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SSANU Opposes Removal Of LAUTECH VC By Makinde

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Supreme Court Nullifies Makinde's Sacking Of Oyo Council Chiefs
His Excellency Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, Governor of Oyo State

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Branch, Ogbomoso has opposed the directive to “step aside” given to the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Olufisayo Ologunde by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

Makinde’s letter signed by the Oyo State Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology, Barrister Olasunkanmi Aremu Olaleye was titled “Press Release” and dated April 16, 2021.

Rejecting the removal, SSANU said that the letter did not categorically lay any allegation against the deposed vice chancellor other than saying that “His Excellency Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, Governor of Oyo State and Visitor to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso has directed that the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor M. O. Ologunde should step aside until further notice”.

The directive went ahead to instruct that, “consequently, the Vice Chancellor has been directed to hand over forthwith to the next Principal Officer in rank in order to ensure uninterrupted flow of normal activities in the university.”

SSANU’s statement signed by Fajoye Hamzat Oyelere, LAUTECH branch chairman, noted : “Our union in the light of equity, justice and fair play therefore, arising from her branch executive emergency online meeting held on Sunday, April 18,2021, having critically examined the contents of the letter and reports of our consultations with the members viz a viz the provisions of the LAUTECH Extant laws, wish to observe as follows, that:

” i). LAUTECH is not an appendage of the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Oyo State or the extension of the Office of the Hon. Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology of the state but a statutory body that has its establishment law as may be amended.

” ii). The law of the university did not give power to administer the university to the Commissioner but the Governing Council.

” iii). The power to appoint and terminate staff appointments is resided in the Governing Council and not the Visitor or his proxies including the Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology.

” iv). The University enjoys autonomy in Nigeria, Oyo State inclusive.

” v). The purported letter signed by the Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology will have no basis in law and can only generate animosity and innuendos within the university community and between Oyo and Osun States more so, the joint ownership status of the university was just severed in December 2020 and unfortunately the deposed Vice Chancellor is a vestige of the arrangement prior to the dismantling of the joint ownership status.

” vi). The “step aside” directive is considered hasty, cumbersome and incongruous to the order that brought in the current principal officers of the university on February 14, 2019, and should be reversed in the name of equity, fairness and good conscience and also negated the position of His Excellency on LAUTECH as said in his radio and television broadcast of Saturday, February 20, 2021.

“We would like to remind His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde that on Saturday, February 20, 2021, on a live radio program anchored by the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State(BCOS), he informed the whole world that he heard on a good note that the Vice Chancellor incited the Unions on campus to go on strike to demand the payment of their Eight(8) months outstanding salaries and allowances having paid Eight(8)billion naira to Osun State on the separation of joint ownership.

“The governor in his final submission reasoned that he will allow the Governing Council to investigate the matter when it resumed work in order for him not to be seen as being despotic and undemocratic in dispensing judgment on the matter and that he will possibly not like a court case on the matter.

READ ALSO: Oyo To Make LAUTECH Conventional University

“Today, that council has not officially assumed duty in the university since its inauguration by the governor on April 1, 2021.

“Can we now ask the commissioner where he derived the power to order the “step aside” of the vice chancellor when the visitor he claimed to have directed him has openly declared that such power belongs to the Governing Council?

“Our union is not interested in who becomes the vice chancellor beyond the fact that we lobbied the last Governing Council to consider and give us a homegrown Chief Executive Officer of the university after more than 25 years of existence.

“Professor Ologunde can be removed by the Governing Council but not by the visitor or his proxy. Even at that, his offence must be properly stated and investigated where he will be given opportunity to present his case to the extent of being represented by a lawyer of his choice if need be.

“He is not a direct appointee of the governor if we will like the rule of law to prevail.

“SSANU will not want a confused situation where legal turmoil and civil unrest will be unnecessarily unleashed within the university community.

“We plead with His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde to rescind the directive as it is being executed and allow the rule of law to prevail under the principles of natural justice pending the open investigation of the vice chancellor by the Governing Council if need be.”

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Robbers Loot N30m Goods At Ikota Shopping Complex

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. Owners Report Security Firm To Police

For about two decades, Dr. Helen O. Eto, CEO, Superior Mobile Investment Ltd and iClick Gadgets, has been doing business peacefully at Ikota Shopping Complex which borders Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lekki Peninsula, Lagos. The shopping facility is run by HFP Engineering Ltd.

However, robbers struck at the complex that has about 1,850 shops in the early hours of March 7th, 2023. Finesse Security Ltd guards claimed that they forgot to lock the gate of the facility, allowing the hoodlums to cart away about N30 million phones and other goods from Mrs. Eto’s freshly restocked shop.

Lamentingher ordeal to the police in Ajah and Panti, Yaba, Mrs. Eto said : “We took bank loans for the business plus our life savings all of which are gone. This is a wicked plan against us in our old age with children still in school, other dependants and various bills.

“We plead that the police should help us to get to the bottom of the looting to save us from early deaths as our BPs have shot up sharply because this is our main source of livelihood. A list of the goods looted from the shop was/is attached to my statements at Ajah Police Station and SIB, Yaba.”

Omokioja Julius Eto, Chairman, Editorial Board of The Daily Times and a media consultant, corroborated his wife’s account. Eto, a former Associate Editor of The Guardian and Editor-in-Chief of The Trumpet, said: “The robbery is shocking because the security gate is inaccessible even to shop owners at night, our shop is just a stone’s throw from the gate and it would have taken about at least two hours to cut through the shop’s security system.

“This makes us to strongly see the guards as the main suspects. We were not immediately notified by the security firm or the facility managers (HFP) of the robbery which we only got to be aware of at about 8.20am through one of our employees.”

A former Editor of The Daily Times, Eto who has also worked as a senior editor at the Punch and Thisday, added: “Since the break-in on March 7 till today March 30, Finesse Security Ltd has not called to sympathize with us but has been evading our calls and texts to its MD whom we learnt travelled abroad after the robbery.

“We have been doing everything to support the police investigation despite our predicament and hope they will bring the culprits to justice.”

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Arrest Interim Govt Plotters Now – Governors

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Tambuwal Emerges Chairman Of Governors' Forum
Governor Tambuwal

Governors of the 36 states have asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and prosecute those involved in a plot to put in place an interim government as part of moves to truncate the nation’s democracy.

Condemning the move, the governors under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum assured of their commitment to continue in the defence of Nigeria’s democracy as elected leaders.

In a statement on Friday by NGF Chairman and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal at the end of the 4th meeting of the Governors, he warned the DSS against issuing statements without arrest as that amounts to heating the polity.

Tambuwal said, “The Forum deliberated extensively on the alleged plot by some unscrupulous elements to install an interim government, as contained in the recent statement issued by the Department for State Services (DSS). Governors condemned in the strongest terms, any unconstitutional means of regime change and pledged its commitment to continue to defend Nigeria’s democracy as elected leaders.

“In addition, the Forum believes that issuing statements without arrests is akin to heating up the polity and causing unwarranted tension in the country. It called on the DSS to do its job by immediately arresting and prosecuting all those involved in the plot as a matter of urgency.”

Recall that the DSS had on Wednesday confirmed rumours that a section of the political class was planning for an interim government in order to truncate the result of the recently-concluded general elections.

The Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya in a statement said that the agency had identified some key players in the plot for an Interim Government in Nigeria but did not give the names of the masterminds.

The agency had said that the planners of the interim government had already held several meetings, during which they weighed many options to actualize their plot including sponsoring endless mass protests across Nigerian cities, securing a warrant to declare a state of emergency or a court injunction to stop the inauguration of the executive and the legislature at the federal and state levels.

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BREAKING:Lagos Govt Arraigns Chrisland School, Principal, Others Over Death Of Pupil Whitney Adeniran

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Chrisland pupil Whitney

The Lagos State government has arraigned Chrisland School, Opebi, its principal, vice principal and two other employees over the death of one of the school’s pupils, 12-year-old Whitney Adeniran.

On Wednesday, the government of Lagos State had filed charges against Chrisland School and four others over the death of the 12-year-old pupil, Whitney Adeniran.

The school and its workers were accused of involuntary manslaughter and reckless and negligent acts.

The workers who were arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja include Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Mrs Belinda Amao, Nwatu Ugochi Victoria and Chrisland School Limited.

The school principal, Mrs Belinda Amao, broke down in tears while in the dock as the court and counsel tried to agree on a date for the commencement of the trial.

Whitney died during the school’s inter-house sports competition at Agege Stadium in Lagos on February 9.

Blessing Adeniran, her mother, had accused Chrisland of negligence over her daughter’s death.

The school’s management, however, dismissed insinuations that there was foul play in the death, saying she slumped in public.

Chrisland also argued that Whitney complained about “not-too-buoyant health” a few days before she died.

However, an autopsy conducted at the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH) confirmed that the deceased died from “asphyxia and electrocution”.

In the charges filed on behalf of the state government by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Babajide Martins, who disclosed that their negligence killed Whitney because they failed to ensure her safety.

The charge also disclosed that they all acted in a reckless and negligent manner that endangered human life.

The offences are contrary to Sections 224 & 251 of the Criminal Law, C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015

If found guilty, the offences carry a penalty of life imprisonment and two-year jail terms respectively.

On Tuesday, the state government granted access to Chrisland High School, Opebi branch, to open for physical learning ahead of the school’s forthcoming examination after parents’ appeal.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had ordered that the school be shut down on March 3, 2023, following the investigation into Whitney’s death.

Sanwo-Olu through the state Ministry of Education said the closure of the school would pave the way for unhindered investigation and afford all stakeholders, including parents, students, staff and friends of the deceased, time to grieve.

The reopening followed an appeal by the Parents of all Chrisland School Units who visited the Ministry of Education on Monday to seek the government’s understanding for “the sake of 500 plus students some of whom also have terminal examinations.”

The management of the school had tendered an apology over Whitney’s death.

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