Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has described an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Engr. Kayode Adegbulugbe, as a role model to young Nigerian entrepreneurs, whose future in the business world would be unprecedented.
Governor Makinde, while commissioning the newly built seven-star The JAGZ Hotel, Ibadan, on Tuesday, said Adegbulugbe’s business acumen is noteworthy and a brave one.
He commended Adegbulugbe for contributing to the growth of Nigeria by investing in the country, describing the architectural design of the hotel as one of the best in the country.
Governor Makinde added that establishing such an 80-room capacity hotel in Oyo State aligns with his government’s efforts to boost the local economy and create jobs.
Responding, Engr. Adegbulugbe, who’s the founder/Chairman of Agboluaje Kajola Foundation, praised governor, Seyi Makinde, for providing an enabling environment for investors to thrive in the state.
According to him, The JAGZ Hotel is poised to become a landmark in the hospitality industry of Oyo State and its environs, as it is ready to offer world-class services to its customers.
The hotel, which runs on 79% solar power and is located at Iyaganku GRA, opposite NUJ Press Centre, has standard executive, double-standard rooms, a 359-seat conference hall, a swimming pool and other ultra-modern facilities.
The facility also aims to provide international standards services at affordable prices.
Also present at the commissioning is the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, Larooye II, who gave his royal blessings to the facility, and the owner, Prayers were also offered by the Chief Imam of Osogbo, who led other notable Islamic clerics to the event.
Other dignitaries at the event include Chief Jimoh Ibrahim, Chief Olayunde Akanni, the Eketa and Ekerin Iyalode of Osogboland, Asiwaju Olusegun Akintade, Iyalojas, Agboluaje Kajola Foundation’s family, and well-wishers.
Six months before the local government elections in Osun, the state chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has unveiled its candidates.
While affirming their candidature at the party secretariat located at King’s Square, Biket area of Osogbo, the Chairman of the Forum of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) who doubles as the state chairman of the party, Dr. Tosin Odeyemi said the party did it’s homework perfectly before picking the candidates.
Odeyemi noted that, “We are here to unveil and affirm our candidates to the whole world; those that are fit to contest this forthcoming local government election in Osun state.
“Our candidates are people of great repute, we are fielding people that are residents of each local council because they have known their people’s needs and how to solve them.
“We urge the political class in the state to allow credible, free and fair election.
“Secondly , We as a political party, New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), have put every necessary machinery in place in our newly refurbished party secretariat to enhance smooth and robust running.
“Effective administrative efforts are in place for preparation towards the forthcoming local government election stipulated for year 2025, and strategizing ahead of the forthcoming gubernatorial election in 2026, as you can testify to it by yourself, everything is in order. ”
The chairman further hinted that, the inauguration and opening of Obokun, Boripe, Olaoluwa, Ifelodun, Ila, Ifedayo and Oriade local governments areas of the state offices are to be done next week.
As Nigeria continues on its path towards economic growth and development, one crucial sector requires attention and support: the power sector. The current electric tariff, though a subject of debate, is a necessary step towards achieving a stable and efficient power supply in the country.
In this article, I will explore the reasons Nigerians must support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu Penkelemesi, as their reforms in the power sector are poised to yield positive results at the end of the day.
The POWER SECTOR’S PRESENT STATE;
Nigeria’s power sector has faced numerous challenges, including policies summersault, sabotage, inadequate generation, weak transmission, and poor distribution. The sector’s limitations have resulted in frequent power outages, crippling businesses and households alike. To address these issues, the Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Tinubu, has embarked on an ambitious journey to reform the power sector.
THE CURRENT ELECTRIC TARIFF: A NECESSARY STEP;
The current electric tariff, though initially met with resistance, is a crucial component of the power sector reforms. The tariff aims to reflect the true cost of generating and distributing electricity, ensuring that the sector becomes self-sustaining. This move will attract investors, encourage private sectors participation, and reduce the burden on the government as huge amounts of money was been used to subsidize the power that is not either available or clearly inadequate.
REASONS TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT TINUBU AND MINISTER ADELABU’S REFORMS;
1. *Increased Efficiency*: The reforms will lead to a more efficient power sector, reducing waste and losses. With a stable power supply, businesses will thrive, and households will enjoy uninterrupted electricity. 2. *Investment and Job Creation*: The new tariff and reforms will attract local and foreign investors, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth. 3. *Improved Infrastructure*: The government’s commitment to upgrading and expanding power infrastructure will ensure a more reliable and robust power supply. 4. *Reduced Dependence on Fossil Fuels*: The reforms will promote renewable energy sources, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner environment. 5. *Economic Growth*: A stable power supply will boost economic growth, enabling Nigeria to compete with other nations and achieve its development goals. 6. *Social Impact*: Reliable electricity will improve healthcare, education, and overall living standards, positively impacting the lives of millions of Nigerians. 7. *Government Revenue*: The reforms will generate additional revenue for the government, enabling it to fund other critical sectors and projects.
CONCLUSION
President Tinubu and Minister Adelabu’s power sector reforms are bold and crucial steps towards a brighter future for Nigeria. The current electric tariff, though initially challenging, is a necessary component of these reforms. Nigerians must support these efforts, recognizing the long-term benefits of a stable, efficient, and sustainable power sector. Together, we can build a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria, where electricity is a fundamental right, not a privilege.
Let us embrace this transformative journey and support the power sector reforms, paving the way for a brighter future for generations to come.
Abeegunde writes from No. 28, New Market Road, Igbaye, Odo-Otin Local Government of Osun State.
A member of Nigeria House of Representatives, representing Ibadan North Federal constituency, Rt. Hon Prince Olaide Akinremi Jagaban has commended the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for getting to the root of many negative publications against the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamilla. Jagaban, in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalist on Tuesday, said he knows from unset that the publications are just mere political victimisation engineered by a section of the failed politicians who are afraid of Gbajabiamila rising political profile.
“Some of us who were close to Honourable Gbajabiamila, when he was majority leader in the House of Reps, and it is no news as to how close i was to him as the speaker, I have known him to be a lover of the masses that will not do anything against the law of the land, He continues, Gbaja has seen it all, he has been on the radar of ruling class for years, and for once, he has never abused that privilege, Jagaban said.
While commending the security agencies, Jagaban said, the end to speculation and unnecessary distraction will make Gbajabiamila more focus on his job to assist President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, deliver his electoral campaign promises to the people of the country.
I want to use this medium to admonish the youth to be productive and stop being tools in the hands of desperate politicians.
Rt.Hon Prince Akinremi Jagaban Former Member, National Caretaker Committee of APC Chairman, Science Research Institutions.
Member Representing Ibadan North Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Prince Olaide A. Jagaban has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a humane political leader with a heart of gold.
Jagaban, in a statement he personally signed and released on Saturday in Ibadan, said that, since the assumption of office, President Tinubu has taken the welfare of the citizens to the front burner of his administration.
According to him, “Despite numerous challenges facing the country, the President has been doing everything possible to alleviate majority of our people out of poverty, his efforts in Area of employment and empowerment has not been witness before in the history of this country . ” He is a strong politician who has laid a good example for all his followers and political associates to emulate in terms of service to humanity, consistency, courage, and political ideology.”
While commending the President for his steadfast, Jagaban as he is popularly known, said the long sojourn and the consistency in politics Despite all odds is a book that should all be read by aspired leaders in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
He urged Mr. President not to be detered by the rampaging opposition elements who have lost focus but continue to serve Nigerians people who are appreciative of the efforts of the President. Akinremi, pray for a long life and good health for the President and his family. “Mr. President, as you added a year today, I celebrate you and wish you the best in all your endeavors, Igba odun, odun kan”.
A socio-political group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, known as the Omoluabi Coalition, has revealed that Olusola Oke is the most favourite among the governorship aspirants of APC in Ondo State. This was revealed by the Director General of the Omoluabi Coalition, Tunji Balogun, in a communiqué issued after a meeting held in Akure, the state capital. He said Oke standout choice among the over 10 aspirants vying for the ticket of the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
He added that Oke possesses the necessary experience, qualifications and inspirational leadership qualities to lead the State. The group described Oke as the best aspirant among other contenders in the party, said his entrance into the race marked a beacon of hope for discipline and selflessness in public service.
The group further advised the party to be weary of fielding a candidate that might be an albatross to the victory of the party in the November polls. He said Oke’s widespread popularity and appeal, both at the grassroots and across party lines, as key factors that set him apart from the other aspirants.
The communiqué reads, “We believe in continuation. We believe in somebody who will continue where Akeredolu stopped. We need a competent candidate. Presenting a candidate who has a stain or certificate scandal. The APC should be wise in picking a candidate. “The party should be diligent. The most qualified is Chief Olusola Oke. He is tested. He knows all the nooks and crannies of the state. He is not a tutelage in politics.
“That Chief Olusola Oke of all the aspirants appears, in our views, to tick all the parameters or yardsticks.
“Aside from having the grassroots appeal that cuts across the three senatorial districts of the state, he has a wide network of national recognition, having worked at the top echelon of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level for years, which gave him that prominence beyond local politics.
“His cult followership as well as unblemished records of no scandal whatsoever are also an added advantage for him. “Ipso facto, we therefore rise from this press conference and submit that, as the umbrella body of the global Yorùbá foremost group, we believe the candidature of Chief Olusola Oke (SAN) will represent various interests that cut across all divides.
“His choice will create a centripetal force that will ultimately decimate any opposition in the state.
“The state at this critical time needs a leader who can mend fences, calm frayed nerves, and bring all progressives together as one force to deliver a resounding victory for the ruling party.”
As the popularity of Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, continues to soar, astronomically, in the build-up to the APC primary, where he is confident of lifting the flag of the party as candidate, and convinced of ultimate victory at the gubernatorial election, his detractors are busy cooking up ridiculous strategies and cock and bull stories, to paint him negatively in the estimation of leaders of the party and reception of the good people of Ondo State. It must be stated, very unequivocally, that their evil plots shall always fail.
The first in such dubious attempts, in recent times, was the deliberate reference to Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, as the candidate of the PDP. It is very unfortunate that what started as a beer parlour gists of inebriated fellows could be brought to the public domain, using questionable online media.
We are confident to reiterate the fact that Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, is a candidate to beat in the coming APC primary, as he stands tall among others, in terms of experience, competence and integrity. He remains committed to the progressive ideals of the APC.
It has also come to our notice that some sponsored opinion polls are being circulated to assault the sensibilities of the good people of Ondo State. While this antics do not, ordinarily, deserve a response, we are making this clarification to save the good people of the Sunshine State from being traumatised by desperate individuals who want to create an impression that is contrary to the realities among APC members in the units, wards and local government levels, where Chief Olusola Oke, SAN is in the mouths and on the minds of party faithful.
Our technical appraisals revealed clear loopholes, internal contradictions and systematic skewing that predictably make the outcome of the opinion polls to be inadequate in content, faulty in propositions and deceptive in outlook.
It is also noteworthy that some individuals, considered to be roundly bankrupt, particularly given their popularised gang up against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have been circulating a video clip where Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, sincerely reflected on the condition of the APC, at a time in the challenging past, which later helped to produce needed healing and rejuvenation in the party.
We like to remind good-minded people of Ondo State and teaming members of the APC in the state and beyond, that the opinion of Chief Olusola Oke, at this time, was informed by the many crises that plagued the APC in the 2016 gubernatorial primary. The contentious nature of the election can be seen in the pre-election litigation between Dr. Segun Abraham and Late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, which terminated at the Supreme Court.
To say the least, people who embarked on deliberate amnesia about the internal rifts that occasioned many festering divisions in the party then, are merely looking for a way to debilitate the organic support Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, is enjoying among APC members at the various levels, and drag him down, since they have sunk low in the pursuit of their misguided aspiration.
Since issues traceable to this unfortunate impression were resolved, Chief Olusola Oke has made frantic efforts to sacrificially help build the APC in Ondo State and nationally. He is not a stranger in the party, and that was why he could use his acceptability across the state to earn victories for APC members in various elections.
It is our desire that other aspirants will continue to follow the path of integrity, peace and reasonableness, just like our Principal, while others with negative colouration should seek wilful purgation, instead of going deeper into the mud.
As members of one big family, APC, we must be deliberate in respecting one another’s emotions, personality and constitutional rights.
We remain focused on the victory before us, and no distraction will sway our gaze into the glorious greater future in Ondo State.
#NiPinleOndoOkeLanlo
Ojo Oyewamide Spokesperson for the Campaign Council March 22nd, 2024.
Some traditional rulers and elders from Ondo South Senatorial District have urged the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to drop his governorship ambition.
A leading traditional ruler from the district, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said Aiyedatiwa’s ambition would be a setback for the region, saying the constitution has put him in a state of disadvantage and would rob the region.
The first-class monarch noted that the region is putting pressure on the governor to allow a fresh candidate to govern the state for two terms, and not disallow Ondo South from getting its full complement of completing two terms in the governorship of the Sunshine State.
He said, “The last time we had the opportunity to govern the state was during the Olusegun Agagu administration, which the Court of Appeal yanked off for Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. Agagu spent only 5 years in office. Aiyedatiwa, if he wins the coming election, will have the opportunity to spend only 5 years. This is what we want to avoid. He should see beyond his ambition and allow a fresh candidate to take over from him.”
Also, the Ondo Southern Justice Forum has warned that the Southern Senatorial District will vote for another political party that picks a candidate from the district aside from Aiyedatiwa.
In a statement released after its expanded meeting on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Forum, Chief Francis Ogunmakinde, explained that the incumbent governor is out to destroy another chance for the senatorial district to have its two full terms to rule the state.
The group lamented that the district has not had its fair share of ruling the state, even though it contributes the largest resources to the development of the state.
Ogunmakinde stressed, “Ondo South has not been able to govern the state for a complete 8 years. We had Agagu, who was the first governor from the Senatorial District, who was removed by the courts. Now that we have the opportunity to rule the state, Aiyedatiwa should not be the one to stop us. We are ready to mobilise our people for a massive protest against him and vote for another political party that picks our son as a candidate,” the group insisted.
In a chat with CTV immediately after the remains of Akeredolu was committed to mother earth, The governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has declared that he would run for the seat of the Governor of Ondo State, as the constitution allows him to so do, notwithstanding that he would only spend four years, as he cannot swear to an oath for the seat of the Governor more than two times.
The first oath he sworn into to complete the remaining 14 months tenure of Akeredolu on 27 December, 2023 dictates that he can only run for one more term of four years, as constitutionally provided.
The major implication of Aiyedatiwa’s pursuit of his ambition is that the Ondo South senatorial district, that is almost unanimously expected to produce the next governor of Ondo State, would have the possibility of their predictable two terms of eight years reduced to one term of four years.
Opinions are strong that the zone would not forfeit its deductive privilege of representation on the altar of a selfish individual, who is not appreciative of the fact that providence made him governor, in the first place, due to the death of his former principal, and also in spite of the intrigues made at removing him through impeachment then. Politicians in the zone who pleaded for anonymity were of the view that they would centralize the interest of the zone, far above that of the Governor.
Observers are also of the opinion that the insatiable dispositions of Aiyedatiwa with the providential “one year” he dismissed shows how desperate he was, as widely rumoured, that he had always had the desire to realise his gubernatorial ambition faster through the death of Akeredolu.
Following the burial of Akeredolu yesterday, the political space in Ondo State would be fully activated, as the clock ticks down to the primary of APC in April.
Only time will tell whether Aiyedatiwa would have his way, or whether the wish of his people will prevail.
In a significant development ahead of the November Governorship election in Ondo State, notable leaders from Akure South, Ondo East, and Ifedore council areas have thrown their weight behind a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Olusola Oke, to clinch the All Progresives Congress (APC) ticket and become the next Governor of the state.
Speaking with journalists in Akure, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Afe Olowookere said the decision to endorse Oke was reached after assessing those gunning for the ticket of the APC in the forthcoming election.
Olowookere emphasised that Chief Oke has over the years garnered the requisite experience and competence in leadership and governance, saying that he is the pergect fit to lead the Sunshine State at this time.
The former lawmaker noted the numerous contributions of Chief Oke to the continued political strength of the APC in Ondo State, adding that his experience is needed to bring the party together.
Olowookere added that, “What Ondo State APC needs now is not an experimental leader, but somebody with experience and maturity to bring all factions and interests together for the overall interest of the party and the state and no one is more capable than Olusola Oke,” Olowookere said.
The former lawmaker called on other aspirants to see reasons with party leaders in order to win the state for the progressive party.
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