By Abdulwahab Lawal

Governor Abiodun has commended the Governing Council for bringing down the rate of cultism and all manners of indiscipline in the university, pointing out that the feat has resulted to high level of interest displayed by the number of students seeking admission.

“I think that one thing that stands out is the level of security or the reduction of the level of insecurity, we all know what characterised that university in the past where there were cultism and all manners of indiscipline. We see that has greatly subsided and students are more focused on their academic activities and I think that is very impressive.

Abiodun added; “That is what will explain for the higher level of interest that is displayed by the number of students that are seeking admission, because nobody will want his or her children in a university where there is a high rate of cultism and bad behaviour.

“So, I will like to congratulate the Governing Council on your particular achievement of curbing the rate of insecurity which is one challenge that we are now currently dealing with along the length and breadth of not just this state, but the country at large,” the governor stated.

Abiodun who disclosed that his administration has acquired buses for the smooth transportation of students on campuses, added that the buses would soon be handed over to the institutions as soon as issues on the management of the buses are sorted out with respective institutions.

“Recently, we also committed to the provision of buses, as a matter of fact, we have since acquired those buses and they have since been delivered to us, we will soon be sitting down with you to discuss the handover of those buses and of course, the management of those buses for the convenience of transporting your students”, he noted.

While appreciating the Governing Council for the changes it has made in the curricular of the institution, the governor also commended the Council for what they were able to achieve in terms of students’ welfare.

“I want to appreciate some of the changes that you’ve made in curricular; you have mentioned that you have introduced Nursing, Music and Linguistics and that it is doing very well. You have also done a lot of work in regards to students’ welfare, particularly by providing through Public Private Partnership, accommodation and increased students population from four hundred to three thousand”, Abiodun submitted.

The Pro Chancellor and Chairman, Governing-Council of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga, has disclosed that the institution now has 96.4 percent accreditation status for courses being run by the varsity.

Olusoga, who said the National University Commission (NUC) granted full accreditation for seventy courses out of seventy-two presented before the Commission, added that OOU under the watch of the present Council has been able to increase the accreditation from the 76% it met when it came on board in 2017.

Belo-Olusoga gave this disclosure when she led members of the Council on a courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun, in his Oke Mosan Office, on Friday.

She said that the school has enforced discipline and also ensured strict adherence to work ethics, through the review of the Code of Conduct for staff and students.

She noted that the work ethics that was introduced has ensured that disciplinary actions were enforced without fear or favour.

She informed the governor that erring staff and students, through the university management and senate had been disciplined after following the established procedures.

The Pro-Chancellor also said that institution has put in place mechanisms that would continue to ensure the timely release of examination results of students, the prompt processing of transcripts and certificates.

She equally said that the Council had also approved the establishment of a Students Welfare and Hostel Management Committee that would interface with the owners of hostels and students residing in the properties.

While noting that the objective of the Committee was to ensure that mutually beneficial relationships continue to exist between both parties, added that regular consultative forum is being held with all stakeholders in the university so as to ensure that problems and challenges were resolved before they snowball into preventable crisis.

Belo-Olusoga who further disclosed that the university under her watch has transited from its non-residential policy to a residential policy, said that the students population residing in the hostel has increased from initial four hundred to over three thousand students.

By Olufemilade Oyinade

The Ogun State government on Tuesday took delivery of medical equipment worth N194m from the government of Czech Republic.

The equipment include fifteen ICU beds, an incubator, children cribs, a generator and a phototherapy machine.

Handing over the equipment, the Czech Republic Ambassador to Nigeria, Marek Skolil, to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun in his office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, expressed his home government’s delight to support and partner the state government, particularly in the area of health development.

Skolil added that the Czech Government is concerned about how Nigeria, being the centerpiece of the regional architecture of the African continent, was not developing not only in terms of infrastructure, but also in terms of human and social well-being.

The Ambassador who noted his country’s industrial development, mechanisation of agriculture and the health sector, commended the state government for the role it played during the global pandemic.

While also noting that the Czech government was bringing an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) center into Ogun, he expressed belief that the center would help the state government to further develop its healthcare sector.

In his remark, Governor Dapo Abiodun commended the Czech Republic for donating the ICU Unit beds, incubator, children cribs, a generator and a phototherapy machine to the state.

“I am glad that at a time when we needed you the most, you chose to support us as a state and a country by extension.

“I want to personally appreciate that gesture of donating fifteen ICU beds, an incubator, children cribs, a generator and a phototherapy machine to us in Ogun State, we appreciate your kind gesture, the equipment is estimated at $47,000; this donation is deeply appreciated,” the governor said.

Abiodun, while also calling for collaborations in the area of engineering and air surveillance from the Czech Government, said his administration since it came on board had been able to remove all forms of administration bottlenecks, through business-friendly policies.

“We know you are quite experienced in the area of engineering, infrastructure and agriculture, those are areas, I am so optimistic we can collaborate on. We are looking to deploy air surveillance across the state in terms of using drones, we can also collaborate in this area, as we see security as an important part of our administration,” Abiodun added.

He disclosed that his administration was awaiting the donation of about six ambulances before the end of the week, saying his administration is also waiting patiently for the Czech Government to deliver on its promise to donate ambulances to the state.

“We are anxiously waiting for those ambulances you promised us. When we assumed office, there were only five ambulances in the state, today, we have twenty ambulances. I think somebody else is donating about maybe five, six ambulances sometimes this week, so, we have about twenty-six. We aim to have about thirty-five to forty ambulances because we want to have one ambulance per state constituency and we have twenty-six of such constituencies.

“What we want to do is to provide enough ambulances to make that operational, we are providing ambulances in the primary health care centers, tricycle ambulances for pregnant women in that neighbourhood, we are rehabilitating the centers so that they give our people the confidence. At the end of this month, we should have about hundred of those in place, which is about five per local government, we are hoping to do two hundred and thirty-six between now and end of next year.

“We are hoping that once we have our Primary Health Care Centers in place, we can launch our health care Insurance Programme as well,” Abiodun submitted.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, commended the Czech Republic Government for its numerous support to the state.

She disclosed that the medical equipment would be installed in Ijebu-Ife, one of the local communities visited by Ambassador Skolil.

The continued collaborative effort between the Federal and Ogun State Governments on agriculture, will soon bring about maximal utilisation of the 25,000 metric tons capacity storage comprising of 10 Silo facilities and 500 metric tons warehouse, in Ikenne Farm settlement, towards preventing post-harvest loss and linkage of value-chain actors in the sector.

Leading a team on an inspection tour to the facilities being managed by Terra Farms Limited at the settlement in Ikenne Local Government Area of the State, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, said the partnership arrangement would assist young farmers to easily preserve and sell their farm produce profitably.

Odedina hinted that one of the agricultural agenda of the present administration was its quest for effective Public Private Partnership coupled with technical and climate-smart agriculture, noting that the collaboration was in preparation for a bumper harvest being envisaged through various government’s interventions, such as the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

“This is a silo built by the Federal Government of Nigeria and managed by Terra Farms Limited in Ikenne Farm Settlement. It will be a benefit to agricultural and private sector players in Ogun State. Governor Dapo Abiodun has advised us to concentrate on technical and climate-smart agriculture and locate facilities to help our farmers in handling storage.

“So, we are linking them up to storage facilities and 500 metric tons warehouse, which is also available here. We want them to bring their grains for storage and bag at a fee with their brands”, he said.

On his part, the Head, Value Addition of Terra Farm, Mr. Emmanuel Saseun expressed delight on the existing partnership between his company and the State Government, positing that it would go a long way to limit post-harvest losses by farmers and boost agricultural business in the State.

In a related development, Dr. Odedina and his team also inspected an eight hectares cassava demonstration farm under the care of Cassava Revolution Programme, at the settlement.

Dr. Odedina said Governor Abiodun funded the Programme after eight years of neglect to be a model for young farmers and offer technical assistance to them with off-takers and processors, towards food and nutrition security, as well as industrialisation, saying, “we are creating close to 1,000 jobs in the settlement to drive agricultural agenda of the present administration”.

In her remark, the Director of the Programme, Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye said the demonstration farm was fully mechanised to align with the best global practice.

“We planted to show any farmer, especially the youth who wants to venture into cassava cultivation, to follow the model. Whoever wants to go into cassava production should follow this. Here we are expecting minimum of 30 tons per hectare”, she stated.

As part of measures towards ensuring transparency and accountability in government financial systems, as well as promoting seamless payment method for tax payers, the State government says all is set for the introduction of the Revenue Digital Transformation Initiative.

Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, who disclosed this to OGIS correspondent on the sideline of a meeting with revenue stakeholders, consultants and some management staff of his Ministry, emphasised that the initiative was necessary to maximise the State’s revenue potential and create employment for the people.

Okubadejo noted that in the process, possible areas to improving revenue generation, particularly in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), of government would be identified.

According to him, the initiative would be implemented in phases, as stakeholders in relevant MDAs would be acquainted with the procedures for better understanding, noting that a Billing and Payment Management System (BPMS), would also be in place, to allow government has a holistic overview of the processes.

Okubadejo stressed that the State Internal Revenue Service, was undergoing technological upgrading for effective and efficient service delivery, adding that when completed, it would enhance organisational structure, legislations, human capital development, infrastructure from tax stations, footprint, operational vehicle among others, as well as ratifying a functional website, which avails tax payers the opportunity to interact with tax officers online.

‘’The Ministry has decentralised its payment within the State, with a direct online payment and the re-introduction of Point of Sales (PoS) payment, as well as a debit scratch card for micro collection, and so on. Another one is the Payment Gateway, with the use of remittal platform, while we are introducing a system specially for Bureau of Lands and Survey called Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS)’’, he said.

Earlier in his opening remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Hassan Adekunle said the reforms were timely at the period when the entire world is facing adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic, noting that they were win- win opportunity for the government and citizens.

By Lolade Aladelola

The remains of Pastor Dare Adeboye, son of the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God has been laid to rest at a private vault at the Redemption Camp.

Pastor Dare was buried on Tuesday after a farewell service for him at the Youth Centre, Redemption Camp, RCCG.

The deceased before his demise was the Youth Provincial Pastor in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. He died suddenly on Tuesday, June 4, 2021 in his sleep.

Founder of Living Faith Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, while praying for the immediate family of the deceased at the event said there would be no going back for the church and the family, adding that it would be forward ever for them after the death of Pastor Dare.

“Every challenge of life requires a constant. Every problem in life requires a constant for solution. Let God be true is our constant, ever reliable, ever sure, He knows what He is doing.
What I do now thou knowest not but thou shall know hereafter.

“No going back. It shall be forward ever. For the entire family, it shall be forward ever, for the Redeemed Christian Church of God, it shall be forward ever, for the body of Christ it shall be forward ever.”

Before Oyedepo prayed for the family, Pastor Leke Adeboye, brother to the deceased read the Bible at the farewell ceremony. He said there was no reason to grief and called on all to only remember the deceased and the family of the deceased in their prayers.

Dignitaries present at the farewell ceremony of the late Pastor Dare included among others: Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele; former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko.

By Lateefat Lawal

In demonstration of its commitment to a multimodal transportation system aimed at providing improved movement of people at affordable costs through a bus-based public transport system and also sustaining valuable public health benefits by reducing road fatalities and personal exposure to harmful air pollutants, Ogun State government has taken delivery of high capacity buses equipped with modern technological capabilities. 

The new buses, which is part of government’s deliberate efforts at modernizing and promoting efficiency in the transport sector through a bus mass transit scheme, as contained in its urban renewal programme, is designed to have better capacity and reliability than a conventional bus system with a view to providing commuters a safe, affordable, fast and pleasurable experience on the roads.

Speaking on the arrival of the buses, the State Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo said that taking delivery of those buses was a testimony to the commitment and readiness of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration to strengthen local economy through transport  development, thereby creating jobs along the value chain of transportation system.

“This is a commendable fulfilment of promise made two weeks ago by the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to the good people of Ogun State as regards commencement of bus mass transit scheme in the State. The scheme, it is important to note, is designed to make transportation more accessible, affordable and safe with more jobs being created and State economy boosted without throwing  people out of jobs”, he stated.

By Jubril Omowumi

The Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar has declared that Ramadan fasting would continue today as there was no prove of sighting the moon yesterday.

The Sultan had Declared Tuesday ‘Moon Searching day’ but since there was no sighting of the moon and that the Ramadan fasting would continue today Wednesday April 22 he has now declared Thursday, May 13, 2021, as Eid-ul-Fitr day.

This was contained in a statement signed by NSCIA Assistant Secretary-General, Professor Salisu Sheu.

According to the statement, “the NSCIA – under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto – wishes to inform the Nigerian Muslim Ummah that there was no proven report of the sighting of the crescent of Shawwal, 1442 AH on the 29th of Ramadan, 1442 AH.

“Ramadan fast will therefore continue tomorrow Wednesday, 12th May 2021 as the 30th day of Ramadan. Consequently, Thursday 13th May, 2021 is hereby declared as 1st of Shawwal, 1442 AH and the day of Eid-il-fitr.

“The Council prays that Almighty Allah accept our fasting and other virtuous acts in Ramadan and grant us all peaceful and blissful Eid celebrations. Wassalamu alaikum wa-Rahmatullah.”

…call for national conference, review of national appointments

By Sola Adeseye

Worried about the spate of killings, kidnappings, arson and robbery Southern Nigerian governors, except Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola and his Cross Rivers state counterpart, Ben Ayade converged in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Tuesday and resolved to outlaw open grazing in the region.

Under the aegis of the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum (SNGF) they addressed the growing issues of insecurity and other matters affecting their different regions with the composite framework of the Nigerian federation.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredoku said after reviewing the situation in the country, southern governors roundly condemned open grazing and ordered movement of cattle from the Northern part of the country to the South.

They also called for a National conference to determine National questions bothering on the nature of Nigeria’s federalism and federal character in national appointments, among other issues.

The Southern Nigeria Governors Forum is the umbrella body for all the seventeen governors in South-West, South-South and South-East geo-political zones of Nigeria.

While the South West has Amotekun, Ebubeagu is the name of the security outfit of the South East region to address region-specific challenges.

The Southern Nigeria Governors Forum meeting critically evaluated the security challenges in the country, the implications for southern Nigeria and proffered an immediate and long term solutions so as to keep the regions safe and secured for the citizens.

It would be recalled that the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum held a virtual meeting last Tuesday at the instance of Governors Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and David Umahi (Ebonyi) who are chairmen of the South-West, South-South and South-East Governors Forum respectively.

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources in conjunction with the Ogun State Government have concluded arrangements to rehabilitate Ota Water Scheme at Iju in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the State, to allow for expansion of the scheme and make it function effectively.

The Acting Deputy Director, Urban Water Supply, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Engr. Paul Oparaji, while speaking at a meeting with the management of the State Water Corporation, said both parties decided to resuscitate the project, due to its strategic importance to the residents in the area.

Oparaji stated that the Project was originally initiated in 2004 by the RCC Nigeria Limited, and later abandoned due to paucity of funds and some other logistic issues.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun State Government in 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which led to the reactivation and re-packaging of the contract to obtain necessary approvals, for rewarding the contract to another contractor, Naston Nigeria Limited and expected to be completed in 24 months”, he said.

He urged stakeholders and residents of the area to cooperate with the State Government and the contractor, to ensure successful completion of the project to achieve its primary objectives, saying it would avail the people and industries in the area have access to potable water supply.

Also speaking, a partnering Consultant on the project, SSHWED International Project and Consulting, Engr. Moses Nnaji, advised the State Government to address all bottlenecks, particularly right of way and youth’s restiveness in the area, which could hinder the smooth take-off of the project, before the contractor mobilises tools and manpower to the site.

He also noted that the Ogun State Water Corporation should ensure that the second phase of the project, which was the distribution of the potable water to the final consumers is achieved, as soon as the contractor delivers the first phase of the job.

Nnaji explained that the project is basically in two different scope; with the first addressing the reconstruction of the existing scheme, while the second would expand and maximise it from less than 40 percent capacity to a higher one.

Responding, the General Manager, Ogun State Water Corporation, Engr. Oluseye Maku, said the issue of right of way had been secured, while others would be resolved in due course, noting that the State government had demonstrated its interest in distributing and making potable water available to the populace.

The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Prince) Olakunle Taiwo Oluomo, has congratulated Muslims on the occasion of the 2021 Eid-el Fitri celebration and urged the entire ummah ( muslim community) in the State to use the festive period to reflect on the deep spiritual significance of humanity, above any form of adversity.

Rt. Hon. Oluomo admonished all faithful allow the lessons learnt during the spiritual exercise of faith through self -cleansing, discipline, dedication and sacrifice reflect in their endavours and dealings with fellow men towards engendering peaceful co-existence to aid national development.

The Speaker in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media & Publicity, AbdulGhaffar Adeleye, enjoined all muslims to imbibe and sustain the teachings of the month-long fasting period, by being committed to national unity.

“The nation’s current challenges could be surmountable through fervent prayers and patriotic belief in the oneness of Nigeria.

The several activities of Ramadan; daily Tefsirs, Tahjuds, Ramadan Lectures and Laylatul Quadri programmes amongst others should effect the desired change in our daily dealings with ourselves as a people.

Let’s place humanity first, banditry, kidnapping, crimes and other vices have no place in any religion. Hence, this year’s Eid-el-Fitri celebration should be a period to reflect on the deep spiritual significance of humanity, above any form of challenges,” he counseled

The Speaker therefore appealed to the people of the State to endeavor to follow all government’s guidelines towards combating COVID-19, while praying that the scourge becomes history in no distant time.