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Oyo Speaker decries false allegations, assures constituents of more quality representation
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin on Sunday said he will not deviate from his mission statement of giving and providing good and quality representation to the people of Ibarapa East Local Government, Ibarapaland in totality and Oyo State in general not minding some unfounded and spurious criticism coming from some faceless political groups.
The Speaker’s statement is coming on the heels of some comments accusing him of non-performance, planned imposition of candidate for local government election, and alleged undue influence and dominance on him by his mother, Yeye Tina Ogundoyin.
Ogundoyin described the comments and allegations as totally untrue, just as he urged the faceless group sponsoring such malicious news to at least consider and judge him by his political activities , accomplisments and vision for the good people of Oyo State and his entire constituents.
The Speaker added that rather than coming up with and suggesting ways of moving Ibarapaland and indeed Oyo State forward, the masterminds of the misleading allegations were hell bent on scoring cheap political points through peddling of false information aimed at casting aspersions on his person, discrediting and blackmailing his political status and dragging the name of his mother in the mud.
“For the umpteenth time, I don’t have any preferred aspirant out of all the five qualified persons jostling to emerge as the PDP candidate for the forthcoming Local Government election in Ibarapa East. I also wish to appeal to the group and its sponsors to leave my mother out of their dirty politicking as Yeye ,who is the Mother to all in Ibarapaland will not impose nor influence the choice of candidate for the LG election. This is democracy and the wish of the people must prevail. My mum is not involved in anything in the Local Government. She has always been reminding me of my election campaign promises to my people and the need to fulfill them. Mum is an advocate of good governance and will not compromise on this,” he said.
According to the Speaker, because of his love and vision for education, he paid WAEC and NECO fees for hundreds of students in his constituency while another fifty benefitted from free JAMB forms , not to mention a modern and functional hospital he built in Lagaye and a place of worship requested for by the people of Oloro village.
“I have two School projects about to be completed, a block of 8 Classrooms at Temidire and another block of 6 Classrooms at Ojonamo in Lanlate . The two will be commissioned during my second year in office in May this year. As I speak, there is an ongoing construction of ten boreholes across all the wards in my Constituency while I am equally set to distribute hundreds of Motorcycles, Refrigerators, Generating Sets and others amongst my constituents. This is part of the empowerment program meant to mark my two years in office. This is not to mention my effort on the present status of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa and the facilitation of the accreditation of new courses for the Institution. ”
“Some of my Constituents have also enjoyed some employment opportunities and recommendations for appointment and other assistance through my good office. It is also noteworthy for me to mention my singular effort in the choice of Eruwa Farm Settlement by Governor Seyi Makinde for the 7.6billion naira Agricultural loan meant to develop two farm settlements into farm estates in Oyo State”
While commenting on the activities of the 9th Oyo State House of Assembly under his watch, the Speaker said that it was unprecedented that less than two years , the House had passed about sixty laws, had one hundred and forty-two resolutions and eighty-two Motions as against seventy-four laws passed by the 8th Assembly in four years.
He added that this is aside from the oversight functions of the 9th Oyo State House of Assembly which had helped in engendering good governance, complimenting the efforts of all arms of Government and enhancing the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of Oyo State.
“I am happy that the House of Assembly I preside over has achieved quite a lot in less than two years in office. Of note is the passage of the Open Rearing and Grazing (Prohibition) law, Oyo State security Network (Amotekun) Law, Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law.
Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency Law, Oyo State Investment & Public Private Partnership Agency Law, Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency Law, Lautech Amendment Law, Local Government (Pension) Fund Law, Tourism & Hospitality law and Child Sexual Offences Law just to mention but few. We are ready to do more as my vision is to set more records for the Oyo State House of Assembly as well as make lasting impacts in my Constituency and Ibarapaland as a whole. ” Hon Ogundoyin stated
He again appealed to the faceless group and its cohorts to invest their energy and resources on more productive ventures and activities and desist from spreading baseless information him and his family.
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-thirds of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals. The survey, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), underscores the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
The report shows that approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should. The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one.
Power Outages and Access to Energy
The survey also sheds light on the nation’s energy crisis, revealing that Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week. While 82.2% of urban households have access to electricity, the figure drops to 40.4% in rural areas.
Cooking remains predominantly dependent on traditional methods, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on firewood. However, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is reportedly increasing.
Sanitation and Asset Ownership
In terms of sanitation, the report highlights that many households still lack basic toilet facilities, relying on bushes or streets for waste disposal. Access to clean drinking water is often through tube wells or boreholes, reflecting a lack of formal infrastructure in many areas.
On asset ownership, the survey indicates a decline since 2018/19. While two-thirds of households own mobile phones, only 21.3% have internet access. Housing ownership remains significant, with 70.4% of households owning their homes—80.1% in rural areas compared to 49.1% in urban centers.
The NBS report provides a stark reminder of the challenges many Nigerians face daily, from food insecurity and power outages to inadequate sanitation and declining asset ownership. It calls for urgent policy interventions to address these critical issues and improve the living standards of the population.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
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