News

Dapo Abiodun’s Supreme court victory and Ogun’s renewed hope

Published

3 months ago

January 30, 2024

By Lekan Adeniran (Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun)

On Friday, January 19, the Supreme Court affirmed the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun as the Ogun State governor. A five-member panel of the court led by Justice John Okoro held that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, failed to prove allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act during the conduct of the 18 March 2023 elections.

“This appeal is unmeritorious and ought to be dismissed and it is hereby dismissed. The judgement of the Appeal Court is hereby affirmed,” said Tijjani Abubakar who read the lead judgement.

Incidentally, Adebutu’s arrival at a New Year service organised by a former governor of the State was heralded with loud cheers on Sunday, January 17. Videos of the service which flooded the social media presented the false hope that his matter at the Supreme Court would result in him being declared the Ogun State governor. But Governor Abiodun is a man of destiny. The highest court in the land upheld the election that produced him.

It is crystal clear that Prince Abiodun is the Lord’s project and no mortal can stop the march of destiny.

A mandate confirmed is a mandate fully renewed. With a renewed mandate till 2027, Mr. Adebutu and his party, PDP, have no choice but to support the governor in the quest to transform Ogun State. After the judicial rigmarole, Adebutu owes his conscience the moral duty of supporting Governor Abiodun in the quest to turn the Gateway State around. Significantly, the Supreme Court judgment has solidified the legitimacy of Governor Abiodun’s mandate, reinforcing his authority to govern effectively. This ruling has also strengthened the people’s trust and confidence in his leadership, as it demonstrates the judicial system’s endorsement of the election results and affirms the democratic process.

The end to the legal tussle, hopefully, should also bring the much-needed political stability to Ogun State. The prolonged court proceedings have not only been a drain on resources but have also created uncertainty and distractions in governance. This much was attested to by the governor during a Thanksgiving Service to mark his victory at the St. James’ Anglican Church, Iperu on Sunday. He said, “Although this period has brought a lot of distractions, I am relieved that is now behind us, allowing us to fully focus on our unwavering commitment to lead Ogun State to new heights and make it a shining example amongst not just Nigerian states, but other states in Africa.”

One can say unequivocally that the state has never had it so good. Now, the governor can proceed with the implementation of his policies and programmes and push forward with his agenda, with emphasis on good governance, accountability, transparency, and responsiveness to the needs of the citizens. It was fitting enough that the governor’s plane from Abuja after the judgement landed at the Ogun State International Agro Cargo Airport. Ensuring its total completion has been a major plan of the administration. The airport is a legacy project that should be the pride of any administration. The governor has strategically positioned Ogun State to reap the maximum benefits of its contiguity to Lagos. This has no doubt further boosted the state’s economy and ensured its exponential growth. This confirms what a report said last year, namely that Ogun State outperformed Rivers State, a major oil-producing state, on the list of economically viable states for 2022.

Ogun State has consistently ranked among the three topmost revenue generating states in Nigeria since Governor Abiodun came to office. Continuously positioning the state among the economically viable states is a mission that this administration will pursue to a logical conclusion. The Governor Abiodun-led administration has done well in providing infrastructure across the nooks and crannies of the state. It is heart-warming that currently, there is no local government in the state that has not been touched by the government in terms of road construction, but according to the governor, there’s still room for improvement. With improvement in revenue collection, the governor is poised to continue his infrastructural revolution in the Gateway State. The Agbara-Lusada road and the Sango-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway are some of the projects that the governor has promised to complete during his second term in office. Also in the pipeline is the development of the Olokola Seaport and the Kajola Dry Port. The completion of these projects and many more will further enhance the industrialisation of the state.

To the credit of the Abiodun administration, the ease-of-doing-business index has been consistently high under its watch. This surely will continue as the state maximises its closeness to Lagos. With manufacturing concerns continuously choked in the city of Lagos, Ogun State offers a viable alternative for investors seeking to reap maximum benefits from their investment. The state is now poised to make more progress in various sectors. Governor Abiodun can now work on attracting local and foreign investments, improving infrastructure, promoting agriculture, enhancing healthcare and education, and creating job opportunities, all of which are crucial for the growth and prosperity of Ogun State. Indeed, he has been the state’s “salesman,” as he has been taking advantage of every opportunity to market the potential available in the state to local and foreign investors.

The governor has promised that before the end of his tenure, the electricity outlay he is initiating will give stable power supply across the state. The completion of The Light Up Ogun State project will make the state one of the first set of states to take advantage of the constitutional reform in electricity generation and distribution. This, no doubt, is a great incentive to industries considering relocating or setting up in Ogun State.

Increasingly, more and more Lagos residents are taking the advantage of the closeness to Ogun State to register and renew their vehicles documents. This is a testament to the efficient way Ogun State conducts its affairs. It is also a plus to the growing ease of doing business in the state. Governor Abiodun has done well in the last four years and seven months. The Prince from Iperu will write his name in gold between now and 2027.

He has earned the peoples’ mandate and from observations, he intends to exercise it judiciously. The governor has always promised not to leave any part of the state out in his developmental strides. Citizens are right in having high expectations of his government: the last four years have led them to such expectations. The governor must therefore outperform himself between now and 2027.

News

Oyo Govt unveils free technology skill training for 1,000 students

Published

54 seconds ago

May 4, 2024

NewsDirect

As part of its effort to ensure quality and sustainable development in the education sector in line with the Omituntun 2.0 Agenda of the state governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, the Office of the Human Capital Development has revealed its readiness to train 1,000 senior secondary schools students on free coding and non-code technology skills.

The Executive Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Administration, Revd. Idowu Ogedengbe, stated this on Friday, during a Press Briefing held at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

Ogedengbe noted that the initiative, which is aimed at launching a groundbreaking technology programme to empower senior secondary school students across the 33 Local Government Areas of Oyo State, with technology skills, will be implemented in partnership with some private investors in the technology sector.

He maintained that the training, which will be held between July 15th and July 19th at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, will begin with selected schools in all the eleven (11) local governments in Ibadan Main and Less Cities, while other beneficiaries from the remaining local governments will be trained at a subsequent date.

He said, “This pilot programme will witness an unprecedented event where 1,000 senior secondary school students from the 11 local governments of Ibadan will receive specialised training in coding and non-code tech skills.”

“The next phases of the initiative would see us taking the training to the remaining LGAs with a view to ensuring that the impact is widespread and even across all the constituencies in Oyo State.

“This initiative marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing quality education and preparing our youth for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

“CodeGarage Africa has been at the forefront of promoting digital literacy across Africa, and we are delighted to partner with them in this endeavour with the support of Zeeh Africa and 386Konsult. We aim to equip our students with the tech skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in the increasingly digital world.

“The importance of coding or non-code tech skills cannot be overstated in today’s society, from driving innovation to solving complex problems, tech skills are a fundamental skill that opens doors to countless opportunities.

“Introducing coding education to our senior secondary school students will allow us to lay the foundation for a future where they can excel in technology-driven fields and contribute meaningfully to the development of our state and beyond.”

Ogedengbe added that the programme is in tandem with the vision of Governor Makinde on education, as his government’s policy is not only to invest in the future of the youths but to also position Oyo State as a hub for innovation and technological advancement.

He, therefore, encouraged stakeholders, including parents, educators, and the private sector, to support and participate in the laudable programme to unlock the full potentials of the young stars to become leaders in the digital age.

In their remarks, the partnering private investors, CodeGarage Africa, Miss Dolapo Ayeni and her counterpart, Zeeh Africa, Mr David Adeleke, said training the students from the grassroots level is very useful to the ecosystem.

They added that it is another way of catching them young and also exposing them to entrepreneurship, even as they called for more partners to collaborate with the Oyo State government.

News

We registered below 3,000 data controllers, processors despite identifying 500,000 — NDPC Commissioner

Published

6 mins ago

May 4, 2024

NewsDirect

By Matthew Denis, Abuja

The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji has disclosed that the level of compliance for the registration by data controllers and processors given by the commission is still low.

He revealed that they have only registered below 3000 Data controllers, processors despite identifying 500,000 in the country.

The Commissioner made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with Nigerian NewsDirect at his office in Abuja on Thursday.

Recall that the agency has notified all entities, including businesses, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and other organisations that collect personal data of individuals, that registration is mandatory in accordance with Section 5(d) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

The Commission had commenced registration on January 30th, 2024 to conclude on June 30th, 2024 and added that entities that fail to register within this time frame will be subject to penalties.

Dr. Olatunji while speaking to NewsDirect said, “the ecosystem is just revolving and a lot of people don’t really understand what we’re talking about regarding Data controllers, Data processors. That’s why we’re going loud to create awareness.”

The Commissioner stressed that they’re done with the first phase and very soon they will commence with the second phase the need for them to register which speaks on the reputation of their organization, compliance and credibility and one thing that this will create is trust and confidence in your data processing activities as an organization.

“We have up to the end of June, 2024 for all of them to register and we’re starting another massive campaign for them to register in the next two weeks.”

According to him in terms of compliance for registration with the commission the situation is still low.

He said, “When we started in 2022 we had about 1,777 data controllers and processors and last year it rose to over 2,000 but it’s very low when compared to the number of data controllers and processors we have identified in the country.

“We have identified about 500,000 and today we’re doing less than 3000 that means we have not even started at all, that is why we’re speaking to stakeholders and bringing everybody onboard.

“We have released the guidelines strategy telling you who qualifies as a Data controllers and processors and their categories in the country.”

The Commissioner emphasised that it’s their expectation that Nigerians will embrace the programme and key into it for the safety of the country with accurate data collection and protection.

News

Air Chief visits Kano, assures of sustained peace

Published

16 mins ago

May 4, 2024

NewsDirect

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar has recently embarked on a working visit to Kano State to deepen collaboration with stakeholders in the state for unstained peace.

The CAS made his first port of call to the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Speaking, the Governor said the relative peace and tranquility being experienced across Kano State is majorly due to the joint efforts of all the security agencies in the State.

“The troops of 455 Base Services Group (BSG), Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Kano have been part of this success story, having been serving as part of the security Joint Task Force operating in the State,” he said.

Speaking further, Governor Kabir commended the NAF for its efforts, alongside other security agencies, at containing the security challenges of insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and banditry that have particularly bedeviled the northern part of Nigeria.

He then assured the CAS that, in view of the constraints of fundings being experienced by the various security agencies, he would continue to support the NAF units in Kano as they synergise with other security agencies to checkmate the activities of criminals in the State.

Air Marshal Abubakar also paid a courtesy call to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, paid Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, who traced the history of the long and cordial relationship that has existed between the NAF and Kano State.

He also revealed that he has maintained keen interest on the monumental strides of the NAF in curtailing the activities of criminal elements in the entire country through the effective utilisation of air power. He then praised the CAS for the discipline and professionalism he has brought to bear in the execution of his responsibility while assuring him of the support of the Emirate in the discharge of his duty.

Responding to the Governor, Air Marshal Abubakar praised him for his unwavering commitment to security, economic growth, and social development as well as his commitment towards a Kano State that exemplify a shining example of peace, progress and tranquility.

He also went on to appreciate the Governor for his immense support to the NAF which has contributed significantly to ongoing operations and the attainment of its mandate as it strives to ensure the State and the entire country is peaceful, safe, and secured for economic activities to thrive.

While at the Emir of Kano’s Palace, Air Marshal Abubakar informed the Emir that he would continue to value the strong bond the NAF shares with traditional institutions in the country, as they serve as the bridge between their subjects and the military.

He also assured him of the Airforce continued collaboration with the Emirate Council in the socio-economic and cultural development of the State.