News
Panel chairman regrets signing UNILAG VC reinstatement report
The chairperson of Special Visitation Panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the crisis at the University of Lagos, Prof. Tukur Saad, has said he was deceived into signing the report that informed government’s decision to reinstate Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the vice chancellor of the university.
A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Education, Ben-Bem Goong, on Tuesday, said the FG had reinstated the VC and dissolved the university council.
Saad, in different correspondences to the Chief of Staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari, and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, cast doubts on the integrity of the report.
According to him, “The recommendation was that the VC should be cautioned against contract splitting. To me this was enough for Government to reject this recommendation and subject the culprit to the consequences.”
Expressing his reservation, Saad said, “The recommendation that the VC should be reinstated was limited to the procedure of his termination. It did not mean he should be absolved of all wrong doing.”
He said the report of the panel was one-sided because majority of the members were biased towards Ogundipe, adding that the Terms of Reference (ToR) were also skewed against the estranged chairperson of the governing council, Wale Babalakin, who had since resigned his appointment.
According to him, although Ogundipe was wrongly removed, he was not given a clean bill of health as he was indicted for contract splitting.
He also accused Babalakin of “committing hara-kiri” by removing the VC and appointing another one, and by deciding to step down from his position when the crisis got messy.
Saad said he was cajoled into signing the report with the understanding that the content would be subjected to review by the Chancellor of the University, the Shehu of Borno.
He said he agreed to sign the report to abort another stalemate and save the government from embarrassment but regretted that he had now been “stabbed on the back” by people he trusted.
“As Chairman, I didn’t want to sign the Final Report but I felt that would be a slap on the face of the government and it would generate so much bad publicity in the public domain, that I would rather sign on the understanding that the matter would be referred to the Shehu of Borno as the Chancellor,” he wrote to Gambari.
The professor of architecture said he felt betrayed by the conclusion reached by government after he was made to believe in a different course of action.
“The final recommendation of the panel was that the matter should be referred back to the Chancellor, irrespective of what the panel recommended.
“As it stands now I feel I was made a fool of and stabbed on the back by people I trusted,” he said.
Saad had in a letter to the education minister, dated October 7, 2020 and titled ‘Re: Submission of Report of The Visitation Panel on University of Lagos Crisis to Honourable Minister’, drawn attention to a number of instances where he said the report was skewed to favour Ogundipe.
“When you read the report, you will notice that it was very one-sided, so to speak, the option was for the chairman to refuse to sign the report and that would have been a slap on the government’s face.
“In any case, the issue is not that the report was false but it contained half truth in order to protect one party and magnified the facts from the other party by pushing the blame to one side, omitting what could have balanced the report.”
On allegation of contract splitting against the VC, Saad said the report did not represent the findings and position of the panel on the matter.
“Take the issue of splitting contracts so that the figures would be within his approval limits; in the renovation of his house and that of some principal officers, the evidence was clear, one contractor would be given four contracts on the same project on the same day each packaged to be within VCs approval limit.
“A number of such cases were evident, but the only way the Chairman could get that in the report was to compromise by rendering such as “Contracts were packaged in a way that bordered on contract splitting, in order to keep them within approval limits.”
News
Lagos assembly suspends Alimosho LG chair over alleged misconduct
Lagos assembly suspends Alimosho LG chair over alleged misconduct
The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday suspended Jelili Sulaimon, Chairperson of Alimosho Local Government Area, over alleged misconduct.
The suspension is with immediate effect.
The lawmakers during plenary agreed that his vice, Akinpelu Johnson, should oversee the affairs of the council in his absence.
The House further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise the authority of Mr Johnson and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.
Misconducts
Mr Sulaimom was suspended in a unanimous vote by the lawmakers over an alleged non-compliance, defiance and unyielding attitude to the legislative body.
The chairperson of the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sanni Okanlawon, moved the motion for his suspension in line with relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution.
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“He should be suspended immediately while the vice chairman, Akin Johnson, takes over with immediate effect,” he prayed.
He recalled that in April 2024, pandemonium erupted in the Iyana-Ipaja axis of LGA leading to the death of one Micheal Ajayi.
Mr Okanlawon, whose committee was saddled with the responsibility to investigate the cause of the pandemonium, said it was discovered that the suspended chairperson masterminded the chaos.
According to the lawmaker, all persons involved in the issue were invited, but Mr Sulaimon had continued to show acts of misconduct to the committee.
He highlighted the council chairperson’s failure to adhere to the assembly’s directives and his mismanagement of public funds.
Majority leader speaks
Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, while supporting the call for Mr Sulaimon’s suspension, added that the action would make other local government chairpersons to “sit right.”
“The Alimosho council chairman does not follow procurement processes or the budget. There has been a lot of misconduct from him and I support that the chairman be suspended indefinitely,” he said.
On his part, Nureni Akinsanya, Chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts for Local Government, referred to the report submitted by the State Auditor-General concerning the activities of Mr Sulaimon.
The report, he said, emphasised Mr Sulaimon’s “consistent non-compliance with financial regulations, with significant irregularities in his records.”
Similarly, Ladi Ajomale, a lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2 expressed surprise that the council boss had been recalcitrant despite previous reports detailing his alleged financial mismanagement.
Subsequently, the House Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, directed the clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, to communicate the assembly’s resolution to all relevant authorities.
Lagos assembly suspends Alimosho LG chair over alleged misconduct
News
BREAKING: NAFDAC workers begin nationwide strike
BREAKING: NAFDAC workers begin nationwide strike
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been hit with an indefinite nationwide strike following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the agency’s management.
This strike, which began after a congress of NAFDAC employees on Friday, October 4, 2024, reflects deep-rooted frustrations over unresolved grievances.
Led by the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), the striking workers have been instructed to halt all services and vacate their offices.
They were also told to remove their personal belongings as the industrial action officially takes off.
At the heart of the workers’ demands is a call for the review and re-evaluation of the 2024 promotion exam results, which currently show a dismal pass rate of 35%. The union is advocating for a minimum pass rate of 80% to be implemented for this year’s exams as well as future ones.
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Additionally, they are demanding the payment of salary arrears owed to staff employed in 2022, among other pressing concerns.
In a statement released by the union’s secretary, Ejor Michael, NAFDAC management was accused of neglecting these issues, which the union deemed unacceptable.
The workers have vowed to continue their strike until all demands, as outlined in their communiqué, are addressed.
With NAFDAC being a key player in regulating Nigeria’s food, drug, and pharmaceutical sectors, the strike is expected to have a significant impact on the agency’s operations, affecting businesses and consumers alike.
Attempts to get a response from NAFDAC management were unsuccessful at the time of this report, leaving uncertainty about when and how these critical issues will be resolved.
BREAKING: NAFDAC workers begin nationwide strike
News
A’Ibom poll: Video evidence shows PDP won Akpabio’s LG
Although the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Essien Udim Local Government Area in Saturday’s election, a video circulating online has shown otherwise.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who is a ranking member of the APC, hails from Essien Udim.
Nigerians have expressed concern over the manner in which LG elections are conducted as the ruling party in the state or any party supported by the sitting governor carries the day.
In the case of Akwa Ibom, the ruling party won in all LGAs save for that of Akpabio, according to the results declared by the State electoral commission.
Chairman of AKISIEC, Aniedi Ikoiwak, had declared Ntiedo Usoro of the APC as the elected candidate for Essien Udim LGA, while stating that the PDP reportedly won all other LGAs of the state.
But a video posted on social media showed Inyang Ating, a professor from the University of Uyo, who served as the Returning Officer (RO) for the election in Essien Udim, declaring PDP’s Enobong Patrick as winner.
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“I hereby certify that I was the Returning Officer for the election held on the 5th of October 2024. The election was contested, and the candidates received the following votes: Hon. Ntiedo Usoro of the APC: 686 votes; Engr. Enobong Patrick Friday of the PDP: 55,612 votes.”
“Engr. Enobong Patrick Friday, having complied with the requirements of the law and having scored the majority of votes, is hereby declared elected. He also received more than 25% of the votes in all 13 wards of Essien Udim. I so declare, and I hereby sign as the Returning Officer,” he had said.
A crowd of supporters at the collation centre was heard shouting, “PDP!! Power!!!!!”
The use of flashlights by the electoral officials showed the video recording was done late in the day.
See the video below:
A’Ibom poll: Video evidence shows PDP won Akpabio’s LG
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