His explanation became necessary in view of the fact that the government had promised earlier in the year that it would inaugurate the centre which was built in memory of the late lawyer at a cost of about N500m to commemorate the first anniversary of his death.

However, Akerele said the centre was now 90 per cent ready and that all infrastructure and equipment needed had been procured and were being installed.

He said,”The Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre is 30 per cent ready. The infrastructure is completely ready. We are only installing the equipment and we don‘t want to rush it because we want to be sure that everything is test run before we open it officially.

”It is true that we had intended to inaugurate it to commemorate the first anniversary of his death on Saturday but it is even more important to us that we have been able to construct and equip it.

”This is to show how important Fawehinmi is to us, more so that he fought for the ordinary man. We ensured that a health centre that would benefit mankind was built in his memory.”

The commissioner said the state government was also planning to set up a foundation for the centre to support people who might not be able to afford the financial implication of the services that would be offered by the centre.

He said, ”The government is also going a step further to set up a foundation that would be able to help those who are not rich enough to access the services of that type of a diagnostic centre which is of a world class.”

Meanwhile, the Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, has said no one in the country had been able to fill the vacuum left behind by Fawehinmi since he died last year.

Fasoranti, in an interview with our correspondent on Saturday at his residence in Akure, however prayed that God would send a replacement for the departed legal icon.

He said,”His (Fawehinmi)‘s type is not common. We have lost an illustrious son in Ondo State. To get someone like him is not easy but we pray that God will send a replacement.”

The octogenarian politician also lamented that the activities of the human rights group in the country had dwindled in the last one year.

He said,”The activities of the human rights group in the country have not been on the high pitch since his death but we are praying that God will raise people like him who will defend the defenseless with their selfless activities.”
by Sunday Aborisade

The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Mr. Lawrence Adegbenro, has resigned his appointment.

According to a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Ranti Akerele, Dr.Adegbenro in his resignation letter submitted at the weekend, thanked Governor Olusegun Mimiko for giving him an opportunity to serve Ondo State.

The statement added that the governor wished Dr. Adegbenro well and expressed the hope that he would continue to contribute his quota to the development of the state.
Source:  Adewale Giwa, NBF News

Ondo State on Monday became the first State in the Federation to benefit from and disburse to farmers; the N1billion large Scale Agricultural Credit Scheme put in place by the Federal Government for on-lending to States, to fast-track the development of the agricultural sector and boost food production in the nation.
Presenting the letters of offer to the beneficiaries from the 18 local government areas of the State in Akure, the State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko disclosed that the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme was meant for the production of crops such as maize, cassava, vegetables adding that livestock, fisheries and agricultural processing activities were also involved.
According to Governor Mimiko, the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme offered to States by the Federal Government was to upscale productivity, employment generation, diversification of the revenue base and increase in foreign exchange earning capacity, as well as availability of raw materials for the industrial sector of the Nigerian economy.
His words: “In line with our strategy, the State has accessed the N1.0 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme Credit facility for on-lending to our farmers, the State Executive Council, as part of its implementation strategy, constituted both the Cabinet and Technical Committees working in collaboration with officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and other stakeholders to determine the modus operandi for the loan scheme. “Eligibility criteria for accessing the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme include among other things, genuine and practicing farmers, non-indebtedness of beneficiaries to financial institutions amongst others. The Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme interest is 9% including all charges, maximum tenure of 2 years and moratorium period of 6 months. “I wish to say for the avoidance of doubt that the N1.0 billion
Agricultural Credit is guaranteed by the State Government because of its genuine interest in the well-being of our farmers and promotion of the agricultural sector. Every beneficiary must, therefore, endeavour to utilize the credit facility and pay back within the stipulated time frame. This would enable others to benefit from the facility if and when repayment schedule is duly honoured.”
The Governor, who reiterated his administration’s determination to alleviate poverty and put Ondo State on an irreversible path of poverty eradication, said that as part of the fulfillment of the covenant he made on his inauguration as Governor on February 24, 2009, “I stand before you today to address one of the challenges facing the development of agriculture in the State.”
While positing that in real terms and in its compelling significance, agriculture had continued to retain a prominent position towards employment generation, economic prosperity and sustainable development in the State, Mimiko, however, regretted that in spite of these, however, the agricultural sector was replete with subsistence characteristics such as: low productivity, lack of credit facilities, storage facilities, relatively scarce mechanization infrastructure among others.
“This administration, in the quest to put agriculture in its rightful position has therefore ranked it first in its policy framework of “A CARING HEART.” Towards this, a budget of N2.998billion was approved in 2010 for development of agriculture in the State. Recently, I flagged off the Mobile Farm Service Centres to enable our farmers have unrestricted access to genuine and affordable agricultural inputs at subsidized rates. This effort is geared towards achieving food security in the State. It was the first of its kind in the State since its inception,” Mimiko, explained.
The Governor added that in his determination to continue to strengthen the efforts of farmers in the State with the provision of a conducive environment and facilities for increase in food production, his government’s mechanization strategy of acquisition of 100 tractors would be unveiled in due course, as soon as all the technicalities were sorted out with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
He further disclosed that the State Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget and other stake holders had embarked on a pilot scheme on tomato production in the State through the use of irrigation agronomy to make the State relatively self-reliant.
“Also, the Public Private Partnership Department in my office is widely consulting with foreign partners on prospects for the production of rice, sugar cane, vegetable and oil-palm in the State.
While the Ministry of Agriculture, in line with its mandate has organized participants into New Generation of Farmers. “The State Government in partnership with Leventis Foundation Nigeria Limited, established an Agriculture Training School at Ido-ani which had produced its first set of trained agriculturists, skilled in various agricultural activities. A group of Women in Agriculture made up of wives of State Executive Council members have made in-road into crop production and have planted over 30hectares of maize and prepared land for planting 30hectares of cassava. Some of the Star Projects of the Ministry of Agriculture are in various stages of implementation and would be commissioned in due course,” the Governor added.
The Governor who expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, State Cabinet and Technical implementation Committees, House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, CBN, UBA Plc, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and other Stakeholders participated in the implementation and success of the scheme, “the end product of which you are witnessing today”, enjoined the first batch of beneficiaries to work hard to meet the food security expectation of the State. Saying: “It is with sense of pride and accomplishment that Ondo State is, by the event of today, the first State in the Federation to disburse part of the N1.0 billion credit facility to its farmers. We will continue to deliver on our mandate towards the upliftment of our farmers and in full consciousness of our responsibility,” Mimiko enthused.
-- Kolawole Olabisi,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State, Governor's Office. Akure, Ondo State

NOT even the heavy downpour, yesterday, could stop residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital from trooping out to witness the traditional coronation of their monarch, the Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida.

Adesida entered the palace weeks after he was announced as the new royal father for the ancient town.

Residents in their hundreds of thousands, defied the torrential rainfall, to witness the completion of the traditional rites leading to the Adesida’s ascension to the throne of his forebears as the 46th and the fifth in line of Adesida lineage to ascend the throne.

The new nonarch had undertaken three traditional rites leading to his ascension as the Deji as he had been kept at the Asamo’s palace for seven days, after he was brought from the farm and stayed in his father’s house for nine days to observe the traditional Arapon’s rites before yesterday’s rites.

As early as 9 a.m., Oba Adesida had left his father’s house for the Omolare’s palace where he had gone to pay homage to his predecessors.

The Omolare’s palace is the burial site of all the monarchs before him.

He made the last appearance to the Asamo’s palace from where he went to the Elemo’s palace.

At the Elemo’s palace, Adesida underwent tutorials on the ‘dos and don’ts’ in the palace.

The new monarch also proceeded to the Alakunre’s Groove and later to Ejio’s house where he collected his beads, before proceeding to Ooye’s house where the monarch and his eldest daughter were crowned.

He climbed the historical Okiti Omolore with his eldest daughter, Princess Adetutu, before entering the palace.

Amid thunderous applause from the people, the new monarch, who was accompanied by his wife, Olori Mojisola, was dressed in complete royal apparel with a cap to match and a horsetail with which he responded to the applause.

Yesterday’s coronation coincided with the Adesida’s 60th birthday anniversary.

Many residents, high chiefs and well-wishers dressed in various attires looked on in admiration and dancing as the new Adesida, a trained agriculturist, entered the palace.

In his short speech, he prayed that his reign would usher in peace, progress and peaceful coexistence of all the people in the town.

He promised to cooperate with government to bring about the rapid development of his domain.
Source; Babatope Okwowo, Compass