WHILE Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, still continues in its strategic plans to return academic stability and social peace on campus, the management, under the leadership of Professor Michael Faborode, has not relented in its efforts to look inward for more funds to complement federal government subvention to the institution.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Faborode highlighted some of the business outfits the university has been able to resuscitate to profitability level, courtesy of the entire staff of the university.


Some of the ventures include: Conference Centre and Guest House Limited, OAU Bookshop Ltd.; OAU Press Ltd, OAU Petrol Ltd; University Consultancy Services Ltd” University Transport System Ltd, OAU Reforestation Project, and so on.


In a chat with Education Tribune recently, Professor Faborode stated that all the OAU ventures were now corporate entities, endowed with experienced managers and ultra modern working facilities to provide quality tangible and intangible services at commercial level to the nation.


His words: “It is common knowledge that university system in Nigeria is facing a lot of challenges, especially on funding, and part of our efforts to address the issue in the university is to look for how we could resuscitate all the collapsing ventures in the university. So, after series of deliberations over the issue by the council, it was resolved to consult business experts from the industrial sector to give us what could be done to re-engineer the ventures. This development informed the consolidation of our ventures which gave birth to OAU Investment Company.


“The first implication is that, it has streamlined the administration system, reduced overhead cost and brought about efficiency.


“The story of each of the ventures is very interesting. For instance, the bookshop, one will expect the bookshop to stock the books that every student from primary school to postgraduate level, would need, and there must be a link between the bookshop and the University Press to produce and publish books on behalf of the lecturers for students.


“Before now, our press could not boast of any printing equipment to produce even exercise books for our students not to talk of staff publication, and other printing works. But now our bookshop and the press have been revived with capacity to serve the campus and the society at large.


“In those days, OAU Consultancy Limited and our Geological work service was the talk of town and were second to none in the country. The centre did a lot of consultancy works in Niger Delta area and in Ondo State. In the environmental study area, our contributions in Niger Delta in survey was very significant.


“Now, I make bold to say that the renewed OAU ventures have been yielding reasonable profits and dividend for the university.


“It will interest you that the university has not injected much funds, to revive the ventures, we only made use of the residual funds and assets for their take off. And now that each of the venture is stabilising, efforts will be made to approach banks for loan facilities for expansion.


“In this regard, the university is creating an enabling business environment for every one of our business outfits to compete favourably with other allied companies in the country. “


Speaking about the proposed bottled water project in the university, he said; “This is another interesting project going on in the university. The idea emanated from a philanthropist, an alumnus who wants to support the university in its fund raising campaign through investment.


“This university has a lot of goodwill within and outside the country it has not explored.


“So, as part of our efforts to get in touch with the university alumni, we have set up a body known as OAU Advancement Office, saddled with the responsibility to link the university with the society with the hope of improving the fortunes of the institution, in terms of fund raising, or inviting well meaning Nigerians within the country and in diaspora, to invest in the universality developmental programmes.


“Mr. Ademola. Aladekomo , an alumnus of the university is the brain behind the bottled water project. He has been part of the generation that is willing to support the development of the university.


He is constructing a standard bottled water company for the university, and he has volunteered to put up the building, equip it with all the necessary machines to produce high quality battled water and run it for three months before handling it over to the university after training the university staff to manage it.


“By the special grace of God, the new university bottled water will be inaugurated during the convocation. This proposed bottled water will pose a challenge to other bottled water companies in the country, in terms of quality control assurance, as we have the personnel and laboratory facilities to run high quality bottled water venture,”


Talking about the university’s economic and social responsibilities to the society, he said: “ A university cannot exist as an island. Gone are the days when university was an isolated institution . Rather, a university must exist to make impact on its immediate environment, nationally and globally. A university must show example of good governance and good conduct, whatever a university does should be exemplary to lead the society.


“Moreover, we are building town and gown relationship. There must be a cordial relationship between the university and the public. We have just established a committee to perfect it.


“One other venture that the public will benefit from us is our reforestation project. The world is now coming to the realisation of climate change and global warming.


You may not believe that our Institute of Environmental Studies was established in 1982, when the world was not talking about climatic change and environment impact. This means that the founding fathers of OAU had looked beyond their time about climatic change tendency.


“Environmental equilibrium is very important, as such preservation of our environment is a serious issue that we must not hold with levity in this country. Obafemi Awolowo University has embraced reforestation from the word go, by planting nurseries and trees. You will see that OAU is turning out to be a leading green university in Nigeria.


“Reforestation programme is the solution to the climatic change and desert encroachment in the north and Obafemi Awolowo University can be of help to these problems.


“In this regard, our deforestation programme was set up to serve the country, and we are producing trees and nurseries to sell to as many states as possible in the country. We have vast plantation of trees and such as palm tree, electric poles etc. at a commercial level.


“We have about 11,700 hectares of land, and we are exploring them to good use. We are raising some of the plants that have the tendency go into extinction to preserve them.


“Moreover, we are exploring solar energy and also we have the potential to generate hydropower electricity for the campus and even supply our adjoining communities.

Naija show some respect for your President, haba!  

The president that u elect with your vote or the one that was select for you by OBJ  

his health condition shhould not be a topic.anybody can fall sick.i will him well

Seen that you only had 3 post, sure you are one of those sycophant that flooded the internet to argue in his favour.

He was a man that sanctioned the killings of innocent people in Maiduguri and other places if not that the Government came up quickly it would have amounted to a serious crisis in this country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhp9Y8rPhG8

Please watch this video and tell me how the killing of this unarmed man is justified.

Curses upon curses as passengers, motorists get stranded at Ore
By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor
Saturday, October 17, 2009




Thousands of people travelling to the eastern part of Nigeria through Ore in Ondo State have continued to rain curses on the powers – that-be over the continued neglect of Lagos-Benin Road to the detriment of both commuters and motorists.

This is as a result of the continued deterioration of the road which has made it almost impossible for vehicles to pass.

Passengers stranded at a failed portion of the road
Vanguard investigations showed that a journey to Benin City, which normally takes just three hours from Lagos, now takes almost nine hours while a journey to Asaba, Onitsha, Enugu and other adjoining towns takes virtually a day.


Worst hit by the situation are those travelling to Owerri, Nsukka, Aba, Port Harcourt, Markurdi. Calabar etc, as they now spend two days on the road before getting to their respective destinations.


The situation is made worse by incessant robbery attacks on motorists and their passengers at the bad spots on the road leading to the loss of lives, money and properties which value runs into trillions of naira.







Waiting for Godot


Most of the motorists and passengers said the state of the roads to the east, particularly Ore, has turned their trips into a nightmare. It was gathered that in the past two weeks, it has become almost impossible to pass through the craters, gullies and holes created on both sides of the highway in Ore 1, 2 and 3.


One of the stranded passengers lamented, “God in His infinite mercy will punish those leaders who are subjecting us to this hardship. I left Lagos 7.30am last Sunday for Onitsha. It is now 12midnight, we are just approaching Ore 1. When then are we going to get to Onitsha?. Has it not turned into two days journey.”


Another passenger in a smaller bus said they manovered through the thick bush before they got out near Ore 1 around 5p.m. “Ordinarily, one should have been happy for escaping the heavy traffic build up inside Ore but we got out through the bushes in pieces.


While we were manorvering our way inside the thick bushes around Ore, some heavily armed youths whom we thought were just out to collect tolls attacked the long convoy of small buses. Many of us were wounded while we lost all our money and valuables”, he explained.


One of the luxury bus drivers told Vanguard that truck drivers were not helping matters either on the road. “They block all the spaces with their trucks and they also ply both sides of the road.


The situation is so bad that even traffic wardens, policemen and men of the Federal Road Safety Commission seem helpless. What all of them do now is to extort money from motorists in one way or the other leaving thousands of people to their fate. Many passengers are still stranded here as a result of the bad roads,” he stated.


A youth, who claimed he was going to Enugu for job interview, said he lost the opportunity because by the time he got out of Ore, he was a day behind the date for the interview and he had no option than to return to Lagos. “How would those who will go home for next Christmas cope?”, he asked.


Ironically, while thousands are groaning in pains, lamenting the poor state of the major highway that leads to the east, traders in Ore are smiling to the banks. A female hawker of fruits said, “Business has not been as good as this.


We now make sales twenty four hours of the day because there is no time you will not see buyers. Initially, we just hawked fruits but now, most of us have gone into selling hot rice and other edible foods.


Though, I sympathize with these stranded passengers and drivers, I am happy that we are making profit”.


A security expert, who was also stranded at Ore 1, Chief Austin Nwabuko, told Sunday Vanguard that what is happening presently in Ore is enough to trigger off violence. “It is very painful that people are left to suffer like this in an oil rich country like Nigeria.


I challenge President Yar‘Adua to take a trip by road from Abuja to Lagos and Lagos to the east and see whether he would still continue being in office, if he is a man of conscience.


The annoying aspect of the sordid scenario is that all the security agencies are not doing anything to safeguard the lives and properties of millions of Nigerians and even expatriates stranded in Ore.


Rather, what they do is to drive to safe and motorable points on the road and create road blocks where they extort money from stranded passengers and motorists.


Except those trapped inside the busy areas in Ore, those that unfortunately found themselves in isolated areas get robbed and even the females raped without protection from the police. Are these not signs of a failed state?”.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/oct/17/310.html

Lost for word

@Tapiya

if not that the Government came up quickly it would have amounted to a serious crisis in this country

.

You are lucky, none of your family got killed by Nigeria police if it were, you would have being singing different tune.
The real criminal that deserve embargo is Yar Adua and the PDP. To start with, how many Nigerians lost there lives daily on the road? Money meant for road construction are being diverted to private account, what about simple malaria sickness.

The 15-member group called on its chairman, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'adua, to take "all necessary measures" to obtain the support of the African Union, European Union and United Nations to enforce the embargo

.

Where was Yar Adua when police masacre the innocent civilian during Boko Haram uprising? That guy Boko Haram was shot at point blank range by Nigeria police. Nigerian are still waiting for the outcome of kangaroo investigation set up by the masterkiller himself. Not that I condone the actions of Boko Haram but what about the rule of law?

Guinea embargo over 'atrocities' 

Human rights groups say 157 people were killed in September's crackdown
West African states have imposed an arms embargo on Guinea over the mass shooting of opposition supporters.

It comes amid growing criticism of the junta, led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, which seized power in December.

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) condemned "atrocities" in September in which Guinean troops opened fire on an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital Conakry.

Human rights groups say 157 people died but the junta puts the toll at 57.

It says most of the victims were trampled to death rather than shot, as opposition activists say.

Human rights groups say soldiers raped and sexually abused women during the crackdown, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into the deaths.

The EU has called for Capt Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity, while the African Union has called for him to step down.

Banditry

An Ecowas statement issued on Saturday at the end of a special summit in Nigeria said: "In view of the atrocities that have been committed,  the authority decides to impose an arms embargo on Guinea".

The 15-member group called on its chairman, Nigerian President Umaru Yar'adua, to take "all necessary measures" to obtain the support of the African Union, European Union and United Nations to enforce the embargo.

CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA

Seized power in December 2008 as a little-known army captain
Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding on to power
Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials


Guinea's erratic military ruler
Guinea under Camara: Story so far
Eyewitness: 'Bodies were falling' 
Former colonial power France has already said it will stop weapon sales to the military government.

France on Friday urged its nationals - thought to number some 2,500 - to leave the mineral-rich country.

The French foreign ministry said the security situation in Guinea had worsened since the 28 September protests.

"Banditry, in particular armed robberies, have increased and there is no short-term prospect that the situation will improve," said a statement on the ministry's website.

Criminals had been following travellers from the airport and then robbing them when they get home, it added.

Meanwhile, Guinea's information minister, Justin Morel Junior, became the third minister to step down in a week, saying he no longer had the "moral strength" to speak for the government.

After September's protest, Capt Camara pointed the finger of blame at "controllable soldiers", adding that the opposition should not have held a banned rally.

When he took over the country last year, Capt Camara promised he would not stand in an election he scheduled for next January.

But recently he has hinted he would stand, sparking widespread condemnation and opposition protests.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8312360.stm

I just hate u lots , TRIBALIST on both sides.

The funds we used to build Abuja, Lagos and  North,Yoruba's land

This forum is full of bigot, racist, tribalist.

Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and Nigerians Everywhere: You can now walk without fear or doubt into any Nigerian Consular Office. And yes, you will be granted any consular assistance, including the re-issuance of your passport, because the Nigerian constitution grants you that right.

What was he thinking before?

It is official: El-Rufai and Ribadu can enjoy passport services, Yar'Adua now says
Written by Saharareporters, New York
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 11:32

Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and Nigerians Everywhere: You can now walk without fear or doubt into any Nigerian Consular Office. And yes, you will be granted any consular assistance, including the re-issuance of your passport, because the Nigerian constitution grants you that right.

This reassurance was pronounced last night by the Federal Government. In a cable dated 13 October 2009, a copy of which has just been received by Saharareporters, the Federal Government thereby officially reversed the the memo of 17 September, by which the former government officials were denied consular services worldwide.

The cable denies that the originating memo had the enjoyed the authority of Yar'Adua, although it contained no apology. It asserted that passports and other consular assistance to Nigerians abroad are in line with "the avowed commitment of the present administration to democracy and the rule of law."

"This means that things are either about to change," said our analyst, or that, following widespread criticism over Yar'Adua's absence at the United Nations General Assembly, "the uproar over the passport fiasco was too much for him to bear."

See new cable below:

http://saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3971:2009-10-14-16-36-06&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

I have zero tolerance for corruption and injustice.

El Rufai does not derserve any pity from any of us. This is sb they put in charge of FCT and he used his office and power to impoverish the struggling Nigerians.

What did he not do. Demolishing and realocating plots just to settle political scores.
Tufiakwa! El Rufai is an abomination.

I am not saying he shld be denied a Nig. Pass, But he gets no sympathy from me.

He ran away from giving account of his stewardship and to evade justice. He shld remain there.  

If we really want a better country to live in, we should not condone the action of Yar Adua for denying a citizen of Nigeria a passport. What about the rule of law? no matter what offence this guy must have committed, he still have right of a Nigerian passport.

El-rufai stepped on so many big toes during his reign as the Minister of the FCT. Now, his enemies want their pound of flesh.

But Nigeria passport is a fundamental human right of El-Rufai not a privilege.

When I had informed the world that the administration of President Umar Musa Yar’adua was behind the decision of the Nigerian High Commission in The United Kingdom to deny me a new Nigerian Passport (which as at the last time I checked was a fundamental right, not a privilege of every Nigerian)

It could be anyones turn, pls watch out.

A Troubling Fixation       
Nasir El-Rufai 
Written by Nasir El-Rufai     
Monday, 12 October 2009 23:16 
A Troubling Fixation

By Nasir El-Rufai

Below is the President’s directives against Nuhu Ribadu and I


When I had informed the world that the administration of President Umar Musa Yar’adua was behind the decision of the Nigerian High Commission in The United Kingdom to deny me a new Nigerian Passport (which as at the last time I checked was a fundamental right, not a privilege of every Nigerian) there were strident denials from Abuja and Aso Rock the sit of government. I was called a liar, and the administration trumpeted its rule of law mantra as a reason why it would never do such. My readers would remember that I had in the past said that this ‘rule of law’ position of this administration was nothing but a ruse with which to blind fold the Nigerian public while shielding monstrously corrupt people from the law and attacking innocent persons. Of course again I was insulted and called a liar by the President himself, his Attorney General and his motley crowd of hangers on.

Well, since the administration has opened the door by denying that it never ordered that I should be denied my right of a Nigerian passport, I want to provide proof to the whole world so we can know once and for all, who is the liar. I have included in this piece, a letter from the Nigerian National Intelligence Agency as well as another from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which proves that President Yar’adua himself in a bid to settle scores with me gave the instruction which was unwillingly carried out by the Nigerian High Commission’s staff.

My readers can now see that while notoriously corrupt persons like former governor James Ibori and his ilk hold sway as powerful members of the kitchen cabinet of President Yar’adua the so called rule of law mantra of this administration has been used to damage Nigeria’s National interest by denying reputable foreign law enforcement bodies such as the London Metropolitan police the cooperation of their Nigerian counterparts in the investigation of the president’s cronies. The fellow who opens the president’s mails, which are the most confidential and classified documents in Nigeria, a certain David Edevbie, who is President Yar’adua’s Principal Private Secretary and who used to be James Ibori’s Commissioner for Finance has been named in indictments in the United Kingdom as an alleged money launderer along with other alleged criminal acts. However, the EFCC under the direction of the President and his Attorney General has chosen to look the other way while doing all within its power to hound Nuhu Ribadu and I, who are two people who did all within our power to make sure that Umaru Musa Yar’adua emerges as president of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, while the president fixates on Nuhu and I, Nigeria continues to drift. The huge reserves that were left by the economic management team of the previous administration of which Nuhu and I were pillars have been dwindled.

At a time when the president should have been focused on attending the United Nations General Assembly, he allowed his inferiority complex (which is the main reason he has made it a pattern to destroy his benefactors) to lead to cold feet and rather than mingling with world leaders to lobby for Nigeria’s seat at the U.N Security Council, he chose to go to Saudi Arabia to open a University at a time while universities in his country have been closed for 3 months.

At a time when Nigerians are scratching their heads in confusion due to James Ibori’s media interviews were he proudly boast of his abilities to install Inspector Generals of police and influence the judiciary, the president is completely insensitive to the national security implications of a double convict having such powers.

As I end this, I want to urge President Yar’adua to forget about his fixation on Nuhu and I and fix his gaze on Nigeria. Nigerians have been patient enough and they know that the reason for their sufferings are not with Nuhu Ribadu or Nasir El’rufai but with an administration that promised to declare an emergency on power but whose only emergency has been the emergency of containing the imaginary enemies of an insecure leader who found himself in a position as a result of our Beneficient Creator who used a man who never forgot the loyatly and respect shown him by the late Tafida, Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’adua, a man with enough sagacity to remember those he met on his way up knowing that he will also meet them on his way down. President Yar’adua may wish to remember the proverb that those whose kola nuts have been broken for them by a benevolent spirit ought to be appreciative.


http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/nasir-el-rufai/a-troubling-fixation.html

Even though i think that Yar Adua came in with a very good intention, but the forces surrounding him wld not allow him to do things the way he wants and for the benefit of the Nigerian masses

How did u know that he came in wth good intentions? Did u know his mind? or may be, he campaigned in your village to know how good his intention was. This man never live or work outside kastina state, u can see this tru all his appointment into the cabinet.

This match and other Nigeria national team matches is the true reflection of the dead country called Nigeria since Yaradead took over the reign in this country.

Looking at  the formation that Amodu is playing today you definitely know that this man lack ambition. Why play Olofinjana and Ayinla in the same team, this guys are both defensive midfielder.

Yes o!, When i have NO CHOICE!!!!!

I must vote o!, ,,,,,,,,,,,Meanwhie, Is PAT UTOMI planning on coming again,,, does he never learn?

Are u saying that Yaradua is your only choice? and why are u questioning Pat Utomi commitment.

goallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!

Osanga n Uchechi are trying but not playing with their brains.

Ighalo is the real culprit.

It's not a bad tactics if the defence unit can work together in tandem.
No play must drift behind the defence line and keep any German ONside.

Are u counting how many times the goal keeper is out to clear the ball.

This Ighalo sef, football is not by power alone its with brain.

The tactics is wrong from Siasia, the boys are playing highline in defence.

The quick answer to your dumb questions. . . YES I HAVE PERSONAL INTEREST IN EDO STATE
- No I don't really have to wait - Edo state currently leads the rest of the country in heinous crimes (Oshiom Ole's Government)
- Yes my belly aches for the state whenever one of her law-abiding citizens is kidnapped
- And yes the Governor first and foremost is responsible for the wellbeing of the citizens of the state, that includes protection of life and property, as required in the 1999 constitution.

I am sure you have other Cockamamie reasons why the governor should be absolved of all responsibility for the complete melt down of the state during his tenure.

You are begining sounding bonker. What is your problem with this man?

You must be confusing him with Olu saraki.

May be they are both bird of the same feathers.

Kenyans 'rearming for 2012 poll'

Tens of thousands were left homeless after the last election


Rival ethnic groups in Kenya who fought after the 2007 election are rearming in readiness for violence at the 2012 poll, a BBC investigation has found.

It is feared villagers in Rift Valley province are moving from traditional weapons such as spears to machine guns.

Government officials insist they are tackling the influx of illegal arms.

But they have been widely criticised for failing to punish the ringleaders of violence after the 2007 election, in which 1,300 people died.

A power-sharing government was formed in early 2008 to quell the violence.

It has been under international pressure to investigate the killings ever since, but its failure to organise a local tribunal has forced the International Criminal Court to step in to prosecute suspects.

Ethnic arms race

The BBC's Wanyama wa Chebusiri discovered arms dealers selling sophisticated weaponry in the Rift Valley - an area hard-hit by ethnic violence in early 2008.


Compared to guns, the arrows were child's play

Kalenjin man
One arms dealer told our reporter, for the Network Africa programme, supply was high and prices were low at the moment.

"Right now we have AK47 rifles for sale but there are times when we also sell G3s [rifles]," he said.

"In a month we sell more than 100 rifles."

Members of the Kalenjin community and their rivals, the Kikuyu - the country's dominant ethnic group - both said they were arming to protect themselves.

"We bought the guns because we hear the Kikuyu have also bought guns," said a Kalenjin man who declined to be named.

"Before we were using bows and arrows to fight the enemy but changed to guns following the post-election experience because we realised, compared to guns, the arrows were child's play."

A member of the Kikuyu community said he was not willing to "wait until 2012 to be killed".

"We have to arm ourselves. I did not acquire this gun to commit offences," he said.

'Time-bomb'

For weeks after the 2007 election the two communities fought in bloody clashes.

Most Kalenjins had supported Raila Odinga, a member of the western Luo community, for president and were convinced he had been cheated of victory by President Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu.

After weeks of bloodshed, the two men formed a power-sharing government with the president keeping his job and Mr Odinga being brought in as prime minister.

But the UN has warned that a similar flare-up could occur after the 2012 vote unless Kenya strengthens its institutions and the perpetrators of the 2007 violence are punished.

Kipkorir Ngetich, of the Eldoret human rights group expressed similar fears and said his research backed the BBC's findings - that the communities are rearming.

"We are appealing to the government to investigate the matter because it is a time-bomb that will soon explode," he said.

Kenya's deputy minister for internal security, Orwa Ojode, said he was aware of the problem and had ordered the police to clamp down on the sales.

"We will definitely apprehend those who are behind the sale of illegal arms," he said.

He blamed the country's porous borders and its proximity to unstable states like Somalia for the influx of guns.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8293745.stm

The officer with the enormous blubber gut is actually the quartermaster, and what appears to be a gigantic stomach is in fact a cleverly concealed stash of mortar shells taped to his waist for quick access during combat, Praise the Lord !

Alex Akinyele is a professional sycophant of Nigeria politics. This man can say anything to gain favour from whoever is in power. The same man will tell you that IBB is the best thing since slice bread.

What about death penalty for looters of the treasury.