17102019 - FG cuts travels, estacodes for ministers, other officials

48 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019
By Rotimi
Ojomoyela
A DO-EKITI—
GOVERNOR
Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti
State, yesterday, relaunched
the Social
Security Scheme for elderly
citizens in the state,
pledging to commit more
resources to social
investments and human
capital development.
The Social Security
Scheme, which pays
N5,000 stipends to indigent
elderly citizens of the state,
was introduced in 2012
during Governor Fayemi’s
first term but was scrapped
by the immediate past
administration.
The re-launch of the social
security scheme was the
highpoint of activities
commemorating the first
anniversary of the
administration in Ado-
Ekiti.
The beneficiaries, who are
65 years and above, got
N20,000 each as the
Governor insisted they be
paid the three months
arrears, dating back to July
when the he re-introduced
the scheme.
Earlier, in his state of the
State Address, Fayemi
disclosed that his
:Vanguard
News
UI sets up c’ttee to curb
sexual abuse on campus
By Ola Ajayi
I BADAN—VICE
Chancellor of the
University of Ibadan, Prof
Abel Idowu Olayinka,
yesterday, set up an ad-hoc
committee to address cases
of sexual assault in the
institution.
Olayinka stated this on
his Facebook page.
The VC stated that claims
would be processed
through disciplinary
organs of the university
using our extant
regulations and
guidelines.
Olayinka vowed that
maximum sanctions would
be imposed if the claims are
substantiated and there will
be no sacred cows.
On his Facebook page,
the VC said: “The recent
exposé of sexual
misconduct in Nigerian
Universities is deeply
disturbing and necessitates
a reminder that the
University of Ibadan
maintains the tradition and
standard of zero tolerance
for sexual harassment and
misconducts as contained
in our Staff and Students
Information Handbooks,
the recently revised Gender
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Fayemi
re-launches social security to
elderly citizens a massive commissioning of
administration had
d e f r a y e d
N31,105,658,370.89
amounting to 26 per cent
of the total debt inherited
by the Ayodele Fayose
administration.
Fayemi, however,
assured that despite the
burden of inherited debts,
the year 2020 would witness
Policy and Sexual
Harassment Policy, and
other allied documents as
earlier approved by both
the Senate and Council.
“Consequently, in order
to ensure that the
University is proactive in
preventing incidences of
sexual misconducts and be
assured that the University
of Ibadan is a safe space for
staff and students,
members of the University
community are hereby
notified that an ad-hoc
committee has just been
inaugurated by the Vice-
Chancellor to among
others, investigate claims of
sexual misconducts.”
To assist with their task,
kindly communicate all
relevant information on the
subject matter, he
promised, “that all claims
will be processed through
disciplinary organs of the
University using our extant
regulations and
guidelines.”
Besides, he assured that
“maximum sanctions will be
imposed if the claims are
substantiated and there will
be no sacred cows, even
while we ensure that there
will be no witch-hunting.
projects
and
institutionalizing of more
life-changing programmes.
He said: “You are aware
that the past administration
owed salary, pension,
gratuity, subvention and
contractual claims. Since
we came on board, despite
economic challenges, our
administration has, to some
extent, fulfilled most of our
promises.
“We have also offset part
of the arrears and debts
owed by the past
administration. We have so
far defrayed a total sum of
N31,105,658,370.89 in
salary, pension, gratuity
and subvention arrears,
and contractual claims and
obligations, which
represent about 26% of the
total inherited debt.”
“We have been consistent
with the payment of salaries
and pensions of our
workers. It is a violation of
fundamental human rights
for people to labour in vain.
"Our focus now is on how
to gradually offset the
remaining backlog of
salary, pension and
subvention arrears and
contractual debts. Just like
I assured the civil servants
at the maiden edition of the
resuscitated interactive
session with them, I want
to restate again that your
arrears are not bad debts.”
Distributing the cheques
for N20,000 each to the
beneficiaries Governor
Fayemi said his mission
was to make Ekiti a place
where the cycle of
generational poverty can
be broken and in which
elderly citizens can live a
more decent and healthy
life.
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VISIT: From left—Oyo State Governor and Kogi State Chairman, PDP Campaign Council, Engr.
Seyi Makinde; Kogi State PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Musa Wada, and his running mate,
Sam Aro, during their visit to the governor's office, in Ibadan.
World Food Day: There’s hunger in Nigeria,
food vendors blast Agric Minister
By Shina
Abubakar
O Association SOGBO—THE
of Food
Vendors in Nigeria, Osun
State branch, yesterday,
described the comment
attributed to the Minister of
Agriculture, Mohammed
Nanono, that there was no
hunger in the country as
being far from the truth.
The group urged the
Federal Government to
ensure that food was
sufficiently available in the
country, insisting there is
hunger in the country.
Speaking with
Vanguard during a walk
held to commemorate the
World Food Day in major
streets of the Osogbo
metropolis, the Coordinator
of the group in Osun, Mr.
Muideen Alao, said the
federal government should
embark on initiatives and
policies that would make
food abundant in the
country.
Alao said: “The Minister
for Agriculture recently said
there is no hunger in the
country. This is far from the
truth. The government
should work to ensure that
food is sufficiently available
in the country. They should
come up with initiatives
and policies that will
ensure this as soon as
possible.”
On the President’s
Oyetola tasks cabinet members on state devt
By Shina
Abubakar
O
S O G B O —
GOVERNOR
Gboyega Oyetola of Osun
State, yesterday, charged
the Commissionersdesignate
to quickly swing
into action as soon as they
are inaugurated.
Speaking at the ongoing
Four-Day State of Osun
Executive Council Retreat,
held at MicCom Golf
Hotels and Resorts, Ada,
Boripe Local Government
Area of the state, he
reaffirmed the
administration’s
determination to deliver a
state that works and can
compete with any other
globally in terms of basic
amenities and provision of
modern facilities that will
enable citizens to live
happily and productively.
Oyetola, who spoke on
the paper, My
Development Agenda for
the State of Osun, said:
“We shall do more to invest
in the education that
adequately empowers our
people to realise their full
potentials. We know that
equitable public education
is central to a healthy
democracy and a thriving
economy. Therefore,
building on the strong
foundation laid by the last
administration, we will
challenge our children with
high expectations from a
rich, well-rounded
education curriculum that
will provide them hope in
a time of despair and help
them thrive and become
useful adults.
“We are also fully
committed
to
strengthening and
enhancing technical and
vocational education while
also improving on the
welfare of our hardworking
teachers. My goal is to
make Osun known as the
state for employment and
jobs in the country.”
decision to close all land
borders, he said: “The
decision of government to
close borders is a welcome
development. If we can all
be patient with them and
grow what we eat with the
support of all and sundry,
there will be food in much
more quantities in the next
three to four years. We
should join hands to
embrace what we produce
locally.”
STRUCTURAL DEFECT: I’ll demolish Amosun’s
Model College —Gov Abiodun
*Offers best graduating student automatic employment
By James
Ogunnaike
A GOVERNOR BEOKUTA—
Dapo
Abiodun of Ogun State,
yesterday, vowed to
demolish the Model
College at Ilaro in Yewa
South Local Government
Area of the State
constructed by the
immediate past
administration of Senator
Ibikunle Amosun, due to a
structural defect.
Similarly, the governor
offered the best graduating
student of the Federal
Polytechnic, Ilaro, Miss.
Akintola Esther Modupe,
an automatic employment.
Abiodun, who disclosed
this at the town hall
meeting for the 2020
Budget of the Ogun West
Senatorial District held at
Ilaro, said the demolition
followed a recommendation
by the committee set up to
review contracts awarded
by the Amosun
administration that the
Model College has some
structural defects.
He disclosed that the
school would be
reconstructed and
converted to Vocational and
Technical College to boost
human capital
development in the state.
He said: “That is why we
are committed to ensuring
that the commonwealth
used in building capital
projects does not waste,
irrespective of who made
that investment.
,
“Those investments were
made on our behalf with
our sweat, with our money.
This is not about trying to
witch hunt anybody. You
did not vote for me to witch
hunt anybody, you voted for
me to give you good
governance.
“Unfortunately, the
Model school in Ilaro is the
only one that has been classified
as being structurally
defective. It has been recommended
for demolition
and reconstruction. We are
going to do something
about that but we will also
make sure that you have
something like that here
that will serve the purposes
of technical and vocational
education training centre.”
Abiodun offers best
graduating student
automatic
employment
Meanwhile, Governor
Abiodun has offered the
best graduating student of
the Federal Polytechnic,
Ilaro, Miss. Modupe, an
automatic employment.
Ms. Akintola graduated
with a cumulative average
grade of 3.90 out of the
maximum 4.
She would commence
work immediately after her
mandatory one year
National Youth Service
Scheme, NYSC.
Prince Abiodun made this
known at the 40th anniversary
and 19th convocation ceremony
of the polytechnic, held in the
school premises on Wednesday.
The governor said: “Our
administration remains
committed to give education the
priority it deserves. We remain
committed to providing
qualitative education for children
in the State, irrespective of their
location, gender or social status."