A member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, OYHA, Mrs. Olawunmi Oladeji has stressed the need for women to be more involved in vying for elective positions.
She gave the advice in Ogbomoso after receiving an award of excellence as a performing lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly by an indigenous association in Ogbomoso land, “Ogbomoso Valiant Club”.
Mrs. Oladeji who is the only female lawmaker in the 9th Assembly of Oyo State, representing Ogbomoso North State Constituency said women should not be discouraged from vying for elective positions but should prioritize interest in mentorship.
She said her articulate activities at both the 8th and 9th assemblies, especially on motions and bills sponsored on the floor have attracted commendations from her constituency and members of the public.
Mrs. Oladeji said, “If you have to go through the motions moved by me in the OYHA, starting from the 8th assembly to 9th assembly, almost everything revolves around Ogbomoso, women, and children”.
“There was a motion I moved that is now in use in the state, which was the review of maternity leave from three months to six months. Our nursing mothers are presently enjoying it”.
The two-term lawmaker assured residents of the state of her commitment to championing the course of women and children in Ogbomoso south and the state in general.
Mrs. Oladeji was presented with the award alongside other eminent sons of Ogbomoso land, including the Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, Professor Olusegun Ajiboye, and Oyo State Commissioner for Justice, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo.
Oyo State Government wants the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for joinder in the suit instituted by the Rivers State Government against the Attorney-General of the Federation in respect to the bid by the state to take over the collection of the Value Added Tax, VAT, from the federal government.
The suit, instituted by the Attorney-General of Oyo State, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo is seeking an order of the Appellate Court to enable Oyo State to join the suit as an interested party.
In the suit, the government of Oyo State is seeking two orders, viz: an order of the Honourable Court joining the Attorney-General of Oyo State as a respondent on the appeal with suit number FHC/PH/CS/149/2020 and appeal number CA/PH/282/2021, and any other order the Court may deem fit.
According to the Attorney-General of Oyo State, the government of Oyo State was unaware of the suit between the Attorney-General of Rivers State and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, at the Federal High Court until the judgment was delivered.
Other grounds upon which the application was based include, that the decision of the Appellate Court will affect the collection of VAT by the government of Oyo State is one of the states which the judgment of the lower court recognised as entitled to collect VAT within its territorial jurisdiction.
The grounds claimed by the Oyo State government include that: “The Applicant is a necessary party to this suit being a party who will be bound by the judgment of this Honourable Court in this Appeal.
In a motion on notice also attached to the proceedings already filed before the court, Oyo State said it relied on eight grounds and declared that the state is a necessary party to be joined since it has sufficient interest in the outcome of the appeal.
The state further argued that after going through its processes, the Appellate Court will find that the application is necessary and that it has sufficient interest in the determination of the appeal as one of the states of the Federation.
It quoted several legal authorities and concluded thus: “We, therefore, urge the honourable court to resolve the sole issue raised in this application in favour of the Applicant and hold that the Applicant is a proper, desirable and necessary party to be joined in this appeal.
“In conclusion, we humbly urge your Lordships to grant this application in the interest of justice and effective determination of the issues before the Court”.
Oyo State government has approved a residents’ registration programme to capture, enumerate and create verifiable data base for residents in the state to assist government in effective planning and for security concerns.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT/e-Governance, Mr. Bayo Akande, stated this while briefing journalists after the state executive council meeting.
Mr Akande who explained that generating credible data for planning has been a challenge across the country said the current administration in Oyo state has effectively employed data and scientific processes in planning and decision-taking.
He assured that the registration programme would be comprehensive and devoid of bottlenecks.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinola Ojo, also hinted that Governor Seyi Makinde has flagged-off payment for the land use charges.
Mr Ojo implored property owners in the state who had received bills for land use charges to comply in payment as it would help in expanding the state economy.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo equally disclosed the approval of three bills which were an audit bill to ensure transparency and accountability through the office of the Auditor General.
They are an audit bill to ensure transparency and accountability through the office of the auditor general, a bill prohibiting the collection of personal income tax by consultant and a bill to convert Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology from a monotechnic to a polytechnic, for transmission to the Oyo State House of Assembly.
In the same vein, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said the approval has been given for the relocation and establishment of the College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, LAUTECH to Iseyin with a takeoff grant.
The Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde had indicated that the law that established the State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) was in consistency with the federal laws that gave birth to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses, ICPC, and other federal agencies established to fight graft.
The governor stated this on Tuesday while declaring open the ‘Organizational Integrity Management Training Programme for the OYACA board members, management and staff at the Premier Hotel, Ibadan.
The training was as a result of collaboration between Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses, ICPC.
Governor Makinde, who was represented at the event by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, said no provision in the OYACA laws would go against the dictates of the federal laws, as the case between the Ondo State and the Attorney-General of the Federation was the watershed for the creation of the State anti-corruption laws.
He hinted that OYACA became imperative because many cases were brought in the open when the present administration came on board and personnel of the state were required to make court appearances at Abuja and other parts of the country, which he said was expensive and the fight had to be domesticated because corruption has become endemic in the society.
Governor Makinde therefore called for the passage of the whistle-blower laws by the House of Assembly, which he said would make investigation and prosecution of cases of corruption speedy and seamless.
“The constitutional competence of the state to fight corruption rested squarely in the provision of the law and there exists no provision in OYACA laws that tie the hands of any federal anti-corruption agency.
“OYACA law is consistent with the fundamental objectives of the federal laws, which are instruments created to fight graft and block loopholes where public resources are stolen or mismanaged.
“We appreciate the ICPC for this collaboration to stem the tide of graft in our society and cause a lot of loss to the government and the people of the State, there is also the urgent need to pass the whistle-blower bill into law to aid the speed and smoothness of investigation and prosecution.”
The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye said the judgment of the Supreme Court on Ondo State and the Attorney-General of the Federation has affirmed the power of ICPC to investigate and prosecute acts of corruption and state governments in Nigeria were not excluded from doing same, if the provisions in their anti-corruption laws do not negate that of the federal laws.
He charged the OYACA to be resolute in advancing the course of fighting graft and mismanagement of public resources, saying the work is tough and there would be many enemies against the agency.
“Corruption is so systemic and endemic that I am persuaded that it is pertinent that States can also work in fighting this scourge, the need for fight to end corruption cannot be over-emphasized because corruption is debilitating to the progress and advancement of the State and Nigeria as a whole.”
“This work is a tough nut to crack, you are not going to have many friends, but what do you care, if your interest is to serve the State and the people?’’ he asked.
The Chairman, OYACA, Honourable Justice Eni Esan in her welcome address, appreciated the extension of hands of support from the Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a sub-agency under the ICPC, located at Keffi, Nasarawa State.
She exuded joy at the collaboration, geared towards training board members and staffers of the agency and urged the trainees to make good use of the content of the workshop in order to enhance capacity of the personnel.
Justice Esan appreciated Governor Seyi Makinde for reposing huge confidence in the agency and board members to win the fight against corruption in Oyo State.
Apart from the ICPC Chairman, Professor Boloaji Owasanoye who spoke on the topic ‘Leading with Integrity to Achieve a Corrupt-Free Agency’, other facilitators include Professor Sola Akinrinade, who spoke on ‘Building Stakeholder Support for Anti-Corruption and Partnering with other ACAs’.
Other facilitators include Professor Olatunde Babawale, Dr. Bala Mohammed, Barrister Akeem Lawal fsi, Mr Richard Bello, as well as Mrs. Olubunmi Akinriande.
Also present at the workshop were top management members of Oyo State Ministry of Justice and OYACA, led by the Secretary of the board, Alhaji Ibrahim Oyemonla Tijani.
Oyo State Anti-corruption Agency (OYACA) board was inaugurated on the 24th of December, 2020 by Governor Seyi Makinde with the mandate for members to work towards putting a stop to acts of misuse of public resources through investigation of cases of corruption and eventual prosecution.
Signed:
Wasiu Olatubosun (P.hd),
Hon. Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism,
Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has approved the payment of all retired judicial workers’ outstanding emoluments since 1999.
The State Commissioner for Justice, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, disclosed this on Friday at an event held in Ibadan.
Professor Oyewo said Governor Makinde had also directed that the judicial subvention should be paid.
The Commissioner for Justice noted that Governor Makinde had approved the repair of road networks at Iyaganku and Ring-Road courts.
The commissioner explained that approval had also been given for the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and refurbishment of dilapidated court structures across the state.
Proffesor Oyelowo, however, assured the serving judicial officers of better working conditions and urged them to live up to expectation.
Oyo state government has warned
prospective applicants into the state Post Primary School Teaching Service Commission
as teaching and non-teaching staff to refrain from paying anyone for
employment.
The Commissioner for Education,
Science and Technology, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye disclosed this while briefing
newsmen shortly after an Executive Council Meeting.
Mr Olaleye assured that the recruitment would be based strictly on merit, noting that about one hundred and fifty-six applicants had applied and that the date for a Computer Based Test (CBT) would be next month.
Also speaking, the Attorney General
and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo hinted that
a bill for the establishment of the office of public defender that would assist
indigent citizens with free legal services would soon be transmitted to the
house.
On the employment for Operation
Amotekun, Professor Oyewo said recruitment into the security outfit would
commence as soon as institutional framework and command network was fully
established.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Bashir Bello also disclosed that the state executive council had approved the purchase of ten ambulances to be distributed across all zones of the state.
Oyo state government has approved a draft bill seeking to create a legal framework for the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed “Amotekun”.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor
Oyelowo Oyewo who disclosed this while briefing newsmen after an executive
council meeting, said the bill had been transmitted to the Oyo State House of Assembly,
OYHA, for necessary action.
Professor Oyewo explained that following a meeting of the Attorney
Generals from the South-West in collaboration with the DAWN commission, a
framework had been created with individual states remodeling the bill to
conform to their own peculiarities.
Also, Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye explained that suspended management of Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki has been sacked due to irregularities in their appointments.
He added that the school’s account would be audited and
anyone found wanting would be made to face the wrath of the law.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello also seized the opportunity to disclose that no reported cases of Lassa fever or Coronavirus has been recorded in the state due to the proactive actions of the state government at preventing the diseases.
Oyo state Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde says there is
plans to domesticate the Nigeria Correctional Service Act 2019, especially as
it concerns number of inmates in correctional centres in the state.
The governor disclosed this shortly after the inauguration
of the Oyo State Judicial Service Commission at the Executive Council Chambers
of the Governor’s Office, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde said the state government would facilitate
the implementation of provisions in the act to improve the condition of inmates
in correctional facilities.
The governor also explained that the inauguration of the
state judicial commission in the state would enhance the speedy dispensation of
justice and judicial reforms.
The Judicial Service Commission chaired by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola, comprised eight members with the Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo.
