How Governor Uduaghan, Edwin Clark Plotted Orubebe Sack As Niger Delta Minister

Contrary to insinuation that immediate past minister of Niger Delta Affairs and self styled man of God, Godsdey Orubebe resigned to pursue his gubernatorial ambition in Delta State, sources within the presidency has revealed to us why Orubebe was sacked.

According to our reliable sources, Orubebe has been having a running battle with President Goodluck Jonathan, who has asked him several times to mend fences with Edwin Clark, but the latter remained adamant to such appeal by Mr President. Edwin Clark we gathered had earlier asked the President to drop Orubebe during last year cabinet shake-up, but the President refused as he never wanted to be seen as doing so because his political opponents, championed by Dino Melaye anti-corruption group brought corruption cases against him, as it will be giving them the glory.

The source confided in us that the coming in of the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Adamu Muazu gave room for Edwin Clark to strike. We authoritatively gathered that Delta State governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan has been uncomfortable with Orubebe soaring profile in the state, as he confided in his friends on how Orubebe disobeyed his order that no one should declare for the governorship yet, but Orubebe went ahead to declare.
His declaration we gathered drew the battle line between him and the Ex minister, though secretly. The sources further noted that the visit of the Delta State PDP to pay homage to the Party Chairman, was where the plot was hatched and sold to Muazu to convince Mr President to drop Orubebe, in what our source called ‘strategy of the devil’s theory’. When asked what he meant, he said, “the Chairman must be seen as working and sacrifices has to be made. Orubebe was among the sacrifices”. He told our reporter how the duo of Clark and Uduaghan told Muazu that the only way for PDP to regain the state will be to sack the corrupt minister, who has been flouting himself as presidential choice for Unity House.

According to a source within the PDP headquarters, Orubebe should not dream of becoming the governor, as the right to pick the PDP candidates for the gubernatorial elections has been vested on the state governors, “and your governor has not submitted Orubebe name to the secretariat. He has told the president a number of times that he cannot hand over power to him”, the source squealed.

LASU STUDENTS STORM LAGOS ASSEMBLY OVER RESUMPTION DATE, FEE HIKE

The Joint Action Front (JAF) and Education Right Campaign (ERC) last week joined the students of  Lagos State University (LASU) in protest against hike in tuition fee and partial resumption of students.

Hundreds of LASU students stormed the Assembly to express their grievances over what they called outrageous school fees.

According to the Publicity Secretary of ERC, Hassan Soweto, "we want members of the House to talk to the Governor to reduce the high fees being charged by the school, and allow all LASU students to resume on 24th of February announced by the school management as resumption date for final year students.

Other demands of the students include re-opening of LASU portal, adequate funding of the institution amongst others.

While the students were chanting protest songs with placards at the entrance of the Assembly, JAF Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu added that all the students would resume on 24th of February with the final year students.

He advised  the House to avert crisis by reversing the fees being charged by the institution, saying that JAF members would be at the gate of the school on the resumption day and that they would disregard law enforcement officers the school management might invite to harass the students. 
 
In his reaction, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Musibau Kolawole Taiwo said that it became imperative for the fees of the school to be increased, when the facilities on ground there were not enough.

According to him, some courses had been dis-accredited in LASU by the National Universities Commission during a visit to the school.

"I was part of the lawmakers that went to NUC office in Abuja and we were told that they were even coming to dis-accredit more courses. That was why we supported the state government on the need to increase fees to help the school," he said.

Kolawole however, said amidst protest by the students that the Assembly would look into the letter of protest submitted by the students.

LAGOS LAWMAKER, SAKA FAFUNMI COMMENDED OVER FREE SKILL ACQUISITION PROGRAMME

Unemployment has become a monster that has continued to rear its ugly head in our country and the government appears to be helpless over the situation. But, one method many people are now adopting to get out of the mess is to acquire skills, which is usually not cheap as it appears.

This must be what the lawmaker representing Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi had in mind, when he embarked on free skill development programme for the people of the semi-urban area.

His constituency office located in the heart of Ifako/Ijaiye in Oyemekun Road off College Road has become a beehive of activities for both the old and the young that are ready to acquire skills in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as well as Fashion Designing free of charge, courtesy of the people’s lawmaker.

The latest training programme, which would last three months and one year respectively, started on January 16, 2014 and the participants, who are learning fast, could not hide their joy and satisfaction about the programme, which they said would change their lives for the better and provide an escape route for them since there has been no solution to the problem of unemployment in the nation.

Mufutau Ade Balogun, a 64-year old student of ICT at the Hon. Saka Fafunmi Training Programme said that he has been able to learn how to open the computer, create folder, design identity card, pamphlet with computer, and learned about Microsoft word and excel.

“I came here because I had interest in computer and I want to use it for my work. I am a midwife and a traditional doctor. With computer, I can create data base for my work. I tried to do it before, but there was no money. We are not paying any money for the training. Hon. Fafunmi is a nice person, I knew him long ago and he is doing well as our representative in the assembly,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Emenike Ogechukwu, said that prior to attending the programme, she did not have any experience in computer training, but that she has learnt much since the programme started. She said: “I want to know more about computer. After the training, I want to further my education, and the knowledge is not wasted. Our teachers are intelligent and hardworking. I want to thank Hon. Fafunmi and I pray God would give him the strength to do more and I know he would reap the reward of what he has done. I want to encourage others to come and those here should be focused.

For Gbenga Ilori David, who is also undergoing ICT training, the programme is laudable and it will be of help to the young and the old.

According to him, the training has given the youth the needed courage and boldness outside. “I did a bit of computer in primary and secondary schools, but what we learned in school then was not much. Here, we operate computer easily, it was my mother that collected the form for me and it is free of charge. I want to advise my colleagues out there not to be involved in internet fraud, they can use the computer to do something better. I am a scientist and I want to be a computer engineer,’ he stated.

Ogundeji Oluwagbemileke Peter started the training programme on January 16, 2014 with other sand he described the whole thing as mind blowing, adding that it is a good starting point for him. “I have been taught how to create a folder and do other things. The world is a global village now; I want to use it for personal business. I am trying to go into poultry farming and I also want to use it in the studio as a musician. I read Business Administration at the Lagos State University (LASU), and I worked briefly but stopped to do some other things, I will be 30 years old in March. I want to advise the youths to make use of this opportunity rather than waiting for jobs that are not there. The sponsor of the programme has done something worth emulating, which others do not want to do; he has come down to the level of the youths. He has opened a door to the youth and he has laid a good example for the rest of us. Some people would just collect their salaries and pocket it, but he is not like that and this is commendable. He has been of help to some of us that are benefiting from it,” he said.

There was also a 14- year-old boy, Waliu Onasanya, who is about to write his JSSCE, having completed JSS 3 programmes, He said that he attended the training to gain knowledge of computer, while praising Hon. Fafunmi for embarking on such a project for the teeming residents of Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 1.

A housewife, Mrs. Fatima Hamtar said that the programme gave her an opportunity to know more about computer for the first time, adding that she hopes to use it to work in an organization in the nearest future or even set up her own computer business

A female politician in the area, Alhaja Abiola Danjuma decided not to rely on her trade, she registered to learn fashion designing and she said that she has started sewing with the machine after two weeks of coaching.

“They distributed forms three years ago, but I could not meet up because that was the year I went to Mecca. I then made up my mind that I would do it this year. I collected the only form they gave my area because I co-ordinate Hon. Saka Fafunmi support group in my area. Now, I am learning fast, I can sew ‘buba and sokoto,’ after two weeks. They taught us how to sew all kinds of clothes, I was using thread and needle, but now I use machine and the programme is free of charge. After the programme, I will start doing sewing on a commercial basis; I couldn’t undergo the training before now because of money. I will be sewing for myself and for others and as a politician, I can sew for my colleagues. I thought tailoring was not all that serious, now I can appreciate it and I thank God for that. It is a one-year programme and I am glad, I am 45 years old now. I want to advise my people to be part of programmes like this. We pray God will help Hon. Fafunmi for what he is doing for us, instead of asking him for money, things like this would help, I can now start sewing campaign uniforms for fellow politicians and make money from them,’ she stated.

Mrs. Odunayo is a graduate of secretarial administration of over 10 years, but she decided to follow her passion for designing and now that the opportunity to learn the trade free of charge came, she felt she should not miss it.

Her words: “I am self-employed, after my degree at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede in 2004, I went into human resource management for about five years.  After graduation here, I will set up my private practice to make money and empower others. There are so many opportunities in a programme like this, it is good to empower yourself and be self-reliant and as a woman, you would not depend on your husband. Youth should come out and do something with their hands, I didn’t do fashion before now because I didn’t have the time. My last child is just about six months old now and I had to leave my other job for maternity leave and I didn’t go back after that.”

49-years-old Mrs. Fadekemi Toriola is also into trading, but she is now learning fashion designing at the centre and she looks forward to a better future.

“I appreciate what Hon. Fafunmi is doing, there was a time we had problem with somebody and we went to see him, we love the way he handled the matter, and since then I said anything he does, I would be there. When we got here they accepted us, I am a trader and I trade in the evening, I felt that if I come here, I would gain and others would also gain from me. There are some of us, who didn’t know much and since we came here we have learned much. I can now handle male and female clothes, the people teaching us are very good and we are learning fast,” she revealed.

One of the instructors in the ICT section, Mr. Babatunde Solaja said that the programme has been so great. He revealed that they started by teaching the students computer fundamentals, went to windows and moved on to Microsoft words, ‘now we are on Microsoft excel, all these within a month. We have been able to come so far, and that shows the students are serious and the teachers too know what they are doing,’ he said.

The section, he said trains about 200 students daily, while stressing that the feedback has been that “we are working and they are happy. We started on 16^th January, 2014, but the project started long ago in Fagba. The students come on their own, they are residents of this area, there is no discrimination at all, people come in to get form for the programme, and it is free of charge.

“I want to commend Hon. Dayo Fafunmi for what he is doing, we see boys who are unemployed and who commit crimes, but the students come here and within three months, they will graduate and they can work in various organizations such as business centres, advert agencies and others, they can even start on their own,” he said.

Moses Abiodun is a fashion designing instructor at the centre and he said the students are responding well.

“We are all working together; even the married men and women amongst them do whatever we ask them to do. I am patient with them, if I give them anything and they don’t do it, we know how to deal with them. I am a fashion designer and I still do my private work after finishing from here. The programme is laudable, they didn’t have the experience before, now they can sew, and they can establish their own business after the training programme. The work is very lucrative if you know your way. There is money in tailoring. People pray for Hon. Fafunmi everyday because the programme is helping them a lot,” he emphasized.

I Used To Be A Bus Conductor -Lagos Lawmaker, Segun Olulade

Many years back, he used to belong to the lower class of the society. As a young man, he had to do menial jobs to survive, some of which were working as a bus conductor, gardener and pool clerk. Those were the years he saw the other side of life.
Later, Hon. Segun Olulade, who is now representing Epe Constituency 2 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, managed to gain admission into the Lagos State University (LASU) and he has since stooped to conquer having joined politics and occupying a political office.
Last week, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, Publicity and Security was a guest of the correspondents covering the House at a fortnight forum tagged; 'Time Out With The Press,' where he spoke on personal, and other issues.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself

I was born in 1971 to the late Chief and Mrs. Sufiat Olulade. I am a native of Ikosi/Ejirin in Epe Area of Lagos State, where I attended primary and secondary schools. I finished secondary school in 1988, but I could not further my education immediately as expected. So, as a way of making ends meet, I had to work as a bus conductor, office clerk, gardener and pool clerk. It was very tough in those days. I later raised money and obtained a JAMB form in 1995 and I got admission to the Lagos State University, Ojo Town. I finished in 1999 and served in Jos, Plateau State with the then United Bank for Africa (UBA) between 1999 and 2000. It was by the grace of God that I escaped being killed in a crisis in Jos in 2001 as I stayed back there for sometime. I got back to Lagos in 2002/2003. I came from a political family, my father and mother were both politicians and they belonged to different political parties. They would hold meetings of their parties in our house at the same time. We, their children pitched tents and I supported my mother's party. I was a youth leader during the SDP/NRC era.
In 1999, I was one of the young men that supported and worked for former Lagos governor and now our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We went round Lagos to mobilise the youth to support him. I also worked with him for his campaign for second term in office in 2002/2003. We had what we called; Independent Campaign Group (ICG) and I was a senatorial leader for them and the leader for Ikosi/Ejirin chapter.
Prior to my contesting, I wanted to work in the bank and I wrote application letters, but it was not possible. Then, people were talking about waste management in Lagos as there were heaps of refuse in the state that were competing with motorists and pedestrians.
We started an NGO that could clear the waste, we went to meet the then Lagos commissioner for works, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and he was impressed by the proposal. We identified black spots in the state and we were clearing them on Thursday and environmental Saturdays free of charge. I later worked for a waste management company as manager before I started my own. I tried to contest the 2006 election into the Lagos Assembly, but I had to step down for somebody at the primaries. I contested again in 2010 and I won before I came here.
Two persons influenced me into politics; former Lagos governors; Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
I was the senior boy of my primary school, when Alhaji Jakande came to our school in Epe and I shook hands with him, since then I made up my mind that I would be like him. In 1992/1993, I was impressed by the performance of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a senator. So, I felt I wanted to be a politician like these people.
I used to come to the Lagos State House of Assembly to watch the proceedings since 1999.  I was impressed to see men and women talking on the floor of the House. People wanted me to contest as a local government chairman after the 2007 elections, but because of my interest in the legislature, I refused and decided to wait for another elections.

What is your take on same sex marriage and the recently passed anti-gay law

I want to thank the National Assembly for passing the Bill into Law. Same sex marriage is bad, it is foreign to us in Nigeria, we would not support it as it can defile our land. We have no apology for not supporting same sex marriage, it is not part of our culture.
Same sex marriage, as far as Africa is concerned, Nigeria inclusive, is ungodly, immoral and unacceptable to us.
It is a criminal incursion into our moral life for anybody or country to canvass for same sex marriage. Nigerians have spoken through the National Assembly and there is no going back on it.

You said you once worked as a bus conductor due to the level of unemployment in the country, what are you doing to help the unemployed?

I am proud to say I once worked as a bus conductor. I meet youths from my constituency regularly and I tell them about how to escape unemployment. I have a farm in my area and I encourage them to go into farming too.

How did you cope with those period, when you didn't have a child for seven years after marriage?

It was a terrible period seeing your colleagues having grown up children. Seeing people that married after you with children and sometimes you even helped take care of these children.
In fact we gave up hope about having children. We had said we would go for IVF after the 2011 elections after I had won the primaries. But surprisingly, I was at a political meeting, when my wife called me and said that I should come to meet her at our family hospital. I was scared when I got the call initially, but as I got there, she showed me a doctor's report, which I didn't understand initially. It was later I discovered that the result stated that she was pregnant, we thought it was an ordinary illness before I left home that day. Now, we have two boys to the glory of God.

Would you like to be the Speaker of the House someday?

I do not envy the occupier of that seat at all. It is not easy when you have 39 people with whom you have equal rights around you. They all came from different homes and have different political backgrounds, it is not a servant/master relationship. It is even easier to remove a speaker than to remove a governor. So, the Speaker has to know his boundary, I don't think I have the temperament, it is not easy for the occupier of that office at all. Former speaker of the house, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora used to say that anytime he was going to the assembly then he used to tell his people that he was going out as a speaker, but that it was not automatic that he would return home as speaker. I could say a thing that would lead to my immediate impeachment, so I cannot handle the office.

In what ways have you impacted on your constituents?

My stewardship has been productive
as I have done many projects in my constituency such as facilitation of road projects, giving out of books to students in the 31 schools in the area, provision of 14 transformers, boreholes, empowerment amongst other numerous people-oriented projects. I complemented the works of the state government by providing about 12 boreholes for our people in different communities. I have done a lot of sensitization programmes and empowered elders and widows with cash and I have a website through which I reach my people regularly. I provided dental care for about 1000 residents of my area and I supported inter-house sports in primary and secondary schools in the area. I donated items to orphanage homes in the constituency and paid fees of over 200 students. I also attracted government housing schemes to the area and helped resolved land disputes amongst several other projects.