The Nigeria Medical Association, NMA Ogun state chapter under the leadership of Dr. Kunle Ashimi has brought succour to doctors with the commission of 22.74 hectares of estate at Laderin, Abeokuta, for over 300 members.
The official commissioning was performed by the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, and the Chairman of the NMA in the state, Dr. Kunle Ashimi.
Giving the background of the proposed estate, Dr. Ashimi recalled that the doctors in the state, under the umbrella of NMA in 2009, contributed money and bought a parcel of land at Mologede village in Abeokuta, but it was revoked by the Ibikunle Amosun government in 2011.
He added that after discussions with the Amosun government, they were relocated to Laderin.
The NMA chairman said the newly allocated parcel of land became controversial and ended up in litigation, which extended from 2017 to 2020. He disclosed that the association reclaimed its land through a favorable judgment delivered by the court.
Ashimi said the association enjoyed the support of both the former and the current administrations. He mentioned that the current administration provided logistics that ensured their easy relocation after the court judgment.
Commenting on the groundbreaking for this estate, NMA chairman said, “We are going to construct the gatehouse and the perimeter fencing.
“The land is 22.74 hectares, and we would have about 383 doctors on this estate, including those occupants we tolerated because of the agreement we had with them.
“And of course, there will be commercial areas, green areas, and play areas for children.”
Explaining the rationale behind the project, Ashimi said it is to bring comfort and make life easy for the doctors.
He said, “by the virtue of the nature of our job, we would implore the government to come to our aid by providing good roads, electricity, a transformer, and piped borne water so that everything can go smoothly, which, of course, will bring more rapid development to this area.
For all of our members who are owners of plots and stakeholders, my advice to them is that they should come and take possession of their land.
They can approach the National Housing Fund (NHF), which is readily available to give them money and also approach us for all the documents that they will require to process such funds so that they can start the construction of their plot.
“And also, I urged all our members and publics to always do proper diligence by employing professionals to ascertain the status of any land that you want to buy; otherwise, problems like this will always arise.”
Speaking after the turning of the sod for the gatehouse, Commissioner for Health in the State, Dr. Mrs. Tomi Coker, described the project as a great achievement.
She added, “I am glad that it is in His Excellency’s administration that we are observing the groundbreaking of the NMA estate.
“And I can commit on his behalf that all the government support that is required to ensure that this is a viable project, we would advocate together, and I am sure because the governor is magnanimous, and he would support us.
“ And also, I know he would support our vision to ensure that this plot of estate occurs in all three senatorial districts. So, the NMA chairman, I want to congratulate you.
“I am not surprised that this is happening in Dr. Ashimi’s time because he has been the most engaging NMA chairman with the government.
“ So, this is a joint effort and collaboration that we would support you in, to make sure that without the welfare of the doctors, how do we expect them to commit to delivering quality effort.”
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state has promised to end acts of hooliganism and tyranny in the state. He said the era of hooliganism must end in Ogun state and he was ready to safeguard peace and security as the state chief security officer. Abiodun made the vow, while hosting the newly elected chairmen and councilors in the Saturday local government poll at the presidential annex, Ibara GRA in Abeokuta. According to the governor, certain individuals hired thugs and brought illegal policemen into the state, to disrupt the Saturday local government poll in the state. In the process, the governor said they attacked the vice chairman of a local government in his home town. The governor vowed that anyone, irrespective of his status, found culpable in the attack, would face the wrath of the law. He said the illegal policemen imported into the town were disarmed, arrested and now in police custody at the command headquarter Eleweran. The governor tasked the new council’s chairmen to implement policies and programmes that would impact the lives of the people. Speaking on behalf of the new council chiefs, the new Sagamu local government chairmen, Olasile Odulate promised that they would work towards improving the lives of people in their respective areas.
The major Transport Unions in Ogun State have commended the government in the State for setting up Special Task Force to monitor the activities of filling stations over alleged sharp practices.
The Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ogun State, Alhaji Mustapha Adewale, popularly known as Yaro on Friday berated the reaction of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over the activities of the Task Force, saying such reaction is out of place and unbecoming of a noble association like IPMAN.
He said instead of criticising and threatening showdown on the issue, the association ought to have painstakingly and diligently conduct investigation to ascertain the veracity of allegation of sharp practices among its members in Ogun State, which necessitated the setting up of Task Force to curb the menace.
The NURTW boss noted that the ultimate rationale behind the initiative by the Ogun State Government was to protect the people from crude extortion in the face of current economic hardship in the land, adding that the association must support the good intention of the government to sanitize the system against sharp practices.
” I am also a petrol dealer, I have filling stations across the State and the government carried us along in the process that brought about the Task Force. The surresptious extortion of the people by many filling stations around the State is very disturbing and annoying.
“You can imagine a situation when motorists got seven litres of fuel after and paying for ten litres, in the case of commercial drivers, situation like this responsible for hike in transport fare, meaning that the people are the ones to bear the brunt of that anomaly.
“That is the reason the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun, being a sensitive and responsive government came up with Task Force to put stop to this infraction in order not to add more burden to the people, it is a very laudable and commendable initiative that requires the support of all”, Yaro said.
In the same vein, the Secretary of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria(RTEAN) Comrade Tiwalade Akingbade, also known as Paulo Rossi has carpeted IPMAN over the development, arguing that there is no ground for their resistance to the activities of Task Force except they have ‘ skeleton in their cupboard ‘.
Akingbade explained that the setting up of the Task Force was part of the frantic efforts of Dapo Abiodun-led administration to ease the burden of hike in pump price of PMS in the effect that payment should commensurate with the volume of product and not the other way round.
He further said that the government in the State has done a lot in making life comfortable for the people and ameliorating the present economic predicament in the country by various interventions, including conversion of fossil fuel vehicles to CNG free of charge for many commercial drivers.
11According to him”, The original motive of the Task Force was to sanitise the system against some unscrupulous elements who are out to short change the people notwithstanding the harsh economy. How can one explain getting 25 litres of fuel instead of 30 litres; it is not acceptable and IPMAN should diligently approach the Task Force to confirm the number and names of its members that have been apprehended for this infraction instead of threatening fire and brimstone without recourse to reality and good intention of the government in the State”.
Ogun state Amotekun corps is recruiting additional 700 personnel to boost its strength to fight criminals across the state. The fresh recruitment started October 29 and is ending November 18. The new Amotekun corps commander, retired brigadier general Alade Adedigba said the recruitment of additional personnel was approved by Governor Dapo Abiodun. The commander in a statement said application for the job is free through the corps’ website on ogunstateamotekun.com.ng. General Adedigba also said that applicants could visit the agency’s office directly. He said screening of applicants will take place between November 25 and December 11. The new commander has said the corps intends to focus on the state’s border communities to cope with influx of criminals into the state.