Ogun: Gov. Abiodun approves appointments to statutory boards and commissions

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July 24, 2020

Governor-Dapo-Abiodun--e1585400282663 — File Photo: Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun in the Governor's Office, State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta

Ogun state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has approved appointments into seven state statutory agencies and commissions.

The appointments was disclosed on Thursday in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, who stated that the exercise “was in order to strengthen the machinery of Government and deliver on his “Building Our Future Together” Agenda”.

According to the statement, the list is the first batch of appointees into statutory agencies, Boards and commission in the State, while other appointments will be made in due course.

The commissions whose boards were named include those of the State Civil Service Commission, Local Government Service Commission and Teaching Service Commission.

The rest are those of the Housing Corporation, Health Management Board, State Agro Services and that of the State Bulk Purchase Corporations

“Governor Abiodun enjoins the appointees to see their appointments as call to service for the development of the State and its people. He also challenged them to see their appointment as an opportunity to improve the lives and conditions of those who need it most”, the statement read.

Somorin stated further that the appointees were drawn from major political blocks in the State in consonance with the inclusive governance philosophy of the Government which emphasises a leadership paradigm shift, to a focused and qualitative governance and to create the enabling environment for a public-private sector partnership, that is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun.

The appointees and their commissions are:

Ogun State Civil Service Commission

S/N Name Position

1 Mr. Tokunbo Odebunmi Chairman

2 Hon. Adebowale Ojuri Member

3 Olusegun Fagbayi Member

4 Gabriel Ayinde Falola Member

5 Miss Nike Osoba Member

Ogun State Local Government Service Commission

S/N Name Position

1 Ms Bukky Onabanjo Chairman

2 Hon Lukman Olufemi Adiro Member I

3 Koye Ijaduoye Member II

4 Yusuf Adegbenro Member III

5 Babatunde Rufai Member IV

Ogun State Teaching Service Commission

TESCOM

S/N NOMINEE

1 Evang. Lekan Ifede Chairman

2 Olanrewaju Majekodunmi Member

3 Aderibigbe Tella Member

4 Hon. Joseph Adeleke Member

5 Deola Akintonde Member

Ogun State Housing Corporation

S/N Name Position

1 Chief Yemi Sanusi Chairman

2 Olawale Ojo GM

3 Abidemi Alimi Member

4 Adeniyi Edun Member

5 Adebayo Aladejobi Shuaib Member

6 Ademola Balogun Member

7 Omitaomu Ekundayo Member

8 Olumide Soyemi Member

Ogun State Health Management Board

S/N Name Position

1 Dr. Kunle Solako Chairman

2 Alh. Wasiu Isiaka Member

3 Onaolapo Isaac Olawale Member

4 Mr. Dele Tinuoso Member

5 Sunday Akintona Member

6 Awofeso Hazeemat Abimbola Member

7 Dr. Bankole Osisanya Member

8 Salami Mojisola Ayodele Rep Zonal

9 Bimbola Majekodunmi Member

Ogun State Agro Services Corporation

S/N Name Position

1 Chief Kehinde Adebanjo Chairman

2 Hon. Ajibola Ogunsiji Member

3 Ogundalu Felix Olufemi Member

4 Princess Oshiyemi Member

5 Chief Remi Onasanya Member

6 Sunday Kojeku Member

7 Bidemi Ogunseye Member

Ogun State Bulk Purchasing

S/N NOMINEE

1 Engr. Anthony Ojesina Chairman

2 Kehinde Olaleye Member

3 Dele Erisan Member

4 Mutiu Bankole Member

5 Mojisola Sangonuga Member

6 Bimpe Sonubi Member

7 Jamiu Asimi Member

By Tobiloba Kolawole

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India records over 30,000 coronavirus deaths as US tops 4m cases

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Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 24, 2020

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Official data reveals that Coronavirus death toll in India has now surpass number of fatalities in France on Friday with 30,601 deaths and nearly 50,000 new cases overnight.

According to AFP tally, the figure of coronavirus death in India is the sixth-biggest behind the US, Brazil, Britain, Mexico and Italy.

Having the third-highest caseload with almost 1.3 million infections, the country has in the past 24 hours recorded 740 new deaths from the virus and 49,310 fresh infections, health ministry revealed.

But many experts say that with testing levels low, the extent of the pandemic across the world’s second-most populous country may be far worse than officially reported.

A antibody study commissioned by the government showed this week that almost a quarter of people in the capital New Delhi have had the virus — almost 40 times the official number.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government imposed one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in late March, but it has been steadily eased to lessen the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.

State governments have brought in fresh restrictions as cases soar in Bangalore and away from the big cities in Bihar, West Bengal, Kashmir and parts of Tamil Nadu.

Southern Kerala state, earlier hailed as a success story and which has already imposed partial restrictions, may decide on Monday to impose a full statewide lockdown, reports said.

In the United States the coronavirus pandemic hit grim new milestones on Thursday as cases topped four million and in Europe, three million, as fresh spikes from Belgium to Tokyo to Melbourne forced new restrictions on citizens.

While EU lawmakers combed through a huge aid package for their economies, the UN called for a basic income for the world’s poorest to help slow the spread of the pandemic, and the Red Cross warned of “massive” new migration caused by the economic devastation.

The United States, the hardest-hit country in the pandemic, added one million new cases in just over two weeks, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 143,000 US deaths overall.

The country has seen a coronavirus surge, particularly in southern and western states, as Texas, California, Alabama, Idaho and Florida all announced record one-day death tolls.

Meanwhile, the European continent now accounts for a fifth of the world’s more than 15 million cases and remains the hardest hit in terms of deaths, with 206,633 out of 627,307 worldwide.

A 750-billion-euro post-coronavirus recovery plan was hammered out at an EU summit this week, where fiscally rigid nations butted heads with hard-hit countries like Spain and Italy that have called for huge aid grants.

AFP

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Federal Government to give states N100m for COVID-19 response

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 24, 2020

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The Federal Government says it will boost the financial capacity of states with N100million to promptly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was made known on Thursday by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja.

The Minister noted that once the Basic Health Care Provisional Fund (BHCPF) is activated, states will also get access to it to beef up their health response apparatus.

According to Ehanire, “all states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are receiving support from the COVID-19 response through the Regional Diseases Surveillance Enhancement (REDISSE) Project.

“With this support, they will receive N100 million to enhance high impact priority response activities. The soon to be reactivated BHCPF will join the funding pool”, he said.

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Viral Video: Police detains 3 officers, a civilian for ‘Dehumanising’ woman

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 24, 2020

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police-torture-lady — Screengrabs from a viral video in which a police officer was seen ‘dehumanising’ a woman. Credit: Channels TV

Following a viral video of harassment and dehumanization of a lady by some men on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, police authority has identified three officers and a civilian accomplice who participated in the unprofessional act.

This was disclosed in a statement Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Frank Mba, noting that the suspects are currently being detained at the Lagos State CID detention facility, Panti, Yaba.

“Two suspects, ASP Tijani Olatunji and Inspector Gboyega Oyeniyi have been arrested for their role in the discreditable conduct and incivility to a member of the public,” the statement read.

“Preliminary investigations show that the policemen who are attached to Area ‘A’ Command, Lion Building, Lagos, were on legitimate investigation activities to Ibadan, Oyo State where the incident took place.

“Effort is being intensified to arrest the two other accomplices. Meanwhile, appropriate disciplinary procedures will be initiated as soon as investigations are concluded,” the statement added.

In the video, one could hear the officer interrogating the young lady named Towobola, following a raid at the apartment of an alleged kidnapper.

This is harassment by the Ibadan arm of the Nigerian Police. Even if she’s guilty what sort of questions and harassment is this? @kikimordi @ozzyetomi @StandtoEndRape pic.twitter.com/aeB9kvfMBL

— Olayinka Olaonipekun (@OlayinkaOlaoni1) July 22, 2020

According to the officer who spoke in Yoruba, the young lady was to answer for how she got to know the kidnapper who she claimed to have met only recently.

After whisking the kidnap suspect away, the officers placed Towobola in handcuff and went on to harass her verbally for ‘sleeping with a criminal’.

The interrogation degenerated into very lewd seeming dialogues, with questions ranging from if the suspect is a virgin to how many people she had slept with.

The video went viral after it surfaced online with many calling for the dismissal of the officers, arguing that their conducts were unprofessional.

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NDDC Contracts: Akpabio claims he was misunderstood by NASS

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 23, 2020

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Nigeria’s Minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio, says he was misunderstood in his statement on NASS members being beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the commission.

In a letter read by Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, Akpabio said the house panel probing the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion in the commission did not give him the opportunity to clarify his statement.

His letter came barely an hour after the House threatened to sue him for defamation, for failing to name lawmakers who got the contracts from NDDC, an allegation he made during a televised hearing.

“I never referred to members of the ninth national assembly as beneficiaries of NDDC contracts as NDDC is yet to fully implement any NDDC budget since the commencement of the ninth national assembly. In fact, the 2019 budget passed in February and harmonised on 5th of March 2020 was received by the commission in the middle of April 2020 when the same was designated to expire on 31st May 2020.

As a former minority leader in the eight senate, I shall forever promote the ideals of the national assembly as an institution, hence I will not make the attached documents public since I obtained the documents from the lead forensic auditors in confidence, he added.

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Photos: Buhari lands in Mali hopes for peace

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 23, 2020

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PMB in Mali 1 — President Muhammadu Buhari paid a one-day visit to Mali on July 23, 2020.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Mali on a one-day visit aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis in the country.

The President’s arrival was confirmed in a tweet by his personal assistant on new media, Mr Bashir Ahmad.

According to an earlier statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s planned visit followed the briefing by the ECOWAS Special Envoy to the country, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The statement adds that President Buhari and the ECOWAS Chairman, President Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger Republic had already agreed to meet in Mali to engage in further consultations towards finding a political solution to the crisis in the country.

The two leaders are expected to be joined by the Host President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Presidents Machy Sall of Senegal, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire respectively.

The arrival of President @MBuhari in Bamako. He is in Mali with some ECOWAS leaders led by President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, as they agreed to meet there to engage in further consultations towards finding a political solution to the crisis in the country. pic.twitter.com/qzblArbaRE

— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) July 23, 2020

“We will ask the President of Niger, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS to brief us as a group, and we will then know the way forward,” President Buhari was quoted as saying.

Photos:

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Leave before August 17 – UAE tells Nigerians with expired visas

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 23, 2020

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Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has given Nigerian citizens living in that country with expired visas up till August 17 to pack up their belongings and leave otherwise they would be greeted with wrath of the law.

Following this development, the Nigerian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has implored Nigerians in UAE with expired visas to use the emergency evacuation flights organised by the Federal Government of Nigeria to depart the country on or before the August 17 ultimatum.

“The Embassy wishes to inform that the government of the United Arab Emirates has granted waivers on fines/penalties on visas that expired before 1st March 2020 to leave the country on or before 17th of August 2020.

“Consequently, the Embassy is urging fellow Nigerians living in the UAE to avail themselves of this opportunity to return home with the impending Air Peace evacuation flight scheduled for 1st August 2020, and or subsequent Emirates evacuation flights before the expiration of the grace period.

“Accordingly, affected Nigerian nationals who are willing to return home are kindly requested to submit their names and passport numbers to the Embassy and or the Consulate for onward transmission to the UAE authorities in order to obtain the necessary clearance,” said a statement by the Nigerian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

By Idowu Sowunmi

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Photos: Flying Officer Tolu Arotile buried with full military honours

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 23, 2020

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Arotile buried in Abuja 1 — Remains of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot wheeled by officers of the Nigerian Air Force at the military cemetery in Abuja. July,23, 2020.

Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, has been laid to rest at the military cemetery in Abuja.

The funeral on Thursday was attended by many dignitaries, which include the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq.

Late Arotile, who died on July 14 from head injuries sustained from a freak accident at the Nigerian Airforce base in Kaduna, was described as the pride of NAF, was bestowed full military honours.

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Jegede clinches Ondo PDP ticket, to battle Akeredolu in Oct poll

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 23, 2020

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A former Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in the state.

With this victory, Jegede is expected to slug it out with the incumbent Ondo State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, at the October 10 governorship election in the state.

Announcing the result of the primary election, Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who’s also the Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Returning Officer, said “the exercise was peaceful, free and fair, and was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of PDP.”

He said: “By the powers conferred on me as the Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Returning Officer for this exercise, I announce that Jegede Eyitayo Olayinka, having scored the highest votes cast and met all the requirements of our party’s guidelines for the conduct of this election, is hereby declared winner of the PDP Governorship Primary Election in Ondo State, and is returned elected.”

In a keenly contested primary in Akure on Wednesday, Jegede defeated other contestants, polling 888 votes, while Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, got 657 votes; and PDP National Vice Chairman, Eddy Olafeso, came third with 175 votes.

Other aspirants include: Bode Ayorinde (95 votes); Banji Okunomo (90); Boluwaji Kunlere (33); Sola Ebiseni (29); and Godday Erewa (14).

While appreciating the aspirants and delegates for their comportment and commitment to the success of the exercise, Ugwuanyi urged all the aspirants to close ranks and work for the victory of PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.

In his acceptance speech, Jegede thanked the people of Ondo State, his fellow aspirants and party delegates, for the victory.

He also commended members of PDP Electoral Committee led for “a very transparent exercise.”

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Suspected Boko Haram insurgents slay 5 aid workers in Borno

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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July 22, 2020

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Boko-Haram-Execution-1 — Suspected Boko Haram terrorists staging an execution in Borno State. Photo: A screengrab from the video showing the execution of five men. Credit- Channels Television.

A video has surfaced online showing the execution of five persons by masked men in military camouflage, suspected to be Boko Haram fighters.

A voice was heard speaking in Hausa before the execution, saying that the five persons were working for infidels.

“Those of you that are being used by infidels to turn others to infidels, know this today oh, you who work for infidel groups, you satisfy their aims but they do not care about you and that is why when we catch you they do not show concern. Our call to you is to repent and follow Allah; we shall waylay you in all the roads that you follow and if you don’t listen, the fate of these ones will befall you,” the voice said.

The execution immediately followed his speech at the cue of another voice that said “bisimillah.”

The slain persons are believed to be aid workers captured during a raid in Monguno Local Government of Borno State on June 13, 2020.

They include staff of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Action Against Hunger, Rich International, International Rescue Committee and a security guard.

The execution came after the insurgents demanded the sum of 500,000 dollars to release them.

A staff of the SEMA who pleaded anonymity identified his colleague among those executed, who had also featured in a recent video where they spoke from captivity pleading with the government to intervene.

Despite several air raids by the military and assurances by the Federal Government that many insurgents have been neutralised, they have continued to resurface, attacking communities, aid workers, and even military bases.

Last year, Jihadists aligned with the Islamic State group released a video showing a female aid worker and five male colleagues who had been kidnapped in an attack in northeast Nigeria.

Aid group, Action Against Hunger, had said earlier that one of its staff members along with three health workers and two drivers were missing after their convoy was attacked near the border with Niger.

One of the six hostages who had been held since July, was eventually executed in September, while four others were killed in December.

Thereafter, the French aid group, said it was “extremely concerned and called for the immediate release of its staff member, Grace, who was the only one left in captivity.”

Channels TV

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