Author: oduduwanews

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Twitter Ban To Be Lifted After Fulfilling All 12 Conditions – FG

The Federal Government has said the suspension of Twitter has not been lifted because the company has met 10 out of the 12 conditions given it.

The government however raised the hope of Nigerians that it is a matter of time before all issues with Twitter are resolved.

But it clarified that the suspension of Twitter had nothing to do with issues bordering on President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the clarifications while responding to a question from a participant at Nigeria International Partnership Forum in Paris.

Most investors at the forum were eager about the circumstances behind the suspension of Twitter.

Mohammed, who spoke in fluent French, caught the audience unawares.

The lady participant, who asked the question was perplexed and caught off guard by the Minister’s mastery of French.

But Mohammed took time to explain why the suspension of Twitter was not yet lifted.

He said:”I want to categorically say that Twitter was not banned by Nigera, it was only suspended. So, Twitter was never banned, it was suspended.

” Also, the suspension has nothing to do with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The correspondences between us and Twitter have reached advanced stage. I want to say that the correspondences and the exchanges have been fruitful.

“But we have a few more issues to resolve. Out of about 12 conditions, Twitter has been able to meet 10.

“Very soon, all issues will be resolved in a way that it will be good for both our country and Twitter.”

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Gov Akeredolu Tasks FG To Devolve Power To States For Effectiveness

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has said the hue and cry about restructuring which has pervaded the entire country is about devolving power to the states to make them function effectively.

Governor Akeredolu, who declared that he doesn’t believe in the disintegration of the country, said the fiscal policy and over-centralisation of power in the hands of the Federal Government has turned the country into a unitary nation.

The Governor spoke on Tuesday while playing host to officials of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission, NSSEC, who are in the state for a One-Day Advocacy and Sensitisation Workshop on the establishment of the commission with Education Stakeholders in Southwest States of Nigeria.

Lamenting that putting many items in the exclusive list has concentrated too much powers in the hands of the federal government, Arakunrin Akeredolu noted that the unity of the country is based on sustainable true federalism.

He identified over centralisation of structures of governance as a major reason for the unending agitations for restructuring.

Arakunrin Akeredolu therefore called for devolution of powers to enable the states function effectively as federating units within the federation.

The Governor advised the NSSEC to limit its operations to curriculum formulation, monitoring and implementation rather than wholesale take-over of secondary schools administration in the country.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr Benjamin Abakpa, said the sensitisation to the geopolitical zone was to get policy makers acquainted of reasons why the commission was set up by the federal government.

He said regulation of Secondary School Education, intervention on areas of needs and setting minimum standards are critical objectives before the commission to actualise, in a bid to strengthen the post-primary level of education in the country.

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Oluwo: There are only two festivals in Islam, there is nothing like Odun Olohun – Wazeer of Yorubaland

The Wazeer of Yorubaland, Sheikh Muhammad Yahqub, said there are only two recognized festivals in Islam, anything aside that is not permissible in the religion.

Before the event, the Wazeer of Yorubaland came out publicly to urge Oluwo to reconsider his stance on the celebration of the planned Odun Olohun. However, Oluwo proceeded with the event as different religious leaders and personalities graced the event.

In his words, Sheikh Yahqub Muhammad narrated that his closeness with Oluwo won’t stop him to say the truth when it comes to the commandment of Allah. He said Oluwo has done exemplary things as a Muslim king in Yorubaland, however, the truth is that Odun Olohun is not part of the religion. He urged Oba Adewale Akanbi to ensure the festival celebrated should be the first and last of such.

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Oyo Muslim Community Alleges TESCOM Of Using Muslim Students For ‘Daniel Kolenda’ Crusade

In recent times, there has been allegation that the Teaching Service Commission of Oyo State, TESCOM has connived with Daniel Kolenda Crusade team to coerce Muslim students for its forthcoming crusade in Ibadan.

The Muslim Community of Oyo State (MUCOYOS) has accused the Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), of forcing Muslim students to listen to Christian preaching.

MUCOYOS noted that Muslim students were being forced to attend Christian crusade in preparation for a programme aimed at receiving a German Christian crusader, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda.

MUCOYOS specifically pointed out that it was disheartening that on Friday 29th October, a crusade team was at Sasa Community High School, where Muslim students were deliberately disallowed from observing Jum’at service.

The group in a statement signed by the duo of Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni (Chairman) and Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade (Secretary-General) alleged that the Muslim students in other schools in Ibadan were kept on a special christian evangelization assembly against their faith.

The duo alleged that the crusade team were sent to the schools with the approval of the TESCOM Chairman, Mr. Akin Alamu.

They then advised that the TESCOM Chairman should stop forcing Muslim Students into Christianity.

The statement read: “For some time now, preparations have been in top gear to receive a German Christian Crusader, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda (successor of Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke), coming to Ibadan for a big crusade, tagged ‘Great Gospel Crusade’

“What’s bad about crusades? Nothing, really. But it is gross abuse of office for Pastor Chairman and Church Elder Permanent Secretary of Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), to watch, while for over two weeks now, the crusade teams have been going round schools in Ibadan to forcefully bring out students, coercing them to listen to christian preaching.

“This is very disheartening. On Friday 29th October, a crusade team was at Sasa Community High School, where Muslim students were deliberately disallowed from observing Jum’at by keeping them on a special christian evangelization assembly, specifically organised to mobilise them for the Kolenda crusade. Same has been replicated in many schools in Ibadan.

“It is unimaginable that we still find ourselves in this kind of situation, all because we have a Pastor TESCOM chairman, who is either forcing school principals to implement this crusade, or he is simply looking the other way or; just flagrantly disregarding the extant circular of the Ministry of Education outlawing devotions at school assemblies.

“The system is so bad that, the event is not even happening during the morning assembly, but rather, special assemblies are called when the students should be in class. Everyone is complaining that Oyo State is not doing well in public examinations. Are we not making it worse when precious teaching time is spent on evangelization?

“This is impunity.

“TESCOM Chairman should stop forcing Muslim Students into Christianity. It is not acceptable.

“H.E. Governor Seyi Makinde, please call TESCOM Chairman to order.”

Meanwhile, Alamu while reacting, described the allegations as malicious.

Alamu, who spoke during a telephone conversation on Tuesday night said that he does not have time to respond to such allegations.

He said, “That is malicious. That is malicious and I do not have time to react to such.

“I am not ready to respond to such allegations.”

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Fuel Scarcity Panic: We have over 1.7b litres of petrol, says NNPC

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited yesterday advised consumers not to engage in panic buying of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as it has over 1.7 billion litres of the product.

Its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Malam Garba Deen Muhammad, made this known in a statement.

He said: “The public is hereby advised not to engage in panic buying of Premium Motor Spirit, more commonly known as petrol.

“The NNPC has over 1.7 billion litres of petrol in stock and more product is expected to arrive into the country daily over the coming weeks and months.

“It is, therefore, unnecessary to entertain any fear of scarcity of petrol throughout the festive season and beyond.

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Man set ablaze for alleged kidnapping in Ibadan

One man identified to be alleged kidnapper was set ablaze very closed to Jogor Centre, Ibadan.

“The delivery made bike-man chase him into the gutter and the man ran underground prompting bike-men and angry people to set fire to materials, the eyewitness said.

Another eyewitness explained that, “the mad man tried crawling into another underground but couldn’t withstand the heat which made him go out eventually”.

“He was beaten and ran into the compound of Jogor center where he was brought out, beaten and set on fire”.

Among the items recovered included ATM cards, knives, and the names of six people who were seen in the list.

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Twins Detained Over N215,000 Hospital Bill

Twin babies (a boy and a girl) born on October 22 at Supreme Royal hospital in Lagos, have been detained by the hospital management over unpaid balance of N215,000 bills.

According to the mother, Sadiat Alao, she gave birth through Caesarean section, which she didn’t planned for and was billed N350,000.

She, however, said the father of the twins had been paying bit by bit, but was unable to offset the bill.

She said: “He has not showed up for over one week because of the balance and the more we stay in the hospital, the more we will continue to incur more bills.

“I am begging kind-hearted Nigerians to come to my aid because of these twins.”

Efforts made to talk to the Medical Director proved abortive as we were told he wasn’t available.

Sadiat can be reached via 08172024662

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No going back on 120% Ondo varsity fees hike, VC insists as PDP, parents kick

The Vice-Chancellor of University of Medical Sciences, UNIMED, Ondo State, Prof Adesegun Fatusi, has said there is no going back on the hike in tuition fees of the institution.

This coming on the heels of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and parents of students in UNIMED, yesterday, kicking against the 120 per cent increase in tuition fees, saying the increase would swell the number of out-of-school children.

The PDP’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Kennedy Peretei, in a statement, said the hike “is a silent notice to parents who cannot afford the new fees regime to withdraw their children.”

Akeredolu’s antecedents
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has never hidden his penchant for increasing fees in tertiary institutions, since he assumed headship of the state.

The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, have suffered serial closures over students’ protests bordering on fees’ hikes.

The Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo shrank to a student population of 1,753, from over 9,000, due to fees increase.

Most private residential accommodation for students in Owo is now empty. Even the economy of the ancient city has been adversely affected.

Parents and students of UNIMED received shockers when they noticed increment of fees with nearly 120 per cent for 2021/2022 session.

No explanation was given for this hike. Medical students have to pay as much as N1,320,000, as against N515,000 payable in the previous academic session (2020/2021)

“There is no justification for this continuous upward review of school fees, when the economy of the state is practically comatose and workers’ salaries are not only irregular but never paid in full.

“The PDP in Ondo State calls on the governor and the APC-led government to wear a human face in taking decisions that affect the well-being of our future leaders.”

Parents berate govt
Also faulting the hike, some of the parents who spoke with Vanguard said: “There will be mass withdrawal. It is not realistic.

“Mass withdrawal is looming in the school. We were paying N350,000 and it was difficult.

“We know Medicine is not cheap, but this is on the high side. Other state schools are running medicine but their fees are not as high as N2 million.”

No going back on new fees, VC insists
When contacted, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adesegun Fatusi, said there was no going back on the new fees schedule.

Fatusi said: “The institution is committed to offering quality education and this position would not be compromised.

“The parents have an option. Their children don’t need to study here. Other medical schools are available.

“We run this school almost free of tuition fees. This school is a specialised school and we cannot continue with the previous fees.”

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400 People To Benefit From Lagos’ Free Limb Deformity Intervention – LASG

No fewer than 400 people will benefit from the latest phase of the Lagos State Government sponsored Free Limb Deformity Corrective Surgery and Rehabilitative Programme – an intervention programme targeted at rehabilitating people, especially children, with lower limb deformities such as rickets or Blount disease, and other lower limb deformities that affect their normal growth and function.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, disclosed this during his visit to the screening site for the latest batch of beneficiaries at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on Monday.

According to him, the current phase of the exercise has recorded over 400 potential beneficiaries, who will be screened over a period of two days, while appropriate medical examinations are conducted.

He explained that during the current phase, 80 children will benefit from corrective surgical intervention, just as others will be offered physiotherapy, nutrition and health education as well as assistive mobility devices that will improve their health.

Ogboye noted that the results of their examination will be reviewed by a team of specialists and those that qualify for surgery will be booked for surgical intervention within the next 10 days, adding that the process will be at no cost to the patients.

He said: “The process involves a screening where surgeons examine patients and select those eligible to benefit from surgery and others that may benefit from assistive devices and other forms of physical rehabilitation. Those who pre-qualify for surgery will then go through a series of diagnostic investigations including x-rays and blood tests to check for the form of the bone malformation, calcium levels and other basic parameters. Patients are then offered surgery and kept overnight for observation”.

“This is supervised by our team of orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other health professionals. After discharge, patients will come for follow-up visits at the clinic, and then also go through physiotherapy to ensure we get the best outcomes”, the Permanent Secretary added.

He noted that many of the limb deformities, which can be corrected by surgery and rehabilitation, will improve the health status of the beneficiaries and give a greater sense of self-worth, stating that the patients would have better chances for economic empowerment and financial independence.

His words: “This programme often leads to improved mobility and health outcomes for the beneficiaries, and allows us to demonstrate our commitment as a State to develop our human capital and give our children a good platform to achieve their dreams and aspirations”.

“The programme also allows us to generate data to create other targeted disability intervention strategies to help more people that may have been disadvantaged healthwise in one way or another”, Ogboye said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Coordinator of the Programme, Dr. Tolulope Ajomale, noted that over 6,000 patients have benefitted from the programme since inception, adding that the programme has evolved into a multidisciplinary surgical outreach programme that explores surgical intervention, physiotherapy and assistive mobility devices to improve their health.

He noted that the programme, usually held biannually, was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that the surgical and rehabilitative intervention programme has been rejigged to ameliorate the suffering of patients and their families.

Ajomale added that the massive turnout of potential beneficiaries at the screening exercise is an affirmation of the impact the programme has on citizens who have benefitted from the programme, stressing that another screening exercise will be organised before the end of the year to expand the window for more potential beneficiaries.

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