Tragedy struck in Akungba-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday as many people died in a fatal road accident, Daily Sun reports.
The actual number of the victims could not be ascertained as at press time but a source put the total figure of casualties at 12.
Although, the Ondo State sector command of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the accident, the command did not give the details as at press time.
It was gathered that the accident which occurred in front of the main entrance of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko was caused by a petrol tanker which rammed into a truck parked by the road side.
The tanker, sources said caught fire when it rammed into the truck, thereby killing people inside the truck and others around it.
The identities of the victims of the accident was not known as at the time of filling the report, but sources said many of them were passerby.
A source told Saturday Sun that the driver of the tanker lost control due to break failure, adding that the tanker driver was on high speed when the break failed.
He said “the petrol tanker caused the accident due to break failure. The tanker driver lost control and the tanker rammed into a stationary truck.
“The fire occassioned by the accident extended to other places and that made the situation worse. We cannot say the total number of casualties recorded now. Everywhere around the University gate is burning now,” he added.
Lagos State Police Command has recovered Ogun State House of Assembly mace which was carted away by suspected hoodlums.
The mace was recovered in Abule Ado area of Lagos state at about 8.30am on Friday December 11. It was reportedly thrown out from a Toyota Siena Space Wagon.
The mace has been handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who later instructed the DCP State CID, Lagos State, Yetunde Longe, to protect the mace and liaise with the Ogun State Police Command on the return of the recovered mace to Ogun State.
A statement from the Lagos police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi read;
The police operatives attached to Trade Fair Station of the Lagos State Police Command today Friday 11th December, 2020, recovered the missing mace of the Ogun State House of Assembly at Abule Ado Area of the state at about 8.30am.
The police operatives, who were responsive, worked on an intelligence from the members of the community that someone in a moving vehicle, suspected to be Toyota Siena Space Wagon, threw out an object into the nearby bush and recovered the object which was later identified to be the Ogun State House of Assembly Mace.
The mace had been allegedly stolen from the House of Assembly compex , Ogun State recently. It has been handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who later instructed the DCP State CID, Lagos State, Yetunde Longe, to protect the mace and liaise with the Ogun State Police Command on the return of the recovered mace to Ogun State.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu however promised to assist the Ogun State Police Command in the investigation into the incident that led to the recovery of the mace.
The Federal Polytechnic Offa has expelled an HND 1 student of Business Administration Department, Oladipo Tesleem Juwon for his involvement in cybercrime.
The 23 years old Oladipo Tesleem was convicted and sentenced to nine-month imprisonment or an option of N250,000 fine by a High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State over his involvement in internet scam which he pleaded guilty to.
Consequently, the Management of the Polytechnic has also expelled him from the institution following the Students’ Disciplinary Committee’s reports which equally found him guilty of the offence, though he pleaded for leniency.
According to a release signed by the Polytechnic spokesman, Olayinka Iroye, he said, the offence violates the Polytechnic Code of Conduct, as clearly stated in the students’ Information and Regulations Handbook section 18.2.1 subsection (ix) that “Any student convicted of a criminal offence by a competent court of law shall be expelled.”
“The Management strongly uses this medium to uphold its stand against cyber and internet fraud, cultism, hooliganism and other social vices, and will not hesitate to sanction appropriately erring students in accordance with the Polytechnic rules and regulations, “
“The Management therefore enjoined the students to be of good behaviour and conduct themselves accordingly,” he added.
Lagos State University has increased tuition of new students by 168 per cent, The PUNCH reports.
It was gathered that new students of the university would pay N67,048.50 as against N25,000 previously paid.
When contacted on the telephone, the spokesperson for LASU, Adekoya Ademola, confirmed the increment of tuition for new students.
He, however, clarified that returning students were not affected by the increment.
A circular announcing the new tuition fee showed that the new students would pay N67,048.50 per session.
It was titled, “2020/2021 online admission screening exercises (100-level – both regular without comprehensive entrepreneurship training and regular with comprehensive entrepreneurship training – and direct entry candidates”.
“Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the Lagos State University 2020/2021 Admission Screening Exercise – Regular Student without Comprehensive Entrepreneurship Training – for Candidates seeking admission via UTME (100 level) and Direct Entry (200level).
“This online screening exercise is a mandatory requirement for entry into Lagos State University. The Tuition Fees for the Regular Student without Comprehensive Entrepreneurship N67,048.50 only per session.”
Ademola explained that university management was considerate in the increase of the school fees.
He said, “The increment has nothing to do with the satellites. They will continue to pay their N25,000 till they graduate. But the incoming students are the ones that will pay the N67,048.50.
“The Governing Council has approved it of the university, and the Lagos State Government has also keyed into it.
“We need to get some funds to run the university. The increment has been marginal. It is not exorbitant. Some parents and even the state government have commended the university for not skyrocketing the fees to an amount they cannot afford.”
Foremost traditional ruler in Nigeria, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has unveiled an education Trust Fund tagged the “Ooni of Ife Tertiary Tuition Fund”, aimed at paying the tuition fees of five million students across Nigerian universities.
While unveiling the project at his Ile Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife, the monarch cited the current economic malaise as the motivation behind the gesture which is intended to assist students to return to school.
He expressed displeasure over the poor conditions of some of the students in tertiary institutions.
The Yoruba king said that an average of N50,000 in tuition fees is targeted for about five million students for a period of four years.
He explained that the tuition for the five million students would gulp N500 billion yearly.
The Ooni, who noted that youth empowerment has been his focus, warned that Nigeria is ‘sitting on the keg of gunpowder’ if urgent steps are not taken to address students’ problems.
‘I am putting together an education trust fund to support what the government is doing,’ he said.
‘We are not all safe. We have to cut our social activities and focus more on youth empowerment. It is better to stay and fix this country than to be running out of the country.
‘We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder if we do not look at how best to assist our youths. I have said it before and I will keep saying it. We all had a feel of their anger during the #EndSARS protests. We must begin to engage them productively,’ he added.
‘The COVID-19 [pandemic] has made many youths and their parents to be jobless, while the current recession in the country’s economy is another blow which has made the youths to be the most vulnerable group in Nigeria.
‘We have between seven to ten million of them in federal tertiary institutions and they need to pay close to N500 billion in tuition fees in January 2021. But how would this demand be met when the bulk of the parents of these students are petty traders, peasant farmers and other average Nigerian parents who might not be able to get the needed fees to return to school. That is the reason behind the project.
‘Earlier, I had personally assisted many in paying tuition fees, vocational training and other empowerment initiatives, but I have come up with this to bring more beneficiaries on board,’ the Ooni explained.
On how funds will be generated for the project, the spiritual head of the Yoruba people worldwide indicated that individuals and organisations home and abroad would be contacted for donations to ensure the success of the project.
‘I am appealing to all our people to let us come together and achieve this for our youths. I am promising that everything will be counted for to the last kobo, while details of beneficiaries would be verifiable for accountability,’ he noted.
Speaking on the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, the Ooni assured that it would soon be called off and should be for the best of Nigerians.
He added that Nigerian traditional rulers are fully aware of the ongoing talks between ASUU and the Federal Government to end the industrial action.
‘You will recall that we traditional rulers from across the 36 states of the country recently held a meeting in Abuja on the state of the nation, the communique of which I submitted to President Buhari in my capacity as the Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, on behalf of others.
‘It is a part of it and I wish to assure that the Federal Government and ASUU are almost done resolving the grey areas,’ the monarch said.
The hope for university students to return to classes has again been dashed, as the meeting between the Federal Government and the leadership of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU), scheduled to hold yesterday, Wednesday, December 9, was been postponed.
According to the Director, Press and Public Relations, of the Labour ministry, Charles Akpan, the meeting which was expected to receive a possible resumption date from ASUU, has been postponed to Monday, December 14.
he assured that ASUU would suspend its action after Federal Government increased its offer for Earned allowance and university revitalisation fund to N70 Billion.
Ngige, had revealed that ASUU agreed at their last meeting with the government team on November 27 to call off their nine-month-old strike before December 9.
“ The truth of the matter is that a ‘gentleman agreement’ was reached at the last meeting in which ASUU agreed to call off the strike before December 9, 2020, and the minister, in turn, agreed that once the strike is called off, he would get a presidential waiver for ASUU to be paid the remainder of their salaries on or before December 9,” Ngige stated.
Meanwhile, the ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, has said that the Union is still consulting with its members across the country on the latest government’s offer and is yet to come up with any agreement as to when the strike action would be called off.
Recall that the ASUU President, Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi had earlier accused the federal government of failing to deliver on offers made to the union.
Ogunyemi blamed the FG for the union’s failure to call off the strike, noting that the lecturers would not return to classes until their salary arrears were paid.
A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, Oladipo Opeyemi Juwon, has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment for his involvement in internet scam.
Juwon, an HND student at the Federal Polytechnic was sentenced on Thursday, December 10, by Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
The sentence followed his arraignment by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a three-count charge bordering on cheating and attempted to cheat contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of Penal Code Law of Kwara State.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Oladipo Opeyemi Juwon, sometime in the month of March 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation by portraying yourself as a white female named Frank Tinna via your email address franktinna66@gmail.com to one Bernard Fontenot and induced him to send you the sum of $235 United States Dollars vide gift cards.
A representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 324 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same Section of the Law.”
Oladipo pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his plea, Enoch Onyedikachi, an operative of the EFCC was called into the witness box to review the facts of the case. Onyedikachi, while being led in evidence counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, told the court how the crime was perpetuated.
“On the 7th of September, 2020, the EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Office received anonymous petition from some concerned citizens in Offa about the activities of some internet fraudsters in the area. The Commission swiftly placed surveillance on the area.
Consequently, on the 14th of September, we raided the place leading to the arrest of the defendant and other suspects. Upon arrest, we recovered an iPhone from the defendant.
“The defendant was brought to our Office on the 15th of September, 2020. We gave him a computer attestation form, which he filled. We analysed his phone and email address. Our findings revealed that the defendant was into internet fraud; a fact he admitted to in writing”.
In his judgment, Justice Abdulgafar said: “I have considered the totality of the evidence placed before me; the plea of the defendant; the exhibits tendered; the uncontradicted and unchallenged testimonies of the sole prosecution witness, Enoch Onyedikachi, I hold the view that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.”
The judge said further: “This court finds you, Oladipo Opeyemi Juwon guilty as charged. I hereby sentence you to three months imprisonment on count 1 with an option of a fine of N100,000 (one hundred thousand naira only).
Three months imprisonment on count two with an option of fine of N100,000 (one hundred thousand naira) and three months imprisonment on count three with N50,000 (fifty thousand naira) as an option of fine”.
According to the judge, the sentence would commence on the 23rd of December, 2020 in view of the ongoing examinations at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, involving the convict. The judge also ordered the convict to forfeit his mobile phones and restitute his victims.
Some candidates who sat for University of Benin (UNIBEN) post utme have been recalled to rewrite the examination following the collapse of the university’s server.
The university, in a terse Short Messaging Service (SMS) sent out on Wednesday afternoon, directed the affected candidates, who came from different parts of the country to write the examination, to return to the university for another test.
“If you know anyone that wrote post UTME exam today, Dec. 8, 2020 @ict hall UGBOWO, tell the person to come back from any state or city he or she is.
“UNIBEN server failed for applicants that wrote the 9am and 10.30am UTME exam. Authorities have tried their best to call some students but their phones were switched off. Tell your loved ones,” the message on the university’s SMS platform read.
Meanwhile, the university had been thrown into complete darkness as the main source of electricity supply to the institution was cut off.
A statement issued on Wednesday evening and signed by UNIBEN’s spokesperson, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, attributed the power outage to crisis in the neighbouring community of Ihovbor, where restive youths had cut off the source of electricity.
“This is to inform members of the University of Benin community that the present power outage on Campus is as a result of a community unrest at Ihovbor, the main source of power supply to the university.
“The community youths have forced power outage due to a community clash. It is hoped that normalcy will be restored soonest. Inconveniences are regretted,” she said.
It would be recalled that for several weeks, UNIBEN was without electricity due to a major fault on the grid supplying the university.
Electricity was, however, restored last week, before the latest occurrence. (NAN)
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has expressed utmost concern about the qualities of graduates being produced by some tertiary institutions in the country, charging the management and other stakeholders to do the needful in order to change the ugly narratives.
Adamu, who spoke Thursday at the commissioning of 7 various projects a the Federal College of Education, YOLA frowned at a situation where many graduating students in our tertiary institutions do not know how to read should be of serious concern to all and sundry.
” Many graduating students in many tertiary institutions across the country finds it difficult to write, read or communicate in English.Government is aware of this unfortunate development in our education sector and it not rest on its oars to salvage the situation”.
The Minister said not only the “lecturers but stallholders in the educational sector should sit up to ensure that the decline in the value of education is breached within the shortest possible time”.
He called on students to on their part not to waste the opportunities offered them to entering tertiary institutions by given all the seriousness they deserve to their learning.
According to him, the major problem controlling students learning is the involvement of anti social activities in their campus which the Minister identified has led so many students into full time criminal.
Speaking earlier, the Provost Federal College of Education (FCE), professor Abdul-Mumin Sa’ad has called on the Federal Government to encouraged to sustain the tempo in championing youths policies, quality education and sporting infrastructure to engage youths as a way of tackling violence and crime.
Professor Abdul-Mumin Sa’ad maintained that eight years ago, the College embarked on a mission of transforming the College into a befitting centre of Academic Excellence and one of the best globally.
He noted that, “we have collectively remained steadfast in making tremendous strides in our efforts to actualising the dream by commissioning the six selected landmark projects in pursuit of the goal of Infrastructural development, expansion of the Academic Horizon, Human Capital Development and a peaceful and conducive learning environment “.
According to the Provost, “today the Federal College of Education, courtesy of TETfund is proud to have achieved major breakthrough in infrastructures, a robust electronic library with a capacity of 250 computers which provide students access to global libraries.
Also speaking, the guest of honor, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri commended the management of the FCE for the infrastructural progress recorded by the College towards conducive learning environment.
Governor Fintiri, represented by the Head of Service, Edgar Amos applauded the efforts of the College for the timely introduction of the degree programme in the College, promising to all he could to ensure that Adamawa State comes up the best educationally in the country.
Projects commissioned include Bappa-Aliyu Muhammadu Sports Auditorium, Early Childhood Care and Primary Education Complex, Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi Complex, Arts & Social Sciences Complex, Aminu Ahmad Chiroma Auditorium and Sulieman Elias Bogoro ICT Centre.
A brother to the late Keke Napep driver who was allegedly shot dead by Police in rukpokwu, Port Harcourt has given more insight into the tragic incident.
The young man who was interviewed by Nigeria info in Port Harcourt identified the deceased has ‘school boy’, he told the reporter that, the deceased had no issues with Police.
