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Ekiti Executive Council Holds Valedictory Session For Out-Going HOS, Ajayi
Members of Ekiti State Executive Council on Wednesday, held a valedictory session in honour of the outgoing Head of Service, Mr Ayodeji Ajayi.
He was described as a hard working public servant who brought transformation into the state’s civil service.
The valedictory session was held during the weekly State Executive Council meeting at the Excos Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Ado Ekiti. Mr Ajayi will formally retire from the service on Sunday, having attained the mandatory retirement age.
Dr Kayode Fayemi, who presided over the meeting, expressed gratitude to Mr Ajayi, for restoring professionalism and commitment to the state civil service.
Commending the outgoing Head of Service for driving the transformation agenda of his administration through the civil service, Fayemi said his role as the HOS was historic, adding that the handing over of the outgoing Head of Service to the newly appointed Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi was unprecedented in the history of Civil Service in the State.
“This is the first time a Head of Service will formerly handover to another Head of Service. What we witnessed in the past is the case of new administration asking new Head of Service to take over from the former unceremoniously.
“It is not an accidental transition, we can always call on him to offer his service in areas we believed he can excel.”
Members of the cabinet who in their comments showered encomium on the out-going head of Service, shared the experiences of their personal encounter with him when he was permanent Secretary and when he became head of service.
In his remarks, Mr Ajayi was full of appreciation to the Governor for appointing him as Permanent Secretary during his first term and Head of Service in his second term, noting that his exit from the office was the first smooth transition in the history of the State Civil Service.
He said he was able to contribute his quota to the transformation of the civil service due to the policies and programmes that were approved and implemented by the governor.
Ajayi, added that stability has been restored into the service and civil servants can now retired at the appropriate age as may be determined by either length of service or age.
Ajayi who started his career from the old Ondo State, had served in the Ekiti State Civil Service for 24years, rose to the position of permanent Secretary and was appointed by Governor Fayemi as the head of service in 2019.
The state government, had in a release earlier on Monday, announced the appointment of Mrs Peju Babafemi as the new Head of Service.
News
Fubara: No one in their right senses would sustain quarrel with Wike – Akpabio
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has declared that only those who are not in their right senses could sustain a fight with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Akpabio, who spoke on Friday during the public lecture and book launch organized to celebrate Wike’s birthday in Port Harcourt, was apparently reacting to the face-off between Wike and his successor as governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.
The Senate President, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, used the opportunity to critique Governor Fubara’s management of the ongoing political crisis in the state, particularly regarding his relationship with the legislature.
Akpabio emphasized the importance of maintaining quality relationships with legislative leadership, narrating the lessons he learned from his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“For those who may not understand politics, we were taught that the parliament can turn a woman into a man and a man into a woman.
“As a governor, my greatest fear was my House of Assembly. That’s why I always worked closely with my Speaker”, Akpabio said.
He acknowledged Wike’s ability to reconcile quickly after any disagreements, stating that “No one in their right senses would sustain a quarrel with Wike”.
Addressing Wike directly, Akpabio said, “Your contributions to Nigeria’s political landscape, both as governor and now as minister, are indelible. The bridges you’ve built stand as a testament to your commitment to progress and unity.”
News
Man dies after setting himself, wife on fire in Ondo
An as-yet-unnamed man has died after setting himself and his wife ablaze in the Ijoka Area of Akure, Ondo State.
It was gathered that the couple, who had been married for ten years and had two children, had separated following an undisclosed marital issue.
The incident was disclosed by the state police command on its X handle on Friday.
The police reported that the deceased took the fatal action against himself and his wife after he had begged her for reconciliation, but she refused to end the crisis.
A police source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said: “The man had been separated from his wife for some time but had been begging her to end the conflict between them and continue their lives as husband and wife. However, the wife refused.
“So, on a fateful day, the deceased invited his estranged wife to his house to pick up an item. When she arrived, he began begging her again. But the wife insisted on not reconciling, which led him to lock the door from the back, pour petrol on both himself and the woman, and set them on fire. He died on the spot.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident, adding that while the husband died, the wife was still in hospital receiving treatment.
Odunlami stated, “They were married and, along the way, had issues that caused them to stay apart. The deceased asked his wife to come over and collect a wardrobe. When she arrived, he began threatening to kill himself but later locked the door so that both of them would die together.
“Using fuel and a lighter, he set himself and the woman ablaze. He died on the spot, while the woman suffered major burns.”
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Nigeria cannot achieve meaningful development without power sector reforms –VP Shettima
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, says the country cannot achieve economic development without addressing the power sector crisis.
This is as he urged leaders in the country to rise above their differences, confront the power sector crisis and make Nigeria an industrialized nation.
Shettima stated this when while inaugurating the National Economic Council, NEC, Ad-Hoc Committee on National Electrification and NEC Ad Hoc Committee on Polio Eradication at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“One common thing with these countries and others in the post-industrial revolution community is that they have largely resolved the issue of energy insufficiency.
“There is no doubt that we cannot dream of meaningful national economic development without addressing the issue in the power sector and ensuring that Nigerians have accessible, available and affordable energy,” he stated.
While regretting that an estimated 40-70 percent of Nigerians have no formal access to electricity, Shettima said he is comforted by the knowledge that the calibre and experiences of Governors and other members of the committee will change the narrative in a positive trajectory.
The VP acknowledged the basic challenges in the nation’s power sector, particularly the national grid which has been witnessing system collapse.
Shettima, however, expressed hope that there would soon be significant improvement following the recent reforms in the energy sector which have opened the sector, not only to the participation of, otherwise, excluded players, but also to attract investments, both foreign and local.
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