DAILY DIGEST

By Bisade Ojoye

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has vowed that there would be no-hiding place for criminals in the state, just as he revealed that a 17-year-old kidnap victim, Akinlaja Ireoluwa Oluwatomiwa, has escaped from captivity.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, the governor said the victim, who was kidnapped while on his way to the Redemption City on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, escaped from his abductors as security operatives swooped on their den, in Ikorodu, Lagos.

“The victim, Akinlaja Ireoluwa Oluwatomiwa is a student of the Redeemers University in Osun State. He was on his way to join his parents when he was kidnapped.

“Our security men had trailed the kidnappers to Ikorodu, where the victim was being held hostage. Their arrival on the scene had given an opportunity for the victim to escape from captivity.

“We are happy that the victim escaped unhurt. He has since been reunited with his parents,” the statement said.

The statement further highlighted that the security operatives have been on the trail of the kidnappers, adding that no effort would be spared to rid the State of undesirable elements.

“The Governor appreciates the sacrifices of the security personnel and tasked them not relent in their commitment at restoring public confidence and safety on the highways always”, the statement reads.

“Ogun State has zero tolerance for terrorists, bandits, kidnappers or ritual murderers and other criminals by whatever name they are called”, the state helmsman insisted, saying: “our security system has been fortified to repel them; we will smoke them out and visit the full wrath of the law on them”.

By Olamide Yinusa

The Chief Medical Director of the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Dr. Oluwabunmi Fatungase has disclosed that
No fewer than 200 indigent children in Ogun State would undergo free medical surgery.

Speaking at the kick off of the medical outreach programme held at the OOUTH, Sagamu, the CMD added that the five-day free paediatric surgery expedition has been undertaken by the state government in collaboration with Leicester Children’s Hospital.

According to her, the programme would also allow the state government to reduce medical tourism and give the less privileged the opportunity to be treated and operated upon without paying a dime.

Dr. Fatungase said children with medical cases such as Hernia and Hydrocele, Undescended Testes, Hypospadias, Hirshsprung disease, Anorectal malformations and Lumps and Swelling, will be given free surgery

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, noted that the exercise was an epoch making moment for the teaching hospital and the country as a whole, stressing that the target of the exercise is about two hundred and fifty indigent children.

Coker, while noting that the exercise was only made possible as a result of the leadership style of Governor Dapo Abiodun which has encouraged collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation, thanked the governor for his extensive investment in the hospital which she said has gingered philanthropists to collaborate with the state in upgrading infrastructure and investing in modern medical equipment.

Declaring the programme open, Governor Dapo Abiodun said his administration would continue to do all it can to improve the quality and service delivery of medical personnel in the state.

Abiodun added that his administration would further explore how to deepen the relationship and collaboration between the state government and the Leicester Children’s Hospital.

The governor pointed out that the medical outreach programme is a noble initiative that his administration would continue to support for the all-round benefit of the state.

“This marks a new relationship between Ogun State and the Leicester Children’s Hospital, and we are going to further explore how to deepen that relationship and collaboration.

“We will continue to do everything to improve the quality and service delivery of our medical personnel, we will also continue to deal with everything that we can to improve the lot and life of our people,” he said.

Abiodun said that his administration had in the last three years grown the number of ambulances from five to over fifty, adding that the ambulances are being supported by tricycle ambulances which have the capacity to access the primary health care centers where vehicle ambulances cannot reach.

The governor who further disclosed that his administration has provided the primary health care centers with technology so that gathering, storing and sharing of data between the primary, secondary and tertiary health care centers are made easy, said that the use of technology keys into his administration’s developmental pillars.

By Olufemilade Oyinade

The Government Liaison Officer (GLO) for Remo North Local Government, Ogun State, Omo’ba Abiola Ogundeko has commiserated with the family, friends, colleagues and management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, (MAPOLY), Ojere, Abeokuta over the gruesome murder of Happiness Odeh.

Happiness Odeh was a student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State. She was reportedly kidnapped, raped and killed by her abductors along Iperu Remo on her way to movie set/location at Ipara Remo, Remo North Local Government, Ogun State.

Odeh, an ND II student of Mass Communication, won Miss MAPOLY beauty Pageant on August 3, 2022.

Ogundeke assured the people that the administration of Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State would do everything in its capacity in making sure that the perpetrators of this inhumane act were brought to book.

“I can assure you that the administration of our dedicated Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun who has been working assiduously, conscientiously and relentlessly would provide support to relevant agencies to fish out the culprits”.

He also used the medium to appeal to the Nigeria Police Force to do everything possible in fishing out the people that committed this heinous act. “They are not people meant to live within our society”, he chipped.

“I pray God grants Odeh’s family the fortitude to bear the painful loss”.

By Our Reporter

Ogun State governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has approved the reconstitution of the Governing Councils of the two State–owned Universities and Six Polytechnics.

A statement issued in Abeokuta by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, said “the appointees are men of proven track record in their respective fields”.

He expressed the Governor’s confidence in the apointees to raise the standards of these institutions and positon the state, not only as the education capital of the country, but also as the education centre of excellence in Nigeria.

The members of the Councils are as follows:

By Tulolope Odugbemi

All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the ruling party are making moves to appease aggrieved leaders of the party.

This is coming ahead of the announcement of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, expected anytime soon.

The reconciliation move was confirmed by All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman, Mr. Felix Morka.

Those being wooed to take a more active interest in the party’s affairs include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, who we gathered had shown some resentment towards Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket

Tinubu emerged in June as the presidential candidate of APC, despite alleged opposition to his ambition by the national chairman of the party, Abdulahi Adamu and a number of failed gang ups.

In spite of the gang ups against him, Tinubu immediately after his victory at the presidential primary reached out to other candidates and party leader preaching the need to stay committed to the course and aspiration of the party but sources has it that many aggrieved party candidates and leaders were yet to let go their grievances.

The source said the leadership of APC, led by Adamu, worried by the development, has stepped in and has started reaching out to aggrieved presidential aspirants including: Lawan who still felt disinterested by his loss at the presidential primary and Osinbajo and Amaechi who allegedly uncool with a Muslim-Muslim ticket of Tinubu/Shettima ticket

Mr. Felix Morka, said the party has been working hard to reconcile all aggrieved members. “At the highest level, the leadership of APC has been working hard to reach out to aggrieved members and former presidential aspirants. They’re still doing that. But I’m not aware if there are plans to set up a reconciliation committee

By Sunday James

Abdulkarim Faca-Faca, the leader of a terrorist group in Katsina who was controversially turbaned with a chieftaincy was killed on Sunday, August 7 during a raid by the Nigerian Air Force.

The airstrikes killed Faca-Faca and seven other terrorists at their hideout in Tandama village, Danja Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina. This was confirmed by the spokesperson of Katsina Police Command, Superintendent Gambo Isah.

He said the police embarked on a mop-up operation after the activities of the Nigerian Air Force and successfully rescued six kidnapped victims at the hideout.

According to the Police Spokesman, the victims include 52-year- old Alhaji Garba Dan-Mallam, Rabiu Idris, aged 45, and Abba Samaila, 38-year-old, all of Unguwar Nuhu LGA.

Others were: Yunusa Sani, aged 54, Ishaq Yakub, 40, and Danjuma Samaila, aged 45, all of Layin Sani Village Kafur,” Isah added.

By Olufemilade Oyinade

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has again congratulated Nigerian sprinter and world champion, Tobi Amusan, on winning a gold medal in the women’s 100m Hurdles at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

“Our golden girl has done it, again. This is a testament to the fact that she is consistent, reliable and deserved the World record, indeed. This is a moment of joy for us all in Ogun State and Nigeria and we are pleased at her streak of successes”, Gov. Abiodun said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin

The world champion had on Sunday successfully defended her title at the Alexander Stadium in the women’s 100m hurdles final by running a Games record of 12.30sec thus defending her Commonwealth title and setting another record in the process on Sunday.

According to the governor, this made her “the first World Champion to win Gold in the event and the first Nigerian athlete ever – dead or alive – to be crowned champion at all levels of athletics in the same year.”

Congratulating the Ogun state born athlete, the governor described her feat as heroic, saying this is following and improving on the records of her other Ogun stars like Modupe Oshikoya, Falilat, Ogunkoya-Osheku and other compatriots.

Abiodun, who said that the sprinter has made Ogun, Nigeria and indeed Africa proud at the Games, lauded her spirit of excellence on the tracks. The governor noted that though Ogun is known for being the home of illustrious personalities in every human endeavour, the achievements recorded by Amusan, has further the state on a global pedestal.

“Amusan is a compatriot with prodigious talents reflecting the standard of excellence that our State is noted for. Our state is reputed for exemplary courage, consistency, integrity, and good sportsmanship. Tobi has exhibited these on the world stage, by proving again and again that that success is achievable with hard work and determination.

While urging the world champion to savour her victory at the Commonwealth Games, Abiodun, implored her not to rest on her oars and continue to make Ogun proud

“It is with joy that I received the news of Tobi Amusan’s triumph at the Commonwealth Games in the United Kingdom. This is indeed another great feat recorded by one of our finest exports in Ogun.

“With this latest feat, it has now become clear that Amusan’s gold medal at the World Athletics Championship held in Eugene, Oregon, USA, was not a fluke. She has shown to the world she is consistent and not a flash in the pan.

“On behalf of the government and people of Ogun, I say big congratulations to one of our finest in the field of sports. Oluwatobiloba Amusan has once again made us proud as a people. In Ogun, we shall continue to celebrate our icons and stars, while we shall also continue to encourage the budding talents across Ogun”. Abiodun was quoted to have stated in the statement.

In this ongoing BBNaija titled, Naija Levelup a housemate by the name, Beauty Tukura has been eliminated from the reality TV programme.

Beauty was eliminated after arguing with Groovy in the house about rumours that he had danced with Chomzy.
Less than an hour before Sunday’s live eviction show, she received double strikes which caused her disqualification.

Laws of the BBNaija are set and all housemates are duly educated about the rules of the house during their induction into the house. Law could be easily broken by careless roommates because they are brittle. Breaking one rule in the Big Brother house usually doesn’t result in an immediate expulsion. Every time a rule is broken the housemate receives a strike. If the rule is considered flimsy the offender may only receive a Big Brother warning.

However, each housemate is only given the grace of two additional strikes during their stay in the house as the third one results in immediate elimination from the competition.

Disqualified housemates are sent out of the programme through the back door and are prohibited from granting interviews session or with the live audience. Additionally any money or other prizes that disqualified BBNaija housemates have won in any house tasks will also not be given to them.

By Hon. (Apagunpote) Biyi Adeleye,
Former Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Affairs and APC Candidate for OGHA, Remo North State Constituency.

The most potent and easiest way to make money now in Ogun State is to join few disgruntled individuals and call yourselves aggrieved APC members who are ready to decamp to Lado’s camp of PDP which has been termed “Cashout” point or, if you like, “The brand new Mugun of Ogun politics”.

The is because Ogun All Progressives Congress (APC) is intact and we have not lost any member to PDP. What is happening is that those who have been pretending and parading themselves as APC members are members of APM, a nascent party formed by some disgruntled and self-serving politicians who were cashing on their unsuspecting infantile followers during the last elections in the state. It is unfortunate that, in spite of the obviously clear and abundantly crystal vision that the party has died on arrival and gone into extinction. Like a store that is about to close up, every item will be offered on “clearance sales”. APM is clearly on Clearance Sales.

The fact remains that, lately, about forty percent of those who could be described as factors or matters in the Ogun polity but were inveigled to leave or left at the behest of their former leaders, have relocated back to the mainstream APC as a result of the team player and visionary leader of the party in the state, Prince Dapo Abiodun while about 45% still in APM are waiting for the directive of their “Paymaster”, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun. This is expected as a postulate says, ” He who pays the Pipers dictates the tunes”.

Surprisingly, the PDP stalwarts in Ogun State are currently dancing naked in the public celebrating the less than 5% of sales they have, by luring Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade with the deputy governorship slot thinking it will attract all the APM members without going through Sen. Amosun. Unfortunately it backfired and resulted to a ding-dong affairs which Yoruba would say, “Rikisi to so wan po ti tu wan ka” literally translates to , “the dastardly conspiracy that joined them has also interspersed them”. In all this game, the ultimate beneficiary in the game is APC.

It would be remembered that immediately after the election, the performances of PDA had caused early defection of political leaders from ADC, led by GNI, PDP as led by OGD and a lot of APM members from each council by their chairmen as a result of flawlessness and developmentally oriented inclusive policy of Gov. Dapo Abiodun.

I read on one of the news platforms where the former deputy speaker Hon. Tola Banjo who just parted ways with Sen. Amosun and one Mr Bola Oluwole were welcoming late Barr. Mafe’s group from APC to PDP in Sagamu. My questions are: one, was Yinka Mafe in APC before his demise? Have these people attended any APC meeting in Sagamu after his demise? Why were those defecting covering their faces from Camera? The truth is that the meeting was facilitated by Hon. Tola Banjo after many failed attempts in other places because Sen. Amosun has stopped his followers from any further alliance with PDP, having promised to work for Asiwaju in the next election. But those who have collected money from PDP for mobilization of APM members without the consent of Sen. Amosun must do their works either genuinely or by what late Afrobeat King, Fela would call, “Arrangie”

The one that really got me laughing is that of Alhaji Saka Hamed who was claiming to be Osoba group leader defecting to PDP. In fact Lado ti wo “one chance”. Meaning Lado has turned himself to “Cashout machine” Ask Lado himself the integrity of Saka Hamed? How many times has Lado himself sent Saka Hamed away from his house. I giggle in Latin. The defection is just audio defection to pretend as if he has been able to Balkanize the ruling and rock steady APC. Sorry, Lado is only doing his crying in the rains. Do you know when one cries inside the rains, people wouldn’t know the person is actually crying.

This is not different from the case of children who told their father that they have found snails. One was honest but the other lied. Just imagine their father asking them to eat their catches for super.
Definitely one will sleep in hunger.

By Our Reporter

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has stated that development would be enhanced if workers rededicate themselves and see their jobs as a call to duty.

Abiodun made this assertion in an interview with newsmen after inspecting government offices at the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.

He noted that workers remain an engine room of government and partners in the “Building our Future Together” agenda of his administration, adding that they have a lot to offer the State through hard work and diligence.

Abiodun said it was important to familiarise himself with the office environment, to see how the workers were faring, expressing satisfaction with the situation of things having visited offices of the Head of Service, Secretary to the State Government, Commissioners of Information and Strategy, Finance, Budget and Planning, as well as Permanent Secretaries in some agencies.

The Governor pledged that his administration would continue to hold workers in high esteem, adding that “from time to time, I will continue to go round to visit other Ministries such as Transportation, Women Affairs and Social Development, Youths and Sports, and others. I will not announce it, I will surprise everybody”.

Responding, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi said the visit would strengthen the cordial relationship with the workers and encourage them to be more committed to their duties.

In his remark, the Head of Service, Dr. Nafiu Aigoro stated that the Governor’s move was a morale booster, calling on Civil Servants to always be at their duty post.

By Olamide Yinusa

The Permanent Secretary, Urban and Physical Planning, Ogun State, Tunji Akanimodo has died. He died yesterday evening.

According to a family source who preferred anonymity, the Permanent Secretary died after his meal, saying he started coughing immediately his meal until he passed on.

The cause of the death of the easy going, warm and accommodating Akanimodo could not be immediately ascertained as he showed no sign of ailment of any sorts. He was said to be in good vibes even when the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun toured the Secretariat on Friday.

By Olufemilade Oyinade

A Community head of Oke-Ariko, Sagamu and Chairman of Ifesowopo Community Development Association, Chief Olayinka Oladunni disclosed that he had deployed necessary machineries towards mobilising, at least 40,000 votes for Prince Dapo Abiodun towards the realisation of his second term bid.

Chief Oladunni, a top contender for the obaship race of Oke Ariko, Sagamu opined that the Governor has done so well in the last three years in the state as evident in the areas of road construction and rehabilitation, affordable housing, provision of qualitative healthcare and rehabilitation of schools among others.

Speaking recently with Journalists in Abeokuta, the community head said, “there is no doubt that Gov Dapo Abiodun has done so well with the mandate given to him three years ago. Look at the newly reconstructed Sagamu-Siun-Abeokuta road, now under 25 minutes you are in Abeokuta, the recently completed Oba Erinwole road in Sagamu, the Ijebu Ode-Epe expressway is completed too.

“Massive road construction is across the state, no part is left behind. The governor is also doing so much in the area of education, see the yellow roofs all around, likewise healthcare care among others. I must also not forget to talk of the ongoing Agro-Cargo Airport at Ilisan, I can assure you that the Agro-Cargo Airport project when completed will have huge impact on the economy of the state, mostly especially in our own Remoland.

“It is against all these background that I have committed myself to raising at least 40,000 votes for the second coming of our hardworking governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. I supported his mandate too in 2019 and I am strongly convinced that he should be allowed to continue his good works in 2023. I am happy many progressives in the state are also rooting for the second term of the governor”, the community head explained.

Chief Oladunni has however pleaded with the governor to help in fixing the problem of electricity and bad roads in Oke Ariko community saying that these challenges were making life difficult for the residents of the community.