The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ibadan

  • Nine Ibadan indigene students get scholarship

    The Ibadan Descendants’ Union (IDU) in New York, United States (U.S.) has given scholarships to indigent students of Ibadan origin in tertiary institutions. Each of the beneficiaries went home with the N50,000 cash.

    At the presentation ceremony held at the main auditorium of Faculty of Law of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Chief Olalekan Alabi, who chaired the event, urged the beneficiaries to justify the union’s investment in their career.

    He said: “The money given to you is only meant for your education. It is not to go buy latest phone or designer wears. It is meant to aid your studies and be good ambassadors of your family, your institutions, Oyo State and Nigeria.”

    The union president, Alhaji Olawale Olalere, said the scholarship was aimed at helping brilliant students of Ibadan origin to achieve excellence. He said: “This scholarship will be given yearly to indigent students. We intend to do more as we plan to expand the award. We will encourage contributions from members of the society and the government.”

    Nine students from three institutions benefitted from the scheme. They are Adelabu Hammed, Olapade Ayodeji Bayowa, Adenike Adeleke and Jimoh Akanni, all of University of Ibadan (UI).

    Others are Ajoke Hazeez, Habeeb Olatunji and Adewale Olatunji, all of The Polytechnic, Ibadan (IBADAN POLY), while two students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Esther Oladipupo and Olajesu Akanji, also benefitted.

  • An evening in Ibadan

    An evening in Ibadan

    There is always something fascinating about Ibadan. It is the city built around a hundred hilltops. The distant din of what you thought was civil commotion and fistic exchange tells its own story. Ibadan is a city of warriors. It is not for the weak or fainthearted. Here, the meek will kiss the canvas very early. They will not inherit the earth. Neither will they partake of its sweet bounties.

    Lest we forget, snooper was in Ibadan to address the 1966 class of Government College as part of its golden jubilee. In the nation, golden jubilees are as rare as gold itself.But even here in the intellectual boxing ring nothing was given or assured. You arrived in the lush and tropically verdant Iyaganku sector of the city post-haste, having been expelled by British Airways two days earlier without your luggage.

    But even at that, nothing is given. The narrative keeps changing. Just as you are about to send your account of events to the press something more fascinating crops up. It is an account of events by a member of the set; a tour de force of political and cultural psych-op. It is better to hear from the horse’s mouth, as they say. In Yoruba culture, you cannot be invited to a wedding only to turn out more fancifully attired than the bridegroom.

    So, dear readers, this morning snooper yields pride of space to a member of the Government College Ibadan class of 1966, Femi Olugbile, a distinguished psychiatrist, prize-winning writer and notable administrator. But because the issues raised are so critical and crucial to the health of the country and its wellbeing, we will pick the baton next week from where Olugbile drops off. Happy reading.

  • GOTV TAKES CUSTOMER FAIR TO IBADAN

    AS part of the activities lined up to celebrate five years of doing business in Nigeria, GOtv, last Saturday, hosted the residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to moments of merriment with a Customer Fair.

    The celebration, according to GOtv’s management, is more iconic as Ibadan is honoured as the city where its service was first launched on October 11, 2011.

    Thanking subscribers for their loyalty, GOtv brand ambassador, Daddy Showkey, recalled that his musical career success started in the city.

    The celebration started in the city by a combination of music stars and popular comedians touring neighbourhoods.

    The GOtv Customer Fair was conceived to reward subscribers for their loyalty over the past five years of the brand’s existence.

    Among the performing artistes at the event were Daddy Showkey, Mr. Ibu, Oritsefemi, Aki and Pawpaw and Helen Paul, who were supported by other local entertainers.

    Helen Paul thrilled the audience with stupendous jokes, while Naija FM’s DJ Kentalky dished out trendy music to the delight of the guests before Daddy Showkey and Oritsefemi drew provoked rigorous dancing from the audience with their hit songs. Daddy Showkey took the audience down memory lane with a performance of his old hit-songs, such as ‘Showkey.’

    Mr. Ibu, Aki and Pawpaw augmented the event with their comedy routine. There was a dancing competition and the giving out free GOtv decoders and other gifts to lucky winners.

    Subscribers who had difficulties with their hardware or service were attended to by the GOtv Clinic set up at the venue for that purpose.

    The next editions of the Customer Fair will take place in Abuja today and Lagos on November 5, 2016.

  • LAUTECH Crisis: Ajimobi, Aregbesola pledges irrevocable commitments

    LAUTECH Crisis: Ajimobi, Aregbesola pledges irrevocable commitments

    • As Olanipekun heads visitation panel‎

    Following the lingering crisis rocking the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology(LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and his counterpart from ‎Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola on Wednesday evening pledged their irrevocable commitment to the joint ownership of  the institution in accordance with establishment laws.

    This was part of both governments resolution at the end of a four-hour meeting held at the Oyo State Governor’s office in Ibadan.

    The institution had in recent times faced the challenges of funding from its owner states, which they hinged on the economic challenges bedevilling the nation.

    Ajimobi, who addressed journalist after the meeting, appealed to the institution’s academic staff to resume academic activities while they address their grievances.

    He also disclosed that a visitation panel to be headed by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) will review the current terms of engagement with a view of consolidating the joint ownership.

    Other members of the panel are Hon Rasheed Afolabi(Osun), Prof. (Mrs) Akinola (Osun), Prof. Sola Fajana (Osun), Dr Tunji Olaopa (Oyo), Prof. Ayo Salami (Oyo) and Mr S. A Raji(Oyo).

    The panel has Mrs A. O. Makanjuola, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology as Secretary.

    The Olanipekun panel was expected to conduct an audit into the institution’s sources and application of funds while proposing strategies for overall improvement of its quality of education and service delivery.

    The governor said they regretted the current challenges of funding and management confronting the institution and restated their commitment to moving the institution forward.

    “We have both agreed on the necessity for a comprehensive restructuring of the institution to ensure fair and effective development.We also agreed on the distribution of academic resources, physical structures and other assets of the university across the two states to achieve national, regional and global reckoning,”he said.

    Ajimobi said that they have both resolved to rededicate their efforts towards the development of mutually beneficial goals that would further cement their bond of friendship and brotherhood.

    He said both governments enjoined residents, stakeholders, students, teachers and workers in the respective states to go about their lawful duties.

    The owner governments urged them to resist any temptation to take laws into their hands, saying anyone that does otherwise would face the full wrath of the law.

  • Govt flags off independent power supply in 40 federal varsities

    The Federal Government in conjunction with the German Energy Partnership Project on Thursday formally flagged off its independent power supply initiative to all the 40 federal universities in the country with the Ground-breaking ceremony of a 10-Mega Watts Solar Power Plant at the University of Ibadan.

    Performing the ceremony on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Ajibode Extension location of the University of Ibadan, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, described the event as “an historic occasion in the life of the university and of our nation” adding that it is in line with the national energy policy.

    “That the project is commencing at the University of Ibadan should not surprise anyone. This is where the story of University education in Nigeria started,” the minister stated. He added the fact that UI, with its huge staff and student population had necessitated a corresponding high energy requirement which is in the region of 6 to 8 Mega Watts.

    Anwukah remarked that the Federal Government, in its bid to replicate the gesture to all the 40 federal universities in Nigeria, envisaged that the project should be achieved through the utilization of off-grid Independent Power Plants (IPPs) which falls under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

    He noted that “it was in this respect that the Federal Government, under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, recently launched the Energizing Education Programme Initiative (EEPI), a collaborative effort of the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to ensure self-sufficiency in power to all the 40 Federal Universities in the country.”

    The EEPI is aimed at providing reliable power supply which, in turn, will promote economic growth and sustainable development in our Universities, the Minister further clarified.

    The minister said further: “This is why the Federal government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has committed itself to this project with the provision of Funds. It clearly attests to government’s commitment to supporting a robust educational system. The project, when completed, will also ensure the realization of the vision of the University of Ibadan in becoming a world-class University, in the sense that academic activities will be boosted, and ground-breaking researches can be conducted.

    “For our universities to be highly rated in Africa and the world, we must have a good research infrastructure, and a provision of energy is very key in the process. The plant will also have the multiplier effect of providing electricity to neighbouring communities. Government is keenly interested in this project, and its timely completion and effective utilization will inform an extension of the project to other Universities. We shall, therefore, be monitoring the progress of the project. It is expected that the faculties of Science and technology and the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law would take advantage of his project to enhance the capacity of their staff, while embarking on further research in renewable energy resources.”

    Also speaking at the event, the German ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Bernard Schlagheck, assured that the project, which is a culmination of more than two years of negotiations involving the University of Ibadan, the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the German Government, would be completed and ready for commissioning within the next six months.

    In attendance at the ground-breaking ceremony were dignitaries including the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who is also the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan; the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka; as well as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji Ajeogungunniso I

  • JCI trains Ibadan school prefects

    The Junior Chambers International, (JCI) Ibadan has trained secondary school pupils on leadership potentials in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

    The thrust, according to the organiser, was to equip participants who cut across 11 local government areas of the state, to replicate leadership values in their contemporaries.

    In his address at Alayande school of Science, Ibadan venue of the event, President of JCI, Olawale Bakare, said the maiden edition of the program was tagged: ‘Muyiwa Bamgbose Academy’ to honour former (JCI) president Mr. Muyiwa Bamgbose, for his landmark achievement in education development.

    According to him, JCI handpicked prefects from four secondary schools in the aforementioned councils to make them socially responsible and create in them awareness of societal problems, needs and how to solve them.

    He said JCI would educate participants on ‘inclusive education’ one of the millennium goals, and through that make them understand education as a problem solving tool in their respective schools.

    Corroborating him, the coordinator of the programme, Sanmi Abiodun, said JCI intended the prefects to have positive impact on their fellow school mates by imparting knowledge and behavioral change in them and thus reshaping their future.

    Sanmi, who said the programme was free added: “Our aim is to make them better people so that they’ll be better leaders of tomorrow by being prepared for the tasks ahead them”.

    One of the participants, Thomas Theresa, said the programme has taught her how to picture what she wants to become in future as well as leadership potential to harness and achieve her goals in life.

    In his opinion Olaitan Samuel another participant, said the training has taught him how to imagine his goals and actualise them. With the change agenda of the present government, Olaitan is optimistic the training would inspire in him and others the kind of change required of a worthy leader.

  • Sheriff’s faction relocates Ondo PDP primary to Ibadan

    Sheriff’s faction relocates Ondo PDP primary to Ibadan

    The faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled by Senator Ali Sheriff has relocated its governorship primary to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following security reason.

    The faction was to pick its candidate for the November 26 election in Akure, the state capital, today.

    A statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Yemi Akintomide, said the primaries would now hold at the PDP Southwest zonal secretariat in Ibadan.

    The statement said the Ahmed Gulak-led Committee constituted by  Sheriff had taken over the conduct of the primary from the State Executive Committee, with its Chairman, Biyi Poroye, as member.

    It urged aspirants and party delegates to move to Ibadan yesterday in preparation for the primary.

    The statement said: “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the primary, as all court pronouncements were in favour of the Senator Alimodu Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.”

    Five aspirants, including Jimoh Ibrahim, Sola Ebiseni, Bamiduro Dada, Niran Sule-Akinsuyi and the only female, Mrs. Abiye, are contesting.

    The Makarfi faction, where Governor Olusegun Mimiko belongs, conducted its primary election last Monday.

    The former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, won the faction’s election, scoring 760 votes against his opponent, Saka Lawal, who got 22 votes.

  • Ondo indigenes in Ibadan back Abraham

    An Oyo State based group of Ondo State indigenes, the Ondo State Frontliners Group, has urged delegates to the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for Saturday to vote en masse for Dr. Segun Abraham.

    The group, at an emergency meeting on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, endorsed Abraham because of “his consistency, humane, collaborative and participatory principles”, which he has been demonstrating ever before he was drafted to the governorship race.

    In a statement signed by the president of the group, Prof. Adekaye Olomola, the group noted that unlike some of the other contestants that have jumped from one political party to the other, Abraham has remained with the party from foundation.

    “We would like to remind the delegates that such political leaders that are unstable when pursuing their ambitions always ended up as emperor when they eventually get the position,” the group said.

    The group said it could not replace an emperor with another emperor because it would spell doom for the state.

    The group said its endorsement of Abraham was based on his antecedent as a successful international private investor, industrialist andphilanthropist, who is truthful and has the fear of God.

    The statement added: “It is such antecedents that are needed at this critical time to lead Ondo State back as a shining light among all other states in Nigeria.

    “We implore the delegates not to be threatened by the antics of some of the contestants that are sponsoring violence and crying foul after all their attempts to woo national party leaders failed. The APC since the days of AD has been a formidable party in Ondo State, and those that joined the party in 2012 for opportunistic openings cannot claim to have made the party what it is today in Ondo State.”

  • Ajimobi approves creation of 35 LCDAs

    Ajimobi approves creation of 35 LCDAs

     

    Oyo State Governor, Sen Abiola Ajimobi has approved the creation of 35 new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), in the state in order to accelerate even development at the grass root.

    This follows a motion entitled:”Need to establish Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), for effective grassroots development”, brought before the house of ass‎embly on June 16, 2016, were the. Lawmakers urged the state government to take proactive measures to establish LCDA’S to ensure that development get to every community in the state.

    The Chief of Staff to the Governor, ‎Dr Gbade Ojo who made this known on Tuesday while addressing journalist in Ibadan, said the approval will give more legal teeth to Oyo State Gazette No. 23, Vol 27 of August 13, 2002, which created the 35 LCDA’S but with a nomenclature of Local Government Areas.

    Ojo who said the 35 new LCDA’S will be distributed zonally in line with both political and administrative zones of the state, listed the breakdown of the new LCDA’S as follows: Ibadan Zone 14, Ibarapa zone 2, Oyo zone 4, Ogbomoso 7, Oke-Ogun 8.

    He said the governor had directed the State Commissioner of Justice to prepare enabling laws as Executive Bill to be presented to the state house of assembly so that the new LCDAs can take off.

    “Between 2002 till date there has been explosion in the demography of each council area to the extent that what was gazetted in 2002 may not be sufficiently representative of the new yearning of our people. Thus, any council area that needs ‎more may begin to work on memorandum to justify their demands as in no distant future. ” he concluded.

     

  • JAMB: ‘UI to admit 3,000 out of over 29,000 candidates’

    JAMB: ‘UI to admit 3,000 out of over 29,000 candidates’

    The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Idowu Olayinka has said that only 3,000 candidates out of the over 29,000 who scored 200 and above in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and chose the premier university would be offered admission.

    The Vice Chancellor lamented that poor funding, infrastructure deficit, student-lecturer ratio and limitation of Hostel accommodation would not allow the University go beyond its present carrying capacity.

    Candidates who chose the university have been anxious to hear the admission guideline from the premier university since the ban on post-UTME examination which the Vice Chancellor attested had improved the quality of graduates and reduced those asked to withdraw from the University.

    While speaking on the topic “Challenges of Building a World Class University” at the 68th Interdisciplinary Research Discourse of the Postgraduate school under the Deanship of Professor Adeyinka Aderinto, Professor Olayinka noted that Nigerian government must decide if it wants her universities to be globally competitive or not by adequately funding research and fixing infrastructural deficits bedeviling them.

    While noting that without research a university is a glorified secondary school, the Vice Chancellor noted that Nigerian government should go beyond expressing ‘suspect’ regret at the ranking of her universities at public functions, rather, it should allocate more funds to revatilise teaching and research.

    The professor of Geology listed inadequate teaching and research facilities, problem of attracting and retaining top-class faculty, poor funding, overstretched infrastructure, inconsistent policy of education, inadequate suitable staff, and government attitude to education as factors affecting the global competitiveness of the university.

    “Funding is needed to make UI a world class university. A globally competitive university is that which can boast of top-class scholars with sound funding of research because without research, a university is a glorified secondary school. While our goal is to train new generation of leaders we have challenges towards achieving this. The mark of a truly world class institution is measured by what her graduates do after leaving the institution.

    “Oxford will boast that they have produced more Prime Ministers so is Harvard on world leaders. Of course UI graduates are doing well all over Nigeria but we must do more so that our graduates can be blessing to Nigeria and the global community. Nigerian leaders should go beyond feeling bad at the ranking of our universities. If UI is presently ranked 19 in Africa and the top 4 varsities are in South Africa, then Nigeria government should understudy what they do in south Africa for their universities including research grants and learning environment and infrastructure. We cannot be globally competitive without electricity. We will be more productive if power is available. We should be playing leading role in research and innovation, contribute to local and regional economies and this will drive our global competitiveness.”

    In his speech, Chairman of the occasion and former Vice Chancellor, Prof Bankole Oyediran noted that universities are the power house of knowledge designed to contribute to the development and planning through the production of innovative works, ground breaking research and high quality personnel.

    However, he noted that while it is obvious that universities and academics can play vital role in development most African countries including Nigeria declared recognition of the role of universities in national development remains mere politically correct rhetoric.

    The former VC then noted that a world class university, which by implication is research active can play vital role in regional economy and development.