Top Civil Servants Showered Encomium on Surveyor Alaba Abiodun as his Bowing out of Service, as Oyo State Surveyor General

 

Dignitaries, Friends, colleagues, staff of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Oyo State Civil Service service, among other personalities on Friday, showered encomium  in honour of the Surveyor General of Oyo State, Surveyor Alaba Abiodun, who just retired from the Oyo State Civil Service 

The Forum of Permanent Secretaries friends, families and professional colleagues who spoke at the event held at the Western Hall, State Secretariat, Ibadan were all renditions about a good, generous, loving, impactful, passionate and hardworking boss.

Just as they commended outgoing Surveyor General of Oyo State, Surveyor Alaba Abiodun for a glorious 34 years of service, many who spoke also gave admonition on how to live a long and fulfilling retirement life.

In his remarks at the event, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan  Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 1, represented by the Agbolu of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adekunle Adebowale, enjoined Surveyor Alaba Abiodun to remain active, exercise regularly, be constantly engaged rather than being idle.

Also speaking, a former chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo State chapter, Surveyor Akintola enjoined the retired Surveyor General of Oyo State, to more than ever, pay attention to his health, and constantly engage his personal doctor for check-ups.

However, the Rector, Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, Dr Nihinlola Dosumu praised Surveyor Alaba Abiodun for being concerned about the growth and progress of individuals and institutions.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary,  Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Mofoluke Adebiyi, in her remarks, lauded Alaba's passion for the job, praying for good health in retirement.

Giving an exhortation at the event, Reverend John Oyelade of Fountain of Peace Baptist Church, Oyo, enjoined the retired Surveyor General  to use his remaining years for the service of humanity, counselling people and not forgetting the service of God.

Oyelade noted that it was remarkable that Alaba used his wealth and experience to help a lot of people in the church vineyard.

Responding, the outgoing Surveyor General of Oyo State, Surveyor Alaba Abiodun described his 34 years in the State Civil Service as eventful and full of challenges.

He noted that the challenges strengthened him to be better in the practice of his profession and in life.

He reverenced God for helping him surmount the challenges that came his way while in service, just as he appreciated the support of several staff who worked with him all the way.

The event saw the forum of permanent secretaries, the Oyo Descendants Forum, staff of various Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA's) and the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development as well as Departments at the Office of the Surveyor General of Oyo State present various gifts to appreciate the retired Surveyor General, Surveyor Alaba Abiodun.

Oyo HOS Charges Women Town planners to Support Government to End Street Trading

 

The State Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, mni has charged Women town planners to work with the environment Ministry to end Street Trading.

She stated this during a courtesy visit paid by the Association of Women Town planners, Oyo State Chapter, held at the Head of Service conference room, Secretariat, Ibadan.

She said the State Government would support the Association and identify with them to enlighten people on the danger associated with street trading and why they need to plan the newly developed areas. 

She enjoined them to encourage men in their profession to always do the right things in estate management,  professional planning to turn slum to estate is important in modern day time.

The Head of Service urged women planners to take their association to secondary schools to sensitize them on the importance of town planning.

She said "in your speech, you mentioned the Environment and Lands, I can tell you that we are lucky to have women in the two Ministries"

She added that the State Government would not hesitate to sponsor laws in the House of Assembly that would enable the State to have a better environment.

In her remarks, the Chairperson of the association Tpl, Mrs Adetola Omofuma said the women town planners would collaborate with the State Government on street trading and waste disposal.

Present at the event were the Permanent Secretary, General Administration, Governor's Office, Mr. Adedayo Ayorinde, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Mofoluke Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. M. E Adeleye, Permanent Secretary, Service Matters, Office of the Head of Service, Mr. PAO. Oyekunke among others.

Ogun Tribunal: PDP Counsels comply with procedure orders, represent documents

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, has admitted  documents from Counsels to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Oladipupo Adebutu, led by Goddy Uche, SAN,  after changing the earlier mode of presentation which was in conflict with procedure rules.

It would be recalled that Counsels to the respondents, namely the  All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had raised objections against the failure of Counsels to the Petitioners to have presented envisaged undisputed documents through the bar before presenting same before the Panel, to allow all parties involved in the case to verify and authenticate, as stipulates by procedure rules.

It was at that point that the Tribunal mandated PDP's counsels to go back and allow other parties in the case to scrutinize and authenticate those documents to he tendered and come back today to represent.

After complying with this directive, the documents were, therefore,  admitted provisionally by the Tribunal,  in response to the observation   of one of the Counsels to the Respondents, who  hinted the Tribunal of  possibility of objections to some of the documents tendered by Petitioner's Counsels.

However, while the proceedings were still on, and documents still being tendered and admitted, some media outlets mischievously reported that all documents brought by Adebutu’s team had been admitted. 

Then a Counsel to one of the  Respondents called the attention of the Tribunal to this misinformation describing it as propaganda about the proceedings of the panel. The lead counsel to the Petitioners was thereafter advised to warn his clients and their supporters against misleading the general public through sensationalized stories in the media.

Meanwhile, all parties agreed in principle that  all documents should be  admitted by the panel  and objection should come in their final addresses, as the Counsel to the Petitioner, Goddy Uche SAN guided the court to allow him to call all his schedules out one by one and be marked in the court while the Panels read confirmation to the court at the next sitting to ensure all documents are formally handed and presented to the court.

To that end, the first 126 pages were  called and agreed to by 1st, 2nd and 3rd Counsels to the  Respondents'  claiming to reserve comments till later date, as Petitioners' lead  Counsel, Goddy Uche SAN informed the court in the process of the marking, that he already has his witnesses set and filed for the day.

We 're embarking on aggressive industrialization - Ogun Govt

The Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, has declared that  efforts are in top gear to improve on the achievements of past administrations  to build formidable industrial hubs across the state,  in line with the dreams of its  founding fathers.

Talabi disclosed this in Abeokuta, the state capital, while interfacing with members of the Senior Executive Course 45, 2023 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, who were on a study tour of the state.

He explained that the ongoing reorganisation of the state-owned industrial hubs/clusters would strengthen economic growth, especially in the areas of quick  access to the city, markets, and other  strategic economic areas.

He revealed that over N4 billion had been disbursed in the last four years for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the state,  numbering about 10,000 entrepreneurs through its various empowerment programmes.

According to him, the state government is open to  partnerships to develop more small and medium-scale enterprises and  enhance   economic activities of various forms, as well as stimulating  export for foreign earnings.

Talabi said, "This effort of our administration towards  aggressive industrialization is strictly guided by an inherent developmental philosophy of ISEYA mantra, as entrenched in our distinct Agenda, which is Building Our Future Together."

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu Aikulola, while speaking earlier, restated that the government had embarked on various policies and programmes in the industrial sector, which had strengthened inclusive governance and earned the present administration award as the best state in policy formulation.

Aikulola added  that Ogun State is one of the leading States in agriculture and had brought about a special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SPAPZ), that serves as an integrated development initiative designed to concentrate on agro-processing activities in all  areas identified as high agricultural potentials.

He described NIPSS as a high-level centre for reflection, research and learning, with the primary objective of serving as the nation's foremost policy 'think-tank' that develops a crop of top-class technocrats of high intellectual capacity.

A senior official of the Institute, Brigadier-General Sylvester Oloyede,  who spoke on the theme of the tour, "Industrialisation, Climate Change and Energy Security in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges & Prospects", in his remarks, appreciated the state government for the warm  reception accorded them.

He also lauded the government in the state for its giant strides in all areas of development and growth, especially in its frantic efforts to alleviate poverty among the most vulnerable.

We Will Continue to Patronise Professional Bodies to Improve Service Delivery

The Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, mni has said that the present administration in the State would continue to partner with the professional bodies for efficient service delivery.

She stated this while hosting the executive members of the Charted Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) at the Office of the Head of Service, Secretariat, Ibadan.

She said CIPM is one of the recognized institutes on human development for the training and re-training of a reputable workforce.

She said the present administration in the State led by Engineer Seyi Makinde is laying serious emphasis on Training and re-training of it's workforce.

The Head of Service said the State Government is providing suficient sum of amount in training of Civil/Public Service in Nigeria and outside Nigeria for efficient service delivery.

In his remarks, The Chairman CIPM Oyo State branch, Dr. Morakinyo Oloyede commended the State Government for exposing it's workforce to international training.

Abiodun Atilola

Media Officer to the SSG/HOS

 July, 2023.

Ogun: Tribunal flays PDP for blunder, grants prayers for thorough scrutiny of tendered documents

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Tuesday, carpeted counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, for commiting seeming blunder in the mode of their presentation before the Tribunal.

The party was flayed for its  failure to comply with court's directive which stipulates that documents scheduled to be presented  before the court ought to have been tendered from the bar for parties involved to scrutinize and authenticate.

At the resumption of proceeding, counsel to the PDP and Oladipupo Adebutu,  Godwin Uche, SAN, had informed the Tribunal of the readiness of his team to formally commence trial immediately, adding that they have filled the list of their scheduled of documents before the Panel and have also physically brought all the said documents before it.

Consequently, counsel to the 1st Respondent (INEC), Remi Olatumura, SAN, in his objection on the point of law, cautioned the move to commit such blunder, as he said while his team were ready to move on with the case, it is always imperative for the petitioner to have shown the documents to all the parties before then, insisting that he had not set his eye on the document for authentication. 

He further said he owed his client the duty to confirm and certify that those documents actually emanated from INEC and accordingly scrutinize it.

In the same vein, counsel to the 2nd Respondent (Governor Dapo Abiodun), Kehinde Ogunwunmiju, SAN, opined that going by the volume of the tendered documents and in line with procedure rules, which remain always sacrosanct, the over 6,000  documents ought to have been presented from the bar earlier for the benefit of the parties to view and confirm its validity.

Ogunwunmiju also informed the Tribunal that the PDP's Counsel had accordingly followed the procedure rules in a similar case involving the duo in Ebonyi State but decided to act otherwise in Ogun State.

He then stressed that the parties needed more time to check and authenticate the documents,  arguing that 24 hours might not be feasible and realistic to scrutinize the voluminous documents, as he also called for the list of witnesses at least 24 hours before the commencement of the case, in which PDP also failed to comply.

Corroborating the positions of the counsels to the first and the second respondents, Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, who represented the 3rd respondent (APC) unequivocally submitted, "We have to look at the documents. The Tribunal has the responsibility to ensure that the needful is done. These are very serious and strategic documents. They should have invited us to come and view. 

"I adopt the submissions of the 1st and 2nd respondents accordingly that the undisputed documents should be admitted from the bar. For documents to be undisputed, such must have been seen by all parties involved in the case. "These documents have been sought for many months. We should not be  railroad to admittance of documents. I urge Your Lordship to give us reasonable time to inspect."

He subsequently prayed the court to grant two days' leave for proper scrutiny of the documents.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Hon. Justice H.N. Kunaza, while ruling on the arguments, agreed on the point of law that the PDP had failed to comply with the court's directive, which is sacrosanct, that the tendered documents ought to have been presented from the bar for the purpose of thorough verification and authentication by all the parties involved.

He as well queried the reason why Uche refused to comply with the procedure rules in Ogun State, whereas he followed the same rules in a similar case in Ebonyi.

He said, "We cannot force them to admit documents they have not seen. All of you should look at the documents.''

He then granted the parties two days to thoroughly scrutinize the documents accordingly, as the case was adjourned till Thursday, July 6, for continuation of hearing.

Use Subsidy Money To Improve Citizens’ Welfare, Ajadi Urges FG

A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP) in Ogun State, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has urged the Federal Government to channel money that should have gone into fuel subsidy payments to improving citizens’ welfare.

This he said, is the only way to justify the removal in the first place, and also demonstrate the government’s genuine interest in the socio-economic condition of the Nigerian people.

Ajadi, a gubernatorial candidate of the NNPP in Ogun during the 2023 general elections, while lauding the government for the courage in removing the subsidy, said it should not stop there but go ahead and ensure that other areas of pain for the masses of the country are addressed.

He stated that these include social amenities such as good roads, electricity and pipe-borne water, noting that there was no reason for them to continue to be issues in the country now that the government would be saving a huge amount of money through stoppage of subsidy payments.

The politician in a statement on Sunday, added that sectors like education, health and housing should equally be of concern to the government, asserting that their availability should be taken for granted in the country.

According to him, “While I commended President Tinubu for the bold step in removing subsidy payments, he should do more than that, by ensuring that the larger Nigerian society feel the impact of the removal.

"He should pilot the saved money to other areas of need so that the masses of the country could feel the impact of governance. Such areas include light, roads, light and general cost of living.

“Also government has just announced that from next month, private and commercial motorists are to pay N1000 fee for proof of ownership certificate.

"Hitherto, the document was issued for free to buyers of new vehicles by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

“While the citizens go through all these pains, there is the need to cushion the effects of hardship through provision of palliatives.

"I  therefore call on the Federal Government to pay every Nigerian,   Citizenship Benefit monthly, while the remaining of the removed subsidy should be used on education, health, housing and development of Infrastructure.

"Let all these increment be channelled to Citizenship Benefits, Private Public Housing Mortgage Project for benefit of downtrodden, provision of qualitative education, improved health facilities and other infrastructure development."