The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Kofoworola Aderiye, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti by Abimbol Dada, the Chief Information Officer in the ministry.

He said that the decision to close schools was a proactive step to safeguard the lives of pupils, students, teachers and other staff in the schools.

”It is also to accommodate difficulty being encountered by those finding it difficult to get to their respective schools,“ he said.

Aderiye said that school activities would resume on Oct. 26.

Our correspondent reports that the protests continued in the early hours of Tuesday, with protesters blocking access roads in Ado Ekiti and other major towns in the state.

Movements were not allowed in many areas and sporadic shootings were reported in places like Okeila/Ado Ekiti Housing Estate road and Adebayo road, as many residents ran for dear lives

The state secretariat which used to be a beehive of activities was almost empty as many workers stayed away.

The protesters had on Monday warned workers to either join them in the protest or keep off the roads.

However, relief came at noon when some transporters came out to remove some of the blockades on Ado Ekiti roads but this was not without the accompanying clashes.

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Adebomi made the assertion in Ado – Ekiti on Sunday in a congratulatory message on Gov. Kayode Fayemi’s second anniversary of assumption of office.

The former governorship aspirant said the completion of old projects and the conceptualisation of new ones have no doubt placed Ekiti on the path of progress.

Adebomi also commended Fayemi for the various landmark projects being inaugurated by the governor as part of his anniversary activities.

“While acknowledging and appreciating Gov. Fayemi for achieving this great feats, I want to appeal to our people to take ownership of various projects inaugurated and ensure that they are protected.

”I also want to urge Ekiti people to always support our governor with prayers in order for him to deliver more dividends of democracy in the next two years,” he said.

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Ojo, who gave the warning while speaking with our reporter in Oye-Ekiti, said that building on waterways could affect the free flow of water and cause flooding.

He said that two major factors that often cause flooding in communities are building houses on waterways and dumping of waste in the drains.

Ojo said that for any community to avert flooding, all stumbling blocks in the waterways must be removed to allow free flow of water during the rainy season.

“I want to appeal to all the residents, especially the landlords in Oye-Ekiti, to desist from building houses on waterways.

“Similarly, I want to beg the residents to desist from dumping waste in the drains, but to make use of the dump site.

“Both the state and local governments have been sensitizing the people against building on waterways and dumping waste in the drains, but some people are still not adhering to the directives.

“In Oye-Ekiti, we don’t want any life or property to be wasted as a result of nonchalant attitude of people. This is why I am appealing that they should do the needful to avert flooding in their various communities,” he said.

Ojo urged people who wish to build houses within the local government area to carry out a thorough survey and geographical plan on the land.

He said that such persons should ensure that their houses are not built on waterways, as it can jeopardize the safety of other residents living in the area.

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Our correspondent reports that the Thursday rain which began at about 6 pm and lasted for hours, rendered many residents homeless as their bouses were submerged in the after rain flood.

The Correspondent, who went round the metropolis and surrounding neighbourhood, including Ilawe-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti South-West, Local Government Area of the state, observed that properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed by the flood.

The Media Adviser to the monarch, Chief Ajibade Olubunmi, who confirmed the palace flood incident to our correspondent, said it was an unfortunate natural phenomenon that had brought the people untold hardship.

Olubunmi, a former Director of Information, Ekiti State University, said several rivers and streams overflew their banks resulting in flood as the rainfall continued for hours on Thursday night.

It was observed that Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, many major roads were flooded while some residents were sacked from their houses and shops by the flood.

Mr Biyi Akin-Fasae, an indigene of Ado-Ekiti, blamed the nonchalant attitude of the residents toward maintaining proper waste disposal measures for the flood.

According to him, the residents refusal to heed the warning of the Nigerian Metrological Agency which had predicted rainfall-induced flooding, is the major cause.

“We have been warned of this flooding.

“The Metrology Department has flagged Ekiti among the 17 states that are likely to experience flood but very little was done to guide against such occurrence,” he said.

Mrs Labake Adeniyi, a flood victim in Ado-Ekiti, said all efforts to salvage her wares from her submerged lock-up shop proved abortive.

“I have lost my wares and other property to this flood menace, I’m appealing to the state government and other relevant agencies to come to our rescue,” she said.

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The state’s Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, confirmed the development at a press conference in Ado Ekiti.

She said the victim, the third positive case in the state, died after all efforts to save her life were unsuccessful.

According to her, the 29-year-old woman died at the Intensive Care Unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, where she had been receiving medical care after she was delivered of her baby some days ago.

“The woman showed signs of stability on Monday, but unfortunately, her condition deteriorated yesterday, Tuesday, and we lost her exactly 6.58 a.m. today, Wednesday,” she said.

The commissioner expressed regrets that the deceased had infected a 45-year-old medical doctor in the state in the process of her being delivered of her baby.

She said the medical doctor was identied as the fourth case in the state by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

When asked if the remains of the late COVID-19 patient would be released to her family, the commissioner said the state was still studying the situation and would comply with the World Health Organisation’s safety rules on burial of such victims.

“We are going to liaise with the family on her burial. We are going to consider safety despite that there was assumption that the virus is not active in corpses because we don’t know much about the virus,” she said.

Yaya-Kolade said the hospital where the patient died had been sanitised by government since the woman was hospitalised.

She, however, advised members of the public not to stigmatise the hospital because of the incident.

The commissioner gave an assurance that the state would not be discouraged by the incident, but would continue with its surveillance and sensitisation on the pandemic.

She said a total of 78 persons who had contacts with the deceased and the medical doctor had all been traced and placed in isolation.

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The Head, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs in the institution, Mr Bode Olofinmuagun, on Monday confirmed the development our reporter in Ado Ekiti, but did not give details.

The traditional ruler replaces the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Adegoke Olu Adeyemi who held the office for four years during the last administration of former Gov. Ayo Fayose.

NAN learnt that consequent upon Sanusi’s appointment, management of the institution had paid homage to the Emir in his palace in Kano.

It was also gathered that the Emir had since accepted the offer, through a letter addressed to the government by the Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed.

The letter by the Emir, thanked Gov Kayode Fayemi and the state government for the honour, promising to use his influence and wealth of experience to advance the course of the university.

Recall that EKSU is the fourth university in the country to appointed the Emir as Chancellor since he ascended the throne.

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INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze -Uzzi, said this in a telephone interview with our reporter on Sunday in Abuja.

He said while the deployment of logistics went as planned, over 92 per cent of the polling units commenced on schedule.

“Basically, the election was generally successful. We are happy that the logistic delivery went in accordance to the way it was planned.

“Over 92 per cent of the polling units opened as scheduled. We are satisfied with the conduct of the election.

“We also commended the peaceful conduct the of the people of Ekiti State, not withstanding the couple of few places where there were issues.

“We note the comments of election observers on the use of money.

“We look forward to work with the Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders on how to address this in future elections.”

He commended the contributions of all stakeholders to the success of the elections.

Osaze-Uzzi said that the INEC would improve on its success in the future elections, especially Osun governorship poll, impending by-elections and the 2019 general elections.

“We have Osun governorship election and by-elections to conduct in Kastina, Bauchi and Cross River.

“We will look at where our card readers had issues and how to further improve on election.

“Then we will deploy technology tools that led to the success of this election in Osun and other forthcoming by-elections.

“By the time we get to 2019 general elections, I believe we will have successful elections across the country.

“We are certainly going to look at the experienced challenges and build on our success for 2019.”

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The president, in a message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Sunday, commended the governor-elect and all APC supporters “for the hard-fought victory after a dignified campaign”.

He urged Fayemi and party members to be magnanimous in victory as “the incoming administration prepares to unfold a new lease of life for the people of Ekiti State through purposeful and responsible governance”.

Buhari commended the people of Ekiti for their matured and peaceful conduct as they made their choice using the power of the ballot.

He also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for adequate preparations and for displaying impartiality throughout the process.

He commended the security agencies for creating the right atmosphere for the relatively peaceful conduct of the polls and urged them to sustain the peace.

He also commended local and international observers and monitors for their vigilance and contributions towards the relatively hitch-free exercise.

The president urged the losers to be gallant in conceding defeat and use constitutional means to settle whatever grievances they may have rather than resort to self-help.

He appealed to all stakeholders in Ekiti to work towards a successful transition to a new administration “in the higher interest of not only the State but the entire nation and its fledgling democratic experience”.

“In all this, the people of Ekiti State have spoken loud and clear, and democracy has won again,” the president noted.

Fayemi, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former governor of the state, was on Sunday declared winner of the election by Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Chief Returning Officer for the poll.

Olayinka, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, announced that Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to emerge winner, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who got 178,121 votes.

Other results declared by Olayinka were Accord, 250; Action Alliance, 41; ACD, 1149; AD, 216; ADB, 1082; ADA, 107; AGAO, 31; ANRP, 125; APA, 1199; and APDA, 464.

Also votes were APGA, 70; ANPP, 14; DA, 14; DPC, 147; DPP,181; FJP, 42; GPN, 20; I.D, 31;, KOWA, 23; LP, 280; MMN, 35; MPN, 23; NDLP, 44; NPC, 353 PANDEL, 74; and PGC, 1242.

The rest were DPA, 632; PPN, 107; SDO, 367; UDP, 29; UPN, 33; YDP, 31 and YPP, 49.

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Our correspondent, however, reports that the machine did not reject the card of his wife, Janet.

Olusola had arrived at the polling unit at exactly 9.15 a.m. to be accredited and vote, a process which could not hold for him after about 20 minutes.

Although his wife voted, the PDP flag-bearer could not and had to leave to allow others exercise their civic responsibility.

Reacting to the development, Olusola said he was disappointed with the type of card reader deployed for the exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

”I got to my polling unit early today to cast my vote and to my surprise, the INEC card reader rejected my card.

”I was standing in front of the INEC presiding officer for about 20 minutes while they were ‎busy battling with card reader.

”If I do not cast my vote, it does not mean I am not ready to vote but ‎the INEC card reader did not accredit my card which automatically nullifies me from exercising my civic right.

”Four years ago, it was the same voter card that I used to cast my vote and the card reader did not reject it.

”I will officially report my experience to the REC and I believe appropriate actions will be taken,” he said.

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Our correspondents spread across the three senatorial districts report that armed policemen and personnel of sister security agencies such as the NSCDC, NDLEA and the FRSC were sighted at strategic locations.

In Ikere-Ekiti, home town of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo, there was heavy security presence, with personnel of the police and NSCDC keeping vigil on the fringes of polling units.

At the Ofamofuru Polling Unit 007, Ward 02, of the PDP candidate, no fewer than 10 mobile police officers were sighted keeping vigil.

In Isan-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, Ekiti North Senatorial District, where the All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, hails from, there was also heavy security presence.

At the Polling Unit 009 Ward 11 of the APC flagbearer , no fewer than five policemen were seen maintaining law and order as at 7.30 a.m.

There was also tight security at the Unit 2 Ward 7, Federal Housing Estate Polling Unit, in Ado-Ekiti Central Senatorial District, with five policemen sighted.

Our correspondent reports that the police had deployed 30,000 operatives, two helicopters and 250 patrol vehicles, including Armoured Personnel Carriers, for the election.

The security operation for the poll would be supervised by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Operations, Joshiak Habila, who would be assisted by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, four Commissioners of Police, eight Deputy Commissioners of Police and 18 Assistant Commissioners of Police.

Each Senatorial district would be manned by a Commissioner of Police while no fewer than four policemen and two others from other security agencies will be on duty at each polling unit throughout the state.

Our correspondent further reports that Commissioners of Police and their personnel in states close to Ekiti such as Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Edo and Oyo had been directed to be on the red alert with their personnel.

The Police Mobile Force Unit, Counter-Terrorism Unit, the Special Protection Unit, the Anti-Bomb Squad, the Armament Unit, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department and the sniffer dogs section would also participate in the joint security effort.

The police had said that a threat assessment had been carried out in the state and all identified flashpoints and trouble-prone areas had been addressed.

Restriction on vehicular movement in and out of Ekiti State also commenced from midnight of Friday and would be in place till the end of the election while travellers and other road users were advised to make use of alternative routes.

It was reported that those on essential duties were, however, being granted passage.

Our correspondent further reports that other security and safety agencies, including the military and FRSC, who are members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in the state, would complement the police during the election.

Already, the NSCDC had deployed 19,997 personnel for the exercise and had also ordered the deployment of mobile surveillance vehicles and sniffer dogs.

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