Encomium
Concerned about the recent attacks by suspected militants in parts of the state, the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has sought the support of the Nigerian Navy to halt the acts of terror being unleashed on some communities by them.
Governor Amosun made this position clear while receiving principal officers of the Western Naval Command, led by the flag officer commanding, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobbai at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
Amosun, who acknowledged the presence of other security agencies in the state, averred that there was the need for the Navy to also collaborate with the existing security outfits particularly as the militants had been using the creeks to perpetrate their nefarious acts with a pledge of the government to complement the Navy in the area of infrastructure.
While reassuring on his administration’s commitment and support to the security operatives towards achieving success in this regard, he equally commended the force for their presence at Tongeji Island and reaffirmed that his government would prevent the Island from being ceded to Benin Republic at all costs.
The flag officer commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobbai thanked the Amosun led government for its efforts in the security of the state, affirming readiness to curb smuggling and illegal activities of terrorists on Tongeji Island from neighbouring states.
N4.5 BILLION CLAY FACTORY BERTHS IN OGUN
The commitment of Ogun state government at supporting the expansion of micro, small, medium and large enterprises has continued to pay off with the commissioning of a 4.5 billion naira kiln and dryer brick factory, known as Amide Clay Industries Limited, located at Olapeleke in Ewekoro Local government area of the state.
Speaking at the commissioning of the 20 million standard bricks per annum capacity factory, the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru noted that the clay factory was a further attestation that the state was richly endowed with solid minerals of all types in commercial quantity.
‘’Specifically, industrial minerals such as clay, limestone, glass-sand among others are in vast amount in the state. This is the time we should give serious attention to the exploration of these resources which has not been duly tapped’’. He affirmed.
Senator Amosun emphasised that the state had been attracting both local and foreign investors since his administration came on board, adding that it would remain steadfastly committed to attracting more investors to sustain the status of the state as an investor’s hub of the nation. He added that the 2014 World Bank reports gave the state credence as one of the best five states in Nigeria, conducive for business group.
He enjoined industries, operating in the state, to give priority to indigenes in their recruitments as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities to their host communities.
Earlier in his address, the chairman of Kiln Industry, Chief Toyin Adeyinka disclosed that the firm was committed to providing affordable building material for construction of houses and admitted that the huge mineral resources that abound in the state inspired citing the firm in the location.
At the occasion, the Olu of Itori, Oba Akorede Akamo, said that the establishment of the clay industry and others, attested to the efforts of the government at improving socio-economic activities of the state.
OGUN APPOINTS 51 PRINCIPALS,VPs, OTHERS
As part of efforts to ensure effective school administration and improved performance among students of public secondary schools, the Ogun state government has appointed another set of 51 Principals, 84 Vice-Principals and Zonal Secretaries.
The figure brings the total number of Principals and Vice Principals appointed by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led administration to 284 and 656 respectively.
Speaking at the induction ceremony held at Abeokuta Grammar School, the chairman of the state Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Chief (Mrs) Olabosipo Ogunsan, said the appointment was done in consonance with the state standard template, based on seniority, merit and year of certification, which the commission was not ready to compromise.
The TESCOM boss also assured that the commission would continuously improve on the welfare of both teaching and non-teaching staff, in public secondary schools in the state, while the Commission would not hesitate to punish the indolent and uncommitted teachers.
In an address, the Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Mrs Olabisi Akinnuga, said that government would continue to reward excellent performance and promote competence among teachers, adding that the commission ensured fairness and equity during the screening and short- listing of new principals in accordance with laid down guidelines.
On his part, the State President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Chief Olatunji Ogundele, urged the newly appointed administrators to justify the appointment with a high sense of dedication and commitment to duties.
BILL ON LAND SPECULATORS COME ON STREAM SOON-OGHA
The Ogun State House of Assembly is set to checkmate the illegal activities of land grabbers and speculators otherwise known as “Omoonile” through a bill for the prohibition of forcible occupation of Landed Properties Law, 2016.
The Bill which has just scaled through the second reading at the plenary, will curb the nefarious activities of land speculators who often dispossess people of their landed property when it becomes a law
Opening debate on the Bill titled: H.B. No. 03/206 titled A Bill for A Law To Prohibit Forcible Entry and Occupation of A Landed Properties, Violent and Fraudulent Conducts in a Relation To Landed Properties In Ogun State And For Connected Purposes; the sponsor of the bill: Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, stressed the urgent need to curb the unlawful actions of the land swindlers who had been violently dispossessing people of their landed property.
Contributing, members including Honourables Akanbi Bankole, Adebowale Ojuri, Israel Jolaoso, TundeSanusi and Oludare Kadiri threw their weight behind the speedy passage of the bill, describing the activities of the land grabbers as inimical to the peace and security of the state as innocent people were being maimed and killed.
Support for the passage of the Bill equally came from Honourables Rasaq Oduntan, Jemili Akingbade, Adeyinka Mafe and Adebiyi Adeleye, who collectively described it as timely, sought for more public enlightenment programmes for people to be aware of their rights on it when passed into law.
The Minority Leader, Honourable Wale Alausa with Honourables Aina Akinpelu, Yetunde Sogbein, Olusola Sonuga and Idowu Olowofuja spoke in support of the anticipated sanity in land administration that would attend the passage of the Bill which they described as a people-oriented.
They observed that with its passage, land swindlers would be brought to the kneel since their activities had constituted a menace and security threat to the society in recent times, occasioned by the illegal charges of sundry fees by them at the various stages of building construction.
Responding, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, lauded his colleagues for their robust contributions and committed the bill to the Joint House Committees on Lands and Housing as well as Justice, Ethics and Public Petitions for further legislative actions.
In a related development, Speaker Adekunbi has urged the people of Elere and Onigbedu in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state to remain law abiding, peaceful and forward their petition against land speculators to the House in line with the bill.
He gave the advice while receiving the delegation from the communities led by a community leader, Jimoh Fadipe, who came to present a petition against land grabbers and their illicit activities in the communities that had breached the peace in the area.
GOOD GOVERNANCE REQUIRES CAPACITY BUILDING- OGUN SPEAKER
Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Suraj Ishola Adekunbi says effective human capacity building is undoubtedly a veritable means of promoting good governance and enhancing quality service delivery to the people.
Adekunbi, represented by his deputy, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, charged his colleague lawmakers to take advantage of the two-day training programme titled: “State Parliaments- The Roles of Parliaments in Security and Economic Development”, in developing effective legislative framework to further develop their constituencies.
He described the programme as one of the means of building the capacity of honourable members to achieve quality representation in their legislative business.
The Speaker said the training would assist the lawmakers to clarify their roles and responsibilities in the democratic process and foster collaboration between the executive and legislative arms with the electorate, while promoting peace and conflict resolution in all their activities.
Welcoming participants, the representative of the partnering organization and the country representative of KAS, Hildegard Behrendt- Kigozi, noted that the state parliament had a key role to play in the security and economic development of any state, while applauding the government for investing in capacity building for the lawmakers to boost productivity.
OGUN HIGH COURTS BEGIN VACATION MONDAY
Ogun State High Court would on Monday, July 18th 2016 through Friday 26th August 2016, proceed on its vacation. A release signed by the Chief Registrar, Mr Olusola Oloyede revealed that criminal cases and urgent civil motions would be attended to during the vacation.
The release further indicated that the 2016/2017 legal year services would hold on Monday, 26th September, 2016
GOVT. CANVASSES A CHANGE IN WORK ATTITUDES, TAKES NEW ENTRANTS
New entrants into the Ogun State Civil Service have been charged to develop new work attitudes that would promote organizational efficiency.
The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Establishments and Training, Mrs Yetunde Dina gave this charge while delivering her welcome address at a one-day orientation workshop, organized by the Bureau for the new entrants in the service, held at the conference room of the Commission.
Mrs Dina explained that qualitative skills as well as constant display of such skills would bring about professionalism in an individual irrespective of the field of discipline, noting that proficiency would increase workers’ skill and expertise in their duties through constant training and practice over a period of time.
She added that the training was organized as part of government’s efforts at reducing the challenges confronting workers during the discharge of their duties and to improve their proficiency at work.
The participants,drawn from the new senior officers, in the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Ogun State government. pledged to remain dedicated and uphold the ethics of the civil service in order to maintain its sanctity.
EDUCATION COMMISSIONER ADVOCATES SKILL ACQUISITION FOR GRADUATES
Young graduates have been told to acquire necessary skills that would make them self reliant in the face of the socio-economic challenges currently ravaging the country.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Modupe Mujota, who enjoined the graduates while declaring open the first International Conference of the School of Business and Management Studies of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta noted that such pro-active step would enable the young graduates to survive, economic slowdown, poverty and illiteracy to mention a few.
The Commissioner said that the state government had responsibility to ensure the restricting and re-modification of the schools’ curriculum through logical presentation of ideas to policy makers in the education sector and enjoined stakeholders particularly lecturers, to upscale their knowledge on ICT and update themselves in other fields towards the adoption of pragmatic teaching methods that would encourage critical thinking and creativity.
While urging them to take full advantage of the enabling environment created by the state government, Mujota told school authorities to stimulate the participation of the private sector, communities, civil society organisations and development partners in providing necessary wherewithal for effective teaching and learning in the state.
In his remarks, the Rector of the polytechnic, Professor Oludele Itiola called on participants particularly students, to take the full advantage by broadening their scope in entrepreneurial development.
Professor Itiola who was represented by the Director School of Environmental Studies, Architect Koyejo Jolaoso appreciated the state government for its support towards the development of the school.
OGUN TO ESTABLISH ZOOLOGICAL, BOTANICAL GARDEN
The Ogun State Ministry of Forestry in collaboration with Tai Solarin University of Education, has concluded plans to establish a zoological and botanical garden in the state.
Commissioner for Forestry, Chief Kolawole Lawal made this known while signing the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry and the University at the Council Chamber of the institution in Ijagun. Chief Lawal said the Ministry and the University decided to collaborate on the project due to its numerous socio-economic benefits that would accrue to the state, especially in boosting the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
While commending the Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for approving the commencement of the project, the Commissioner said the Ministry would ensure its success as it would lead to the provision of employment opportunities, particularly for the youths besides serving as a recreational center for tourists.
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, said that the project would increase learning among students and ease the research work at the institution.
He was convinced that the strategic location of the project would attract travellers from all walks of life and increase the university’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and project the University farther, when completed.
