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EXCITEMENT AS FIRST AIRCRAFT LANDS AT EKITI AIRPORT

Published

2 years ago

October 15, 2022

Sahara Weekly

EXCITEMENT AS FIRST AIRCRAFT LANDS AT EKITI AIRPORT

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Aviation Minister Inaugurates Airport

” My job is done”, Fayemi tells Ekiti people as he leaves office

It was a dream come true for the people of Ekiti as the Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Airport, Ado- Ekiti, was inaugurated for public use shortly after the first aircraft landed at the facility on Saturday.

With the commissioning and landing of the first flight on its soil, Ekiti has joined the elite club of states in Nigeria that boast of functional airport which is expected to boost export of agricultural produce, service educational and health institutions and abundant tourism potentials in the state.

The first aircraft, ATR 42 Nigeria Air Force plane piloted by Flight Lieutenant E.A. Balogun, landed at the airport’s runway at exactly 10.20am amidst cheers and excitement by eminent guests, government officials and members of the public who came to witness the historic occasion.

Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, who performed the official inauguration of the airport, was among the personalities on board of the aircraft which flew all the way from Abuja to make the historic landing on Ekiti soil.

An excited outgoing Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who could not hide his joy expressed satisfaction that the project eventually saw the light of the day ten years after its conception during his first administration in 2012.

A fulfilled Fayemi at the conclusion of his speech before the commissioning of the airport said: “My job is done, Ekiti Kete,” which drew a thunderous applause from the crowd that massed on the tarmac to be part of the auspicious occasion.

Dr. Fayemi also used the occasion to give an assurance to the people of the state that the federal roads that are in dilapidated condition would be given attention to bring relief to their users and complement the newly inaugurated airport project.

The Governor said himself, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe have been making strong representations to the Federal Government to facilitate urgent intervention on federal roads in the state that are in present state of disrepair.

Shortly after the plane landed and taxied to the tarmac, the excited crowd of residents and guests drew out their phones to take the pictures of the moving aircraft and enthusiastically welcomed the Aviation Minister and officials off agencies under his ministry who disembarked from the aircraft.

In his welcome address, Mr. Zhang Zichen, the Chairman of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which handled the project, praised Governor Fayemi for the vision which he said would change the face of the state economy.

Mr. Zichen explained that the airport is not just a project but “the engine of the economy of the state” said it would open up Ekiti to more development and investment to the benefit of the state and business community.

The CCECC boss who also described the airport as a “landmark project” said it was among notable projects completed by its corporation. He also hailed the Aviation Minister for being part of history and making the airport a reality.

Dr. Fayemi said the inauguration of the airport was in fulfillment of his promise to continue to work for the people of the state who elected him to his very last day in office saying the project saw the light of the day despite the very limited resources available to the state.

The Governor noted that his administration defied the challenges of COVID-19 which affected global, national and state economies to ensure that the dream of the airport became a reality which culminated in the test landing of the first flight on his last day in office.

Going down the memory lane, the Governor recalled that the move to start the project began during his first tenure in 2012 with a Committee on the Viability of the Airport led by legal luminary, Aare Babalola, raised by his then administration noting that the Committee submitted its report in 2012.

According to him, his first administration through the State Executive Council considered and approved the report submitted which was accommodated in the its plan for 2013-2015 Medium Term Sector Strategy but the plan was halted by his exit from office after the 2014 governorship election which placed the project on suspension.

The Governor said his successor in office, Mr. Ayo Fayose, embraced the idea to continue with the project but it couldn’t see the light of the day until the tenure ended in 2018.

He said further: “Upon my assumption of office in 2018, I appointed aviation experts and industry related officials to kickstart the implementation of the project. They made several Advocate visits to communities in order to meet the requirements for the establishment of the airport.

“The administration took the following steps: we secured the approval, the revalidation of approval from the Federal Ministry of Aviation. We also secured the Department of State Services (DSS) clearance, we paid all the necessary fees for the construction, planning and certification to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and conducting Environmental and Sustainability Impact Assessment.

“As a government that adheres strictly to the rule of law with unwavering respect for the rights of our people, we made several appeals to communities affected for enumeration of their farmlands to ensure commensurate monetary compensation is paid on their crops.

“To this end, a total of 669 claimants were duly compensated out of those that presented themselves for the exercise. We acquired 4,017 hectares of land from nine communities: Ago Aduloju, Aso Ayegunle, Bolorunduro, Igbogun, Araromi, Obbo, Afao, Orun, Igbemo and Ijan covering three local government areas in the state.”

Aviation Minister Sirika also announced to the excited audience that the Federal Government would site a cargo facility at the airport. He described the Ekiti Airport as “an extremely very important project” which would turn facilitate import and export of goods and commodities.

Senator Sirika recalled that when he was on the site for groundbreaking in October 2019, there were divergent views as to the viability of the project noting that airports are being used by what he called “one-city nation-states in the world” to drive their economy.

He added: “I use to make an assertion, thay one mile long road leads to nowhere but one mile runway leads to everywhere. You see, I came here today through the runway of this airport provided by Governor Fayemi. There is future with this project, market and trade can drive everybody here.

“I was at ABUAD, I saw the university,t he farm, the industrial park and the hospital. If there is an airport here, it will connect people to this facility and reduce foreign medical tourism. Airports are by no means the best catalysts for economic growth of any state or nation.

“35 per cent of global trade by value is moved through airports and $18.6 billion of cargo is moved daily through air transportation. The wealthy among you should take to agriculture for example and begin to produce things that you will export to other parts of the world.

“You can be land-locked but you cannot be sky-locked. We can all see the importance of having a facility like this. Thank you Mr Governor, you have provided this facility for the people of Ekiti State; they should own it, they should own it.”

The guests were later conducted on facility tour round the terminal and other facilities at the airport.

Personalities who were present included the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo; the wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye; Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr. Eniola Ajayi; Representatives of Ekiti in Diaspora, traditional rulers, state lawmakers and officials from the Federal Ministry of Aviation.

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society

Kano Probe: Independent CSO report exonerates APC National Chairman, Ganduje of any wrongdoing

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Kano Probe: Independent CSO report exonerates APC National Chairman, Ganduje of any wrongdoing

…cautions against use of state apparatus to witch-hunt perceived enemies

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The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, has been exonerated of allegations of corruption.

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The Coalition for Truth and Justice made this known in its preliminary report on the purported probe of the former Kano State Governor.

In the report signed by its convener Dr Okwa Dan, the Coalition said from8 its findings, there was an intense campaign aimed at character assassination and mischief against Ganduje.

The Coalition added that the alleged evidence presented against Ganduje on supposed bribery lacks the necessary clarity and direct linkage to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice, therefore, warned against the use of state apparatus to witch-hunt perceived political opponents.

“The Coalition for Trust and Justice wishes to use this medium to inform members of the public of the smear campaign, which does not reflect the realities on the ground with the allegations,” the statement said.

“The allegations remain a figment of the imaginations of its proponents, who have recently deployed enormous resources in the diatribe against Dr Umar Ganduje. It is instructive to note that Dr Umar Ganduje is targeted because of his position as the National Chairman of the APC, which has witnessed proactive leadership in managing the affairs of the APC.

“Our findings showed that the Kano state government elected to play in the gallery by spreading falsehood and giving a dog a bad name to hang. The recent probe is one such example of the slander campaign against Dr Umar Ganduje that can’t be substantiated. It is a feeble attempt at tarnishing the image of the national chairman of the APC.

“To ensure we are not weighing in on the wrong side of history, the Coalition for Truth and Justice (CTJ) diligently examined the allegations of corruption levelled against Dr. Umar Ganduje,). Our preliminary findings are based on rigorous research, legal analysis, and adherence to principles of natural justice.

“The bribery allegations against Dr. Ganduje are serious and should have ordinarily merit thorough investigation. However, the allegations must be approached with fairness and objectivity, not the kind of lynch mob that the incumbent Kano State Government has convened. Our research reveals that the evidence presented lacks the necessary clarity and direct linkage to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

“The probe, teleguided by Dr. Ganduje’s predecessor in the person of Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankawso, raises questions about its procedural integrity. The absence of due process, including proper documentation and adherence to legal protocols, undermines the investigation. Its credibility is eroded.

“Dr. Ganduje, like any other citizen, enjoys the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. As a result, we, place it on record that allegations alone do not constitute guilt. The burden of proof lies with the accusers.

“The allegations against Dr. Ganduje are mostly anchored on a piece of supposed video evidence. This widely circulated video allegedly showing Dr. Ganduje receiving bribes lacks authenticity and context. Without proper forensic analysis and verification, relying solely on this video undermines the pursuit of justice. We took note that the video evidence has been discredited. prior

“The entire episode, therefore, has all the markings of selective targeting. This raises several posers. Why focus solely on Dr. Ganduje when corruption allegations cut across various political offices? Why not have a holistic and comprehensive investigation that includes all relevant actors?

“After an extensive assessment of the allegations, the Coalition for Truth and Justice states that some vested interests are behind the slander campaign to cause untoward embarrassment to Dr Umar Ganduje.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice frowns at such a disposition that has the potential to elicit negative remarks on the personality of Dr Umar Ganduje. Given the findings of our preliminary analysis of the issues in focus, we boldly state this.

“Our findings revealed that the allegations have political undertones that were well intended towards mischief rather than facts or evidence. Therefore, the purported probe remains a waste of time and resources by the Kano State government.

“The Coalition for Truth and Justice wishes to state in unequivocal terms that Dr Umar Ganduje did not commit any infraction while in office as they would want the unsuspecting members of the general public to believe. The facts before us indicate a regime of transparency and accountability.

“The Coalition for Truth and Justice, as a result of this, informs members of the general public that the allegations of corruption against Dr Umar Ganduje are, at best, a political strategy aimed at shifting focus on the ineptitude of the government of Kano state in delivering on the dividends of democracy.”

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society

Nova Care CEO, Tijani Olumide Bags ‘Face of London 24’ Awards.

Published

16 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Nova Care CEO, Tijani Olumide Bags ‘Face of London 24’ Awards.

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The Managing Director of Nova Care and Recruitment Limited, United Kingdom has bagged the face of London 2024 awards on the 16th of May 2024.

The awards was organized by Triangle Media International, a creative and balanced reporting outfit cutting across the world.

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The awards was presented based on tremendous efforts of Mr Tijani Olumide in caring for Nigerians and other citizen in getting a stable job in the United Kingdom among other philanthropy gesture to humanity.

He was ably represented by Omooba Damilare Oloyode who is a close ally to Tijani Olumide.

Below is the awards and certificates

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Politics

Lagos Assembly Plans Geographic Information Law

Published

18 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Lagos Assembly Plans Geographic Information Law

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– bill will create comprehensive database of Lagos state

– will curb issues involved in land ownership

Sahara Weekly Reports That A new bill that seeks to harmonise all geographic information service projects of Lagos is under consideration at the State House of Assembly.

The Lagos Geographic Information Service bill, which had stakeholders making contributions on Friday, is also aimed at establishing a computerised central database for all information relating to geospatial matters and related issues.

Section 4(2) of the bill says the agency’s responsibilities include introducing, implementing and sustaining best practices for all Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the state as well as “develop and maintain an online platform that will contain all information and statistics on geospatial-related matters.”

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, said the bill, when passed, would help in improving governance and boosting professionalism.

“It is targeted at integrating governance with advancements in technology. This is something we hope to always take advantage of so that our state can continue to be ahead in the area of development,” Dr. Obasa, represented by Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, a member of the House, said adding that the Assembly will always make the residents of the state its focal point.

Chairman of the House Committee on Physical Planning and Urban Development, Hon. Ogunkelu Sylvester, said the bill “shows a commitment and sincere

sense of duty on the part of the legislators of the state to put people’s interest at heart.

“Today’s public hearing means a lot to the improvement of

information technology and computerised central database in Lagos State.”

Ogunkelu, who represents Epe Constituency 2 at the House, described it as a bill that will cover the database of Lagos just as he commended the Speaker for his passion for the progress of the State.

“The bill will guide the government to have a database of everything concerning Lagos and in this case, you could be in your house and apply for a certificate of ownership on your property and have it without even visiting the Ministry.

“It will also cut sharp practices and curb fraudulent sales of land. For land, the database will have details of owners including their photographs,” he said.

Rasheed Makinde, a former lawmaker, commended the House for its proactiveness while some of the stakeholders suggested the involvement of professional bodies in the proposed law.

Eromosele Ebhomele

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

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