Politics
Ajimobi’s aide ‘Ti O Common’ breaks silence, reacts to misconception generated by his resignation.
CONTRARY to the rumour being peddled by some members of the opposition parties in Oyo state that the erstwhile Special Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Broadcast, Mr. Babatunde Olaniyi popularly known as ‘Ti O Common” has resigned from Ajimobi led government due to what some sections of the opposition termed as ‘disastrous performance’ of the governor since he won the second term election, Mr. Olaniyi in his reaction to the rumour has, however, debunked it describing it as an obnoxious barb targeted at spiting the governor’s efforts geared towards making Oyo state a force to be reckoned with in Nigeria.
Mr. Olaniyi expressed his displeasure to the rumour which recently went viral on internet, lampoon those behind it saying that people should never take their words seriously as according to him they thrive mostly on rumour and always looking for a way to score cheap publicity, adding that there was no rancour whatsoever between him and his boss, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
Speaking further on the purported resignation, Mr. Olaniyi stated that the governor initially refused his resignation letter which was dated November 7th, 2016 and received by the governor on the same day added that the governor asked him to reconsider his stand but the governor had to let him go officially on January after begging the governor several times that relieving of his official duty will allow him to take care of his string of businesses.
According to the letter which was signed personally by him and which was made available to our reporter, “all my life I have always craved to be independent, hoping to try my hands out on risky entrepreneurship. In my current effort, laying my hands on the transportation business excites me. I sincerely want to see what the result of this efforts will be.
He continued, “there is no doubt that this will be difficult, tasking and challenging. When there is a will, Your Excellency, I believe there is a way. My regret is that if I try to do both- the entrepreneurship and working with your Excellency- (sic) there will be a serious clash which will seriously affect my desire to give you the quality support I have always given your government. This is why I seek your go ahead to bail out (sic) of this government for now sir.
“May I, however, add that my bailing out would not be totally opting out of duties that have to do with my mentor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. I still crave to give personal contributions to your success through any assignment you may want to give me in my private capacity. I will gladly accept to do any assignment that Your Excellency apportions to me”, he concluded.
Lamenting at the rate some people are abusing the opportunities presented by internet, Mr Olaniyi expressed disapointment over what he described as ‘alarming and unhealthy for our fledging democracy’ saying that none of those who were writing gibberish on the internet deem it fit to ask him what transpired but instead went ahead and published a story embellished with malice and falsehood and with the opposition parties having lost out politically they saw his resignation as an opportunity to fester what they know how to do best- propaganda.
Mr. Olaniyi then revealed that though his resignation has been approved by the governor he still send people to him to do certain jobs for his administration reaffirming that the relationship between him and the governor which he said dated back to his pre-senatorial career has transcended the official matters to a father-son relationship.
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.
-
Metro16 hours agoGrim Friday: Man, Wife, Grandson Perish in Ibadan Fire
-
News2 days ago
Bank Robberies Now History in Lagos Since 2014 – IGP
-
Crime & Court2 days ago
Human Rights Lawyer, Dele Farotimi, Granted ₦30m Bail
-
News16 hours ago
NNPCL Refutes Shutdown Claims: Port Harcourt Refinery Fully Operational
