By Omotola Lawal

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has warned Nigerians to desist from using inflammatory words capable of aggravating the current situation in the country.

He opined that it is only in the atmosphere of peace, harmony and tranquility that the country could attain the desired development and growth.

Abiodun made this call on Saturday while speaking at the Leadership Capacity Building Conference of the Ogun State Chapter of the Nigeria Pentecost Fellowship (PFN), held at the Fellowship Secretariat, Kobape, Abeokuta.

He stressed that it was imperative for Nigerians to continue to see themselves as one and pray for the nation to overcome her challenges.

The governor noted that the theme of the Conference, “The Throne of Grace, Building of Nations Through the Church”, was appropriate especially at this time when Nigeria is experiencing insecurity and several other challenges.

“As individual citizens, we have to be patriotic in our utterances and deeds. It is important for all of us to desist from using inflammatory words which are capable of aggravating the situation. Let us continue to build bridges instead of fences.

“Nigeria is faced with lots of challenges like insecurity issue, the exchange rate and others that have affected our economy. All these create uncertainty and have effects on our psychic”, he noted.

He described the church as one of the institutions that have played vital roles in educating, enlightening and embarking on citizens’ orientation of their civic duties as patriotic citizens, saying that it was important for Nigerians to be mindful of the type of leaders they choose in the forthcoming elections, as it would have impact on their well-being.

“Leadership is a dynamic revolutionary process of influencing behaviour which means influencing the actions of others towards a shared purpose. It is about character, influence, integrity and positive impact made on the lead.

“We must choose leaders that will impart on our lives and that of the next generation. We all have individual and collective roles to play for the development of our State, nation and humanity”, the governor emphasized.

While enumerating some of his administration’s achievements, he maintained that policies and programmes that would increase the prosperity of the people, would be formulated and implemented, just as his government remained unwavering in building the future of the state as encapsulated in the ISEYA Agenda.

Abiodun who reiterated that the state remained the religious capital of the nation, enjoined the church to seek better understanding amongst members and position its future development within the broader spectrum of the society.

“Be proactive, Concentrate on positive ideals, virtues and values as the basis for Godly generation that we all need not only in the war against our nation’s challenges, but also for the survival of humanity”, he concluded.

In his sermon titled “What Grace can Do”, the General Overseer of Agape Ministry, Apostle Felix Adejumo, said grace could multiply efforts and make room for an individual to be at the top.

Adejumo noted that grace would not abandon anybody but individual must make use of his or her brain to work, and study more to make it in life.

The Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, Apostle Ahmed Otaru said the meeting was to impart positively on leaders for effective administration of the church.

By Shola Adesola

In recognition of his efforts to enhance rapid industrialisation, ease of doing business and make the state Nigeria’s top investment destination, the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun will, on Friday, October 21, be decorated by President Muhammadu Buhari with the Distinguished Award for Industrial Revolution.

This was made known in a letter dated September 21, 2022 and addressed to the governor by the Permanent Secretarty (General Services) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Nmadi Mbaeri.

The awards, which will be held at the State House Conference Centre Abuja, are being organised by The Best Strategic Media (TBS) in collaboration with the Office of the SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha.

The latest award, coming on the heels of the confirmation by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that Ogun State, with 100.9bn revenue profile in 2021, is one of the states with the highest internally generated revenue nationwide, coming only after Lagos, the FCT and Rivers State, is expected to further spur the Ogun governor to achieve greater excellence in governance.

According to industry watchers, the governor has, in the last three and a half years, been credited with superlative performances in the area of investments in agriculture, road infrastructure, ICT, urban renewal, the building of an Agro-allied Airport, and security of life and property.

By Omotolani Lawal

Liz Truss has resigned as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) after 44 days in office.

We gathered the embattled UK Prime Minister just made the announcement 24 hours after saying she was a fighter and not a quitter, and so would continue in office.

Truss succeeds Boris Johnson who resigned from his appointment as PM in July over a series of scandals.
Liz Truss said she would stay on until a successor is chosen.

By Omotola Lawal

Accountants in the Ogun State Civil Service have been admonished to engage in self-development through acquisition of higher educational and professional certifications to distinguish themselves among their peers.

The Accountant-General/Permanent Secretary, State Treasury, Mr. Tunde Aregbesola, gave the admonition at a meeting with various cadres of Accountants in Abeokuta, saying, issues on effectiveness and welfare, would engender efficiency and quality service delivery as competition was presently intense in the Accounting cadres.

Aregbesola noted that with over 600 qualified Accountants in the Civil Service, it was necessary to tap into various opportunities around, to enable them excel in the discharge of their duties at their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He advised them to keep to the ethics of the accounting profession, saying “there is a need to maintain confidentiality, as the roles of Accountants entail financial records and transactions are adequately protected and kept in safe custody, among other things’’.

The Accountant-General assured that the current administration in the State was committed to providing the required tools and a conducive environment for optimal performance, emphasising harmonious working relationships with their superiors, subordinates and contemporaries.

Responding, an Accountant in the Ogun State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), Mr. Folorunso Ogunleye appreciated the Office of the Accountant-General for the meeting with a promise to be proactive, while also soliciting more capacity-building and welfare packages for officers in the accounting cadres.

By Zainob Olayinka

Discussions on the roles of the Media at the sub-national levels of government will take the centre stage at the 14th edition of the annual Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series themed – Can democracy work without a strong sub-national media?

The event will hold as a webinar on Wednesday 13 July 2022 by 2pm (WAT). It will also serve as the public launch of the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) project of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).

Chiedo Nwankwor, Vice Dean for Education and Academic Affairs, Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced and International Studies (SAIS) and Kole Shettima, Director, MacArthur Foundation Africa office, will lead the conversations along with Ibiba Don Pedro, Managing Director, National Point; Haruna Mohammed, Co-publisher, Wikki Times.

Others are: ‘Fisayo Soyombo, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism and Social Justice; Adaora Onyechere, Executive Director, Gender Strategy Advancement International and Mansur Liman, Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) as panellists at the event to be moderated by Uduak Amimo, broadcaster and executive coach.

The saturation of media at the centre and the lack of accountability at the state and local government levels, even as the nation heads for the 2023 general elections, informed WSCIJ’s choice of the theme to draw attention to the need for an independent media holding government to account at the sub-national levels towards a vibrant and thriving democracy. The lecture event will mark the 88th birthday of Wole Soyinka, the grand patron of WSCIJ.

The Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) is a multi-level intervention for media independence and government accountability supported by the MacArthur Foundation. It is working through 26 partner organisations to improve public awareness and the ecosystem for transparency, accountability and good governance and amplify marginalised voices especially at state and local government levels and the private sector.

Interested participants may register for the webinar with this link to join the discussion which will include the media, industry experts, private sector leaders, government ministries and agencies, pressure groups, policy makers, students, members of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders in the civil society.

About WSCIJ
The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation with social justice programmes aimed at exposing corruption, regulatory failures and human rights abuses with the tool of investigative journalism.

The initiative started in 2005 under the name Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA), and It operated as an award-giving organisation till 2008 when it took on the name Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).

The change in name became necessary to reflect the intention of the coordinators to embrace a more robust line of activities; such that have greater capacity for engendering the appropriate values of investigative journalism in the Nigerian media environment.

By Omotola Lawal

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, So-Safe Corps have deployed Officers and Men across the length and breadth of the State to ensure both lives and property of the good people of the State and visitors are well protected.

The corps, according to a release signed by ACC Moruf Yusuf
Director of Information
have also embarked on intelligence aimed foiling any act that could jeopardise the peace and love radiating among them as one big family.

The release added that Area Commanders of the Corps have been instructed to detail Officers and undercover Officers and Men to strategic places in continuation of the ‘operation secure places of worship’ that had been on since three weeks back .

“It is no longer news that we are in an atmosphere where fear of the criminally minded ones dominates every heart of our people and this requires vigilance in all ramifications”, the stated stressed.

He stressed further that the operation kicked off from Tuesday, the 5 -15, July 2022.

The corps advised Imams and Alfas to compile additional lists of their Praying Grounds for the agency and to also preach the essence of vigilance in the propagation of the religion, stressing that they should strictly adhere to.

“We say happy Eid-il-Kabir to Muslim Officers and Men and Marshals of the Corps and the entire Muslims in our dear State and Nigeria as a whole”.

In case of distress or to volunteer information on crime, crime in progress ,the corps urged the people to reach them on the following lines 08034681687,09069392064,08035479930 while charging them to,
“Think Security, talk Security”.

By Omotola Lawal

Lafarge Africa Set To Hold 5th Edition of Concrete Ideas Series
Lafarge Africa Plc., a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions is set to hold its public policy thought-leadership series, Concrete Ideas 5.0, which is scheduled to take place at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on June 28, 2022.

Now in its 5th year, Lafarge’s Concrete Ideas series have become not only a high-profile platform for the discussion of construction and real estate sector policies but also deliberations on broader public policy problems. The concrete ideas platform embodies Lafarge Africa’s thought leadership interventions and has become a catalyst for the attainment of sustainable change, continuous improvement and commercial success within the sector.

Since its launch in October 2020, the sessions have been attended by leaders of several professional bodies in the construction sector as well as senior government officials, including the Honourable Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN who has participated in three sessions and the Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite.

According to Ginikanwa Frank-Durugbor, Head, Corporate Communications, Lafarge Africa Plc, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to chair the fifth edition and lead other renowned experts both in the public and private sector of the construction industry in the discussion to proffer far-reaching solutions and recommendations at the event.

Frank-Durugbor added that the fifth edition would allow key stakeholders and participants to share their voices and learn from a broad spectrum of speakers in the Nigerian built and construction landscape.

“The fifth edition with the theme: Building Up Safely: Government – Industry Collaborations; gives us a unique opportunity to take a vibrant and enticing look at how high-rise buildings could be a solution to the problem of scarcity and high cost of accommodation in urban centres in Nigeria.
We believe this could be a spur of investment in the construction and real estate sector of our economy and we are looking forward to another engaging, informative and robust session from key speakers and participants at the event.”

Other renowned experts invited to participate at the event include Dr. Idris Salako, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development; Engr. Monsurat Aramide Adeoye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure; Kehinde Osinaike, General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA); Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki, General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA); Mrs Olajumoke Akinwunmi, Acting Chairman, Purple; Saadiya Aliyu, MD/CEO, Urban Shelter Limited and Femi Yusuff, Head, Mortar, Innovation & New Product Development, Lafarge Africa Plc.

The concrete ideas series continues to attract key players within the public and private sectors. Lafarge working with leading stakeholders in the built and construction industry has created a succinct and coherent policy blueprint from the public policy series. This new policy blueprint is expected to be unveiled at the event.

Omotola Lawal

So-Safe Corps Officers, Bode Olude Division have recovered stolen motorcycle while on routine patrol of the state

Early hours of June 16 2022, during the heavy downpour, they noticed 3 motorcycles coming towards their direction along Aigoro road, the officers attempted to stop them but they ignored the officers & accelerated, the swift officer chased them and eventually one out of the (3) three motorcycle with registration number 939UL, Engine Number HF5AM17A7928, TVS product was recovered while the criminals ran away.

According to a release signed by ACC Moruf Yusuf, Director of Information and Public Relations, while So-Safe was preparing to move the motorcycle to the Divisional Police Headquarters at Bode Olude, some people came to the Divisional Office of So safe Corps and identified the recovered motorcycle as one motorcycles stolen from their house near ‘Fear of God Block Industry’ , Onward pure water, Oke Ola, Bode Olude.

The owner of the motorcycle, Mr. Ahmed Aina came with all necessary documents & his neighbours attested to his ownership, as such, after necessary information and documentation the motorcycle was released to him.

…as he inspects 25Km Ilishan-Ago Iwoye road

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun has said his administration would not discriminate in the construction of roads regardless of their status as far as they have potentials that would promote economic activities in the State

The governor who stated this when he inspected the ongoing construction of the 25 kilometres Illisan- Ago-Iwoye road, said his government would repair or construct any road that would bring in more investors and enhance the economy of the state.

According to the governor,” we will ensure that roads, regardless of whether they are owned by federal or state are given attention. We will ensure that we repair or construct them so that we can bring people to our state to come and invest which will in turn enhance the economy of our state and people.

“This Illisan-Ago-Iwoye road is a Federal Government road but it is one of the roads we feel that we should construct. It is a road that criss-crosses about four local government areas. It is one that leads to our International Airport and our premier university, that is the Olabisi Onabanjo University and it is an economic road that leads to Oyo and Osun states.

“This road had been abandoned for about 12-16 years, thereby inflicting untold hardship on our people, and a lot of inconveniences to our students as well as affecting the economy of the communities along the road.

“The people don’t want to know whether the road belongs to the federal or state government. Each time they travel on a bad road, they geo-locate their pain to where their feeling is and as a responsive government, we are living up to their expectations”. Abiodun stated.

He said that the poor condition of the road had, in the past affected the people who are mainly farmers as their farm produce perished before reaching the markets.

Abiodun who expressed satisfaction on the level and quality of work done on the road.

“In the course of our campaign, we promised that we will do this road to if we are voted for. Today, I am glad we have fulfilled that promise. Though this road is a dual carriageway, we have constructed one lane to ensure that at least a journey that takes about one and a half hour is now 15 minutes. It will also allow our people to take their farm produce to the market. This road has alleviated their pains and sufferings, and has now affected them positively, economically “, he noted.

The governor also stated that his administration has constructed the Ijebu-Ode-Epe, Sagamu-Abeokuta, and the ongoing construction of Atan-Lusada-Agbara roads, all, which belong to the federal government, maintaining that the roads are in line with the deliberate plan to ensure that development is equitably distributed to all parts of the state.

By Lukman Adeleke

The Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya has reiterated the State Government’s commitment to sustaining the provision of support to farmers as part of its efforts to boost food production in the State.

She made the assertion at the quarterly sensitisation programme organised by the Lagos State Agricultural Inputs Supply Authority (LAISA) for farmers at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.
Explaining that LAISA has been at the forefront of supplying farmers in the State, Ms. Olusanya affirmed that high-quality inputs such as farm implements, agrochemicals and seedlings are made available at affordable prices.

The Commissioner, represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Olatokunbo Emopkai, said the State Government has established eight Farm Service Centres in five divisions of the State to give farmers easy access to quality agricultural inputs and ensure that the agency remains a One-Stop-Centre for agricultural inputs supply to farmers in Lagos.

Also speaking, the Acting General Manager, Market Research & Development, LAISA, Mr. Olatoyinbo Ojuri, appreciated the Ministry of Agriculture for being consistent in supporting the agency to provide qualitative service to farmers across the State.
Ojuri also appreciated and commended the farmers for their commitment to providing ample food for residents in Lagos State, stressing that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to supporting their efforts through LAISA.