Category: Education

The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has constituted governing councils of various tertiary institutions in the State.

This was contained in a statement signed today by the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu as read thus:

“Our reform agenda is aimed at transforming tertiary institutions in Lagos into innovation centres. To achieve this, yesterday, I inaugurated the governing councils of LASU, LASPOTECH, AOCOED and MOCPED to drive this vision.

We took the time to select distinguished Nigerians as members of the Councils. I have no doubt that we have chosen wisely with the calibre of people we picked. The appointment comes with huge responsibilities that must be discharged with integrity, foresight and dedication.

Tertiary institutions are critical in nurturing individuals to become innovators and wealth creators who will contribute to accelerate the growth of the economy. Our goal is to turn our schools around to become models of excellence in the delivery of high-quality education”.

It has just been confirmed to OduduwaNews that the Management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, has announced to all members of the public especially especially admission seekers who are interested in applying to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso for undergraduate admission that the 2020/2021 post UTME application platform has been activated.

The information was contained in a notice made available to Mouthpiece NGR on Tuesday.

The statement further reads, “Notice is hereby given to all candidates who chose LAUTECH as their Institution of first choice or those willing to change to LAUTECH as their Institution of first choice in the 2020/2021 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) that a Post-UTME Computer Based Test (CBT) screening exercise and oral interview for Direct Entry candidates for admission to the University’s various programmes will be conducted on a date to be announced soon.”

“However, application form will be available online for completion and submission from Friday, August 21 to Friday, September 25, 2020. Applicants are to note that before admission can be offered by the University, they must have uploaded their O’Level results on CAPS and once admission is offered, the candidates must either accept or reject the offer on CAPS before JAMB’s closure of CAPS for the year in order to be on JAMB National Matriculation list for the year. For UTME candidates to be eligible for the exercise, they must have scored 170 marks and above in the 2020/2021 UTME.

The University of Lagos Senate on Monday elected Prof. Folashade Ogunsola as its Acting Vice-Chancellor.

Folashade Ogunsola is of the College of Medicine and current Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services.

At an emergency meeting convened at the university, Ogunsola polled 135 votes while Professor Been Ogbojafor secured 31 votes. One vote was voided.

The Ghanian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has congratulated Iseyin-born writer, Dr. Wale Okediran as the new Secretary-General of Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA).

The President extended his felicitation message to Dr. Wale Okediran following his recent appointment as the leader of the association, charging him to use his new position for the development of the association.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to President Akufo-Addo, Nana Bediatuo, which was made available to Sunday Tribune on Saturday, stated that:

“The President of the Republic welcomes the appointment of Dr. Wale Okediran as Secretary-General of the Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA), and extends his congratulations to him.

“With his experience and remarkable achievements, the President is confident that Dr. Okediran will work to fulfill the noble objectives of PAWA,” the statement read further.

Following the death of the founding Secretary-General of PAWA, Professor Atukwei Okai, the position had remained vacant for about two years before the eventual appointment of Wale Okediran.

Prior to PAWA appointment, Okediran had been a one-time President of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and a member of Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives.

The medical doctor-turned-writer, with his plethora of experience, is believed by Akufo-Addo to be a fit for such position.

President Muhammadu Buhari, as Visitor to the University of Lagos has constituted a Visitation Panel to look into the crisis in the university.

In a news report monitored on NTA Network news at 9pm on Friday August 21, 2020, the President took the following additional decisions:

1. The Panel is to submit its report within two weeks.
2. The Pro-Chancellor, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, have been suspended from office as they are both to recuse themselves from performing their functions in office during the period of the Visitation.
3. The Senate is to convene urgently and appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor for the university.

With this decision, the President has sacked the Acting Vice-Chancellor purportedly appointed by the Babalakin-led Council.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared its support for the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, stating that his performance across the state is impressive.

The student body led by its President, Comrade Danielson Bamidele commended the gaint strides recorded across the various sectors of the state by the Akeredolu administration.

The leadership of NANS spoke on Wednesday evening during a courtesy visit to the Governor’s office , Alagbaka , Akure , the state capital.

The student body leadership led by its President has been in the state for three days, where they have embarked on inspection and monitoring of the Governor’s projects.

Speaking, the former Senate President of NANS, Olalekan Smart Edward said Governor Akeredolu’s projects are speaking for him within and outside the state.

He said:”Your projects are speaking for you. President Buhari has commendations for you. APC has commendations for you. Outsiders have commendations for you. And we agree that there must be consistency in development. Governor Akeredolu is doing well.”

In his remarks, the NANS President, Comrade Danielson Bamidele said the national delegation of the student body has been in the state for three days for inspection and monitoring of the Akeredolu administration projects, adding that the Governor has done creditably well.

He described the road projects executed by the Akeredolu administration as quality, stressing that that Governor has embarked on enduring projects.

The NANS President appreciated Governor Akeredolu for his interventions at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH) which he said, has turned the school around for good.
He equally appealed to the Governor to reconsider the tuition payable in the state owned institutions in the state.

Responding, Governor Akeredolu who said students are important to his administration, disclosed that he had instructed his team to find out the tuition payable in other state owned institution so as to know what step to take on the reduction of tuition in the state.

He said:”Students are important to us. It will take all of us to sit down to have this discussion about tuition. It’s not a discussion of the deaf. All of us will be hearing. A time when you go to Abuja and take N9 Billion monthly as against when you go to Abuja now and get far less and you have to pay salary.

“Unlike somebody that decided not to pay for seven months. I met seven months salary arrears and I have paid six. So I prioritized the workers’ welfare. We shored up our IGR to spend more on infrastructure. I note what you have raised on this issue of fee.

“At my last meeting, I have said let me have where they are paying less than what we charge here. What we found out was that for those newly admitted, we still charge the lowest in tuition but for the second year and all, we have state owned institutions that charge lesser then us. And if not for this issue of Covid, we have decided to reduce it. We will reduce it.

“It’s not a matter for political gains. I know by the time we announce it they will turn it to political gains. We will make sure that by next week we make the announcement on the fee.

It has just been confirmed to Oduduwa News that Nigerian students have trooped out in their number today in Abuja to protest against the closure of schools in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government COVID-19 Task Force has announced that it is considering the feedback on the guidelines rolled out to schools as part of measures to be taken to ensure that schools resume back within a short period of time.

The Chairman of Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) yesterday reacted to the allegation of Christianising the CBT test held on Tuesday, 11 th August, 2020. The allegation was made by an Islamic human rights association, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Friday, 14 th August, 2020. MURIC alleged that Muslim candidates were made to answer questions on biblical stories.

But in a swift reaction, the Executive Chairman of Oyo TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alamu, issued a press statement in which it explained that the incident was not deliberate. Oyo TESCOM blamed computer technicalities. It also said some Christian candidates were given questions on Islamic knowledge. TESCOM statement was signed by its Permanent Secretary, Grace Olabisi Oderinde.

However, MURIC has reacted positively to the development. In a statement issued on Sunday, 16 th August, 2020, the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, commended the Executive Chairman of TESCOM for his exemplary behaviour. MURIC thanked Pastor Akinade Alamu for addressing the core issue raised by the human rights association.

He continued, “Pastor Akinade comes across as the type of leader we need in this country. Nigeria needs a leader who is sensitive to the feelings of the people. We need a leader who will not ignore complaints but who will confront them frontally. The solution offered by Oyo TESCOM to our complaint may not be perfect, but nobody can fault the military dispatch with which it was addressed. We thank Pastor Akinade Alamu for displaying high level maturity.

“Instead of abusing or threatening us, instead of hiring a fiction story writer or fraudulently forming a fictitious 24-hour ‘Islamic’ organisation to start a dirty fight (just what some have done to hide their glaring oppression of Muslims), Pastor Akinade Alamu studied our grievance and took time to come up with a panacea. He set aside religious differences. He addressed the message and not the messenger. His language was refined, civil, diplomatic and parliamentarian. This is really commendable.

“Here is a big lesson for the governors of Ogun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti whose reactions to our criticisms have been undemocratic and nonconventional. The case of Oyo TESCOM and MURIC has proved that propaganda is not public relations. Leaders can stoop to conquer. Those in charge of public relations in public or private organisations must know this. Image makers must learn to respect the other side. Grandstanding and name-calling can only lead to the escalation of the crisis.

“MURIC will remain faithful to its motto, ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’. We are open to discussions before, during or after opening an issue. We are not rigid. Neither are we extremists. It is only our dectractors who want to give us a bad name. We will continue to peacefully coexist with our neighbours but on equal terms of mutual respect, i.e. without compromising Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims.”

The Muslim Rights Concern Group MURIC has condemned what it terms as Christianization of ongoing teaching service examination in Oyo State.

The statement signed and released today to the PRESS by the President of the organization, Professor Ishaaq Akintola which reads: “Muslims who took part in the CBT examination organised by the Oyo State TESCOM were shocked when questions on Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK or BK) surfaced among the questions. They had earlier received information that candidates would be tested in Mathematics, English Language, Current Affairs, Knowledge of Teaching Education and the candidate’s special area. But to their dismay, they found questions on CRK like explaining how Moses was a shepherd to his father-in-law and how Elijah was thrown into the fire.

“These CRK questions have the potential of putting Muslim candidates at great disadvantage while Christian candidates are most likely to score high marks. This will eventually lead to the disqualification of Muslim candidates and the employment of Christian teachers. The bias becomes more pronounced when it is realised that no Islamic knowledge question was asked to create a balance.

“MURIC frowns at this lopsided arrangement. It is grossly unfair to Muslims. It should be noted that this is an exercise which has direct bearing on the welfare of the candidates’ families. The implications are far-reaching, including a calculated attempt to impoverish Muslim families while Christian families are enriched.

“We therefore reject the exercise. We call on the state governor to order TESCOM to conduct another CBT examination. We are astounded by the level of Christianisation going on in Oyo state agencies since the appointment of Christian chairmen and directors.

“We call the attention of Nigerians and the international community to this episode. It is a pointer to what has been going on in most South West states. Muslims have been turned into underdogs. Unfortunately those who complain among us are labelled as terrorists. We are threatened with assassination and blackmailed as receivers of funds from terrorist groups. All these in an effort to get those who oppose the persecution of Muslims out of the way so that the oppressors can continue in their evil ways ad infinitum.

“For the umpteenth time, MURIC affirms that threats of assassination, blackmail, character assassination, falsehood and forgeries aimed at implicating MURIC will not deter it from speaking for the oppressed and marginalised Muslims anywhere in Nigeria.

“In our concluding remarks, we denounce the imposition of bible questions on Muslims. We appeal to the governor of Oyo State to order a resit of the CBT examination on a level playing ground.”