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Oyo : Makinde sets up task force to curb insecurity

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Oyo state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has inaugurated the state’s Security Task Force to tackle all forms of insecurity within the state.

The governor, while inaugurating the Task Force on Monday inside his office at the Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, said that the committee will serve as the war room to tackle insecurity in the state.

He also stated that members of the committee have been carefully selected to provide quality service to the people of the state.

The governor’s mouthpiece, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, in a statement informed that members of the Task Force, which is chaired by Governor Makinde, include the Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Bayo Lawal; Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun; Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Barr. Adeniyi Farinto and the commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Funmilayo Orisadeyi.

Other members of the Task Force are: the Special Adviser to the governor on Security; CP Fatai Owoseni (Rtd), Executive Assistant on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (Rtd), DG Operation Burst, Col. Oladipo Ajibola (Rtd) and the Commander of the Oyo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun.

The secretary of the Task Force is the Director, Special Services, Mr. Olayinka Jimoh.

“You are welcome to the war room created by the government of Oyo State. This became imperative because of the challenges that we are apparently facing, security-wise. At the exco meeting of last Tuesday, we set up a State Security Task Force.

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“I will be chairing the Task Force. This is our inaugural meeting and it is similar to the Task Force we set up when COVID-19 just broke out. We are supposed to be on top of the security situation almost on a daily basis, so the scheduled meetings for this Task Force will hold on a weekly basis and you should expect to be briefed once we are done with our weekly meeting.

“We also hope that we can call an emergency meeting anytime depending on the security situation. The members have been carefully selected. The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, for instance, is supposed to be our link with our traditional institutions and with the local government areas, stakeholders at the local government levels.

“We want to take this opportunity to ask for support from our people, from the traditional institution to our political stakeholders and also the different ethnic nationalities that are residents of Oyo State. We do not support ethnic profiling.

“We are looking for criminals and we know that if we are not careful, what goes around will come around.

“We have been hearing about the kidnapping of school children and their teachers and we do not want that to happen in Oyo State. So, we are seeking for every support that we can get”, Governor Makinde added.

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Similarly, the Special Adviser on security, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd), who briefed newsmen alongside the Chief of Staff and the Commissioner for Information, said: “At the conclusion of the first meeting of the Security War Room Task Force convoked by His Excellency, Governor Makinde, certain decisions were made.

“Firstly, it is important to state that at no point do we want to, by action or omission, supplant the activities of the security agencies in the state as they operate. We want to work in a way that is complementary to whatever it is they do.

“Secondly, we do intend to identify the various communities, contacts, and markets in our states in order that we can enumerate who is where and who we need to contact.

“Thirdly, the Governor also stated that there is a need to have a meeting with all our traditional rulers within the week because all security matters without them will probably come to naught.

“We explored the issue of voluntary policing, in which we can bring in all other, or particularly, the non-state actors to join hands in what is a complete and total architecture.

“The issue of our entry points and our state is being regarded as being a bit porous, we reckoned that there will be checkpoints at the major entry and exit points of the state, and that will be integrated into the state control room and general state security architecture.

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“We intend to further regulate commercial motorcycle riders in the state so as to know who they are, what they are doing from time to time. We will do that after a meeting with them. We will have another meeting same time next week”, he concluded.

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Kidnappers Must Be Treated As Terrorists – Tinubu Declares

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In a stern address at a Ramadan dinner with members of the Federal judiciary, President Bola Tinubu declared that individuals involved in despicable crimes such as kidnapping must be treated as terrorists.

The President, speaking passionately, reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to defeating banditry, labeling those who engage in kidnapping as cowards incapable of confronting the might of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“We must treat kidnappers as terrorists,” President Tinubu asserted, as reported by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale. “They are cowardly. They have been degraded. They look for soft targets. They go to schools and kidnap children and cause disaffection. We must treat them equally as terrorists in order to get rid of them, and I promise you we will get rid of them.”

The President made these remarks during the dinner attended by serving and retired judicial officers, including notable figures such as former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, and Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The event provided a platform for discussions on various issues, including the escalating security challenges faced by Nigeria, particularly in the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones.

Nigeria has grappled with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and oil theft, with the aforementioned regions experiencing a surge in insurgent and bandit attacks over the last decade.

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President Tinubu’s government has remained steadfast in its stance of not negotiating with bandits, despite the continued abduction of schoolchildren and residents for ransom.

The recent mass abduction of 137 schoolchildren from Kuriga in Kaduna State serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing security threats.

The President also addressed the need for judicial reforms and improved welfare for judicial officers.

Recognising the challenges faced by the judiciary, President Tinubu pledged to implement necessary reforms to enhance the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers. He emphasised the importance of fair compensation and support for the judiciary, acknowledging their pivotal role in upholding the respectability of the judicial arm of government.

In response, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, commended President Tinubu for his commitment to judicial reforms and for hosting the Ramadan dinner in honour of judicial officers.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, also expressed gratitude to the President for forwarding the executive bill aimed at addressing the stagnant state of judges’ salaries and allowances since 2007.

President Tinubu’s declaration underscores the government’s resolve to combat insecurity and hold perpetrators of heinous crimes accountable.

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Abiodun Unveils 50% Discount Rice Scheme to Aid Ogun Residents

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Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has said that his administration will commence the sale of rice at half the market price across the state to alleviate the prevailing economic challenges in the country..

Addressing attendees at a special Iftar organised for the League of Imams and Alfas in Abeokuta, Governor Abiodun emphasised the importance of alleviating the economic burden on the public, particularly civil servants.

He stated, “We have decided to commence the sale of rice. We will be selling it at the rate of 50% of the actual price.”

Highlighting the significance of restoring the purchasing power of public servants, the governor affirmed that the initiative aims to counter the impact of inflation.

He asserted, “What we are trying to do is put them in the position they were before the inflation.”

The governor disclosed the establishment of a committee to oversee the distribution of rice to residents, ensuring transparency and accessibility.

He emphasised the sustainability of the programme, stating, “If we sell at the price it was sold before it becomes expensive, it will allow us to use the money to buy more and continue to sell.”

Also, the governor pledged free rice distribution to the less privileged segments of society, including the poor, elderly, and vulnerable individuals.

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Encouraging Muslims to uphold virtuous behavior beyond the fasting period, Governor Abiodun urged continuous prayers for the well-being of the state and the nation.

He reiterated his commitment to constructing a modern secretariat for the League of Imams and Alfas, promising a landmark facility that would set a standard for other states.

In recognition of his efforts towards peace and empowerment, Governor Abiodun was honoured with the title of Ambassador of Peace in Islam during the event.

Attendees also offered special prayers for the upcoming 72nd birthday celebration of President Bola Tinubu, scheduled for March 29th.

Imam Tajudeen Adewunmi, the Secretary of the League of Imams and Alfas, commended Governor Abiodun for his dedication to empowering Muslim youths and fostering goodwill within the community.

 

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Makinde’s Ibadan Circular Road Project, A Monumental Fraud – Says Oyo APC

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has cried out over alleged monumental fraud which the party claimed it discovered in the partial execution of the Ibadan Circular Road Project, warning the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde that the unabated corruption being perpetrated by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) could plunge the state into irredeemable doom in the nearest future.

At the commissioning ceremony which took place at Badeku Junction on Ife-Ibadan Express Road last Friday, Governor Makinde announced that the Ibadan Circular Road Project which, according to him, was the largest investment in Oyo state in 50 years had cost a whooping sum of N300billion.

Anambra state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, was the Special Guest of Honour at the event.

In a reaction which was contained in a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC queried the governor on the rationale behind the government’s redesign of the road project to occupy 425 meters as setbacks in both sides when the standard measure for any Trunk ‘A’ road does not exceed 60 meters across the globe.

“So, the ongoing indiscriminate demolition of properties of poor citizens is to serve the interest of the governor and his cronies”.

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“Many questions are begging for answers as far as this matter is concerned; how did Governor Makinde spend N300billion on less than a quarter of the whole project when his predecessor, late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, had awarded the contract for its design, construction, and completion as well as payment of compensation to those who might lose their properties to construction activities at a total cost of N70billion in June 2017 while the contractor had done about 20 percent of the work before he was sent away when the PDP government came on board in 2019?

“In July 2021, Governor Makinde announced that he had re-awarded the same project to another contractor at a total sum of N138.2billion but last Friday when a stretch representing about a quarter of the whole project was being commissioned (for suspended use by the public), the governor claimed the completed portion had gulped N300billion. The entire circular road project was designed to cover 110 kilometers and the whole world wants to know the fraction which has now cost N300billion to be done and also, how much the remaining three quarters would cost.

“Meanwhile, tongues would continue to wag on the issue of the large expanse of land forcefully acquired from the owners in the name of road construction. The fact remains that the people of the state cannot trust a government that is popular for land fraud as is the case in Ajia, Wofun, Bashorun, Bodija, and Land Lagos Express Road among others in the last four years. Those hapless landowners are accusing Governor Makinde of a surreptitious plan to seize their land and later sell it to some strangers from the East.

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“Another issue of concern is that of the supposed Agodi-Gate Junction Improvement project which has been identified as another conduit to siphon the resources of the state. All the state is doing is evacuating roadside traders, clearing some blocked drainages, laying light asphalt, and installing traffic lights, then later claiming several billions of naira as the cost of the exaggerated repair works on the popular junctions at Ibadan Civic Centre and Agodi-Gate.

“The sad thing is that the proceeds of these inflated contacts end up in private pockets without any trace. This kind of funds is what some governors in other states are using to rejig agriculture, fix the education sector, and address hardship among the masses among other things in their domains. Public primary and secondary schools are in dire need of subject teachers, virtually all the inner and access roads are in bad shape, no public tap water anywhere in the state, the population of the poor increases every day, and yet, Gov. Makinde mis-appropriates scarce resources to the detriment of the welfare of the people. This has to stop.” APC said.

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