AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Senator representing Kwara South in the National Assembly, Arc. Lola Ashiru, has dismissed reports that his recent empowerment programme for women in Kwara South was deceitful.

An unidentified man had in a viral video claimed that Ashiru’s empowerment programme was a deceit, explaining that the laptop computers distributed to the beneficiaries were later retrieved from them after the organisers of the programme had taken their pictures, showing that they had received the gadgets.

But, the federal lawmaker’s legislative aide, Olaitan Adeyanju, in a statement, countered the claim of the man in the viral video.

She also sent another video made by the same man to our reporter, where the man recanted and tendered an unreserved apology to Senator Ashiru over his earlier video, which he said was misleading.

“Yesterday, I posted a video where I said the empowerment programme recently done by Senator Lola Ashiru was a deceit. I didn’t know that the programme was not a one-day programme. My friend, who was a beneficiary of the programme has sent pictures and videos to me showing when the laptop computers were eventually distributed to the beneficiaries. I’m very sorry and I hereby apologise to Senator Ashiru and the public over my earlier misleading video. Senator Ashiru is my father and I want to express my gratitude to him for carrying out the empowerment programme,” the man said in a new video.

The statement signed by Adeyanju reads: “We would like to address misleading video making the rounds, which aims to discredit Senator Ashiru’s effort in enhancing youths capacity building in ICT.

To set the record straight, on Wednesday, October 16, the Senator’s office organised an empowerment program for Kwara South Women and out-of-school youths, distributing industrial sewing machine, freezer and grinding machine.

“The following day, Thursday, October 17, laptops were distributed to ICT- skilled youths in Kwara South to boost their productivity.

“On Friday, October 18, which was the last day of four-week ICT training and digital empowerment, laptops were given to all participants of the training as announced at the beginning of the training.

“Notably, Indigenous Youths organizations like Kwara South Youth Organisation, Igbominna Youth Assembly, Oke-Ero Youth Movement, Ekiti Navigators, Offa Youth Council, Ibolo Youth Development, individual youth beneficiaries have commended the senator and acknowledged receipt of laptops.

“The ongoing projects and activities of the senator in the district is unparalleled, and he remains committed to his inclusive governance approach, undeterred by detractors.”

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Senator Oyelola Ashiru’s office has issued a statement to debunk wrong and fallacious impressions created by the NDLEA in its press statement issued on 21 October 2024.

The NDLEA alleged that Senator Ashiru’s house in Ilorin, Kwara State, was raided, and illicit drugs were found. This accusation comes on the heels of Senator Ashiru’s declaration on the senate floor that the NDLEA is corrupt.

We find it preposterous and mere fishing for justification that NDLEA had to wait for the senator’s observation on the floor the Senate before making its spurious allegations.

As a matter of fact, Senator Ashiru never employed any aide bearing Ibrahim Mohammed or Mohammd Yahaya as bandied by NDLEA.

The agency claimed that its operatives visited the senator’s Ilorin house and found nothing incriminating. The entire house was searched, and nothing incriminating was found. If any drugs were found on certain persons mentioned by the NDLEA, it is rational to ask at which court of law were the culprits charged?

It is also important to state that Senator Ashiru has not sent any aide to the NDLEA to influence the dropping of drug allegations against anyone known as Tosin Odepidian. Indeed, all the names mentioned by the agency are strange, and none works directly or indirectly with Senator Ashiru.

The NDLEA has the duty to take anyone suspected of drug dealing to court rather than name- calling and engaging in media trial.

This clarification is necessary to set the record straight and address the misleading information circulated by the NDLEA.

It is an open secret that many criminals, cultists, armed robbers, and drug addicts find their way back into business after gratifying and bribing law enforcement officers.

The NDLEA ought to search its house and fish out bad eggs rather than seek cheap publicity!

Senator Ashiru remains committed to serving the people of Kwara South and upholding the truth at all times in the search for strict professionalism among our law enforcement agencies.

We’re constructing legacy roads that ‘ll stand the test of time -Delta Govt

DAN DENT ASABA

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Delta State Government has reiterated it’s commitment to the construction of legacy road projects that would stand the test of time amidst rising cost of materials.

It disclosed that it has changed its design and supervision concepts to ensure long lasting roads across the State.

The State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads) Comrade Reuben Izeze disclosed this at the 12th edition of “Journalists Hangout” at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, on Sunday, in Asaba, the state capital.

He emphasized that the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration detests cutting corners and vowed to ensure that Deltans get the best quality of work for their money.

Flanked by the State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Churchill Oyowe and former Vice President South-South, Comrade Edward Akpati Ogwude, the Commissioner said there are no “sacred cows” in the supervision of projects across the state.

According to him, “we have spent most of the last one year doing supervisory work and as a matter of policy I must visit every road to see things for myself before any certificate is issued.

“I don’t sign any payment certificate without going there to see things for myself and in the last one year we have changed the narrative in the area of supervision of projects.

“When I came I told all the contractors that the ‘era of oga say’ had ended and I told the engineers that no contractor is bigger than them.

“If you tell any contractor to do the proper thing and they refuse just let me know and we will handle it because I know the Governor will not support anyone to circumvent the Bills of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME) because he wants to please anybody.

“You cannot make your profit and still shortchange the people. The people should have roads that will last and stand the test of time.

“I have the philosophy of the Ogbemudia roads, which still stands till date despite that the man had died some years ago. That is the kind of legacy roads that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori wants to provide for Deltans.

“Legacy roads starts from the point of design and I will not allow anyone use Google map to design roads for me, you have to go to the site and show me your drains and where it is discharging to.

“Our supervision and design concept has changed. Before we bring any road to the State’s Tender Board, we must be sure that the road is designed to last minimum of 20 years.

“That is one thing we have been able to establish and the contractors know that it is no longer business as usual. You must do your work according to the BEME otherwise you must return right site.”

Comrade Izeze said Governor Oborevwori was seriously revamping infrastructure in Warri and environs and other parts of the state as he had promised in his inaugural speech.

“If you left Warri last week and by the time you return next week you see that there are changes because Julius Berger is working on the flyover bridges and road expansion projects in Warri and Effurun.

“We are also handling a number of inherited projects like the Kwale-Beneku bridge which is approaching completion. We have finished and inaugurated the Okpanam-Ibusa bypass.

“We also completed the Ohoror-Bomadi bridge and now the our sister department is handling the entire reconstruction of that stretch of road.

“Emevor-Orogun Road has also been completed and inaugurated through our sister department and we are looking at existing projects we inherited across the state to see how they can be completed for the use of the people.

“Orere Bridge in Delta Central was inherited and Governor Oborevwori is committed to funding it to completion and has also approved an upward review for the project.

“Trans-Warri – Ode-Itsekiri road is another inherited project that we have reviewed and they have told us it would be ready by May 29, 2025.

“The Governor has also put much pressure on the contractor handling the Egbo-Ideh Ayakoromo Bridge another massive project we inherited.

“Aside these inherited projects we also have some new ones that we are handling like the Okito and Sokoh Estate Road in Effurun.

“Governor Oborevwori is not ready to construct any road that will fail immediately. So the design of the road must be such that we will not have any reason to return there till the end of his administration.

“We have also done some works on PTI Road, Uti Road is also another road that we are working on and it may be ready in December, we have extracted a guarantee of 20 years based on the design of the road.

“Lower and Upper Erejuwa Roads in Warri have also been reconstructed and expanded to improve the aesthetics of the city.

“So far so good we have upped our game because the quality of work and supervision have approved and we are not going to rest on our oars to ensure that we give Deltans the best.”

On the state of Federal Roads in the state, the Commissioner said the state government would continue to intervene on federal roads as long as it bothers on the lives of Deltans especially when the roads are not encumbered on existing contracts by the Federal Government.

He explained that the State Government couldn’t intervene as it had wanted to on the Asaba-Onitsha highway because the road had been under contract all along.

In his remarks, Delta State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Churchill Oyowe, thanked the Commissioner for coming to elucidate on the activities of the State Ministry of Works.

He stressed that the “Journalists Hangout” was designed as a platform for friendly discussions with stakeholders on their contributions to society.