All Posts in "Day: January 21, 2022"

Group  Lauds Sanwo-Olu  On  Infrastructure Development In  Epe 

Group lauds Lagos State Government community developmen -Freshangle News
A non governmental organisation,Club Seventies Epe in Lagos  has  lauded
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu  for the ongoing reconstruction of Oke-Oyinbo /Awolowo road in Epe area of the state.
Its  President, Mr Ibrahim Sanuth,who  gave the commendation in Lagos,said Sanwo-Olu also did well  for the continuation of the roads, started by the previous administration of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode in Epe division.
According to him, the current administration deserves applause  for entrenching good governance through the execution of pro-people projects in various communities in  the state.
He added:”Mr Governor has contributed immensely to the growth and development of communities in the state.For months now, the roads have been abandoned but the present adminstration has rekindled the rehabilitation of the road, which is now ongoing. We appeal to the state government to invest more in infrastructural development in rural/urban areas to achieve its rural – urban regeneration policy of the state. Road development impacts rural dwellers a lot and boost business opportunities,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu’s administration  had built  over 51 roads, rehabilitated 632 others within the state in 2021.
Sanuth said that all completed road projects  in the community had made commuting smooth with appreciable economic impact on its economy.
He said that the governor’s efforts  had ensure connectivity within the various communities in the state.
He urged Sanwo-Olu to undertake more road projects in the community to avert gridlock in major economic, commercial and residential areas in the state.
“These road projects will make commuting stress-free, life more meaningful for the people and ensure connectivity within the various communities in the state.
“We laud Sanwo-Olu- led government for projects which are in line with the THEMES agenda, especially the first pillar T, which stands for traffic management and transportation.
” The THEMES agenda also underscores the commitment of the administration to execute projects that directly impacted on the quality of lives of residents,” he said.
Sanuth urged the governor to expedite action on several other roads under construction and being upgraded to further ensure interconnectivity of different parts of the state.
He also applauded some road projects which were undertaken by the Federal Government in harmony with the state government to ensure seamless motoring experience for residents.
He  congratulated Epe Local Government chairperson, Princess Surah Olayemi Animashaun, for unveiling several developmental projects achieved to mark her first 100 days in office.
He also commended the council boss for handing over a renovated customary courtroom in line with her promise to the people of Epe land to deliver dividends of democracy at the grassroots .
He said Princess Surah was also commended for impacting the grassroot across key areas such as infrastructure, sports, education, health, security, agriculture, tourism, staff welfare and economic empowerment.
He added:”Key among her socio-economic impacts were remodeling of 39 schools, construction of blocks of classrooms, construction of boreholes, provision of ambulances and staff bus as well as road construction with streetlights. Others include recruitment of teachers, rehabilitation and training of local security officials such as OPC and Ibile, empowerment of artisans, welfare support for the aged and widows and commemoration of World Tourism Day with the launch of Epe Alaro Tourism.
He  congratulated Fadhilat Sheikh Imam  Sadallah Abdulrahman Abiola Aliru on his conferment as the Grand Chief Imam, President General League of Imam and Alfas Epe Division.
Online Editor by — January 21, 2022 in News 0
Setting Agenda For Presidency In 2023(Part 1)

2023 Presidency Re: Matters Arising and Setting the Pace! -By Constance Ogban – Opinion Nigeria
By John Ekundayo, PhD
The writer whilst engrossed in one of the modules of Organizational Leadership during the pursuit of his master’s degree, the term – Agenda Setting – was discussed as a tool used by certain stakeholders to influence leadership decisions or policy directions in organizations and government.
The term, agenda setting, was more prominently employed and exploited by media organizations, globally, to influence and initiate public discourse and debates over certain issues within the confines of communities, counties and countries that even the ordinary citizens might not really desire as priority in their scales of preferences.
 In essence, if a news item comes on frequently and prominently, more often at peak viewing hours, there is the likelihood that the readers (newspaper), listeners (radio), and viewers (television) will take cognizance of the issue as vital and worth their time. It might eventually become a state or national issue that the government of the day, in a particular context, would eventually make executive decisions or legislate on.
In this vein, in every society the presence, prominence, profundity and power of the media cannot be gainsaid especially when measuring the outcome of the developmental mantra of such a society. These days, the digital technology, having birthed the social media platforms, has impacted and enhanced the power and propensity of dissemination of information and ideas globally within a fraction of a second!
2023: Monumental Matters on the Table
It is gladdening to read that one of the key aspirants in the ruling APC for the office of the president, in the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has stated that he intends paying West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for final year students of secondary schools in Nigeria. What is the purpose of this? Will this increase enrollment or enhance literacy rate country-wide? Was this borne out of research or making a political statement? Is it realizable with our dwindling and dipping state of revenue generation bearing in mind that Nigeria’s economy is seemingly sustained by both internal and external loans? What are crucial issues on the table on the route to 2023 as many Nigerians are angling for President Muhammadu Buhari to end his term and hop into his farm in Daura to tend his cows?
Security Of  Lives  And Properties
Paramount and pertinent to any country attaining real development growth and attracting investors is the issue of security. It is worrisome that with high hope the followers voted for the incumbent president in 2015 and 2019 thinking that President Buhari, being a retired army general, would make a mincemeat of Boko Haram, bandits and insurgents.
 Alas, the hope was apparently dashed! It is upsetting that the so-called bandits are now being bandied and branded as terrorists by the same government who thought there were not real threat initially. Top on the front burner as 2023 beckons is the issue of security. We do not need any retired military officer to bamboozle or befuddle us again to vote for him as he is the one with the monopoly of wisdom to wriggle our country out of the contextual conundrum, we have found ourselves. It is doable!
Highly concerned, conscientious, consulting, collaborative and cerebral President will get this done within the nick of time. Nigeria’s followers would love to see how this menace of insecurity would be a time of the past.
Checkmating And Crippling Corruption
As a public analyst and political affairs commentator, I could state without mincing words that the paramount reason Nigerians voted for Muhammadu Buhari as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria was that he would deliver our country out of the jaw of corruption.
We have been in democracy for twenty-three years and corruption practices seem not to be abating. It is a pity that a former military ruler was saying that his own government was better in corruption in that whatever was supposedly stolen was minute compared with humongous public funds disappearing these days with no culprit duly apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land.
 Is the present law not even  too lenient for embezzlers of government funds, remembering, this archaic and antiquated 1999 constitution was the brainchild of the military interlopers? There is the need to revisit the amendment of sections dealing with corruption if the war to checkmate and cripple corruption will be won in Nigeria.
Modernizing Agro-Allied Business
It is high time governments, both states and federal, stopped paying lip service to agro-allied business. This article is not emphasizing agriculture.
The emphasis should be on proactive agro-allied industrial development that would not only harvest the produce but be engaged in processing, packaging, and promoting the manufactured goods in the markets.
 The latter could be local markets within a state; or national markets within Nigeria; or international markets, starting with West African countries to other African countries, and from there to the entire globe. There will be a need to partner with local and international private entities who will be willing to do business with Nigeria.
 Of significant importance to mention, is the archaic issue of cattle rearing along controversial routes. Nigeria has lost lives and limbs from this seeming and needless adversity. Instead, Nigeria, if in 2023 we have a game changer as president, should turn the adversity to prosperity for farmers, herders and the whole country by initiating ranching.
This would result in more meat and milk production with attendant jobs generation. In addition, bye products coming out from the system of ranching would bring in income and more importantly foreign exchange earnings.
States and federal governments vis-à-vis private individuals could partner and invest in this vast industry. Imagine cow consumption in south west Nigeria guesstimated at about two and half billion Naira (N2.5 billion) on a daily basis (according to Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State Governor)! What a huge industry if properly managed and harnessed by all and sundry!!
Modern Healthcare
There is the urgent need for state actors and other high net worth citizens to stop the trend of medical tourism to India, United Kingdom (UK), Germany, United States of America (USA), etc. It should be a crucial campaign issue for a proactive development of our health systems.
Whilst existing health institutions should be revamped to conform to international best practice in medicine, there should be establishment of new state of the art health institutions based on regional arrangement.
These institutions should not be erected but be fully equipped with facilities and highly skilled personnel. The latter should be motivated with internationally accepted remunerations. If this is done, Nigerians that are highly competent working in the diaspora will find their ways home to Nigeria.
 In essence, it would be an apparent way of stemming brain drain. It would be recalled that President Buhari was away from his duty to take care of himself for upward of 200 days from 2015 till date! Asiwaju Tinubu was away in the United Kingdom (UK) for about three months to take care of a “common” knee injury in 2021. This does not speak well of our country as serious in making an appreciable impact in governance.
 Once upon a time, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, was a medical tourism destination for such highly placed individuals as the King of Saudi Arabia. Could it be succinctly and saliently stated that we had a better yesterday? It is high time this ugly trend was arrested!
Conclusion
In concluding the first part of this series, the writer, as a followership scholar, will like to intimate followers who are potential delegates (party) or voters to deliberately be involved in the process of political developments as 2023 beckons.
In essence, the aspirants coming out now, and those that will still come out thereafter should be properly engaged to decipher whether they have anything to offer. In this vein, any aspirant that is not available for robust and rigorous discussion, discourse and debate should be given the boot! Simple and straightforward!! Once bitten, twice shy!!! Nigeria’s followers, be wise.
John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Organizational Strategist, and also a Leadership Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com
Online Editor by — January 21, 2022 in Opinion 0
Bus Terminus:Octogenarian  Leads Protest Against Ekiti Govt. Over Non – Payment of Compensation 

New Bus Terminus: 80yr-Old Leads Protest Against Ekiti State Govt Over Non- Payment Of Compensation – Independent Newspaper Nigeria
An 80-year old and  former labour leader, Mr. Isa Isola Bello,Thursday led  some aggrieved landlords and other  indigenes of Ado-Ekiti to protest an alleged non payment of compensation to their families in the properties acquired by Ekiti State Government for the construction  of new bus terminus .
They alleged that over 100 ancestral buildings were acquired during  during the administration of Ayo Fayose for the construction of new Oja-Oba Market and new bus terminus.
The protesters who displayed placards,also alleged that former governor Fayose adopted selective option for compensation,adding that  only members of his political parties were settled leaving behind those tagged to be in the opposition party.
Bello, said the community had written series of letters to Governor Kayode Fayemi and  the Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, who is also an Ado Ekiti indigene, but all efforts were fruitless.
He added:”We have written series of letters, which were officially acknowledged, but they  did nothing. We are all loyal APC members, so enough is enough. We voted for APC in 2018. The APC got one of  the highest votes in Ado Ekiti here. Within seven days, if they don’t pay, we will take decisive actions”.
The  spokesman of the protesters, Mr. Kehinde Adeosun, said the delay in payment had rendered many homeless and brought trauma to many property owners in that axis.
“The existence of Ijoka Community dated back 1300. The community until its demolition in 2016 was the commercial nerve centre of Ado Ekiti where traders are making millions of naira daily.
“We want to stress  that all other communities and towns acquired after the demolition of our dear community had received compensations from the state government. A critical example is the land acquired for the construction of airport within the State capital and other towns where their owners had received compensations.
“The trauma on our members as a result of this neglect had caused a lot of havoc and psychological distress. We plead that the state government should pay us our entitlements”.
Besides,youth leader of Ijoka, Hon. Olasehinde Omotoso, said it was unfortunate for the government to be spending billions to institute projects in the area , while failing to pay compensations due to them .
“Fayose applied partisanship and gave compensations to only ten landlords before he left,  why should I suffer when I am an APC member? The governor should give us our money within seven days. If they fail, we will take whatever actions we want to take”.
One of the Engineers constructing the Bus Terminal, Kolawole Bankole, promised  that their messages would be taken to government for proper actions, assuring that the governor has not forgotten them.
Online Editor by — January 21, 2022 in News 0
Lagos N800 Transportation Levy Outrageous,Wicked-Group

A Yoruba group, Ọmọ Eko Pataki has  criticized the new  levy of N800 on all transporters by the Lagos state government, saying it’s  cruel, ill-advised and outrageous.
Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd), Trustee of Ọmọ Eko Pataki,who conveyed the group’s displeasure in a statement,said it is thoughtless to impose more burden on the citizens of Lagos when many Nigerians can hardly afford three square meal a day on account of general economic hardship in the country.
He said the  transporters would transfer the heavy toll to commuters which in turn would cause a  multiple spiral effect on cost of foodstuffs and general goods.
He said: “This is unfair. This is unjust. This  is unacceptable. The first principle of governance is to protect and serve the interest of the electorate. Unfortunately  the Lagos state  government has warped this principle. It is obvious to us now that the Sanwo-Olu government is indifferent to the welfare of the people. Its fixity is borne upon greedy, acquisitive orgy.  This is not the vision of an enlightened power.
“We at Ọmọ Eko Pataki reject this reactionary,  covetous, selfish and thoughtless levy. It is needless. It  is unnecessary. It is wrong.  It is a fatuous anti people policy which is capable of triggering social unrest that none of  us wants to happen”
He advised  that people oriented project should be the purpose of governance rather than the exploitative policy like the obnoxious and condemnable 800 naira transportation levy.
He added:”Our government should be humane and selfless. It should not be seen as purely driven by narrow economic advantages. We want peace and harmony in our dear state.  With large unemployment among our youths, with dwindling economic purchasing power among the working population, adding this avaricious levy is tantamount to incitement of the populace.
“The position of Ọmọ Eko Pataki is unequivocal and clear. The 800 naira levy is one tax too many . It should be scrapped forthwith.Government should focus on other sources of raising its income by going back to the seemly abandoned metroline  and the long proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge which is looking more like a pipe dream than a reality”
Online Editor by — January 21, 2022 in News 0