Category: South West

THE people of Otun-Ekiti, the headquarters of Moba Local Government of Ekiti State, have urged security agencies to devise tactics to combat kidnapping and banditry.

They said incessant kidnapping, banditry and killing showed that security strategies had failed, hence the need for a radical change in tactics.

The community lamented that incessant killing and kidnapping on Otun-Ayetoro-Ewu road in the last seven months had affected commercial activities and people’s well-being.

The people spoke yesterday at Otun- Ekiti at a news conference heralding the first year coronation of the Oore of Moba, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo.

Addressing reporters, the Chairman of the Coronation Committee and former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Bayo Aina, urged the government to be more decisive against kidnapping.

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the price of its nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the primaries for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.

In a timetable/schedule of activities released yesterday by John Akpanudodehe, national secretary APC, the party said the nomination form would cost N20 million, while the expression of interest form would cost N2.5 million per aspirant.

He said the party also approved a 50 per cent reduction in nomination form fees for female and physically-challenged aspirants.

“The cost of obtaining nomination form is N20 million, while the expression of interest form will cost N2.5 million,” Akpanudodehe said.

“However, female and physically- challenged aspirants will pay only 50 per cent of the prescribed fees.”

He said the timetable and schedule of activities for the election in the two states are in accordance with the provisions of the amended electoral act 2010 and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

The APC secretary said the sale of form for the June 18, 2022 Ekiti governorship election would begin at the party’s national secretariat on November 16.

He said the last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents for the election would be on January 11, 2022, while screening of aspirants would hold on January 13, 2022.

Akpanudodehe said the publication of claims and objections would take place on January 17, 2022, while screening appeals would hold on January 19, 2022.

“The primary election will hold on January 22, 2022, while election appeal will take place on January 26, 2022,” he said.

“For July 16, Osun election, a notice of election to the state chapter will hold on November 17, while the sale of form will begin at the APC National Secretariat on November 18.

“The last day for submission of completed forms for Osun governorship election and accompanying documents at the APC national secretariat is Friday, February 18, 2022, while screening of aspirants will hold on February 22, 2022.”

He said the publication of claims and objections would hold on February 25, 2022, while screening appeals would take place on Monday, February 28, 2022.

“According to the approved election timetable and schedule of activities, primary election for Osun State will hold on Saturday, March 5, 2022, while election appeal will hold on Thursday, March 10, 2022,” he said.

Lagos State Government has called for the prompt completion of the expansion of the drainage culvert across Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ahmadiyyah/ Ijaiye axis.

This followed a flash flood that ravaged the section of the road a few days ago.

In a statement, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, said that the ongoing road rehabilitation works by a Federal Government contractor was inadequate to contain storm water runoff from the catchments.

Speaking about the need for expansion, he said it would ensure that rain water flowed freely and easily into the collector drain at the downstream of the culvert.

The commissioner said: “If this singular measure is undertaken, it will take all the rain water such as the one that flooded the expressway on Sunday into the 2.0 metres by 1.5 metres collector that eventually discharges into the Akinola River.”

He added that the government also intended to increase the capacity of the existing collector at the downstream of the culvert to 5.0 metres by 1.5 metres in size early next year.

Speaking about the progress of work on de-flooding of Akowonjo Road, Bello said the contractor was about to move to the critical stage of cutting Akowonjo Road, by Vulcaniser Bus stop, to link the drain on Jimoh Akinremi Street.

He said when approval for traffic diversion was obtained from the Ministry of Transportation, the contractor would complete “this phase of the project by cutting the road and laying the concrete sections over the weekend, working day and night to reduce the burden on the road users at the peak period during the week.”

He said the existing drain on Jimoh Akinremi is stagnant and currently floods Akowonjo Road, adding that it must be opened up to run across Akowonjo Road into the already constructed collector, which discharges into the Airport via Shasha Road conduit.

The commissioner said Lagos is a coastal city that is bound to experience flash floods.

He said the state is ensuring that drainage channels are being cleaned and maintained on a regular basis, to contain rain water.

THE Okere of Saki in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, Oba Khalid Olabisi, has supported the second term re-election bid of Governor Seyi Makinde.

He said Saki and the entire Oke-Ogun people are taking note of the achievements of the governor, adding that his people will pay back by voting for Makinde again in 2023.

Speaking during an empowerment programme for women in Oke-Ogun, facilitated by the wife of the governor, Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde, in collaboration with local government chairmen, the monarch said that his subjects would repeat what happened in the 2019 governorship election by voting for Makinde’s re-election.

He, however, urged beneficiaries of the programme not to sell the items, but should use them judiciously for the betterment of their lives.

Mrs. Makinde noted that the empowerment was to alleviate the suffering of women and make them enjoy the dividends of democracy of the Makinde administration.

She urged them to use the items for the benefit of their children and to empower themselves to be self- reliant.

Items distributed include sewing machines, grinding machines, hair dresser dryers and one phase industrial gas.

A 400 level Microbiology student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Salaudeen Waliu aka Captain Walz, who battered a female lecturer, Mrs. Zakariyau, has explained the reasons for his action.

He claimed to have gone to the office of the female lecturer to beg her to help wave the mandatory SIWES course, which he missed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Salaudeen said entreaties to make her see reasons before he battered her to a coma proved abortive.

The student claimed that months before the last Thursday incident, he was arrested and locked up for two months, thereby warranting his inability to attend SIWES duties.

He said he had gone to Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos State to meet a friend for the first time, adding that he was waiting for the friend when he “felt the urge to urinate.”

Salaudeen said he urinated near a car, parked by a drainage and he was challenged by someone, who must have washed the car.

He said he was accused of being a thief and was not allowed to explain before a mob descended on him, beat him up and handed him over to the police, which led to his detention for two months.

He said on the fateful Thursday when he entered the lecturer’s office, she ordered him out of her office.

“Consequently, I became angry. I didn’t know what came over me. I started arguing and she told me to leave her office. I replied that if I didn’t leave, what would she do?

“She then threw a mug at me, which injured me and I beat her up,” Salaudeen said.

He said the female lecturer did not fight back, adding that he later dragged her out of her office and continued battering her.

“ I dragged her out and she ran. I chased her and kept beating her before people came. I tried to escape, but I was caught by the university security guards,” Salaudeen said.

Authorities of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have expelled a student, Salaudeen Waliu of the Department of Microbiology, for assaulting a female lecturer.

The student was said to have last Thursday beaten up the female teacher, Mrs. Zakariyyah, to a state of coma, over Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) report.

The Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, said in a statement that the verdict was handed down by the Student Disciplinary Committee, before who Salaudeen was arraigned on Monday.

He said he had 48 days to appeal the verdict to the vice chancellor in case he felt dissatisfied with the decision.

“Salaudeen has since been handed over to the police for further action,” Akogun said.

A letter written to Salaudeen by the registrar said: “You will recall that you appeared before the Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC) to defend yourself in respect of an allegation of misconduct levelled against you.

“After due consideration of all evidence before it, the committee was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the allegation of misconduct had been established against you. It has accordingly recommended to the vice chancellor, who in exercise of the power conferred on him, has directed that you Salaudeen Waliu Aanuoluwa, be expelled.

“Accordingly, you are hereby expelled from the university with immediate effect.

“You are required to submit forthwith, all university property in your custody, including your student identity card, to the Dean of Student Affairs or his representative and keep off the campus.

“In case you are dissatisfied with this decision, you are free to appeal to the University Council through the Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences, to the Vice Chancellor within 48 days of the date of this letter.”

Kwara State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said yesterday that about 72 road crashes were recorded in September and October.

FRSC added that the accidents led to the death of no fewer than 96 people on major roads.

The corps said that wrong attitude and bad orientation among motorists were the major causes of crashes in the country.

FRSC Sector Commander Jonathan Owoade told reporters in Ilorin on the sidelines of events commemorating road traffic crash victims’ day.

He listed impatience, wrongful overtaking, night driving, use of phones while driving and over speeding as causes of major accidents on Kwara roads.

The FRSC boss said that Nigerians obeyed traffic rules and regulations outside the country.

He lamented that they disobeyed traffic laws that discouraged carnage and encouraged road safety on Nigerian roads.

Said he: “Crashes do not happen on their own. They are caused by our wrong attitude and wrong perception among drivers most of the time. People should give right of way, even when another driver has taken wrong way. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Most people who claim right are in grave yards.

“However, the enforcement of right attitude is made difficult by some offenders who say I have a super brother. I’m connected. That attitude informed wrong attitude to traffic rules among some drivers. If people are made to face the wrath of the law, accidents will be reduced. Like when you arrest some offenders, you will then be receiving calls from high places and prominent personalities seeking assistance. That’s not encouraging.

“We encourage people to reduce speed to 30 kilometre per hour in build-up areas and in the town to avoid knock down and ensure proper traffic management. We have had occasions where people knock down school children, cyclists, etc. It’s easier and safer to manoeuvre vehicles to a stop when on low speed.

“We should plan our journey ahead of time and not be in a hurry, because one may not expect what can confront one on the journey. Those who are in a hurry either land in hospital and become vegetable thereafter or no more. We should take life easy. Easy does it.”

Lagos Assembly lawmakers during plenary yesterday adopted the recommendations of the Committee on Education (Tertiary Institutions) on Lagos State University of Science and Technology Bill 2021.

The House at its plenary on July 1, 2021 deliberated on “A Bill for a Law to Establish the Lagos State University of Science and Technology to make provisions for its Powers, Functions and General Administration and for Connected purposes” and committed same to the Committee on Education (Tertiary Institutions) for further legislative scrutiny.

Presenting the report on the floor of the House, Chairman, Committee on Education (Tertiary Institutions), Ajani Owolabi, stated that the intent of the proposed Law was to transmute Lagos State Polytechnic to Lagos State University of Science and Technology in order to improve quality assurance and to remove the dichotomy in employability of polytechnic graduates vis-a vis their counterpart in the university.

Ajani further said that the Law would enable students from Lagos State seeking admission into universities more opportunities and better choice of courses ranging from sciences, technology and management, thereby leading to the award of Bachelor Degrees.

The committee recommended that the Bill will provide and promote sound basic scientific training as a foundation for the development of technology and applied sciences; formulate and establish the academic policy of the university and advise the council on the provisions of facilities to carry out its policies.

The council shall at the end of each financial year or at any period may require cause of accounts of the university to be audited by independent firm of auditors appointed by the council from the list of auditors provided by the state Auditor General in accordance with the Audit Law of the state.

Giving their contributions, other members commended the chairman of the committee and unanimously agreed to the recommendations.

Following the commendations, the Deputy Speaker, Wasi Eshinlokun-Sanni, who presided over the plenary, thereafter adopted the recommendations of the committee as the resolutions of the House.

Funeral obsequies for Pastor Elkanah Ubeku will begin on December 2, 2021 with a service of songs at his home in Araya community, Isoko South Local Government of Delta State.

According to his son, Jefferson, lying-in-state and funeral service will hold the next day also at his home.

He said thanksgiving service will take place on December 4 at Pentecostal Church of God, Araya.

The Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW), an umbrella professional body of social workers in the country, has sought speedy passage of the establishment of NASoW Social Bill of 2020 at the National Assembly.

This was contained in a speech delivered by the National President of the association, Alhaji Mashood Mustapha, at a news conference organised by the body to begin the 2021 annual conference of the association in Lagos, holding between November 15 and 19.

He said social workers have resolved to promote and protect policies and practices that foster social connectedness towards guaranteeing a just and a peaceful society.

Mustapha thanked the Lagos State Government and solicited its support towards social work activities.

He said: “The conference will feature paper presentations by Dr. Noel Muridzo, president, IFSW, Africa ; Dr. David Jones, member of Council, Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work; Mr. Oluseyi Oyebisi, executive director, Nigeria Network of NGOs and Ms Titi Tade, director, Medical Social Work department, Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

Others are Prof. Chinwe Nwanna, HoD, Social Work department, University of Lagos, while technical sessions will be coordinated by Prof. Fatai Badru, former HoD, Social Work department, University of Lagos.”