is very unfortunate that in present day Nigeria, Nigerian citizens are still been deceived to sell their votes for money. It is not only sad, but regrettable, when people are seen struggling to collect money for their votes. I call on Nigerians not sell their votes in the coming 2019 general elections'', Mr. Ayantoye advised.

 The  Oyo state chapter of the Young Democratic Party Calls on all the good people of Oyo state to Collect their Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) from the INEC offices nearest to them

For further information, contact 08068964410/08104658995/07035538970

Stakeholders in the betting industry, last Wednesday, shunned an interactive forum organized by the newly reconstituted Oyo state aming Board.

The stakeholders hinged their action  on the fact that the intention of the board might not be in line with their battles fr survival in te industry, considringthe tax regime in the state.

They lamented that the business environment in the state was unfriendly, harsh and hostile,just as they warned that any attempt to introduceaother category in te mulitple taxe regime, currently operating in the state, will force several operators to close down.

A few of the operators were, however, cited at the forum. 

In his remarks of the board, Mr. Lekan Abari, opined ''this is a stepping stone to so many things that is going to be done. There are over 50 operators in the state less than 10 are in attendance''.

One of the stakeholders, who was in attedance, Mr. Michael Nwogu, the Cheif Executive of Celcon Limited, a platform provider, appealed to the board to protect operators, adding ''of all the stkeholers, only  those in sports betting are online and none of them are using ocal platforms, they all have to pay their subscriptons in foreign exchange, what is the board doing ?''.

Similarly, the Secretary of the Pools Promoters Asociation in Oyo state, Mr. Gbenga Ogungbenle drew the attention of the board to the fact that the business environment n Lagos varied from that  of badan, while lamenting  that the state governmen did not cary them along when it decided to make changes in the nomenclature of the board.

''What is applicable in Lagos cannot be applicable in Ibadan. We didn't know whe the sat government inaugurated the state Gaming board, there is little or no difference from the  pools beeting board we usd to know. We are not online, Why the change ? We don't know, all of us in the industry are passig through hard times'', Mr. Ogungbenle disclosed.

In response, the Chairman of th state Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Bisi Alli declared that the sanitizaton of the  revenue process by the revolved on mutula benefit.

''We are sanitizing the rvenue process in the state. Govenment must render service and you mus pay. Our state must be in line with what obtains in all other parts of the world. The essence of embracing technology  is to assist operators.

It makes your operations very easy and lesscumbersome. The cost of compliance becomes cheap, it reduces as transaction increases. It knocks down the cost of compliance. Those who operate illegally cannot come o our platform. More importantly, you need the government, the government needs you. If you don't partner with government, if you don't pay  your contribution, it might be difficult'', Mr Alli warned.

Sadly, jobless youths and secondary school students, form the bulk of those who patronize the betting centres, who also include market me nd women.

These category of people spend valuable time discussing, analyzing and projecting  winning prospects