Author: The Nation

• Gbajabiamila, Fashola, Fayemi, others get honorary PhDs

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has gifted Miss Aminat Imoitesemeh Yusuf, overall best graduating student of the Lagos State University (LASU), N5 million. The governor also announced an additional N5 million from the state government.

Miss Yusuf (23), graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 on a scale of 5.0, becoming the school’s valedictorian at its 26th convocation held at the Ojo campus yesterday.

The graduation ceremony also marked the institution’s 40th anniversary. Former Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, and First Lady of Lagos, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees, alongside seven others.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who is visitor to the university, hailed it for remaining steadfast in its commitment to providing quality graduates and skilled manpower to meet socio-economic needs of the state and the country. He noted that LASU had recorded a catalogue of achievements and recognition both locally and globally.

The governor also praised the management, led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who he described as ‘a competent, administration-savvy academic’, for maintaining uninterrupted academic sessions, and for promoting research and teaching in line with global best standards.

He said: “Attaining 40 years of excellence is no mean feat for a university that has uninterruptedly pursued rigorous academic research and teaching in line with global best standards. I congratulate the university for remaining steadfast in its commitment to providing high standard of education, which has produced highly skilled men and women over the years. This becomes more significant as the convocation coincides with the 40th anniversary of this great institution, which has continued to live up to the expectations of its founding fathers.

“I congratulate all the graduating students who have gone through a robust academic training. Today’s occasion is a milestone achievement in your career and a sacrifice, which demonstrates your eagerness to positively impact and contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of this great nation. I urge you all to be worthy ambassadors of this great citadel of learning, while also enjoining you to establish your resilience in the face of the challenges you will experience. I have absolute conviction that you will make us all proud.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who said his administration was not unaware of the need to continually improve on quality benchmarks set by the school, promised more support for the university towards sustaining the standards and improving its academic profile.

Prof. Olatunji-Bello, who is overseeing the second convocation as VC, described the occasion as ‘symbolic’, saying it gives the graduands a ‘sense of fulfilment and pride after being found worthy in character and learning’.

She said: “It is another privilege for me to address this ceremonial occasion today, marking the 26th convocation and 40th anniversary of the university. Today’s ceremony does not just wrap up the convocation, it is also a symbolic occasion of fulfilment and pride for the students who have been found worthy in character and learning, to be conferred with the highest academic degree of this great university. 

“Regardless of the challenges of the past, LASU has fulfilled the vision of its founding fathers, to provide Lagos State with required human capital, helping in the strategic transformation of the industrial capacity of the State in particular and the country in general.”

The school graduated 10,966 students across its 12 faculties; 282 students got First Class, 3,375 (Second Class -Upper Division); 5,311 (Second Class -Lower Division) and 1,105 finished with a Pass. 133 got doctorate degrees, and 1,801 students got Master’s and post-graduate Diploma certificates.

The Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Elegushi, became the first alumnus of the university to be conferred with a honorary doctorate degree, while the Oniba of Iba, Oba Sulaiman Raji, also received a honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in Grassroots Development.

Former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, got an appreciation award for her support and contributions to the development of physical infrastructure in the university.

The university also exclusively conferred ‘Distinguished Professor’ on two academics – Prof. Dapo Asaju and Prof. Babajide Elemo, while the late pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof. Afolabi Olumide, was honoured with a posthumous award.

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa has pledged to continue his support to the Lagos State University (LASU).

 Obasa made the pledge as the institution celebrated its 40th anniversary and 26th convocation ceremony.

 He said: “The 40th anniversary and 26th convocation has come with a lot of testimonies, one of which is that 282 finished with first class honours for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions. This record is good news and further encourages those of us in government to do more to put the institution in an enviable pedestal.

 “As I join the graduands and celebrate with prominent Nigerians who were awarded honourary degrees, I also got the assurances that LASU, our LASU, will attain that position we all envisage for it.

 “To this end, I am happy to have performed the soil turning of the proposed edifice by Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, for the benefit of the students. Congratulations also to Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Femi Gbajabiamila, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Oba Elegushi, Oba Adeshina Raji, MRS. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and other awardees.

 “I particularly congratulate Aminat Yusuf, who broke record as the best-graduating student with a CGPA of 5.0, first in LASU’s 40 years. LASU continues to create stars!”

The Ogun State election tribunal has dismissed application by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu. They applied to strike out Governor Dapo Abiodun’s prayers establishing vote-buying allegations against them.

 The tribunal, on Tuesday, rejected Adebutu and PDP’s Reply alleging vote-buying against Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 The three-man tribunal ruled yesterday that Governor Abiodun was not restricted to the same issues that Adebutu and PDP raised in their petition. The tribunal further held that in any event, vote-buying is in the same family as corrupt practices, which is a ground on which Adebutu and PDP filed their petition, and accordingly dismissed the application.

 Following this ruling, Governor Abiodun is free to present evidence of vote-buying by Adebutu and PDP.

Eleven Ibadan High Chiefs will be crowned kings if Governor Seyi Makinde agrees to a proposal by the Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun.

 Oba Balogun, in his letter to Governor Makinde, appealed that the High Chiefs be crowned on July 7. If the governor agrees, the crowining will be coming six years after they were crowned kings, and one year after they were demoted again.

 The high chiefs, including Oba Balogun, were crowned in August 2017 by late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, despite opposition by then Olubadan, the late Oba Saliu Adetunji and Senator Rashidi Ladoja. 

The duo argued that only the Olubadan has the power to review the Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration. They also said the governor only has the right to approve. But Ajimobi ignored the duo and went crowned the chiefs.

But after Adetunji’s death, Ladoja sought the implementation of a judgment by a high court which nullified Ajimobi’s action. Balogun and others challenged the judgment, but the case was not concluded when Oba Adetunji died.

 Following Adetunji’s death, Balogun was to succeed him based on the rotational tradition of ascending the Olubadan throne, but Ladoja insisted that the judgment he obtained against their elevation prevented Balogun, or any of those crowned in 2017, from mounting the throne.

 To resolve the stalemate, Makinde relied on the judgment to intervene. He advised them to withdraw the suit filed against the judgment for amicable resolution. The high chiefs obliged him and Balogun succeeded Adetunji. Their decision, however, meant that they dropped their crowns and reverted to the titles of high chiefs.

 But a comprehensive review of the Oyo State chieftaincy system by the Makinde administration, in May, gave more powers to the governor. The government and other stakeholders no longer need to wait fully for the decision of chieftaincy committees to elevate kings or chiefs.

Olubadan’s last week letter was based on the review.

Should Makinde approve the request, the high chiefs to be elevated are Balogun of Ibadanland, Owolabi Olakulehin; Otun Olubadan, Rashidi Ladoja; Otun Balogun, Tajudeen Ajibola; Osi Olubadan, Eddy Oyewole; Osi Balogun, Lateef Adebimpe; Ashipa Olubadan, Abiodun Kola-Daisi; Ashipa Balogun, Kola Adegbola; Ekerin Olubadan, Hamidu Ajibade; Ekerin Balogun, Olubunmi Isioye; Ekarun Olubadan, Bayo Akande and Ekarun Balogun, Abiodun Azeez.

The Oyo State House of Assembly has fixed June, 27 to screen commissioner-nominees forwarded by Governor Seyi Makinde.

 Speaker of the House Adebo Ogundoyin, while reading the governor’s message yesterday, directed the nominees to submit their credentials to Clerk’s Office before 5pm today. He also directed former commissioners on the list to submit evidence of submission of Code of Conduct Bureau form.

 Also during plenary, the House ordered the reinstatement of two suspended local government chairmen over allegations of misappropriation.

 The order followed recommendations in a report by the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters which said the chairman were accused falsely.

The Blue Line (Marina – Mile 2), of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT), will begin commercial operations in August, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has said.

LAMATA Managing Director, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, while speaking at the first LAMATA/Business Investors’ Forum in Lagos, said: “I am happy to inform you that we are rounding off all testing processes, and are prepared for full passenger operation on the Blue Rail in August. Details of the operations will be announced soon.

“The first phase of LRMT Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is also nearing completion, and we intend to begin testing and passenger operations around August.”

 The Blue Line inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 24, began test operations on February 9, with residents enjoying the ride from the Marina Mega Interchange to Mile 2 and back, a journey of less than 25 minutes both ways.

Mrs. Akinajo added that the forum was held to alert the business community to the opportunities inherent in using the state’s transport infrastructure for the prosperity of their businesses, and for the government to earn income that would enable it strengthen the existing transport infrastructure and provide more.

She said investors have a wide range of opportunities, especially in the area of branding and Out-of-Home advertising.

According to her, opportunities exist for investors in bus and rail advertising, as well as in branding or advertising on fixed assets, such as pedestrian bridges, bus shelters, bus terminals and interchanges.

Technical Adviser (Corporate and Investment Planning) of LAMATA, Engr. Osa Konyeha, said the government was seeking investors in the development of the Abul-Egba/Sango/Tollgate Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, a 7.6-kilometre bus route, with a daily projected ridership of over 63,000 passengers.

Also available is the Oworonsoki/Apapa BRT axis, a 28-kilometre route with a projected daily ridership of about 430,000 passengers.

 He added that the government was ready to partner with investors in the refurbishment of the 300 buses that are currently non-operational, and de-carbonization of existing fleet and transition to cleaner energy.

 In rail transportation, the government is seeking partnership in the management of advertising and Out-of-Homes (OOH) concessions within the stations, construction and management of multi-level car parks, skywalk bridges at Ikeja and Marina, while also looking forward for concessionaires for the Green and Purple lines which have a combined distance of 133 kilometres.

 Investors would also have opportunity to bid for the upgrade of bus shelters, rehabilitation/construction of the Oyingbo Bus Terminal, construction of Ikorodu and Maryland Terminals and transport interchange facilities at Iju, Mushin, Ajah, Agege, LASU-Iba as well as Megabus terminals at Ojodu Berger, Odogunyan, Sango-Ota, Epe and Agbara.