The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has named some of its stalwarts as chairmen and members of its standing committees.

According to a statement signed by the party’s National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the listed names were appointed into Standing Committees on Establishment, Finance, Publicity, Intergovernmental, Conflict and Reconciliation.

Fedelinfo reports that some of those named include Chief Bisi Akande who chairs the Conflict and Reconciliation Committee with Aminu Masari as the deputy chairman and Nkem Okeke as the secretary.

Similarly, Uguru Matthew Ofoke was named as the chairman of the APC Finance Committee while members include the Chairman and founder of BUA Cement, Abdulsamad Rabiu, chairman of Oriental Energy Resources, Mohammed Indimi; Chairman of Bet9ja, Kunle Soname; Tein Jack Rich and others.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun; Governor Hope Uzodimma; James Faleke, Solomon Adeola, and Femi Pedro were also listed as members of the finance committee.

The Publicity Committee is chaired by Felix Morka while Minister of Information and Strategy, Muhammad Idris; Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, among others are members of the committee.

The statement said the Standing Committees would be inaugurated on Wednesday, 6 December, 2023 at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja

The Kwara state Government in its concerted effort to rid the state of all societal menace and vices, has described begging and roaming the streets by people with mental challenges as condemnable and socially appalling.

This was expressed by the Commissioner for Social Development, Hon. Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade during the recently concluded general evacuation exercise carried out by the Ministry within the State capital.

Hon. Afolashade lamented the menace of persistent street begging regarded as a viable business venture among some people, despite a series of dialogue, media sensitisation, and numerous social interventions of the government to the physically challenged and vulnerable in the State.

“The evacuation exercise is part of the Ministry’s responsibilities and a means to further ensure that the society is cleansed from any form of societal menace, thereby promoting environmental hygiene and values for the state”, the Commissioner emphasized.

She explained further that Kwara State would not condone street begging as it is against the law of the state; depicts laziness, while the roaming of mentally challenged persons also pose serious danger to the society.

Hon. Afolashade, during the excercise, reiterated that the exercise would be continuous, adding that the Ministry would no longer take the menace with levity, warning all those involved to desist or be ready to face the wrath of law.

Meanwhile, in the course of the exercise, there were resistance and physical assaults on the officers of the Ministry, but Officers of the Civil Defense were on ground to restore normalcy.

The Commissioner thus appreciated the pro-activeness and expertise demonstrated by the officers during the exercise while seeking the Corps continued support in subsequent assignments.

The evacuation team toured the Post Office/Taiwo-Isale, Tipper garage , Challenge/Unity road and Challenge/GRA axis of the State capital and evacuated no fewer than 88 mentally challenged persons and beggars who were taken to one of the Ministry’s Rehabilitation homes for treatment, prosecution and possible repatriation.

Oluwole Damilola

Press Secretary,

MSD

Peace may be returning to the Ondo State Executive Council as it holds its meeting today in Akure, the state capital, after three months.

Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa will preside over the meeting, which is the first since the warring camps endorsed a peace deal at a reconciliation meeting hosted in Abuja by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the weekend.

However, some elite are kicking against the resolution that the deputy governor should submit an undated letter of resignation.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, who confirmed the scheduled meeting, said the deputy governor will preside as vice chairman.

But, the commissioner could not confirm to reporters last night whether Aiyedatiwa has returned to Akure, although sources hinted that he had returned from Abuja where he spent some weeks while battling to starve off the impeachment proceedings by the House of Assembly.

He got a reprieve at the peace meeting where the House of Assembly was directed to drop the impeachment plan.

A source said: “Exco meeting will be held about three months after the last meeting was held in Ibadan, presided over by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, when he returned from medical vacation in September.

“The exco meeting that will be held on Thursday (today) shows that everyone is sticking with the resolution reached with Tinubu.

“All that we are focused on is the development of Ondo State, and that should be paramount in the minds of all of us at the moment.”

A group, Concerned Elite of Ondo State, led by Dr. Olanrewaju Akeredolu, has faulted the resolution that Aiyedatiwa should sign a post-dated letter of resignation.

It also said it was unconstitutional to ask unelected political office holders to monitor elected official.

The group chided the Speaker of the Ondo Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, for reading the resolution on the floor of the Assembly, saying that President Tinubu could not have given an order that contradicted the letter and spirit of the constitution.

It also accused the Speaker of twisting facts to suit a certain interest by asserting that there was no agreement to transfer power to Aiyedatiwa.