Environment

The government of Oyo State, on Wednesday, again evacuated over 400 beggars and destitute within the Ibadan metropolis.

It equally declared its plans to provide another resettlement centre for the beggars and destitute in the capital city.

The Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Kafilat Olayiwola, stated this when she led the raiding team on the evacuation of beggars and destitute from Jemibewon/Mokola/Sango University of Ibadan main gate.

Other areas captured during the evacuation exercise include Challenge/Oja’ba, Oje/Bodija, Iwo Road/Gbagi and Basorun Akobo routes.

While speaking with the journalists shortly after the exercise, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Olayiwola explained that the government is hell-bent on returning sanity by ensuring that beggars and the destitute keep off the streets and roads.

She said: “The government of the day is not interested in seeing the destitute and beggars on our roads without being fed and looking battered. As a result of this, the government provided a settlement for them, where they can be well fed, given proper health care and enjoy other facilities but we still discovered that they go outside to beg and do other things that this government seriously frowns at.”

“Yes, the government is planning to provide another settlement area for them apart from the one here in Akinyele. Though we have returned some of these beggars, who have been rehabilitated back to their families, having taken their profile and know where they belonged.”

“The next thing we are planning to do now is to employ security guards to take control of the gates so as to prevent them from going outside to beg for alms.”

“When we went out today to raid markets and neighboring streets, we were able to evacuate over 400 of them back into the settlement the government has provided for them and we are still expecting more.”

“We all know that the focus of this administration is to ensure the lives of the less privileged are improved upon and that is what it has been doing.”

“The destitute and beggars in Oyo State need care, affection, rehabilitation and resettlement. All these have been taken care of by the state government. But despite the care and comfort being given to them at the resettlement centre in Akinyele, we have observed that some of them are very stubborn to the extent that they still stray back to the street but the government is hell-bent on ensuring that they stay at the provided centre.”

“We want to make sure that we enforce the law and implement their full stay in the centre. The government will continue to do this as we now raid in the afternoon and evening hours. So, we are ready to tackle the stubbornness of these destitute.”

“Also, we sincerely appreciate the level of cooperation of the citizenry on this development. They have been so supportive and we will continue with the exercise until they comply with the orders of the state government.”

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Christiana Abioye noted that necessary attention and more facilities have been provided for the evacuees to make it more habitable and conducive for them.

“We see no reason why they should not stay here just as the government has directed. We will not rest on our oars until we rid the state of them totally,” She added.

Meanwhile, a resident of Oyo State, Mr Wasiu Gunwa, expressed joy on the evacuation exercise, as he affirmed that the beggars create all sorts of problems in the environment.

Mr Gunwa prayed for the government to do more so as to ameliorate the challenges of the less privileged.

Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun

Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism

Oyo State

Economy

Rural women in Oyo state as well as victims of Shasha market crises have been given cash grant and relief materials to boost their business and social life.

The event which was flagged-off at the Western Building, State Secretariat, in Ibadan witnessed a large turnout of physically challenged, persons with special needs, people living with disabilities and the poorest of the poor rural women.

Addressing the beneficiaries, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Rural Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq said 5,280 people are targeted in Oyo State while 150,000 people would benefit from the scheme.

The minister who said 992,715,000 million naira had been disbursed to Oyo State in the Social Investment and Social Inclusion Programme of President Muhammadu Buhari said the cash grant was initiated last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier in her address of welcome, Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni said the Oyo state government had been supportive of various Social Investment Programs designed to alleviate poverty and suffering of the poor of the poorest in the state.

Alhaja Sanni who commended the minister for making Oyo State a true pacesetting state through the launch of the programme, said the state being the political headquarters of the old Western region had played host to a number of first institutions in the country.

Alhaja Faosat noted that efforts of President Buhari to prevent the poor of the poorest from become more vulnerable were being noted and appreciated.

Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka, said it is the responsibility of the government to provide for the welfare and ensure the security of the people, stressing that the ability of government to fulfill the responsibility largely depends on the resources at the disposal of the state.

Governor Makinde said his administration had taken proactive steps to provide succour to women and other vulnerable groups in the state by enacting Violence against Persons Law, empowering women through capacity building, discouraging violence against women in public and private life through the reduction of female genital mutilation and encouraging increased involvement of women in politics.

Rotimi Famakin

Lifestyle

As part of activities commemorating Nigeria’s 60th anniversary celebration, wife of the Oyo state governor Mrs Tamunominini makinde has hosted some orphanages and care homes for the celebration.

The wife of the governor who called on the children not to relent in pursuing their dreams of becoming great noted that those who fought for independence were once children.

She acknowledged the potential in them and commended their care givers for the hard work they put in in taking of the children with special needs.

Mrs Makinde who charged the children with special needs to be impactful in life without minding the challenges confronting them, noted that they could make Nigeria better and greater.

In her opening remarks, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Joke Sanni said the theme of the 60th anniversary was indeed needful at a time such as this, as it was only in togetherness that Nigeria and Nigerians can survive.

Highlights of the program included dancing competition, drama presentation, choreography and distribution of foodstuffs, drugs, toiletries and cash to 25 children homes in Oyo state.

Seyifunmi Olarinde

Politics

Oyo State government has charged women to drive actions that would promote gender equality the world deserved through collective and individual attitudinal change.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni gave this charge in her message to celebrate the 2020 Women’s Day with the theme “I Am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Right.”

Mrs Sanni said gender equality could be achieved through women empowerment and girl-child education among others and by ensuring women take full and effective participation in leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life.

She said Oyo state was taking steps to empower women, fight for their rights, provide equal access to economic resources, address all forms of violence and abuse against women and children, as key agents for change and drivers of sustainable development.

Alhaja Sanni urged women to be submissive, supportive and not compete with men but pursue their goals positively for desired change.

She called on all stakeholders to rededicate and reposition themselves in improving quality of life for women and girl-child with much respect and dignity.

Iyabo Adebisi

Lifestyle

Twenty-three of the rescued inmates of the Oloore Correctional Center at Ibadan have been admitted at the Adeoyo State hospital in Ibadan.

Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni stated this while briefing newsmen on the update about the incident in her office.

Mrs. Sanni explained that the rescued inmates were receiving health treatment before being released to their families while about hundred others have been reunited with their families.

She urged parents and guardians to always seek government assistance in correcting societal ills rather than subjecting their children to the care of unregistered correctional centers.

It would be recalled that the center was discovered last week by the state government and inmates were rescued by security personnel, after which the state governor visited the place and ordered the demolition of the structure used for the center.

Iyabo Adebisi