The Environmental and Social (E&S) Assessment Team of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has embarked on a two-day appraisal mission to Ogun State.

A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kunle Somori, yesterday, said the team, which arrived the state on Tuesday, would inspect the proposed Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone and hold a meeting with the state’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) team.

It stated that the E&S appraisal mission was part of activities lined up for the AfDB/IFAD SAPZ Project Pre-Appraisal Mission to Nigeria. The team, led by Chief Environmental and Social Compliance Officer, Dr. Bakia Mbianyor, while in the state, would meet with local communities where hubs, farmlands and other infrastructure would be situated.

It would also meet with local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and inspect industrial hub and other project locations as well as the state’s SAPZ inter-ministerial technical team.

MEANWHILE, worried by the recent kidnapping of students in schools by bandits in some parts of the country, the Ogun State Government said it had beefed up security in all schools across the state.

The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, stated this yesterday when he received members of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, led by its Chairman, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, when they paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

IN another development, Abiodun has approved N500 million to offset backlog of gratuities and pensions of retirees in the state and local council services.

Abiodun, while presenting the cheques to some retirees at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, yesterday, said the event was a demonstration of the administration’s commitment to fulfil its promises to all workers of the state, particularly the elder statesmen and women.

Besides, Permanent Secretary, Bureau of State Pension, Mr. Olukunle Sodeinde, said the state government had released N500 million as part-payment of outstandings to state and local council retirees owed by past government, adding that gratuities would be paid to those scheduled for January 2014 and local council retirees of 2011.

He also disclosed that government had approved the reversal of gratuity based on Basic, Rent and Transport (BRT) allowance paid to some retirees by the last administration as against all applicable allowances, assuring that those who were paid BRT would be paid their balance.

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