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Profile of Former Badagry Chairman, Late Simeon Kiki Whenu

An African proverb did say that “if you’re a good person even after death your grave is loved” and such can be said of Pa. Simeon Kiki Whenu – the 16th Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Lagos.

Pa Simeon Kiki Whenu breathed his last in the dying hours of Monday, 23rd September 2019 in his countryhome, Badagry at an old age of 82.

As series of condolence messages started pouring in, the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Hon. Onilude Segun Adeniran noted that he is convinced that the insightful lessons, thoughts, resourcefulness and patriotism of Pa. Kiki will be irreplaceably missed especially on the frontline of politics and morality.

Also Hon. Samson Folorunso Olatunde, the Chairman of Olorunda LCDA noted that Pa. Kiki Whenu is a leader per excellence while others such as the former House of Assembly member, Constituency 2, Suru Hodewu Avoseh, High Chief Mobee of Badagry among other dignitaries are paying their respect.

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The Special Adviser for Arts and Culture, Bonu Solomon, recalled that the former chairman initiated the current Badagry Roundabout and Garage which is a commercial nerve centre of the city now.

Pa Kiki Whenu was born on Thursday, 8th April 1937. He attended Methodist Primary School, Badagry from 1946 to 1948 before proceeding to Baptist Primary School, Zaria in 1949.

From 1950 to 1951, he was schooled at Anglican Primary School,
Ogwachukwu in the then Mid-Western Region and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate from Methodist Primary School, Badagry in 1954.

He also holds a Diploma in Building Construction from the Blaze Memorial Institute in Abeokuta from 1958 to 1962 as well as a Full Technological Certificate in Building Craft and Intermediate (1969) and Advanced City and Guild Certificate (1966 – 1968) from Tottenham Technical College, London.

Mayor Emeritus of the Badagry City as Pa. Kiki Whenu is fondly called started his career as a teacher at the Methodist Primary School, Owo, Ado Odo in Ogun State from 1955 to 1957 before being appointed as the Works Supretendent from 1962 to 1965 at the University of Ibadan after which he joined the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Transport in 1969.

Up until his demise, Kiki Whenu was the Chairman/CEO of Kiki Construction Nigeria Limited which he started in 1981. He was also the Chairman of Badagry Local Government from 1991 to 1993.

He was also in charge of the former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande’s prototype classrooms in Lagos State in 1979 as the building manager at the Lagos State Ministry of Works, Work Management Board.

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Mayor Emeritus held several appointments such as Board Member, Baker Nigeria Limited (1987 – 1989); Member, Governing Council, Lagos Technical College, Ado Soba; Member, Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (1991 – 1993) and Commissioner, Lagos State Civil Service (2000 – 2005).

“No one indeed wants to die even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there, yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it and that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life” Steve Jobs.

Adieu Pa Simeon Kiki Whenu

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Police Arrest Former Lagos Gubernatorial Candidate over Funke Akindele-Bello Party

Former gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has been detained by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly contravening lockdown order declared by the State Government to curtail coronavirus spread.

Gbadamosi was detained after being spotted in a viral video attending a birthday party organised by Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele-Bello for her husband, Abdul-Rasheed Bello, held in Amen Estate, Ibeju-Lekki axis of the state.

A police source at the command headquarters revealed that Gbadamosi has been detained and may not be released by the law enforcement agency for engaging in an act that was at variance with the law.

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READ Lagos Assembly Suspends 2 Members Indefinitely, Sacks Principal Officers

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COVID-19: Buhari approves recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the engagement of 774,000 Nigerians on Special Public Works programme in the country to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Ahmed disclosed this at a press conference on fiscal stimulus measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices fiscal shock, on Monday in Abuja.

She explained that 1, 000 people were expected to be recruited from each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

According to her, the sum of N60 billion for allowances and operational cost has been earmarked from the COVID-19 crisis intervention fund for the initiative.

She disclosed that President Buhari had previously approved a pilot special public works programme in eight states to be implemented by the National Directorate of Employment, NDE.

She added that Buhari had now approved that this programme be extended to all 36 States and the FCT from October to December 2020 and the selected time-frame was to ensure that it was implemented after the planting season.

READ Lagos Assembly Suspends 2 Members Indefinitely, Sacks Principal Officers

“The Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning is also evaluating how best to extend the Special Public Works Programme, to provide modest stipends for itinerant workers to undertake Roads Rehabilitation and Social Housing Construction.

Ahmed said: “And also Urban and Rural Sanitation, Health Extension and other critical services. This intervention will be undertaken in conjunction with the key federal ministries responsible for Agriculture, Environment, Health and Infrastructure, as well as the states, to financially empower individuals who lose their jobs due to the economic crisis.

“Mr. President has approved the establishment of a-N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund. The establishment of the Fund will involve drawing much-needed cash resources from various Special Funds and Accounts, in consultation with and with the approval of the National Assembly.

“The N500 billion is proposed to be utilized to upgrade healthcare facilities as earlier identified by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and approved by Mr. President.

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“This will help to finance the Federal Government’s Interventions to support states in improving healthcare facilities, finance the creation of a Special Public Works programme and Fund any additional interventions that may be approved by Mr. President”.

The minister noted that although similar challenges were experienced in 2008/2009 as well as in 2015/2016, Nigeria had considerably lower fiscal buffers now than in previous economic downturns.

According to her, the decline in international oil prices and domestic production may be magnified if a severe outbreak of COVID-19 occurs, despite ongoing efforts to curtail the spread of the pandemic through compulsory lockdown of Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the FCT.

The minister said to directly address these health and economic challenges, the president approved the Fiscal Stimulus Package among others as part of an Integrated Policy Framework to ensure that Nigeria’s healthcare system, fiscal position and economy were sufficiently supported to weather these shocks.

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