GROOVES EVENTS CENTER TO HOST DIVA OF THE MOMENT FINALE

All is now set for the finale of the well anticipated talent hunt competition; Diva of the Moment 2017. The event will feature different display of talents from the top ten finalists that came through after a rigorous and competitive selection process that includes online voting and talent challenge screening.     

The C.E.O of Grooves Events Center Mr. Uchenna Okeke disclosed to our correspondent yesterday that they are leaving no stones unturned in hosting an ‘A-list event’ that will change the face of events and entertainment in Ota. ‘’ This is an opportunity to further showcase Ota to the world and we are set to put up a standard event suitable as a good TV content as we will be having Planet TV and other reputable media houses to cover the event’’ Mr Uchenna added. He implores all fun seekers and fun loving individuals to come along and let’s turn up together. He also assures that maximum security arrangement will be put in place. Our crew who were on ground can confirm that Grooves Events Center is already wearing new looks with a lot of facelift going in preparation for this anticipated event.  

Celebrities expected to grace the event include two Nollywood superstars Mercy Aigbe Gentry and Nkechi Blessing Sunday.

The event will be heralded with a welcome reception party on Friday 22^nd December while the grand finale is slated for Saturday 23^rd December 2017 at the same venue. Please note that this event is strictly by reservation

Find below the details of the reservation. Learn more about the event on www.divaofthemoment.com            

BREAKING: OBALANLEGE EMERGES AS NEW OLOTA OF OTA

Dr Yemi Obalanlege Olota elect

History was made in Ota today as Dr Abdulkabir Adeyemi Obalanlege emerges as the 13th Olota of Ota to fill the vacant stool. You will recall that the Olota stool became vacant since May 2017 following the transition of the late Olota of Ota Oba Moshood Alani Oyede.

The newly elected  Olota until is election a Senior lecturer at the Crescent University, Abeokuta Dr. Yemi Obalanlege (Ph.D, MCIPR, FHEA) ‎was born in Mushin, Lagos State on 28 of August, 1966. His parents were Prince Hassan Taiwo Obalanlege of Ijemo Compound and Mrs Mutiat Afolake Obalanlege (Nee Anjorin) of Isoloshi Compound, Ota.

He was elected on Tuesday morning by an open ballot system held at the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Secretariat by five kingmakers led by the Ekerin of Ota, High Chief Bamgboye Osunlabu.

The Oba elect polled five votes out of the possible five to emerge against Prince Gbolagade Akinboyede of Isoloshi ruling house, his brother, Barrister Abiodun Akinboyede and Barrister Oluwatoyin Adeyanju.

It will be recalled that 22 names were shortlisted by the Ijemo-Isoloshi ruling house, out of which the final four were selected after careful examination by the kingmakers.

The election was supervised by the Secretary to the Local Government, Hon. Adewale Dada with heavy security presence.

Dr. Yemi Obalanlege is a member of  the National Union of Journalists, a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK. He had before now lectured at the University of East London, England, University of Lincoln, England.

Olota elect in warm handshake with Chief Osunlabu the Ekerin of Ota after the election

from left to right: Hon. Adeniji Chairman Ado-Odo Ota Local Govt. Dr Yemi Obalanlege (the Olota Elect) Chief Osunlabu Ekerin of Ota.

photo credit: Villiz Pixels

Miss Tourism Ogun Unveiled 2018 Contestants

The Miss Tourism Ogun organizers are pleased to present to you the Semi-finalist contestants competing for the 2018 Edition of the contest themed “The Heritage Edition”.

This year, 20 girls have been selected from the online auditions.

Miss Tourism Ogun 2018 is set to promote Tourism, Elegance, Leadership, Intelligence, Talent and Eloquence in young ladies around Ogun State and Nigeria at large. Miss Tourism Ogun Nigeria provides ladies with training, experiences and skills that will follow them for a lifetime. We are very focused on giving back, Community service and paying it forward is a must for our delegates and Queens.

In lieu with promoting our Gele culture and discovering our HERITAGE, Miss Tourism Ogun has partnered with the Esoe Remo Networks for the Miss Tourism Ogun Onigele Contest. A contest geared towards the revival of our Gele Culture.

This is not a one day pageant event, win and go home. This is a year of appearances, challenges, personal development, tourism promotions, community outreach, learning to give your crown a voice, finding your passion and learning to adapt it into your platform. We pride ourselves on being the BREAK AWAY PAGEANT.

The finale (which comes up later in the first quarter of 2018) will feature crowning of the eventual winner and awards to individuals and organizations that show support towards our cause of revitalizing and promoting tourism in the state. It is on this note that we call on corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals for sponsorship to make this quest a successful one.

We believe in HOPE because our Tourism Girls show us everyday something amazing!

Check out the pictures of the top 20 contestants below as they prepare to battle their way into the Top Spot. 

 Miss Tourism Ogun is brought to you by AGL Technologies in conjunction with Ogun State Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

OTA TRADE EXHIBITION 2017 TO BEGIN NOVERMBER 30TH

L-R: Fisayo Ajibola, Chief Executive Officer, Perfect Brands,  HON. (Prince) Bashir Oladele Adeniji, Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government and Abiodun Ogundele, Project Coordinator during the unveiling and public presentation of the Ota Trade Exhibition 2017 Application Forms and Prospetus on November 1, 2017

The organiser of the Ota Trade Exhibition 2017 (OTE), Perfect Brands has announced that this year’s fair scheduled to hold from Thursday 30^th November to Sunday 3rd December, 2017 at Ijamido town hall in Ota, Ogun state, is aimed at supporting Nigeria’s quest to achieve a virile industrialised economy by providing a platform for the nation’s short and medium scale entrepreneurs,SMEs.

According to Chief Executive Officer, Perfect Brands, FisayoAjibola, the theme of the fair “Providing Veritable Platform for Commerce and Industry Growth” is apt and timely in the face of the current economic realities which underscore the need for diversification and inter-sectoral synergy.

Ajibola during the unveiling and public presentation of the OTE 2017 prospectus, called on all industry players to support the efforts of the local government in making Ota, the business hub of Ogun state a force to reckon with. 

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, HON. (Prince) Bashir Oladele Adeniji said the he is delighted to be hosting this exhibition at this crucial time in our country when the economy is undergoing a recovery from the harsh realities of an economic recession.  He stated that he is very optimistic that this exhibition will impact positively on the socio-economy of Ota and its neighbors as it will further open up Ota to world and position it towards maximizing its full potentials as the industrial and commercial nerve center of Ogun State.

The Exhibition will bring people from all walks of life to Ota from manufacturers to vendors and shoppers and this is good for us all. Everyone will benefit when the biggest and quality brands come to display in Ota. Our government is looking forward to this and we enjoin everyone to embrace the unique opportunity and make the best out of it.  We as a government will continue in our effort to ensure the ease of doing business, Hon Adeniji added.

The Exhibition Project Coordinator Abiodun Ogundele also disclosed that 50,000 visitors and over 500 exhibitors across the countries were expected at the general consumer fair billed to last 4 days.

“The fair will close with a gala night and an interactive session that will afford experts, business owners and other stakeholders the opportunity to discuss ways to position Ota as the mainstream of commercial activity in Ogun State and as well network in a relax atmosphere” Ogundele assured. 

Ota trade exhibitionis an annual fair that will have multinationals, local manufacturer, SMEs among others showcasing their services and products to the whole world at large. It will also be an avenue for companies within and outside Ogun state to have a firsthand feel of their consumers and intimate them with their product and services. 

                                                                                                                                                                                  

UNFPA UNVEILS STEPHANIE OKEREKE LINUS AS REGIONAL AMBASSADOR

Popular actress Stephanie Okereke Linus was today unveiled as the regional goodwill ambassador for Maternal Health in West and Central Africa at an event put together by UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund to mark this year’s International Women’s Day.

Stephanie Linus in her acceptance speech as the UNFPA goodwill Ambassador thanked UNFPA for choosing her and pledged to partner with them to create an enabling environment for women, girls and every young person to fulfil their potential.

In her words “I will work closely with the Fund to draw attention to the work that still needs to be done across the region to increase universal access to comprehensive sexual reproductive health services and information in order to stop women from dying in the course of bringing forth new life, to empower women and girls to choose freely and for themselves, if, when and how often to get pregnant and protect the right and dignity of young people to enable them thrive and be the best they can be”.

The Deputy Resident Representative of UNFPA Dr. Eugene Kongnyuy in his speech encouraged all to raise voices and fill out the space of gender disparity such that in the sphere of life there is no difference between male or female, boy or girl, man or woman because in the end we are all born equal, we are all born perfect.

Dr. Eugene further also called for concerted efforts from all interest groups, community leaders and individuals to join hands with the United Nations Population Fund, Government Agencies and the Goodwill Ambassador to carry this message to the very grassroots where vulnerable women and girls abound.

PALMS OTA MALL IN BLACKOUT

You will recall that The Palms, Ota Mall was opened barely two months ago with pomp and pageantry but it appears that the owners and management of the mall known as Persianas Group are not ready for business.

How do you explain the seeming perpetual blackout that is currently experienced at the mall? Or are they just taking things for granted because it is located in Ota Ogun state?

The only time the mall and its expansive compound is lit is when the area is supplied with power from whichever ‘DisCo’ that covers the area.

We have observed, many residents around the area and shoppers alike have equally complained about this ugly trend that has continued since the early part of January till date. A shopper simply identified as Lekan said his own experience was when he wanted to use the restroom in the Mall and was told he could not because there was no water due to light issue.

Is it that Persianas group (owners of the mall) did not make adequate alternative power supply arrangement to serve the mall or that they cannot be bothered, after all it is Ota?

Do they not understand the security threat that this regular black out poses to the facility, workers within the facility, shoppers, passers-by and even their neighbours especially at night?

Apart from the security threat and possible danger, this is not good for their image in any sense. Would they have left any of the other Malls in every other eyebrow areas in a blackout?

This in my opinion might be a major reason why most of the stores in the mall has remained locked; I do not see business owners and vendors coming to take up such expensive space in the mall if the management cannot guarantee something as basic as power supply even if it is just to light up the various security lights in and around the mall.

Something urgent needs to be done.

PROTEST IN SANGO OVER CUSTOMS INVASION OF STORES

Shop owners in Sango garage took to the street in the early hours of today Wednesday 22^nd of February 2017 to protest the injustice done to them by men believed to be men of the Nigerian Customs Service and the Nigerian Army.

The protest caused vehicular and human traffic up until noon as the roads were blocked with tires and woods and protesters waving placards with different inscriptions. Motorists and commuters were stranded up until noon when the protest died down.

One of the protesters who simply wanted to be addressed as Osas told us that the men who he said were in uniforms stormed the garage at around 1am with about eleven (11) trucks and some hilux vans broke some lock-up shops and carted away with bags of rice, vegetable oil and money that were kept in the shops.

Afeez, a trader in one of the shops took our correspondent round to take a look at the locks that were broken and the gloomy market women sitting around not knowing what next to do.

Attempts to reach the State Police Public Relations, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on the matter have proven abortive as he did not respond to calls made to his telephone lines. The road was blocked for about six hours.one of the market woman said that this wasn’t the first time such is  happening but this time around the quantity of rice moved was much we were told that the security men gardening the shops exchanged gunshot with the customs offices.  

The questions on the lips of many people are; was it right for the customs officers to come at the middle of the night to break look up shops and move rice and vegetable oil that has already gotten to the wholes sales?   What where the customs doing at the border when the goods passed them? Are there better or more civilized ways of operations the customs could deploy?