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Oyo govt insists, ‘Ladoja received free plot of land’
•Released documents.
OYO State Government has insisted that the State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi gave a plot of land to former Governor Rashidi Ladoja free of charge, saying that Ladoja acknowledged receipt of the land with appreciation contained in a letter dated May 14, 2017 and titled Re: Application for the Allocation of Plot 26, Ondo Street Bodija Estate, Ibadan.
The government’s position which was stated on Wednesday in a statement issued in Ibadan by the Acting General Manager of the Oyo State Housing Corporation, Tpl S. O. Adekunle, adding that the corporation is not in receipt of any letter requesting for the backing of the Governor’s statutory payment waiver authority and cost of allocation. It also wondered why a former Governor would ask such an elementary question having been in the saddles.
The Government stressed that the media aide to Senator Ladoja might be uninformed about the true state of developments, hence, his earlier misguided and untrue statement, explaining that Senator Ladoja applied for the land in a personally signed letter dated 14th of July 2016 and titled : Application for the Allocation of Plot. No 26, Ondo Street.
The government also noted that the letter, which was written on Senator Ladoja’s personal letter headed paper was addressed to the General Manager, Oyo State Housing Corporation Estate (OYSHC), Bodija and a copy was sent to His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Oyo State.
According to the government, “The government wouldn’t have joined issues with the former governor over a matter which was simply a benevolent act of the Governor but for the malicious, insulting and integrity impugning statement of calling Governor Ajimobi a liar. All documents including the application as well as acknowledgement letters concerning the allocation of land are in our custody.
“The letter from Senator Ladoja reads in part, ‘I wish to apply for the allocation of the captioned landed property. The abandoned landed property was sharing immediate fence with my house and I have engaged the land to prevent the place been (sic) used as hide-out for criminal and people of questionable character for over 20 years. In fact, on many occasion (sic), we have to forcefully repel the criminals who constituted security risk to us in the environment. It is on record that I have not been allocated any land either in new or old Bodija by your corporation. In fact where I reside presently was purchased from the original allottees” the government revealed.
The government stated that it responded in a letter dated May 11, 2017 and signed for the General Manager, OYSHC, by one Mr. S. Toyeshe Lawal with the following contents, ‘I am directed to refer to your letter dated 14th July, 2016 in respect of the above captioned subject matter and to inform you that His Excellency, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi has magnanimously approved that the parcel of land lying on Plot No. 26 of Survey Plan No.Ib.1128 being No. 26, Ondo Street at Bodija Estate, Ibadan be allocated to you free of charge as a benefit that should accrue to you being one time Governor of the State’.
The government stressed that Senator Ladoja replied with a personally signed appreciation letter dated May 14 and addressed to the General Manager, OYSHC, with the following as contents, “This is to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of your letter dated 11th May 2017 informing me that His Excellency, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi has magnanimously approved the allocation of the above plot of land to me. I HEREBY ACCEPT THE ALLOCATION.
“Please find enclosed with this letter the duly completed Application Form for your kind processing. While thanking you immensely for this rare gesture, you will kindly convey my appreciation to His Excellency, the Executive Governor,” Senator Ladoja’s letter reads.
The government, however maintained that Governor Ajimobi did not make the statement to spite former Governor Ladoja but to show the cordial relationship between the two parties in which the former Governor has benefitted immensely.
Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has raised concerns over widespread corruption in Nigeria’s electricity sector, attributing frequent national grid failures to fraudulent practices involving substandard materials.
Olukoyede made these remarks on Tuesday during a visit from the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
He revealed that ongoing investigations in the power sector had exposed disturbing levels of malpractice, often resulting in compromised infrastructure and recurrent grid collapses.
“As I am talking to you now, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears,” Olukoyede stated.
He further explained that contractors awarded projects to supply electrical equipment were substituting recommended materials with cheaper, inferior alternatives.
“People who were awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment, instead of using what they call 9.0 gauge, they will buy 5.0,” he said, noting that such fraudulent practices contribute significantly to the country’s unstable power supply.
“So, every time you see the thing tripping off gets burnt, and all of that, it’s part of our problems.”
The EFCC boss disclosed that the agency would be intensifying efforts toward crime prevention rather than focusing solely on asset recovery.
He emphasized that future scrutiny would prioritize spending by government ministries and agencies to curb misappropriation at the source.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a record revenue collection of N5.7 trillion as of November 12, 2024, surpassing its yearly target by 10 percent.
This was disclosed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the ongoing 2024 Comptroller-General of Customs Conference in Abuja.
Themed “Nigeria Customs Service: Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,” the conference showcased the Customs Service’s progress in modernizing its operations and fostering collaborative partnerships.
“Today, I stand before you to demonstrate how our commitments in 2023 have evolved into tangible achievements,” Adeniyi stated.
He attributed the revenue growth to a series of reforms, including the implementation of a one-stop solution for cargo alerts, a revamped ICT infrastructure, streamlined inspection procedures, and enhanced automation.
Adeniyi explained that these changes reflect the agency’s commitment to elevating operational transparency and efficiency.
“We pledged to re-align our free trade operations, elevate cargo integrity standards, and expand our scanning capacities,” he said.
“Above all, we promised to usher in a new era of customs operations—one built on transparency, efficiency, and genuine collaborations with our partners.”
As of Tuesday, November 12, Adeniyi confirmed that the NCS collected N5.07 trillion, achieving the anticipated 10 percent revenue surplus.
“This performance validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation,” he added.
Adeniyi also highlighted recent strides in trade facilitation, revealing that six companies have been selected to benefit from the Authorised Economic Operators programme, which provides fast-tracked customs clearance and other trade facilitation benefits.
Similarly, the NCS has processed 21 requests under an advance ruling programme, designed to expedite customs decisions on import and export cargoes before they reach Nigerian ports.
The Comptroller-General expressed optimism about the NCS’s potential to drive further economic growth, citing the agency’s commitment to fostering partnerships and advancing innovative practices within the customs sector.
Nineteen out of the thirty-eight directors who were shortlisted to fill permanent secretary vacancies within the Federal Civil Service have failed the qualifying examination, a memo from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) revealed on Tuesday.
The memo, signed by Dr. Emmanuel Meribole on behalf of the examination committee, disclosed that the qualifying exam was conducted on Monday, November 11, 2024.
The Federal Government, through the OHCSF, launched the recruitment drive in October to fill permanent secretary vacancies in eight states.
Providing insights into the progress, Eno Olotu, Director of Press at OHCSF, stated, “Of the 38 eligible directors who sat for the exam, 19 have passed the first stage and will move on to the second stage, which will assess their competency in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in government operations on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.”
Olotu highlighted the rigorous three-stage selection process, designed to ensure that only the most capable individuals are appointed to these high-ranking civil service roles.
This comprehensive approach, according to OHCSF, aims to elevate the quality of leadership across federal ministries.
The directors who advance beyond the ICT proficiency test will face a final stage on Friday, November 15, 2024, where a panel of senior government officials and private sector experts will conduct a final evaluation to determine their suitability for the permanent secretary positions.
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