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 Government has advised residents of flooded areas of Isheri, Riverview Estate,Oshorun Estate,OPIC Estate, Arepo,Mawere,Akute, Alagbole,Orimerunmu and Magboro who are currently affected by the recent release of water from Oyan Dam to abide by its earlier flood alert advisory to either relocate or elevate from the areas at this period of the year.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya stated this in response to the flooding situation in the areas which was necessitated by their lowland nature and higher level of tidal fluctuation from river flooding at this time which forced the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority,ORBDA to release excessive water from the Oyan Dam.
While noting that the release of excess water from the Dam is unavoidable to avert its damage which might lead to unpalatable consequences, Oresanya assured residents of the areas that the flood water would start receding significantly from Friday 25 October through waterways,water courses and canal dredged and provided for that purpose earlier by the Dapo Abiodun lead administration at ameliorating the problem adding that Ogun State government is working assiduously with its Lagos counterpart and the Federal Government to finding lasting solutions to the perennial flooding problems in the areas.