12092019

14 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
Ekiti to hold LG polls December 7
VISIT: Governor
Seyi Makinde of
Oyo State (left)
presenting a gift to
the Managing
Director/CEO,
Unity Bank, Mrs
Tomi Somefun
during the bank's
management
team's visit to the
governor in his
office, Ibadan.
MURDER OF ONDO PROFESSOR: Killers
must be brought to book — FAMILY
•Murder barbaric, says govt
By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—THE family
of the murdered 51-
year-old Professor of
Applied Mathematics and
Acting Dean, School of
Postgraduate Studies,
University of Science and
Technology, OSUSTECH,
Okitipupa, Ondo State,
Professor Gideon
Okedayo and the state
government, yesterday,
called on security agencies
to fish out his killers and
prosecute them.
Late Okedayo, of the
Mathematical Science
Department was abducted
with his driver on September
5 on his way to Ighara, in
Edo State when he was
abducted.
His driver was later
released but he was held
captive until he was
murdered without his captor
requesting for ransom.
Detectives of the Edo State
Police Command later
recovered his official vehicle
where it was abandoned.
His decomposing body
was recovered days later in
a bush not far from where
he was abducted.
Speaking with Vanguard,
a family member, who spoke
in confidence, said killers of
the university Professor
should be arrested and
prosecuted.
When contacted, widow of
the deceased, Mrs. Marries
Okedayo, declined
comment on the death of
her husband.
When Vanguard called
her, her younger sister said:
“My sister would not speak
to the press on this matter
for now.” But another family
member, who decried the
prevailing insecurity in the
country, said: “The killers of
this innocent and hardworking
man must be
fished out and made to face
the full wrath of the law.”
Meanwhile, the General
Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God,
Pastor Enoch Adeboye and
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
have sent representatives to
pay a condolence visit to the
widow of the deceased in
Okitipupa.
Other callers at the late
Professor’s residence
include the Pro-Chancellor
of the institution, Prof
Akinbo Adesomoju, the
Vice-Chancellor, Prof
Sunday Ogunduyile
and other top
management staff.
Pastor Yomi Osho led a
team of 14 other RCCG
pastors, while the state
commissioner for
Education, Science and
Technology, Mr. Femi
Agagu led the state
government delegation.
The state government, in
a statement by the Senior
Special Assistant on Media
and Publicity, Ojo
Oyewamide, described
Okedayo’s death as
heinous and barbaric.
Condemning the murder,
Governor Akeredolu called
on “security agencies to get
to the root of this and other
avoidable killings that have
pervaded the nation lately.”
FUOYE bans SUG, orders students
to vacate campus
•I didn’t order shooting of
students, says Fayemi’s wife
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
A FOLLOWING DO-EKITI—
the
attack on the convoy of the
First Lady of Ekiti State,
Erelu Bisi Fayemi by
protesting students of
Federal University, Oye-
Ekiti, FUOYE, on Tuesday,
the authorities of FUOYE,
yesterday, closed down the
school indefinitely.
Students of the university
had on Tuesday held a
violent protest to demand
the restoration of electricity
to the two campuses in Oye
and Ikole, where cars on the
convoy of the First lady, who
was on a local government
tour, were destroyed and
many sustained injuries in
the process.
The fracas led to a clash
between security operatives
and the students where
Joseph Okonofua, a 300-
level student of the
institution was killed and
several others injured.
In a statement signed by
Vice-Chancellor of the
university, Prof. Kayode
Soremekun, the
management also
proscribed the Students’
Union Government, SUG,
in the institution
henceforth.
Soremekun said: “We
hereby announce the
immediate and indefinite
closure of the university to
forestall further breakdown
of law and order.
“In the same vein, the
students’ union of the
institution is disbanded
indefinitely.
“Following this closure,
the students’ population are,
hereby, ordered to vacate
the university premises no
later than 10 am 11th
September 2019.”
I didn’t order shooting of
students—Fayemi’s wife
Meanwhile, Mrs. Fayemi
has denied social media
reports that she ordered
security operatives in her
convoy to shoot students of
FUOYE, saying “This is
false. I did not encounter
any group of students when
I got to Oye town.”
The governor’s wife, in a
statement, regretted the
attack on her convoy by the
students, revealed that the
casualties did not occur
when she was at the scene.
Mrs. Fayemi, while
condoling with the family of
the deceased student,
wished a quick recovery to
all those that sustained
injuries in the fracas.
She said: “Half-way
through our event, there
was a disturbance outside.
The FUOYE students (and
possibly infiltrated by local
thugs) had re-grouped and
were trying to get into the
venue. The security officers
prevented this from
happening. We finished our
program, and by the time we
got outside, we found that
vehicles from my convoy and
those of my guests that were
parked outside the venue
had been vandalised. As we
were driving out of Oye
town, we encountered at
least two roadblocks that the
students had mounted to
prevent the movement of
vehicles. I could see
students throwing stones
and large sticks at us as we
drove by.
“However, the casualties
that were recorded did not
take place while I was there.
There are eye-witnesses,
photographs and video
footage to confirm this.
“Reports are circulating
that the crisis occurred
because I refused to address
the protesting students. This
is false. I did not encounter
any group of students when
I got to Oye town. They had
dispersed before my arrival,
and when they regrouped I
was inside the venue. It is
possible, as I stated earlier,
that the group that came to
the venue trying to gain
access with sticks and stones
in hand might have
included local hoodlums, but
there was no way of telling
the difference.
“I am shocked beyond
words to hear that I
instructed security officers to
shoot at students. If I had
met protesting students, as
a social justice activist, I
would have listened to their
complaints and addressed
them. I firmly believe in
citizens’ rights to protest on
issues of concern.''
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
AEkiti
DO-EKITI—THE
State
Independent Electoral
Commission, EKSIEC,
yesterday, disclosed that it
will conduct local
government elections on
December 7, 2019.
Chairman of the
Commission, Justice Jide
Aladejana said this during
a chat with journalists in
Ado Ekiti.
The tenure of the 177
councilors and 16 local
government chairmen and
other appointed officials
will lapse on December 19,
2019, having assumed
office December 19, 2017.
By Dapo Akinrefon
L
A G O S —
EXECUTIVE
Secretary of the Nigerian
National Summit Group,
NNSG, Mr. Tony Uranta,
has said that the NNSG will
resist against any attempt to
break up Nigeria.
Uranta, in a statement in
Lagos, said that although
the group was against
Nigeria breaking up, it also
believed that Nigeria was
divisible.
He said: “We are fighting
against any current
attempts to destabilise or
break up Nigeria, but
saying Nigeria is indivisible
is balderdash.
“There is no nation
without security challenges
and we have had our fair
share in the past, but the
dimension it is taking
requires serious attention
and input from all otherwise
the consequences if not
reduced will be dire for all.
“Presenting as it is, every
strata of the nation is
affected, rich, poor, power
brokers and all states of the
federation.
“We can no longer sit and
watch this go on without
Aladejana assured that
the polls will be transparent
and devoid of rigging,
appealing to the
opposition not to boycott
the polls as has been its
usual practice.
The SIEC boss also
disclosed that the body will
use the voters’ registers of
the Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, and its guidelines
for the conduct of the
elections, saying voting
will be by manual means.
He said: “We are
assuring the people that
their votes will count, so
all parties must sponsor
candidates for the
elections.''
NNSG’ll resist fresh attempts
to break Nigeria up — URANTA
Ondo South communities get
electricity after 20 years
By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—ORE,
a
commercial centre, in
Odigbo council area of
Ondo State and other
communities disconnected
over non-payment of
electricity bill, 20 years ago
have been reconnected to
the national grid.
Their reconnection to the
national grid was made
possible by the personal
intervention of Governor
Rotimi Akeredolu.
The Chief Executive
Officer of Klick Konnect
Networks International
Limited, Mr. Alex Ajipe said
this in Akure.
Ajipe, who facilitated the
Ondo-Linyi Industrial Hub
where several companies
are situated, said the
conglomerate at Ore
reconnected the
communities as parts of their
Corporate Social
Responsibility, CSR.
rising to it. There must be
a way out that will
compliment what security
agencies are doing.
“No group of persons or
even security agencies can
have all the knowledge for
a tactical approach to
dealing with those
perpetrating these acts.
“The killings are too
many. The kidnaps,
robberies, rituals, fraud,
have reached its peak. If
we don’t act now, these
people will overrun the
nation and we will all be
victims. The time to act is
now. Enough is enough.”
Uranta, who reiterated
calls for restructuring, said:
“Nigeria stands the risk of
break up if not restructured
as being canvassed in
different fora.
“The NNSG in time past
says that people pretend
that Nigerians are bound in
a non-negotiable unity
when we have very loud
secessionist agitations
ongoing in at least three of
Nigeria’s six zones.
“As it is now, we must stop
pretending that all is well
with Nigeria. We must all
agree that there is a need
to restructure Nigeria.”
Ajipe said: “The most
significant development is
that thanks to your
intervention, Ondo-Linyi
Industrial Hub, and their
entire host community have
just been electrified.
“This is very significant
to the host communities,
who have had no
electricity for close to two
decades, and it is also
significant to the Linyi
investors who had relied
on self-generated,
expensive sources to
power their equipment.”
Aside from the
reconnection to the national
grid, Ajipe said the
presence of the Ondo-Linyi
Industrial Hub in Ore has
led to the increase in the
Internally Generated
Revenue of the state
government.
“The Ondo-Linyi
Industrial Hub has
employed massively from
the host communities.''