Author: oduduwanews

Stakeholders in the laboratory profession have called on the Nigerian government as well as State Governors to put more funds into laboratory research works to stem the capital flight crisis the country is facing due to foreign testing by Nigerians.

The call was made on Tuesday at the celebration of the 2024 World Laboratory Day by Independent Laboratory Owners in Nigeria, which held at Lagos.

The gathering which was aimed at calling attention to the need for people to undergo laboratory testing, included stakeholders in the laboratory profession among whom were industrialists, laboratory workers and owners as well as students.

Part of the advocacy effort include a live Television interview programme named ‘Kutuhai’ on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), where the immediate past President of Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria, Dr. Femi Oyediran discussed the essence of the day in relation to public health.

In his address at the event with the theme “The Future Is Lab,” which held at LCCI Conference Center in Lagos, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Ademilola Adebayo, congratulated the practitioners on the annual celebration, saying the future of public health depended on laboratory of now and years to come, as there was no limit to innovation, scientific and technological breakthroughs. He went further to say “frontiers of knowledge must be expanded for meaningful growth and development.

In Nigeria however, the theme “Building The Culture of Testing For Healthy Living and Development” was chosen to address the peculiarity of our sovereign State. Culture of testing means continuously engaging in the conduct and observation of experiments and drawing valid conclusions, developing and sustaining this culture will lead to the production of good, safe and quality products that will meet national standard.

As testing laboratory professional of over five decades, the Chairman said there is need to build the culture of testing now than ever before, in order for people to live a healthy life and develop the nation.”

The body called for the urgent review of the practice by some regulatory agencies in the interest of Nigerians and the trade by curbing the unwholesome practice of allowing untested products or materials to be registered or circulated in the market. This is currently common in the country.

The President of SoTLAN, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela who was represented at the occasion by the first Vice President, Mr. Bolawa Gbolahan also advocated for the need to build a testing culture by Nigerians, adding that the laboratories play a vital role in ensuring the quality and safety of products, safeguarding public health and fostering economic development. He asked the federal and State governments to fund laboratory to broaden the frontiers of public health and reduce capital flight in the sector.

The Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mr. Aliyu A. Angara, who was represented by Dr. Wole Opeoluwa congratulated all participants and called for reaffirmation of the commitment of the stakeholders to excellence, innovation, and collaboration. According to him, “together, let us strive to overcome challenges, embrace opportunities, and continue driving progress in the field of analysis for public health and of laboratory science in general.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ayirimi Emami, has urged Ondo State governor and winner of the party’s ticket for the forthcoming governorship election, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to seek genuine reconciliation with all the aggrieved aspirants who contested with him ahead November off-season election in the state.

In the primary conducted by a team led by Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, Governor Aiyedatiwa was declared winner having polled 48, 569 in the Direct Primary exercise to defeat all the other 15 aspirants.

Some of the aspirants have since kicked against the outcome of the election, alleging that the Governor Ododo team did not follow the party guidelines.

Lauding Aiyedatiwa, the APC chieftain described his victory at the primary as testament of his impactful governance for the few months he has taken over as governor of Ondo state.

He urged him to broker peace with the aggrieved aspirants and accommodate them in the course of his campaigns for the overall interest of the party and development of the oil producing state.

Emami maintained that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s stance should be a no victor, no vanquished towards the other aspirants on the outcome of the primary, saying the cooperation of other aspirants would make the party’s victory seamless and accelerate the developmental strides being witnessed in the state.

He also appealed to other aspirants that contested the APC governorship primary to sheathe their sword and support the candidacy of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Some of the contenders for the ticket included the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim; Olusola Oke (SAN); former president of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Francis Faduyile; a mechanical engineer, Dr Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo and the national vice chairman of the APC (South APC (South West), Isaac Kekemeke.

Others are Dr Soji Ehinlanwo, Akinfolarin Samuel, Okunjimi Odimayo, Adewale Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Edema, Brig. Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide (retd), Morayo Lebi, Oladiran Iyatan and Engnr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele.

Pandemonium broke out at the Ladoke Akintola University Of Technology, LAUTECH, in the Ogbomoso area of Oyo State on Monday as a police officer allegedly gunned down a student and injured two others.

It was gathered that the unfortunate incident occurred when the police officer, who is yet to be identified, was invited to settle a misunderstanding between two people in the school.

While attempting to settle the matter, the officer reportedly shot sporadically into the air and, in the process, gunned down one student and injured two others.

The incident triggered a riot in the school as students locked the school gates in protest, demanding justice for the deceased.

When contacted, SP Adewale Osifeso, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, told FBS-NEWS that he was busy but promised to revert.

A traditionalist, Onifade Oyekanmi, has narrated how he collaborated with his friends to kill a 45-year-old Fulani woman, Usman Aminat for money ritual.

Onifade, popularly called Ife, disclosed that he committed the crime along with four other friends at his Iyana Ajia residence in Ibadan, Oyo State on March 13, 2024.

His accomplices include, Oyebode Olalekan, 40, Ifayemi Ojeleke, 32 and Jamiu Lasisi, 40.

He added that he met the deceased at a marabout place and after exchanging pleasantries she offered to take him to another marabout in Ogbomoso in Oyo State.

“The day she took me to Ogbomoso, we were told the marabout had travelled to Kwara State. She later called to inform me she was back and I asked her to come and meet me at my resident in Ibadan.

“She left Apomu to Ibadan and when she came, I and my friends strangled her to death. One of them dismembered her bodies and we used some part of her organs. Her intestine was burnt along with pig and goat’s intestines into powder form.

“We wanted to use her for money ritual but the Muslim cleric that told me about the ritual has not given me the instructions on how to use the powder mixture before we were caught”, he added.

A professor of Law at Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun, Yinka Olomojobi, has been killed by unknown gunmen in the Iperu area of the state on Friday, April 22.

According to Channels TV, Olomojobi was shot dead for allegedly refusing to be whisked away by the assailants. While he was shot dead, two residents were kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination.

The gunmen who were said to be eight in number and dressed in black, stormed an event centre on Sagamu Road and began shooting indiscriminately. Eyewitnesses say the late Prof Olowojobi was shot in the chest. At the same time, a manager of a car stand known as Dare, and one other yet-to-be-identified person, were said to have been taken captive by the gunmen.

Confirming the incident to newsmen, the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Omolola Odutola, said one person had been arrested in connection with the incident.
“A two-week-old security man was arrested based on reasonable suspicion as police commence discreet investigation. A report from the Iperu Division indicates that a kidnapping and murder incident occurred on the 19th of April, 2024, at about 9:20 pm. A suspicious coincidence led the police to arrest one Awada Ishaya of Plateau state who was employed two weeks ago when the event centre was launched as a security man for further interrogation.

The lecturer was taken to Babcock University Teaching Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Efforts are underway to apprehend the culprits and rescue the kidnapped victims. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.”Odutola said.

Automotive gas oil (AGO), also known as diesel, sold for as high as N1,500 at fuel stations in Lagos and Abuja on Saturday.

TheCable observed that Mobil and TotalEnergies fuel stations in Festac Town, sold for N1,300 per litre and N1,500 per litre, respectively.

In Abuja, the price of the product was N1,450 per litre at Eterna, Banex, and N1,500 a litre at Emadeb, Kado.

The prices have remained the same despite Dangote refinery announcing a reduction in its costs of diesel to marketers from N1,200 to N1,000 on April 16.

Speaking on the issue, Abubakar Maigandi, president, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), said marketers still have old stocks, hence the current price of the product.