Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola has emerged as the acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
The Ayeye Ibadan-born Professor, who is from the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts of the premier University was appointed by the Senate of the University after a voting process.
The appointment was made after a directive from the Ministry of Education, through the National Universities Commission directing the Senate of the university to appoint one of its own in acting capacity for the institution.
During the course of the meeting which was thoroughly guided by adherence to standard procedures, the Senate decided that the process would be by voting and not by concensus.
Sources revealed that it took about two hours of discussion for an aggrement to be reached by the Senate, after which a call for nominations and seconding of nominations was made.
Senate members nominated for the election included Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola (Current Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic) and Professor Olanike Adeyemo (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research Innovation and Strategic Partnerships).
Others included Professor A. Oluleye (former Dean, Fauclty of Technology) Professor Adigun Agbaje (Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic) and Professor Gbemisola Oke (former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic).
According to speakers at the meeting, it was important that the Senate took a united decision with demonstrated transparency in order to guard the autonomy of the university and prevent interference from government and politicians.
Afterwards, members of Senate were duly accredited afresh, and voting took place through secret ballot.
Professor Ekanola scored 275 votes to emerge the winner; Professor Olanike Adeyemo (13 votes); Professor Oluleye (80 votes); Professor Agbaje (15 votes); and Professor Oke (14 votes), even as the Senate ratified the results and immediately adjourned.
The federal government will next week commence the process of installing five million solar home systems in under-served and off-grid communities across the country.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande confirmed the development on Monday. The program is expected to benefit about 25 million Nigerians.
The program will include the assembly and manufacturing of components of off-grid solutions to facilitate the growth of the local manufacturing industry, while use of local content will be incentivized, Akande added.
It is also expected to create about 250,000 jobs including in manufacturing, assembling, installations, maintenance, and payment systems.
Beneficiaries of the program will pay between N1,500 and N4,000 monthly to access power from the solar system.The solar program is part of plans devised by the Economic Sustainability Committee, which is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
According to government sources, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will make available funds to the private companies in the solar power sub sector involved in the manufacture, assembling, installation, servicing of the solar systems, at rates ranging between 5 to 10 percent, way below the current commercial lending rates in the country.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has revealed that the sports ministry rejected a bill of N81m to cut the grass at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Dare revealed this in a tweet on Sunday.
He tweeted, “The ministry was given a bill. The ministry did not accept. It will be detrimental to spend such an amount and it can be better invested.“If we tell Nigerians we used N81m to cut grass, which is not even available, there will be an outcry.“The funds are not really there for us and that is why we are partnering with private investors to bring back the key components of our infrastructure.”
Earlier, it was reported that the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development proposed to spend a total of N798.75m on various projects at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja in 2021. The breakdown of the sports ministry budget for the 2021 fiscal year which was gathered by our correspondent showed that there are seven different projects to be carried out at the Abuja stadium.
While four of the projects were listed as ongoing projects, three others were listed in the 2021 budget as new projects.
The ongoing projects are rehabilitation of street lights, panels and electrical works at package A and B of the stadium which would cost N60m, construction of National Stadium Medicine and High-Performance Centre with N300.75m budgeted and reconstruction of second training pitch which is expected to gulp N90m. The last of the projects listed as ongoing is the general maintenance of the package A and B of the stadium which would cost N250m.
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity has disclosed that the farmers slaughtered by Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday didn’t have military clearance to be on the farm.
This he stated on Monday during an interview with the BBC where he spoke about the unfortunate incident in which terrorists on Saturday, mercilessly killed not less than 43 farmers in the Zabarmari area of Borno State, about 20km away from Maiduguri the state capital.
Shehu in a reaction to the sad incident noted that while most of the area has been liberated from the insurgents, the military needs to give clearance/approval before farmers can return to their farms or locals resettle in the area. He however noted that the farmers killed on Saturday didn’t have military clearance to be on the farms.
Asked if it was not a case of blaming the farmers for their own death, the presidential spokesperson said the victims are not been blamed but the truth must be said.
In his words, “The government is sad that this tragic incident has happened. 43 or thereabout of innocent farm workers, most of them had their throats slit by a heartless band of terrorists. People need to know what it is like in the Lake Chad Basin area.
Mallam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity has disclosed that the farmers slaughtered by Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday didn’t have military clearance to be on the farm.
This he stated on Monday during an interview with the BBC where he spoke about the unfortunate incident in which terrorists on Saturday, mercilessly killed not less than 43 farmers in the Zabarmari area of Borno State, about 20km away from Maiduguri the state capital.
Shehu in a reaction to the sad incident noted that while most of the area has been liberated from the insurgents, the military needs to give clearance/approval before farmers can return to their farms or locals resettle in the area.
“Much of those areas have been liberated from Boko Haram terrorists but there are a number of spaces that have not been cleared for the return of villagers who have been displaced. So, ideally, all of these places ought to pass the test of military clearances before farmers or settlers resume activities on those fields.”
He added that before the people can return to such places, lots of military clearance needs to be done to make it habitable again for civilians. The military is not present in every inch of space in that area. Even if the people are willing to go back, a lot of those areas have been mined and mine clearance needs to be carried out and those areas must be cast as being ok for human habitation or agricultural activity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nigerians have renewed their calls for President Buhari to sack the current service chiefs and bring in fresh hands to tackle the growing insecurity in the country.
Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps in Ogun State, Ahmed Umar, confirmed that the incident happened around 7:00am.
Six persons on Saturday died in an accident, which involved a truck and a Honda Pilot Sports Utility Vehicle in the Ogere area of Lagos-Ibadan highway.
Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps in Ogun State, Ahmed Umar, confirmed that the incident happened around 7:00am.
According to him, the road crash was caused by speeding and loss of control on the part of the SUV driver.
He stated that the driver of the Honda Pilot marked LSR 525 FY, was on “lost control of the vehicle and subsequently rammed into the moving truck with registration number KRV 716 ZV”.
Umar added that an injured passenger was taken to Idera Hospital, Ogere, for treatment while the deceased were deposited at FOS morgue in Ipara.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has disclosed that commercial activities will begin on the Lagos-Ibadan Railway December 7, 2020.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, made this disclosure when he visited the site, in the company of the Managing Director of NRC, Fidet Okhiria, for his monthly inspection of the ongoing work.
At the Agege substation, Amaechi expressed dissatisfaction at what he described as the slow pace of work, and appealed to the contractor, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) to engage more hands to speed up the pace of work.
He also informed the on-site personnel of the contractor that he would return December 19 to ascertain the progress of the project.
The Minister also debunked media reports that the government is requesting an additional $650million loan for the completion of the project.
Recall that the Federal Government had recently come under criticism for requesting an additional loan despite the claim that the job was at 90 per cent completion level.
Amaechi during the inspection, however, clarified that the government never requested an additional loan for the project, saying the $650million loan that has long been approved was for the Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe-Warri lines.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has agreed to call off its eight-month strike which has grounded academic activities in the public universities since March.
The union leadership reached the consensus during a meeting with the government team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in Abuja, on Friday.
The government also pledged to pay N40 billion as the Earned Allowance and N30bn for the revitalisation of the university system bringing the total payment to N70 billion. The FG further agreed to settle the arrears of salaries of the lecturers before December 31.
This is happening one week after the Federal Government accepted the demand by the ASUU that they be exempted from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) pending the approval of their proposed payment system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution(UTAS).
ASUU is expected to report the agreement to its organs and then communicate their decision to the government after which a date for the calling off of the strike would be announced. A source revealed that ASUU insisted that the agreement should not be announced until it has been approved by its members. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ngige said the parley was fruitful, adding that the government made a proposal to ASUU which it would take back to its members.
He said, “Many issues were discussed at the meeting including salary shortfall, the payment system and revitalisation of the university system. I am positive that all the issues would be resolved at our next meeting.” The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, simply said everything Ngige said was correct and declined further comment.
Despite video evidence that so many protesters were killed, Brigadier-General Taiwo, who has been representing the army at the sitting of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State Government to unravel the mystery behind the incident, claimed no one was killed.
The Nigerian Army Council has approved the promotion of 421 senior officers from various ranks to the next higher rank.
Those promoted include 39 Brigadier-Generals to Major-Generals, 97 Colonels to Brigadier Generals, 105 Lieutenant-Colonels to Colonels and 180 Majors to Lieutenant-Colonels.
Among the Brigadier-Generals promoted to the rank of Major-General is Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo, Commander of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, the unit of the army that sent troops to Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on the evening of October 20, 2020 to disperse peaceful protesters.
Nigerian Army Commander, Brigadier-General Ahmed Ibrahim Taiwo, Who Claimed No Killing Occurred At Lekki Toll Gate Despite Evidence Is Son Of Late Colonel Behind Killing Of Over 700 Civilians In 1967 Asaba Massacre0 Comments3 Days Ago
Despite video evidence that so many protesters were killed, Brigadier-General Taiwo, who has been representing the army at the sitting of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Lagos State Government to unravel the mystery behind the incident, claimed no one was killed.
He has also given at least seven inconsistent accounts of what truly transpired at the Lekki Toll Gate that fateful night.
The most recent of his narrative came last Saturday when Taiwo told the panel that soldiers deployed to the scene led by Col. S.O. Bello, Commanding Officer of 65 Battalion, and Brig.-Gen. F.O. Omata actually went there with live ammunition – a claim totally in contrast with his earlier position on the issue.
He, however, said the live ammunition was for backup purpose and not used by soldiers deployed to the scene.
Taiwo is son of a former military governor of Kwara State, Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, famous for the massacre of over 700 persons in Asaba, Delta State, during the Civil War.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said no offender indicted in reported cases of rape and gender-based violence will go scot-free under his watch.
The governor spoke on Thursday when he received a 54-page compendium on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence compiled by the Stakeholders’ Committee set up by this wife, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, to give recommendations on how the fight against the crime can be won.
Sanwo-Olu, who is the incident commander for gender-based violence in Lagos, reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable demographics and getting justice for victims violated.
The governor said, “I am delighted by the work done by the Stakeholders’ Committee to bring attention to the problems facing voiceless adults and children in our society. Through your efforts, vulnerable people are building the courage to speak out on offences of sexual violence and heal their wounds.
“We will bring people, who have been perpetrating these crimes, knowingly or unknowingly, to book. We will ensure they never walk freely without the full wrath of the law brought upon them. It is part of our responsibility to ensure that the vulnerable members of our society have a voice and have access to where they can get justice when their rights are violated.”
Earlier, Ibijoke had called on the government to step up the response geared towards reducing sexual and gender-based violence to the barest minimum.
She said her drive was to work with the committee and create a society where gender-based violence would be reduced to barest minimum. She said, “The stakeholders have been having meetings for months and their discussions have focused on the key development pillars of the current administration as they relate to the rights of vulnerable citizens, especially those women and children. “The Office of the First Lady has been working with the vision to reduce sexual and gender-based violence to the barest minimum if it is impossible to eradicate the crime. We have activated our response, bringing all stakeholders and communities on board to forge a common front in addressing the issue.”
Nigeria’s Afro-beat legend, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti has said that not being nominated for the Grammys award does not mean a musician is not great.
Kuti said this while making reference to his father, Fela and Bob Marley who never got nominated or won Grammys award in his time.
The Afro-beat legend said Music is not about awards but spreading love and giving people will to go through hard times.
On his Twitter page, he wrote: “Music really isn’t about awards though. Fela never won or was never nominated. I don’t think Bob Marley was too.”
“Music is about spreading love, giving people the will to go through the hard times in live, etc and inspiration. Music must bring comfort too.”
He, however, clarified that he is not referring to anyone in particular who got nominated for the Grammys, but himself who has been nominated four times for the award.
“This tweet on Grammys was concerning me saying I have four nominations. And all I’m saying is that it’s not the objective. “Many GREAT musicians have never been nominated doesn’t mean they are not GREAT. I wasn’t referring to anyone but myself, some have chosen to abuse, or drag others. Pity.” He said.
The union will harmonise the positions of zones and branches at a meeting in Abuja today.
With some branches insisting that the government must meet all the demands before the strike is called off, the union may put the decision to a vote.
The Ahmadu Bello University branch agreed with the government on the N40 billion Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).The branch, however, called for payment of the allowance before the strike will be called off.
Lecturers at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Delta State, said negotiations with the Federal Government must be concluded before the strike is called off.
Ezekiel Agbalagba, chairman of ASUU at the university, said the congress on Wednesday accepted the EAA, but rejected the N25 billion for the revitalisation of the varsities.
According to him, the latest concession by the Federal Government is “an offer”, adding: “Let it land in our purse first.” He added: “We are willing to suspend the strike, but some of those contending issues should be thrashed and thrashed once.”
ASUU chapters of the University of Maiduguri, Yobe State University and Federal University Gashua resolved to get a serious commitment from the Federal Government before they call off the industrial action.
The Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM) ASUU voted to continue with the strike action until the Federal Government implements what was offered during the negotiation.
ASUU- UAM chapter said both their withheld salaries and sundry allowances must be also paid. A lecturer at UAM, who preferred not to be named, said they voted that the strike should continue until the government fulfils its part of the bargain.
ASUU national leadership will receive reports from zonal coordinators, following state congresses.
After considering the reports, the leadership is expected to take a position and present it to the Federal Government.
A source said some of the congresses voted to call off the strike; others did not.The source said the congresses agreed on the offers presented by the government to the union and with a timeframe to implement some of them. The source added: “All the reports will come in today (yesterday) and we can make a decision on it.”
Last Friday, the Federal Government agreed with ASUU’s demand for payment of lecturers’ salaries from February to June through the old platform – the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System.
The government said the exemption of ASUU from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was temporary pending when the university lecturers will complete the development of its payment platform – the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). After weeks of negotiations, the government offered to raise the EAA from N30billion to N35billion and the revitalisation fund from N20billion to N25billion.
Cumulatively, the government, through the Accountant-General of the Federation, offered the lecturers N65 billion to call off the strike.
The government also shifted ground on some issues, including the insistence that all the academic staff of federal universities must be paid through the IPPIS platform.
The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN ASUU Chairman, Prof Moyosore Ajao, said the chapter was in alignment with the national body. He said: “Our president will make a pronouncement on our resolution after our meeting tomorrow (today).” A source at the ASUU UNILORIN meeting said the union resolved that “our salaries be paid and must henceforth not be stopped”. “We also resolved that ASUU is not and cannot be on IPPIS,” he added.
Chairman of University of Jos chapter of ASUU, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, said: “We are under a strict directive from the national body not to release our resolutions yet.”
Sokoto Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr Jamilu Shehu, told our correspondent that the zones are expected to make their positions known at the Abuja meeting.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday admitted that Nigeria has 200 million poor people and asked the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to consider this when sharing production cuts.
The President stated that asides the 200 million poor people, the nation has severe deficit in infrastructure, saying that the weight of responsibility was too much.
Buhari also welcomed the decision of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) to site the headquarters of the African Energy Investment Corporation in Abuja, pledging the full support of the country in ensuring the successful take off of the organisation.
At a meeting with Dr. Omar Farouk from Nigeria, who is the Secretary General of the organisation at the State House on Thursday, Buhari also gave assurance that Nigeria would pay for its share subscription.
The President, who received praises for the vision of setting up the APPO and the ratification of its charter by Nigeria back in 1985 as Military Head of State, said the peculiarities of the challenges facing African oil producers required them to come together under the association to share experiences and solve their problems collectively. The President said the growing clamour for a reduction in the use of fossil fuels notwithstanding, countries like Nigeria needed to produce more oil to feed the petro-chemical industry and create jobs.
In his remarks, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, informed the President that the proposed APPO Energy Investment Corporation to be sited in Abuja would start with USD 1 billion from the AFRO-EXIM Bank and is expected to bring employment and other benefits to Nigeria.
The Secretary General of APPO who was accompanied by Dr Adedapo Odulaji, the OPEC Governor in Nigeria, conveyed the appreciation of both the Congolese President and the Prime Minister for the President’s support in the relocation of the headquarters of the association to its chosen location, Brazzaville, the Congolese capital.
He expressed hope that members of the 16-member organisation will surmount the challenges posed by COVID-19 as well as that from receding fossil fuel use as a result of the climate change treaties signed by member states and other nations.
Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and nominee for a fresh term of five years, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu has said the postponement of the 2019 general elections by one week was the most painful decision in his first tenure at the commission.
Professor Yakubu made the disclosure on Thursday while appearing before the Senate Committee on INEC led by Senator Kabiru Gaya for screening ahead of his confirmation.
The February 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections were postponed by a week in 2019, courting national outrage.
Speaking with newsmen at the commission’s headquarter on the eve of the election, Professor Yakubu said the conduct of the election was not feasible after his review of the implementation of its logistics and operational plan.
Asked by members of the Senate Committee for his most difficult challenge, the nominee said “it was having to postpone the 2019 general elections for a week. It was the most painful decision.”
He, however, told the lawmakers that INEC has since surmounted its logistics challenges, citing the seamless conduct of Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.
“But learning from that, we are working very fast to ensure that it doesn’t happen again as we approach 2023. We have learnt a lot and elections are getting better.”
Professor Yakubu said he was determined to ensure that the electoral process was transparent and credible in Nigeria to earn the trust of the electorate.
He tasked both chambers of the National Assembly to ensure speedy amendment of the Electoral Act.
“We have to be open and transparent in the way we manage public trust. My hope and commitment is for Nigerians to believe that their votes will count. I want to see how the electoral process will benefit from the use of technology.
“We can’t continue to work in an environment of uncertainty. So, I urge the National Assembly to expedite action on amendment to the electoral act and I am confident that the House of Representatives and Senate will do it expeditiously. I hope you will give us a brand new Electoral Act by the first quarter of next year.”
Responding to Senator Opeyemi Bamidele’s request for diaspora voting, Professor Yakubu said it has been a recurring decimal but maintained that INEC could only operate within the confines of the Electoral Act and the Constitution and noted that both documents have no provisions for Diaspora voting.
“We can’t run faster than what the law provides. We have identified the areas of the amendment to enable Nigerians to vote outside the country.
“So we need to amend the Electoral Act. On our own, we have contacted the National Intelligence Agency, the Ministry of Defence and the Diaspora Commission. But we must amend the electoral act to put smile on the faces of Nigerians outside the country. I think Nigerians living temporarily outside the country who are working in Embassies should be allowed to vote, including the media and Civil Society Organizations. The ball, like I said is in the court of the National Assembly.”
Also answering questions from lawmakers, nominees for the position of North West National Commissioner, Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru said he has no affiliation with any of the registered political parties.
“I haven’t been a card-carrying member of any political party and I haven’t contested any election.”
Nigeria is back into a recession. This time, it is the worst the country has experienced since 1987…
It is still uncertain whether the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will end soon as the president of the union, Professor ‘Biodun Ogunyemi has said there are certain steps to be taken to reach a final conclusion on the issue…
Sylvanus, a civil servant with the Universal Basic Education, told the panel that the incident happened at his residence in Rumuohalu, near Port Harcourt on August 14, 2014.
Nyordeh Sylvanus, a petitioner at the ongoing public hearing by the Rivers State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, has appeared before the panel to narrate how his three-day-old daughter was allegedly killed by stray bullets from operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Sylvanus, a civil servant with the Universal Basic Education, told the panel that the incident happened at his residence in Rumuohalu, near Port Harcourt on August 14, 2014.
He said the SARS operatives shot sporadically in the area with one of the bullets penetrating the roof of his house, killing his three-day old daughter.
Sylvanus demanded justice for his late daughter as well as the re-roofing of his house allegedly also damaged by stray bullets from SARS operatives.
He said, “We woke up in the morning of August 15, 2014 to observe that one of the bullets from SARS operatives, who were shooting from the night of August 14, 2014, penetrated my roof and killed my only daughter, a three-day-old baby.
“I picked the bullet on August 15 morning and went to SARS office, but was stopped at the entrance of the office by operatives who ordered me to turn back or join my dead daughter.”
However, counsel to the Commissioner of Police, Mercy Nweke, during cross-examination, dismissed Sylvester’s claim, arguing that the bullet he presented hadn’t been used and so couldn’t have killed anybody.
She also asked why he didn’t report the case at a police station.
The Kano State Government has spent N1.8bn to sponsor students to private universities.
The programme, which was started by the former administration of governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso, involved the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Crescent University, Al-Qalam University, Bells University of Technology, Otta, and Igbinediom University, Okada.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Abba Anwar, on Wednesday, in Kano said Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, spoke during the presentation of certificates to 20 of the students at the Government House, Kano. They were the set of students who were taken to the university during the administration of Kwankwaso, with the payment of their tuition and other fees at less than 10 per cent.
“When we came in by the year 2015, we were told that all the students sponsored by the then administration, all their payments were settled 100 per cent,” the statement said. While congratulating the students for their outstanding performances, the governor promised to support them to be on their own.
Ganduje said his administration inherited over 1,150 students from the administration of Rabi’u Kwankwaso.
Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, laid the foundation stone of the N1.5 Billion Bodija Premium Estate, saying that the state is prepared to work with authentic investors to lower the housing deficiency in the state.
The governor executed the foundation laying ceremony at Oba Akinyele Street, Bodija Estate, Ibadan, saying that one of the benefits of the project is that there will be a greater rise in the internally generated revenue of the state on land premium through enacted charges and enhanced taxes.
Mr. Taiwo Adisa, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, in his statement indicated that Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, stated that the project is situated on premium land spanning 12,209.45 square metres. According to him: “Bodija Premium Estate was birthed when Project Scope Limited bidded competitively for this State-owned moribund asset as advertised by the Oyo State Investment and Public Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPA).
“This is yet again, one of the clear evidences of a transparent political will backed by this administration to encourage and attract investments into Oyo State. This investment is valued at N1.5 Billion.”
He explained that the Bodija Premium Estate will comprise 45 housing units consisting of six (6) units of 2-bedroom flats in 4 blocks; twelve (12) units of 3-bedroom flats in 4 blocks; fifteen (15) units of 3-bedroom terraced houses; and twelve (12) units of 4-bedroom semi-detached duplexes.
Other features of the estate are to include Club House, Gym, Swimming Pool and Children’s play area, quality infrastructure drains, roads, security house/access control and alternative power supply, water, sanitation and waste disposal systems.
“We will continue to ensure that our processes are transparent and fast in a bid to make Oyo State the preferred investment destination in Nigeria,” the governor added.
He said the project will be completed within 18 to 24 months, noting that indigenous artisans and building materials suppliers within the state will be engaged by the company.
Earlier, the chairman, Housing Corporation of Oyo State, Barr. Bayo Lawal, hinted that when the project is fully developed in 18 months, it will be another day for the state to celebrate.
“This particular project is unique in all ramifications, as it is meant to provide for high-end users within Bodija Estate
“It is not going to be a massive project, it is for high end users and that is why when we decided to go on partnership, we sourced for those people who have the capacity to bring about the kind of project that we envisioned within the Bodija Estate.
“We have 45 housing units to be developed by Project Scope and I understand that they will do this within the timeline specified, because the major constraint that developers of their kind often face is that of funding. But they have given us assurance that funding is not a problem. So, we can look up to the 18 months timeline for completion and delivery of the project.
“You will agree also that this is just high-end housing units, which is not for the masses because of the cost. This administration is taking care gradually to address mass production and delivery of housing units.
“Your Excellency Sir, we appreciate you indeed because you have given this kind of arrangement full support, the arrangement of PPP. There is no way by which we will begin to build one housing unit here and there and expect that we will bridge the gap of housing delivery in Oyo State; but this kind of arrangement has provided a big opportunity for people of Oyo State to access housing units in large numbers.”
In his response, the Managing Director, Project Scope Company, Alhaji Omodele Rufai, said that the company will build a high-quality project, premium luxury and the best of the best.
He said that the project is targeted at growing upwardly mobile demographic, which, according to him, will rejuvenate Bodija generally and add value to the Oyo State Government.
“I congratulate Oyo State and its people on the achievement of the laudable objectives of Governor Seyi Makinde.
“We are bringing in nothing less than a billion Naira investment into Oyo State with the added value of having direct cash in-flow into the economy. We are using local suppliers, local artisans. We are buying materials locally. We are paying taxes for the people working here. So, it is a double-value-sided arrangement.
“Having said this, we encourage everyone here to spread the work that we are doing here.”
Garba had dragged Dorsey to court for endorsing and supporting the recent #EndSARS protest in Nigeria.
Former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has absented himself from court in a suit against Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Jack Dorsey.
Garba had dragged Dorsey to court for endorsing and supporting the recent #EndSARS protest in Nigeria.
Tope Akinyode, a lawyer, who joined the suit to defend Twitter, revealed that both Garba and his lawyer were not in court, forcing the judge to adjourn the case.
BREAKING: I was at the Federal High Court today to defend Adamu Garba’a lawsuit against @jack and @Twitter. However, @adamugarba & his lawyers failed to show up in Court without given reasons & the Court has now adjourned case to 22nd April, 2021.
Announcing his joining of the suit against Twitter and its CEO, Akinyode said, “I’ve filed court processes to challenge @adamugarba’s lawsuit against @jack and @Twitter. Jack’s support for Nigeria’s cause is commendable. We’ll protect our freedom of expression and resist the move to ban Twitter in Nigeria.”
In the notice of joinder filed in the case, Adamu Garba v. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and nine others, Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1391/2020 and sighted by SaharaReporters, Akinyode said he was an avid user of the online microblogging platform, Twitter, adding that it had been a significant avenue for him and other Nigerians to air their opinions and exercise their freedom of expression.
The lawyer said his tweets and that of many other Nigerians have formed a bedrock of public discourses, which have shaped and are still shaping government decisions.
Garba had instituted a $1bn lawsuit against Twitter and its founder, Dorsey, at the Federal High Court Abuja, over his role in the #EndSARS protests, which had led to violence across the country, resulting in the destruction of properties and loss of lives.
Jack was accused of actively supporting the funding of the #EndSARS protests across the nation as disclosed by Adamu Garba through a series of tweet posted on his official Twitter handle on Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
The motion on notice was brought pursuant to order II Rules 1, 2, 3 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 and Sections 34(1), 35(1) and 41(1), and 43 of the 1999 constitution.
The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has presented a budget proposal of N266.6billion to the State House of Assembly for the 2021 fiscal year.
The appropriation bill which was presented on Monday was tagged “Budget of Continued Consolidation” was 25.16 percent more than the 2020 revised budget.
In his breakdown of the bill, Makinde noted that the budget was 25.16 percent more than the 2020 revised budget adding that N130.3 billion was allocated to the capital expenditure, while the recurrent expenditure received over N136.2billion.
He said that the aim was for the capital expenditure to surpass the recurrent expenditure, and assured the public that the state would get to such a position. Meanwhile, the education sector was allocated the highest share of the budget with an allocation of N56.4billion, which represents 21 per cent of the total budget estimate.
The Governor explained that the allocation also represents a 12 per cent increment over the 2020 budget, adding that the allocation to the education sector also surpasses the recommendation of the United Nations Educational Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, said on Monday only an intellectual and competent leader can truly transform Nigeria as the country slid into its second recession in five years.
Moghalu, who was reacting to the confirmation that Nigeria has now entered its worst recession in 33 years, said the report was not surprising, adding that the government’s excuse that the recession was occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic was untenable.
He said on his Twitter handle that “unless the problem of leadership selection and constitution structure is addressed, Nigeria’s economy cannot create wealth for its citizens except for those with political connections.”
Moghalu urged the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to fix the economy so that Nigeria can quickly come out of the recession.
He wrote: “No surprise Nigeria is entering yet another recession. Until Nigeria is led by an intellectually competent leader, with visionary politics backed by sound economic thinking and knowledge, economic transformation will remain a dream. It’s for citizens to do the needful.
“COVID-19 contributed to our current recession, but is no excuse. Nigeria’s economy has been weak for several years. Was the 2016 recession caused by COVID-19 too? The deeper problems of economic management led to our weak response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“South Africa’s budgetary fiscal stimulus response to the crisis was $26 billion. Ours was a budgetary provision of N500 billion ($1.3 billion) and a @cenbank intervention of N1 trillion ($3 billion). And only a fraction of our desperately poor households received the 20K disbursements from the money budgeted.
“Unless we address the problem of our constitutional structure and the leadership selection problem in our politics, Nigeria’s economy simply can’t create prosperity for its citizens, only for a very few with the right political connections for rent-seeking.
“The few real entrepreneurs who make it do so in spite of, not because of the government.”
The meeting between the federal government and the organised labour on the hike in fuel pump price and electricity tariffs ended in disarray on Sunday as the labour leaders walked out of the parley in anger, barely 10 minutes after it commenced.
As soon as the meeting started at 8:18 pm at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), President, Mr. Quadri Olaleye, raised the issue of the latest hike in fuel pump price from N160 to N170.
The labour expressed disappointment at the manner in which the federal government treated its negotiations with the unions.
It frowned at the decision by government to further increase fuel price while discussion was still not concluded on the effects of the earlier hike in prices.
Addressing the meeting, Olaleye described government’s action as a slap on the face of labour and an attempt to blackmail them in the minds of the public as compromised unions.
Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also spoke in similar tone, accusing the federal government of reneging on their understanding with the labour team.
Olaleye said that nothing has been done in terms of implementing the promises made to labour during the previous talks held over a month ago.
The labour leaders staged the walk-out when the Deputy President of NLC, Mr. Joe Ajero insisted that the issue of the recent increase in fuel price should be put first on the agenda for discussion but the government side said that it would rather have other issues deliberated on before delving into the fuel price increase.
At this stage, there was heated argument with the two sides engaging in a shouting match, leading to the walk-out by the labour team.
Speaking to journalists shortly after, Olaleye said:”We decided that it is not going to be business- as-usual because we have seen the insincerity of government and that they are putting us at risk.
“They are taking us for a ride. We are in the process of negotiations and in the middle of discussion, they just announced an increase in the pump price of petrol…and it is no other authority but the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
“When has the NNPC become the sole authority to approve fuel price increase? Government is taking us for ride , we are leaving the meeting. We are going to consult with our organs and will brief the media on our next move,” he said.
Also while speaking on the fallout of their disagreement with government team, the NLC General Secretary, Mr. Emma Ugbaja said: “We came to a meeting with the federal government and you are aware that we have been having these meetings for sometimes over two key issues, hike in fuel price and electricity tariff.
“We have had some understanding over time, but while these meetings were ongoing, we were slapped with a new increase in petrol price. We felt that was beyond our understanding with the federal government and we felt that should be the first item on the agenda for discussion but government side said the discussion should be on some imaginary palliatives before what was causing the need for the palliatives and we felt that was putting the cart before the horse.
“At this point, we felt that we should not continue with a meeting whose agenda is wrongly prioritised.”
However, the Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige told journalists that the government team was willing to discuss issues of the petrol price but that it felt that the meeting should follow the fixed agenda.
Ngige said that the government side accepted to include the issue of increase in petrol in agenda but to be discussed after other related issues.
Ngige said that there was nothing bad about what happened, since labour said they were going to consult their organs, adding that government would fix a date for another meeting.
While welcoming labour to the meeting, the Secretary to Federal Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha thanked them for giving the federal government strong support so far.
He also explained some of the efforts being made by the government to reduce the sufferings of Nigerians.
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