Southwestblog

  Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, says he will ensure the return of billions of the state funds allegedly looted under the late Abiola Ajimobi, his predecessor. Ajimobi died in June after failing to recover from COVID-19. Speaking at an event to kickstart the construction of the 21km Ajia-Airport-New Ife expressway road, in Ajia town, the governor said the retrieved funds would be used to develop the state’s infrastructure. He also addressed the criticisms trailing the announcement of N100bn bond issuance by the state. “Our administration means business. We will drastically reduce the infrastructure deficit in Oyo state in the shortest possible time. And this is how economies work: investors will only go where they can be assured of profits,” Taiwo Adisa, the governor’s chief press secretary, quoted him to have said. “In order to achieve this, we must strategise on how to increase our spending on infrastructure, because what we collect from Abuja every month from federal alloc...

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has said that the government spends up to N1m daily on each COVID-19 patient in Severe condition. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Abayomi said the state may experience the peak of Coronavirus by August. According to Abayomi, the government spends averagely about N100,000 daily to treat a mild patient while it costs about N500,000 to N1,000,000 to treat a patient with a serious case. He said, “To treat mild to moderate case patients in our isolation centre is somewhere in the region of N100,000 per day. “That gives you an idea of the amount of money the government is spending on COVID-19 isolation facilities and COVID-19 care. “If you require high care or intensive care, that amount can go up to anything from N500,000 to even a million naira per day, depending on the complications of the case. “Do you need ventilation, dialysis, intravenous antibiotics; every case is different, so it is difficult to calculate exactly how ...

Oyo Set To Arrest, Prosecute People Without Facemask In Public Oyo state govt to begin arrest and prosecution of residents for failure to comply to use of facemask in public Residents of Oyo state who refuse to comply with the COVID-19 protocol of compulsory use of face mask in public places may be arrested and prosecuted from next month. A coordinator of enforcement from the state COVID-19 emergency operation centre and risk communication pillar, Mrs Kunmi Oladipo made this known today during an enforcement mission to Bodija market in Ibadan Mrs Oladipo explained that the state has recorded low level of compliance to the wearing of face mask in public places particularly markets hence the need to reemphasize the importance of the directives and ensure the people duly comply as the battle against coronavirus is still ongoing She also noted that the enforcement team would within one month sensitize, persuade and ensure compliance but if there was no appreciable improvement, the team mig...

The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Daniel Pondei, has fainted while being questioned by the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission . He fainted while he was being asked about the spending of the commission since he took over. Lawmakers investigating corruption allegations in the NDDC had on Friday summoned Pondei and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to appear before them today (Monday) as the country sought to understand how budgetary allocations to the agency had been spent. This is not the first time an appearance by the NDDC MD before the lawmakers will come to a halt under dramatic circumstances. The NDDC boss had walked out on the lawmakers on Thursday, last week, after accusing the Chairman of the Committee, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of being an interested party in the investigation. He said as long as Tunji-Ojo presided over the investigation, the Commission would not get a fair hearin...

Oyo State Police Command on Friday arrested no fewer than three (3) persons in connection with the killing of five residents of Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State . Among those who were killed were an 18-year old teenager, Barakat Bello, a pregnant woman, Azeezat Shomuyiwa, 21-year-old student, Grace Oshiagwu, Olusayo Fagbemi and a five-year-old boy, identified as Mujeeb. Another 45-year-old woman, Adeola Bamidele and her daughter, Dolapo Bamidele, were also attacked in a failed attempted murder in June. But, the Police has arrested three persons in connection with the killings and the attacks com missioner of Police, Mr. Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, while parading the suspects at a press briefing in Ibadan on Friday, gave the names of the suspects as Sunday Sodipe, Adedokun Yinusa and Shehu Usman. Exhibits recovered from the suspects included one hand shovel, one techno mobile phone, one I phone Xmax and one Itel Phone. “The assailants troubling the settled water at Akinyele local ...

Suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has taken a swipe at Nigeria's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, accusing him of always interfering with the agency's investigations and working with others to strip it of its statutory powers. Magu in a 44-page document titled “RD: Alleged Case Of Conspiracy Enrichment Abuse Of Public Office And Other Infractions” written to the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential panel investigating allegations of corruption against him, said that the complaints against him were fabricated and targeted at tarnishing his image and the credibility of the EFCC. The 58-year-old, who was  released on Wednesday  after 10 days in detention following  his arrest  by a combined team of Department of State Services and policemen in Abuja on July 6 to answer questions from the panel, said that the entire saga was a well-orchestrated plot by his traducers to rubbish him for exposin...

Ibrahim Magu, the suspended acting chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has opened up on the allegations that he gave N4 billion to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Magu described the claim as false and a calculated attempt to tarnish Osinbajo’s hard-earned reputation The suspended EFCC boss, who was freed from detention on Wednesday, equally denied giving the sum of N28 million to Femi Falana SAN, a human rights lawyer. Magu spoke in a petition signed by his lawyer, Wahab Kunle Shittu and addressed to the Chairman of the Presidential Investigations Panel, Justice Isa Ayo Salami. “Our client strongly denies this falsehood against the respected Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our client has never given the sum of N4 billion or any sum at all to Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, GCON, Vice President of Federal Republic of Nigeria as wrongly reported.” “This allegation is complete falsehood designed to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Vice President. ...