All posts by 08033517035

Death
Yetunde Fatungase
Abeokuta, Dec. 30, 2020 (NAN) Lead drummer to the late popular Apala musician, Ayinla Omowura, Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Adewole, popularly called Onilu-Ola, is dead.
One of his children, Kamilu Adewole, who broke the news early Wednesday, said that his father died late Tuesday at the age of 97 in his hometown, Abeokuta.
He further said that the remains of his father would be buried on Wednesday at his Keesi residence in accordance with Islamic injunctions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nonagenarian died barely a month after he celebrated his 97th birthday, which was attended by some dignitaries, including the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.
Reacting to the news of Adewole’s death, the Baamofin of Egbaland, Chief Sunny Oduntan, described him as one of the best talking drummers in Egbaland.
“Last night, we lost one of the best talking drummers in the history of Egbaland, Alhaji Adewole Onilu-Ola.
“He was the lead drummer to the Ayinla Omowura Apala Group until the tragic death of Omowura in 1980.
“We celebrated Baba Adewole’s 97th birthday on Nov. 28 and he died on Dec. 29. We thank God for his life,” he said. (NAN)
YAF/KOLE/WAS
Edited by Remi Koleoso and ‘Wale Sadeeq

Protest
By Yetunde Fatungase
Abeokuta, Oct. 21, 2020 (NAN) A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has enjoined the protesting youth across the country to give peace a chance, as they go about making their legitimate demands.
Obasanjo, in a statement he personally signed, said that he was speaking with a heavy heart and deep sense of concern about the goings on in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the statement, entitled” “Violence Against Protesters in Nigeria: An Appeal for Calm”, was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta by Obasanjo’s Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.
He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to restrain the military and other security agencies from using brute force against the protesting youth.
“The shooting and murder of unarmed protesters, no matter the level of provocation, has never been effective in suppressing public anger and frustration.
“Instead, such actions only reinforce the anger and frustration of the populace and close the window of dialogue and peaceful resolution.
“It is clear that the president and his lieutenants did exhaust the opportunities for dialogue with the protesters before resorting to the use of force.
“It is worse that there is denial of wrong doing in spite of overwhelming visual evidence. Great harm has been done, but it can be stopped before it completely spirals out of control,” he said.
Obasanjo, while stating that the country was now at a critical moment, called on the president to act now.
The former president, however, appealed to the youth to give peace a chance while making their legitimate demands, saying they must be mindful of miscreants who would infiltrate their ranks and give the protests a bad name. (NAN)
YAF/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq

Census
Yetunde Fatungase
Iperu (Ogun), Oct. 7, 2020 (NAN) The National Population Commission (NPC), on Wednesday, inaugurated an Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) programme in Remo North and Ikenne Local Government areas of Ogun, ahead of the forthcoming national population census.
Speaking at the inauguration of the programme held in Iperu, the Federal Commissioner, NPC Ogun, Mrs Oluseyi Aderinokun, explained that the process was to delineate the entire land area of the state into smaller geographical and democratic units.
Aderinokun said that the geographical and democratic units would comprise of a specified number of persons and households, which a team of enumerators could cover during the census.
According to her, the success of a credible and accurate census depends on the quality and reliability of the enumeration area demarcation.
The NPC federal commissioner stated that the EAD exercise was, in no way, the determinant of the population of any locality, local government or state.
“This phase, which is the 10th of the EAD, will hold in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with one local government in each of the 26 states of the country.
“Ikenne and Remo North Local Government areas were selected for Ogun. During the previous phases, Abeokuta South, Ijebu Ode, Yewa South, Abeokuta North and Sagamu Local Government areas were demarcated.
“Beginning from this phase of the exercise, a new software is being introduced. This innovation, which was developed exclusively and internally by the NPC, has now made the entire EAD process completely paperless,” she said.
Aderinokun noted that the purpose of the gathering was to intimate the state and local governments, traditional rulers, community leaders and the people of the exercise and seek their support, owing to huge deployment of personnel and materials for the exercise.
“Ogun has the largest number of industrial establishments in the country. The state has become a migrants’ destination point. We, therefore, need to capture and document officially, this population growth resulting from our unique position,” she said.
The federal commissioner called on the government and the people of the state to join hands with NPC in achieving a reliable, factual and fool-proof EAD for the next population and housing census.
In her address, the Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, commended NPC for the programme.
Salako-Oyedele noted that EAD was not about taxation but about allocation of resources, saying that the state government would cooperate with the commission for the success of the programme.
She said that Gov. Dapo Abiodun had donated 20 motorcycles as part of the state government’s commitment to the success of the exercise and to make the job easy.
“Government will not relent in mobilizing both men and materials for the success of this EAD. I also call for the support and cooperation of our people,” the deputy governor said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that traditional rulers and the Chairmen of Ikenne and Remo North Local Government areas were present at the event.
YAF/COF/WAS
Edited by Oluyinka Fadare and ‘Wale Sadeeq

Health

By Yetunde Fatungase

Abeokuta, Oct. 7, 2020 (NAN) The Ogun Government on Wednesday said that it was making efforts to reposition the state’s health sector to meet international standard without leaving any stone unturned.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, said this during the opening of a five-day workshop with the theme: “Annual Operational Plan (AOP) of the Health Sector for the Year 2021”.

The workshop, which is holistic in nature, was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with some other development partners.

It is expected to provide a road map with timelines to take the sector to an enviable destination.

Coker said that the gathering was the first of its kind since the State Strategic Health Development Plan (SSHDP II) was initiated for 2018-2022 by the Federal Ministry of Health to improve the health status of residents of Ogun.

She said that embracing the plan would afford the state the opportunity to scale up effective service coverage, coordinating support for health, and increasing domestic health financing.

She added that the state had recently constituted and inaugurated its Monitoring and Technical Working Group (TWG) to provide successful implementation of the SSHDP II.

“The Gov. Dapo Abiodun-led government, indeed, has the political will to reposition the sector by coming up with this type of workshop to leverage the benefits of the SSHDP II.

“With this annual operational plan for the coming year, we are sure that we will be better for it.

“We need to design a way forward to achieve the goals set for 2018 to date so that by 2022, we will have done a lot on the plan,” she said.

Coker said that no fewer than 50 areas of interventions in the plan would be pursued vigorously without leaving any stone unturned.

According to her, the areas of intervention include: maternal and child health, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, tuberculosis, as well as family planning uptake, immunisation and infrastructure.

The commissioner stressed the need for the heads of various agencies and departments in the health sector to be up and doing in the pursuit of the plan.

She said that everyone was important in the scheme of things.

In his remarks, Dr Angus Ikpe, the Head, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) in the Federal Ministry of Health, commended the commissioner for ensuring that the AOP workshop became a reality.

He said that the plan would support the sector’s efforts in the coming year. (NAN)

YAF/COF/PAD

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Edited by Oluyinka Fadare/Peter Dada

Gift
Yetunde Fatungase
Abeokuta, Oct. 6, 2020 (NAN) Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, on Tuesday, announced the donation of N5 million and a three-bedroom bungalow to the winner of the just-concluded Big Brother Naija reality show, Olamilekan Agbelesebioba
He also appointed him as the Youth Ambassador of the state.
Abiodun made the announcement when he played host to Agbelesebioba, popularly known as Laycon, in his office in Abeokuta
He expressed the hope that his good character, excellence, good virtues, calmness and integrity would serve as a model to the youths in the state.
“It is hoped that you will help inspire our teeming youths to channel their energies towards positive engagements and shun vices, such as robbery, drug abuse, cultism, advanced fee fraud, cybercrimes and kidnapping, amongst other negative tendencies,” he said.
He described Laycon’s conduct in the House as a demonstration of the “Omoluabi” virtue, which he said was the primary ingredient of an average Ogun indigene.
He observed that in spite all the odds, temptations and provocations, the BB Naija show winner was able to come out unscathed and uninvolved in any scandal or immoral act.
“You have also demonstrated, with the way you carried out your assigned tasks in the House with comportment, intellectual responses to questions and your spirit of fair-play through which your academic achievement at the University of Lagos was earned.
“This has also shown that our universities can and still produce graduates who are found worthy in both character and learning.
“Indeed, what we are celebrating today is much more than the entertainment that the House provided, but what you represent: a rare combination of prodigious intellect, academic excellence, multi-faceted talents, character and resilience.
“I believe your career will draw inspiration from great sons and daughters of Ogun, who have made their marks in their respective chosen careers,” he added.
The governor said he was impressed with Laycon’s display while in the House, just as he urged parents and guardians to help in nurturing the talents of their children and wards in order for them to be useful to themselves and the society in the future.
He maintained that parents and guardians should realise that there was life outside the four walls of classrooms, “as entertainers are also successful men and women, who are contributing to national development”.
Abiodun said that his administration would continue to unleash the creative energies of the youth and the generality of the people as innovators, academics, researchers, entertainers and creative artists in public and private sectors and, formal and informal sectors, for the continued development of the nation.
According to him, plans are at an advanced stage to build an ‘Entertainment Village’ for film makers, artists and musicians, where their skills could be nurtured with added value for the socio-economic development.
A visibly excited Laycon praised the governor for his youth-oriented programmes and promised to work with him to ensure that the “Building Our Future Together” agenda of his administration was successful. (NAN)
YAF/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq