As part of effort to reduce the spread of the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), particularly the mother-to-child transmission of the virus, the Ogun State Government has said that it will continue to promote integration and strengthen referral linkages, between antenatal care, family planning, sexual and reproductive health services.

The Executive Secretary/Project Manager, Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OGSACA), Dr. Kehinde Fatungase, who made this known at the year 2020 Annual Response Report on ensure HIV/AIDS, at Imodi Mosan, Ijebu-Ode, stated that resources would be harnessed to ensure that the State is free of the virus.

Dr. Fatungase, in a statement signed by the Agency’s Press Officer, Mrs. Tomi Soremi, noted that the present administration was committed to the wellbeing of women and children, stressing that contraceptive-demand generation programmes for HIV positive women would be given utmost attention, while the expansion access to HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) services would be monitored.

He added that the Agency is targeting at least 80 percent of people living with HIV and vulnerable children in the three Senatorial Districts of the State, for access to quality service, care and support, just as 90 percent of all HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are scheduled to receive ART, by the end of year 2021.

In her contribution, a Consultant on HIV/AIDS in the State, Mrs. Balikis Olorunisola, said the State was passionate on data gathering and documentation, noting that record keeping of activities with accurate figures, is essential for the State’s HIV work plan.

Olorunisola admonished participating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and others to key into the programmes analysis, so as to increase prevention rate and save lives, assuring that the State government would institutionalise and strengthen the quality management systems for all ART and Viral load assessment services.

At least, a total number of One hundred youths have been empowered across the three Senatorial Districts of Ogun State, in different vocational skills, including Catering, Baking, Tie and Dye, Coding, Animation, as well as Arts and Crafts, facilitated by the government in collaboration with two private firms; IHS Nigeria Limited and WeforGood International, both in Lagos.

The State Deputy Governor, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, while speaking at the graduation ceremony of the trainees in Abeokuta, said the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative of the State government, has given the teeming youths opportunity to be self-reliance and sufficient.

Engr. Salako-Oyedele, represented by the Senior Special Adviser to the Deputy Governor, Hon. Raman Salako, through the Agency’s spokeswoman, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogungbade, explained that vocational skills were essential to the development and growth of a nation, affirming that effort of the present administration has brought about the birth of TechHub and Jobs portal, calling on other private organisations to hunt for talents, to engage youths meaningfully.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment, Prince Lekan Olude, represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Job Creation, Mr. Biola Odetola said job creation is one of the critical pillars of the present administration to deliver the young people from idleness and unemployment, noting that skill acquisition programme is a way of delivering the dividends of democracy.

Olude charged the trainees to make good use of the knowledge gained, saying “consider the skill you have as your life, nurture it, live on it daily and the sky will be your starting point, as it will improve your standard of living”, he said.

In her remarks, Director of IHS Towers Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Ama Sholoton pointed out that young people are more likely to be unemployed, compared to adults, noting that 14 million youths were unemployed, due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

She noted that the training is meant to make the graduands self-reliance and needed to gain technical skill that will make them successful.

Sholoton added that her organisation was committed to providing entrepreneurial training, business management support, cooperative setup, micro-credit and branding, to enable the trained youths survive in future, urging them to be resilient.

Speaking on behalf of the graduands, Mr. Adenekan Olayinka said the training would avail them the opportunity to be a job provider, rather than seekers, appreciating the State government and collaborating firms for the gesture.

Highlights of the event, were the issuance of certificates to the trainees, along with the provision of basic working tools and start-up kits.

By Bola Aladelola

All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the commencement of sales of Expression of Interest Forms for members seeking election into the offices of Local Government Chairmen and Councilors in the forthcoming local government elections.

In a press statement issued in Abeokuta on Friday and signed by the Publicity Secretary of the Ogun APC Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, the party urged interested members to obtain Expression of Interest Forms from the state secretariat between Friday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 12, 2021.

According to the statement, “Chairmanship Aspirants are to pay a non-refundable fee of N200,000 (Two hundred thousand naira only), while Councilorship Aspirants are to pay N50,000 (Fifty thousand naira only). However, female aspirants are to N5,000 (Five thousand naira only) as administrative charges.”

“All payments are to be made in bank draft issued in favour of All Progressives Congress, Ogun State, while the deadline for submission of completed forms is Thursday, May 13, 2021”, the statement concluded.

By Steve Pam

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has approved the establishment of vigilante groups to combat the high rate of insecurity in the state.

The Governor disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the expanded stakeholders’ meeting held at the new banquet hall of the Government House.

Ortom, who said renewed attacks on the people by armed herdsmen had overstretched security agencies, noted that the state government had decided to strengthen the state security architecture with the establishment of community volunteer guards (vigilantes).

He said the vigilantes would be constituted from the community to local government levels to complement the operations of conventional security agencies across the state.

Ortom explained that the recruitment process would commence immediately, adding that those to be recruited would be within the age range of 18 to 50 and mostly ex-servicemen.

The governor said the state government has been mandated to support the vigilantes with logistics as provided in the law.

He added that the recruitment of personnel would be carried out in the 23 local government areas of the state.

The governor stated, “Those to be recruited are ex-servicemen and people from 18 to 50 years, and they must have stable sources of income and must have lived in their respective communities for a minimum of six years and they must be of impeccable characters and be loyal.

“All the vigilantes must carry weapons that are licensed so that anytime there is external aggression, they must be able to rise up to defend themselves.”

In line with its synergy with the private sector, the Dapo Abiodun-led administration has taken delivery of three ambulances from the Abudu Samad Rabiu Foundation(ASR) and the BUA Group.

Receiving the ambulances at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Friday, Governor Abiodun commended the Foundation and the BUA Group for being a responsible business concern which gives back to the society.

“I want to thank the BUA Group for being a responsible business concern, that wants to give back to the community where they are doing businesses”, Abiodun noted.

He added that his administration had prioritised the implementation of the state economic agenda by ensuring that it provides the needed infrastructure in the five pillars of ‘ISEYA’, particularly in the area health infrastructure

The governor noted further that his government had also embarked on aggressive approach of rehabilitating its primary and secondary health care centers.

Abiodun, who also said that his administration had launched a 24-hour ambulance service across the state, disclosed that the three newly donated ambulance would increase the number of functional ambulances in the state to twenty and vowed to raise the number to thirty before the end of May.

“We have since launched a 24-hour ambulance service in Ogun State, and these three new ambulances will make them twenty. We met five and we added 12 making seventeen before today. And we are very confident that between now and the end of the month, the number will probably proceed to about thirty ambulances,” the governor stated.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, ASF Africa Foundation, Ubom Udoh, who commended the governor for the successes he has been to record under two years in office, said the Foundation would continue to support the state government in espousing good governance for the benefit of the people.

By Fausat Alalade

Chelsea beat Real Madrid of Spain to set up an all-English Champions League final against Manchester City on 29 May.

The London team, After a 1-1 draw in Spain, Timo Werner, who earlier had a goal disallowed for offside, headed Chelsea ahead after Kai Havertz’s chip rebounded off the bar.

Real’s Karim Benzema had a low strike and a header superbly saved by Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy who could be described as the block between the two team.

The blues showed uncommon determination as they dominated the second half and Mason Mount scored late on from close range for a 3-1 aggregate win.

The defeat of Real Madrid who are many times winners of the Championship trophy sets up Chelsea, the three times winners against first time finalists and rampaging Manchester City in Istanbul.

Chelsea in one of the previous finals of the Champions League lost on penalties to Manchester United in 2008 and then beat Bayern Munich in another shootout in 2012.

Manchester City beat Paris St-Germain 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final on Tuesday to seal a 4-1 aggregate victory. It will be the second all-English final in three seasons after Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in 2019.BBC

By Fausat Alalade

20 year old Frank Ezekiel Akpan accused of killing Iniobong Umoren has confessed to kidnapping and ritual killing as their family business.

He said his father introduced him to the business years ago with his sister, brothers and his girlfriend were all in it together.

He revealed that his sister and girl friend were used to lure young ladies to their house by making friends with them, invite them for a visit where they would be murdered and decapitate their heads before other body parts for sale to ritualists.

Many graves were uncovered where Iniobong was buried.

By Shola Adebayo

The Ogun State Government has been nominated to benefit from three Federal Government’s agricultural pilot programmes aimed at further positioning the state as the food basket of the country.

The Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Land Development Authority(NALDA), Paul Ikonne, made this known when he led the management of the Authority to the office of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, on Wednesday.

He noted that the state would benefit from the Integrated Farm Estate, Garri Packaging Plant, a training programme on soil testing and extension services for 200 young graduates with science and agriculture related degrees.

The Executive Secretary added that the Integrated Farm Estate would be sited in the three senatorial districts of the state, stressing estate would involve everything from production to processing, packaging and marketing.

Ikonne explained that the Garri Processing Plant would give farmers the opportunity of farming with the belief that their efforts will not go to waste.

“We are running programmes and projects which Ogun State has been slated to be one of the pilot states. NALDA’s Integrated Farm Estate is going to be cited in Ogun State in the three senatorial districts of the state. The Integrated Farm Estate is a concept that takes in everything from production to processing, packaging and marketing, we also have residential areas for farmers inside the integrated Farm Estate.

“Knowing that Ogun has the highest capacity in cassava production, our Garri Packaging Plant will be located in the state, thereby NALDA will be the off-taker from the farmers, we process it, package it accordingly and move it into the market.

“We are training young Nigerians based on the President’s directives on soil testing and extension services, so Ogun State is expected to nominate 200 people in the first phase. Again, Ogun is one of the states in the pilot stage of this programme, it will nominate young graduates that have agric or science related degrees that will undertake this intensive two week training.

“They will be empowered by NALDA with soil test kits and implements to collect soil samples after the training and they will begin to generate money for themselves, thereby making a living from the programme,” he said.

He disclosed that NALDA would not sit back and watch the state improve the worth of agriculture alone, “the Authority would also be re-activating the 700 hectares of land at Joga-Orile immediately, with the hope that the reactivation will increase the status of the state in food production”.

Responding, Governor Abiodun attributed the success of his administration’s agriculture project to the support of the President Muhammad Buhari-led government, adding that his administration holds agriculture as a “triple barrel pillar” that allows the state to feed its people, create employment, as well as generate revenue for the state.

Abiodun who also noted that his administration recently started the construction of its International Cargo Airport to boost the agric sector, said that the state also won a bid to become a special agric processing zone, with the state using the advantage of the cargo airport that seats on a 5,000 hectares of land to its advantage.

He assured NALDA of administration’s support, especially with provision of land for the purpose of the Integrated Farm Estate.

The governor submitted that his administration would also set up a team to look at ways of starting the Garri Packaging Plant in quick time and ensure that the youths and graduates benefit from the training programme on soil testing and extension services.

By Ramota Adeola

In preparation for the forth coming Local Government elections, the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has amended the earlier released timetable, as party primaries have been increased from five to 22days, starting from Wednesday, May 5 to Thursday, May 27, 2021.

Political campaigns are now to end midnight on Thursday, July 22, 2021, as against the earlier slated time, while the election date remained Saturday, July 24, 2021.

Chairman, OGSIEC, Mr. Babatunde Osibodu made this announcement at the official flag-off ceremony of the political activities leading to the 2021 Local Government elections, at the June 12 Cultural Center kuto Abeokuta, urging the political class and aspirants to embrace stipulated guidelines.

Osibodu said the Commission would waive the payment of a non-refundable deposit by intending candidates for female aspirants, adding that it was a gesture to encourage more women to participate in the election.

By Biola Lawal

Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended three Local Government Council chairmen over alleged disregard for the guidelines governing their activities.

The House said it could no longer continue to watch while the council chairmen stubbornly flouted the state’s local government guidelines.

The affected chairmen were: Ogidan Mukandasi Olaitan of the Lekki LCDA; Suleiman Jelili of Alimosho LGA and Tajudeen Ajide of the Surulere LGA.

Their suspension was unanimously approved by members of the House in a voice vote with no opposition shortly after Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) raised a complaint against Olaitan.

Yusuff who is the chairman of the House Committee on Commerce and Industry narrated to his colleague how allegedly rude Olaitan had been.

He complained that Olaitan even accused the lawmakers carrying out an oversight function on a memorandum of understanding in relation to the issue that arose from a resettlement programme in Lekki of being ignorant of their jobs.

He further said the council chairman had total disregard for people in his domain who he was elected to serve. His action, even as a lawyer, was an insult to true governance and respect for the authority.

Supporting Yusuff, another lawmaker, Hon. Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju-Lekki 1) disclosed that Jelili and Ajide were having issues pertaining to delinquency against them that were being investigated.

He urged his colleagues to suspend the chairmen pending the outcome of the investigations and in order to serve as deterrent to others.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, while speaking on the issue, noted that the House had received petitions from many councillors in the state against sitting chairmen, saying the House could not continue to watch while council chairmen flouted the laws they were supposed to uphold.

“Total disregard for the local government guideline is something that should not be tolerated. We cannot continue like this. We can’t be breeding monsters in our local government councils,” Obasa said.

The Speaker added that it would not be ideal to gloss over the issues raised as it would be creating a precedence of disobedience to the law by council chairmen, especially at a time the state was planning elections for new council chairmen.

He said the suspension would serve as a deterrent as directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko to write to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and others concerned about the decision of the House.