Why Makinde must support Oyo entertainment industry —Yomi Davies

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has been advised by Yomi Davies to provide the enabling environment for the entertainment Industry to grow in Ibadan, especially as the industry has the potential of creating jobs.

Davies, the Chief Consultant to Wells Radio and CEO of Here & There TV in Ibadan, urged the governor to take a cue from Lagos State, which declared it generated N25bn from entertainment-related taxes last year.

“Without government support and even the proper structure, the industry has done very well in decades. You can only imagine what will happen if the government looks in that direction if the government wants to impact positively on the rate of youth unemployment in the state, especially when we know that Oyo State also has opportunities available for her to benefit. Tourism, sports, music, movies are all thriving in Ibadan generally. Besides, investing in the Entertainment Industry in Oyo State can bring back its lost glory

“For long, Ibadan produced talents for this state in all the spheres of entertainment, but we lost it to Lagos, which now has a stranglehold of the industry. We can take that back because right now, Lagos is oversaturated and a majority of those in the industry actually are waiting to explore other parts of the country. In fact, we should make them see Ibadan as the alternative to Lagos. You can imagine what the state can do with half, or even a quarter of what Lagos generated from the industry last year. Lagos can only improve on that

“I hope the governor will pick someone in his cabinet that has the capacity to harness the opportunities that are available in the industry. The governor is an entrepreneur himself and a lover of youths. He can write his name in the hearts of these talented youths who are sure to blossom if the conducive environment is provided by the government. Everything the government has a hand in is always huge. Creating jobs for our youths will be a huge thing if the government makes the right move by focusing on the Entertainment Industry,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A person you would like to meet

A time you had to search for information

A movie on TV show that made you laugh

A subject you didn’t like at school but are interested in now

Something you taught a younger person

Your grandfather’s job

A statue in your city

A service that wasn’t good and that you complained about

Food for a special occasion

A family business you know

An interesting old person you met

Good news you received or heard about

A time when someone didn’t tell you the whole truth

A good law in your country

A time you wished to do something but you didn’t have time

A party you went to

Something you started that is good for your health

A remote place you wish to visit in the future

A sport on TV you will like to try

A quiet place

A special date in your country’s history

A lecture you have been to

A situation when you found an item

A book you recently read

A person you know who is beautiful / handsome

A time you needed to repair broken item

A recent public development in your city

A time you gave money as a gift

A person who cares about environment

A beautiful city

A project that you need to collect information for (and need confirmation of the exact words)

A place indoor or outdoor where you can study

Your ideal house

A public facility recently opened (park, cinema)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Molete accidents

 

TADE MAKINDE

There are divergent views on what could be responsible for the quick succession of fatal accidents at Molete. While some blame it on spiritual activities linked to politicians and principalities, others blame it on lack of political will to ensure strict adherence to environmental policies that forbid any form of trading activities close to major or even minor junctions, not just in Ibadan, but major cities in Nigeria.

A photographer and farmer, Ade Fasehun, told Sunday Tribune that he always goes to photo studios everyday to print pictures at Molete and Challenge and was emphatic that nothing would change if the government does not begin to enforce the laws that forbid street trading and setting up kiosks close to roundabout.

“I don’t believe there is any spiritual activity going on, either by politicians as many are presently saying, or by wicked people in spiritual places. Such tragic accidents have become a normal occurrence in Molete and surely, there won’t be an end until the government acts. People are talking about Molete because it happened in quick succession, but they have forgotten that another near-fatal accident occurred at Efunsetan recently. Just few days before the Efunsetan accident, the governor, Ajimobi, had personally gone there to instruct traders to move their makeshift shops elsewhere or risk demolition. If not for that, the articulated vehicle that crashed into the garage would have helped those traders to demolish their kiosks and probably claim lives.

“Rather than act, the government did not. It was getting close to election and the disobedient traders’ votes were needed, so, many were not surprised that the government chose not to act. Third week into the New Year, three ghastly accidents have occurred in Molete and no action has been taken by the government because it is another election period.

“My question, however, is: should it take the physical presence of the governor before the law is made to work? It is known to many of us that articulated trucks always have problems negotiating roundabouts, let alone already crowded junctions. Have there never been accidents at busy junctions even when there were no elections? These accidents have nothing to do with witches or elections, it has everything to with planning and adherence to road-use laws,” he said.

But Pastor Edward Archy blames the bloody accidents on the activities of invincible forces beyond human comprehension. “Witches are on the prowl, playing their parts in fulfilling scriptural writings (John 10:10) to those who haven’t given their lives. I am afraid things will only get worse unless we begin to look beyond the physical and become more spiritual. What is happening is beyond politics, it is sons and daughters of Lucifer on the prowl for blood,” he expressed.

Evangelist Dewumi also believes that what is happening at Molete “is not ordinary”, and warned residents to pray that such tragedies should end.

“There is a blood covenant made by some people with the devil and it needs to be broken. Has it ever occurred to people that the three accidents happened not far from each other?” he queried.

“There are bigger roundabouts in Ibadan, but we don’t hear of such reports because shops are not erected close to junctions. What is happening at Molete is not natural. I hope our people can see this. Kidnapping is no more popular among those desperate to make money because people are more conscious of their environment now, so these people have resorted to making blood vows and busy places are where such can be got in abundance through fatal accidents,” he added.

A Federal Road Safety Commission employee, who spoke under anonymity, told Sunday Tribune that their investigations has revealed that irrespective of location, “major junctions or roundabouts that prevent articulated vehicles from easy navigation of roads, caused by unplanned structures, especially kiosks and shops that eat into road, is the major reason why long vehicles are always involved in fatal accidents. Its either such trucks have brake problems or they are prevented from moving by cars, SUV, even individuals who block the road and leave their cars to do other things in markets close to such junctions.

“All the same, the blame should be on town planners and environment officials who approve the constructions of illegal structures along busy roads and junctions. This should be stopped,” he suggested.

 

 

 

Not long after Senator Ajimobi was sworn in as the governor of Oyo State, a truck filled with petrol was involved in an accident close to the Molete Bridge and spilled almost 33,000 litres of petroleum. This ignited and the raging fire not only razed down shops, it killed many people, including those who slept inside many of the shops that night.

The governor, who had travelled to a country in the Middle East, quickly returned home to visit the gory sight. Angered by what he saw, he instructed shop owners to vacate the shops or face government’s wrath. But to the surprise of many, the state government did not do anything to enforce the directive. After moving elsewhere for few days, the shops popped up on their former sites. The traders ignored the governor’s directive as well as his warnings on the dangers of erecting shops close to busy junctions. Several months after, a tanker driver drove his long vehicle into a mini market at Molete as he tried to avoid crushing pedestrians after a brake failure. The truck driver, coming from the Challenge end of the long road, swerved the vehicle to the Adedibu/AGIP filling station end of Molete and crashed into a shop. Because it was a Sunday, there were no casualties recorded, but the injured driver spent three months in a private hospital to receive treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truck crushes woman to death, injures many, destroys vehicles in Ibadan

By Seyi Sokoya

 

A heavy-laden IVECO truck, in the early hours of Friday at Molete area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, reportedly crushed a woman to death and left many injured.

No fewer than 15 vehicles were reportedly damaged in the ghastly auto crash.

Investigations showed that the truck driver lost control due to brake failure.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the driver tried to pull over near Saint Annes College, Molete when he lost control and the vehicle rammed into several ongoing vehicles along the Molete Bridge and eventually stopped at the Molete Bus Stop.

The truck carrying a container marked BMOU 22657322G1 Max; Goss 30.480kgs, 67, 200LBS, got stuck in-between two stationary vehicles.

The yet-to-be-identified victim, who was crushed beyond recognition, was said to have been trapped by a tricycle while trying to escape from the scene of the crash.

It was learnt that many others, including a child who sustained severe injuries, were rushed to nearby hospitals.

When Saturday Tribune visited the scene of the crash, security agents and some Yes O officials were seen evacuating the remains of the deceased.

According to an eyewitness who spoke on the condition of animosity, many people were caught unawares as the truck was on high speed.

He said, “It was so unfortunate; the park was so busy with vehicles and people that were heading to different destinations. The painful aspect is that we could not find those in the truck, including the driver.”

It will be recalled that the accident occurred exactly 10 days after an auto crash was reported in the area.

In the earlier crash, a pregnant woman was reportedly crushed to death by a truck on her way to visit her sick mother at the hospital.