Category: Featured

A clergyman in Osun State, Niyi Peter, was arragned on Thursday before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo for allêgedly defaming popular gospel artiste, Bunmi Akinnaanu, also known by her stage name Omije Ojumi, via social media.

Peter, facing a three-c0unt charge, after being accused of posting a picture of the artiste on social media and labelling it a “prostitute song,” sparking outrage among her fans and colleagues.

Appearing before Magistrate Dr Olusegun Ayilara, details from the charge sheet read that, “You, Apostle Niyi Peter, male, in the month of April 2024, at about 12:00 pm at Oke-Odo Area, Osogbo, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did dēfame the character of one Bunmi Akinnaanu, a.k.a. Omije Ojumi, by posting her picture and tagging it ‘prostitute song’ on social media via your WhatsApp number.”

The clergyman was also accúsed of sending a threatening voice note to Akinnaanu, stating that she “will perish and never rïse again.”

The charge further read, “You, Apostle Niyi Peter, on the same date, time, and place, conducted yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by falsely damaging the charactercter of Bunmi Akinnaanu, a.k.a. Omije Ojumi.”

The offences are said to contravene sections 373, 88, and 249(D) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

Peter, however, pleadëd not güilty to the charges. His counsel, Mr Okobe Najite, úrged the court to grant Peter bail.

Ruling on the bail application, Magistrate Ayilara adm¡tted Peter to bail in the sum of N1 million with two suretíes, both of whom must be civil servants.

The case was adjoúrned until Tuesday, October 22, 2024, for further hearing.

Another pastor, Mike Ademisoye Babamojigbare has, however, called on both parties to resolve their conflict amicably.

The Oyo State House of Assembly at its Plenary Sitting on Tuesday called on the State Government to put necessary measures in place towards the resuscitation of moribund State Government Technical Colleges in order to enhance Vocational Education in the State.

This was part of the resolves on a motion moved by Hon. Modiu Akande, representing Ibadan South East 1 State Contituency during the plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi.

Presenting the motion, Hon. Akande noted that Vocational and Technical Education focus on providing students with practical skills and training that will make them functional as workers in any workplace.

He added further that the acquired skills through Vocational and Technical Education promotes entrepreneurship by empowering individual to start their own business and allows them to specialise in specific fields.

” By emphasising Vocational and Technical Education, individual will be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen careers , he added

He revealed that industrialisation has created a high demand for technicians in various industries, hence the need to enhance the channel to create more job opportunities for the teeming youth of the State.

The House has however directed its House Committee on Education ( Basic & Secondary ) to call on relevant stakeholders and look for a way out to bring the Vocational and Technical Education to the limelight in the State.

The House has however adjourned its plenary sitting till Tuesday, 2nd October, 2024.

Amidst the current harsh economy and the prevailing hunger in the country, the teachers in Oyo State whose meager emolument has been hit badly by hyper inflation have again been subjected to untold suffering and have begun expressing their grievances by crying out for help, seeking the intervention of Governor Seyi Makinde to put a stop to the incessant ‘illegal’ deductions from their monthly salary.

The teachers who are at the receiving end of the current economic hardship are lamenting over the recent ‘illegal’ deduction of N6,000, N8,000, N9,000 levy forceful imposed and deducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria TRCN from the recently paid September Salary. This deduction learnt to have been going on for a long period of time with the teachers in the State crying in silent and nobody comes to their aide.

Before the recent deduction, there was a circular released by the TRCN on the commencement of the new levy calculated based on the new minimum wage of N70,000 that has not been implemented by the government. The teachers became infuriated upon seeing the circular and reported same to Nigerian Union of Teachers but at the end all to no avail. It was also gathered that NUT released a statement to warn TRCN to desist from deducting money from teachers’ salaries this month but the body turned a deaf ear and proceeded on the ‘illegal deduction.

It is saddened that such deduction could be carried out at this trying time when teachers find it difficult to bear the exorbitant cost of transport to their various places of assignment. The so-called NUT seems to have become toothless and has turned to instrument of extortion as against its primary objective which is to protect the interest of its members. Hence, the defiance from the TRCN. Nonetheless, the Union is also enmeshed with the same allegation leveled against TRCN. NUT has also been accused of extorting helpless teachers by compulsorily levying a deduction of certain amount of money from teachers’ salary under the guise of Union due with nothing to show for it. If not for its weakness coupled with pocket-driven objective, a statement emanated from the Union suffice to have halted the process albinitio especially at this time of economic hardship. This among several deductions illegally carried out from teachers’ salary has become a burden the teachers in Oyo State could no longer bear and the need for the intervention of State Government.

A teacher identified as Mrs Juliet who spoke to Oduduwa News decried the illegal deduction claiming that teachers are the least paid civil servant and they are the most oppressed class of workers in Nigeria. “I don’t know the work of TRCN, some people would just assemble somewhere to manipulate the system, they sit in their comfort zone to defraud us and I have not seen any impact of the body. Nothing to show for it other than to be ripping us”.

An entry graduate into Oyo State Teaching Service Commission TESCOM monthly salary is within the range of N50,000 and this meager remuneration has been deflated when factoring cost of transportation, increasing cost of food items amidst other expenses.

Another teacher identified as Mr Oladapo said, he is a graduate and he is currently on N55,000 salary scale. “Just imagine at a time when there is economic hardship in the land, this kangaroo body called TRCN is defrauding us. Can you imagine, I have not even become a member of the so-called body and they also deducted N6,000 from my salary. Is that not illegal? How on earth you would deduct money from someone who is not your member? That is fraudulent act and needs government intervention”.

A primary school teacher who spoke to Oduduwa News under the condition of anonymity, said teachers are being cheated silently in Oyo State. “We pay money for voucher every month to process our salary and i keep on asking why do we have to pay for the statutory work of an Accountant to do his work when nobody is also paying us to do our work aside our monthly payment from the government? The TRCN has been raking billions of Naira from Oyo State teachers since the commencement of this illegal deduction and not even a conference or on-the-job training has ever been held for teachers in the State. We don’t know the importance of this forceful deductions. Governor Seyi MAKINDE is people’s governor and would not condone any form of shoddy deal under his noise. It seems he is unaware that there are so many unscrupulous people using teachers’ money to fund their largesse. I call on Gov MAKINDE to please launch an investigation to this and ameliorate the silent suffering of Oyo teachers”.

There have been a lot of illegal deductions from the meager salary collected by teachers in Oyo State. Some of these illegal charges are tagged with various title such as voucher fee which is paid by all teachers in the state to process their salary every month, NUT also deducts certain amount of money from their salaries as Union due while another one is tagged “Endwell fee”. These among several deductions have become unbearable to teachers in the State amidst the growing economic hardship that is making its difficult for teachers to afford cost of transport to their various places of work.