Why We Are Reconstructing Ayefele’s Music House – Oyo Government

The Oyo State Government has explained its role in the ongoing reconstruction of the façade of the Music House, owned by the Gospel Musician, Mr. Yinka Ayefele, which was partially demolished in August, this year.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr Bolaji Tunji, the government said its intervention was informed by the acknowledgment of contravention of the state building code by the management of the Music House and the personal appeal by Ayefele to the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

Tunji also explained that the appeal by various stakeholders to the state government, as well as the preparedness of the owner of the building to rectify the contraventions, which would involve the reduction of the frontage fence line by 1.5m, among others, informed the intervention by the governor.

He added that the parking lots at the tail end of the building close to the entrance of Lagelu Estate had also been reduced by 10.9m to allow visibility.

Similarly, he said that the current frontage of the building was being remodeled to become the back of the building, while the current back of the building had been converted to the frontage.

In line with the recommendation of the joint committee of the state government and the Music House management, he said that an entrance was being reconstructed from the rear of the building to the staircase housing the ram for the exclusive use of Ayefele.

He added, “There is also the recession of the current façade on the frontage of the building by 2.9m. The new fence will be grill fence to ensure visibility, while a staircase will be built at the basement to access the studio.

“The structural elements in the building will also be strengthened, while the two projections at both ends (stair halls) of the current frontage will be retained.”

Tunji said that the clarification by the government, as well as newspaper reports credited to Ayefele on Sunday where he thanked Ajimobi and stated that the governor had “through this magnanimity helped us to right our wrong and we shall be eternally grateful to him” should lay the matter to rest.

He advised those seeking to rubbish the political capital built by the governor in the past seven years through purposeful governance and unprecedented achievements to look elsewhere.

Tunji added, “Following Mr Ayefele’s admittance of breach of procedures in the construction of the building and his subsequent apologies, as well as intervention of well-meaning members of the public, the governor agreed to temper justice with mercy.

“The governor’s approval on the reconciliation of the issue was communicated to Mr Ayefele on October 19, 2018, where His Excellency also approved the assistance on the reconciliation agreed upon on compassionate grounds, as he earlier promised publicly.”

“It is necessary to put it on records that the governor or the state government was not out to witch-hunt the popular musician or anybody, but had acted to safeguard members of the public who daily ply the roads contiguous to the Music House.”

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Atiku Releases Policy Document, Promises To Create Three Million Jobs Each Year

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, has promised to create three million jobs every year if he is elected as president in the 2019 election.

This is one of the key points in the policy document released by the PDP flagbearer today (Sunday), which details a seven-year timeline in which he intends to deliver on his campaign promises.

Giving a breakdown of the rate of unemployment in the country, Atiku said, “Close to 16 million people are unemployed, nine million more than in 2014.

“Over two million new entrants join the labour force each year meaning the unemployed share of the labour force more than tripled in less than a decade: from 5.1% in 2010 to 18.8% in 2017

“Unemployment for women and young people is at 33%, 70% of unemployed youths are uneducated and unskilled.

“Creating jobs and economic opportunities for these people will be vital both for reducing the pool of easy recruits for violent groups and reducing underlying grievances that feed the conflict”.

As a solution, he said his administration, if elected in 2019 will, “Launch a new, more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable national Entrepreneurship Development and Job Creation Programme.

“Target the creation of up to three million self and wage-paying employment opportunities in the private sector annually.

“Target all categories of youth, including graduates, early school leavers as well as the massive numbers of uneducated youth who are currently not in schools, employment or training.

“Create incubation centres, clusters and industrial/commercial hubs to provide a market place for MSMEs and SMPs.

“Champion the repositioning and streamlining the activities of the existing Federal and State Government Job Creation Agencies”.

Apart from job creation, the document also lists three other areas of priority namely infrastructure development, human capital development and poverty eradication.

According to the former Vice President, he has plans to lift 50 million Nigerians out of poverty, by 2025.

Furthermore, he stated that he has plans to privatise the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and also sell all four national refineries.

Other areas of focus in terms of infrastructure is the construction of 5,000 kilometres of roads, and 5,000 kilometres of modern railway.

A statement released on Saturday, by the Atiku Campaign Organisation, had explained that Atiku’s decision to kick-start his presidential campaign with the launch of his policy document was to reiterate his commitment to running an issue-based campaign.

It added that the intention was to take their policy directly to Nigerians and to register Atiku’s belief that it would take the collective efforts of every Nigerian to rebuild the country.

It read in part, “That is why we want Nigerians to access the policy directly and ultimately take ownership of it,” it said, adding, “Our campaign offers a simple message: United, the people of Nigeria can begin anew, creating a prosperous and secure future and a better life for every Nigerian.

“Our policy document focuses on creating jobs, ensuring security, growing business, developing power and water infrastructure, agriculture and education and how we will empower women.

“Our policies outline the goals and methods for developing and revitalising Nigeria as the foundation of our campaign. This policy document is being launched to encourage a dialogue with the people of Nigeria, inviting everyone to join us in helping to get Nigeria working again.

“The PDP presidential candidate looks forward to conducting vital discussions as he travels across the length and breadth of Nigeria, meeting and talking with stakeholders – farmers, small business people, workers, students, mothers, and children.”

-theanchoronline

Ayefele Thanks Gov Ajimobi For Rebuilding Music House

Popular musician and Chairman of the radio station-Fresh 105.9FM, Ibadan, Dr Yinka Ayefele (MON) has showered encomiums on the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi for fulfilling his promise to assist in rebuilding his partially demolished Music House.

In a statement personally signed by him and made available to Nigerian Tribune, Ayefele said the Governor had the choice to ask him to go and rebuild the Music House but he was magnanimous and compassionate to have promised to rebuild thee affected areas.

“It is not common to find government doing that, anything near that is to allow you to rebuild it yourself but here the Governor promised and he has fulfilled his promise”, said Ayefele in the release.

''Your Failure As Governor Is Legendary''-Osun PDP Chides Aregbesola

The Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State has described the 8 years in office of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the worst that the state has ever had since the return of democratic rule in 1999.

This position is contained in a Press statement issued by the Osun State chairman of the PDP Hon. Soji Adagunodo on Sunday. 

The party also described the outgoing governor as a legendary failure who is leaving the state worse than it was when he took over in 2010.

While berating Aregbesola for engaging in a childish self glorification in an all night programme held of Friday, Adagunodo said the governor and his herds of clappers should understand that the people of Osun State whose lives have been made miserable by the governor's misrule will continue to pray that there would be no repeat of the mistake that brought the APC into governance in the first instance. 

According to the PDP, ''there is no better indication of the governor's failure than the dysfunctional educational system, comatose healthcare, gargantuan debt, collapsed road and water infrastructure and several other negatives which the governor is bequething to his successor.

"It is already on record that it is during the tenure of Ogbeni Aregbesola that Osun was ranked by BUDGIT as one of the four most indebted States and the least fiscally responsible state in Nigeria"

"It was during these same years that the state found itself on the lowest rung of performance of students in public examinations; a situation which made us a laughing stock even among states hitherto considered educationally disadvantaged in Nigeria"

"Human life and development had never been this compromised as Medical doctors, health workers, lecturers, and  civil servants  embarked on strikes for a cumulative period of not less than 3 and a half years during Aregbesola's administration." 

On the claim of the governor that he built more roads than previous governors, the PDP said Ogbeni  Aregbesola ought to be ashamed of the death traps which township roads in Ejigbo, Iwo, Ede, Ikirun, Ila Orangun, Ilobu and other cities in Osun State have become in the last eight years.

The party said the roads from Osogbo to Ila-Odo, Akoda-Gbongan, Orile Owu to Ijebu-Igbo, Iwo to Ejigbo and several others which the governor used as cover to obtain various huge loans have been abandoned at stages ranging between 15 and 40 percent completion.

"The road from Osogbo through Iwo to Ibadan which the governor boasted would be rehabilitated by Julius Berger in 2012 was never started and must today rank among the worst roads in Nigeria"

"It is similarly on record that a recent survey by an international organisation ranked Osun as one of the 3 dirtiest states in Nigeria. This is in spite of the billions of Naira siphoned by Local and State government officials in the guise of environmental sanitation "

"Our party notes that while Osun is very happy that the reign of Ogbeni Aregbesola is coming to an end, the people are rather sad at the legacy of impunity and fraud that Mr Governor and his party introduced to our political landscape as exemplified in the September 22nd and 27th governorship  election in Osun State. It is one ugly legacy which has put the name of our dear state on the dark spot of political discourse within and outside Nigeria."

While expressing its hope in the judiciary to do justice and restore the mandate freely given to Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke as the rightful successor to Ogbeni Aregbesola, the PDP enjoins the people of Osun State to keep on praying that the inglorious reign of the APC would soon be terminated and a new lease of prosperous life be injected into the State of the living spring. 

New Telegraph Honors Nsima Ekere With Leadership Award

Isima Udo Ekere, a dignified personality, the Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate for Akwa Ibom State for the 2019 election, sparkled like a cluster of shinning stars at the 2018 edition of New Telegraph Awards that took place at the expansive Balmoral Hall of Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday the 18th 2018, as The New Telegraph Newspaper honored him with an award.

The event had some prominent Nigerians likes of the Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Chief Dan Chukwudozie of Dozzy Group, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who all came in good numbers to the colourful ceremony.

Interestingly, Ekere was recognized and honored with Corporate Leadership Award for the second consecutive year. Despite exhibiting profound humility his sterling qualities can not be in any way caged that no matter how he tries to conceal his valor and feat, he is always espied like the golden fish.

One thing that has remained on the lips of many is that Esima remains impressively humble and immune to conceit, treading a rare path to acclaim thus, attracting honor in torrents, from home and abroad.

A reason why he is extremely popular among his people and the outside world.

Dr. Ekere, while thanking the Management and Staff of the New Telegraph for finding him worthy of the honor, promises not to come short in his mission to impact positively on the lives of people both home and abroad to improve the quality of lives they live in any way possible to him.

To those who know him, one of the things that has worked in his favor is his exploit at the NDDC where he is serving as the substantive MD. The very humane figure keeps getting approval and commendstion from the his people because of his effort at that federal agency.

No one can doubt his competence on the job because he has been delivering. little wonder the leaders of the APC queued up behind the native of Ikot Oboroenyin, Edemaya Clan in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, for his emergence as the standard bearer for the coming governorship election in the state.

Following Ekere’s emergence as governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the nooks, crannies and political circuits of the state are ecstatic with joy with songs on the lips of everyone is “Ekere is the Best Man For The Job”!

Lagos PDP Chiefs Drum Support For Atiku

Ahead of the commencement of presidential campaign as permitted by INEC, a group of leaders in Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday affirmed its support for the party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar saying he is the one that could lead Nigeria out of political and economic bondage it had found itself currently.

The leaders, including a founding member of PDP, Chief Amos Olayinka; a key member of Friend of Waziri Adamawa , Barrister Olisa Phil Ashiri and Olufemi Folorunsho, said this at a press conference in Ikeja, lamenting that the country was in bondage currently under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led government as Nigerians were hungry and angry and would take purposeful people like Alhaji Abubakar to save the situation come 2019.According to Chief Olayinka, who described himself as a committed Atiku loyalist, nothing appeared to be working in the country anymore in terms of healthcare delivery, power supply, among others, saying that Nigeria was now retrogressing and the international community now looked at her as a laughing stock.

This was just as he contended that restructuring the country, which the PDP presidential candidate had agree to implement, come 2019 if elected into office, would bring about checks and balances and also reduce corruption while allowing each of the states in the country to develop faster than imagined.