News

Akeredolu Back from Medical

By Web News 430

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State headed back to Nigeria on Thursday after about three months of medical leave abroad, notably in Germany.

With a single-worded post on X, formerly Twitter, the governor’s wife, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, announced his return: “Homebound”.

The post was accompanied by a photo of the governor seated on an aircraft.

Details about the nature of his illness have however yet to be disclosed.

Responding to death rumours involving the governor back in June, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, urged residents and the general public to disregard the speculation.

This followed concerns about the true state of the governor’s health. The governor was reported to be out of the state without officially transferring power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

It was later revealed that Akeredolu was embarking on medical leave abroad when the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, confirmed receipt of a notice from the governor.

In the letter, Akeredolu handed over the reins of office to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. 

This was followed by a plea from Aiyedatiwa urging the people of the state not to relent in their prayers for Akeredolu.

In August, Akeredolu was revealed by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, to be receiving treatment in Germany. It is however unclear whether the governor spent the entirety of his medical leave in the European country.

Channelstv / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Feature

Ondo Govt Takes Gender-Based Violence to Grassroot

By Web News 574

Ondo state government says it will not tolerate any form of gender-based Violence against children or any person in the state. 

The wife of the governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu made this known at the community Sensitization on the VAPP law and Draft protection and safeguarding policy at Akure north local government.

Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu represented by the Senior Special Adviser to the office of the wife of the governor on Gender matters, Mrs Temitope Daniyan said the Advocacy was supported by Westminster Foundation For Democracy, WFD, in collaboration with OSSAGBV to take Advocacy to the grassroots to reduce increasing cases of Gender-based Violence recorded in the rural areas.

In her presentation on the VAPP law and Draft Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, the Guest speaker, Mrs Oluwatoba Olaifa emphasized that there are laws that protect children and place penalties on abusers of women and children in the state hence the need for people at the grassroots to stay clear of breaking the laws.

Mrs Olaifa also mentioned that harmful traditional practices were against the law cautioning lawbreakers against harmful practices against children.

Also, the Executive Director Ondo State Agency Against Gender-Based Violence, Mrs Bolanle Afolabi said the agency would continue to implement policies to protect the rights of women and children and safeguard children against all forms of abuse in the state.

She frowned at families shielding perpetrators of gender-based Violence saying such persons would be prosecuted for conspiracy against the law.

Earlier the country Director WFD, Mr Adebowale Olorunmola said that Advocacy was taken to the grassroots to pass  the message to the people and make them aware of the penalties of breaking the law. 

He said that the Organisation would continue to strengthen ties with the Ondo state government to ensure children’s rights and safety are protected towards a safe society for all.

In his remarks, the chairman of Akure north local government, Mr Adejumo Adewale appreciated Government for bringing such Advocacy and enlightenment to the grassroot areas of the state.

The highpoint of the community Sensitization was the distribution of IEC materials by OSSAGBV to the people to further Sensitize people in their locality.

Adefisoye Akinola

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Politics

2023: Akeredolu’s Wife Joins Imo Senatorial Race

By Web News 591

Wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has joined the 2023 Senatorial race.

Addressing newsmen in Owerri, Imo State capital, on Friday, the Ondo First Lady said she has interest in representing Imo East Senatorial District because she wants to make a difference.

Senator Onyewuchi Francis Ezenwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) currently represents the district in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly.

Mrs. Akeredolu, who spoke to members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Owerri, said Owerri West senatorial zone has received the poorest representation in recent times.

She said successive administrations in Imo state have neglected the zone, stating she was out to fill the years eaten by the locusts.

Fondly called ‘Ada Owere’ (Owerri First Daughter), Mrs Akererdolu pledged to tackle the worrisome cases of infant and maternal mortality arising from minor or major complicated pregnancies, non-availability of functional health care centres and life-saving equipment.

She said that she would rely on her experience within and outside the country to bring to bear on the development of the zone.

She said that she’s been in constant touch with her people and if elected as a senator, she would strengthen that links.

Mrs Akeredolu explained that as a village girl who has taken a critical appraisal of their challenges, she would embark on human capital development, provision of basic necessities of life, stop the pollution of the Otamiri river and also ensure regular evacuation of refuse in all looks and crannies of the zone.

Additionally, she would take steps to assist rural farmers with modern agricultural implements, promote girl child education, stem child killer disease, youth unemployment and restiveness.

“There is lack of compassion and understanding of how life can be made meaningful for our people in this century hence the need for a wake up call, Leadership should be not be gender based but neutral,” she said.

On whether her marriage to a non-indigene of the state would impede her ambition, the Ondo First Lady argued that being a bonafide indigene of the state who has already endeared herself to the people and has touched many lives, she was emboldened to join the race to enhance their wellbeing.

Daily Trust/Olaolu Fawole

Health

Take advantage of Child Health Week to immunize your children – Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu

By Web News 909

Mothers and caregivers in Ondo State have been urged to take advantage of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week to immunize their wards against killer diseases.

Wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu made the call while flagging off the year 2022 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, MNCHW at the Mother and Child Hospital, Oke-Aro, Akure.

Wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu while flagging off the year 2022 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, MNCHW at the Mother and Child Hospital, Oke-Aro, Akure.

Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu explained that there was the need for mothers and caregivers to take their children and wards under five years to the nearest health facilities and outreach points for them to be immunized during the ongoing campaign.

Flagging off the 2022 MNCHW, the wife of the governor said: “I wish to inform our mothers and caregivers to take their children and wards aged 0 to 59 months to the nearest health facilities and outreach points to obtain all available interventions during this campaign”.

She commended the state government for its efforts towards ensuring child protection, survival and development in the state and for providing enabling environment and needed resources for the implementation of yearly Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, MNCHW.

She also commended the efforts of stakeholders, including wives of local government chairmen, Non-governmental organisations, market women for their commitment and mobilisation at the grassroots to embrace child survival, protection and development programmes.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka said the exercise was aimed at reaching all the children under the age of five years with Routine Immunisation (RI) vaccines, Vitamin A supplements, de-worming tablets, screening for Malnutrition, HIV Counselling and Testing, birth registration, and promotion of other child protection services, noting that the state was rated 96% best coverage in the August 2021 Round of MNCHW.

In her goodwill message, the Ondo State Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, commended Ondo State for achieving a higher percentage of coverage of MNCHW and appealed for the sustainability of the tempo.

Mrs Ezeogu reiterated the commitment of UNICEF to collaborate with other partners in providing support for the state in all areas that affect women and children.

Tosin Ighoteguono

Politics

3RD FOWOSO SUMMIT: LG Chairmen Spend 18 Million Naira on Participants

By Web News 622

In Ondo State, Foundation of Wives of Ondo State Officials, FOWOSO is a platform that brings women together from the eighteen local government areas to brainstorm on inclusion, economic empowerment among others.

The foundation established by the wife of Ondo State governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu had its 3rd summit this year in Akure.

In this special report, Radio Nigeria’s Olufisoye Adenitan finds out if the foundation is actualising its purpose or it is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Despite the fact that the constitution does not recognise the office of the wife of the governor, most governors’ wives have pet projects and various programs implemented through offices of the wives of the governors.

Many times these projects gulp millions of naira of taxpayers’ money.

The FOWOSO programme hyped to be a forum for women empowerment also turned out to be a social gathering characterized with the usual Aso-Ebi and dancing jamboree.

20 representatives of women each from the eighteen local governments of Ondo State were sponsored by the councils for day one of the event, while about one hundred women came for day two of the event from each council areas.

Radio Nigeria found out that the financial implication for the women that attended the event as fifty thousand naira per participant paid by the local governments.

Some other women who spoke of the benefits of the programme said they received foodstuffs, Ankara fabrics among other things.

The question now is if FOWOSO had actually fulfilled its purpose considering the state of the economy which had affected negatively implementation of capital projects as well as payment of salaries among others.

The chairman of the 3rd FOWOSO Summit, a Retired Major, Mrs Morenike Alaka during visits to media houses had insisted that the programme was empowering women for sustainable development and inclusion.

Though the 3rd FOWOSO summit has come and gone, analysts, however, said genuine and purposeful leadership was still needed to bring women out of poverty with adequate inclusion rather than the usual jamboree of dancing, singing and aso-ebi often associated with women’s events in the political space.

According to them, to achieve economic empowerment for women, political leaders and their spouses should have more sincerity of purpose in programmes’ implementation rather than using their offices to divert the commonwealth of the people.

Olufisoye Adenitan

Lifestyle

Examining The Plight Of Nigerian Widows

By Web News 631

In some parts of Nigeria, widows are still being humiliated, dehumanised and abused via various degrading customs, rites and rituals.

As the world celebrates Widows Day, staff reporter, Abiodun Akinluwa examines the plights of widows.

International Widows Day is a global awareness day taking place annually on June 23rd.

It was launched by the United Nations in 2010 to call attention to the violation of human rights that widows suffer in many countries following the death of their husbands.

In some parts of the country, widows are still made to go through all manner of ill-treatments rooted in cultural and traditional practices that dehumanise them. 

They are treated with no respect, suffer social exclusion, hunger and poverty along with their children while some were driven to suicide.

Speaking on this, an Akure-based journalist, Mr Ayodeji Moradeyo and a human right activist, Mrs Olamide Mary Falana condemned the untoward attitude of Nigerians towards widows.

Religious leaders, Imam Abolaji Kazeem and Pastor Remi Adesonmoye described as ungodly the treatment being meted on widows.

An official of the Ministry of Justice in Ondo State, Mrs Bunmi Arajuwa said there were extant laws protecting the rights of widows.

The wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has however taken up advocacy and campaign to share information on the rights of widows and collate their data with a view to helping them.

It is expected that, members of the society can also make a difference in restoring the hope of widows after the demise of their husbands in line with this year’s International Widows Day theme which is “Invisible Women, Invisible problems”.

Abiodun Akinluwa