©2022 DopeReporters. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by multiplatforms
.Says provost worked in line with direct intervention according to prescription.
JACOB OGODO, Abakaliki
The Chairman, governing council of the Federal College of Education, Technical, Isu, Ebonyi state, Alhaji Mohammed Takori has called on the TETFUND agency to collapse and relax all the stringent conditions that have been attached to the fund in order to sustain the tempo of interventions in the institutions.
Takori who made this known during the familiarisation tour and working visit to the college, urged the Federal government to equip FCET Isu with adequate facilities to improve effective teaching and learning.
He lamented that these conditions make it difficult for institutions to access funds early and stressed the need for allocation to be properly deployed in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria so that the infrastructural gap can be bridged while promoting teaching and learning in the institutions.
The Chairman pointed out that some of the stringent conditions could be that if you don’t exhaust present year allocation, it will be difficult to go in for the next year and urged the critical stakeholders to support the heads of tertiary institutions to avoid delays which makes the money to lose value.
Speaking through a member of the governing council, Alhaji Onipede Dauda, commended the management of the college for the proper utilization and implementation of the funds allocated for the development of the young institution.
He said that the provost has worked in line with the direct intervention when due and according to the prescription with the bill of quantity meant for the college.
Alhaji Onipede expressed joy that the Federal government is developing the school and urged the host community to drop whatever grievances they have against the school, join hands with the management of the college to create a conducive environment for teaching and learning boost the image of the school thereby improving on the enrollment of the students.
On the request of the host community to be given the chance to occupy the position of the Deputy provost which is vacant, the chairman of the council assured that their request will be looked into during the council’s meeting and that the community will get what is due to them.
He said, “I am highly impressed because this is my first time of visiting the place as a member of the governing council but have been hearing about Federal College of Education (Techinical) Isu, I do not know they have such a project here.
“But when I got to this place, I realised that the federal government is working towards self-independence and real entrepreneurship for our youth. I know the college still has a long way to go to achieve the aim and objective of establishing it.“
At the permanent site, we inspected an auditorium that requires adequate furnishing for the usage of the students. But I was told by the provost that the furniture is ready. It is just a matter of fixing the furniture in the auditorium.
“In that college, we need some facilities like a computer room; their library has to be stocked with the latest books that will aid students’ learning. At the same time, their laboratories are not equipped enough.
“As a federal college of education, certain facilities are needed to justify the aim and objective of establishing that institution.The council used the opportunity to urge the college provost to create awareness about the institution to increase its enrolment capacity.
“The whole members of the council has told the provost that there is a need to create awareness more than they are doing presently because if there are adverts given to the journalist to showcase the importance of the school to the community, to the future generations and the development of the nation, the people and the inhabitants will know that there is one reliable institution here to take care of their immediate, intermediate and future need”. He said
.Prof Okey Reuben Okechukwu Provost of the college thanked the council for the visit and assured that the school management will work harder to improve on the students’ output and enrollment.
For a better society
_______________________________
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
By Cosmas Chukwu
The Enugu State Government and the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, CWEIC, on Thursday, signed a strategic partnership agreement that would accelerate trade and investment inflow to the state.
This was even as Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State was named a co-chair of the Governors Roundtable at the 2025 edition of Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit coming up in London in April.
CWEIC is a commercial, not-for-profit membership organisation, which has the official mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government to facilitate trade and investment throughout the 56 Commonwealth member nations, using its convening power and trusted network of the Commonwealth.
Speaking during the partnership signing ceremony at the Government House, Enugu, the leader of the delegation and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CWEIC, Mrs. Rosie Glazebrook, expressed the organisation’s eagerness to support the investment drive of the Governor Mbah administration.
“We are delighted to sign the strategic partnership with the Governor. We work primarily with the private sector, businesses. Our organisation is there to drive trade and investment. We do this with very excellent convening power. We will bring this to bear in our partnership with Enugu State.
“Our organisation is there to support and collaborate to really showcase anything that Enugu is ready to offer in investment and trade. Our organisation’s aim is to look out for how we can bring down barriers to trade and to encourage investment.
“Our strategic partnership with the Government of Enugu State is really important to us, and we are there to be extremely active and really make sure that we use all of our network and our convening power to the absolute benefit of the state,” he stated.
Mrs. Glazebrook, who was also accompanied by other CWEIC officers and partners, including CWEIC Country Director for Nigeria, Mr. Obinna Anyanwu; Novare South Africa representative, Mr. Ayotunde Adesulu; Regional Head for South South & South East, Emerging Africa Group, Mr. Collins Olise; and the Regional Director, South South/South East, Leadway Assurance, Mr. Ikponmwosa Iyamu, noted the many investment opportunities in the state, commending also the governor’s effort to de-risk investment.
“The opportunities here are many. Whether it is education, infrastructure, the new city, the light railway. These are all of great interest to many of our partners,” he stated.
She described Governors Roundtable as a centerpiece of the forthcoming 2025 Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit in London that would bring together business leaders and top government officials from the 56 Commonwealth nations and thanked Mbah for accepting the invitation to co-chair the session.
“We are looking forward to a Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit which happens annually in London and the governor has received the invitation to lead the Governors Roundtable to showcase some of the amazing opportunities that exist in Enugu,” she said.
Speaking, Governor Mbah said the strategic partnership deal with CWEIC was very much in line with his administration’s humongous projection to grow Enugu State’s economy exponentially from $4.4bn to $30bn.
“We know that we cannot wish that growth into existence. Instead, we need to take steps. We have to do things deliberately and we have to be very intentional; which is why we see the partnership with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council as quite strategic.
“The value of this strategic partnership cannot be lost on us because we see it as a platform that will enable us to tap in. We have over 140 private sector partners. Whether it is partnership between government and business or between government and government, we see you as that channel that would give us access.
“So, we are truly looking forward to the opportunities that this partnership brings. I have received your invitation and I can tell you that it is truly an honor to be able to participate in your Investment Submit next year and to co-chair your Governors Roundtable,” he said.
Mbah emphasised that his administration’s huge investments in infrastructure, security, education, including the completion of the Enugu International Conference Centre, ongoing construction of the adjourning five-star hotel, revamping of moribund state assets, and the imminent launch of Enugu Air were all geared towards catalysing trade, investment, tourism, exponential economic growth in the state.
The paramount ruler of the Adamawa Emirate, the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Mustapha retains his position as the permanent chairman of the state Council of Chiefs.
This clarification was made on Friday by the State House of Assembly, following reports that it has stripped the Lamido of the long-held position.
The Assembly was reported to have passed a bill providing for a rotation of the chairmanship position away from the Lamido to other emirs and chiefs on yearly basis.
Dismissing the claims, the Chairman of the Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Musa Mahmud, told journalists at the state Assembly Complex in Yola on Friday that the report was a misrepresentation of the truth.
“The major issue now is allegation that this honourable House has passed a bill stripping the Lamido Adamawa his chairmanship of the state traditional institution and making the chairmanship rotational. It’s not what the House has passed,” Mahmoud stressed.
He explained that Section 18(II) of the bill makes it clear that the Lamido of Adamawa shall be the Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs, but that
the heat going in in the media was perceivably around creation of zonal traditional councils by the bill in view.
“Section 29(1) talks about establishment of three zonal traditional councils: Central Zone Traditional Council, Northern Zone Traditional Council and Southern Zone Traditional Council. There is where the rotational chairmanship is captured.
“The zonal traditional councils will be having rotational chairmanship but all the zonal chairmen will be reporting to the state chairman who is the Lamido of Adamawa,” Mahmud explained.
Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC).
The MoU will open up opportunities and provide a framework for collaboration across key sectors such as trade and investment, infrastructure development, education and capacity building, tourism and cultural exchange, and the green economy.
The signing of the MoU was witnessed on Tuesday by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, on behalf of the Lagos State Government, while the CEO of CWEIC, Mrs. Rosie Glazebrook; Chairman of CWEIC’s Nigeria Advisory Board, Mr. Supo Shasore and Country Director, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), Mr. Obinna Anyanwu, represented the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC).
Speaking during the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Lagos House, Marina, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the relationship will forge a partnership that resonates with the shared values of economic prosperity, collaboration, and global engagement, adding that the Lagos State Government will ensure that the MoU translates into tangible outcomes that benefit all stakeholders.
He said: “The signing of this MoU with the CWEIC represents a pivotal milestone in our journey toward economic transformation and global relevance. Through this partnership, Lagos State seeks to position itself as a leading gateway for Commonwealth trade and investment in Africa. The CWEIC, with its unparalleled network of businesses and institutions, offers Lagos the opportunity to connect with global enterprises, attract investments, and foster economic activities that will create jobs and elevate the living standards of our people.
“Lagos State is uniquely positioned to be a strategic partner within the Commonwealth network. As Africa’s fifth-largest economy and the continent’s commercial nerve center, Lagos is home to over 25 million residents, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Our state contributes over 30 percent of Nigeria’s GDP and is responsible for more than 70 percent of the country’s industrial and commercial activities.
“Our administration will continue to invest in infrastructure, create policies that attract and retain investments, and build institutions that foster trust and confidence. We will also actively engage with the CWEIC to explore new opportunities, deepen our collaboration, and ensure that Lagos remains a preferred destination for trade and investment.”
Speaking at the event, the CEO of CWEIC, Mrs. Rosie Glazebrook, said her organisation is committed to supporting the Lagos State Government’s ambition to open up Lagos for investments.
Glazebrook also invited Governor Sanwo-Olu to lead the Lagos State Government contingent to the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit, which will be held in the city of London in April 2025, to meet investors and showcase the best of what Lagos can offer.
She said: “We would like to hit the ground running to drive progress at speed. We are very committed to supporting your ambition and aim to open up Lagos. We will bring some of the Commonwealth Business Community to Lagos in 2025 and develop a programme where we could look at the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum in Lagos hosted by the State Government.
“We could look at how we can put this together in 2025 to drive the interest from the global business community into Lagos and showcase some of the best investment opportunities in Lagos and also for some of the businesses in Lagos to meet counterparts in full partnership to grow their businesses with the rest of the Commonwealth. We are very much hopeful that this is an ambition we must drive together in 2025.”
Also speaking the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, said the signing of the MoU underscores the progressive vision of Lagos State and also demonstrates the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s unwavering commitment to partnerships that drive inclusive growth, innovation, and sustainable development.
“The partnership with CWEIC is a natural progression in our quest to make Lagos a globally competitive megacity. I would like to use this opportunity to call on private sector stakeholders to take full advantage of the opportunities that this partnership with CWEIC presents. Let us foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship that will propel Lagos to new heights.”
Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have brought down the building serving as the operational headquarters of Ibom Youth Council, IYC, at Ikot Isighe, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Timfon John, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday said the demolition followed the proscription of the group by the governor, Umo Eno.
“Following the proscription of the Ibom Youth Council by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno, and his directive to security agencies to immediately end the nefarious activities of the group, a joint security team, acting on credible intelligence, visited the building serving as the operational headquarters of the illegal group at Ikot Isighe, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
“On arrival at the locus criminis, members of the group fled in different directions.
The operation led to the arrest of three (3) suspects, and their headquarters was demolished,” the statement said.
According to the statement, available evidence showed that the group had not only begun procuring arms but had also commenced military training, attacks on security formations, and infractions on private property.
It noted that the group plans to launch a full-scale disruption of law and order in the closing days of 2024 and sustain the unrest into the new year.
“The security apparatus, with the full backing of the state government, is determined to use all legal means to maintain Akwa Ibom’s hard-earned status as the most peaceful state in the country.
“To this end, citizens are advised to remain vigilant and share information about persons or groups engaging in activities capable of disturbing public peace.”
The Command also warned landlords to be cautious before leasing their properties to individuals or organizations, saying that any property used in the commission of crimes, especially acts of subversion against the state, will be demolished, and the owners will be treated as accomplices.
The Governor’s Elders Advisory Council (GEAC) in Ogun State has described the proposed N1.054trn budget presented by Governor Dapo Abiodun to the state House of Assembly on Wednesday as a key to the much-needed progress and prosperity for the people of the state.
The Chairman of the Council, Chief Olu Okuboyejo, made this known during a chat with newsmen shortly after the Council held a meeting with the Governor at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Chief Okuboyejo commended Governor Abiodun for dreaming big by presenting a substantial budget that would, in turn, help his administration’s ISEYA mantra to succeed, even as he urged the government to work towards achieving over 80 per cent budget performance in 2025.
He said: “For a state like Ogun, budgeting over N1trn when states that have been in existence far longer or even larger are budgeting less than that shows you the size of work that is being done. So, we give them our congratulations and kudos.
“It was christened the ‘Budget of Hope and Prosperity.’ It is what it is; you can see the size of the current one and the old one. It is progress, it is prosperity, and if you look at the emphasis of the budget, the key areas rest on the government’s own mantra of ISEYA.
“This is a big budget. The performance last year was put at about 70 per cent. This one, we advise him to go much higher, above 80 per cent, and we wish him well.”
Chief Okuboyejo also commended Governor Abiodun for keeping the promises he made to the people of the state.
He said: “One thing stands to his credit: if he makes a promise, he keeps it; that is a credit. He should not deviate from it. All those areas that have been touched in the budget, he should get them through, and the people will stand by him.”
Chief Okuboyejo commended the synergy between the executive and legislative arms of government, saying that the Council is happy with the cordial relationship, which he noted would continue to work in favor of the people of the state.
“It becomes significant to somebody who has had relationships between the executive and the legislature. Experience has shown that if there is no cordial relationship, understanding, or synergy in working, things will not move.
“Today, at the presentation of that budget, the synergy, affection, and closeness of the legislature and the executive were demonstrated through the address of the Speaker and the response of the Governor. So, it gladdens our hearts to see that the relationship exists,” he said.
The Council chairman also lauded Governor Abiodun for embarking on massive infrastructural development across the state, noting that he has done well.
“When we met with this government, that was our advice: that with infrastructure, people can move, businesses can thrive, and that was taken and spread across all the Senatorial Districts of the state without anyone left out. We give him kudos; he should keep it up in the new year,” he added.
Chief Okuboyejo described the just-concluded local government election as a very successful exercise, saying that the results of the election reflect the level of confidence that the people are building in the government.
“Excellent exercise, very successful because for people like us, in the past, we’ve seen elections with reports of head-breaking, ballot snatching, killings, and maiming, but there was nothing like that this time.
“We met yesterday (Tuesday), and our experiences in our various local governments indicate that, by and large, it was extremely peaceful, and we give him kudos for that,” he said.
The Council charged the new local government officers to be accountable and ensure that they offer the citizens good governance, adding that governance at the local level is now different from what obtained in the past.
“The individuals who are now in local government are part of a different local government system, not the old local government level where you could do anything and get away with it, no. It is a government of its own.
“With laws guiding its acceptability, responsibilities, and accountability, those who voted them in, if they don’t do well, will throw them out, of course,” he added.
The Demsa Traditional Council, under the leadership of the Demsa paramount king, the Hamma Batta, Gladson Teneke, has officially kicked off the hosting of the 39th Adamawa State Qur’anic Recitation Competition.
The hosting of the competition is considered unique by observers who note that the Demsa kingdom is a Christian-dominated domain and the paramount ruler himself is a Christian.
The event, under the theme ‘Promoting Qur’anic Values, Unity, and Youth,’ commenced on Monday at Massallaci na Daya Nasarawo, Demsa.
In his remark, the governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, who was represented by the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Yayaji Mijinyawa, commended the Batta Traditional Council for hosting the event.
Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman of the steering committee of the competition, Alhaji Aliyu Numan, said the Batta Traditional Council, by hosting the event, showed its commitment to the fostering of peace, unity, and religious tolerance.
The opening ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including the state chairman of the Muslim Council, Mallam Gambo Jika.
The event featured recitations of the Holy Qur’an by various participants.
Amid increasing calls for the removal of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), former Abia State governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has clarified that only President Bola Tinubu and the National Council of State (NCS) have the authority to dismiss the electoral chief.
The push for Yakubu’s removal, led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other discontented Nigerians, follows dissatisfaction with recent election outcomes in Edo and Ondo States.
Speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, Obasanjo, in a speech titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria,” called for the dismissal of INEC officials nationwide.
In response, Ikpeazu highlighted the legal processes governing the INEC Chairman’s tenure.
“The power to remove the INEC Chairman lies solely with President Tinubu and the National Council of State. It cannot be done arbitrarily,” Ikpeazu stated during a book launch event in Abuja.
The book, Contemporary Legal Cooperation: China and Africa – A Comparative Survey of Legal Systems, authored by journalist John Chucks Azu, was presented at the event, which also featured discussions on the theme, “New Horizons in Rule of Law, Judicial Efficiency, and Dispute Resolution: Lessons from China and Nigeria.”
Ikpeazu, who recently lost his senatorial bid to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has previously criticized INEC for declaring Abaribe the winner.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Ikpeazu called on INEC to be more transparent and impartial in the conduct of elections. Referring to the Ondo election, he said, “Unfortunately, my party lost, but that election has come and gone. I will advise INEC to be more transparent and impartial in the conduct of elections. When people are not happy with your process, you don’t talk about it but open up the space to let people come and see what you are doing. Sometimes, you meet them upfront.”
On the call for the sack of the INEC Chairman, Ikpeazu stated, “It is not my call to make about a new leadership of INEC. That is the call of Mr President and the Council of State, and I think they will take that decision when the time comes.”
President Bola Tinubu has officially dissolved the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, located in Awka, Anambra State.
Tinubu also approved the removal of Prof. Bernard Odoh, the new Vice Chancellor, and Mrs Rosemary Nwokike, the registrar of the university.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Onanuga explained that council was led by Amb. Greg Mbadiwe, included five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, and Mr Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
He said that the sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.
He also said that after the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address tensions between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the 33-year-old institution.
The presidential aide said that the government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process.
Similarly, Onanuga said Tinubu also approved the removal of Mr Ohieku Muhammed Salami as the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the governing council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue state.
He stated that the decision followed Salami’s illegal actions, including suspending the Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures.
Onanuga said that despite the Federal Ministry of Education’s call for the unlawful suspension to be revoked Salami refused to comply.
”Instead, he resorted to abusive and threatening behaviour towards the Ministry’s Directors, including the Permanent Secretary.
”The Federal Government reiterated that the primary responsibility of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of university activities in accordance with the act establishing each university.
”Tinubu warned the councils not to create distractions in their universities as his government is focused on improving the country’s education standards,” Onanuga said.
For disregarding the directives from the Ministry of Education and contributing to the lingering crises at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO), President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, approved the removal of Ohieku Muhammed Salami as the Pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the university, located in Otukpo, Benue State.
According to a State House press statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the decision followed Salami’s illegal actions, including suspending the Vice Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures.
“Despite the Federal Ministry of Education’s call for the unlawful suspension to be revoked, Salami refused to comply. Instead, he resorted to abusive and threatening behaviour towards the ministry’s directors, including the Permanent Secretary.
“The Federal Government reiterated that the primary responsibility of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of university activities in accordance with the act establishing each university,” the statement said.
President Tinubu also warned the councils not to create distractions in their universities as his government is focused on improving the country’s education standards.
DAILY POST recalls that the FUHSO governing council suspended the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Innocent A.O. Ujah, and conveyed the development to the Federal Ministry of Education via a letter dated October 31, 2024, barely three weeks to the end of his tenure as VC.
The council, presided over by Salami, went further to appoint the former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin), Prof. Ediga Agbo, who was no longer a staff of the university, as the acting Vice Chancellor of the university.
But the Education Ministry swiftly objected to the suspension of the VC and the appointment of Prof. Agbo, via a letter dated November 1, 2024, ordering the council to reinstate Prof. Ujah, to enable him to complete his tenure.
Paragraph 6 of the letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, reads: “In the light of the above, I am to request the 2nd Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, to reinstate the suspended Vice Chancellor (Prof. Innocent A.O. Ujah) to enable the Vice Chancellor to complete his tenure of office that is due to elapse on 6th November, 2024, in order to restore peace in the academic community of the university.”
Consequently, the suspended pioneer VC, Prof. Ujah, attended and presided over the Senate meeting of November 5, 2024, where the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Steve Obekpa Abah, emerged as acting VC, in an overwhelming voting system.
But in a brazen disregard for the position of the Ministry and Senate of FUHSO, the council chairman, in a statement on November 6, 2024, urged the public to shun the news of the appointment of Prof. Abah as acting VC, insisting Prof. Ujah, who presided over the Senate, remained suspended.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, Pro. Innocent A.O. Ujah remains suspended from his position as Vice-Chancellor and lacks any legal authority to summon a meeting of the University Senate. Furthermore, it must be emphasised that FUHSO currently has a legally appointed acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ediga Bede Agbo, whose position remains unchanged. The dissemination of this false information does not alter the lawful administration of the University,” the council chairman said.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has appointed the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, as the pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council for the Kwara State University of Education, KWSUED.
A statement by the spokesman to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, in Ilorin announced the appointment on Friday.
Prof. Oba will lead a team of other senior citizens, administrators, and academics to ensure a smooth transmutation and take-off of the school.
Other members of the governing council are, Mrs. Opaleke Bukoĺa Iyabo; Hajia Risikat Lawal; Rotimi Samuel Olujide; Prof. Umar Gunu, and Engr. Saad Belgore.
Others include Mr. Femi Aina; Omowumi Amuda; Hajia Kubra Kazum; Prof. Ibrahim Abdukadir Abikan; and a representative of the Ministry of Tertiary Education.
A chieftain and chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just-concluded local government election in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State, Ahmadu Yunusa Yusuf, has described the exercise as a charade.
Addressing newsmen, Yusuf explained that election did not hold in any part of Kagarko LGA as announced by the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KAD-SIECOM).
He said, “it is laughable despite election did not hold, the state electoral body went ahead to announce the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as winner of the election across the 23 local government across the state.”
According to him, the local government elections has never been won by one political party in the state since the inception of democracy, explaining that such action clearly showed that both the state government and KAD-SIECOM lacks integrity.
He added that it is very laughable, condemnable and absolutely unacceptable for the state governor Uba Sani and KAD-SIECOM to come out openly and tell Nigerians that APC won all the 23 LG elections.
He stressed that everybody knows that local government election in Kaduna state has never been won by one political party, pointing out that it is on this premise that, we are calling on the federal executive council and the national assembly not to grant the state government further local government allocation because election did not hold.
The PDP chairmanship candidate further explained that he has both audio and video evidences that showed that local government election did not hold in any part of Kagarko local government.
Yusuf said that he has video evidences where some hired people were thumb printing ballot papers at their comfort zone, stressing that he has video evidence where the state governor himself was being booed at his own polling unit, until the fourth time before he could cast his vote.
The chairmanship candidate called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national assembly to wade into the matter in the interest of the country’s democracy, saying that he will not challenge the election at the election tribunal since there no election in Kagarko LGA.
Newly elected chairmen in the October 19 council election in Kaduna State have received their Certificate of Return from the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission, KAD-SIECOM.
Hajiya Hajara Mohammed, KAD-SIECOM Chairman, during the presentation of the certificates in Kaduna, explained that the election was conducted across the state in accordance with the Kaduna State Electoral Law 2024.
The chairman said that it was the sixth time the Commission had conducted elections since its establishment in 2000, adding that it was the first time elected council members would hand over to an elected council, making the event historic.
She noted that certificates of return are being issued to those who won the just concluded 2024 Local Government Election, explaining that “Elections have been contested across the state in accordance with the Kaduna State Electoral Law 2024.
“Let me take this opportunity to congratulate those who emerged as winners and remind them that the electorate decided through polls to give them the mandate to lead, and it is paramount that they live up to expectations.”
Mohammed appreciated the Permanent Electoral Commissioners, the Commission’s Secretary, Heads of Departments and Units, and field officers for their dedication and professionalism.
She added that the exercise would not have been possible without the contributions of the entire staff of the Commission and acknowledged all categories of their ad-hoc staff who have shown passion and commitment to serve our dear state.
The chairman-elect of Soba Local Government Area, Muhammad Lawal Shehu, MOLASH, while responding noted that as chairmen of local government councils, they are the closest to the people at the grassroots, promising that they would implement their respective campaign manifestos to the latter and that they would not let the people down.
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, and the African Centre for Supply Chain, ACSC, have noted that Nigeria is lagging behind and seems to pay little or no attention in the areas of supply chain and logistics.
PCN Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, made the call in Abuja on Thursday alongside the experts from ACSC at the public presentation of the Nigerian Logistics and Supply Chain 2023 report.
The report covered the challenges within the space, ranging from manufacturing through distribution and important issues about patient access to medication.
Ahmed said the council, as the country’s regulatory body of the pharmaceutical sector, has been taking responsibility to situate itself appropriately within the supply chain space to ensure it is doing well and appropriately regulated for the benefit of the patients.
He said it was important that patients have access to quality and affordable medicines.
He revealed that the current government is already taking steps to ensure that this particular endeavour is given attention, such that access to medicines by patients is well improved upon.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that we achieve good implementation of the national drug distribution guideline, which is now taking us to the closure of open drug markets in the country.
“All these are aimed at streamlining the logistics, streamlining the distribution, and reducing access to medicines that, of course, are substandard because when the distribution chain is chaotic, anything and everything can go in and compete with the good ones; it also weakens the cell of the good ones, and then people, because of cost, end up patronising the low-quality ones and the substandard ones,” he said.
Also speaking, Professor A.G. Sumaila, the chairman of the Governing Council of ACSC, harped on the importance of logistics, adding that without it, nobody can survive.
“Supply chain logistics is life; without logistics, there is no life. And that’s the take-home. That’s your delivery—that without it, people cannot survive.
“Today. We are shouting about the prices of items going up; it is all logistic matters. That is what it means that without logistics we cannot survive,” he said.
The Director General of ACSC, Dr Obiora Madu, said that supply chain is no longer part of the system but the system in itself.
Harping on the lack of a supply chain, he said: “No matter what you do, even at home, manufacturing, or agriculture, everything will get grounded. Of course, even during COVID, the only thing that was moving around was the supply chain.”
Newer Posts