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Sanwo-Olu, NUJ, Others Mourn Jakande

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Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday formally announced the death of the state’s first Civilian Governor, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (LKJ).
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement through his verified Twitter handle.
He said that the remarkable achievements of Jakande as Governor in Lagos State would remain indelible for generations to come.
“With gratitude to God for a worthy life well spent in the service of Lagos State, Nigeria and humanity, I announce the death of a venerable statesman, outstanding politician, public administrator and the first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande.
“Baba Jakande’s record of service as a journalist of repute and a leader of remarkable achievements as governor of Lagos State will remain indelible for generations to come.
“His death is a collosal loss and he will be missed.
“’On behalf of the Government and people of Lagos State, I want to express my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Baba Jakande.
“May Allah grant him Aljanat Firdaus, Aamin,” he said.
Also, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, mourned the demise of Jakande, a veteran journalist.
NUJ, in a statement by, Chairman, Adeleye Ajayi and Secretary, Tunde Olalere, said: “We mourn the demise of the first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (LKJ) at the age of 91.
“He recorded massive infrastructure development during his tenure, especially in the areas of housing and education (building of schools).
“A former Minister of Works and Housing. It is on record that he made it possible for people to attend schools and had shelters.
“He was an erudite journalist, publisher, administrator par excellence and a political giant.
“He made indelible marks in Nigeria’s political history dated back to his days in Action Group and UPN. Nigeria’s political history cannot be written without a mention of Jakande (Baba Kekere).’’
Fondly called Baba Kekere, Jakande was the governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983 on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
He later became Minister of Works during the Sani Abacha military regime between 1993 and 1998.
Jakande, who was also a veteran journalist, was born in Epetedo Area of Lagos State on July 23, 1923, to parents from Omun-Aran in Kwara.
He studied at Lagos Public School at Enu-Owa, Lagos Island, then at Bunham Memorial Methodist School, Port Harcourt from 1934 to 1943.
He also studied at Kings College, Lagos in 1943 and then went to Ilesha Grammar School in 1945 where he edited a Literary Paper called the ‘Quarterly Mirror’.
Baba Kekere is known for his visionary leadership and for bringing development to Lagos State during his tenure between October 1, 1979, and December  31, 1983.
He keyed into the five cardinal programmes of the Unity Party of Nigeria, founded by a former Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Jakande first worked with the Daily Service and then in 1953, joined the Nigerian Tribune where he rose to become the Editor-in-Chief.
He left Tribune in 1975 and established John West Publications on whose platform he published The Lagos News.
Jakande was the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
On the political scene, Jakande ran for election as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 1979 on the UPN platform and defeated Adeniran Ogusanya of NPP and Sultan Ladega Adeniji Adele of National Party of Nigeria.
Under his administration, Lagos state was open and full of developmental strides, especially in the education and housing sectors.
He built primary and secondary schools and provided free education.
Baba Kekere established the Lagos State University and constructed over 30,000 Housing Units in Lagos State especially in the low-cost category.
Some of the housing units include low-cost estates in Abesan, Abule Nla, Amuwo-Odofin, Anikantamo, Badagry, Dolphin, Epe, Iba, Ijaiye, Ije, Ikorodu, Ipaja, Iponri, Oke-Afa, and Surulere among others.
In the Health sector, Jakande made an impact by building about 20 health centres. He also completed the construction of the General Hospitals in Gbagada and Ikorodu, thereby improving on the health sector in the state.
Baba Kekere also encouraged the development of traditional medicine and its application for the treatment of patients when his government established the Traditional Medicine Board.
This initiative helped to make people have wider choice on the type of medical services to decide on and seek.
He also established 23 local government councils, which were later disbanded by the military.
In the transportation sector, Jakande started the Metro Line project to facilitate mass transit in the state. However, the project never saw the light of the day, following the military take-over of the government in 1983.
To tackle transportation problem coming up in the state, Jakande government was responsible for the introduction of Odd/Even Traffic System and established the first State Traffic Management Authority (Road Marshals) under the headship of Chief S. O. Ige a distinguished Lagos Lawyer).
His administration also enhanced Water Transportation by establishing the State Ferry Services Corporation.
Some other laudable achievements attributable to late Jakande also include the establishment of Asphalt Plant for the Department of Public Works as well as Electricity Board for Rural Electrification.
The Lateef Jakande government also built the Lagos State House of Assembly complex, the Lagos State Television and the Lagos Radio among others.
The tenure was halted when the military took over in 1983, headed by Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon.
Jakande was without airs and had no interest in public coffers and this exhibited when he refused to move into the comforts of the governor’s official residence.
He lived in his private residence located at Ilupeju and commuted to work in his private car.
Jakande also ensured that members of his household attended state-owned schools and accessed healthcare from state-run hospitals.

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Party Chieftain Hails LG Boss’ Dev Strides

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Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwuche has extolled the sterling leadership being provided by the Chairman of the council, Hon Iyeko Okporo, describing it as unprecedented.
Hon Chukwuemeka described the council chairman as God-sent, considering his achievements in just 100 days in office.
The PDP chieftain said the chairman has rekindled the hope and trust of the people in grassroots governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for enabling his people to have his replica at Akinima.
He explained that the solar water project, the Late Eze Ekpeye Logbo 11 palace fencing, generator house rebuilding and town hall, all in Odiereke Ubie Community can best be described as the hallmark of true leadership.
He said the projects have direct bearing on the basic needs of the people who have suffered untold hardship and bad governance until the saviour came into office.
“ It is thunderous, as you can see the organic support and show of love to the performing chairman. Our people are overwhelmed seeing one of their own touching lives in a special way. As a community ,we have been in the past years without drinking water, but just two months in office, the chairman has provided not just drinking water, but a well-treated solar water project. Okporo is God-sent, no wonder he is nicknamed such. We have compared notes with other chairmen in the past and came to the conclusion that what he is doing in 100 days is overwhelming. Governor Fubara has made us proud by allowing a level playing field that necessitated the emergency of the chairman. You can see the women, men, youths and traditional rulers all saying one thing. God bless Governor Fubara for giving us our own. We owe him prayers and unwavering support,” he said.
In her welcome address, the Ward 9 councillor, Hon Catherine Uriah showered encomiums on the chairman for addressing the basic needs of the people in just 100 days in office.
Hon Uriah also thanked the Governor for allowing the will of the people to prevail in the just concluded local government elections which produced the God fearing chairman.
She said the people of Ward 9 as well as Ahoada West are pleased with the chairman because he is doing well.
She said the people will go to length to show support to him in his determination to redefine governance at the grassroots.

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Group Plans Pilot Farm Programme For 50  Schools

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A community-based non-governmental organisation, The Peoples Encouragers Initiative, is planning a pilot farm project for 50 schools in both Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
Executive Director of the organisation, Chukwuma Abraham disclosed this at the recent International Human Rights Day celebration at Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Abraham said the proposed programme which gulps the sum of N45million was intended to bring the youths back to the land and make them self-reliant.
“We hope to mobilise the factors of production inherent in all the schools through this programme to achieve two basic objectives of building self reliant youths and to create a viable and sustainable stream of income for our schools,” he said.
He said the programmme will also keep the youth busy and impact farming skills, stressing that each of the participating schools is expected to nominate at least two members of staff to coordinate and supervise the programme while10 students will be elected as executive members to administer the programmme on a day to day basis in their various schools.
“Every school has a sizeable portion of arable land to carry out the programme of establishing a functional farm in their chosen area of interest. We are hoping to mobilise an estimated N45 million to enable us set up the pilot farms across the 50 schools within Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the celebration was to draw attention of both the Nigerian government and the international community to the issue of human rights violation, adding that findings by the organisation has shown that insecurity and youth unemployment worsened over the past few years as a result of the insecurity that engulfed the Orashi region of the State. We also found out that the high level of cultism and social unrest within our environment is mostly fuelled by the high use of  illicit drugs among the youths. This programme will afford us the opportunity to take a tour through the universal declaration of human rights and reinforce on our youths the understanding that substance abuse can lead to crime, crime can lead to jail term and criminal record can blight their future dreams and life for ever,”he said.
Also speaking, the representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ikporo Freedom urged the students to shun all forms of anti-social behaviours especially during the holiday season.
He also warned them against joining bad groups and stressed the need for the organisation to include private schools in the programme.
The Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government Council, Hon Ezu R .C . Hezekiah represented by his Deputy, Hon Ununuma Odoi pledged the support of the council to the programme.
He also urged other groups in the area to emulate The Peoples Encouragers Initiative by organizing programms that will impact on the lives of the people.

John Bibor

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NCSU Flays Police Take Over Of Rivers PDP Secretariat

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The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has condemned the take over of the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Rivers State by the police, saying the action is against the tenets and principles of the rule of law.
This is even as the union has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call to order the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike for allegedly orchestrating and instigating the crisis rocking the PDP in the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the police have no right to take over the PDP secretariat, as a ploy to provide cover and protection for members of the state executive of the party loyal to Wike, who were recently sacked by a court of competent jurisdiction in the State.
According to him, the action of the police is in clear defiance of a court ruling sacking the party executives at all levels in the State, instead of taking steps to enforce same.
He regretted that the police have consistently been showing that they are not appreciative of the logistic support Governor SiminalayiFubara has been extending to them, by openly demonstrating their bias, loyalty and allegiance to Wike and his supporters, contrary to their rules of engagement, which uphold and recognise absolute neutrality.
He said the Minister is wasting his time if he thinks that he could destroy the State by orchestrating and instigating needless crisis that is capable of making the State ungovernable, and appealed to President Tinubu to call him and his supporters to order.
Commenting on the fate of the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in the State, who defected from the ruling PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC), Osumah said their fate is apparently sealed, as the Supreme Court had already given judgment in a similar case, saying, Wike is merely wasting his time by using the lawmakers against Governor Fubara, and causing unnecessary problem in the State.
He said if the Minister and his supporters do not retrace their steps and give peace a chance, the NCSU would have no choice than to mobilise all civil servants in the State, to troop out to the streets and protest against them.
The labour leader stressed the need for the police to vacate the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, and respect the High Court ruling which declared the congresses of the party in the State null and void.
While reiterating the need for President Tinubu to call Wike to order, Osumah said the President cannot continue to fold his arms and watch the Minister continuously make frantic efforts to destroy his State.
He also carpeted those blaming Governor Fubara administration for the recent gruesome murder of a Chief Security Officer(CSO) and his son in Igwuruta Ali community, saying those making such insinuations and attributing the sad incident to security lapses on the part of the state government, are missing the point.
He noted that by empowering the police in the State with several operational vehicles and other logistics, it was expected that the police would reciprocate the gesture, by living up to their constitutional obligation of protecting lives and property in the State, contending that Governor Fubara has been playing his part of guaranteeing security in the State.

 

He said the State is generally peaceful and safe, and challenged those criticising the Governor to cast their minds and attention to what is happening in other parts of the country, where killings and other social vices have become the order of the day.
Osumah cited as an example the recent killings in Ebonyi State by Fulani herdsmen as well as incidences of kidnapping and banditry in several other States of the federation, and wondered if Governor Fubara could be held responsible for such anomalies.

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