₦airaland Forum

The strike action embarked on by Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba Lagos has entered its fourth week.

The doctors, who began the action on July 31, are protesting what they called “severe lack of doctors to provide seamless delivery of mental health services

The association’s Executive Committee reviewed the action on August 19 following key stakeholders’ intervention.

After deliberations, the resident doctors, in a statement on Wednesday, resolved to continue with the strike.

They are demanding “standard mental health care for our clients and quality work experience for our overworked doctors”.

They vowed the strike would continue “until such a time the hospital management deems it fit to meet our singular demand”.

The statement reads: “The hospital management is insensitive to the plight of over 535 in-patients and 220 outpatients daily who now receive suboptimal, if not pernicious, mental health service in the 20 days that this industrial action has been allowed to fester without goal-directed interventions

“The hospital management has blatantly refused to replace the annual exit of resident doctors for the past four years.
"Instead, they have let patient load and clinical work increase significantly for hapless resident doctors whose health and academic pursuits have suffered irreparably.

“In light of the above, the hospital management’s insistence on employing only five locum doctors is highly provocative of our demands.

“It hardly improves the status quo which already puts overworked resident doctors at the brink of academic failure, health challenges and malpractice suits.”

Vowing to continue with the strike until their demand is met, they urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene.

“To this end, we call on Nigerian citizens and the Presidency under the leadership of President Buhari to prevail on the hospital management to do the needful in line with the Next Level Agenda of this administration,” the statemenservices."

https://thenationonlineng.net/yaba-psychiatric-doctors-strike-enters-fourth-week/

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed replacements for Sunday Dare, Sharon Ikeazor, and other heads of government agencies recently listed as ministers.

According to a statement signed by Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Adeleke Moronfolu Adewolu was appointed to replace Dare at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Adewolu is a member of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), a party employed by former governor Ibikunle Amosun, to rival the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state at the governorship poll.

"Sen. Basheer Garba Mohammed has been appointed Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. He replaces Sadiya Umar Farouk,” the statement read.

“Dr. Chioma Ejikeme has been appointed Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, replacing Sharon O. Ikeazor, while Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi is now Director General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency.

“For Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), President Buhari has forwarded Adeleke Moronfolu Adewolu’s name to the Senate for confirmation as replacement for Sunday Akin Dare.”

The appointments take effect, immediately.

Amosun’s APM lost the guber poll to Dapo Abiodun of the APC.

Adewolu was special assistant to former senate president Ken Nnamani, on legal and legislative matters (2005-2007) and commissioner in Amosun’s cabinet.

Up until his appointment at NCC, Sunday Dare was a spokesperson for Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the APC.

https://www.thecable.ng/buhari-appoints-amosuns-ally-to-replace-sunday-dare-at-ncc
Lalasticlala
Mynd44

Administrative activities in public universities across the country were paralysed, yesterday, as non-teaching staff began the nationwide five-day warning strike.

The workers, operating under the aegis of Joint Action committee (JAC), are asking the Federal Government to release N30 billion for the payment of earned allowances for members in public universities.

The striking workers are also demanding the re-negotiating of 2009 agreement with Federal Government and integrating of University primary school teachers into government payroll.

National President of SSANU, Mr. Samson Ugwoke, had said members of the unions had been fully mobilised to ensure total compliance to the five-day warning strike.

“We are fully ready for the strike, and there is no going back on that. The strike is going to be total from Monday, August 19 to Friday, August 23.

“We had given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to meet our demands, but it elapsed with nothing coming forth from the side of government,’’ the unionist warned.

At the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, the local chapter of SSANU and NASU participated in the action.

The OAU SSANU chairman, Ademola Oketunde, said the union bodies had no option than to comply with the directive of the Joint Action Congress (JAC) Chairman, Mr. Samson Ugwoke, to participate in the industrial action.

One of the state staff who spoke to Daily Sun on condition of anonymity said they were directed by the leadership of the union to go back home in compliance with the directives of the National Body.

In Ibadan, Mr. Wale Akinremi, SSANU chairman said there was 95 per cent compliance on the strike while Mr. Malachy Etim, NASU chairman UI, said members of the union were eager to comply.

“If there is any lecture going on, it is the work of the lecturers as teaching is not our responsibility. We have locked some classrooms but some lecturers have the key, so they can open them.

“But offices are under lock. We are telling the Federal Government that failure to call us to a roundtable, we will declare an indefinite strike and close down all the universities,” he said.

The action also paralysed business activities at the two campuses of the University of Benin. By 8am yesterday, the monitoring team set up by NASU was on ground to ensure offices were not opened and those already opened shut.

At the entrance gate of the Ugbowo main campus of the university, only one of the gates was open for vehicles entering and coming out, resulting in a gridlock that stretched into the Benin- Lagos road.

At the Ekenwan Campus ,only security men at the gate were at their duty posts as many of the other staff were seen relaxing at the school’s staff club.

Chairman of NASU, Anthony Igbinosa expressed satisfaction with the way his members were united, describing the strike as ‘fight for a common course’.

Though the strike did not prevent students from attending classes, they, however, complained of lack of water in their hostels as NASU members were not on duty to pump water for them nor put on the school generator when public light went off.

The situation was not different at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

The branch chairman of SSANU and JAC, Franklin Matthews, said the strike is expected to be total and comprehensive involving the school bursary, drivers, cleaners as well as security operatives of the school who are members of the union.

Also, the NASU branch chairman, Samuel Iwuala disclosed that a task force has been set up to adequately ensure a strict compliance.

However, there was little sign of the strike in the Main Campus of Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State, as most of the non-teaching staff were seen moving around their offices while movement at Senate building building was unrestricted. At the Institute of Administration, Congo Campus, staff reported in their offices and carried-out official duty.

But the branch chairman of SSANU, Mr. Iliyasu. A. Bello, said: “We’ll start tomorrow (today), we are using today (yesterday) to mobilise our members who were returning from Sallah break.”

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/strike-grounds-nations-varsities/
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Osun State government has declared today, Tuesday, August 20, public holiday for traditional worshipers in the state, tagged it ‘ Isese Day’.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Supervisor, Ministry of Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Obawale Adebisi, the copy which was made available to newsmen in Osogbo, the Osun State capital on Monday.

According to the statement, traditional worshipers in the state were enjoined to use the occasion of the celebration to pray for the state government for a special grace to take the state to a greater height.

It also charged them to be vigilant and peaceful during the festival and never hesitate to fish out and hand criminal elements among them over to law enforcement agencies.

” We enjoin the traditional worshipers to pray for the State Government and other stakeholders who are saddled with the responsibilities of moving the state to the next level to accomplish the task ahead.

” We also implore them to be peaceful and law abiding in the course of their celebration.

” Worshippers must not hesitate to report suspected hoodlums in their domains to the law enforcement agencies, as we urge hem to continue to support the government by exercising their civil responsibility through prompt payment of taxes and levies and live in harmony with other religious worshippers to allow the government to concentrate on the development of the state”, the statement read.

https://dailypost.ng/2019/08/20/osun-govt-declares-tuesday-public-holiday-traditional-worshipers/

Lauryn41:
Cruisetopia needs to be up

I want Diane and Jackie out

Supported and stamped....

This Esther and Frodd god na big god oooooo

It is now five months that nothing has been heard about Moses Adeleke, a pastor with the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel) in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents.

Oyeleke was abducted on March 13, 2019 together with his assistant, Abraham Amuta, a national youth corps member, along Chibok road.

The two were said to be members of a committee set up by the church to distribute relief materials to internally displaced persons (IDPs). They were abducted while engaging with the IDPs.

The abduction of these two has attracted no public outcry, neither has it received any media attention. It would appear they have been abandoned to fate.

The two men joined hundreds of other Nigerian citizens with unknown identities held in captivity by the Boko Haram insurgent.

Checks by TheCable revealed that the government is engaged in negotiations with the insurgents using several individuals in the north-east.

But a top government official said “there is no sense of urgency in any of these talks as if precious human lives are not at risk”.

Also, security sources told TheCable that the insurgents “don’t seem to be making the kind of compromises that would normally lead to a breakthrough in a matter of this nature, a development government finds unhelpful”.

POLICE, GOVERNMENT NOT FORTHCOMING

Speaking with TheCable at the weekend, Ruth Oyeleke, the kidnapped pastor’s wife, said nothing has been heard about efforts made to secure the release of her husband.

She told TheCable that the police have not been forthcoming with information regarding any progress made as the senior pastor of her church has been in touch with them.

She said the pastor of her parish, members of the church as well as family members have been helpful and supportive “in these trying times”.

“They are doing their best; they have really been trying their best,” she said.

“Our pastor and church members have been very helpful. They have been the ones around me. We have not heard anything from the police and government and our senior pastor has been the one in touch with them. They are not forthcoming with any information about what they are doing to help my husband.

“The pastor and members of the church that have been with me. They pray with me, encourage me to be hopeful; they are really trying.

“They pay me salary when they pay others which I have been using to take care of myself and our two children.”

Asked if there is an assurance that her husband will be released, she replied: “I believe in God. I trust in him, he was the one who called and sent my husband. And I know he has not abandoned him. I trust in him to bring my husband back; I’m holding on to my faith.”

When TheCable contacted Usman Usmobik, PPRO of the state command, he said he would get back as soon as he gets “clearance”.

David Oyedepo, founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide recently placed curses on the killers of Jeremiah Omolewa, a resident pastor of the church in Romi New Extension, a suburb of Kaduna.

Omolewa was travelling with his wife, Oluwakemi, and son to Abuja when he was shot dead.

While his son escaped, the gunmen took his widow into the forest and contacted the family to demand a ransom of N50 million.

She was later released but there was no confirmation if any ransom was paid.

https://www.thecable.ng/fate-of-two-winners-chapel-pastors-unknown-five-months-after-abduction

Parading the criminals at its headquarters, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Ilyasu, stated that the IG’s Operation Puff Adder is paying off in the state as the command is making breakthrough in crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, car snatching, currency counterfeiting and drug abuse.

Among those paraded were those who allegedly invaded the house of a police inspector attached to Kano state police Command and killed him with machete as the ring leaders were also arrested.

They had at the wee hours of Thursday stormed the residence of the Police Inspector at Sabuwar.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/kano-police-parade-suspected-166-robbers-kidnappers-others/

Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State chapter, Joe Igbokwe, has described himself as a Nigerian and not belonging to any ethnic group.

Igbokwe, who stated this yesterday at the House of Assembly during the screening of the last batch of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s cabinet-nominees, lampooned those he described as ethnic bigots.

He hinted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was the reason for the attitude of easterners in the state during the last general election.

Lagos should take the lead and be more open to other ethnic groups by giving them political appointments, he asserted.

He said, “I’m proudly Nigerian; I don’t know about east, west, north or south. I have been in Lagos since 1985. My children were born here. It’s high time we started building this country.

“I get angry when people mention ethnicity. A young Nigerian lady was just made a minister in Britain. If I become the president of this country, nobody is going to fill form and put his state of origin. That’s the first thing I will do. It is when you take people for who they are that is when they will release their energy for the good of the country. One day, Nigerians will say, we are all Nigerians.

“The reason for the attitude of easterners in Lagos at the last election was because Peter Obi was on the ballot. If Atiku had won, he would be the vice president.

“If 70 to 75 per cent of a particular people dominate a region, they should be encouraged. If they don’t get council chairman, at least make them deputy. What Igbo people have in Lagos, they don’t have a quarter of it in their land. If you see anybody that is doing well in the South East, he must have a thriving business in Lagos.


https://m.guardian.ng/politics/i-belong-to-no-ethnic-group-says-joe-igbokwe/

Fire broke out in Bisi Ogunjobi Lane, off Ladoke Akintola Street GRA Ikeja this evening beside Greenville Schools, Ikeja Lagos state.

Thick fog of smoke enveloped everywhere as residents tried to put out the inferno.

It was gathered that a bus which had come to supply diesel to the school caught fire.

The Lagos State Fire Service later came after residents had channelled their efforts using fire extinguishers.

Policemen were also at the scene of the outbreak as residents trooped out en masse to either help or just watch.

No life was lost as there were also no casualty recorded.


https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-panic-as-fire-guts-building-in-ikeja/
Oam4j lalasticlala mynd44

The National Youth Service Corps has said that only 4,644,808 Nigerians have participated in the scheme since inception in 1973.

The NYSC Director-General, Brig-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, stated this on Thursday at an ongoing press conference in Abuja, noting that the scheme had been able to achieve national unity and integration.

The DG added that 1,132,409 corps members had also been equipped with Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development package of the scheme.

Details later...


https://punchng.com/breaking-4-6m-nigerians-have-participated-in-nysc-says-dg/amp/

The chairman of Bunu Hunters in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Caleb Oshe and his son have been killed.

Oshe and his son, Sunday, were reportedly killed by gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday.

The state government has condemned the killing, saying those behind it will be apprehended and made to face the law.

In a statement through the Director General of Media and Publicity to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Yahaya Bello described the killings as unacceptable.

He called for restraint, saying that “security agencies have been deployed to ensure the arrest of the murderers”.

Details shortly…

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-head-hunter-son-killed-in-kogi/
Lalasticlala
Mynd44
Oam4j

Abia State Government has faulted claims of the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Uchenna Obigwe, with regards to workers’ emoluments in the state, describing some comments by Obigwe as distortions and falsehood, stressing that government was not owing workers in its ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs any salary.

The state Commissioner for Information, Chief John Kalu, said Obigwe was either ignorant of laws by the state House of Assembly or he is playing politics with workers’ salaries.

According to Okiyi, “our attention has been drawn to a statement and a flurry of radio interviews granted by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Chairman in Abia State, Uchenna Obigwe, supposedly on behalf of organised labour, with regard to the state of workers’ emoluments.

"We agree that a labourer deserves his wages and, hence, have worked very hard to prioritise workers’ emoluments in the state. Abia State government is not owing workers in its ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, any salary.

“Statutorily, these are workers paid directly by the state government and they constitute more than 70 percent of the state workforce.

"NLC leadership at both state and national levels confirmed that workers in our MDAs are not being owed salaries and we make bold to state that they have already received July salaries.

“According to existing laws made by the state House of Assembly, the state government does not pay workers in state parastatals as the management of those parastatals are permitted by law to make, retain and use their revenue to pay their workers as and when due.

“State parastatals also do not remit any portion of their revenue to the state government’s consolidated revenue account unlike the MDAs. Rather, the state government provides support to parastatals from time to time through the payment of subventions, which are not necessarily meant to be used for salary payments.

"If organised labour, led by Obigwe, is asking the state government to directly pay salaries of workers in parastatals, then they should be bold enough to approach the state House of Assembly to amend the relevant laws to ensure that such parastatals remit their revenues to the state coffers so the state can assume full responsibility for paying workers in those parastatals.

“It is on record that this administration has made several interventions to help pay parastatals workers, including paying workers of ABSUTH 11 months’ salary arrears in 2015, payment of N2 billion debt of Abia Poly, payment of months of subventions to all the ailing parastatals in the state among others.”

Okiyi, however, acknowledged that “we have unpaid salaries with secondary school teachers. It is important to state that it is not true that they have continuously not been paid since October 2018. In December 2018, February, March, May and June 2019, when they received two months’ arrears, we verifiably made payments to secondary school teachers.

“It is also important to note that it is only in Abia that the state government pays junior and secondary school teachers.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/salaries-nlc-chairman-either-ignorant-of-relevant-laws-or-playing-politics-abia-gov

Gunmen have abducted the Provost College of Education , Katsina Ala, Tsavwua Gborigyo.

The provost was said to be travelling on Kwande – Vandeikya road when the gunmen waylaid his car and forcefully took him to an unknown location.

At press time the management of the college said his abductors were yet to open discussion with the family.

Katsina Ala is located in Benue north east senatorial zone and had been under armed bandits, who kill and rob with reckless abandon in the last three years.

Despite the heavy presence of men and officers of Operation Whir Stroke (Army troops) at road blocks in the yam town, criminal activities have been unabated.

Kidnapping, armed robbers and killings have become daily occurrences in Katsina Ala town .

The Nation gathered that most Igbo traders have relocated to other safe areas for business.

Police spokesperson Kate Anene confirmed the report and said investigations had commenced into the incident.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thenationonlineng.net/gunmen-abduct-college-provost-in-benue/amp/
Lalasticlala mynd44 oam4j

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, South South Nigeria, has announced the capture of notorious cultists, Bobrisky who was declared wanted on Thursday.

The governor had placed N30 million reward for the capture of Bobrisky and the Nigerian Army captured him on Friday.

Wike had on Thursday promised to give N30 million to anyone who will give useful information that will lead to the arrest of those who killed a Director with the Rivers State Government during the Choba crisis and a notorious criminal called Bobrisky in Gokana Local Government Area.

However, on Friday, Wike disclosed during a security meeting with leaders of Rumuolumeni Community at the Government House Port Harcourt, that the Nigerian Army had captured Bobrisky.

According to him, “the Army has captured Bobrisky of Gokana. I will pay the bounty that I promised to the Nigerian Army. Anyone who generates insecurity in Rivers State, I am ready to pay any amount to ensure the arrest of that person.”

The governor appealed to community leaders to give useful information to the State Security Council on criminals in their communities for the security agencies to act frontally to reduce crime.

Wike lamented that Rumuolumeni had become one of the flashpoints in the state, where criminals use the waterway as a getaway point, urging the people to cooperate with the state government to check the activities of cult groups and insecurity in the area.

Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mustapha Dandaura said almost all communities have been overrun by cultists, adding that security agencies would not allow the situation to degenerate.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/08/09/breaking-nigerian-army-has-captured-bobrisky-wike/amp/

Inter Milan have signed Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United for a club record fee of 80m euros (£74m) on a five-year deal.

Lukaku, 26, scored 42 goals in 96 games for United but leaves just two years after his £75m move from Everton.

He becomes the third most expensive signing by a Serie A club after the Juventus duo of Cristiano Ronaldo (£99.2m) and Gonzalo Higuain (£75.3m).

"Inter were the only club I wanted," said Lukaku.

"I'm here to bring the Nerazzurri back to the top."

Lukaku scored 15 goals in 45 games for United last season but was often overlooked in favour of England striker Marcus Rashford by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He did not feature in any of United's pre-season games, with Solskjaer saying the player had an ankle injury.

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez said earlier this summer Lukaku "had to leave" the Premier League club, with Inter boss Antonio Conte indicating the ex-Blues striker was his top transfer priority.


https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49146040
lalasticlala Dominique

Seventeen aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) members of Bauchi Assembly sworn into office last Friday following reconciliation with their colleagues have renounced their inauguration.

They made the decision after meeting with President Buhari.

The lawmakers were led to the meeting by Hon. Kawuwa Shehu Damina, who had earlier laid claim to the Speakership of the Assembly.

He and his aggrieved colleagues sheathed their swords and accepted Abubakar Suleiman, who was elected by 11 members at a previous inauguration of the House as Speaker.

The 31-member Bauchi Assembly is comprised of 22 APC members; eight Peoples Democratic Party members and eight New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) members.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with Buhari, the lawmakers said they no longer abide by the reconciliation they reached with their colleagues and the State Governor, five days earlier.

Speaking on their behalf, Damina said they demand a fresh proclamation for inauguration of the Assembly so that a new Speaker can be elected.

Damina said: “The purpose of our coming to see Mr. President is at the instance of our party.

“So we came to brief him on what is happening in the Bauchi State House of Assembly since the purported inauguration which as you are all aware, two leaderships emerged. Primarily he (the President) was fully briefed directly from us.”

Asked what the true situation was having been inaugurated earlier, he said, “The situation is as it is now because in Arithmetic, there is nothing that will make 11 to be greater than 20; and later that 11 grew to 13. So that is the position.”

On how they intend to resolve this issue, he said: “Let me clearly state that this is not about any individual.

“All what we from the APC are asking for is a sane institution irrespective of who emerges as a leader.

“All we are saying is that the right thing based on constitutional provisions should be done – with a proclamation issued, specifying date, time and venue should be announced.

“Once that is done election should be conducted and whoever emerges as leader, fine and good.”

He added: “If you are following the event where parallel leadership emerged, our senior colleagues at the National Assembly threw a motion by one representative from Bauchi, which resulted in its adoption and later setting up a committee.

“They even visited Bauchi and reported back to the plenary for the House of Representatives, which already a decision was taken, given a four weeks ultimatum to the State Governor within which to issue a fresh proclamation for proper inauguration of the state assembly to take place.

“So we have briefed Mr President being the leader of our party and father of the country and a custodian of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended, to seek his advice.”

Asked the position of the constitution regarding proclamation and if it was right to make proclamation two times, the factional speaker said: “I don’t want to go into the details. But what actually happened was, on the day the initial proclamation was made was for a date which was Thursday, a time of 10am and a venue of the House of Assembly Chambers.

“All of us especially of the APC were ready in compliance with the invitation. We arrived in the chamber at 7:53am and to our dismay as at the time of our arrival, 11 out of the 31 members of the Assembly members were already there and had conducted election for the speaker and other principal officers.

“So what we did since the invitation letter was reading 10am, we decided to wait in the chamber. But unfortunately just as we were trying to wait at the chamber, a teargas was released forcing us to leave the chamber and one of us who is an asthmatic patient was affected and rushed to hospital.

“What we did was to comply with the constitutional provisions of waiting for 10 o’clock which we did.

“We gave an additional time of one hour to see if the governor and other members would come so we can do the needful but they didn’t so we conducted our elections. That is how the second parallel leadership emerged.”

https://thenationonlineng.net/bauchi-assembly-crisis-escalates-as-apc-lawmakers-renounce-peace-pact/

MANCHESTER UNITED have accepted Inter Milan’s £77million bid for Romelu Lukaku and the striker has jetted off the Italy to sign the final documents.

Inter Milan head coach Antonio Conte made Lukaku his No 1 target at the start of the transfer window and he is on the verge of landing his man.

Inter had a number of bids knocked back by Manchester United as they held out until their valuation was met.

The Red Devils will receive £65m up front with £12m in add-ons.

Lukaku was allowed to train with Anderlecht in his native Belgium earlier this week while his future was sorted.

That allowed Inter back into the fold and they are hoping to get the deal over the line in the next 24 hours.


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1162944/Man-Utd-Romelu-Lukaku-Inter-Milan-transfer-news-gossip-rumours/amp
Lalasticlala
Dominique

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11667/11779538/romelu-lukaku-inter-milan-close-to-signing-man-utd-striker-after-77m-bid

Tunde Bakare, Kingsley Moghalu, senator Chukwuka Utazi talked about 'revolution' in Nigeria

A call by the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has resurfaced in the heat of the debate on the semantics of the use #RevolutionNow for the organisation of series of protests against bad governance in Nigeria.

Tinubu made the call five years ago on September 29, 2014, in a statement titled, 'A Return to Decency'.

Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner was abducted Gestapo-style and taken to Abuja by the Department of State Services (DSS) on August 3, 2019, for using the phrase #RevolutionNow to plan peaceful demonstrations.

Tinubu's comments which were reported in national newspapers such as The Punch, DailyPost, PM News, The Nation as well as other news platforms.

When SaharaReporters conducted research on Wednesday, however, The Punch, The Nation, and DailyPost had deleted the online version of the story.

But Punch made the error of leaving behind a 2014 tweet which it posted after publishing the story on Twitter.

The story was tweeted on the verified Punch Newspaper Twitter page, @MobilePunch, at exactly 12:36 pm on September 30, 2014.

The 2014 call by the leader of the APC did not attract operatives of the DSS and was not regarded by the Goodluck Jonathan administration as a treasonable felony.

In the report, Tinubu described the 16 years of PDP rule at the federal level as a period of steady decline into disaster.

He said, “The longer they rule, the less benefit the people derive."

The Punch report quoted Tinubu as saying, "Nigeria now needs a ‘common sense revolution', a revolution that calls forth a return to decency, probity, transparency of process and fairness in outcome.“

"This is done not by subterfuge, divide and rule and turning Nigeria in a field of discord or a street of broken institutions.

"It is accomplished by honouring the principles of democratic good governance and economic justice.

"It is done by persuading the people they are better off as one instead of better off tearing at one another’s throats.“Nigerians should be prepared for change.

"We must rescue Nigeria from those set to cause it irreparable harm. The change I talk about is the only route to our deliverance from 16 years of the PDP locusts."

He described Jonathan’s transformation agenda as an avenue to siphon funds through a dubious blueprint.

Tinubu stated, “They do not have a national blueprint or vision. They do have a blueprint and vision for excessive self-enrichment.

"Their equation is simple: You work, they feast. You toil, they grow fat. You seek a decent wage; they pilfer the collective treasury to enjoy a king’s ransom.”

Other popular Nigerians in the past had also called for a revolution.

On November 30, 2018, Kingsley Moghalu, presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party in 2019 in an interview with The Guardian called for young people to "rise up for a revolution in 2019".

Popular Nigerian televangelist, Tunde Bakare, and running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential election on April 3, 2016, called for a revolution to correct the current "leakages in government".

In a story reported by The Punch, Bakare had said: “While appreciating the positive developments in our democratic experience, especially the attempts by past and current governments to eliminate systemic leakages, I shall seek to prove that, by a fair preponderance of the credible evidence, the state of the nation calls for a revolution.

“This is a revolution that transcends politics or policies; a revolution that means far more than any change of government; a revolution that means a radical reformation of values as they impact upon the social, economic and political landscapes of our nation."

On May 15, 2019, the Nigerian senate debated a "poverty-triggered revolution in the country" following a motion by Senator Chukwuka Utazi.

In a report by PremiumTimes, Utazi had affirmed: “The Senate recognises that what we are witnessing today is a culmination of long years of neglect of the welfare and future of younger generations and unwillingness by both the government and the elites to plan for the future, or read the signs of upheaval.

“Today, the chicken has returned home to roost: the downtrodden are revolting. Hitherto docile beggars have risen in arms forcing those with powers of patronage to beg for safety. The elites are being attacked. We have in our hands a dictatorship of the beggars, fuelled by drugs and poverty,

“What we are witnessing is not a spike that will go away. It is the incipient seeds of a revolution and we need to concertedly handle it with care."

http://saharareporters.com/2019/08/07/tinubus-call-revolution-2014-resurfaces-punch-dailypost-thenation-delete-story-overnight

Sarri offered Moise Kean to Everton

Sarri offered Rugani to Arsenal

Sarri offered Dybala to Spurs

Sarri offered Mandzukic to womanUnited

Sarri offered Joao Cancelo to City


Chelsea fans, are you thinking what am thinking?



In other news,
It's Dybala and lo celso, both Argentines, smells of the Poch factor(himself,an Argentine) for Spurs.

Upamecano, Rugani & Coutinho (loan) to Arsenal

If United can pull off 70m, Eriksen should be on his way to OT before Thurs.

The Argentina forward could be set for a move to north London ahead of the Premier League season beginning this weekend.

Juventus have accepted Tottenham's €70 million (£65m/$78m) bid for striker Paulo Dybala, sources tell Goal.

The player is now set for talks with Spurs over contract terms as a move to the Premier League grows closer.

The 25-year-old has developed into one of Juve's top players since his 2015 arrival from Palermo, helping the club to the Serie A title in all four of his seasons with the Bianconeri.

But Dybala has seen his future called into question after he took on a diminished role with Juventus last season following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Argentina international scored 10 goals in all competitions for Juve in 2018-19, down from 26 the previous season and 19 the campaign before that.

Dybala has been linked with a move to Manchester United, but talks over a swap deal involving Dybala and Romelu Lukaku have now ended, with Inter back in pole position to land the Belgian.

Mario Mandzukic was also involved in those discussions, but the Croatian is now unlikely to move to Old Trafford following the breakdown of talks between United and Juventus.

For Spurs, Dybala's arrival would be a major statement following the cash infusion they gained from reaching last season's Champions League final.

Spurs fell to Liverpool in the European showpiece in Madrid, but they are now eager to spend some of the money they earned from that run.

Tottenham have already made two signings this summer: Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon and Jack Clarke from Leeds, though Clarke has been loaned back to the Championship side for 2019-20.

Ndombele's signing was the first incoming transfer for Spurs since they landed Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are angling to make more additions ahead of Thursday's transfer deadline, and Dybala is not the only big name who could potentially arrive in north London.

Tottenham have emerged as one of the only options for Philippe Coutinho, whom Barcelona are looking to offload ahead of the new season.

Spurs are keen on the Brazilian, with Christian Eriksen about to enter the final year of his contract and a renewal appearing unlikely. Manchester United have been linked with the Denmark international, who was also interesting Real Madrid earlier this summer.

Tottenham kick off their Premier League campaign with a home match against Aston Villa on Saturday.


https://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/tottenham-agree-70m-dybala-fee-with-juventus-as-talks-begin-over-/m44xgmkh3ern10r1jjz9ykwhq
Lalasticlala Dominique

The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) on Tuesday issued a notice for students to vacate the campus after a flood disaster which led to the collapse of a pedestrian bridge, killing four students.

Students are asked to vacate the school premises immediately.

The notice was indicated in a circular signed by the registrar of the institution, A.G Hassan and pasted around the campus.

“Following the unfortunate incident (a flood disaster) of Monday, August 5, the Senate at an emergency meeting held on Tuesday, August 6 approved a break with effect from Tuesday, August 6 to August 18, 2019.

“All students are, therefore, required to vacate the campuses with immediate effect from today, August 6, 2019. It should be noted that academic activities with effect from Monday, August 19, 2019,” the circular reads in part.

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdulazeez Ahmed thereby commiserates with parents, SUG, students and the University community over the sad event and prays that the almighty God will protect the University from any unforeseen circumstances.

The school was thrown into the mourning after an accident on Monday midnight where a pedestrian bridge collapsed at the Gubi Campus.

Four students were killed and eight others injured after the bridge collapsed.

The bridge which links one of the hostels and another building containing lecture rooms collapsed at midnight, following a heavy downpour.

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/08/06/atbu-sends-students-home-after-fatal-bridge-collapse/

Team Red

Frodd, Nkay, Elo, Cindy, Khafi, Omashola, Tacha, Ike and Sir Dee


Team Green
Mercy, Esther, Veneta, Diane, Gedoni, Josef, Seyi and Jackye, Mike

Nominations has been replaced with a new layer and winner-takes-all mechanism.

Seyi who won the "Head of House" challenge, possesses immunity and is exempt from nomination for the week.

In addition to that, the new HMs, five in number, were also made eligible to participate.

Big Brother brought in a new dimension to the night's nomination by advertising drums which the HOH, Seyi assigned according to gender.

Armbands were in the drums in which the HMs were expected to pick one without looking inside the drum. After that, they will line up according to the colours of armbands picked.

With 9 apiece, they created team names. Cruisetopia(Green) and The Icons(Red).

Automatically, weekly wagers and games as well as nominations will be subject to winning and losing sides.

No nominations for this week, hence, no impending evictions.
Dominique lalasticlala Seun

Buhari is 'on top' of Nigeria's security situation - Presidency

We've tackled security across Nigeria, the cries are political - Buratai

Security still tops my list of priorities – Buhari

No fewer than 282 persons were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria in July, as the nation continues to battle with security challenges.

At least 97 other persons were kidnapped for ransom across the country, according to an analysis by PREMIUM TIMES.

While the killings recorded in July were not up to 353 recorded in June, kidnapped victims rose from 60 reported in June to 97 in July.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s state, Katsina, had the highest casualties in July.
While many Nigerians continue to express dissatisfaction over the security challenges, the UK government warned its citizens against travelling to many parts of Nigeria.

This analysis reviews PREMIUM TIMES‘ weekly tracking of the reported violent attacks in Nigeria.
All of the reported attacks were either confirmed by security operatives or relations of the victims.

Katsina Leads

Katsina had the highest number of victims of violent crimes in July.
According to a PREMIUM TIMES analysis of reported attacks, at least 80 persons were killed in the state last month while 20 others were reported kidnapped.

Borno State was next with 75 deaths and six kidnapped victims while Benue recorded 30 deaths and a kidnap case.

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had 15 deaths and four kidnapped victims. In Kaduna, five persons were killed while two others were kidnapped. Also, in Lagos, five persons were killed and 10 others kidnapped.

Ekiti, Oyo, Kebbi, Ogun, and Enugu all witnessed the death of one victim each. Ogun State had eight kidnapped victims while Kebbi had one kidnap case.

In Cross River, two persons were killed while one person was kidnapped. Edo State witnessed nine deaths and three kidnap cases.

Akwa Ibom, Imo, and Zamfara also recorded two deaths in each state. Two were kidnapped in Adamawa while one each was recorded in Zamfara and Akwa Ibom states.

Five people died in Anambra State, six in Rivers, three in Plateau, four in Ondo and six in Bayelsa State.

Niger State had 19 kidnapped victims, Kwara State had four, Bayelsa had three and two others in Kogi State.

Government Action
Based on the complaints of Nigerians about the security situation, political and security leaders held crucial meetings on the matter.
President Muhammadu Buhari met with traditional leaders from the South-west during which he outlined some steps his administration was putting in place to tackle the security challenges.

He listed the steps to include the implementation of community policing and the deployment of drones.
Also in July, the Inspector-General of Police met with top police chiefs in Abuja to discuss ways of addressing the security challenges.

Call for Protests
The security situation is one of the basis for which some Nigerians called for a protest. The protest was expected to hold in 21 cities, from Monday.

On Saturday, the lead campaigner of the demonstration, Omoyele Sowore, was arrested by the Nigerian secret police, SSS, in an attempt to frustrate the planned ‘revolution’.

Mr Sowore’s arrest has been condemned by local and international organisations. Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and senior lawyer, Femi Falana, amongst other social commentators have demanded the release of the activist.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/344849-analysis-282-killed-97-abducted-in-july-violent-attacks-across-nigeria.html

State of affairs in Edo North
It is the second-largest senatorial district and Oshiomhole hails from here. Shockingly to many, his political son and Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has been the rallying point on the campaign against Oshiomhole.

He had before now been seen as somebody who will never work against Oshiomhole’s interest no matter who is involved, but events in the last two months have indicated that for political exigencies, Shaibu can do otherwise. Shaibu has also found an ally in Hon Kabiru Adjoto, immediate past Speaker of the state House of Assembly who has just been appointed a Special Adviser by Obaseki.

Adjoto’s grouse is that Oshiomhole denied him the ticket to represent Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. Even though the Supreme Court did not rule in his favour, he has continued to insist that he won the APC primary, but Oshiomhole stopped him and returned the current Deputy Leader, Hon Peter Akpatason, who, against all odds, is in the House for a record third term.

Former chair of APC in Akoko-Edo, Jeff Obasanmi, has also become an ally of Obaseki. However, the three members of the House of Representatives from the senatorial district, namely Akpatason, Professor Julius Ihonvbere (Owan) and Hon Johnson Oghuma (Etsako), have remained with Oshiomhole. Senator Domingo Obende has been calling for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Who is where in Edo Central?
The state Chairman of the APC, Mr Anselm Ojezua, is from this zone and he has consistently defended the actions of Obaseki. He is serving his second term as state Chairman.

He took over from Thomas Okosun, who, incidentally, is also from this district. Ojezua was first a Commissioner, later Special Adviser to Oshiomhole before he became the Chairman of the party. Although he had said severally that they are all Oshiomhole’s boys, on this crisis, he has pitched his tent with Obaseki.

Also toeing the line of Ojezua is John Inegbedion, who, until last year, has been the Commissioner for Finance since 2008. He was the APC Edo Central senatorial candidate in the 2019 elections but lost to the PDP. He is currently challenging his loss at the election tribunal.

ATTEMPTS by the Governor Kayode Fayemi Peace Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to mend the cracks in the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, especially the alleged rancour between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, have collapsed.

Sunday Vanguard learned that members of the committee, including Fayemi, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State and business magnate, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, were unhappy at the development.

The last straw was the abortion of their decision to come to Benin-City, Edo State, last Sunday, to meet with stakeholders of the party and feuding lawmakers to resolve the issues.

It was the collapse of the peace efforts that made the Senate, which earlier gave a window for a political resolution of the matter, slam a one-week ultimatum, last Tuesday, on Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of Edo State House of Assembly.

We gathered that at the meeting held in Ekiti House, penultimate Monday, the committee stated its position that they wanted to make peace, if possible, resolve the matter politically without having to compel anybody to do anything.

Asked to state in what ways Oshiomhole had wronged him, Obaseki allegedly mentioned the national chair’s alleged penchant for mobilising against him (governor) in Abuja, the cancellation of the primaries conducted by him (Obaseki) last year, as if he was not the governor of the state.

Sources told Sunday Vanguard that El-Rufai knelt down for nearly 30 minutes at the meeting begging Obaseki not to allow anybody ill-advise him and that the matter required a continued dialogue with Oshiomhole even if he does not agree with his predecessor.

The Kaduna governor reportedly said he came to the meeting at the instance of Buhari, who would want the matter resolved with a fresh proclamation, especially with the crisis the party was also facing in Bauchi State.

His argument was that the Presidency, APC and the governors wanted the right thing done in Edo before they could take on the Bauchi matter, where Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, benefited from the scenario that the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, averted in Edo, which Obaseki was grumbling about.

El-Rufai spoke about how he had to dialogue with the party’s NWC and the Presidency on his problem with Senator Shehu Sani. He also alluded that a national leader of the party, Alhaji Bola Tinubu, had to succumb to the NWC position even after they had conducted primaries in Lagos.

Oshiomhole reportedly showed the fruitless text messages he sent to the governor and his deputy requesting a meeting for them to come to a table to resolve the problem without reaction. He maintained that he could not destroy the house that he built and they blocked his attempts to ensure peace.

Other governors, including Fayemi and Bagudu, reportedly said they stand with el-Rufai, saying they would come to Benin-City, last Sunday, to meet with stakeholders, members of the House of Assembly and, in fact, everybody connected to the matter in the state to end the crisis.

They also agreed to work out a position on the Speaker of the House, but Obaseki allegedly stated that he would be unavailable last Sunday for the meeting. “It is at this point that the meeting broke down because it became clear that there will be no headway and that is why the Senate, which gave a window for the political option to be taken, had to concur with an earlier resolution of the House of Representatives on the mater,” our source revealed.

"President Buhari is aware of the developments and had expressed his wish on fresh proclamation before the Senate finally issued a directive to the effect. “Nothing really happened at the meeting that was to hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, as it did not really hold because of intrigues.”

How they stand in Edo South
The disagreement, which has now polarized the Edo South into two cleavages, one for Oshiomhole and the other for Obaseki, is already taking its toll on the party as it prepares for the 2020 governorship election and it will run into crisis if the grievances are not amicably settled. Edo South remains the largest senatorial district in the state. It houses more than half of the voting population in Edo and, understandably, it has been the most vociferous since the crisis began.

Anybody who must be governor of Edo must win a majority of the votes in this senatorial region. In fact, most of the votes that made Oshiomhole governor in 2008 after the court separated the valid from the invalid votes came from here.

Apart from the members of the Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, which has vowed to see the back of Obaseki come 2020, the Joint Action for the Advancement of Democracy, JAADE, a coalition of some socio-political groups led by Ayanmekhue Edokpolo, and some group of activists, those who have come out to defend Obaseki are from the opposition parties.

In fact, the lawyer, who reportedly helped in reviewing the legal implication of the controversial inauguration of the House of Assembly, is a known lawyer of the PDP. This is same for several others who have been defending the actions of Obaseki.

Again, one of the civil society leaders who organized a recent mass rally in support of the governor was one of the foot soldiers that mobilised support for the PDP and against Obaseki in 2016.

A former ally of Oshiomhole who was his political adviser for eight years when he was governor, Hon Charles Idahosa, has pitched his tent with Obaseki. He was the first to raise the alarm about the governance style of Obaseki and even threatened to resign from the APC but they persuaded him to return to the party.

He repeatedly said Obaseki must get his second term and that, if by any act of “omission or commission Obaseki is forced out of the party, APC is dead in Edo State,” adding that if the governor decides to leave APC, he would follow him.

Secretary to State Government (SSG) Osarodion Ogie has maintained a stoic quietness. Known for his silence and always preferring to work behind the scenes rather than taking the front stage, he has been one of the most dependable allies of Oshiomhole in the state and particularly Edo South. He was Secretary of Grace Group, a movement through which prominent members were pulled out of the PDP in 2006 and which was used to prosecute Oshiomhole’s election in 2007.

He was also the Secretary of Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation and coordinated the legal team that delivered victory to Oshiomhole in court. He was Oshiomhole’s Chief of Staff in his first term and then Commissioner for Works in his second term. He was touted as Oshiomhole’s successor before Obaseki came into the scene. Observers believe that in the event that Obaseki leaves Edo APC and Ogie decides to go with him, it would adversely affect the fortunes of the APC in the Edo South, especially if he chooses to re-align with his former allies who are now in PDP.

However, the likes of two former deputy governors, Dr Pius Odubu, who was deputy to Oshiomhole for eight years, and Lucky Imasuen, who was deputy to Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, the leadership and members of EPM, most of the state House of Assembly members-elect and some members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC are with Oshiomhole.

People like the Lawrence Okha, the party scribe once told to resign by Obaseki, remains loyal to the governor while Hon Dennis Idahosa, member representing Ovia Federal Constituency, Hon Matthew Iduoriyeknemwen, and some others have remained neutral preferring to sue for peace.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/edo-apc-crisis-how-fayemi-committees-peace-efforts-collapsed/

The Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) says Police, Electricity Sector, Education and the judiciary tops the list of most corrupt sectors in Nigeria.

This was disclosed on Wednesday at a town hall meeting organised in abuja by SERAP on the need to mobilise citizen’s support for the fight against corruption.

SERAP’s corruption assessment survey revealed at the town-hall meeting indicates that corruption in Nigeria has not decreased in public offices in the last five years, despite the government’s effort to curb it.

SERAP also stressed that ongoing efforts to curb corruption in public offices has not yielded sufficient results because citizens are not involved.

An associate at the Center for Social-Legal Studies, Adekunle Adewunmi, said at the town-hall meeting that Nigerians participation is seriously needed to win the fight against corruption.

“The fact that the government has not gotten support has been a major issue. So, if we are going to win the war against corruption in Nigeria, everyone needs to agree that yes, we are tired of this menace,” Adewunmi said.

SERAP is not the only organisation that has scored Nigeria low in the global corruption perception index.

Transparency International recently ranked Nigeria 144 out of 180 countries in the 2018 global corruption perception index.

https://www.channelstv.com/2019/08/01/police-electricity-sector-top-seraps-most-corrupt-list/
Lalasticlala mynd44

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, are moving out in droves from their hostels.

Reasons: ‘deplorable’ state of the hostels and what they called “creeping state of insecurity”.

In the past, the institution had a reputation as one of the most peaceful universities nationwide.

It has a history of zero tolerance for cultism and related activities.

There have been cases of kidnapping and ritual killings, though outside the university. Last month, the university received a note from a group of cultists who promised to unleash mayhem on the 57-year-old institution.

The last time such dastardly act occurred was 20 years ago, when the then general-secretary of the Students’ Union George Akinyemi Iwilade, fondly called Afrika, was killed alongside four others at the Obafemi Awolowo Hall of the institution.

The letter caused panic on campus. Some students scanned and shared it on their mobile phones.

The university also swung into action and arrested some suspects.

In a statement, the university said the cultists’ planned attack was foiled by its security unit which apprehended and handed over the suspects to the police.

“Obafemi Awolowo University has zero tolerance for cultism. No cultist can thrive on this campus. As far as we are concerned, when students are admitted on the first day in this university, they swear an oath of allegiance not to get involved in cultism, otherwise they are rusticated. Those who came here have been arrested and the police are handling the case,” Dean of Students Affairs Prof Ishiaq Aransiola told CAMPUSLIFE.

Yet, this reassurance did not stem the fear of many. Some students fled thier various hostels to live in town.

Two years ago, the management proscribed the Students’ Union over what it described as excesses and lack of leadership traits by the students’ body. The management has since insisted that it will not lift the ban until it sees a “refined students” body that is desirous of constructive dialogue. At present, only presidents of the various faculties manage students’ affairs.

At the 20th remembrance of Afrika’s death last month, students and other activists called on the school to restore the SU, saying: ‘one cannot throw the baby out with the bath water’.

Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, the president of Faculty of Arts Students’ Association, Ayobami Adewale, lamented that the absence of the SU has adversely affected the security situation on campus. Aside the threat letter, the poor state of the hostel is also one factor why students are vacating in hundreds.

“There have been several reported cases of armed robbery outside the university campus and the students who live in town are filled with terror and fright,” Adewale said.

He continued: “Students living outside the university campus are thereby exposed to a lot of security risks, which is as a result of the inadequate provision of living spaces. However, many of the spaces are not conducive enough to absorb the ever growing population of students.”

Recently, the management revamped all the halls of residence, and therefater directed a reduction to a manageable number the population of occupants in the rooms. However, the students are describing the rehabilitation as merely ‘cosmetic’ as the toilets were left unfixed.

The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the management responded to students’ earlier call for the upgrade of the hostels. Unfortunately, Olanrewaju said the same students now fumed when the management directed a reduction in students’ population even when it was glaring the measure was the best to take at such crucial time.

Olanrewaju said the students should be grateful for management’s efforts, adding that there are some universities that do not even provide accommodation for their students; yet the students still survive.

“The university is a place to struggle and survive; OAU students should therefore develop some survival skills to enable them achieve academic success while struggling through school,” Olanrewaju told CAMPUSLIFE.

According to him, it might require management to increase the cost of hostel accommodation to be able to make the facilities more habitable and befitting.

He said: “Till date, fresh students pay N3,090. The N90 is the only part that goes into the university confers while the rest is for maintenance of the halls. Tell me what you can buy with N90.It is the same amount I paid as a student here, but times have really changed as we all can see.

“The N3,090 being charged presently is barely enough to provide facilities and services that would meet up with global standards. Besides, it doesn’t conform with the current economic realities.”

Nontheless, Olanrewaju appealled to the alumni body to come to the rescue.

Corroborating Olanrewaju, Aransiola said management is taking the rehabilitiation of the hostel one step after the other.

“On the issue of toilets, you can’t do everything all at once. Toilet facilities are not adequate, and that is what we want to focus on now. As we speak, some toilets are being built and we want this to go round. There will be additional ones aside the ones we plan to renovate,” he explained.

Kenneth Idanwekhai, a final year History and International Relations, student, described the security situation on campus as ‘average,’ saying it could still be improved upon.

“The security (situation) is fair,” Idanwekhai began.

“However, we all want total security.

“I think the management is really trying. When there were speculations about cultists, the school really stepped into the situation and took some drastic steps to ensure the safety of students. Also, there have been reported cases of students being threatened with arms but the security system on campus has really looked into it.”

Like others students, Idanwekhai bemoanwed the poor state of accommodation on campus:

“I think the accommodation policy is extremely poor and frustrating. We are not being treated fairly. Again, the management has tried its part by repainting all the halls many of which are still dilapidated. Also the porters on campus are like demi -gods. They feel they have all the powers to do as they please. For instance, the room I stay is terribly leaking and they haven’t done anything to fix it. It is bad enough that my books and food stuff are badly affected. I’ve gone to complain and even written a letter to the hall management but there is still no improvement.”

Idanwekhai also pointed out the presence of pests that are vectors of diseases.

“Bed bugs, rats and other annoying pests frustrate students in the hostel; in summary, there are a lot of wrongs in the university’s accommodation system that need to be fixed,” he said.

Aliemeke Kelechi Praise, a 400-Level student of the English, pitched his tent behind a raise in the cost of hostel accommodation.

He said: “I stay in a private hostel popularly called maintenance and I pay a lot per annum. If I were given an option of staying in one of the halls with its proximity to academics, adequate security and improved facilities, I would gladly opt for such an alternative.”

Omolola Pedro, a 400-Level student of English, critised some of the directives by management in streamlining the hostels.

She said: “At the beginning of last session, the vice chancellor decongested the halls of residence on campus. As remarkable as the action was, the fact that there were no alternative measures in place is condemnable. This action has put students in severe danger as they all had to move to town where security isn’t so guaranteed. Even the campus that is supposed to be the safest isn’t anymore.”

According to her, all these could be curtailed if management reinstates the Students’ Union.

She added: “The major plea of students is that the university management provides more hostels first, after which they can now revoke the accommodation policy that has put the student in grave danger.”

As a student who is a resident in town, she said most landlords do not live in the same houses with students and are therefore apathetic to their plights.

Osungbade Akeem Wisdom, a 300-Level Zoology undergraduate and former Chairman of the Angola hall of residence, also lent his voice on the issue.

“The security of the university is nothing to write about especially in recent times. Although the university management brought in the DSS (Directorate of State Security) to tighten the campus security, still there are issues of suspected cultists invading campus amidst other security threats which are quite alien to the OAU we know,” he said.

He added: “This can’t be disconnected from the attack on students’ unionism. In a situation where students are not allowed to unite, all forms of vices begin to thrive.”

Going down memory lane, a former president of Junior Chamber International, OAU chapter, Temitope Ojo, recounted his experience as a student.

He said: “I was as free as a bird during our time. I could walk as late as 3am and as far the university’s Conference Centre. Many of us then did not know if it was the university’s security that was tight or the uncompromising culture of the students. I feel we weren’t just troublemakers and the Students’ Union was always very vocal when it comes to any sign of violence amongst students.

“Even if you were a former troublemaker, as long you enter the campus, you drop it at the gate. Only stealing within campus hostels happened and this is bound to happen when you have individuals across various backgrounds living together.”

A post graduate, Funmi Oyetola who had her undergraduate studies in the university, similarly recalled how she struggled all through her undergraduate years in order to get settled.

She said: “If the university can increase the rent charged with a commiserate improvement in the facilities and services provided, It would even boost academic performance as students will be better settled on campus and will therefore be able to devote their time and attention fully to studies.”

Nonethelessa, Aransiola, who is from the Department of Local Government Studies, opened up on some of the plans of the university to solve certain lingering issues that directly affect the students, especially, security, accommodation and transportation which still remain a major headache.

“When you solve a problem, another one arises. What we did was to deploy the university buses to ease the problem from campus to the gate.We have one big Marcopolo bus and two coastal buses plying campus gate.

“What the university is planning to do now is to get three additional buses,in fact the buses will arrive soon.We want to add them to the fleet of buses to ease the problem of transportation. We’ve informed some transport venture that would support what we have on ground.

On security, Prof Aransiola said “We are having meetings regularly and we walk hand-in hand with various security agencies. Security matter is not for one person, its for all of us.”

On accommodation, he said management is considering having more hostels through build, operate and trasnfer (BOT) basis.

“ What we do now is to contact vendors who would construct hostels on a Build-Operate-Transfer BOT agreement. The female students popularly known as ‘maintenance’ will be the phase one. The phase two will be around Parakin, while phase three is around Ede road. Both areas are in Ile ife and near the university campus. Now we are on phase three where contractors have started work. Some hostels will be of 10,000 and 5,000 capacity respectively. As we speak, there is a hostel behind the Alumni hall of residence for our foreign but its not on a BOT agreement. We also regulate the prices charged by the hostel owners otherwise they would have jacked up the rents outrageously.

https://thenationonlineng.net/oau-students-flee-hostels-over-cultists-threat/

An ongoing cult clash between rival groups at the Imo State University, Owerri, on Wednesday, claimed no fewer than two lives while several others were injured.

The shooting which broke out between two yet-to-be-identified confraternities around the main gate of the varsity caused panic as students, including businessmen, scampered for safety.

A student of the university who did not want his name in print told our correspondent at the scene of the incident that young men bearing guns opened fire on approaching the varsity’s front gate.

The undergraduate said that the killers shot at their targets before zooming off.

He said “The boys had guns and they shot at their targets before running away. Two had died before policemen and security men on campus arrived. Policemen had to rush others who were shot but still alive to the hospital.”

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, said that the operatives of the command had arrived at the institution.

The police spokesperson who said that he could not confirm any death as of the time of filing in this report said that the operatives of the command had rushed some injured ones to the hospital.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Obi Njoku, said that only one person was killed and he was not a student of the varsity.

He said “Only one person has been confirmed dead and he is not a student of our university. He is a student of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri but had a shop around our school. “

https://punchng.com/cultists-kill-two-at-imo-varsity-main-gate/