Opinion: Rotimi Akeredolu Must Apologize To Eminent Yoruba Leaders

Rotimi Akeredolu

By Kayode Ajulo Esq

(“Character is the most important possession you have.” -African proverb)

The much discussed and awaited Ondo State Gubernatorial Election has come and gone with the declaration of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as the winner of the election which literary translated to another four years of Mimiko as Governor of Ondo State.

During the build up to the election, as expected, every participating political parties and their stalwart were in frenzies to outdo each others, these should be expected but what was worrisome however, was the introduction of gutter politics to the race and the utterances of the Action Congress of Nigeria against very reputable elder statesmen of the Yoruba nation, namely Chief Olu Falae, former federal permanent secretary, estwhile finance minister, managing director Nal Merchant Bank, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD)/All Progressive Peoples (APP) Alliance (1999); Pa Reuben Fashoranti, veteran old school principal, elder stateman, former commissioner, leader of the respected Afenifere and pan-Yoruba nationalist; Chief Ayo Adebanjo, elderstateman, very senior lawyer, trusted ally of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and a prominent counsel in Obafemi Awolowo’s treasonable felony trial of 1962, for exercising their rights by supporting Olusegun Mimiko’s ambition to seek re-election as governor of Ondo State on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

It is also of note that the above instances were made possible by the candidature of Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN on the platform of ACN that brought ordinary and eminent thugs and rascals to Ondo state to insult the sensitivity of people, while the people responded with their votes, one would have take a relaxed seat and forget about the scenario but for the recent news that the unrepentant Chief Akeredolu is preparing to approach the court of law to challenge the election where he took the third position.

Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN is a respected senior colleague with an enviable title, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and one of those I will without hesitation defer to untill his recent misadventure of serving as tool for external aggressors. He nevertheless a gentleman and an omoluabi and haven lost the election in which his party despite all the hullabaloo is relegated to third position, as expected from a lawyer of his kind, he has vowed to approach the court to upturn the popular verdict of the people of Ondo State.

I am not as a lawyer, against the resort to court, I however wish to state that Chief Akeredolu owes the people of Ondo state, first, an unreserved apology on behalf of his party, ACN for the misadventures of his party's leaders.

The essence of Omoluabi concept is about exhibition of good character which I know can not be found wanting in Chief Akeredolu, it is therefore necessary that he reinforce this belief after cohabiting with politicians of questionable characters.

It is therefore imperative that Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN in tandem with our Omoluabi concept, apologize to Chief Olu Falae, Pa Reuben Fashoranti, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and the entire people of Ondo State before taking further political or legal speculation whatsoever.

Abo oro lanso fun Omoluwabi......

(Ajulo is an Abuja based Lawyer)

Photonews: President Jonathan Addresses Reporters After Visiting Hospitalized Governor Injured In Plane Crash

Photo Credit: News Agency Of Nigeria

Special Report: West African Power Pool Meetings Hold Oct. 29th –Nov. 2nd, 2012

"The West African Power Pool (WAPP) was created by Decision A/DEC.5/12/99 during the 22nd Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governement in order to address the issue of power supply deficiency within West Africa.

The West African Power Pool was guided by a Steering Committee comprising Energy Ministers of ECOWAS Member States, supported by a Project Implementation Committee, comprising Managing Directors of Members States utilities and Technical and Institutional Working Groups.

The 29th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS Member States held in Niamey January 2006, adopted the Articles of Agreement establishing the new WAPP Organisation by Decision A/DEC.18/01/06 on 12 January 2006.

The same meeting granted the status of a Specialised Institution of ECOWAS to WAPP, by Decision A/DEC.20/01/06.

The Articles of Agreement was officially signed at the first Inaugural General Assembly Meeting, held in Cotonou on the 6th July 2006.

On the 5th July 2006, the Headquarters Agreement between the Republic of Benin and WAPP Secretariat was signed. WAPP Secretariat is temporarily located in the premises of CEB in Cotonou , Republic of Benin."

Meetings Venue: Transcorp Hilton Hotel. Abuja, Nigeria.

Meetings Schedules: 

Joint Opening Ceremony of the Organizational Committees

08:30 Arrival of Delegates

09:00 Welcome Remarks - Chief Executive Officer of TCN

09:10 Opening Remarks – Secretary General of WAPP

09:20 Group Photo

09:30 Coffee Break

1. Individual Meeting of the Organizational Committees

i. Meeting of the Engineering and Operating Committee (EOC)

09:45 Brief Introduction - Chairman EOC

09:55 Adoption of Agenda

10:00 Nomination of Rapporteurs

10:15 Presentation of the Activity Report of the ICC Department – Director ICC

10:30 Presentation of the EOC 2012 Activity Report – Chairman EOC

10:45 Discussions

13:00 Lunch Break

14:30 Preparation of Meeting Report

16:00 Coffee Break

16:15 Consideration & adoption of Meeting Report

17:00 End of Day 1

ii. Meeting of the Strategic Planning and Environmental Committee (SPEC)

09:45 Brief Introduction - Chairman SPEC

09:55 Adoption of Agenda

10:00 Nomination of Rapporteurs

10:15 Presentation of the SPEC 2012 Activity Report – Chairman SPEC

10:30 Presentation of the Activity Report of the PIPES Department – Ag.Director PIPES

10:45 Discussions

13:00 Lunch Break

14:30 Preparation of Meeting Report

16:00 Coffee Break

16:15 Consideration & adoption of Meeting Report

17:00 End of Day 1

iii. Meeting of the Finance Committee (FC)

09:45 Brief Introduction - Chairman FC

09:55 Adoption of Agenda

10:00 Nomination of Rapporteurs

10:05 Consideration and adoption of:

Ø Charter of Internal Audit

Ø Amendment to the WAPP Financial Regulation Manual

11:30 Discussions

13:00 Lunch Break

14:30 Preparation of the FC 2012 Activity Report

16:00 Coffee Break

16:15 Consideration & adoption of the FC 2012 Activity Report

17:00 End of Day 1 2

iv. Meeting of the Human Resource and Governance Committee (HRGC)

09:45 Brief Introduction - Chairman HRGC

09:55 Adoption of Agenda

10:00 Nomination of Rapporteurs

10:05 Consideration & Adoption:

Ø Disaster Recovery Plan

11:30 Discussions

13:00 Lunch Break

14:30 Preparation of the HRGC 2012 Activity Report

16:00 Coffee Break

16:15 Consideration & adoption of the HRGC 2012 Activity Report

17:00 End of Day 1

October 30th, 2012- Joint Meeting of the WAPP Organizational Committees

08:30 Arrival of Delegates

09:00 Nomination of the Joint Meeting Chairman and Rapporteurs

09:10 Adoption of Agenda

09:15 Coffee Break

09:30 Presentation:

Ø EOC 2012 Activity Report – Chairman EOC

Ø SPEC 2012 Activity Report – Chairman SPEC

Ø FC 2012 Activity Report – Chairman FC

Ø HRGC 2012 Activity Report – Chairman HRGC

10:30 Discussions

12:30 Preparation of the Joint Meeting Report

13:30 Lunch Break

14:30 Preparation & Finalisation of the Joint Meeting Report

15:30 Adoption of the Joint Meeting Report

16:00 Closing Ceremony

 Presentation of the Joint Meeting Report

 Closing Remarks –Chief Executive Officer TCN

19:00 Cocktail Party

November 1st, 2012- 22nd Coordination Meeting of the WAPP Donors

08:45 Arrival of Participants

09:00 Opening Ceremony

Ø Opening Remarks– Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board

09:10 Adoption of Agenda

09:15 Group Photo / Coffee Break

09:30 Consideration & adoption of the Aide-Mémoire of the 21th Donors Coordination Mtg

09:45 Presentation on:

Ø WAPP 2012 -2015 Business Plan

Ø Status on the preparation and implementation of WAPP Priority Projects

Ø Status on the development of the WAPP Information and Coordination Centre

11:00 Discussions

12:00 Funding requests

12:30 Statement by Donors / Closing

13:00 Lunch Break 3

November 1st, 2012 –19th Meeting of the WAPP Executive Board

13:45 Arrival of Board Members installation des dljl;jjporélégués

14:00 Opening Ceremony

Ø Opening Remarks – Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board

14:10 Adoption of Agenda

14:15 Coffee Break / Group Photo

14:30 Consideration & adoption of the followings:

Ø Report of the 18th Meeting of the Executive Board

Ø 2012 Activity Report of the Secretary General of WAPP

Ø Report and Recommendations of the Joint Meeting of the WAPP Organizational Committees

Ø Memorandum on membership of new members: CIE,GTG Energy Limited and CENIT Energy Limited

Ø The Draft Agenda of the Seventh Session of the WAPP General Assembly

16:00 Any Other Business

16:30 Signing of Resolutions and Recommendations

17:00 Closing

19:30 Dinner

November 2nd, 2012 – 7th Session of the WAPP General Assembly

9.00 Arrival of Participants

10.00 Opening Ceremony

Ø Welcome Remarks - Chief Executive Officer of TCN

Ø Remarks – Secretary General of WAPP

Ø Remarks - Representative Donors Community

------------------------------Interlude ------------------

Ø Remarks – Chairman of WAPP Board

Ø Remarks - President of the ECOWAS Commission

------------------------------Interlude ------------------

Ø Opening Remarks – Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

10.30 Group Photo / Coffee Break

10.45 Adoption of Agenda

11.00 Consideration & adoption of the followings:

Ø Report of the 6th Session of the General Assembly held in Lomé on 29 October 2011

Ø 2012 Activity Report of the Secretary General of WAPP

Ø Recommendations of the 18th Meeting of the WAPP Executive Board:

o WAPP 2012 – 2015 Business Plan

o Transition of WAPP ICC to Regional System Operator

Ø Resolution of the 17th Meeting of the Executive Board on the renewal of tenure of the Secretary General of WAPP

Ø Recommendations of the 19th Meeting of the WAPP Executive Board:

o Membership of CIE, GTG Energy Limited and CENIT Energy Limited

13:00 Presentation of WAPP 2011 Financial Statements

13.15 Any Other Business

o Hosting of the 8th Session of the WAPP General Assembly

13.30 Signing of the Decisions of the 7th Session of the General Assembly

13.45 Appointment of a new Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board and General Assembly

14:00 Closing Ceremony

Ø Final Communiqué – New Chairman of the WAPP Executive Board

14.30 Lunch Break

20.00 Diner Gala