OYO State government at the weekend said that it will not relent on the maintenance of roads across the state, saying that road maintenance is however a collective responsibility.
The Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Infrastructure, Mr. Olugbenga Akintola said that Oyo State Public Works Department (OYPWD) commenced roads repair and rehabilitation since the beginning of the dry season, explaining that there was slow pace of work during the festive season by the officials of the agencies due to the end of the year holiday by Asphalt Companies.
Akintola stated that the agency has continued to sketch mark some of the roads to be rehabilitated, noting that the maintenance activities will cut across the state.
According to him, “We have been making a lot of efforts in the rehabilitation of our roads in Ibadan. Currently we are fixing all the bad roads within the city. We are committed to zero tolerance for potholes across the state and we want to maximise this dry season to maintain the roads. Our maintenance will be of high quality and we shall endeavor to complete it in due course.
“Our maintenance activities always cut across the seven geo-political zones of the state. So, we will still extend our services to other areas. Let me use this opportunity to appeal to our people, especially those in other zones outside Ibadan, to bear with us. We will strive to ensure that the maintenance cut across all the zones in the state,” he added.
Akintola said that the maintenance of road is a collective responsibility of all and not just the government alone, appealing that people should desist from burning tyres, cooking and setting up mechanical workshops on our roads.
He urged the people to avoid pouring of petroleum and associated products like petrol, diesel, engine oil, break oil and grease on the roads, stressing that domestic waste water should be properly channeled into the right drainages.
“Our people should stop plying roads with excessive axle loads and we must stop indiscriminate cutting and digging of the roads. We must desist from driving vehicles with flat tyres on roads with asphalt pavements as public roads are our collective heritage and we must use it appropriately,” Akintola stated.
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has urged Compliance Officers of Banks nationwide to refrain from unauthorised disclosure of EFCC’s investigative activities and requests made to banks’ customers.
Speaking through the Acting Zonal Director of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC, ACE I Hauwa Garba Ringim, during a stakeholders’ meeting with Compliance Officers of Banks in Oyo State on Tuesday, Olukoyede emphasised the detrimental impact such disclosures have on the investigation of financial crimes and the timely filing of corruption cases in court.
Olukoyede expressed concern over the tacit support fraudsters receive from the Nigerian banking sector, highlighting the challenges it poses to the Commission.
He urged Compliance Officers to promptly respond to EFCC’s correspondence with certified true copies of relevant documents, as this facilitates swift investigation processes.
Also, Olukoyede addressed the illegal trading of naira with Point-of-sale (POS) operators, stressing the need to curtail such practices for the benefit of Nigerians.
In response to the chairman’s directives, Compliance Officers assured the EFCC of their unwavering support and commitment to enhancing collaboration between the Commission and banks for more effective anti-corruption efforts.
Nigerian Police authorities have released Daniel Ojukwu, the detained journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
Ojukwu, who went missing with his phone numbers switched off and whereabouts unknown to colleagues until it was found out he was detained by the police, regained his freedom on Friday.
“Daniel Ojukwu, the FIJ reporter who was abducted by men of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police, has regained freedom after 10 days in police captivity,” the FIJ wrote on its website about Ojukwu’s release.
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“Ojukwu went missing on Wednesday, May 1, his numbers switched off and his whereabouts unknown to colleagues, family and friends.”
He was detained for purportedly infringing upon the country’s Cybercrime Act, widely condemned as a means of censorship.
The journalist’s apprehension and subsequent relocation to Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, came after his coverage of suspected financial mismanagement totaling over N147 million ($104,600) implicating a senior government official, as reported by his employer.
A banner is displayed during a protest at the Force Headquarters in Abuja demanding the release of Daniel Ojukwu on May 9, 2024, Thursday. Credit: @BukkyShonibare
Following his arrest, friends, colleagues, and supporters rallied behind Ojukwu, demanding his release.
I On Thursday, a coalition of media and civil society groups staged a protest at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, condemning his prolonged detention.
Addressing journalists, spokesperson Bukky Shonibare expressed concern over the escalating attacks on press freedom and the stifling of dissenting voices.
She emphasised that after nine days in detention, during which Ojukwu was allegedly arrested on the orders of the inspector general of police, the authorities were obligated to either press charges or release him unconditionally.
Upon Ojokwu’s release, an elated Bukky expressed gratitude on her social media handle, thanking Nigerians for their unwavering support.
“Daniel Ojukwu is free. Thank you, Nigerians,” she shared. “Thank you, everyone.”
The House of Representatives has passed a resolution to delve into the intricacies of the procurement process surrounding the award of the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar coastal road contract.
The motion, spearheaded by Honourable Austin Achado on Thursday, was underscored as a matter of urgent national importance.
Citing breaches of the 2007 Procurement Act and the absence of requisite approvals from the National Assembly, the House highlighted glaring irregularities in the contract award process.
Consequently, the House has demanded that the Minister of Works, the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General, and the Minister of Justice furnish the National Assembly with copies of pertinent documents related to the contract.
This development unfolds against the backdrop of recent demolitions of buildings and structures along the designated route of the project.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, shed light on the financial scope of the undertaking, revealing that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road would amount to approximately ₦4 billion per kilometer.
Spanning a distance of 700 kilometers, the Lagos-Calabar coastal road is poised to establish a crucial link between Lagos and Cross River, traversing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states before reaching its terminus in Cross River.
Despite its ambitious scope, the project has not escaped scrutiny. Notable figures including Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, have criticised the endeavour, branding it a misallocation of resources by the Federal Government.
Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar labeled the project as fraudulent, although his assertions were promptly rebuffed by the Presidency.