The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Joseph Olaoluwa

Elujoba emerge OAU acting VC

After being shut down for more than 90 days, and accompanied by several court cases tendered by aggrieved parties over the eligibility of Prof Ayobami Salami, the Obafemi Awolowo University has finally chosen an acting Vice-Chancellor to steer forward the institution affairs.

Recall that on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the Senate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State to immediately recommend a qualified person for appointment, as an acting Vice Chancellor for the university.

This was weeks after previously dissolving the Governing Council that declared Prof Ayobami as the VC of the institution.

Following the standing order of the Presidency, accompanied by peaceful media protests on Social media with the #ReopenOAU on twitter, the primary wish of students was achieved after the senate declared Professor Anthony Adebolu Elujoba as the acting Vice Chancellor of the prestigious institution.

One decision that saw members of the senate, Non-academic staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association for National Union, (SSANU) and Students gather in the Conference Hall, a Conference Centre and guest house situated on the School Campus for over two hours where Elujoba’s nomination led him to become OAU’s acting Vice-Chancellor, in a heated meeting lasting over two hours.

This new development was met with jubilation from all quarters as members of staff took to the Senate building to celebrate the newest development; students all over the media joined in the celebration as they congratulated the new acting vice-chancellor.

Prof. Elujoba is a professor of Pharmacognosis at the Obafemi Awolowo University, a Royal Society of UK Research Fellow looking into Nigerian Medicinal plants, a Public Analyst (FDA) and recipient of numerous professional awards.

He has served as acting head of Dept of Pharmacognosis, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chairman, Committee of Deans, Chairman, Faculty PG Committee/ board of studies, Research and selection committee, member Faculty review panel, Senate Rep on OAU Teaching Hospital Management board, Member Management board of natural history museum and PG board and Dean’s rep Faculty of Technology.

He is an external examiner at numerous university examinations while his involvement in research into medicinal plants has brought him into close association with persons living with HIV/AIDS who fondly refer to him as the ‘village chemist’.

July 21, 2016
Reactions trail Iba monarch’s abduction

Mixed reactions have continued to the trail the abduction of the Iba Monarch who was kidnapped by unknown gunmen from his palace home on Saturday.

The Nation gathered that Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni was kidnapped at about 8:00pm on Saturday after some unknown gunmen broke into his Iba home and killed his guard.

Reacting to the news on Monday, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly suggested fortification of border towns against more attacks as the incessant threat on lives in areas like Iba and Ikorodu which has also spread to Egan, near Igando in Alimosho Local Government Area has become a serious threat to lives and properties.

The worst hit of the affected areas ravaged by these unknown gunmen are those communities close to inland waterways, thereby allowing hoodlums easy escape after perpetrating their crimes and leaving no traces.

However, the Police has swung into action by placing some officers in the affected areas. Rapid Response Trucks were spotted parked in areas like Iba and Egan to forestall future attacks as these hoodlums inflicting violence are alleged to be militant migrants.

Speaking on Lagos State Television on Monday evening, the police spokesman, Dolapo Badmus has promised all Iba residents that the Monarch will soon be rescued and reunited with his people.

July 19, 2016
The message of hope

One deep but admirable quality that Africans and most especially Nigerians possess is the strength of their belief.

The belief to be better against all odds; that belief of a better tomorrow and a better future for themselves and their loved ones.

We have been worse hit in recent times as a people. Our democracy is already experiencing the greatest decline; the Government has been unresponsive as always, even as the implications of good representations of democracy have eluded us.

However, Nigerians haven’t stopped believing. They haven’t stopped hoping and wishing for a better tomorrow.

We are so quick to forgive the failed promises and the over inflated economy; we haven’t forgotten that a litre of fuel still sells for #145 but we deliberately chose to ignore it and hope for better things.

Individually, Hope is a Nigerian thing. It is our practice and there is no better virtue than this- to hope for better things.

Despite all the failings both personal and collective; Nigerians are never the type to back down from their inert dreams. Others may give up, but definitely not us.

Hope is all that sustains us and it is our fundamental bedrock. This is what we should imbibe and find solace in, for in due time good fortunes will smile on us.

July 7, 2016
Unions demand Acting VC for OAU

The Association of Staff Union of Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter, has demanded an Acting Vice-Chancellor to steer the affairs of the prestigious institution.

This decision is in tandem with the Non Academic Staff Union as one of the issues resolved after their congress in a press Conference with Journalists in Ife, Osun state on Thursday.

It is expected that a letter detailing the resolution of the congress will be forwarded to the congress of the university on the clamour for a new VC after which the students will be welcomed back on Campus.

Notwithstanding, the Unions have continued to plead with the Students to understand their plight in spite of the ongoing protest and persevere for a better future in the University.

Comrade Wole Odewunmi and Comrade Adegoke from NASU and SSANU respectively urged the students to support the agitations of both Unions, saying: “The ongoing protest is one we have to fight till the end and if won will improve the welfare conditions of the University.

“We are fighting imposition of a new VC and mismanagement of funds, and we want to ensure that the University has a stable Calendar but we cannot currently achieve this with those in power at the moment.

“If they were brought in illegally, then we cannot trust them to act well, students need to understand that this is a fight for the betterment of Society.”

The Management of Obafemi Awolowo University has since shut down academic activities on June 23.

June 30, 2016
Before you make that wish: Hold on to these words

Often times while skimming through stories of celebrities, role models and established icons success stories over glossy gossip magazines in print or electronic media; often times, we have prayed for their good fortunes to also extend to us.

And some over zealous pastors at times in between their sermons have raised alike prayers.

“Like God did for David, so he would do for you.”

And then a look at a pretty actress body size or a musicians ride, we begin to wish to God and cry: “Let my own story be like them.”

It never occurred to us to think what they did to get to where they are; whether it was clean or dirty money and fame. We just open our mouths and hopefully wish.

It reminds me of a movie I saw on Africa magic Yoruba, where two poor friends saw a large mansion and wished for the same sort of fortune.

It so happened that wish came true but the house that was built came from blood money- ritual money. So when things began to get tough for them and the two friends were contemplating quick fame through money rituals, they were led to a native doctor.

The native doctor revealed to them, that their wish was heard by God to own a big mansion but the mansion the two friends saw was a house one rich built to hold his mother indoors since the mother’s blood was the source of the blood money. Unfortunately, that was the kind of house the Two friends wished for.

The native doctor told them their desire for money rituals were as a result of the wish which will force them to eventually commit the same sin as the rich man did later on.

Then he advised them not just wish to be like someone, but to ask God to give them what they actually want.

The moral of this lesson is simple: Don’t wish to be like someone for you never know how they got there. Before you make that wish hold on to these words.

June 30, 2016
Feminism: An overrated cause

I read Rachael Lu’s article on one of the biggest driving debates of this century and I beamed with a broad smile. She finally did what many women always fail to do whenever we broach on sensitive issues like Feminism that will very soon determine how lives will be run and roles distributed; years from now.

True. Of the biggest issues we have faced, apart from the horrors of homosexuality, gangsterism, religion, gender equality and a thousand and one ideals; Feminism is still one of the strongest. Why, we may want to ask?
For the men, it came as a surprise from the regular norm. Women have always played second fiddle to men, submitting and lowering themselves as was the biblical and traditional custom.

While the women saw this trend as a good move, to release them from their long termed ‘burden’ and question a worry that has always been the moral lessons and bottom line of their various chitchats on their girly visits to each other, the trend had taken a violent disposition as several women will loosely refer to feminism as a subterfuge; a fair haven for the rights of women that has been continually trampled on by the foot of men.

In a recent debate, I had with a boss of mine on this matter while he front lined a cause for women at the youthful level under an organization termed African Ruby’s, my stand against feminism was the usual biblical stand that women were created to play the second fiddle role. That made me lose that interesting debate. Even though I reiterated that women be respected; his question about the legitimacy of a female leadership and how recognisable it will be to the male folk was the final question that threw me off my feet in the debate loss.

Rachael mentioned two big things the feminists get wrong, which by the way is the title of her article. But I surmised the two faults of feminism, which is their greatest and undeniable tragic flaw: Overated Independence. The independence is in two ways: the right to decide their fertility and the freedom, feminism accords women in using contraceptive pills to prevent unwanted births while the second is the independence they crave in wanting to prove they are more superior to men and do not need their help whatsoever.

The sordid implications of female independence over their fertility are the freedom of women to delude into promiscuity, away from the usual indication of moral chastity any woman must carry. If the movement supports women to use contraceptive pills as much as they want, decide all matters of fertility even as married couples(for the married ones) who should make decisions as one, it encourages promiscuity. If a woman can be so free like that which should be allowed in a Democratic scene, however; it only implies that even in a happy marriage, the woman can refuse to be bound to the rules mutually agreed upon and do whatever she pleases. At least, she is a feminist.

In my own critical appraisal of this concept, I find this mass movement as a means to wrestle rights and claim equality and prominence always given to men. But women, not need claim them.

They are a special breed. Any reasonable man will quickly acknowledge such fact. Many women term feminism as their own edge over men, but they forget we all live in a world called Men’s. They need not fight a cold war to be recognized and given equal rights-they are from a breed called rare.

June 23, 2016
Review of Captain America: Civil war

With scenes closely resembling Lagos, Nigeria; the busy market places and the yellow public buses littering the streets, most people would have thought there was really a place called ‘Wakanda’ in Lagos, Nigeria. All the same, the movie, The Avengers does have a solid gold structure that does not buckle under the weight of its gargantuan expectations and overflowing cast.

To start with, does anywhere called ‘Wakanda’ exist in the world not to mention in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos. Perhaps in the mind of Joss Whedon. It is worthy of note here that Wakanda is a fictional nation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe, and it is home to the superhero Black Panther. Wakanda first appeared in Fantastic Four and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

As for Nigerians, who might find the pronunciation of ‘Lagos’ (L’agos) offensive, the word originated from Portugal since the Portuguese, being great explorers of the sea, were the first Europeans to make contact with the entity now known as Nigeria through the coasts. Lagos is of Portuguese origin and means Lake. The Portuguese word for Lake or Lakes is Lagos. Interestingly, there is a town with these co-ordinates 37° 6′ 0″ N, 8° 40′ 0″ W called Lagos in the Algarve region in southern Portugal. This used to be the greatest slave market in Europe around the 15th century, but today is a very popular city among tourists for its beaches among other things especially in the summer.

Moving on, the length of the movie is something is capable to easily put a non movie person away. Yet, after about two-and-a-half hours of world-threatening chaos and world-saving derring-do, you leave the theater or put off the television set satisfied, but without so much as a single memorable image (or idea) lingering in your mind.

Thus, whether it is the sin of Tony stark (Robert Downey jnr) or the visions that continue to haunt him from the last series of The Avengers; stabbing Ultron in the back or Marvel just wants something to get more viewers back; Captain America: Civil war was a metaphor for Downey jnr’s broken heart, losing his parents in an infamous crash.

Packed with more action and adventure, less drama and romance, the only kiss the Captain Rogers (Chris Evans) had was with Margret Peggy Carter’s sister: Sharon Carter (Emily Vancamp) in a truly romantic fashion where she is forced “compromise where she hardly couldn’t” to provide confiscated kits to both Anthony Mackie (The Falcon) and Rogers who were more than grateful for her compromise. Roger had to part with a kiss, and that was pretty acceptable as the only romantic scene.

However, Marvel might have soiled the movie a bit too soon with a scene in Lagos, one that has some racist tendencies slightly swept under the carpet. Probably Marvel thought they could bamboozle its Nigerian viewers or maybe the Lagosians who took their time to view the movie at Ozone cinemas.

Furthermore, the movie was big budget and the script kept viewers eternally glued. So much must have been spent from a combo jumbo in Lagos to Berlin, an underwater prison cell, the queens? That’s some extra dough there. How does Spiderman come to hammer a sport in avengers? The guy spoke too much, though he shared the same name Peter as Peter Parker, he wasn’t the real deal. They should have just hired Peter Parker for something more real. Well, he didn’t do badly anyways.

For religious critics, one of the most fascinating moments in the movie occurs when Captain America, referring to Thor, notes: “There’s only one God, ma’am. And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.” Ah, monotheism versus paganism. Can they exist side by side? That will be for Marvel and his team to answer.

The fighting combos seemed too practiced and the difference between Captain Rogers and the Tony stark Avenging led army can clearly be differentiated. When Rogers was in Lagos for the heist, he had everyone well prepared, ready and planned for a showdown displaying a true leadership veto power over the Avengers. However, the breakdown of the group from six to six against six still worked wonders. Right from the time, Stark missed the Lagos heist allowing Sam take his place in the battle that led to Don Cheadle (War Machine) in losing his legs; Sam had matured under Rogers, so it wasn’t wrong when a black widow let both Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier) and Rogers get away on that plane.

Captain America had that respectable trait among all his equals. You can’t touch that. In the end, we understand why this movie was termed a civil war and why Rogers failed to compromise his rights to a treaty with the Law.

We later get to find out that the Civil War, An amorphous term for genocide is a metaphor devised by Marvel to break the Avengers up; after Captain America and Iron man had that brawl in the tunnels. Zemo’s final confession to Chadwick Boseman was entirely right. Better men had tried to destroy the Avengers, but the best bet was to turn them against each other. We all know the kind of man Stark is. He will always let his ego get in the way.

Even though Zemo will remain locked up the rest of his life; the vengeance battle between stark and Rogers will grow till Marvel finally decides to let it die. The $225million Joss Whedon reportedly emptied into the movie to assault the eyes, ears and intelligence with one of the stupidest comic book tales ever put to film, is worth it.

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June 22, 2016
Varsity threatens staff unions over absenteeism

Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state has threatened its members of staff to resume work soonest or risk being paid their June salaries.

In a directive issued to the Senior and Non-academic staff unions of the Institution (SSANU and NASU respectively), ordering them back to work; signed by the D.O Awoyeni, the university Registrar, the University Management in a press statement said:

“The University Administration has viewed with grave concern the continued absence of some members of Staff of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) from their duty posts without any declaration of trade dispute since 7th June, 2016.

The University administration hereby directs all such members of staff to immediately report to their respective duty posts; otherwise, the University Administration may not be in a position to guarantee the payment of June 2016 salaries to these categories of staff.”

NASU and SSANU have been protesting the emergence of Prof Salami as Vice Chancellor OAU since June; alleging his emergence as Vice chancellor illegal while challenging the decision with court proceedings.

Ever since Salami’s latest confirmation as VC early this week, members of staff may in turn, lose their jobs if they fail to comply.

June 21, 2016
Tuta absoluta ravages six states

Tuta absoluta, (Tomato leaf Miner) also known as tomato ebola, has continued to ravage agricultural produce in the country, especially perishable agricultural products like tomatoes.
Tuta absoluta commonly regarded as a notorious pest of not only tomato plants, but other crop plants of the nightshade family, including potatoes, eggplants, pepper and tobacco has continued to ravage Nigerian tomato plants causing yield loss and scarcity of the produce.
In a statement, last night on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) with the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, he revealed that the pest has infested six states in Nigeria: Jigawa, Kano, Kastina, Lagos, Plateau and Bauchi.
“The pest whose spread is believed to come from the Niger Republic could cause more problems and make it impossible for the country to grow tomatoes if not combated soonest by the Government,” the Minister remarked.
The pest’s ability to infest tomato farms within 10 to 12 hours and its ability to deliver 300 eggs in destruction of farm yield is a serious cause for concern as the Minister called on appropriate quarters to treat the matter with urgency.
Tomato Ebola is the reason tomatoes prices have sky rocketed in the past few weeks as Nigerians seek an alternative to tomatoes to the ones packed in tins.

June 13, 2016
Flood takes over Akowonjo road

Heavy flood on Thursday took over the streets of Adeoti and environs in the Akowonjo Local Government Area of Lagos State, as a result of the midday rain, causing heavy gridlock for commuters as well as motorists.

Several commuters found it incredibly difficult to wade across the flooded area as the water slightly got up to the knee level, leaving commuters with no choice than to walk on the kerb that separates both lanes of the road while holding on to the stuck vehicles in traffic.

Eye witnesses blamed the situation on the lack of proper drainage facilities as the water level rose, enclosing the drainages on both sides of the road.

June 9, 2016