SANWO-OLU SWEARS IN FAMUYIWA AS CHAIRMAN OF AGBADO-OKE ODO LCDA, PLEDGES CONTINUED SUPPORT TO GRASSROOTS

Lagos Gov To Council Boss: ‘You Must Sustain Programmes That’ll Enhance Residents’ Lives’

Former Vice Chairman of Agbado-Oke Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr. David Oladapo Famuyiwa, on Tuesday, took the oath to formally assume the council’s leadership, three weeks after the demise of the Executive Chairman, Dr. Augustine Arogundade.

At a simple swearing-in ceremony held in the Banquet Hall at the State House in Alausa, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu charged the new Executive Chairman to ensure the continuation of programmes and services that will have positive impacts on the lives of the people across Agbado-Oke Odo community.

Famuyiwa stepped in consonance with Chapter 89, Sections 24 and 25 of the 2015 Local Government Administrations Law of Lagos State, which provides legal backing for a Vice Chairman to take over the leadership of a council upon incapacitation or demise of the substantive chairman.

Sanwo-Olu eulogised the late Arogundade, who passed away on June 2, 2020, noting that his three-year leadership in the council brought positive impacts and prosperity to the community. The Governor, however, urged the new chairman to sustain the late Arogundade’s legacy, charging him to provide people-centric and result-oriented leadership that must enhance the lives of the residents.

He said: “Local government is the third tier of government that is the closest to the people. As a result, your policies and programmes must be people-centric. I urge you to continue with the provision and facilitation of services that will directly and positively impact the lives of the ordinary people within the Agbado-Oke Odo community.

“I do not need to reemphasise that your assumption to this office today is coming at a very delicate time when we need all hands to be on deck across various levels of Government. Given the position you previously occupied, I expect that this transition will be smooth. It is expected that you will bring to bear on governance, purposeful, tactful and result-oriented leadership that will not only deepen the significance of the Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, but also enhance the living condition of the people.”

The Governor assured the council boss and residents of the LCDA of his administration’s commitment to working with the council in delivering good governance and dividends of democracy in the area. He urged the chairman to complement the State Government’s effort by discharging his responsibilities through local initiatives and programmes in the areas of construction and maintenance of inner roads, waste management, primary education, healthcare and security.

Sanwo-Olu implored Famuyiwa to galvanise members of the council to sustain the ongoing efforts by the State Government in sensitising residents of Agbado-Oke Odo on health measures issued to curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our State. The Governor disclosed that the Government was in talk with stakeholders to establish another isolation centre in Alimosho area to strengthen the State’s response to the virus.

“I am confident that, if we continue to work together, we will achieve total victory in Lagos over COVID-19 pandemic,” the Governor said.

In his acceptance speech, Famuyiwa paid tribute to his late boss, noting that both had rancour-free relationship until Arogundade’s passing.

He pledged continuity of the projects and programmes started by the late chairman, stressing that his leadership would increase the speed of governance to ensure the council meets its responsibilities to the people.

He said: “In the remaining period of our administration, we shall continue to work as a team on a path of efficient management of our resources, effective mobilisation of our people to ensure the completion of all ongoing projects and programmes of the Government within the context of the development agenda of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in the State.”

In line with COVID-19 regulations, residents and political leaders in Agbado-Oke Odo community virtually joined the council boss’ inauguration.

Keyamo, senate committee disagreed over LG recruitment

The Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Mr Festus Keyamo, traded words with members of the National Assembly on Tuesday over the National Directorate of Employment recruitment exercise.

Trouble started when the Director-General of the NDE, Mr. Nasiru Ladan, could not defend the N52 billion budgeted for the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians under the NDE.

The minister said his ministry was asked to supervise the recruitments by President Muhammadu Buhari. But the federal lawmakers disagreed with Keyamo.

 

The public works 20-man selection Committee is being chaired by the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Nasir Ladan Argungu and supervised by Keyamo.

Argungu could not also explain the modality for choosing the 20-man national selection Committee for the programme.

He said he could only account for eight statutory members of the selection Committee and that it is only the Minister of State that can account for the remaining 12 persons.

The lawmakers insisted Kayamo should tell them how the remaining 12 members of the Committee were chosen.

Some members of the committee complained that the representatives of their states in the selection Committee for the Programme were not known to them.

They also wanted the Minister to explain how a programme he included representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), youth groups and market women on the selection Committee meant to select the public workers.

The lawmakers frowned at a situation where a Federal Government programme expected to gulp N52billion is being shrouded in secrecy.

At this point, a co-chairman of the Committee, Senator Godiya Akwashiki said the session would resolve into closed door to thrash out salient issues about the programms.

However, the Minister insisted since the questions were asked and allegations were made in the full glare of television cameras, closed door was not necessary as he wants his Defence to be captured by the press as well.

His insistence the session should continue in the open to enable him respond to queries angered the lawmakers who insisted that Keyamo cannot direct how a session by a National Assembly Committee should be conducted.

The members of the committee asked Keyamo to apologise for attempting to disobey directives on how the sitting should be conducted.

Keyamo insisted that he would not apologise, saying he had done nothing wrong.

The Minister threatened that he would walk out on the committee if they will not allow him to speak in the presence of the press.

The committee said he can go if he was not ready to abide by the Committee’s decision to go into closed door.

This disagreement by the lawmakers and the insistence by the Minister led to raised voices, flared tempers, banging on tables and eventual storming out of the session by Keyamo.

The uproar brought the session to an abrupt end.

COVID-19: Ekiti reopens schools, worship centres

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said worship centres in the  state may resume for services as from Friday, July 17th,  inline

with the agreement reached by the state government with leaders of religious organisations in the state.

Governor  Fayemi who disclosed this on Tuesday in a state-wide broadcast on the next stage in the State’s COVID-19 Response said arrangements are in top gear to ensure that pupils and students return to school from July 20 as recommended by stakeholders in the education sector.

He also noted that the  two largest markets in Ado Ekiti, the Oja Oba and Bisi Market, will now be open to lock-up shops only subject to

compliance with protocols stressing that street trading, makeshift stalls kiosks and open display of wares in the said markets remain

banned.

The Governor also announced that the state government has taken an N2.5 billion Life Insurance cover of N2 million each for 500 frontline

medical personnel involved in COVID-19 assignment in addition to the prompt payment of COVID-19 special allowances to qualified cadres.

However, he expressed dismay with the increasing refusal of residents to wear face masks in public which he said could spike community

transmission of the disease.

Fayemi said security agencies and the Ministry of Justice have been directed to arrest and prosecute any person caught in public places

without wearing the face mask appropriately covering the nose, mouth and chin.

Expatiating on the conditions to be met before public worship resume, Fayemi said social distancing of six feet must be observed and hand washing, as well as use of face masks, are compulsory.

According to him,  maximum capacity for each building should be determined with the six feet social distancing principle adding that the number must be conspicuously displayed outside the building.

Schools reopening: Lagos to announce modalities today Wednesday

As preparation towards reopening of schools and allow some sets of students in primary and secondary schools in Lagos State to resume and sit for their terminal examinations to enable them to seek admission for further studies, the state government will likely announce publicly the modalities and protocols that will guide such reopening on Wednesday or Thursday.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, gave this hint in an exclusive interview with Tribune Online on Tuesday.

Recall that the Federal Government on Monday had recommended the gradual reopening of schools nationwide and to begin with the primary six pupils, JSS3 and SS3 students, to enable them to sit for their terminal exams.

According to the commissioner, Lagos State is ready to reopen schools as nobody is happy or comfortable to shut down schools, but was only waiting for the Federal Government’s guidelines and protocols.

“There is nothing the Federal Government will say on this matter that Lagos State will say it is not ready for. We have been looking towards when the schools will be reopened and also preparing towards that and having a hitch-free operation.

And once the Federal Government announces the protocols, I can assure you that the Lagos State would key into these protocols. But we should all wait till tomorrow (Wednesday) or next tomorrow when to announce the details of the reopening in Lagos State,” he said.

But when asked that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 had already given insight into the guidelines, especially as regards adherence to safety measures, he said “that happened just last night and therefore the state government would announce its own guidelines that all the stakeholders – proprietors, students, teachers and parents will all know where we are in Lagos State.”