NIGERIANS DON'T WANT TO DIE, BUT WE DIE IN DROVES ANYWAY - DAYO DASILVA

Photo Credits: Google

Yes! No one wants to die in Nigeria, whether rich or poor, not even the old and elderly. This reflects much in our timid and fragile life in which we all have become victims of our precarious society.

I am not saying people want to die in other countries, but the Nigerian case is a life lived in fear. Everyday, the prayer of an average Nigerian after what to eat and money to survive revolves round protection and security from God, thus "no one wants to die".

However, news of the death of an old school mate, who was a victim of poor medical care in Abeokuta, the death of a cousin who fell to the cold hands of hypertension and the death of a friend's wife who passed away during childbirth in a Lagos Hospital within a spate of two days, jolted me into reality, that people die after all, even as no one would like to die.

Not even those who committed suicide; they never intended to die, they were just victims of an illness, a mental health disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood.

My worry is, why have we turned, a people with no conscience, compassion and patriotism for our country? How did we get to this low level, where our quality of benevolence and value for human lives have dropped tremendously? Why do we intentionally disrupt the system and society that we live in?

"No one wants to die", but people die daily while travelling on bad roads, they die in various hospitals due to lack of drugs, facilities and personnel; Curable common illnesses still kill our people; many die of hunger and poverty; we are threatened daily by militants, terrorists and armed robbers who kill at random because our Nation failed to provide jobs and good life for our people; ordinary pipe- borne water, the Nigerian Government can not provide; a whole lot of our people die due to ignorance because of our failed education system.

Most of these deaths are "appalling crimes against humanity" as they are caused by our man-made acts, thus avoidable.

The deaths are the resultant effects of bad leadership and failed followership which transcends the All Progressives Congress, APC and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP conundrum. Simply put, It is the failure of Nigerians as a people.

When would our political office holders across various tiers of Governments realise that they are not necessarily the best in the society and the opportunity to hold positions is to serve, develop and improve humanity? Any political office holder is there for only a period of time and one day, they will become victims of the society they have created.

When would followers learn how to ask questions and revolt against political representatives holding the society to ransom?

Truly, we don't want to die but the disunity, signs of war and terror in the land today, would not spare anyone if allowed to continue.

"In the past, the poor cannot sleep because they have nothing to eat, but at present the wealthy cannot sleep because the poor are awake”.

"Life is transient, People die anyway, but we have the choice to sound the death knell on the Nation or improve humanity and build a society that will preserve you and me".

"It is in our hands to create a real essence of living and heal our Nation, Nigeria"!

EXCLUSIVE: HOW IBIKUNLE AMOSUN LED GOVERNMENT IMPOVERISHED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AREAS DURING HIS 8YEARS RULE - OGUN ALGON

The Ogun State chapter of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) during the regime of Ibikunle Amosun has accused the former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun of diverting local govt revenue, fraud and misappropriation of local government funds during his 8 year tenure as the governor of Ogun State.

This was contained in a release made available to our correspondent yesterday when the association reacted to the suspension of all local government elected officials and appointees by the Hon Suraj Adekumbi led House of Assembly over allegation of fraud and misappropriation of funds.

In a release signed by ALGON, it was revealed that the administration of former governor Amosun starved all the Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas of funds, diverted all revenue of local governments and LCDAs, diverted local government allocation of the 20 local governments for over 32 months.

It was also revealed that former governor Ibikunle Amosun defrauded the local government by taking 40% of their allocations all in the name of joint project account with no projects to show in many of the local government except in few local government in ogun central (Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South and Obafemi Owode).

ALGON Ogun chapter also accused the speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Suraj Adekumbi of being selfish and self centered by leading a rubber stamp assembly of illegality.

The association expressed concern how Speaker Adekunbi who "know for a fact that the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun failed to fund but starved the LGAs and LCDAs to it's present poorly position" will go ahead and pronounce suspension of the duly elected council administrators.
Part of the statement reads ". 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 revenue 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"
The group of Local Governments bosses revealed further that they received only paltry sum of N2, 000,000 monthly which was only paid for seven months in the entire thirty-two months spent so far.
The ALGON later call on the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to withhold his assent to the bill and House of Assembly resolutions allegedly seeking to suspend the elected officials at the grassroots.

OGUN ASSEMBLY PASSES RESOLUTIONS REVERSING AMOSUN’S LAST MINUTE APPOINTMENTS, OTHERS

Rt. Honorable Suraju Adekunbi, Speaker of OGHA and his Deputy, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo

The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a bill and three resolutions nullifying all appointments, employments and financial agreements done by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun between 1st of February, 2019 and May 28th, 2019.

The Assembly Speaker, Rt Hon Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, also announced the appointment of Hon. Olusola Sonuga as its  new Majority Leader, after due consultation with members of the majority party.

The passage of the bill titled H. B 047/OG/2019- "Nullification of Irregularities  (Amendment) Law, 2019"at the plenary presided over by Speaker Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, followed the suspension of the Assembly's standing orders 45 -48 to allow for the consecutive second and third readings of the bill.

Consequently, after the first reading of the bill on the floor of the Assembly by the Deputy Clerk, Mr Deji Adeyemo and extensive debate by members of the Assembly during its second reading,  motion for the third reading was moved by the new Majority Leader, Olusola Sonuga, seconded by Olawale Alausa and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote by the Whole House at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Earlier while opening debate on the bill, the Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo noted that the bill was an amendment to the one earlier passed by the Assembly at the inception of Senator Ibikunle led government to reverse all irregularities especially on employment of over 2, 000 workers purportedly appointed by the then Daniel administration few months to the take off of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led government.

Earlier in their separate submissions, members including the Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, Honourables Akinpelu Aina, Olusola Bankole, Olusola Sonuga and Adebowale Ojuri, said the last minute appointments, upgrading and employment by the last administration did not follow due process, lacked merit, not in good faith and was lopsided.

They equally submitted that all financial transactions with any financial institution done by the administration not approved through the House of Assembly resolution should   not be honoured by the current government.

Adeyemo thereafter did the third reading of the bill, while Speaker Adekunbi directed that the clean copy of the bill should be forwarded to the new Governor, Dr Dapo Abiodun  for his assent.

The Assembly passed a resolution directing the State Government to immediately dissolve all chairmen and members of statutory boards and parastatals having been paid their severance allowance by the immediate past administration. The lawmakers urged all the chairmen to  hand over government property within their custody to the most senior Director/public servant in their agency  for continuous operation of government activities.

In a related development, the Assembly through a resolution has equally suspended all political functionaries in all Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Councils  (LCDAs) in the State.

Consequently, it directed all Local Government political office holders to hand over to the Head of Local Government Administration in their respective councils and LCDAs,  while enjoining the Chairmen and House leaders to appear before the Assembly on 7th of June, 2019  for appropriate investigation on allegations of gross misconduct and misappropriation of public fund in petitions earlier submitted against some of the local government chairmen.

The Assembly unanimously passed another resolution calling for the reversal and review of all the upgrading of traditional rulers including Obas and Baales done within the same period for holistic assessment by the new administration with a view to promoting peaceful coexistence and entrenching good governance in the State.

In their remarks, Honourables Akinpelu Aina, Viwanu Ojo, Olawale Alausa, Israel Jolaoso,  Rasaq Oduntan and Adebiyi Adeleye citing instances of the irregularities, reported that their were series of complaints on the promotion and appointments of new monarchs, saying that the traditional institutions and relevant stakeholders were not consulted.

HON OLUMIDE LIJADU COMMISSIONS WATER PROJECT: PROMISES MORE DIVIDENDS OF DEMOCRACY FOR CONSTITUENTS.

Hon Olumide Lijadu in the middle (with face cap)  flanked by the residents of Afonta and Lahola Communities.

Water they say is life, life is water. It was jubilation galore with songs of praises and prayers by the residents ofAfonta and Lahola Community of Abeokuta North West Local Council Development Area Ogun State as the councillor representing Ward 8, Honourable Lijadu Olumide Daniel commissions and donates a motorized borehole for the two communities. 

Hon Olumide who is the leader of the legislative arm of the Abeokuta North West LCDA, noted that it has always been a source of concern for him how the people of the Afonta and Lahola Communities can best benefit from the current administration. He however expressed gratitude to God for giving him the grace of fulfilling one of his promises to his constituents. 

In his statement during the handing over of the water project to the Community leaders of the areas, Hon. Lijadu said "we don't just represent  but we make impact. To God be the GLORY for the completion and commissioning of a clean borehole water facility given to Afonta & Lahola community. We promise to continue to give back to our communities the dividend of democracy which is the purpose of I was elected to represent them." 

While thanking the facilitator of the water project on behalf of the communities, Chief Ayodele Adetunji (Elele) explains that the community have never had it so good having a representative at the Local government level that will site such important project in their communities. He prayed for Hon. Lijadu that God will take him to a higher heights both in politics and his private life.

AS OTUNBA GBENGA DANIEL (OGD) BOW OUT OF PARTISAN POLITICS.

LETTER OF RESIGNATION WRITTEN BY OTUNBA GBENGA DANIEL

14th March, 2019
The National Chairman,
Peoples Democratic Party,
Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Street
Wuse Zone II, Abuja

Attention: Prince Uche Secondus
Mr. Chairman,
Resignation from Partisan Politics
This is to inform you of my intention to resign from active and partisan politics with effect from today, the 14th day of March, 2019.
My decision in this regard is entirely personal to me and having served in various capacities, including as Governor of Ogun State, I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges.

Preamble
My Political Journey so far

I joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2001 at an event which was described as one of the most ceremonial political rallies in our recent political history in the South Western part of Nigeria. We rose from that rally to create a highly robust and effective political campaign machinery which resulted in an electoral victory for the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State in 2003; this movement and vibration affected the politics of the region positively with a victory in five (5) states of the South West.

2. I served as Governor of Ogun State for eight (8) years and our administration till today remains a point of reference in terms of physical, social, economic, educational and human capital development since the State was created in 1976.

3. Notwithstanding these widely acclaimed achievements however, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party ran into trouble waters towards the end of our administration (about the year 2009) which led to the sad loss in the election of 2011, and regrettably ten (10) years after the party has been unable to resolve those internal disputes and challenges.

4. Meanwhile, the PDP in Ogun State was confronted with a very difficult situation in matter of choice. Whereas the national leadership of our party, recognized one candidate for the 2019 election, by court pronouncements another candidate, and in compliance with those court orders, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognized was on the INEC list. The candidates recognized by INEC were not acceptable to the national leadership of the party. Our situation was then compounded because the candidate which the court and INEC recognized and accepted as valid has also been expelled by the party. This was the dilemma we found ourself as we approached the March 9, 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
5. Going forward, we have responded to the yearnings of our people and joined others in emplacing an administration that we believe will better serve the interests of our people than what currently exists. The rest they say is now history.

6. I must say that looking back, I do not have any regrets over that patriotic choice and decision, especially as several of our citizens, leaders and stakeholders in the state and outside have commended that singular action. Many stakeholders within and outside Ogun State feel fulfilled, excited and grateful about our decision to join others in putting a stop to a regime that was believed to be against the collective and general welfare of our people.

7. Let me also add, that in the last few months, I have had one of the rare privileges of traveling round the entire length and breadth of our great country on at least two occasions; the first being during my campaigns to become the National Chairman of our great party, and later as the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization (APCO).

8. I must sincerely admit that in the course of all these travels, I have built a network of contacts, of friends and associates in a mutually rewarding relationships which I cherished most and greatly too. I am therefore persuaded that I have fewer points to make and prove in my Political journeys in partisan politics.

9. My decision to quit partisan politics notwithstanding, I have decided to rejuvenate my charity based organization, the Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) which will literally continue to dispense succor to our people in need, address and assist in the areas of some of their health challenges; I also plan on resuscitation of the non-partisan Political Leadership Academy (POLA) which I established some years ago as a platform of political education to our citizens.

10. Without doubt, I will miss the company of my friends and associates and all those relationships I built in the course of the years all over the country..
While I crave for your kind understanding, accept assurances of my highest regards.
Yours faithfully,

Otunba (Engr.) Gbenga Daniel, FNSE, FNAEng
Governor of Ogun State (2003-2011).

Cc:
His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar GCON
Chairman, Board of Trustees (PDP)

AMOSUN DESERVES OUR SYMPATHY - OGUN APC

January 2, 2019.

PRESS STATEMENT

Amosun deserves our sympathy
- Ogun APC

The Ogun State Chapter of the  All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that Governor Ibikunle  Amosun of Ogun State deserves to be pitied and prayed for as his recent comments against the APC Governorship candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun, bothers on “outgoing syndrome, emanating from political amnesia and loss of touch with reality”.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Wednesday and signed by the Publicity Secretary to the Ogun  APC State Executive Caretaker Committee, Comrade Tunde, Oladunjoye, the party said that the governor actually deserves sympathy.

The statement reads in part:
“But for the fact that the reported outbursts of the governor was reported by a credible online medium, we would not have taken him serious ; and for the fact that friends in the media have been asking for response, we would not have reacted.”

“However, rather than exchange words with the governor, we would call on members of the public  to please sympathize with the governor and pray for him, as he is obviously manifesting outgoing syndrome resulting from political amnesia, loss of touch with reality and fear of life after office”.

“For an individual to attempt to play God, and assault the collective intelligence of the well informed people of Ogun State by telling them who the next governor of Ogun State will be, as if he has already written the results, shows that such person deserves our pity; we don’t need to exchange words with him, but to actually sympathize with him on his present state of paranoia on Prince Dapo Abiodun.”

“The constant, unceasing and monotonous attacks on Dapo Abiodun by the governor and his minions shows that our candidate is the leading contestant and his imminent victory is only a matter of weeks. We challenge the governor to publish the recent survey he commissioned and which he read to some leaders in his house last week, wherein it was revealed that his preferred governorship candidate will not only lose the election, but also lose in the governor’s hitherto strongholds of Ifo, Ewekoro and Ado Odo Ota local governments.”

“Our party and candidate will remain focused, maintain decorum and continue to sell out policies and programmes to the good and discerning people of Ogun State, even as we are sure of victory”.

E-signed
Tunde Oladunjoye
Publicity Secretary

2019 ELECTIONS: OGUN APC RAISES ALARM OVER INFLUX OF KILLER'S SQUAD.

The publicity secretary of All Progressives Congress, Ogun State Chapter, Comrade Tunde Oladunjoye has raised alarm over impending "attacks and killings of political figures in Ogun State, especially leaders of APC" by some "identified" (unnamed) persons.

In a short statement shared on his social media (Facebook) page, the spokesman of the party in the state who was recently appointed  alongside other caretaker members by the National Working Committee of the party, Oladunjoye, claimed that those who are to be used in carrying out this heinous attack on political figures in the state "have already been brought in from Niger Delta", the South South region of the country.
"This is no political talk!
Let the whole world not look elsewhere when you start hearing of attacks and killings of political figures in Ogun State, especially leaders of APC.
Boys have already been brought in from Niger Delta." The short message reads.

It should be noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had during Ibogun-Olaogun Day celebration in Ibogun, Ifo Local Government of the state, where the State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun among other dignitaries present warned that the state should not be plunged into political violence in the coming election.

Chief Obasanjo was quoted to have stated that
"if you do not stop violence among your supporters, you will have yourselves to blame. There is no earthly reason why we should not have a peaceful election in the state".

There have been wide reports of political parties' campaigns attacks as well as campaign materials vandalism across the state by agencies of government and thugs loyal to a particular political leader rooting to install his preferred choice of candidates.