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Tag: University of Ilorin

  • UNILORIN excludes challenged candidates from Post-UTME

    The immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),  University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof. N.Y.S. Ijaiya, has disclosed that there is a policy that excludes physically challenged persons from writing the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) before gaining admission into the institution.

    Prof Ijaiya, who spoke at the 11th Moulid Nabiyy celebration, organised by the UNILORIN Muslim Ladies Circle for pupils of the Kwara State School of Special Needs, Ilorin,  encouraged physically challenged admission seekers to consider the university as their first choice institution.

    Speaking on behalf of the group’s President, Hajia Simbiat Akanji, Prof Ijaiya also counseled the special needs pupils not to be discouraged by their physical condition.

    She said the event was to support the pupils and let them know that Almighty Allah was always with the believer no matter their challenges.

    Prof. Ijaiya said there were some physically challenged students currently studying Accountancy, Engineering, Law, Education, Social Works, Psychology at the university and advised the pupils to study hard to obtain credits in English, Mathematics and three other relevant subjects in addition to scoring 180 and above in the UTME.

    She, however, frowned at a report by the school management that some parents had abandoned their wards in the school while some did not want to be associated with them.

    She said those parents had stopped paying the levies and buying of materials, while most of the students found it hard to pay for their Senior School Certificate and JAMB/UTME examinations.

    In a goodwill message, Director, Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf (CSSD), UNILORIN, Dr P.A.O. Etejere said since the Centre’s inception, 50 hearing impaired students had graduated from various departments of the university.

    She said the hearing impaired graduates were able to distinguish themselves in their various disciplines due to the quality of support services provided by the Centre.

    The Director said: “The University of Ilorin occupies the privileged position of being the first institution in sub-Sahara Africa with a Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf with the sole aim of providing tertiary education for deaf students in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.”

    Earlier, in her address, the Principal of the school, Hajia Fausat Aroyehun, praised the UNILORIN Muslim Ladies Circle for their consistent support for the school.

    Aside from feeding, the Principal said the group pays the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for some of the pupils.

    The highlights of the celebration were  quiz  competition, special presentation by the pupils, and donation of gift items to the school.

  • Expert urges doctors to guard against negligence, improper record-keeping

    An International Medical Law expert, Mr Laolu Osanyin, says Nigerian doctors are the easiest to be sued owing to their negligence and improper record-keeping.

    Osanyin made the remark while presenting a paper titled: “Medicine, Malpractice and Misapprehension Conundrum: The Need to Protect the Doctors from Litigation” at the 2018 Scientific Conference on Thursday in Ilorin.

    The conference was organised by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARDs), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Chapter.

    According to him, Nigerian Doctors are the worst record keepers and that in medical law, if it is not written, it did not happen.

    The  expert pointed out that some Nigerian doctors were “guilty” of malpractices without even knowing it, stressing that a Consultant Supervisor would be responsible for the mistakes of his subordinate.

    “You don’t have to see a patient to be responsible for him or her; medical negligence is the omission to do what a responsible medical practitioner would do or doing what a reasonable medical practitioner would refrain from doing,” said Laolu.

    According to him, the failure to exercise that care which the circumstances demand is tantamount to negligence on the part of doctors.

    He also described doctors who evade the Annual Practising Licence, as “engaging in negligence that can be used against them in the court of law during litigation.”

    The expert emphasised that doctors could avert litigation by ensuring good record keeping and adequately informing patients of the risks inherent in treatment.

    He said doctors should also speak to the patients in the language they understand and write legibly for easy understanding, among others.

     

    Read Also:LUTH strike: Doctors lament over unpaid salaries

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osanyin is the first African on the Board of Governors of the World Association of Medical Law till date.

    In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director, (CMD) of UITH, Prof. Dasilva Yusuf, said health care providers had become an endangered species and the earlier they realised that the better for the profession.

    Represented by Dr Abiodun Adeniran of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yusuf observed that most of the issues that caused disagreement between patients and health care providers were preventable.

    He added that one of the aspects to prevent litigation was proper documentation which he said was fundamental in the medical profession

    The CMD counselled that when patients have a serious condition, doctors should take time to explain to them in clear terms.

    He advised them to know when to call for help most, particularly when they know they cannot perform maximally.

    Earlier, the ARD president, UITH Chapter, Dr Owolabi Sunday, observed that there was a rise in litigation against doctors in recent times.

    He, therefore, stressed the need for enhanced training and provision of adequate medical equipment in addition to conducive work environment for medical practitioners in Nigeria.

    Dr Sunday lauded the current CMD for his commitment to the welfare of medical doctors and expressed delight at the harmonious relation between the association and the UITH management.

  • UNILORIN students say institution’s charges lowest in Nigeria

    Mr Emmanuel Animashaun, the President, University of Ilorin Students’ Union Government (SUG), on Monday said the institution charges were the lowest in the country.

    Animashaun made this known at a press conference organised by the Union to mark its administration’s first 100 days in office.

    According to him, the students have realised that in spite of the hike in school fees and other charges by other universities, the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) school charges remain the lowest among Nigeria’s universities.

    The university recently increased its tuition fees by 35 per cent, which amounts to about N21, 000.

    The SUG president said that the relationship between the union and the university management was peaceful and constructive.

    He said that this had translated to the peace and the uninterrupted academic session experienced for the past 18 years.

    According to him, the union engages the UNILORIN management with constructive argument to reach conclusions as regards students’ welfare.

    “We wish to publicly reiterate that in our union, we are not rascals but radicals who will always stand our ground in protecting our members, but we do it in constructive and diplomatic ways.”

    Animashaun pledged his commitment to ensuring that the union served as the bridge between the students and the university management.

    “My administration is planning to use its resources primarily for the purpose of activities, programmes and projects that can contribute to all-round education.

    Read Also: Enrolment at NOUN hits 515,000

    “That can also sustain the necessary atmosphere so that eventually we will have contributed to raising giants for our nation and the world at large,’’ he said.

    The SUG president highlighted major areas of breakthrough in the institution as including the alleviation of problems with results, encouraging sports activities and catering for students’ welfare.

    He, especially, noted the renovation of school hostels had attracted zero increment to school charges.

    Animashaun said that as part of his administration’s blueprint, the new Students’ Union Executive Council had embarked on an empowerment programme.

    He said that the programme tagged: “Earn as you Learn’’ was aimed at collaborating with some organisations, which offered to employ some of the students who wished to earn money while still in school.

    The SUG president revealed the efforts he had made to ease the problem of transportation, which had long been an issue on the campus.

    The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Lateef Ajibade, commended the union for representing the students very well and for cooperating during the meeting on school charges’ increment.

    The dean, who was represented by the Sub-Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Alex Akanmu, charged the students leaders to ensure that the students maintained the university facilities.

    Ajibade urged the students not to relent on their peaceful conduct but to continue to represent the university in good light.

  • Lady runs off with Falz’s Jacket at MTN Pulse Invasion, Kwara

    An excited young lady grinned in satisfaction as she grabbed onto Falz’s jacket during the Surprise Celebrity Visit of the MTN Pulse Campus Invasion. Popular Nigerian artiste, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, had just handed her his jacket, to the screaming delight of the hundreds of people who had thronged UNILORIN to watch what would happen at the Pulse Invasion.

    This was the second time the artiste had appeared on the Invasion train as he had thrilled the students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta (MAPOLY) and the Federal University of Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in October.

    The Invasion berthed at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and was later taken to Kwara State Polytechnic, on Monday, November 12 with the Sales Village experience. Students gathered around the Village for three days to play and have fun as they interacted with various MTN products and services.

    On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of students and passersby gathered around the Pulse Invasion Surprise Celebrity Venue to watch curiously, for what would happen. Their curiosity was sated when Falz walked into the school to meet a screaming audience waiting for him. He performed chart toppers and the screams of excitement continued throughout the show. The love for the star was apparent when he handed over his jacket to a fan in the audience who wore it like a badge of honour.

  • Fees’ hike row at UNILORIN, LAUTECH

    The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), have reversed themselves on new fees following a meeting with students’ leaders. KABIR ADEJUMO and FADLULLAH AZEEZ report.

    Students were shocked when the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) increased their tuition and administrative fees. At Unilorin, the 100 percent hike affected all faculties, but the amount to be paid by each faculty varies. The school described the increment as “slight adjustment”, urging students to comply with the development

    However, Students’ Union Government (SUG) President Seyi Animashaun said no students would not pay.

    The SUG leader said: “What we have woken up to is rather unexpected, shocking and challenging. This cannot stand. I have called an emergency meeting with all the Students’ Union executives and all faculties’ presidents. We shall release a comprehensive report after.”

    Students took to Twitter to protest the  increment and called on the management to revert to the old fees.

    The management denied that the increment was 100 per cent, saying the review was a ‘slight adjustment’ to previous charges.

    A statement by the school’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Kunle Akogun, said: “We wish to put the record straight and assure our ever responsible students of the management’s good intentions. The University of Ilorin, in line with Federal Government’s policy, does not charge tuition fees.

    “What we have here is university charges and faculty charges. The items that make up the charges are simply fundamental and basic. For instance, examinations remain sacrosanct, same for provision of state-of-the-art health and library facilities, in addition to stable electricity and uninterrupted water supply.”

    Akogun added that the implication of the increment was that, what was obtainable about 12 years ago could no longer sustain the university currently.

    He said: “It should be pointed out that even with the slight adjustment in charges, UNILORIN is still among the lowest (if not the very lowest) charging federal universities in the country. This can be confirmed by comparing statistics of what is payable in other universities.”

    To ensure the increment did not degenerate into a crisis, the management called a meeting with the SUG and faculty presidents to discuss possible harmonisation of the fees.

    The hoopla generated by the increment was laid to rest after the meeting at which a compromise was reached by the management and students.

    The meeting, which lasted for more than six hours, was attended by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academics, Prof Sylvia Malomo, bursar, Mr Abiodun Saka,  Akogun, representative of the Registrar, Prof M.A. Oladosu, Dean and Sub-Dean of Students’ Affairs Unit, others.

    At the meeting, Prof Malomo said the fee review was necessary because of the economic situation in the country. She explained that the school spent about N360 million on electricity yearly, and N50million to fuel the generating set powering the school. According to her, N50million is dispensed to maintain infrastructure, among other expenses.

    She said: “We have tried to carry on, but we cannot continue in the face of increased expenditure.”

    After the management insisted that the previous charges could not be maintained, the students’ leaders proposed a five per cent increment, but the school objected.

    An agreement on 15 per cent increment was later reached at the meeting. The management said the review would be communicated to all stakeholders.

    A resolution was also reached at the meeting that faculties’ presidents should meet with deans to negotiate either reversal or reduction in faculty charges.

    The meeting was concluded with a promise from the management of a positive feedback in due time.

    While the UNILORIN students were awaiting the final announcement on the fees, the negotiation between the management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) and SUG leaders also ended on a positive note. The school reviewed the new fees downward.

    “We are done with the meeting and it is positive,” LAUTECH Students’ Union president, Oluwaseun Abiodun, said in a text message to our correspondent.

    Under the new fees regime, 300- to 500-Levels students who are Oyo and Osun states will now pay N90,000, while non-indigenes on the same levels will pay N100,000. The fees for those in 200-Level remain N120,000 for indigenes and N150,000 for non-indigenes. Fresh students of Oyo and Osun states’ origin will pay N140,000, while non-indigenes will pay N170,000.

    LAUTECH, last July, announced fees increment, raising the amount to be paid by indigenes and non-indigenes to N200,000 and N250,000 from N63,500 and N72,500.

    The announcement led to a series of protests on Ogbomoso and Osogbo campuses.

    The owner states’ governments distanced themselves from the decision to increase the fees.

    It was against that backdrop that the management met students’ leaders last Friday.

    Before the increment, the school was shut down for months by workers over poor funding. The school introduced fees increment as part of the options to improve internally-generated revenue.

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Sunday Adewale, confirmed the fees have  been slashed.

    “Yes, that’s true. The fees have been reduced,”he said in a telephone conversation with our correspondent.

    A member of the LAUTECH Governing Council and president of the alumni association, Solomon Onilede, described the development as positive.

    He said: “It is a positive one. I actually facilitated the meeting between management and students’ leaders. As president of the alumni union and a member of the university council, I believe we have to wade in and save our heritage. If everyone is tired, we can’t be tired. We have to play our part to resolve the issue.”

    One of the students’ leaders, Isreal Fawole, said although the demand by students was complete reversal, they accepted the reviewed fees “in order to ensure justice is done to all parties and to maintain the standard of the school.”

    The SUG leaders appealed to the owner states to “be more responsive to their responsibilities to the school.”

    The meeting had in attendance representatives of the parents’ forum, Ogbomoso leaders, Governing Council members, alumni association leaders and students’ leaders.

  • UNILORIN don wins national award

    A professor of English at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and President, Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), Olu Obafemi, has been named the sole winner of this year’s Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) award in the Humanities category.

    Chairman, Governing Board of the Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA), Prof Shekarau Yakubu Aku, said that out of about 35 nominations, only Obafemi met all the criteria set out for the award.

    President Muhammadu Buhari will confer the prestigious award on Obafemi during the annual Forum of NNOM in Abuja on December 6, 2018.

    Aku explained that the award is a separate Order of Dignity in the highest Academic Honours in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, technology and humanities, including arts and culture.

    Obafemi described the award as “very humbling and a great honour, for which I am grateful to the President through the NNMA”.

    The award is coming about four months after two of the university’s Professors of Law, Wahab Egbewole and Muhammed Akanbi, were elevated to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) rank by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).

    On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, said he was happy for the national recognition for a member of staff of the university.

    “This is not the first time that Prof Obafemi would be making waves in the national arena; he has always been a shining star for the University of Ilorin and we congratulate him for bringing this honour to us.

    “Coming on the heels of the recent elevation of two of our Law Professors to the rank of SAN, Prof. Obafemi’s award is another manifestation of the excellence that the University of Ilorin is known for,” he said.

    Obafemi was a former Director of Research, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru-Jos.  He had, at different times, served as the Head of some professional bodies such as Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA) and the Society of Nigeria Theatre Association (SONTA).

    A prolific literary and journalistic writer, the 2018 NNOM laureate has many professional books and academic journal articles to his credit apart from his regular column in national newspapers and magazine publications.

  • Expert advises parents to educate their children on sex

    Dr. Fatimoh Lah of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has advised parents on the need to start educating their children and wards on sex from ages 13 to 18.

    Lah made the call while delivering a lecture organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Resource Builders Initiative, in Ilorin on Saturday.

    In her lecture entitled: “The menace of sexual harassment and teenage pregnancy in our society”, she observed that some parents in Nigeria see sex education as an attempt to damage the moral conscience of a child.

    “As a parent, if you fail to teach your children what they ought to know at home, surely they would be taught outside, which could even be late,” she said.

    Lah further urged teenage girls to always seek redress at the appropriate quarters anytime they are sexually harassed.

    According to her, pre-marital pregnancy in Nigeria is the highest in sub-Sahara Africa.

    Speaking earlier at the occasion, the Founder of Resource Builders Initiative, Mr Abdullahi Abdulrazak, said pre-marital pregnancy among school age girls has been blamed largely on the prevalent poverty in the country.

    He said that the level of poverty in Nigeria would have been reduced minimally if emphasis had been placed on sensitizing the teenage girls on time.

    “It is unfortunate that while parents, who are low income earners, could hardly meet up with the economic well- being of their children; the uninformed girls would compound the family’s woes through unwanted pregnancy.

    “This vicious cycle would definitely revolve to the next generation, because an uninformed mother will beget illiterate children,” he said.

    Abdulrazak stressed the urgent need for government at all levels to incorporate sex education into the school curriculum, so as to tutor the teenagers on the danger inherent in pre-marital sex.

  • Rumpus over UNILORIN’s ‘outrageous convocation fee’

    Is convocation fee of N20,800 mandated on graduands of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) a last-minute extortion by the school? This is a question graduating students of the school want management to answer as they alleged introduction of the fee was a way being used by the school to “extort” them.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the school mandated all the graduating students to pay the N20,800 before they could be allowed to attend their convocation, which starts next Tuesday.

    The students wondered why the school made the payment of the fee compulsory, noting that convocation should be optional and should not be made forced on students.

    The students particularly protested the list of items for which the money was meant, pointing out that they only needed two items in the list.

    The breakdown of the fee showed that each graduating student is to pay N2,000 for convocation gown and order of proceedings, N5,500 for transcript, N400 for the convocation video to be burn on compact disc, N1,400 for muffler, N2,500 for certificate folder, N5,000 for certificate and N2,000 as administrative charges.

    Master’s and post-graduate students are to pay for the same items, but with an increased administrative charges of N500 which raised the fee to N21,300 for the post-graduate graduands.

    The graduating students rejected the fees, telling the school not to burden them with “needless charges” after paying their final school fees. The students wondered why the school is asking them to pay for certificates and transcripts, while also querying the logic behind the directive mandating them to pay for certificate jackets.

    The graduating students also raised objection on the price tag on each item in the list, alleging the management deliberately increased the cost to extort them.

    Last year, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that graduands paid N12,000 for all the listed items in the convocation package. Going by the breakdown of last year’s convocation fee, N2,000 was paid for convocation gown, N2,000 for order of proceeding, N5,500 for transcript, N1,100 for muffler, N400 for convocation VCD, and N1,000 as administrative charges. No graduand paid for certificates last year.

    While the graduating students are yet to understand reasons to pay for their certificates, they are also curious to know why the school mandated them to pay administrative charges.

    A graduating student, who simply gave his name as Miftaudeen, said: “We don’t know what the ‘administrative charges’ is meant for. The school didn’t explain to us why it is charging us for administrative assignment for which the Federal Government is paying their salaries. I personally question this item. Why should graduands be asked to pay for administrative task? The reason for the convocation fee and its increment remains unknown to us.”

    The graduating students also accused the school of extorting them when they were asked to pay N2,500 to bind their final year projects. UNILORIN, it was gathered, forcibly centralised binding of project and introduce penalty for final year students who failed to pay for the “unsolicited” service.

    Before the school took over the business of binding students’ projects, individual students, on their own, usually got their projects banded by commercial printers within and outside the campus at cheap rate. It costs N400 to bind a copy of the project, while students pay N1,600 to bind four copies, which are expected to be submitted.

    Students protested when the school announced the cost of binding the project work. The project binding cost, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, was later reduced to N2,000 after complaints by the graduating students.

    Commercial printers around the campus also complained that the school action deprived them of their trade.

    The aggrieved graduands took to social media to express their grievances at what they described as “outrageous convocation fee”. They said the convocation fee was higher than the national minimum wage, describing the fee as “a daylight robbery”.

    The students created two hash tags – #UnilorinDaylightRobbery and #UnilorinEnoughisEnough – on Twitter to channel their complaints.

    Kanayo Bobby wrote: “I don’t understand why we need to pay N20,800 when we are leaving the school. Are we going to receive lectures after graduating from the school? When I told my dad that we are asked to pay N20,800 for convocation, he asked if I was owing school fees. Enough of this official extortion.”

    A student named Afeez, wrote: “UNILORIN used to be known to trend for good reasons, that is learning and character. But now, it is trending for extortion. N20,800? That’s so much for convocation. The school management should kindly cut these ridiculous charges and save itself of ignominy. It is a daylight robbery.”

    Mumeen Tosho wrote: “Minimum wage is still fixed at N18,000. National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members” monthly allowance is just N19,800, but UNILORIN convocation fee is N20,800. Are we paying another school fees again or what?”

    The graduating students also criticised the school for its failure to send their names for National Youth Service.

    A graduating student, who gave his name as Teslim, wrote: “UNILORIN is printing our certificates abroad for over N68 million. The school has been extorting me for five years now. We can’t even register for the ongoing NYSC Batch C registration because the management is yet to submit our names for National Youth Service.”

    An alumnus wrote: “Imagine if unilorin eventually succed with this extortion attempt. N21,000 per graduating student multiplied by 8,000 granduands; that is roughly N192 million. For who? Enough is enough.”

    Reacting, UNILORIN’s Director of Information, Mr Kunle Akogun, described the students’ allegation as “baseless”, saying the convocation was not newly introduced as being speculated by the graduating students.

    He said the fee was only “reasonably increased” from N18,000 paid by graduands last year to N20,800.

    He said: “Those complaining about the fee should look at the breakdown and show us how the school is extorting them. The certificates are being printed outside the country to improve the security feature on the document. I wonder why they said the school should not ask them to pay for certificate. This is a culture in an academic environment and UNILORIN is not acting strange in this regard. Also, administrative charges are paid every year by graduands.”

  • Court frowns at delay in Senator’s trial over fake university

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has frowned at the delay by the conduct of the defences case in the ongoing trial of Senator David Iornem, accused of operating an illegal university.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed noted on Tuesday that the defence has spent four different adjournments in cross-examining the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, (a key prosecution witness), without concluding.

    Justice Mohammed said: “Taking into account his status in the society and his age, I am not comfortable that this witness is being called for the fourth time only for cross examination purposes. I will not condone this delay.”

    The judge spoke at the resumption of proceedings on Tuesday, shortly after Oloyede entered the witness box and complained of ill health.

    Defence lawyer, Chris Alashi, tendered copies of some papers and lectures authored by Oloyede after the witness identified the works as some of those he had done.

    Alashi later applied to tender the documents in evidence, an application Sogunle objected to on the grounds that the documents are computer generated and that the defence has not complied with the condition laid down in Section 84 of Evidence Act, 2011.

    Alashi however argued that the witness identified all the document, without stating that they are computer generated. But that he only made such insinuation in respect of one of the documents.

    He noted that the court had earlier admitted the documents, which it marked PL5, an observation Sogunle faulted and stated that while the documents were earlier admitted under Section 83 of the Electoral Act, his current objection is based on Section 84 of the Electoral Act.

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    Justice Mohammed later adjourned to December 12 for ruling.

    Senator Iornem (also a Professor) is being tried by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a three-count charge in which he is accused of allegedly operating an illegal university and obtaining under false pretense.

    In his earlier testimony, Oloyede gave an account of how the defendant attempt to dupe him of $11,550 by proposing to award him a doctorate degree at $11,550 in 2012.

    Oloyede, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said, but that because he was conversant with the university system all over the world, he knew that the offer was not only fake, but also dubious.

    The witness said he was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin at the time the incident happened. He added that the steps he took thereafter led to the defendant’s arrest and on-going prosecution.

    Oloyede said: “When I was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and also, the Chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, I got a letter from Prof. David Iornem, offering me a professional and academic doctorate degree for the sum of $11,550.

    “I suspected that it was not proper for an academic and professional doctorate degree to be so awarded without any application.
    “I did not apply and therefore considered the offer unethical. I later wrote to the regulator of universities, the Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC). And I attached the letter I received from the Commonwealth University.

    “My intention was to ensure that the NUC investigate to establish the propriety or impropriety of the action.

    “The degree he (Prof. Iornem) offered to award me was a professional and academic degree of Commonwealth University, Belize.
    “From exposure, I have about four decades of university life as a teacher and I am very familiar with university system all over the world.

    “ I also suspected, given my position in the university globally, I suspected that that university was non-existent,” Oloyede said.

  • 2019 elections: Ambode urges religious groups to champion peace

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Sunday appealed to religious bodies to help to ensure that the 2019 general elections were conducted peacefully through constant prayers for the country.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the call at a Muslim Leaders Interactive Forum.

    The forum was organised by the Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) with the theme,  “Make Your Life Count: Unity of Muslim Ummah in Focus”.

    He said that religious organisations by their standing in society had enormous responsibility in ensuring that peace prevailed in their communities.

    According to him, religious bodies could impress upon their members on the need to eschew all forms of electoral violence during the elections.

    “There is the need for religious bodies and leaders to educate the people on the need for political tolerance to promote peace and tranquility before, during and after the elections,” he said.

    Ambode also expressed appreciation for the efforts made by religious bodies in supporting his administration and maintaining peaceful coexistence in the state.

    Also, Prof, Tajudeen Gbadamosi, President, MCLS, assured that the Muslim community in the country would play a significant role in the country’s bid to ensure a peace during and after the elections.

    “We are close to an election year. We know the peculiarities of this period — hate and inflammatory speeches as well as consequent killings and other damnable actions in the religious and social spheres.

    “As a religious group, we have a duty to ensure peace and harmony,” he said.

    In his lecture entitled, “Unity Among Muslims”, Shaykh Muslihudeen Kalejaye, said Islam was a religion that tolerated other religions and ordered its followers to respect and protect all humans.

    “Where there is no unity, it will bring about disruption, devastation and disputes,” he said.

    Also speaking, Dr Ridwan Olagunju of the Department of Islamic Law, University of Ilorin, urged all religious bodies to continue to pray for the peace of the country.

    Olagunju urged the Muslim faithful to adhere to the tenets of Islam as well as do good to make their life count.

    He also appealed to government at all levels to sought the advice of religious leaders in policy formulation.