The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun State chapter, Abayomi Tella, has said that the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, still breathes and works on the blueprint of the PDP.....Read Full Article>>

Tella stated this on Monday while speaking to newsmen shortly after his inauguration as the party’s chairman.

He alleged that the Cargo Airport built by the APC’s Abiodun was an initiative of the PDP.

DAILY POST reports that Abiodun joined the PDP in 1999 as a founding member and contested the primaries for the governorship ticket in Ogun in 2002.

Also, the APC’s Gbenga Daniel served as a PDP governor between 2003 and 2011, and Ibikunle Amosun was the PDP senator representing Ogun Central in 2003.

Tella asserted that the governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, even after defecting, were still following the blueprint of the party.

He said, “It will shock you to hear it from me if you didn’t know before that the past three governors were members of this party. Otunba Gbenga Daniel was a member of the PDP, Ibikunle Amosun, and even the present governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, was a member of the PDP. In fact, go and cross-check; they are still following the blueprint of the PDP.

“I would give you just one example: the Agro Cargo Airport is a baby initiated by the PDP administration under Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and because of its importance, you would see that Prince Dapo Abiodun is now diverting attention to that place to make it happen. So you can see that they are still breathing PDP inside of them, but interest sometimes brings separation in politics, and it is not out of place.

Speaking on his plans to reposition the party for 2027, he maintained that, alongside his executives, they were ready to bring the party back to its rightful place.

“I have my blueprints, but that does not mean that it’s going to disparage the party’s manifesto; it’s going to be interdependent. Like I have said, I have challenged the new executives that we have a task ahead of us, and that’s the truth.

“I want to assure the people of Ogun State that the PDP will come out united, rejuvenated, and strong, with a united front to go into further elections.”

He urged aggrieved members to return to the party, adding that it is prepared for the local government elections scheduled for November 16.

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to order over lingering crises in Rivers.....Read Full Article>>

Prof Benjamin Okaba, President, INC, made the appeal at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Wike and Gov. Siminialayi Fubara are at loggerheads over the control of political machinery in the oil-rich state.

Okaba said INC was concerned that if left unchecked the political crisis could affect other parts of the country.

‘’Mr President, sir, as the father of the nation, the alter ego of Nigeria, we are fervently appealing to you to call the FCT Minister to order.

“This is for the sake of peace and security in Nigeria. Stop this drift towards national disintegration and anarchy now’’, he said.

Okaba alleged that Wike’s power tussle with Fubara might not be unconnected with the minister’s desire to enhance Tinubu’s electoral fortunes in the next general polls.

‘’We understand the dictates of politics and the need to harvest Rivers votes for the President’s second tenure elections.

“What we misunderstand is the thought that only the FCT minister can assist the President to win Rivers’’, Okoba said.

He said Fubara had been faithful to Tinubu’s 8-point directive to both parties during the conflict resolution meeting held in Abuja.

‘’In October 2023 you called stakeholders to a meeting and tabled an 8-point directive to all parties involved to return peace to Rivers.

‘’Whereas many of our people considered your 8-Point directive as manifestly slanted against the governor’s interest and in favour of the FCT minister, the governor acceded to it,’’ he said.

Okaba said that while governor acted in good faith with respect to the directive, the minister acted otherwise by refusing to withdraw the court cases instituted by him.

He added that less than three weeks after the Presidential directives, Martins Amaewhule led 25 members the Rivers House of Assembly to defect to the opposition All People’s Congress.

On the just-held local government election in the state, Okaba said that while Fubara obeyed Supreme Court order that Local Government Areas in Nigeria must be administered by elected officers, without which funds must be withheld.

He said Fubara worked assiduous to actualise the return of elected officers to the local government areas in accordance with Tinubu’s desires and backed by the Supreme Court judgement.

He also said that Fubara holds permanent olive branches, sending constant peace emissaries to the FCT minister.

‘’So again we appeal to Mr President to call the FCT minister to order as a stitch in time, they say saves nine,’’ he said.

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved the sum of N77,000 as the minimum wage for the lowest worker in the state, and the payment takes immediate effect.....Read Full Article>>

The decision was revealed after a meeting between Governor Abiodun, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, and the leadership of the Organized Labour in Ogun State, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), to discuss the implementation of the new minimum wage.

The governor, who spoke through the SSG, said that no worker in the state should earn less than N77,000 starting from the month of October.

Prince Abiodun said his administration means well for the people of the state and has proactively taken steps to further ameliorate the suffering of the people.

The governor said he is in touch with the organized private sector to take a cue from the minimum wage policy, as their workers are not exempt from the economic realities in the country, to improve the living standards of people in the state holistically.

He noted that as such, the private sector should dialogue with their relevant stakeholders to arrive at a commensurate minimum wage for the sector while he will set up a monitoring team to see how it is implemented by the private sector to ensure no one is short-changed.

On his part, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed Benco, said the organized labour in the state is very pleased with the Governor having approved the N77,000 in consultation with labour leaders, which today is the highest in the country.

Benco noted that some states that have implemented the new minimum wage are paying N70,000, while some pay N70,250 or less, adding that the other sectorial salaries will be affected accordingly.

He also mentioned that the government has graciously approved the submission of labour that the new basic salary should not be taxed.

In the same vein, Comrade Akeem Lasisi of the TUC and his counterpart, Comrade Isa Olude of the JNC, commended the government for being worker-friendly, while they noted that consequential adjustments for pensioners and other matters will be announced after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

In his reaction, Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, said the approval of the generous minimum wage for workers underscores the responsiveness and sensitivity of the Governor and the government to the plight of the workers and the general populace of the state.

Onasanya expressed optimism that the gestures by the government will further boost the morale of the workers in committing themselves to the implementation of the government’s policies.