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Tag: colleagues

  • Cleric slams colleagues making predictions for politicians

    •Urges them to quit pulpit for politics

    A Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) pastor, Dr. Sunday Ilori, has

    criticised some clerics for “turning themselves to slaves of politicians.”

    Ilori, who is the District Superintendent, CAC Wonders Chapel, Ikotun, Lagos, condemned the penchant of some clergymen to release predictions about politicians at the beginning of each year.

    The Ilupeju Ekiti-born man of God who spoke with our reporter earlier in the week said a good number of clerics have lost the vision for serious task of evangelism, soul-winning and preparing their members for heaven in favour of chasing politicians for filthy lucre.

    Expressing regrets that many Christian ministers have turned their pupils to political soap box, Ilori advised those not interested in working in God’s vineyard to resign and face politics squarely.

    Ilori, who is also the Chairman of Ekiti Unity Forum (EUF), expressed concern about the high rate of poverty and youth unemployment in his home state of Ekiti.

    He promised to organise a public lecture and empowerment programme in his hometown, Ilupeju Ekiti, on February 10 to contribute his own quota to the development of his place of birth.

    Ilori also called for peace among the people of Ekiti State as the July 14 governorship election draws nearer. He urged the people to pray for the emergence of a good leader out of the contenders for the governorship seat.

    He said: “I have a message for 2018; the prophets of doom in Nigeria should go and join the political parties of their choice.

    “Many men of God have turned themselves to slaves of politicians in a bid to gain cheap popularity and attention and fill their pockets with money.

    “I am over 30 years in the ministry and 60 years of age; in Nigeria, we have taken the gospel like a business and see it as a war.

    “Can you imagine that these prophets don’t even prophesy about the needy in their churches. Their targets are the rich, moneybags and politicians.

    “They no longer preach about salvation, repentance again and they have turned their altars to political campaign grounds.

    “They always say this person will die this year and that person will die next year. This is highly unfortunate.”

     

  • OAU PG students accuse management of dismissing colleagues

    •VC: we’ll resolve issue 

    Some postgraduate students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) at Ile-Ife in Osun State have accused the management of victimisation.

    Addressing reporters at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo, Osun State capital, leader of the students Andrew Segun Oguma said four members of the students’ committee who spearheaded the agitation against an alleged exploitation were terminated on the excuse of late payment of their last semester tuition fees.

    According to them, while other students, who had not paid ay their school fees were given till December to do so, members of the committee were dismissed.

    The students noted that despite several meetings and apology letters to the management and the PG College, the Provost of the College, Prof. Gbenga Alebiowu, insisted that “the apologies were not in conformity with his dictates”.

    They said: “The postgraduate students, on two different occasions, (aside other countless individual attempts) met with the provost of the college in interactive sessions within the hall of residence to extensively discuss our challenges.

    “After series of communications with the provost, which all proved abortive, an official letter on our demands, dated September 12, was sent to the vice chancellor and this was also ignored.

    “On September 26, there was a meeting of postgraduate students’ committee and the provost, which ended in a stalemate. Yet, he requested that the matter be rerouted and addressed to his office, rather than through the vice chancellor.

    “On September 27, postgraduate students collectively submitted the requested letter to the provost with a week timeline for response. During the one-week timeline, the responses we got were decision extract that addressed nothing in our requests but put the students in more frustrating conditions.

    “Directives were tailored towards putting undue pressure on students by compelling them to pay all outstanding fees, else the termination of studentship; termination of four committee members studentship among whom are students who have done final oral examination and another who the Senate had sat on his result.

    “All this response emerged just because we appealed that students should no longer be charged fees after the final oral examination.

    “Putting all of these efforts together, it is glaring that we, postgraduate students, have exhausted all meaningful internal mechanisms which have unfortunately yielded no positive result.

    “However, it has become a truth that the provost is not ready to critically consider our demands nor yield to appeals coming from different quarters but hell-bent on ensuring that students are continually exploited and made to unsparingly suffer.”

    Contacted, Prof. Alebiowu refused to comment on the matter.

    He advised our correspondent to speak with the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university.

    Also, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, in a text message on the matter, said: “Sorry, I am presently outside the country attending a summit on higher education. The termination was because the students did not pay their fees and were also insulting.

    “However, the issue is now being resolved as the students have written a letter of apology. The PG College board will meet next week.”

  • SSANU set for showdown with varsities over sacked colleagues

    SSANU set for showdown with varsities over sacked colleagues

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)  is set for a battle with universities that sacked their members at the staff schools because of the de-harmonisation policy.

    Armed with a favourable judgment from the National Industrial Court (NIC), the union said it was battle-ready to restore its members.

    But  it would spare universities that refused to send SSANU members away during the crisis, it said.

    The union’s National President Comrade Samson Ugwoke spoke  during SSANU, 57th quarterly zonal meeting (Western Zone) at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

    It will be recalled that SSANU took the sacking of its members at the staff schools to NIC, describing it as a breach of the SSANU-Federal Government 2009 Agreement. The universities-deharmonised SSANU workers, even when the matter was at the NIC, stood their ground, and insisted that the decision was a prerogative of the Governing Council as Federal Government had no hand in it. The union eventually obtained judgment in its favour in December.

    Ugwoke said SSANU was warning the affected universities to recall their sacked colleagues immediately, or risk its wrath.

    Ugwoke said: “The issue is very clear, for those (universities) that do not owe our members, they have done the right thing. But for those who disengaged our members, they must implement the judgment. The judgment is already out and we are awaiting the interpretation from the Office of the Attorney-General.

    He continued: “Already, the Federal Government has set up a multi- ministerial committee from the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office, National Universities Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, as well as Salaries and Wages Commission to look into the implementation. So, whenever the final report comes, we are looking forward to recalling our members, paying their salary arrears, promoting them and paying their promotion arrears.

    “For those universities who listened and obeyed the law by the National Industrial Court, they will have no problem with us, Federal Government knows them.

    “The judgment took place on December 5, last year, and it stated that as far as the (2009) agreement is concerned, wherever you see Governing Council, it implies the Federal Government since government is the proprietor of the universities. So, whether you say ‘Council shall …” or the “University shall …” you are referring to government.”

    Ugwoke was confronted on why SSANU had been at the vanguard of whistle blowing as exemplified in the case of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Federal University of Technology, Akure and Lagos State University. But he denied the allegation.

    “Let me correct you by saying SSANU is not a whistle-blowing union, “Ugwoke explained.

    He continued: “Ahead of the whiste-blowing policy, we have always called our management to order.  As it is our tradition, we usually write to the VC when we observe inadequacies and ask him to correct them. We do this because our members are at the centre of administration. But when the money siphoned is colossal and at the detriment of workers and the university, then the next petition will go to the Federal Government.

    “Also note that before these petitions get to the government, the university in question must have ignored our petition or dared us as in ‘what can you do’.  SSANU members are not interested in getting a percentage of the funds in line with whistle-blowing policy. We only want to correct the system. We are not always happy seeing money meant for the university system being siphoned illegally.’’

  • IT’S A WRAP: Kunle Afolayan hosts colleagues, friends to ‘threesome’ movie gig

    IT’S A WRAP: Kunle Afolayan hosts colleagues, friends to ‘threesome’ movie gig

    IT was a celebration of triumph as ace filmmaker, actor and CEO of Golden Effects Pictures, Kunle Afolayan hosted a wrap –up party of the production of three new movies – ‘Roti’, ‘Omugwo’ and ‘Tribunal’ –  all produced within 40 days.

    The party which held on Wednesday night at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, had some of the cast from the movies such as Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Ayo Adesanya, Funso Adeolu, Carole King and Omowunmi Dada, letting their hair down to unwind.

    Others attendees include Art Designer, Pat Nebo; writer of ‘Tribunal’, Tunde Babalola as well as the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde.

    Starting from January 25, 2017, ‘Roti’ was shot in 11 days, followed by ‘Omugwo’ which was shot in 10 days and ‘Tribunal’ which was shot in eight days, according to Afolayan. The three movies are also scheduled to be released at the cinemas. While ‘Omugwo’ would be out on April 7, ‘Roti’ would be out on June 30 and ‘Tribunal’ would be out on July 17, 2017.

    “It has never happened before that anybody would release three movies back to back in cinemas,” said Afolayan, who thanked and personally appreciated every cast and crew present.

    “We’re setting a record, we’re setting pace.”

    Others on the cast of the movies include Bimbo Manuel, Norbert Young, Faithia Balogun, Patience Ozokwor, Toyin Oshinaike, Kate Henshaw, Kunle Afolayan, Darimisire Afolayan, Ade Laoye, Damilola Ogunsi, Ken Erics and Christian Paul.

    ‘Roti’ is a story on reincarnation in which a couple lose their child and the wife is thrown into depression when she sees a child who resembles her’s. ‘Tribunal’, a court-based story, deals with the stigma against albinos in the society whereby an albino loses his job in an unfair manner. The third movie, ‘Omugwo’ deals with culture clashes whereby a couple – a Yoruba man and an Igbo woman – have to contend with the Igbo practice of having the mother in-law live with the couple who just had a baby.

    Afolayan has over the years produced successful movies such as ‘Figurine’, ‘Phone Swap’, ‘Irapada’, ‘October 1’ and ‘The CEO’.

  • Farmers protest kidnap of 50 colleagues

    No fewer than 50 farmers at Igbodu-Isiwo in Epe, a Lagos suburb, have been kidnapped in the last few months.

    Farmers and residents, who spoke on their harrowing experience, expressed concern at the spate of kidnappings in the area.

    The farmers said their kidnapped colleagues were usually released after payment of ransom.

    A statement signed by their representative, Ayokunle Ore, claimed that the police’ response to their plight “has been very poor”.

    “As you are mostly aware over the last couple of months, the Igbodu/Isiwo farmers have been under attack by hoodlums. They have successfully kidnapped at different times over 50 people and only released them after payment of huge ransom by the family members.

    “The most recent was on Tuesday, February 14, when seven people were kidnapped from a poultry farm. As we speak, they are yet to be released and the kidnappers are asking for a huge ransom for their release.

    “We have engaged the police and the response has been poor with minimal results as each attack by the hoodlums has been effortlessly successful.

    “On this note, we are planning to have a peaceful protest at Alausa, in Ikeja on Monday, February 20, to make our grievances and helplessness known to the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who also happens to be an indigene of Epe. He needs to come to our aid.

    “To make the right impact, we are imploring all our fellow farmers to join us for this cause on the said day.

    “Remember that most farms are usually located outside cities and if this trend is not immediately curbed it will spread.”

  • Colleagues rally support for ailing artistes

    To draw attention to the plight of two of their ailing colleagues, some veteran Nollywood actors took to major streets in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja last week. The actors said that the peaceful rally also serves to raise financial support for James Uche and Romanus Amuta aka Natty.

    While Prince James Uche has been down with kidney disease for over a year now, Romanus Amuta is currently battling Stroke.

    The rally which was organised by Ordinary Ahmed Isah, the President of Brekete Family, had the likes of Bruno Iwuoha, Steve Eboh (chairman, Actors Guild of Nigeria – National Caretaker Committee), Tony Ezimadu, Onwurah Agility (Chairman, AGN, Abuja) in attendance.

    “Prince James has been on dialysis for over a year now. Ahmed Isa sent me to visit them in Lagos and Enugu. That was when the doctors told me that a whooping sum of N11M is needed for Prince Uche’s kidney transplant,” Iwuoha said in a chat with an online media.

    According to him, the sum of N11 million was needed for Mr Uche’s kidney transplant.

    “Things are really hard now but we urge the government both federal and local to come to the aid of these talented Nigerians who have brought smiles, joy and laughter to us at one point or the other,” he said.

    Recall that Prince James Uche was recently served with a notice of eviction by his landlord over failure to pay his house rent.

     

  • Reps to debate ‘sex scandal’ against colleagues

    Reps to debate ‘sex scandal’ against colleagues

    The House of Representatives will tomorrow debate the allegations of impropriety levelled against three of its members by the United States.

    Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi,APC),Hon. Samuel Ikon (Akwa-Ibom,APC) and Hon Mark Gbillah (Benue,APC) were fingered as having behaved inappropriately while on a leadership training in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.

    The three lawmakers involved in the incident are scheduled to address the press today.

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara yesterday evening on Twitter said if there was no evidence, no action would be taken against the accused lawmakers

    The Speaker said: “ We closed that discussion yesterday. We await the evidence before any action is taken in line with our laws.”

    The Chairperson, House Committee on Foreign Affairs Hon. Nnena Elendu Ukeje, told The Nation at the weekend said the scandal should not sour the relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

    Ukeje said: “We will deal with the matter institutionally in such a way that controls the domestic fallout of this weighty allegation and ensure a continued cordial relationship between the institution and the people and the government of the United States, and the two democratic nations.

    “As the Speaker has said, the House shall carry out its own investigations into the matter. It is an institutional thing between the legislature of the republic of Nigeria and the government of United States.

    “The initial intendment was an exchange programme to help deepen our democratic practices. We will have this investigation so as to mitigate the domestic fallout so,it does not jeopardise the relationship that parliament has with the United States.”

  • Colleagues plan appeal sessions for Ibinabo

    Colleagues plan appeal sessions for Ibinabo

    In solidarity with her cause, friends, colleagues and well wishers of embattled AGN president, Ibinabo Fiberesima across Nigeria will come together on Thursday, May 19 for prayers and supplications to the Justice System for the pardon of the actress.

    According to a statement sent out by one of her lawyers, Barrister Norbert Ajaegbu, who is also a stakeholder in the Nigerian film industry, the gathering is not in any way intended to truncate the judicial process but to appeal for mercy and leniency from the authorities for Ibinabo, who’s presently undergoing breast cancer treatment amid being a mother and bread winner for her family.

    “We commiserate with the Giwa family and feel their pains over the loss of the Good Doctor and have made ongoing efforts to comfort and be with them all through this process. It is an unfortunate cycle which has brought upon this but we sincerely believe that in the end, healing and reconciliation will prevail,” the statement reads.

    Ibinabo was sentenced to a five – year jail term for the death of a Lagos State Doctor, Suraj Giwa. She was later granted bail in the sum of N2million and two sureties who are residents in Lagos in like sum.

    Ibinabo’s lawyers had filed a bail application on the grounds of a serious medical attention. The popular Nollywood actress’ appeal of the 2006 judgement by a Lagos High Court was thrown out by the Lagos appellate court on January 28, 2016, reserving the five-year jail term without an option of fine.

    There are indications the case may receive further hearing at the Supreme Court.

  • Nine-member Assembly suspends Speaker, colleagues

    nine members of the Kogi State House of Assembly loyal to Umar Imam have suspended 10 of their colleagues, including the embattled Speaker, Momohjimoh Lawal, for their alleged involvement in the leadership crisis rocking the legislative chambers since last November.

    The suspension order issued on the floor of the Assembly at plenary yesterday, followed the adoption of a report of the Ad Hoc Committee inaugurated on March 10.

    The committee was charged with investigating “the sponsorship of the crisis and involvement of the National Assembly and its failure to ensure due process even at the instance of a court injunction.”

    Chairman of the committee John Abah (PDP-Ibaji), presenting the report, said the committee found that the House of Representatives was misguided by “interested members who had interest in the crisis.”

    He said the situation in the state had not deteriorated to a breakdown of law and order for the National Assembly to exercise its powers in invoking Section 11(4), and leaving out 11(5) of the constitution.

    Abah added: “The 10 members persistently fuelled the crisis and made it difficult for the House to resolve the leadership impasse peacefully for it to carry out its lawful and constitutional responsibilities.”

    The committee, according to him, recommended that legal processes instituted in courts be determined to ensure due process, rule of law and justice to parties.

    The lawmakers suspended include Matthew Kolawole (PDP-Kabba-Bunu), Aliyu Akuh (PDP-Omala), Victor Omofaiye (PDP-Ijumu) and Sunday Shigaba (PDP-Bassa).

    Others are Alfa Momoh-Rabiu (APC-Ankpa II), Enenche Linus (APC-Olamaboro), Obaro Pedro (APC-Mopa-Muro), Ndako Idris (APC-Lokoja II) and Zakari Osewu (APC-Kogi-KK).

    Seconding the motion for adoption of the report, the factional Majority leader, Friday Sanni (PDP-Igalamela-Odolu), urged the Assembly to adopt the three recommendations of the committee.

    The Speaker, Umar Imam, adopted the recommendations as prayed, following overwhelming voice votes in favour of the report.

  • SANs won’t shield corrupt colleagues

    The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has backed the Federal Government’s anti-corruption fight, saying even corrupt lawyers should not be spared.

    It, however, said the anti-graft agencies must ensure that the anti-corruption war is fought within the ambit of law.

    “The Body of SANs condemns all forms of corruption and money laundering by anyone, lawyers inclusive, and wholeheartedly supports appropriate efforts of the government aimed at curbing the menace of corruption through thorough investigation and prosecution of offenders in a fair trial that complies with due process of the law and ensures equal access to justice by the prosecutor and the accused, while guaranteeing the fundamental rights of all persons as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” it said.

    BOSAN, a group comprising all SANs, met at the weekend at the Nigerian Law School in Lagos, in a communiqué jointly signed by Mr. Ebun Sofunde (SAN) and Mr. Seyi Sowemimo (SAN), said it “welcomes the investigation of any lawyer, no matter how highly placed”.

    The group said members have “a duty and a responsibility to hold ourselves to the highest professional and moral standards and are determined to continue to ensure that those standards are maintained.”

    It warned against disobedience of “valid orders of courts of competent jurisdiction” by the government or its agencies, adding that disregarding court orders “is a step towards anarchy, which does not and cannot augur well for a democratic society such as Nigeria.”

    BOSAN expressed concern with the “spate of disparaging remarks and attacks on the Judiciary and judicial officers, often made in a generalised manner and perhaps calculated to intimidate and infuse fear in Judges, who are sworn to dispense justice without fear or favour.”

    “It is the Body’s view that it is unfair to the many honest and hard-working judges in our country to be painted with the same brush as the few who have been found wanting for misconduct or those who bring the office into disrepute and violate their sacred oaths of office,” BOSAN said.

    It also warned lawyers to desist from joining the bandwagon of issuing “generalised statements of a disparaging nature” against judges, describing such conduct as “unprofessional.”

    BOSAN also condemned what it called the “evolving practice of delays and non-payment of judges and judicial workers their salaries and allowances,” stating that this practice “severely undermines” the much cherished independence of the judiciary.

    On the right of accused persons to counsel of their choice, the Senior Advocates said: “The harassment and intimidation of lawyers in any form in the course of their legitimate work is unlawful and counter-productive in a democratic society. Such actions are not only unlawful but antithetical to the rule of law.

    “Nothing is further from the truth that once a lawyer undertakes the defence of an accused person, particularly a professional colleague, then he must be in active support of the alleged crime or be working against the anti-corruption crusade.

    “The Nigerian Constitution, for good reason, presumes a person innocent until proven guilty before a court of competent jurisdiction following a fair hearing, with an opportunity to conduct his defence by a counsel of his choice.”

    BOSAN urged lawyers to continue to represent their clients “to the best of their abilities, within the ambit of the law, and in compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007.”

    It noted that the body “continues to endorse” the core values of professional excellence, integrity, industry, professional ethics, and leadership by example as its overarching principles, adding that it “has taken appropriate measures to ensure that the rank is not brought to disrepute as a whole by the actions of those adjudged of wrong-doing.”