The Nation Newspaper

Category: South West

  • Ekiti new Speaker visits governor, adjourns sitting sine die

    Ekiti new Speaker visits governor, adjourns sitting sine die

    Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji yesterday received the new Speaker of the House of Assembly, Bunmi Adelugba, following the removal of former Speaker Gboyega Aribisogan.

    The lawmakers on Monday removed Aribisogan barely six days in office and immediately installed Adelugba, who had contested the plum legislative seat against the former.

    The House of Assembly complex was earlier sealed off by the police, as members were embroiled in a controversy, following the death of former Speaker Funminiyi Afuye.

    Afuye, 66, died at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital on October 19, after suffering cardiac arrest.

    A month after his death, the assembly held an election and Aribisogan, who represents Ikole constituency 1 and a two-term lawmaker, emerged against the wish of some power brokers in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Governor Oyebanji received the new speaker and 17 other lawmakers, who were sympathetic to her candidature, at the Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti.

    Oyebanji, who praised them for the honour of introducing the new speaker to him, pledged his support to party supremacy and Adelugba-led assembly.

    Read Also: Ekiti Assembly gets new Speaker

    He described the leadership crisis rocking the assembly as a family affair, pleading for a healthy and genuine reconciliation process to recall the seven suspended lawmakers, in the interest of Ekiti people.

    He sought the cooperation of the house toward his administration’s commitment to take Ekiti to a purposeful and higher pedestal in terms of growth and socio-economic development.

    Adelugba thanked the governor for being neutral before and during the process that culminated in her emergence as the new speaker.

    She pledged to support the party and the Oyebanji-led administration to ensure it exceeds the people’s expectation through enactment of people-oriented laws and policy frameworks.

    A new set of principal officers has emerged in the assembly, following Adelugba’s emergence.

    They are Hakeem Jamiu, who retained his position as Deputy Speaker, while Johnson Oyekola Bode Adeoye is the new Leader of Government Business.

    A statement by the new speaker listed Adeoye Aribasoye (Ikole constituency 1) as Chief Whip; Deputy Leader, Abiodun Fawekun (Ido/Osi constituency); while  Ayodeji Ajayi is the Deputy Chief Whip.

    The appointment is with immediate effect.

  • Methodist Choir marks 103 anniversary

    Methodist Choir marks 103 anniversary

    The Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos Island, has held an extraordinary thanksgiving service in celebration of the 103 anniversary of its choir.

    The choir, said to be the oldest in the region, started off as a men only group, but later reformed to accommodate women and children.

    The Nation reports that the choir took centre state at the service, as most activities were turned to musical performances, including the sermon preached at the service.

    The guest reverend, Dr. Oyeyemi Shodipo, thanked the choir for their commitment and spirit of excellence, which they had shown over the years.

    Read Also: Oba Akiolu, others for Bond FM’s 35th anniversary

    Shodipo noted that the choir had the grace to celebrate the longest festival in the history of the church in the region, encouraging them to continue to walk in the ways of God.

    The Chairman, Anniversary Planning Committee, Dr. Faye Iketubosim, told The Nation that the choir usually showcased itself, sang hymns, gave thanks and recognised members, who did well during the programme.

    High point of the event was the award given to deserving choristers, who distinguished themselves in service.

  • Oyo approves elevation of 1,629 workers

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde  has approved the elevation of 1,629 workers that had been denied promotion due to what was described as “systemic errors”, between 2017and 2020.

    The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, disclosed this while briefing reporters on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held yesterday at the Governor’s Office Executive Chambers, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

    Read Also; Makinde canvasses support for second term

    Also speaking at the briefing, the Commissioner for Training and Establishment, Mr Siju Lawal, said the  governor also approved the renovation of Simeon Adebo Development Centre, a foremost training school in the state.

    Lawal said the renovation had been awarded to the contractor that would handle the project for N121, 480,978.

  • Govt to reduce medical tourism

    Govt to reduce medical tourism

    Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi has said the state is establishing specialist hospitals to reduce medical tourism and brain drain in the health sector.

    He spoke during the Doctors for Change (DFC) conference in Lagos.

    He said the state identified trust and lack of medical specialties as factors driving Nigerians to overseas for medical care.

    Abayomi said the trend would be reversed to make the state a medical tourist destination.

    Read Also: $10b spent on education, medical tourism yearly, says Emefiele

    “We have many general hospitals, but what we lack are specialist facilities. You can get specialist care at government and private hospitals.

    “What we are trying to do is that we are building more specialist hospitals.

    “We have Massey Children Specialist Hospital, Infectious Disease Research Institute, the largest psychiatric hospital in Africa at Ketu-Ejirin, Epe, Omotunde Ajoke Cole Hospital, Island.”

  • Renowned educationist dies at 81

    Renowned educationist dies at 81

    A foremost educationist, seasoned administrator and former commissioner for Education in Anambra State, Prof. Alice Ndu, is dead. She was 81.

    The deceased, who was married to Prof. Felix Ndu, attended University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), graduating with a B.Sc. in Education, majoring in Geography. She got her Master’s degree at the State University of New York, Buffalo, and a PhD at the University of Ibadan.

    Her lecturing career took her to Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, UNN, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, among other institutions of higher learning.

    Read Also; KWASU VC dies

    From 1992 to 1997, she served as director general, Anambra State Ministry of Education, and then commissioner for Education. She retired as professor of Educational Management at Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

    A devout Christian, Prof. Ndu was an initiator, mobiliser and executor of worthy causes that impacted positively on the community.

    She is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren and a great grandchild. Burial arrangements will be announced later by the family.

  • ‘Only wise elder should become President’

    ‘Only wise elder should become President’

    The Ibadan Varsity Christian Union Alumni Fellowship (IVCUAF) has said only a wise elder should be voted as the President next year.

    It said Nigerians should expect something else if the seat of a wise elder was ceded to charlatans and thieves to lead the nation.

    Speaking in Ibadan, Oyo State, at a news conference to mark its 2022 reunion with the theme: “Exercising your Dominion”, IVCUAF President Dr. Emmanuel Ajala said if leaders were not united, the citizens would be in discord and the nation would be in disorder.

    He said Nigerians should elect leaders worthy to be at the helm and those who could take wise and godly counsel.

    “IVCUAF is an offspring of Ibadan Varsity Christian Union (IVCU), which has existed for 62 years. The body has continued to produce men and women, who are not only ambassadors for Christ, but have also made their mark in their chosen careers and professions, nationally and internationally,” Ajala said.

  • Supreme Court orders fresh hearing in Ogun PDP suit over governorship primary

    Supreme Court orders fresh hearing in Ogun PDP suit over governorship primary

    Supreme Court has ordered fresh hearing of the suit challenging the nomination of Oladipupo Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.

    In a judgment yesterday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court held that Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja was wrong in declining jurisdiction and failing to hear the case on its merit.

    Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, in the lead judgment, affirmed an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which held that the issue of primary was not internal to a political party and as such, could not be classified as an internal affair of the party over which a court lacked jurisdiction, as held by Justice Taiwo.

    Justice Saulawa added that the Federal High Court had jurisdiction, under Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 84 [14) of the Electoral Act 2022, to hear the suit, which is challenging the conduct of Ogun PDP’s governorship primary held on May 25.

    The judge ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja for hearing by another judge.

    The judgment was on the appeal filed by the PDP against the September 30 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which set aside Justice Taiwo’s judgment and ordered that the suit by Jimi Lawal be heard on the merit by the Federal High Court.

    Lawal, an aspirant who participated in the May 25 governorship primary of the Ogun PDP, had sued at the Federal High Court, Abuja to challenge Adebutu’s emergence as the party’s candidate.

    Lawal alleged among others, that an unlawful delegates list was used by the PDP to conduct the election.

    He prayed the court to void the primary and order the conduct of a fresh one, using ‘the authentic ad hoc delegates list.”

    In his judgment on July 29, Justice Taiwo declined jurisdiction on the grounds that primary election was a domestic affair of any party, a decision Lawal appealed at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

    In its judgment on September 30, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal set aside judgment by Justice Taiwo and ordered that the case be heard on merit.

    It is the appeal that the PDP lodged against the Court of Appeal in the judgment that the Supreme Court dismissed yesterday and ordered that Lawal’s case be heard on merit.

  • Osun governorship: BVAs report established over-voting for Adeleke, expert tells tribunal

    Osun governorship: BVAs report established over-voting for Adeleke, expert tells tribunal

    Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal hearing the petition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola against governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday took evidence from a statistics expert, Isiaka Olanrewaju, who established irregularities during the July 16 governorship election.

    Olanrewaju, who was led in evidence by Oyetola’s counsel, Akin Olujinmi, SAN, told the tribunal chaired by Justice Tertse Kume that his analysing the result forms for the election and comparing them with the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), showed over-voting.

    The expert, who disclosed that he was an appointee of Oyetola, said he relied on forms EC8As, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E and BVAS report released by INEC to arrive at his findings.

    Cross-examined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lawyer, Prof. Paul Ananaba, the witness said he analysed the results of the election in 749 units across 10 local governments, as against 762 units being suggested to him by the counsel for the respondents.

    The witness was also cross-examined by the counsel for Adeleke, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN and counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alex Izinyon (SAN).

    He said: “I did my analysis across 749 polling units in 10 local governments, regardless of which party won.”

    He told the tribunal that although he didn’t operate the BVAS machine on the election day on July 16, he received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the BVAS report on July 27 after the election.

    Justice Kume struck out the application by counsel for INEC, Prof. Ananaba, SAN, filed to set aside the subpoena issued on the INEC for appearance after withdrawal of the application.

    Tuesday (today) has been fixed for appearance of INEC before the court.

  • CMD cries out as 600 health workers resign from UCH

    CMD cries out as 600 health workers resign from UCH

    Nigeria’s foremost tertiary health institution, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan is being hit with exodus of 600 health workers in the last one year.

    At least, 15 nurses, doctors and pharmacists, among others, exit UCH on a weekly basis.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Prof. Abiodun Otegbayo, yesterday confirmed resignation of clinicians.

    He said: “Every week, I signed resignation letters of 15 health workers at the institution, who are mostly clinicians, that is, nurses, doctors and pharmacists, among others.”

    The CMD called for removal of bottlenecks in replacing workforce due to mass exodus of health workers.

    He spoke at a news conference marking the 65th Founder’s Day celebration of UCH in Ibadan.

  • KWASU varsity VC Akanbi buried

    KWASU varsity VC Akanbi buried

    The remains of the late Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University (KWASU), Prof. Mustapha Akanbi, were interred yesterday at his home in Tanke, Ilorin.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ‘janazah’ (burial prayer), however, took place at his father’s residence in GRA and was led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Soliu.

    The road leading to the Akanbi family house from Kwara Government House was blocked with the influx of people, who came to pay their last respect to the legal icon.

    Dignitaries who attended the prayer included Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, members of the state Executive Council, Grand Khadi of Ilorin, Justice Abdullatif Kamaldeen, and state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi.

    Others included the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; Registrar of Kwara State High Court of Justice, Ibijoke Olawoyin; members of the academic community; members of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Islamic organisations and Islamic scholars.

    NAN recalls that late Akanbi died on Sunday evening at the age of 51, after a protracted illness.

    Akanbi was born in 1971 into the family of the late Hon. Justice Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi, and the late Hajia Munfaatu Aduke Akanbi.