By Barth Ndubuwah, Port-Harcourt

The Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that his first year in office is better than the eight years spent by some other administrations.

Governor Fubara made the assertion on Saturday at Ngo Town during the official inauguration of the Andoni section of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo Unity Road project, in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Governor said the accomplishments were secured within three months that his administration had actually settled down to work, given the festering political crisis.

Revealing what will be done soon in the health sector, Governor Fubara said it was appalling that recent statistics had classified Rivers State as below the set benchmark in terms of enrollments and health facilities availability.

Governor Fubara, who explained that the statistics, not specific to any particular administration’s lifespan, covered over a period of time, which indicates unacceptable levels of neglect to the health sector.

He, however, assured that in the next six months, Rivers’ people should expect to see evidence of significant investment that his administration has made to change the narrative.

“I was at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) meeting on Wednesday, and we were given an update from the chart on the medical position of all the states. It was in zones.

“You won’t believe that in that chart, everything that has to do with enrollment, even the level of facilities that is on ground in that assessment, Rivers State was classified as below benchmark. It is a pity.

“It is not something that just happened in a day. It is not something that just happened within my time in government. No, no. It is a statistics collated over a period of time. So, it means when we tell you that our target is education, healthcare and agriculture, we didn’t make any mistake.

“We might have done other things, but those key areas have not been adequately attended to. And we promise our people this afternoon that by the special grace of God, in the next six months, there will be a total change in the health sector of Rivers State,” the Governor said.

Commenting on the project, Fubara said the project has been delivered successfully, and applauded the initiator of the project, former governor, Dr Peter Odili and successive administrations that contributed their quota in realizing the Unity Road, for the people.

Governor Fubara stated that his driving principle remains putting the people first, which is why he will not renege on the promise of internal roads that he made to Andoni people during electioneering campaigns.

The governor, therefore, directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, to liaise with Monier Construction Company (MCC) to do scoping for commencement of reconstruction of Ngo internal roads and new contract for extension of the road to Oyorokoto Town.

“But, I just want to say this, what is important today is the section of the Unity Road that connects Andoni to Ogoni and Opobo/Nkoro has come to reality. That is the important thing.

“We have to thank first, the initiator, Dr Peter Odili. We have to thank other successive governments which also contributed before we finally made this day to be.

“It is important we set this record straight. The Permanent Secretary has mentioned the cost of the job and the review cost. The beauty of it is that we are not owing any dime on this particular project,” he added.

“We are happy that it is happening in our own time. Our motto remains: ‘The People First,’ and anything that has to do with the people, we must take it very seriously.

“I know that if it is this road, we are already done with the road. The politicking of the road is already done. I don’t want to politick on this road anymore.

“I want to say here that we need to develop our own, and if we have to do it, we have to do it ourselves. So, I promise my people that we are going to do more jobs, more connecting roads for the Andonis by the special grace of God,” the Governor assured.

“I remember when we came for campaign, we promised our people that when you support us, we are going to give you the internal roads. And by the special grace of God, the Andonis gave us their support, and the election was won.

“So, let me use this opportunity to thank you, first for that support. Thank you, that even after the election, you have continued to support the government, not minding the situation that we find ourselves in.

 ”A lot of people were thinking that this place will be empty today. Some people had other plans. But to the glory of God, we are getting natural support, people that we didn’t pay money to are here to say that they are identifying with this government, we appreciate what this government is doing.

“For that alone, I want to direct the Permanent Secretary to immediately liaise with the contractor to ensure first, that the internal roads in Ngo, and connecting this road to Oyorokoto are immediately awarded.”

Governor Fubara urged the people to have good faith in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, and appealed for their total support to the Federal Government so that it can continue to undertake life-changing programmes that will trickle down to the State and Local Government Areas.

“I am also aware that we have issues in the other communities in Andoni. Some of them are flooding issues, which is even the more critical issue.

“I know of a place called Oronija. They are having very serious erosion and flood issues, and other places. We are going to do something about it. It is my promise to my dear people today.

“I also want to say in this gathering, please, support the government at the centre. I am happy when our leader was mentioning the activities of the oil companies here, and said that there is no interruption. I was impressed by that.

“It shows that we are contributing positively, and we understand the meaning and importance of peace. So, let me enjoin you,continue to show this good faith, and be a good host.

“In the governance of this country, the success of the centre is the success of the sub-national. And when the sub-national succeeds, which is the state, the local governments will succeed. And when the local governments succeed, it means, more projects, more life-changing activities will be seen in your domain.”

Governor Fubara said further, “I also remember that another vital area that we need to touch in our governance was mentioned: the issue of hospitals. We are coming here, and we will make sure that we attend to that need.”

Also speaking, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, said it was important to explain that the Unity Road, initiated by Dr Peter Odili, had its inaugural foundation stone laid on the 3rd January, 2005, and not in 2004.

Prince Secondus thanked Governor Fubara for completing the project, which now serves as a miracle, enabling the people to drive on land to Andoni from the city.

…Oyetola, Basiru, Omisore welcomes Babayemi, Oyedokun, thousands of PDP to APC fold

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

All the roads leading to the Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun State chapter, were on Friday 17th May 2024, jampacked by thousands of the members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, who decided to pitch their tent with the main opposition party, APC fueling the confidence of the opposition leaders ahead of the 2026 elections.

Over six hours residents of Owo-Ede suburb of the country home of Governor Ademola Adeleke find it difficult to get to their various businesses, especially those who are plying Osogbo Gbongan road.

The former PDP gubernatorial aspirant in the 2022 Osun governorship election, Prince Dotun Babayemi and former National Deputy Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun and their supporters defected to the APC.

Addressing the mammoth crowd populated by his supporters at the APC State Secretariat on Friday in Osogbo, Prince Babayemi affirmed their readiness and commitment to work relentlessly with members of the party to dislodge the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke in the next governorship election in the state.

He said their defection to the opposition party was based on personal and collective conviction to work in unison with the progressive minds towards  building a virile and vibrant party to oust out the incumbent government come 2026.

He said: “I have said a lot about our defection, and I won’t say much today. As you all know, good governance in Osun stopped in 2022 immediately the former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola left power. It is obvious that since then, the people of Osun have not been experiencing good governance. What we have today are political interlopers and usurpers.

“So, we are coming home today to work together with leaders and members of the APC in Osun and beyond to record more electoral successes and victories in the future elections. We will work tirelessly to take power from the PDP come 2026.

“We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his great works. It is obvious that he was determined to reposition the country and take us to greater heights. We believe in his leadership, and we pray God to continue to grant him enablement to achieve all the lofty programmes designed to take the country to enviable heights,” he added.

In his short remarks, the former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun,  attributed his defection to the palpable inequality and lingering crisis in his former party saying his defection is based on personal conviction.

Oyedokun pledged his unalloyed commitment to further advance the cause of his new party, adding that his return is divine and a clarion call to collectively wrestle power from the ruling party in the state come 2026.

The former member of the PDP National Working Committee who narrated their ordeals in their former party faulted the 2022 Osun governorship primary that led to the emergence of Senator Ademola Adeleke admitting that the primary was outrightly skewed to favour the incumbent Governor.

Oyedokun appealed to Nigerians, home and abroad, to rally round President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his efforts to build a nation dreamt by all and sundry.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, lauded the defectors for their uncommon courage and bravery, which culminated into their choice of the party – the APC.

“I thank you all. I thank God that since we left the government, our party and its members remain resolute and united. It is worthy of note that we are increasing every day in number and size.

“I want to assure you that you are all accepted wholeheartedly, and with open arms, there is equal right for all. There won’t be any discrimination whatsoever, and I want to assure you that you would be wholeheartedly received at your various wards and local governments with open arms.”

“We must all work together to come back to power. We are confident in God that we will return to power. APC is the God’s chosen Party. I commend all of you for your commitment and dedication that had been leading to the peaceful running of the affairs of our great party thus far,” Oyetola stated.

The state APC Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal, acknowledged the rare courage exhibited by the decampees describing the decision as a “round peg in a round hole.

“Your decision to defect to APC is a wise choice which was influenced by God who has been your political pathfinder as the APC is a party of the people. It is not an overstatement to state that Osun state is a traditional APC enclave and any other party that may be occupying a political space in the state is a mere tenant which will soon be shown the way out of the power.

“The more the merrier. Let’s work assiduously towards the next series of elections in the state and take back our state from those grossly lacking administrative know-how as it is being reflected in their actions and inactions on a daily basis,” he added.

In his welcome address, the Chairman, Defection Committee, Mayegun Debo Badru lauded the former Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola for setting up the defection committee which was populated by people of impeccable character.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the leadership and members of the party to kick out the PDP government out of power in the next governorship election.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, Hon. Sunday Bisi urged the people of the State not to lose sleep over what he called the formal realignment of some political traders, whose round tripping business of feeding fat on the common patrimony of the state was decisively halted through the July 16 2022 governorship election.

Bisi said Mr. Dotun Babayemi and others have since been put in their place long before now and have ceased to be members of our party right before the 2022 governorship election.

He said, “We however understand that Osun PDP’s image stock is so huge that impressionists like Babayemi must clinge onto, deceiving themselves as decamping from the ruling party.

“We hold that self help may not be unusual with desperate politicians but self deceit is a sign of ominous trouble! Tagging people you know you have worked with to fight the PDP, right when the party was in opposition, as defectors from the same party that floored you inside out, is simply put, a terminal symptom of APC s life-limiting illness.

“Or is it not self deceit taken too far to say that one Akin Ogunbiyi who was sponsored to contest the last governorship election in the state on the banner of Accord Party is also defecting from the PDP? Someone the PDP was confident enough to refuse his reabsorption into the party after his failed Accord voyage?

“The same Ogunbiyi whose electoral worth was put to test with Accord and scored paltry 4 thousand votes or thereabouts including those of his polling agents?

“Or the octogenarian Shuaibu Oyedokun who has been a liability to himself, living on samaritan gestures of the PDP over the years based on his age? A man who had no record of performance at his electoral unit, let alone his community? That is not a character to be missed by a strong political institution like the PDP.

“Osun people are assured that the PDP train of victory recorded in recent elections in Osun State, is indivisibly intact. The people’s Governor, Asiwaju Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke is also unperturbed by the distractive antics of the never do wells, whose mission to end Osun State economically has since been defeated.

“All developmental plans put in place by his Excellency, the Executive Governor would continue to form the fulcrum of the PDP administration and will be executed religiously for the wellbeing of all and sundry,” he added.

…says his comment represents hallucination of a serial failure

The Ogun State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the former Governor of the State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel of telling lies over his recent interview on some of the projects going on in the State.

Daniel, in a recent interview said he initiated some important projects which were under reported due to ‘bad press’, including the iconic Gateway Agro-Cargo Airport started by the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun about three years ago and nearly completed with the longest runway and largest apron in Nigeria and West Africa corridor.

Reacting to Daniel’s statement on Sunday, Tunde Oladunjoye, the Publicity Secretary of APC in the State, said the statement credited to Daniel was nothing but a product of hallucination by a serial failure.

He insisted that the lawmaker did nothing to suggest seriousness of his administration to build any airport in the State, adding that the former governor in his usual character merely announced the proposed airport and the intending location as mere political statement for immediate gains.

According to Oladunjoye, the area proposed for the airport by Daniel’s administration remained a thick forest while billions of naira were siphoned under the guise of consultancy for the implementation of the project.

“Unlike the deceptive 8-year administration of Daniel, that was characterized with high level of fraud, political assassination and widespread brigandage, Abiodun came on board with integrity, and purposeful leadership skill, which is practically responsible for the remarkable success his administration had recorded in the last five years, and the reason for the present headache of his hitherto traducers, including Gbenga Daniel.

“Setting the record straight, like many other failed Governors of Daniel type, who merely made political statements about projects to manipulate people’s emotions and deceive them for political gains, the Agro-Cargo Airport situated at Ilisan-Iperu axis of the State was just one of the many areas where Otunba Gbenga Daniel failed the people of Ogun State very woefully.

“Gbenga Daniel, after announcing construction of an Airport in the year 2006, the area earmarked for the project remained a tick forest till 2019 when Prince Dapo Abiodun came into the saddle. Daniel’s successor, Ibikunle Amosun based on the nature of his personality and pattern of reasoning did not even open the file of the proposed Airport throughout his eight years in office, the same way Daniel abandoned all the projects left behind by his predecessor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba.

“The recent interview of having the grand or master plan for what Governor Dapo Abiodun has been accomplishing is not only self-ridiculing, it is simply a sheer hallucination of a serial failure and shameful acceptance of failure on the part of Mr. Gbenga Daniel. His interview and comment on Governor Dapo Abiodun reek of deep envy and insensitive lack of modesty,” Oladunjoye averred.

The Ogun APC Publicity Secretary further took a swipe on the former Governor, asserting that his ineptitude, deceptive tendency, and maladministration were responsible for his unpopular administration and not bad press as he claimed.