SANWO-OLU FLOATS AUTONOMOUS FINANCING CHANNEL FOR LAGOS’ TERTIARY SCHOOLS, SETS UP DEDICATED TRUST FUND

 

•Governor receives 322-page LASU Visitation Panel report

 

An autonomous funding mechanism that will keep all three Lagos State’s tertiary institutions on the path to sustainability has just been initiated by the State Government. 

 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, announced that the Government will be setting up Lagos State Tertiary Education Trust Fund, in a move that will creatively revolutionise the model for the funding of tertiary education in the country.

 

Sanwo-Olu made the announcement when he received members of the Visitation Panel to the Lagos State University (LASU) led by the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Abdulrahman Bello, at the State House, Marina.

 

The panel, set up in November 2021, turned in a 322-page recommendations for the Governor’s implementation towards meeting the university’s contemporary needs in academic growth and physical development.

 

Sanwo-Olu said the need to create an independent funding channels for the State’s tertiary institutions became pertinent, given the nature of disputes characterising the national university system which had led to the perennial staff strikes and closure of campuses across the country.

 

Although none of the three tertiary institutions in Lagos is taking part in the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, the Governor said the Fund would be a pragmatic strategy to meet the schools’ requirements.

 

The Governor directed the Attorney General, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, and the Special Adviser on Education, Hon. Tokunbo Wahab, to fashion out the statutory framework that will give legal approval to the Fund.

 

He said: “Now that we have three universities in Lagos, I believe there is a need for us to set up Lagos State Tertiary Education Trust Fund, which, in our view, will create a sustainable model and the funding that is required, both internally and externally, to strengthen academic research, learning and all that is necessary to keep these universities on track of their mission. 

 

“This is an idea whose time has come at the appropriate period many schools are under closure due to industrial disputes. I am issuing the responsibility to Attorney General and Special Adviser on Education to create the legal framework for the birth of the Trust Fund. This will be another legacy initiative our Government is bringing to sustain education in our State. This will create a financial model that will ensure sustainability of these schools.”

 

Sanwo-Olu said the Trust Fund would create an additional funding source to the three universities, aside the monthly subventions and intervention funds from federal education agencies, including Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

 

The Governor said the LASU Visitation Panel was set up to birth a new order of growth for the university ranked as the Second Best University in Nigeria by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, 2020.

 

After receiving the panel report, Sanwo-Olu said the State Government, in the next seven days, would constitute a committee that will dissect the recommendations. The committee, he said, is expected to come up with a White Paper that would ensure seamless implementation of the panel’s recommendations.

 

“It is delightful for me to know that the panel took on the responsibility graciously with all the commitment required. I thank the chairman and members for your dedication and efforts invested in this tough assignment. Today, you are turning in the report. I assure you that we will review and take all suggestions offered. Lagos will continue to be a beacon of hope for the country in education,” the Governor said.

 

Prof. Bello said the panel, in the course of its sittings, interacted with all stakeholders of the university on the 11 terms of reference given to the panel. 

 

The chairman said the panel received and considered 40 memoranda from ASUU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), which contained 58 separate issues, adding that members also visited the three campuses of the university.

 

Prof. Bello said: “LASU has to be assisted and supported to maintain this status. The fine details of what would need to be done have been catalogued under each term of reference. These include issues with academic and infrastructural needs, as well as other consideration for the Government, from funding, needs to amendments to the University Law to ensure good governance and peace.”

 

The panel, in its report, recommended the need to upgrade infrastructure in the Epe campus of LASU to meet the standards of the university.

SANWO-OLU SETS DECEMBER DEADLINE FOR THE RELOCATION OF OKO BABA SAW MILLERS TO PERMANENT SITE

 

   …Governor tours Agbowa-Ikosi Timberville, Says Govt Has Political Will to Complete Project

 

   …‘We’re Ready to Move to New Site’ - Saw Millers’ Leader 

 

The long wait for the planned relocation of saw millers of Oko Baba in Ebute Metta, Lagos Mainland, to a proposed permanent site in Agbowa, will come to an end in December, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu assured the timber traders. This was revealed in a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile. 

 

The Governor gave the assurance on Tuesday during his tour of Agbowa-Ikosi Timberville in Ikosi-Ejirin Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to inspect the level of work done on the site.

 

The State Government started the development of the Timberville during the Babatunde Fashola administration. The project was stalled afterwards, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty over the fate of the saw millers in Oko Baba.

 

Sanwo-Olu revisited the project by re-mobilizing the contractor back on the site. The saw millers could not hold back their excitement at the development; their leader, Alh. Abdul-Ganiu Onikeku joined the Governor on the tour of the site.

 

The Governor, joined by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, also inspected a 1,500 tons per hour brickette plant built on the site by Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which will enable the conversion of mill’s byproduct to combustible brick materials for industrial use.

 

The State Government, Sanwo-Olu said, revised the approved design of the project to bring more amenities to Timberville for the comfort of the timber traders.

 

He disclosed that 160 units of two-bedroom flats had been completed for the accommodation of the inhabitants, while blocks of offices for administrative services had been out in place.

 

He said: “This project has been on for years, but we are happy that our own Government has brought it back. We have invested a lot of resources to be able to bring it to a useable level. Part of the facilities we have put in place for the potential Oko Baba saw millers that will be moving here is 160 units of two-bedroom flats that have been completed. We also have offices in their various shades that have been built. The other amenity built on this site is a brickette plant facility which will be managed by LAWMA. 

 

“The leaders of Oko Baba saw millers’ association are excited and are willing to relocate to the site. The ship piles where ships will be berthing have been done. What is left is to clear the trailer path for the saw millers, and put up a police post and a fire service. In this regard, we are making additional funding available to the contractor to ensure that before the end of this year, we all should sing Hallelujah and bring everybody down here. It’s been a very long journey, but our administration is committed to bringing the long wait to an end.”

 

The Governor explained why there was a delay in the construction of a 3km access road from the main expressway to the site, stressing that the ongoing construction of a bridge crossing on-site slowed down work on the road. 

 

Sanwo-Olu, however, said alternative roads had been completed to pave the way for smooth relocation of the saw millers. He added the access road would be tarred immediately after the crossing bridge is completed. 

 

Once the amenities are in place, Sanwo-Olu said the Government would start relocating the saw millers. He reiterated that his administration possessed the political will to complete the project and move the inhabitants to the site.

 

The Governor said: “They are waiting on us to clean up and ensure the Timberville is fully habitable for them. In terms of agreement with the saw millers, they have shown their readiness to relocate. We have the full political will to ensure this relocation is done, but we don’t want to throw our citizens into a place that is not fully ready.

 

“The saw millers at Oko Oba have been cooperative with the Government and working with us tirelessly to ensure everything required is provided. It has been a very long journey, but our administration is committed to bringing the long wait to an end.”

 

Onikeku, president of Lagos Mainland Sawmillers Association, recalled that the Timberville could have been completed but for the disagreement over the design of the project, which led to it being abandoned. 

 

He said: “All of us are happy this project has been revived by Gov. Sanwo-Olu after many years it was abandoned. One of the reasons we did not agree with the previous Government is that the design was not done according to our agreement. This has been reversed and we have our input in the new design. 

 

“Our people will not be relocated here to be playing ludo game; they are coming to cut timbers and we will make judicious use of the facility. We are expressing our appreciation to the Governor and his deputy for listening to our pleas to revive the project when we met them over the development.”

 

16 AUGUST 2022

APC Crisis: Plot to Replace Adamu with a Christian Chairman Thickens

 

After recent plans by various stakeholders to unseat the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the leadership crisis that has been rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, may have taken on a new turn.

At a convention held on March 26 to elect members of the APC National Working Committee NWC, Adamu was successfully re-elected to his position as national chairman of the party.

However, despite the growing number of complaints that were lodged against Adamu, there were no moves made to remove him from his position.

It became clear over the course of the weekend that certain APC stakeholders were attempting to appease the Christian bloc within the party by working to remove the party chairman from his position as part of a problem-solving effort. The objective, according to a senior member of the APC who spoke anonymously to the media, was to strike a better balance of power within the party.

The leader of the party stated, "Yes, there are those who feel that the controversy generated by our Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket can be lessened by having a Christian chairman and also proposing a Christian Chief of Staff to the President." The leader of the party also added, "Yes, there are those who feel that the controversy generated by our Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket can be lessened by having a Some people have suggested that James Faleke, a member of Congress, should be considered for that position, which is Chief of Staff. There are questions that need to be answered before Adamu can continue to serve as chair of the party. The first is that it is necessary for us to appease the members of the Christian community. Second, considering that we are in the midst of an election season, many of us had high hopes for Adamu, but he hasn't accomplished very much. We absolutely require the functioning of the party's bureaucracy during this election cycle; however, their salaries are not even being paid, and yet you expect them to perform effectively.

 That is one thing that could be used against the chairman in the upcoming election. In addition to that, before he was elected as the national chairman of the party, he served as the chairman of the APC National Reconciliation Committee. 

We anticipated that by this point, he would have been able to settle the major disagreements; however, that has not been the case. President Muhammadu Buhari, the leader of our party, has also urged us to return the money that was paid by aspirants at the convention that resulted in Adamu being elected as national chairman. Candidates have already paid millions of dollars, but we have not yet given them a refund. These are some of the problems that have arisen."

Another complaint levelled against Adamu was that the party has not yet complied with the presidential order to refund the nomination fees paid by all aspirants at the party's March 26 National Convention who stepped down in favour of the party's consensus arrangement. President Buhari issued this directive more than four months ago, but the party has not yet refunded the money.

As a consequence of the party's arrangement for reaching consensus, the party was obligated to compensate those aspirants from the ward to the national level who were required to step down for the benefit of others.

In addition, during the course of the previous two months, the party had failed to honour the scheduled payment of staff salaries.

According to a second source, "the salary for the month of June was paid in the middle of July, while the staff only received their pay for the month of July last Friday, as opposed to payment on the 25th of every month."

It should be recalled that in an effort to perfect a consensus arrangement in advance of the party's March 27 National Convention, President Buhari, at a meeting on March 23 with eight national chairmanship aspirants at the Villa, persuaded them to step down for a consensus candidate with a promise of a refund of their nomination fee. "It should be recalled that in an effort to perfect a consensus arrangement in advance of the party's March 27 National Convention, President Buhari, at a meeting

After being contacted, Salihu Lukman, the National Vice Chairman of the party for the North West, expressed regret over the delay in payment and stated that the matter was being investigated.

Lukman is quoted as saying, "It is an unfortunate part of the internal challenges. From an administrative standpoint, this issue ought to have been resolved a long time ago. For example, in my situation, approximately four people have stepped aside for me, and they have been talking to me about it.

I have been bringing this matter to the attention of the party, and I believe that it is now abundantly clear that the party must find a solution to it as soon as humanly possible. I am able to give you my word.

Kizz Daniel Stages Free Show for Tanzanians

 

On Friday, August 12, 2022, the singer Oluwatobiloba Anidugbe, better known by his stage name Kizz Daniel, made good on his promise to perform for free for his fans in Tanzania, despite the fact that he had previously let them down.

The singer gave an impressive performance, much to the delight of his adoring fans, who participated in the show by singing along to several of the singer's popular songs, such as Buga, Oshe, Mama, and Yeba.

During one portion of his set, he paused for a moment and addressed the audience, saying, "I want to know if I have the real Kizz Daniel fans in the building tonight." I am addressing the fans from 2014 because I want to put you all to the test, and in order to move on to the next round, you must demonstrate that you are up to the challenge. Are you prepared to do well on the examination?

Following that, he gave a performance of several of his other popular songs, including Woju, Laye, and One Ticket. His performance, on the other hand, was marred by several interruptions caused by the poor sound produced by the technical crew. Because of technical difficulties, he was forced to disband his live band and instead rely on the DJ for the remainder of his performance.

When he apologised for not performing the previous Sunday and then brought out the flag of Tanzania on stage, it was one of the most memorable moments of the performance. In addition to that, he was dressed in the colours that are found on the national flag.

After he finished performing Buga, he said, "I think I have to come back because I owe you guys a proper show because this sound is not making me enjoy my performance tonight." He was referring to the fact that the sound was preventing him from enjoying his performance tonight. I have sworn to each and every one of you that I will return. I adore you, and I'd like to express my gratitude to you and the promoters for being here tonight.

 Recall that the singer was supposed to perform at a show in the East African nation on Sunday, August 7, 2022, but he did not show up to fulfil his obligation to do so. This infuriated fans, some of whom proceeded to destroy property at the venue where the show was being held. As a direct result of this, the police took the singer into custody.

Annie Idibia reacts to reports husband impregnated banker

 Annie Idibia, a well-known actress in Nigeria, has given her response to the rumours that her husband, Tuface Idibia, fathered a child with a banker.

It was widely reported in the media that Tuface fathered a child by a banker just a short time after apologising to his wife Annie and their children for being a "shitty" husband and father. The apology had been made to the family shortly after the event. This report quickly gained widespread attention across social media.

However, in her response, Annie called the report "fake news" and stated that the rumour has been going around since 2014.

"As in 2014 this supposed "Banker" dey carry belle o lol, Just can't with malicious humans," the message reads.

Annie Ididbia was very clear that the rumour was not based in reality. She pleaded with the general public to disregard the false information.

In a statement released on Saturday, 2Baba's manager, Efe Omorogbe, responded by claiming that the report was a fabrication of fake news.

PHOTOS: GOV. SANWO-OLU INSPECTS GAC MOTORS NIGERIA ASSEMBLY PLANT AT WEMPCO ROAD, OGBA, IKEJA ON THURSDAY, 11 AUGUST, 2022

 

 Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Project Manager, GAC Motors Ogba, Herman Tan, during an inspection of GAC Motors Nigeria Assembly Plant at Wempco Road, Ogba, Ikeja on Thursday, 11 August, 2022.

The GAC Motors Nigeria Assembly Plant at Wempco Road, Ogba.

Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu;  Project Manager, GAC Motors Ogba, Herman Tan and Chairman of CIG Motors in Nigeria, Mrs. Diana Chang, during an inspection of GAC Motors Nigeria Assembly Plant at Wempco Road, Ogba, Ikeja on Thursday, 11 August, 2022.

Falilat Ogunkoya Desires Presidential Honors for Tobi Amusan

Falilat Ogunkoya-Osheku, a former Olympic medalist and holder of the African record for the 400-meter dash, has urged the Federal Government that is led by President Muhammadu Buhari to honour the women's 4x100-meter relay team that represented Nigeria so well at the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham by winning the elusive gold medal and setting an African record in the process.

The foursome of world record holder Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Grace Nwokocha, and Rosemary Chukwuma ran a new African record of 42.10 seconds, which erased the one-month-old African record of 42.22 seconds they set in Oregon, the USA at the World Athletics championships. This allowed Team Nigeria to win the elusive gold medal for Team Nigeria on Sunday at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

Ogunkoya, who was the first Nigerian athlete to win an individual medal in the track and field competition at the Olympic Games, expressed his excitement over the team's remarkable performance and remarked that the team had run well and done the country of Nigeria proud.

Ogunkoya expressed her congratulations to the Nigerian women's 4100 relay team in a voice message that she sent to LEADERSHIP Sports. "The Nigerian women's 4100 relay team ran very well, and I want the President to honour them," Ogunkoya said. "They made Nigerians proud, and they made themselves proud, too, so congratulations to them," Ogunkoya said.

Tobi Amusan set a new world record at the World Championships, which were held in Oregon, United States of America. The former gold medalist in the 400-meter event at the All African Games wants the President to recognize Tobi Amusan for her achievement.

At the most important athletic competition in the world, which took place in Oregon, the star athlete from Nigeria broke the record for the 100-meter hurdles twice before she was declared the winner of the event. She is the first athlete from Nigeria to accomplish this accomplishment.

"The President ought to recognize Tobi for her performance in breaking the World Record. She made Nigeria proud," Ogunkoya said.