OndoDiary2020

21/01/2022

05/11/2021

05/11/2021

17/05/2019

sets to investigate as APC members accuse embattled party chair of fraud
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The Ondo State chapter of the Conference of Councillorship Aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has again demanded refund of nomination fees paid to the party in 2018 over the botched local government poll.

The state government had through the state electoral commission fixed December 1,2018 for the conduct of council poll ,but was later postponed indefinitely.

The aggrieved aspirants, no fewer than 1,500, noted they had paid for nomination forms and party development fee amounting to N100,000 and N20,000 each respectively.

In separate letters addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) and State Security Services(SSS), the aspirants said all efforts to seek refund from the party chairman, Ade Adetimehin, and the state governor,Rotimi Akeredolu, were unsuccessful.

As obtained by The Politico, the group’s letters also addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, his Vice Yemi Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole were signed by its state coordinator, Hon. Akindona Orire.

They called on the party stakeholders to help prevail on the party leadership in Ondo State and the governor to refund their monies, alleging that the party chairman ” defrauded us of money running into One Hundred and Twenty Two million naira(N122,000,000).”

” We have in good authority, with our statistics that, an average of five aspirants obtained the nomination forms from each of the 203 wards across the state,which accumulates to one thousand and fifteen(1,015) aspirants.

” It is indisputable fact that neither the primaries nor the election into local government offices were held. We therefore, expected our party APC led by Mr Ade Adetimehin to return our money since there were no primaries despite fulfilling all requirements as enshrined in the party election guidelines and party constitution.

” We then wrote to the governor,Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on 27th march 2019 to grant us audience in order to interact with him on how we can get our money back since there were no primaries,which he granted us on the 5th of April,2019.But unfortunately in the meeting attended by Mr Adetimehin himself ,the governor told us point blank that he has no money to refund to us.He told us to see the party chairman(Adetimehin) and his excos for whatever related to our money since we have evidences of payment.

” After our meeting with the governor, we mobilized our ourselves to meet the party chairman Mr Ade Adetimehin at the party secretariat in Akure,the state capital. ln his address,he pleaded with us that he would help us to talk to the governor to replace us with serving caretakers supervisory councillors. He did not tell us how we can get our money back whereas he knows very well that,it’s impossible for Mr governor to put us all into the local government as supervisory councillors at the same time because of our numerical strength.

” As law abiding Nigerians who do not want to take law into our own hands,we strongly appeal to you to use your good offices in compelling Mr Ade Adetimehin and his cohorts to refund our money,fraudulently obtained from us under the pretence of conducting election into local government offices.

” Sir,it is also our prayer that you take up this matter with utmost alacrity for investigation and commit Mr Ade Adetimehin to justice for act of criminality.We urge you to give this complaints urgent attention it deserves. We believe that your quick intervention will hasten the refund of our money and correct the injustices done to,well over one thousand aspirants, ” the letter read in part.

17/05/2019

Akeredolu Returns From Thailand, Awaits FG's License For Cultivation of Cannabis
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The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has shed more light on his trip to Thailand for Medicinal Cannabis Extract Development in Ondo State.

Akeredolu who spoke with Government House Reporters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after his arrival from Thailand, explained that the focus of his administration is on medical Cannabis cultivation in controlled areas under the full supervision of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He refuted the rumour making the rounds that government was encouraging cannabis cultivation, noting that government was only looking at the possibility of having legally cultivated cannabis for Medicinal usage.

He frowned at illegal cultivation of cannabis in the state.

The governor observed that since many countries in the world are earning alot from regulated cultivation of cannabis, the same thing can be replicated in the state by ensuring that only licensed people are allowed to grow and cultivate it in a regulated areas for the purpose of extracting the h**p oil for exportation.

He said the development would improve the foreign earnings and the economy of the country and the state in particular.

Akeredolu, however, said the cultivation may not be immediate as the state would have to be first of all be licensed by the federal government before going into it.

He disclosed that government would not go against the United Nations (UN) Single Convention which goes against accumulation of cannabis, adding that government would only license some people who would be given bloc in confined areas under the supervision of the regulatory agencies.

He said individuals and institutions would be licensed to patent drugs from it that will be beneficial to the state and the country at large.

09/05/2019

How Akure, Ondo were included in railway project — Alasoadura

THE Senator representing Ondo Central, Omotayo Alasoadura has said his greatest achievements were the inclusion of Akure and Ondo in the railway project and the sponsoring of a bill on the upgrading of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo to university status.

The APC senator, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), said: “I was able to lobby the Federal Government to include Akure and Ondo among areas that would benefit from the railway project from Lagos to Calabar, as well as sponsoring the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB.

“My greatest joy is that the rail project of the federal government that supposed to go from Lagos to Ore- Benin to Calabar, after several lobbying and consultations with President Muhammadu Buhari, minister of transport, senate committee on land transportation and other stakeholders, I’m very happy that the railway project will now include four of six local government areas in my district. “Akure and Ondo will now benefit from the project,which will be from Lagos to Ore to Ondo to Akure to Owo to Benin to Calabar. Ondo West, Ondo East, Akure South and Akure north councils will benefit and it will boost economy of our people and the state.”

08/05/2019

*ÀROKÒ SÍ Ọ̀RẸ́Ẹ̀MI AJÍṣE BÍ Ọ̀YỌ́*

ọ̀rẹ́ẹ̀mi ajíṣèbí Ọ̀yọ́ ,
Ó mà tó Ọjọ́ mẹ́ta KAN!
Sé àlàáfíà ni mo bá o?
Ever since I entered ọjà ìsìnlú,
It has been very difficult to hear from you,
I'm sure you're in sound health.

My dear friend, it is not because I don't want to write,
Since IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ has increased ìsákọ́lẹ̀,
Everything has gone up, hardly can we feed here!
Well Ọ̀rẹ́, I sense another dùgbẹ̀ dùgbẹ̀,
This time, it may be more than the last.

If you notice, ever since the pronouncement of IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ on the increment in the ÌSÁKỌ́LẸ̀,
Which the generation before they grudgingly paid,
IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ has suddenly increased the same ÌSÁKỌ́LẸ̀,
This time, stylishly and tactically,
But I heard the Ọ̀DỌ́ ÌLÚ won't agree,
I heard they will not pay
I heard they are ready to break the unbearable statos quo.

Ọ̀rẹ́, do you think this IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ is really human?
Do you think he is really what we deserve?
Don't you think he's heading for doom?
I heard he said must we eat?
I heard he said must we train our children?
If you can recall, he said all our ÌSÁKỌ́LẸ̀s
Back then was not enough to change his sandals,
Here he go again.....

Well, help me tell him,
He has called SHONSO
And he must definitely fight!
Tell him his Ẹ̀lúùlù has called for rain,
He must be ready to get drenched.

Help me tell him, Ẹni ò jó t'àná,
Because it is not only the fight of the Ọ̀DỌ́ Ìlú .
I heard the Olú Ọdẹ,
AKỌGUN,
Even the BAṢỌ̀RUN
Has backed the Olórí Ọ̀DỌ́ and his team for this fight.
That reminds me, even Olú àwo , the mouthpiece of the gods is not left out.

I am writing you this Àrokò to keep you abreast of the situation
Because all ARÁ ìlú will need you,
You are seen as igi lẹ́hìn ọgbà for the Olórí Ọ̀dọ́,
And I want you to stand by him.

As per the IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ,
The gods are weighing their options,
Whether to make him dance without a drummer
Or sing without any lyrics.
Whatever their decision is,
He will definitely be ridiculed!

Help me tell the youths to stay strong.
Tell them to stand with Olórí Ọ̀dọ́,
Tell them to put away all resentment and form a formidable team.
Please Ọ̀rẹ́ , use the example of the broom and togetherness,
Do not forget to explain in details the story of walnuts.

It will be a tough battle,
Tell them not to relent,
Tell them to keep it going,
Tell them IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ is at their mercy,
Let them know the story of the termite and it's building.
Let them know that their strength is greater than that of IKÚ BÀBÁYÈYÉ.

Ọ̀rẹ́ẹ̀mi òwọ kẹ̀ǹbẹ̀ rebi ìjà,
Ọkùnrin fìrìgbọ̀n bí àkọ́bí Àwọn Irúnmọlẹ̀ ,
Let me hear from you soon.
Títí di ìgbàyẹn ná,.
Àjíǹde ara á máa jẹ́ o.....
Èminitìrè ní tòótọ́,

*'SEYIFUNMI FRANCIS ADEOSUN* *(FRANCOFONE)*
*(ALAROKO IKILO)*
06-05-2019
08068066805

08/05/2019

Re: SAVE OUR SOUL- ''Our lives begin to end when we stop to talk about things that matter."

Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Bamidele Danielson Akpan wherein a supposed detail of meeting of the students body with the governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was contained.

As the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Student affairs who was also part of the meeting, the meeting was facilitated by the student body even though the notice of the meeting got to the Governor less than twenty four hours before it held.

The Governor, however, did not leverage on the late notice to ignore meeting with the students, a meeting that extended into the latter part of the day.

Despite a less-than-twenty-four hours notice to the Governor seeking a meeting with him, the Governor obliged and he, the President of the student body, Bamidele, sought a personal audience with the governor which was granted and for about thirty minutes engaged the Governor in a personal conversation before craving the indulgence of the Governor to beckon on his colleagues who are student leaders from other institutions.

To say the the Governor ordered to ''flush them out'' is contradicting and misleading!

Altogether, it was a productive and robust discussion.

The Governor stated that the decision to increase or reduce the school fees of tertiary institutions in the state rests on the recommendation of the governing council of the institution.

For instance, the governing board in Rufus Giwa Polytechnic already set up a committee to review the tuition fee in the institution and the state government is expecting a recommendation that will guide its decisions.

Perhaps, the docorum of the atmosphere was against the expectation of the students, they suddenly were displeased.

Having observed that the students were turning away the serenity of the discussion, the Governor requested that the discussion be stopped.

However, it is note worthy that the present day government of Ondo state has not only sustained policies to better the lives of the citizens, it has also improved on them to restore the state back to its leadership status in education.

Basic education in the state has been free and has remained so while the free shuttle programme has also been sustained.

Recall an education summit of all stakeholders that held last year.

Consequent of the recommendations of the summit, the state government took decisions to reposition the education sector in the state.

One of such recommendations was the conversion of Ondo State School of Nursing and Midwives, Akure to a faculty under University of Medical Sciences.

Be reminded that over 500 primary schools across the state have undergone renovation while another batch of 300 will commence soon.

It is also pertinent to state that tertiary institutions (Rufus Giwa Polytechnic for instance) have enjoyed subvention and intervention fund beyond what they used to have in the past, against the position that there has been ''drastic reduction of allocations by over 60% to state owned tertiary institutions''.

The government will continually engage stakeholders, especially the students whose future hangs around policies and decisions of government.

The students remain an integral part of our development as a state and we can't just blow away the chance of giving them the needed support that will help them compete in a globally competitive world.

Adewumi Olabanji
Special Assistant on Youth and Students Affairs

08/05/2019

Africa is subsidizing the world. There is no reason why we should not process, package and market what we produce. From cocoa to rubber, cotton, sugarcane, gold, diamonds, oil, coaltan and even the professionals we train.
The question we should be asking is 'what do you need this cocoa for? Chocolate? Don't worry we can produce that for you'
Instead we sell materials cheap &import finished products dear. Sell rubber/cotton/gold/diamonds/oil/coaltan to import shoes/clothing/jewelry/petrol/electronics. Penny wise Pound Foolish! We could gain 400X what we currently make. That's why I say we're subsidizing the world!
Apart from the absurdity of throwing so much money away there is the general absurdity of African govts either not developing the industries they produce for or their economies from the change they are making.
In Nigeria's case, the oil and gas business is just like you have a well in your house someone comes to your house to take water from that well for $5, purifies it, bottles it and sells it to you for $2,000 while destroying your house in the process for 50 years now.
Why do we allow this? Because those who own the oil are not the ones controlling it. First it was the military now its Fulanis. Second because those who control it have a poverty mentality, including the NDelta heads, they think $5 is the greatest amount of money in the world
And they will kill to maintain access to that $5. This is the scenario across Africa. They think because they have houses and girlfriends or boyfriends in Paris, London and Miami and they are going to dinner with white people they are important.
All the while they're the laughing stock of those white people & Africa remains the laughing stock of the whole world.
Awolowo and Ajayi Crowther have been the only Nigerians who believed in empowering a people. It is time for Yorubaland to leave Nigeria. We have a lesson to teach Africa, we have thought them before.
*Gafa Anofe*

07/05/2019

AAUA Crises: Akeredolu threatened to wipe off Ondo Students - NANS

The NANS President, Comr. Danielson Bamidele Akpan, GCNS, as part of his South West advocacy met with the Tyrant Governor of Ondo State to discourse the following issues affecting Nigerian Students:
1. Increment of School fees
* AAUA 33,000 to 150,000
* RUGIPO 63,000 to 108,000
* OSUSTECH 70,000 to 150,000
2. Stopped payment of WAEC fees for secondary school students.
3. Stopped free transportation for secondary school students.
University of Medical Sciences and School of Nursing unattended to.

After several attempts at getting audience with him, the NANS President eventually accessed him but met a very unflinching and violent man who threatened to WIPE OFF Nigerian students in Ondo state if they disagree with his tyranny!

The NANS secretariat has therefore been relocated to Akure, the Ondo state capital.

Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta!!!