Breaking: INEC announces automatic employment for corpers used as 2019 ad-hoc staff

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who distinguished themselves during the 2019 general election will get automatic employment.

INEC says those who will participate in the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections scheduled for November will get the same reward.

INEC’s Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, spoke Monday in Abuja during the presentation of laptops and phones used by the European Election Observation Mission to 75 corps members who were selected by a panel of NYSC and EU delegation.

Source: Daily Post

APM member escapes assassination in Ogun - The Nation

A 36 years old member of the Allied People's Movement, APM, in Ogun State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Erukilede has escaped assassination ‎attempt over a political wrangling in Abeokuta, as he was being trailed for being a member the APM. 

He was a member of All Progressives Party (APC), in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital before the political crisis brewed, which made him and some members pitched their tent with APM, aftermath of his decamping to the party has got him being threatened to be killed. The Nation newspaper reports. 

He added that with this threat, he had relocated to Lagos to save his head but to no avail, saying that he was always receiving strange calls, while also noticing unusual movement through his stay in Lagos.

While coming to Abeokuta from Lagos last week, he said, he was trailed until getting to Mowe/Ibafo axis while he raised the alarm of attempting assassination but was rescued by the members of vigilante of the area.

“I see no reason why my life will be threatened for just a political interest, is it a crime to join a political of my choice?, when I was in APC, my life is save then, immediately I joined APM, my life has been threatened, in fact, my life is no more save in all APC states in South-West,” Erukilede said

He said joining political party of his choice does not need to pose his life into danger, saying that Nigerian constitution of 1999, allows all citizens freedom of speech, association, and freedom of gathering, and with this constitution everyone could join political party of his/her choice.

He now called on the authority involved, especially the law enforcement agents to continue to protect the lives and property of every Nigeria, especially against the political thugs and assailants that were bent on killing other political oppositions.

Breaking: Adekunbi bows out as Ogun 8th Assembly winds up

Adekunbi

The Speaker of Ogun House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi is stepping aside as the eighth assembly, which he presided over in the past four years was dissolved today.

Adekunbi, who was also the Speaker of the seventh assembly, is the only lawmaker to have headed the assembly for a consecutive two-term tenure.

The Ayetoro-born politician, during the last sitting today appreciated former Gov Ibikunle Amosun, his fellow lawmakers, the legislative staff, his constituents and the good people of Ogun State for giving him the opportunity and assisting him, to serve in that capacity.

In the same vein, other outgoing  lawmakers took turns to express their happiness and appreciation in an emotional atmosphere; saying "we came, we saw, we conquered."

African Advocate learnt that the Ogun ninth assembly would be inaugurated on Monday, June 10, with a new Speaker. 

Breaking: Mapoly resumes academic activities, suspends strike

The management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic has called for the resumption of full academic activities.

This call was necessary following the suspension of industrial action by the staff unions of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

According to the press release from the Public Relations Officer if the school, Mr. Yemi Ajibola, “the management has announced the resumption of full academic activities with effect from Thursday, 6th June, 2019”

“By this development, lectures will begin for the 2018/2019 academic session on Thursday, 6th June, 2019 across all departments for new and returning students”

“Therefore, all newly admitted students for National Diploma and Higher National Diploma programmes,as well as returning students who are yet to complete their registrations, are to do so without further delay”

“It should be recalled that the Management had approved 60:40 ratio tuition payment for all categories of students”

Ajibola also stated that “admission process for National Diploma and Higher National Diploma for 2018/2019 is still on going.

Interested candidates should visit www.ogunpoly.edu.ng for National Diploma and www.mapoly.edu.ng for Higher National Diploma”

See who's the next Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly

In the next few days, the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, will be stepping aside after a record eight-year tenure as the head of the state's legislators; a feat he was able to achieve due to the support of the former Gov. Ibikunle Amosun.

A new state assembly would be inaugurated with a brand new Speaker as well as other principal officers of the house like the Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader and others.

The question on the lips of many Ogun indigenes is: Who is the next Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly?

African advocate learnt that there are two major contenders for the post.

Oluomo

The current Deputy Speaker, Hon. Taiwo Oluomo of Ifo 2 and Hon. Daisi Elemide of Odeda have been lobbying intensely to become the next speaker of the house. 

Elemide 

According to reports, Elemide is being favoured by Chief Olusegun Osoba, while Oluomo might be getting the support of the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. Who wins? 

As it were, loyalists of the two contenders are currently at loggerheads with one another as crisis is brewing underground within the Ogun APC. 

There are fears that Oluomo might be loyal to Amosun and may get the support of the seven APM members to emerge victorious. But this might be far from the truth.

In the same vein, Osoba is believed to have the control of majority of those who won the assembly seat under the APC, so Elemide might be coasting home to victory. 

Elemide or Oluomo? Time will tell. 

Breaking: APC expels Yari, Shuaibu over Zamfara Supreme Court judgement

Yari

The immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has been expelled from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly scuttling the party’s chances in Zamfara State.

Also expelled is the Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC, Lawali Shuaibu for allegedly conniving with Yari to sabotage the National Working Committee of the party during the botched primary Elections of the state.

The decision to expel the former governor and the Deputy National Chairman was taken at the end of an emergency meeting held in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital.

A statement jointly signed by the chairman of the party in Zamfara, Alhaji Surajo Garba Mai Katako and the Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Bello Bakyasuwa, said the expulsion was sequel to the electoral misfortune, “Yari and his co-travellers exposed the party to in Zamfara state.”

The party recalled how “the former governor frustrated its efforts to conduct primaries last year, thus laying the foundation for the electoral misfortune that befell it in the state.”

The statement made available to reporters in Abuja said: “After reviewing the outing of our party in the last general election and the outcome of the Supreme Court Judgement, we hereby dismiss the former governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari and the Deputy National Chairman Sen Lawali Shuaibu from the APC.

“ Following this development, we are urging them to immediately surrender all the belongings of the party in their possession including funds.

“ Yari and his boys scuttled the efforts of our national headquarters to conduct primaries on the 3rd and 7th of October 2018. His nefarious activities led to the death of six persons and over 200 others were injured.”

The party said the expulsion would be communicated to its national headquarters for appropriate action on Thursday after the Sallah break.

You've no power to suspend us, Ogun LG Chairmen dare Abiodun, say "Adekunbi is corrupt, rubber-stamp"

Suraj Adekunbi 

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, Ogun Chapter has described the news going round that, its members have been suspended as rumour, illegal, null and void.

ALGON stated this in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on Saturday.

The association said, “We would like to make it crystal clear that the purported rumored suspension of the LG and LCDA political functionaries by the Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is a mere rumor and if it’s found to be true cannot stand the test of time as it’s illegal, unconstitutional and was done in bad faith with no regards for the wish of the people that elected 57 LG /LCDA Chairmen, 57 Vice Chairmen and over 300 Councillors not to mention the 57 appointed Secretary to the LGs / LCDAs.

“That Ogun State made a great error in suspending the LG / LCDA Chairmen and invites the same as well as the Leader of the House for investigation, ALGON would have expected the investigation before suspension”.

The association castigated the Assembly saying, “Ogun state House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi connived with the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to take away all revenues belonging to the LG and LCDA which create inability to generate revenue for the needed development for LG and LCDA”…

The Ogun State Assembly had on Friday announced the suspension of all elected officials in the LGs and LCDAs in the state with directive that, all their Leaders and Chairmen appear before it on Monday to defend pending petitions against them among others.

Read the full communique of the ALGON below:

ALGON OGUN STATE REACTS TO THE PURPORTED RUMOUR OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SUSPENDING THE LG / LCDA CHAIRMEN, DIRECTS ALL CHAIRMEN AND OTHER POLITICAL FUNCTIONARIES TO IGNORE THE RUMOR AND CONTINUE WITH THEIR NORMAL DUTIES

Rising from its meeting today 1st June 2019, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON Ogun State Branch, has reacted to the purported rumour going round the social media that the Ogun State House of Assembly has suspended all the chairmen and other political functionaries in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state in order to allow for investigation on allegations levelled against them on gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds. The same rumour has it that the House later directed the suspended officials to hand over powers to the Head of Local Government Administration in their respective Local Government and Local Council Development Areas.

We would like to make it crystal clear that the rumoured suspension of the LG and LCDA political functionaries by the Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is a mere rumor and if it’s found to be true cannot stand the test of time as it’s illegal, unconstitutional and was done in bad faith with no regards for the wish of the people that elected the 57 LG /LCDA Chairmen, 57 Vice Chairmen and over 300 Councillors not to mention the 57 appointed Secretary to the LGs / LCDAs.

We would like all political functionaries and general public to note and be guided as follows:

1. That Ogun State made a great error in suspending the LG / LCDA Chairmen and invited the same as well as the Leader of the House for investigation. ALGON would have expected the investigation before suspension.

2. That Pursuant to Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, 2011 as amended, the Local Government Council is established as the third tier of government. The section has not given State House of Assembly nor the Governor the power to suspend or remove a democratically elected Local Government Chairman, therefore if the rumor is found to be confirmed otherwise, then the whole excise would have no effect whatsoever.

3. There were precedences of case to justify our stan. We refer to the case of Ekiti State Governor Vs Prince Sanni Olubunmi (2017) 3 NWLR (Part1551), where the state Governor, who purportedly relied on some sections of Ekiti State Local Government Administration (Amendment) Law, 2001 removed the democratically elected local government chairmen and officials in a radio announcement, the Supreme Court held that the provisions of the state law relied upon was in violation of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution and cannot stand by virtue of Section 1(3); meaning that the suspension and eventual removal was illegal and unconstitutional.

4. We are very disturbed to hear a purported rumor that Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi would act unconstitutional to such extent knowing fully well that the same House of Assembly in the last 8 years led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi has never contributed any meaningful development in term of bill that will enhance the LG / LCDA in the state rather the Ogun State House of Assembly members led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi has only been known to be a mere rubber stamp to the Senator Ibikunle Amosun Administration. They know quite well that the Local Government and LCDA in Ogun State were not funded by the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun in which he was speaker for close to 8 years. Instead of Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi to speak the truth to his boss the Governor, he would rather settle for kick backs, this explain the sudden wealth he is currently enjoying to the detriment of the development of the Local Government and LCDAs.

5. That Ogun state house of assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi knew for a fact that the government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun failed to fund but starved the LG and LCDA to its present poor position and the LG and LCDA have made several appeal to the House of Assembly to intervene and nothing was done.

6. That the Ogun state House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Ruraj Adekunbi connived with the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to take away all revenues belonging to the LG and LCDA which create inability to generate revenue for the needed development for LG and LCDA, the statutory revenue includes:

i. Signage

ii. Park and Garages

iii. Tenement rates

iv. Market ticketing

v. Land use charges

vi. Mask and many others

1. Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi are well aware of the following fact:

i. That Ogun State LG and LCDA has never received any allocation or funding from the state Government in the last 32 months of the LG / LCDA inception.

ii. That the only payment received by each LG and LCDA were the project grant of N2,000,000 per month which was paid only for 7 months in the entire 32 months spent so far.

iii. That Statutory Chairmen Official Vehicles were not given whereas all political office holders and appointees across the State have official vehicles. This includes but not limited to the Commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, Magistrates and Judges.

iv. Statutory Furniture Allowance unpaid,

we are aware that the Commissioners, Special Advisers and Assembly Members have all been paid their statutory furniture allowance. To our surprise, only the LG/LCDA Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, Councillors and Secretaries to the Local Government & Local Council Development Areas were unpaid in the entire State.

v. That Ogun State LG and LCDA Chairmen were paid a paltry of N229,000 monthly while the House of Assembly members go home with millions of Naira monthly; each members of the house also receives N2,000,000 as monthly PADEM while the Speaker Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi receives N10,000,000 monthly.

1. That the House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi are well aware of this fact and chose to connive with the State Government to impoverish the Local Government and denied the grassroots and the rural communities their right to the dividends of democracy.

2. We are therefore very suspicious of the actions of the 8th Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi for deciding to suspend the democratically elected LG and LCDA Chairmen and inviting the same purported suspended Chairmen and the leader of the house for investigation, we believe that the house of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is doing so for their selfish and personal interest.

3. We are more concerned that 8th House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi were instrumental to many deficiencies in the last government and we hope that their intention was not to begin the same with the newly sworn in government.

4. ALGON Ogun State hereby calls on our amiable Governor, Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun to be wary of character like Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi and others who may not mean well for the state by ignoring the signage of the purported bill / resolution allegedly seeking to suspend democratically elected political office holders in the LGs and LCDAs, the 3rd tier of the Government PROTECTED by the Nigerian constitution.

5. We call on all well meaning Nigeria and every good indigenes of Ogun State to rise up for the defence of this undemocratic and illegal act being perpetuated by the 8th State Assembly led by Rt Hon Adekunbi.

6. ALGON Ogun state would like to assure our Governor His Excellency Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun of our readiness to work with him wholeheartedly for the success of his administration for the development of our dear state till the end of our term in October 2019.

7. In conclusion therefore, ALGON Ogun State hereby calls on all Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Councillors and SLGs of LG and LCDA to proceed to their offices and continue with their jobs, be calm, be law abiding. The house of Assembly lacks constitutional power to suspend or remove democratically elected Local Government Chairmen

8. Thank you all.

e – Signed

ALGON Ogun State

Liverpool beat Tottenham to win 2019 Champions League

Liverpool have succeeded in winning the Champions League for the sixth time, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2 goals to 1 on Saturday.

The sixth star sewn onto the Liverpool shirt, a club that keeps winning the biggest prize of all through different eras and generations. 

A place for Jurgen Klopp amongst the greats at Anfield, where they have a European history unsurpassed in the English game of stupendous performances and great finals – of which, strangely, this, the occasion of their sixth European Cup, was neither.

It is hard to reconcile the immense achievement of Klopp’s Liverpool, the transformation of a mediocre Premier League team into the champions of Europe in less than four years, with this: a final forgettable in every aspect save the outcome. 

You can't dissolve governing councils of universities, Don tells Dapo Abiodun

A lecturer in one of the private universities in Ogun State, Dr Lawrence Agada, has advised the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun to rescind his decision to dissolve the governing councils of universities in the state; saying it is illegal.

Agada disclosed this in a chat with African Advocate, following yesterday's dissolution of all statutory boards, councils and appointments by the state house of assembly

The university Don explained that governing councils of universities could not be dissolved by anybody, no matter how highly placed, before the expiration of its term.

He recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015 erroneously dissolved councils of federal universities in Nigeria. 

He spoke further that the President later apologised for dissolving the governing councils with a confession at the National Executive Council meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday, March 24 that: “We gave a blanket order which we had to rescind when we said all boards are suspended or dissolved.

“We had to go back and lick our vomit in terms of universities councils because we found out that according to their laws, they cannot choose vice chancellors unless the councils sit and interview candidates who want to be VCs.

“So, there is nothing wrong in saying sorry and going back on your decision. So, we said sorry and allow all the universities to continue with their councils. So, please, try to bear with us...”

Agada said Buhari wasted no time in rescinding the decision to dissolve the universities councils, urging Dapo Abiodun to learn from Buhari's mistake and do things according to the dictates of the law, while also charging him to eschew politics of bitterness in Ogun State. 

Breaking News: Kings, LG/LCDA Chairmen, others removed in Ogun

Ogun State House of  Assembly has, in a meeting with Dapo Abiodun, passed a resolution suspending all traditional rulers appointed and promoted from February, 2019 till May 28, 2019.

It also suspended all Local Government and LCDA political office holders.

The assembly thereafter ordered that the LG and LCDA Chairman and House Leaders to hand over the affairs of the councils to the HOLGA and appear before the assembly on the 7th of June, 2019.

All statutory boards and parastatals have also been disolved.

 All appointment and employment of civil servants done at the eve of the last administration have been reversed including the appointment of Permanent Secretaries.

Likewise, all financial agreements entered into between February 1 and May 28 without the Assembly's resolution have been reversed, reviewed and looked into by the present administration.

The house then removed Hon. Yinka Mafe and replaced him with Hon. Olusola Odofin as Majority leader of the Ogun State House of Assembly.

Meanwhile, Ogun indigenes have berated Dapo Abiodun for embarking on political vendetta, instead of facing the business of good governance.

"Is this the next level you are taking us to?" They queried.

Hazard says goodbye to Chelsea moment after thrashing Arsenal

Hazard 

After scoring twice in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Arsenal in the 2019 UEFA Europa League final match on Wednesday, Belgium’s Eden Hazard said he has now found the right momen

He said it was the moment to call time on his magnificent career with the London club to seek new challenges.

The Belgian is widely expected to join Real Madrid.

But he capped a superb display against English Premier League rivals Arsenal by converting from the penalty kick spot to make it 3-0 before adding the fourth to complete the rout.