Politics
Ajimobi’s LG chairmen never purchase OYSIEC forms’ – Olatunbosun alleges
Oyo state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun on Saturday alleged that the May 12th 2018 local government election in the state was a nullity from the beginning as all the candidates of All Progressive Congress (APC) never obtained forms to contest.
The Commissioner also alleged that there were no documents in the custody of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) containing the fact that any form was purchased by the candidates of the erstwhile ruling party in the State, while the interested candidates from the opposition parties were barred from doing so till the election took place.
“It was clear from the beginning that the exercise was a charade, they just went ahead to waste the State’s resources, none of the APC candidates obtained form while the opposition were not allowed to obtain as well, this is part of why they have no moral and judicial stands to argue their case.
“We were all aware of the outcry from their own party chieftains like the former Minister of Communication, Barrister Bayo Shittu, the Accord Party and Socialist Party of Nigeria among others against the activities that came before the election and the election itself.
“People are not fools, they know what was going on and you know that throughout their illegal stay in office, the people in their different domains never gave them support, that is the sign that they were forced on the system and that would not be for long.”
Olatunbosun, who featured on a private radio station in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital further assured that the present administration has been putting in the right process to conduct the local government election without delaying like the last administration which conducted the election at the twilight of its tenure in office.
The Commissioner hinted that although no date has been set for the election, the institution of members of the OYSIEC board indicated that work was ongoing to present a date and process that would have the input of all stakeholders in the political process in the State, especially the opposition parties.
Olatubosun assured the people of the state of the readiness of the Seyi Makinde-led administration to probe the past administration.
According to him, there were documents in possession of the State which the State anti-graft body would work on to unearth many alleged shoddy deals made by the last administration which had what he called colossal effect on the finances of the State.
“Whenever the anti-graft body commences work and documents that show monumental fraudulent practices by the last administration is presented to them for investigation, the people of this State will be confounded, some people have used the resources that belonged to the vast majority of Oyo State people to promote personal glory and interests”, the Commissioner declared.
Olatunbosun stressed that the State’s free education policy was as a result of the promises made during the campaign period by Governor Makinde and the realization that Oyo State was among the eight States declared by Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that had the highest number of Out-of-school children in the country, stating that free education and distribution of free textbooks, payment of grants and other inputs have reduced the number of children out of school in the State.
He said the administration would not back out of the programme despite opposition from some quarters calling for reintroduction of the N1000 levy for students in public schools.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has criticized the alleged forceful conversion of public reading and learning facilities in Dugbe, Ibadan, into shopping malls and lock-up shops by the state government, describing the development as shameful, ill-conceived, and unacceptable.
In a statement released over the weekend by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC also raised concerns about the alleged sale of the modern motor park facility at Wema Area on New Ife Road, Ibadan, built during the administration of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
According to the party, the motor park has been sold to a pastor who presides over a popular church near the facility.
Residents of Ibadan, the state capital, were reportedly stunned when they noticed the sudden erection of massive private business complexes within the premises of the Oyo State Library Board.
The facilities, built by the defunct Western Region government, had served as public libraries and archives for decades, benefitting students, researchers, and tourists until recently.
“It is a sad reality that the buildings which used to serve as public libraries and archives in Dugbe axis of Ibadan have now paved the way for the development of commercial and business structures,” Sadare said.
“The implication is that education and research development have been relegated to the background in the state by an administration that has done little to address the poor reading culture among young students.”
The APC expressed alarm over what it termed the erosion of public heritage under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, alleging that public properties are being sold or leased to private individuals and groups under questionable circumstances.
“How can a government wake up one day and convert public reading facilities and archives into lock-up shops in the name of making money, thereby subjecting society to the dangers of illiteracy and ignorance?” the statement queried.
The party also cited other instances of alleged mismanagement of public assets, including the concession of OYSADEP Guest House in Saki and Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to the state’s socio-economic development.
“Sad enough, the ignoble activities of the governor and a few other characters around him as they involve mismanagement of land and other resources belonging to the state have paved the way for a surge in land grabbing cases in most parts of the state capital. There are many cases involving appointees of the governor, PDP lawmakers, local government officials, and party chieftains,” the statement added.
The APC called on well-meaning individuals and stakeholders in the state to demand accountability from the Makinde administration and halt what it described as the systematic erosion of public resources and heritage.
Over 300 constituents of Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in Oyo State benefitted from a skill acquisition and empowerment programme organized by their representative in the National Assembly, Hon. Akinmoyede Olafisoye.
The event, held at Faith Joe Event Centre, Alegongo, Akobo, Ibadan, aimed to address the challenges of unemployment and economic hardship by equipping participants with practical skills and financial support.
The programme focused on empowering youths, students, and unemployed graduates to become self-reliant. Each participant was provided with a certificate, a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, an umbrella, and ₦100,000 as a startup grant to kickstart their businesses.
The tools and financial aid were designed to enable beneficiaries to establish sustainable sources of income.
Participants received comprehensive training, gaining hands-on experience to ensure they could effectively utilize the tools provided. The POS machines were configured with the personal details of the recipients, ensuring proper use and discouraging unauthorized transfers.
Addressing the participants, Akinmoyede who is the Chairman House Committee on Nigeria/ Mexico Parliamentary Friendship enjoined the beneficiaries to explore the opportunity for their benefit by ensuring that they use the machines for the purpose it was meant for.
He added that all the machines have been configured with the documents of individual beneficiaries which will make it very difficult to transfer to another person.
In his goodwill message, the Oyo Central Senatorial chairman of APC, Hon. Joshua Oyebamiji said comparing what the lawmaker has been doing in the area of dishing out empowerment and palliatives to his constituents, it is difficult to tag him a first-timer at the national assembly.
While appreciating Akinmoyede for his gesture at the event, former APC Deputy State Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, and Hon. Akinbode Emmanuel said they were yet to discover the magic wand being used by the lawmaker for his constant and habitual empowerment programmes.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the end of the training, Afolabi Kuburat, Akinropo Akindotun, Ajala Abisade Iyabo, and Grace Anuoluwapo Ayinde lauded the lawmaker for giving them the opportunity to be self-reliant at this time when Nigerians are facing economic hardship.
The House of Representatives member representing Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency Oyo State, Hon. Prince Akinmoyede Olafisoye Wasiu has initiated another skill acquisition and capacity-building training for no fewer than 300 members of his constituency.
The initiative which is being organized in partnership with Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan is part of a strategic effort by the lawmaker to foster rural development of cooperative for their economic emancipation and break the shackles of poverty so as to alleviate the impact of the high cost of living among the people in Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency he represents.
The training programme is coming up on Monday 18th November, 2024 at Faith Joe Event Centre hall. Alegongo, Ibadan by 8.00am.
A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the lawmaker, Alimi Abdullahi stated that the capacity-building is designed to equip participants with essential entrepreneurial skills with a view to building sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of lives of the people of Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency.
All the participants for the training are expected to be at the venue by 8am so as not to miss any part of the training.
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