OYMASED To begin Markets Sensitization

 

The Oyo State Mobilization Agency for Socio-Economic Development OYMASED will soon embark on the Sensitization Campaign across major markets in the state. 

This is to ensure proper waste management as well as having a healthier and neater environment.

The Director  General of Oyo State Mobilization Agency for Socio-Economic Development (OYMASED), Dr 

Morohunkola Thomas stated this while on a courtesy visit to the Ibadan South West Local Government Chairman, Honourable Kehinde Adeyemi Akande.

Dr Morohunkola Thomas emphasized the need for  proper waste management  as well as ensuring  that major markets in the state are cleaned properly.

He noted that the Agency which is saddled with the responsibility of informing, educating and sensitizing the public on government polices and programmes as well as behavioural change wants to partner with the Ibadan South West Local Government because  it has been adgudged to be one of the Local Government with elites as well as different ethnic groups.

The OYMASED Helmsman further stated that the Seyi Makinde led administration has done a lot in creating a conducive environment for people by improving the  infrastructural and Socio-Economic  development  of the State.

He noted that the efforts of the State Governor should not be wasted hence, the need for collaboration at the grassroots through the visit to the Council Chairman.

While reeling out the achievement of the State Governor at ensuring that citizens of the state are moved from poverty to prosperity, Dr Thomas called on Local Governments to ensure that State Governments activities are projected to the people at the grassroots.

Responding,the Chairman of Ibadan South West Local Government, 

Honourable Kehinde Adeyemi Akande said efforts are on at ensuring that people at the grassroots gets the right information.

He noted that to change the  behaviour of an individual is very complex, hence the need for re-orientation  and reinforcement by the Agency.

While saying that all hands must be on deck at ensuring  a sane environment, the Ibadan South West Local Government Chairman noted that 'the change we desire must be carried out first by various leaders and elders of the community as well as those who make  Laws'.

He appreciated the team for their visit while assuring that Ibadan South West Local Government will support the Agency whenever the need arises.

Be Hard Working and Dedicated to Duties - Oyo HOS Charges Civil Servants

The Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, mni has admonished Civil Servants across the State to put more efforts in the discharge of  their duties at their various Ministries Departments and Agencies in line with the Sustainable Development Agenda of the present administration in the State. 

She stated this during a Yoruba one-on-one interview on (BCOS) News and Current Affairs programme "KAYEGBO"  held at her office, Secretariat, Ibadan. 

The Head of Service charged the newly recruited staff across the State Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to do their work efficiently and  dedicated to their duties, noting that the future belongs to them.

Mrs Olubunmi Oni reiterated further that civil servants across cadres in the service have benefited from  different categories of training,  both Local and Diaspora, since the inception of the current administration all in the bid to improve their efficiency at work. 

She pointed out that the present administration in the State under the visionary leadership of Engr. Seyi Makinde prioritized workers' welfare ranging from payment of salaries, leave bonus, 13th Month Salary, payment of pension, and gratuity to retired Civil/Public Servants which is commendable.

She opined that the Civil Service is the backbone of government operations and is pivotal in translating   electoral  mandates into tangible actions, delivering essential services and keeping public trust. The service has professionals and  administrators who are  responsible for implementing government policies and programmes, ensuring consistency and fairness in their application in collaboration with political appointees.

She continued, "Civil service provides continuity of government functions across political administration, and this is why they must be involved in programmes and projects from conceptualisation to completion for it to go beyond such administration. 

She therefore advised all Civil/Public Servants across the state to be committed to their duties and be loyal to the present administration in the state in order to bring dividends of democracy to the doorstep of the  citizens of Oyo State.

Abiodun Atilola 

Media Officer to the SSG/HOS 

18, June 2025.

When dry bones rise: Story of Baba Pensioner in my neighbourhood

 

By Moses Alao

About two weeks ago, I sat in a group of about six to seven people and an aged citizen approached us to beg for financial support. One or two members of the group reached out and afterwards, a discussion ensued on what could be responsible for a senior citizen to take to begging.

He failed to properly plan for his old age. He was lavish in his youthful days. Maybe he has always been poor all his life. Each person advanced a reason as to the man’s predicament. Soon, the discourse proceeded to how Nigerians fail to plan for old age all in the name of trying to secure the future for their children and how the country fails to care for its old citizens.

A member of the group, likely to be in his 70s, Pa Alade (surname withheld) had the most profound views on the topic in discussion. “What the eyes of an elder saw that made them hollow, if those of a child see them, they will go blind,” Pa Alade began.

“The man who came to beg might have landed in this messy state because of many things. His present situation might not have anything to do with lavishness in his heyday as you, facing the only woman in the group, insinuated. It might also not have anything to do with deprivation from his youth.

“The man may have landed in this situation because he failed to plan for the aftermath of training his children or because the children later forgot their father’s sacrifices,” he continued.

Pa Alade, obviously a man of great experience, explained himself in detail. “I have been in those shoes before. I trained my children through school from my earnings as a secondary school teacher and from what I could access through cooperative loans.

“They grew up, got married and focused on their families, only sending money to me once in a while. I took no offence, because I knew that when your child gets married and has a family, things might become a bit tighter and you should not have so many expectations.

“Upon retirement in 2010, I got some funds from the NUT and struggled to complete my site. My two sons also supported me in this regard. 

“I also bought a computer, printer and photocopier machine to start a typing and printing business but erratic power supply crashed the business in no time. I had to see the last child, my daughter, through school and also keep up with other expenses without any job or source of income. It was at that point that I truly began to experience what I have heard and seen pensioners go through. My eyes saw sege metala.

“The whole of 2010, 2011 passed without me getting my gratuity or pension and it was with excitement that I joined other retirees to work against [Chief Christopher] Alao-Akala, whom we saw as our common enemy. We all were excited with the coming of [Governor Abiola] Ajimobi. We all looked forward to better days. But it didn’t take us time to realise that things would be more of the same. Iru iro ni iborun…egun ni a pe ko suwon, ni a ba fi sanga ro ile.

“With peanuts of a pension that could hardly take care of us, we also struggled to get paid as and when due. My colleagues and I would queue up for hours in the sun waiting for verifications and even at a point; we were only paid a fraction of our pensions. Pension arrears piled up, yet there was no hope of when they would be paid and that was how we suffered through the Ajimobi years. 

“If you saw me at that point, I was no better than the man that just left. So, I can relate with this man’s plight; his situation might not be because he was a lazy man. The lesson I want you to learn is that you should prepare for old age,” Pa Alade concluded.

But being a reporter with a knack for getting the meat out of any story, I knew I should ask more questions, having realised he is a pensioner in Oyo State. I also wanted to get a one-up against two members of the group, diehard APC members in Ibadan South-West Local Government, with whom I was always arguing over how the government of my Principal, Governor Seyi Makinde has out-shined the APC government in the state despite the former only being in its sixth year.

“But what about now, Baba? Are you pensioners still suffering like before and is the Makinde government just like the others before it?” I quipped. 

It was as if I unleashed Pa Alade on the opposition members in the state. Unaware of my position as an aide of the governor or my intention for asking the question, Baba started praying and cursing in the same breath as he compared and contrasted the immediate past administration in Oyo State with the GSM government.

“Ah, a o le fi iku we oorun [no one compares death with sleep]. How will any sane person compare Seyi’s government with the Ajimobi government? Anyone who dares to do that is an enemy of God. Ever since Seyi assumed office in 2019, our pensions are paid on the same day salaries are paid. 

There is nothing that workers get in this state that we don’t get. He gives them 13th month salary and also gives us a Christmas bonus; he gave them N25,000 wage award for over one year and also gave us, pensioners, N15,000 monthly for the same period. Did you know that at a time that Seyi was giving pensioners N15,000 wage award, some people’s pensions were below N9,000 per month? “My pension before the wage award was around N33,000 and with the wage award I was taking home N48,000 monthly.

“In January 2025, my pension went above N80,000 because the governor approved a N25,000 minimum pension and also approved other increments that Ajimobi, Alao-Akala and Ladoja administrations overlooked. How can you compare Seyi with Ajimobi, who, at one point, was only paying a fraction of our pensions and owed us for many months?

“Today, any pensioner in Oyo State who speaks against Makinde would be unfair. He has been doing well for us and we are praying for him every day. We know how past governors treated us. A o ni s’epe, sungbon enu wa o nii gb’ofo… A governor in this state once described us pensioners as dead people but Seyi has made us rise from the dead. 

“Today, many pensioners no longer need to wait for what their children will give to them. Now, I am not after building a house or buying a car, I just want to eat and be healthy and what the Oyo State Government has done is enough to make me happy. We are all grateful to the governor.”

With my mission of scoring a political point against my APC friends accomplished, I informed Pa Alade that I am an aide of the governor. More elated, Pa Alade went into a prayer mode, raining prayers on Governor Makinde much to my admiration and that of the non-partisan members of the group. If my Principal, Governor Makinde, is reading this, Pa Alade asked me to say thank you and so did many workers and residents of the state whose messages I am glad to deliver through this medium, as he begins his seventh year in office. “Ti eegun eni ba moo jo, ori a maa y atokun.”

.Alao is the Special Assistant (Print Media) to Governor Makinde.

YORUBA COMMUNITY AKWA - IBOM HONOURS NMA AYO UDO

Yoruba Community in Akwa Ibom State has bestowed the honour and title of YEYE YORUBA of AKWA IBOM on Evangelist Ayo Orebowale Udo. The honour was conferred in her Uyo residence on the occasion of her 92nd birthday on Sunday 15th June 2025.

Evangelist Ayo Udo who hails from Odogbolu in Ogun State married Obong Asuquo Ekpe Udo; a foremost educationist and former Chairman Teaching Service Commission in the then Cross River State and has lived in South Eastern Nigeria since 1962 upon her return from the United States of America.

According to Professor Isaac Ayanyinka Ayandele, Immediate Past Chairman, Committee of Deans, University of Uyo and President of Yoruba Community, Akwa Ibom State, the honour is in recognition of the nonagenarian’s long stay in the “Land of Promise” and contributions to education in the State.

“The Yoruba Community in Akwa Ibom State hereby honours and confers upon Evangelist Ayo Orebowale Udo the title of YEYE YORUBA OF AKWA IBOM in  recognition of her sterling qualities and selfless service to education in Akwa Ibom State and humanity.

“We are delighted to recognise the worthy achievements of a Yoruba who has lived in South South Nigeria for over 60 years despite the passing of her husband many years ago. Indeed, we salute her resilience, perseverance and service to humanity in Akwa Ibom. She is a shining example of inter ethnic marriage promoting peaceful co - existence amongst the different tribes in Nigeria”

“We have therefore deemed it befitting to use the occasion of her 92nd birthday as the auspicious moment for this honour” Prof. Ayandele, who is also President General, Yoruba Community, South - South/ South-East Zones of Nigeria stated further.

The honouree, Evangelist Ayo Orebowale Udo while accepting the honour responded with appreciation to the Yoruba Community in Akwa Ibom for the recognition and title of YEYE YORUBA  went further to admonish the Yoruba Community members to be good ambassadors of the Yoruba race in the true spirit of the Omoluabl ethos. 

She emphasised the need for strong faith in God and preached endurance, diligence, respect, responsibility and good character upholding good moral values noting that she is proud to see many of her students and wards doing well across the globe.

The brief event was witnessed by members and executives of the Yoruba Community Akwa Ibom State and Udo family members including the honourees children and grandchildren.

VIDEO; Oyo CPS on Monday - Makinde is a promise keeper, says Akintola, ex-APC Guber Aspirant

 

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Niyi Akintola, has described Governor Seyi Makinde as a promise keeper who never betrays people’s trust.

Chief Akintola, who was an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in 2019, said this during an interview with The People’s Verdict. 

The Asiwaju of Ido land described Governor Makinde as “A person who embodies everything called ‘Omoluabi’. He is a man of impeccable character. He is humble, calculating, brilliant, unassuming and of course a go-getter.

“When we adopted him, I took him to my local government. In the presence of everybody there, what we would not accept we told him. What we would accept we let him know. He has never betrayed us. 

“I told him, ‘Your Excellency, you are going to get the kind of votes that have never been recorded in Ido during the coming election. And that is what happened. What he got from Ido Local Government was more than what he got in some four local governments put together. And he has never betrayed us.”

Speaking about the demand placed on Makinde, Chief Akintola said, “We demanded construction of our roads that had been abandoned for years. Even though we are in APC, top notch of the party, aspirant of the party, our road from Omi to Ido was left unattended. It was last attended to in 1992. It was so bad that if you wanted to travel to Ido from Omi Adio, you had to come through Elenusonso, NIHORT or better still go to Elebu. That was the situation. But Governor Makinde fixed the road. 

“He didn’t stop there. If you know the road from our Ward 7, Owode Housing Estate, down to Akala Way to Toll Gate, he has finished the road. As I am speaking with you, apart from completing the road from Apete to Akufo, he has started Akufo to Alabata in Akinyele Local Government on the way to Iseyin. 

Now ask me, even if I were the Governor what more could I have done for my local government?”

Chief Akintola recalled a time when he was in the same vehicle with Governor Makinde on their way to Omi Adio.

He said, “We were in the vehicle one day; we were driving to Omi Adio from Amuludun Hotel, when he saw a huge crowd on both sides of the road. And the Governor said, ‘May God save us in this state. Should any vehicle lose control here, it will just be clearing people.’ People were selling right in the middle of the road. 

He said, ‘What shall we do?’ There and then, he offered to give us a modern market. And I tell you, the modern market is 99 per cent ready.”           

Chief Akintola also stated that though Ido was left out of the Ibadan Circular Road, which connects all other local governments in Ibadanland, Governor Makinde has devised a means of bringing the Ido Local Government into the Circular Road.

The Senior Advocate spoke of a Houston, USA-based Nigerian who recently came to Ibadan on vacation.

He said, “An engineer friend, who came in from Houston in the USA, just called me and said, ‘Where did you get this kind of governor?’ I asked him what happened. 

Then he said. ‘Can you lend us your governor? Where did he get the money with which he is fixing all the roads? Almost all Ibadan roads are wearing a new look. Even in Akobo, where I am staying, I noticed that the bridge connecting Bashorun to General Gas has been dualised. Each time I drive from Akobo to Bashorun and environs, everywhere I turn, I find a new road. And these are not improperly done roads, but very good roads. Can’t you lend us your governor for a few months in my home state?’

I said, ‘Nigeria’s constitution does not give room for taking governors from one state to another.’

Akintola said all that Governor Makinde has been doing boils down to his commitment to improving the life of the average Oyo State citizen. 

Buttressing his point, the Learned Silk cited the dredging of Ibadan rivers and streams. He said the World Bank-supported Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project had lingered since 2014 because of the failure of the state to put in its counterpart fund, which Governor Makinde paid shortly after his assumption of office.

He said with that, all the rivers in Ibadan are dredged, river banks concretised and even some bridges removed for expansion and elevation, thus making the fear of ‘omiyale’ a thing of the past in the city.

Chief Akintola considered infrastructure development as one of Governor Makinde’s outstanding accomplishments, referencing the Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road, Moniya-Iseyin  Road and the Ibadan internal roads, among others.     

 “The second one, I think is the issue of security. If you pass through the old Oyo Road, every three kilometers, you will come across Amotekun Corps, Operation Burst and the Nigeria Police supplied with vehicles by the Oyo State Government. I came to know because I used to be one of those who had been financing the police in our own private way.  That is now a thing of the past because the Oyo State Government has been responsible for providing vehicles and other necessary support for the Nigeria Police. So, the combination of Amotekun Corps, the Nigeria Police, Operation Burst and other security agencies has made Oyo State very safe.”

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria rated Governor Seyi Makinde highly on all indices, scoring him 85 per cent.

He added, “Our prayer is that the 

The Governor will end well. We also pray that God will give us someone like him who will come prepared and improve on what Governor Makinde has accomplished.” 

Watch the video.  

SIX YEARS REPRESENTATION: I WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE YOU BETTER - MHR, ODIDIOMO ASSURES CONSTITUENTS

The Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cybersecurity, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Stanley Olajide, has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people of Ibadan North‑West and Ibadan South‑West federal constituency of Oyo state, for their unwavering support spanning the 9th and the current 10th Assembly.

It will be recalled that the 10th assembly was inaugurated on the 13th of June, 2023.

Speaking through his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs Tolu Mustapha, the two-term federal lawmaker appreciated his constituents for the massive support since 2019. “Thank you for the confidence reposed in me,” he declared, recalling that he was “voted massively in 2023” after his first term. 

Hon. Olajide according to the statement reaffirmed his commitment to delivering tangible development, marking two years in the 10th Assembly and a total of six years of representation following his successful 2019–2023 tenure.

“This is my second mandate to serve you, and I remain dedicated to justified representation.”

Hon. Adedeji Olajide highlighted a catalogue of constituency and legislative achievements over his tenure, including, Education & ICT Infrastructure, Digital Skills & Empowerment, Economic Empowerment & Social Welfare, Legislative Impact, Sustained Development & Constituency Engagement.

While reaffirming his unwavering commitment to delivering on his campaign promises, Hon. Olajide assured constituents that additional ICT hubs, expanded healthcare access and key road interventions remain firmly in the pipeline. 

He maintained that these initiatives, anchored on improving education, deepening digital inclusion, boosting local security and empowering entrepreneurship, reflect his people first approach to governance and accountability. “These are not just projects,” he noted, “they are long term investments in our collective future,” the statement concluded.

Recognise and Honour June 12 Martyrs, Groups Urge President Tinubu

A coalition of civil society groups has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally recognise the activists and martyrs of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, and to erect a monument in honour of the unsung heroes of the struggle—described as Nigeria’s "unknown soldiers."

Comrade Razaq Olokoba, Convener of the Defend Nigeria Movement (DNM) and Nigeria's Unite for Democracy (NUD), made the appeal during a World Press Conference held on Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos, as part of activities commemorating Nigeria’s 2025 Democracy Day.

DNM and NUD—coalitions comprising civil society organisations, non-governmental bodies, and public interest groups—organised the event to mark both Democracy Day and the 32nd anniversary of the landmark June 12 election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, and won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.

In his address, Comrade Olokoba saluted the resilience and determination of the Nigerian people, commending their enduring faith in democracy despite numerous challenges and provocations. He urged citizens to remain steadfast, even in the face of attempts by opportunists to trivialise their hardships for political gain.

He specifically criticised the politicisation of economic hardship through what he termed the "ebi n pawa" (Yoruba for “we are hungry”) narrative, which he described as both a political slogan and a tool of blackmail.

The conference, themed “32 Years After: The Need for Recognition of the Coalition of June 12 Activists and Martyrs by President Bola Tinubu,” highlighted the symbolic importance of June 12 as a unifying force in Nigeria’s political history.

“June 12 has become a symbol of national unity and collective consciousness,” Olokoba said. “It illustrates our ability as Nigerians to rally around shared values and ideology, despite our differences.”

He further noted: “The annulment of the June 12 election marked not only a turning point in our democratic evolution but also symbolised our national resilience, political awareness, and commitment to self-determination. This event has inspired an entire body of literature and remains a key chapter in Nigeria’s democratic history.”

Commending former President Muhammadu Buhari for officially declaring June 12 as a national public holiday, Olokoba acknowledged the move as a significant step in affirming the date’s place in the national consciousness. However, he stressed the need for President Tinubu’s administration to build upon that legacy.

“The June 12 struggle signified a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic trajectory, epitomising resistance to military dictatorship and the yearning for good governance,” he said. “Three decades on, the courage and determination that defined that period continue to inspire many.”

He praised President Tinubu for his bold economic reforms, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange regime.

“These crucial policies have stemmed the massive financial haemorrhaging Nigeria once experienced. The administration has saved the nation approximately $10 billion annually over the past two years, enabling all three tiers of government to receive almost triple their allocations from the Federation Account and, in turn, better deliver the dividends of democracy,” he said.

Olokoba called on President Tinubu to acknowledge the vital role of grassroots activists in the June 12 struggle.

“The heroism of the common people fuelled the movement. Their resilience carried the banner of democracy forward. Their sweat and sacrifice watered the tree of our freedom,” he noted. “There are too many unsung heroes—too many forgotten faces. As someone who played a key role both in the boardrooms and on the streets during that struggle, President Tinubu must give these individuals the recognition they deserve.”

On the matter of national security, Olokoba emphasised the urgent need for government action, advocating for the implementation of State Police and community-based policing.

“Our current security challenges require immediate attention. Technology must be deployed, and communities must be involved. Security should no longer be the sole preserve of government; it must be a collective responsibility, with grassroots and innovative contributions,” he stated.