Politics

2021 budget: Fayemi meets Ekiti community leaders at town hall meetings

Published

4 years ago

October 13, 2020

Sahara Weekly

…..promises all-round grassroots development

… to build one healthcare centre per ward

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has assured the Ekiti people of his administration’s commitment to all-round development of the state with particular focus on the health sector as it kick started 2021 budget preparations on Monday.

The Governor said the 2021 budget would focus more on health care delivery assuring that the government would establish at least one health facility in each of the 177 wards in the state.

Dr Fayemi, who stated this on Monday during his town hall meetings with the citizens of the state in the three senatorial districts- North, South and Central, as part of preparations for the 2021 budget, recalled that the effort had become an annual ritual since his first term in office aimed at ensuring community participation in budget preparation.

The event, which coincided with the commencement of the second year anniversary of the governor had all the communities present their needs by their selected representatives according to their priorities at the meetings which held in Ikole, Ikere and Ado-Ekiti.

The Governor noted that his administration was irrevocably committed to participatory and all-inclusive government and budgeting adding that the purpose of the meeting was to interact with the representative of various towns and communities to articulate the needs of the communities for inclusion in the 2021 annual budget.

“This town hall meeting, which is in consonance with our agenda of good governance, is in fulfilment of the requirement of our government and requirement of our budget preparation. It also conforms to the objectives of open government partnership which I recently inaugurated in Ekiti state. It is heartwarming to note that Ekiti State is the first state in the southwest to subscribe to the open government partnership.

“The import is clearly to demonstrate that good governance cannot happen if we did not listen to the genuine yearnings of our grassroots and it is our duty to promote accountability and transparency in our dear state. It is common knowledge that we have limited resources at our disposal, however, inadequate resources should not hinder us from delivering on our electioneering promises to our people.

“This budget is going to be more health compliant than any other thing, you will witness in 2021, a comprehensive completion of rehabilitation of all our General Hospitals in the state. You will recall that I started the reconstruction and rehabilitation of General Hospitals, State Specialists Hospital during my first term in office, some of that work was not completed, unfortunately the government that took over left them at the point we got to and some of the works that we’ve done in those hospitals have even deteriorated. So we need to start from scratch in many cases and no local government would lose out in the process.” Dr Fayemi explained.

The governor also reviewed the performance of the 2020 budget and noted that the budget of N124, 724, 869,355.95 had to be slashed due to global outbreak of coronavirus pandemic lockdown to N91 Billion. He said this was done to meet the state’s economic reality which now accorded priority to critical sectors of the state, which included healthcare delivery, agricultural and rural development and infrastructure development in response to the pandemic and to reposition the economy of the state.

While promising the communities that their demands would be addressed and the basic one included into the budget, Dr Fayemi assured the people that water rehabilitation initiative which had so far covered Ero and Egbe Dams would be extended to Itapaji dam in 2021 to support the agriculture processing zone that cut across the three senatorial districts adding that the water from the dams would also serve the purpose of irrigation.

Dr Fayemi however promised to take the community rural project more serious while preparing the 2021 budget adding that government had expanded the scope of the community and rural development so as to increase government presence in all the communities.

He used the opportunity to remind the people that Health Insurance scheme had already kick start and the most vulnerable people must avail themselves of the opportunity by key in to it.

The governor further promised the people that his government would not only embark on aggressive personnel recruitment drive in all the health facilities but would also ensure that such facilities were well equipped for effective service delivery.

He stated further, “And as you may be aware, our health insurance scheme has started, I do not think all of our people are utilizing this effort yet, maybe on our part, we need to do more sensitization but on the part of the communities too, we need to alert our people that health insurance is now available at least for the most vulnerable segment of our population and this is our way of ensuring we continue with our free healthcare programme for those that are entitled to this in our state.

“We would put personnel there, we would ensure there is electricity there, we would ensure there is water there and ensure that there are drugs at any point in time that you visit that one primary health centre in our wards. We are also recruiting more health personnel at the primary healthcare level as well as well as the secondary healthcare level to attend to the yearnings of our people.

Earlier, the commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Femi Ajayi noted that the approach of community participation in budget preparation has stimulated confidence of the people on the government.

The commissioner noted that the meeting would afford the grassroots people opportunity to interact with the governor and present the needs of their community for consideration in the annual budget.

The representatives of the people comprising the traditional rulers used the opportunity to commend Dr Fayemi for his efforts aimed at repositioning the various sectors of the economy.
Highlights of the requests of the community include reinvigoration and strengthening of agricultural development projects; township and inter-community roads rehabilitation to ease transportation of farm produce to the markets, improved healthcare services; neighbourhood markets; provision of pipe borne water and electricity; and ecological problems among others.

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Politics

15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

Published

8 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Sahara Weekly

15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

– as Speaker charges religious leaders on impactful messages

Nigerians, irrespective of religious affiliations, must begin to embrace good morals and practise honesty, two guest lecturers at the 15th Annual Hijrah Lecture of the Lagos State House of Assembly, have urged.

This is as the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, also charged Nigeria’s religious leaders to teach messages with greater positive impacts on citizens.

Sheikh Sulaiman Onikijipa Al-miskinubilahi, general overseer of Al-Amani Islamic Organisation, and Sheikh Ridwanullah Jamiu, Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Lekki Phase 1, said moral conducts and honesty would help create a decent society.

Speaking at the event with the theme: ‘The Increasing Wave Of Moral Decadence In The Society’, which held at the Assembly complex on Friday, the guest lecturers condemned the spate of moral decadence in the society.

Dr. Jamiu told guests that there was need to enforce laws against anti-decent practices like homosexuality, gambling, adultery and corruption.

According to him, Allah blesses those who are kind, just and are morally upright.

“People should run away from three things: indecency, aggression and wickedness. For a society to progress and develop, it must move away from what Allah kicks against.

“Justice means giving people their rights. As a boss, you have duties to your employees. Treat others the way you expect to be treated. Allah commands kindness and generosity,” he said while urging parents to be role models to their children.

On his part, Sheikh Onikijipa lamented what he described as a growing level of corruption in the society.

“At this stage of our existence, we all know that almost everyone is corrupt,” he said while urging leaders to be more transparent.

The cleric further stressed that leaders must be determined to end moral decadence in the society, adding: “See the way the government stopped the abuse of naira with necessary legislation. The same should be done for other forms of moral decadence in the society.

“There is no religion if we don’t have morals. If you observe all the five pillars of the Islam and you are morally corrupt, then you are deceiving yourself.

“If you pray regularly and you don’t have morals, then it is a waste of time. Indecent dressing should be condemned in all places,” he said.

While noting that Nigeria is challenged at the moment, Onikijipa appealed to citizens to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He urged religious leaders and citizens in the country to dedicate a day for fasting and prayer instead of embarking on a protest, which has a tendency to escalate into destruction of properties.

In his remarks, Speaker Obasa said everyone has roles to play in achieving an upright society.

Obasa, who said that Hijrah is meant to celebrate the clerics, added: “You would be proud of the group you belong to when people feel your impact. We should ensure that we change our immediate environment and make things better in our time.

“We must all join hands to make our society better so that we can all have a morally upright place. It is not enough to make laws, people must exhibit good qualities.”

Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Politics

Planned Protest: Tinubu, Sultan, Ooni, NSA, IGP In Emergency Meeting

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Planned Protest: Tinubu, Sultan, Ooni, NSA, IGP In Emergency Meeting

The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states in August.

As the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for August draws close, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday entered an emergency closed-door meeting with top traditional rulers, security top brass in his government and governors of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The high-delegation meeting was held at the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The APC governors were led to the meeting by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Some first-class traditional rulers were spotted at the meeting with the President. They include the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III; and other traditional leaders across the country.

The meeting was also attended by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; as well as ministers and other members of the President’s cabinet.

A delegation of Islamic scholars (Ulamas) later joined the high-powered meeting with the President.

Last-Minute Efforts
Tinubu, former Lagos governor, who was sworn in as President in May 2023, has appealed to displeased youths to shelve the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.

As part of moves to placate aggrieved citizens, the President sent a bill to raise the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 to the National Assembly this week. Both chambers of the legislature speedily passed the bill on Tuesday, awaiting the President’s assent.

On Thursday, the military authorities warned that unscrupulous elements plan to hijack the protest and use it to stage anarchy like what was recently witnessed in East African country Kenya.
The police had also warned against bloody demonstrations come next month just as Uzodimma surmised that the protest could be hijacked and turn violent like the EndSARS nationwide protest against police brutality back in October 2020.

The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.

Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.

Politics

Tinubu mourns Iwuanyanwu

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Tinubu mourns Iwuanyanwu

President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the family of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who passed away on Thursday.

Tinubu’s condolence message is conveyed in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu mourns Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.’

The family confirmed his demise on Thursday evening in a statement that partly read, “The Iwuanyanwu family of Umuohii Atta, in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, announces the demise of our patriarch, Chief Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu-Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo.

“Chief Iwuanyanwu died on Thursday, July 25, 2024, after a brief illness. He was aged 82.”

He was an accomplished businessman and notable politician.

Ngelale said, “President Tinubu condoles with the Imo State Government, the friends and associates of the deceased, and Ndi Igbo over this irreparable loss.

“The President affirms that Chief Iwuanyanwu will always be remembered for his remarkable legacy.”

Tinubu, therefore, prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed elder statesman and comfort for his family