Socioscope News Agency

ASUU directs LAUTECH lecturers to leave campus The Osun State House of Assembly has warned some indigenes of Ogbomoso in Oyo State who allegedly attacked the Bursar of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology , Ogbomoso, Mr . A .B .C . Olagunju , and some other indigenes of Osun State against further attacks or be ready to face the consequences of their action . Also , the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in LAUTECH , Dr . Biodun Olaniran , said the union had directed all its members, irrespective of their states of origin , to stay away from their offices until normalcy was restored. He said , “ As a responsible union , we have sent messages to all our members to stay away from their offices until the situation improves . The message was not directed at Osun State indigenes alone but to all members because there are lecturers from Delta State , from the North and other parts of the country . “ We are not interested in the ownership crisis rocking...

NYSC ANNOUNCE BATCH B PASSING OUT Simeon Bankole, the Chief Press Officer of the National Youth Service Corps in Oyo State, has said that the 2015 Batch B passing out ceremony in the state would be in two phases. Bankole told newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday that the passing out ceremony would be low key and devoid of any fanfare. Bankole said: “Our headquarters determines how things should be done at the state level. “At the state level, we implement whatever directive is giving to us. “So the reason is best known to them. “The Stream 1 passing out ceremony is coming up on Thursday, October 6, while that of Stream 11 comes up on Friday, November 4, 2016. “Stream 1 had their orientation between October 28 and November 16, 2015, while Stream 11 did theirs between November 25 and December 14, 2015. “All programmes are low key, certificate shall be given to deserving corps members at their respective local governments, no programme is ho...

N-Delta leaders split over Amaechi’s summit SOME stakeholders in Delta, Bayelsa and Cross River states rose, yesterday, in support of the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, saying that he was eminently qualified to summon a meeting of Niger Deltans to discuss any issue, as he did, last Saturday, while others still maintained that Amaechi has no such powers. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central senatorial district in the Senate, said: “Absolutely, he (Amaechi) has my support and commendation. But for a prior commitment that took almost all the southern senators to Enugu on the same date, we would have attended the meeting. “Amaechi knows the terrain and the challenges we face as a region having served as a governor and currently a ‘key man’ in this administration. Rather than vilify him, he should be commended and encouraged.” Fruitful session Former Secretary-General of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Wo...

Why I won’t apologise to Soludo – Falana Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria has described as a joke the demand for an apology by former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, over his questioning of the management of the country’s foreign reserves during his tenure at the apex bank. He again questioned the management of Nigeria’s foreign reserves by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, under the leadership of Soludo. Mr. Falana had petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of diversion of public funds from the Federation Account and the nation’s Foreign Reserves. He also accused the CBN under Mr. Soludo of illegally transferring $7 billion to 14 commercial banks in 2006, an allegation the former CBN chief denied and described as laughable. In denying the allegation, Mr. Soludo said Mr. Falana’s outburst was based on ignorance of how the bank was run. The former CBN chief also dema...

Buhari sends 6 names to Senate for confirmation as INEC commissioners PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, sent six names to the Senate for screening and confirmation as national commissioners of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The President also sent names of five persons for screening and subsequent confirmation as national commissioners of National Population Commission, NPC. Buhari in two separate letters to the Senate, which were read at plenary by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said his appointment of national commissioners for both INEC and NPC was in accordance with the provisions of Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The names of the INEC national commissioner nominees were given as Prof. Okechukwu Obinna Ibeanu, Anambra State; May I. Agbamuche-Mbu, Delta State; AVM Ahmed Tijani Mu’Azu, Gombe State; Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Niger State; Dr Adekunle Ladipo Ogunmola, Oyo State; and Abubakar Ahmed Nahuche, Zamfara State. Tho...

Buhari: FG Working to Boost Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Products President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said his administration is currently working to improve patronage of locally made goods as well as enhance access to finance for Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) across the country. He said efforts were also being made to bridge the gap between skills required by industry and those provided by the educational institutions. He added that his administration would work with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the other Organised Private Sector (OPS) groups who are key stakeholders in achieving these objectives. Speaking in Abuja at the opening of the 44th Annual General Meeting of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Buhari said agriculture and the manufacturing sectors remained key to his administration’s quest for economic diversification. He said: “A strong manufacturing sector will create more jobs and wealth for our people. It will us...

Crude Oil Slumps One Day After OPEC Deal to Cut Output Despite the decision of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut crude oil production by 200,000-700,000 barrels per day to achieve price recovery, oil prices fell yesterday after the gains recorded on Wednesday. This was just as Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, launched its “#makethefuture” programme, where it unveiled six new technologies from different youth entrepreneurs around the world to provide sustainable and cleaner energy than conventional energy sources. OPEC agreed on Wednesday to implement modest oil output cuts in the first such deal since 2008, with the group’s leader Saudi Arabia softening its stance on arch-rival, Iran, amid mounting pressure from low oil prices. Under the deal, OPEC would reduce output to a range of 32.5 million barrels per day to 33 million barrels per day from the current estimates of 33.24 million bpd. The Wall Street Journal...

Jubilation, Protest as Obaseki is Declared Governor-elect It was a mixture of celebrations and protests in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, yesterday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of Wednesday’s governorship election in the state and governor-elect. According to INEC, Obaseki polled a total of 319,483 votes to beat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who garnered 253,173 votes. Obaseki won 13 out of the 18 local government areas in Edo State, thus satisfying the constitutional requirement of securing 25 per cent of the votes cast in two-thirds of the local governments in the state. Confirming the outcome of the election, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, INEC’s Chief Returning Officer for the election, said Obaseki had satisfied the requirements by scoring the highest number of votes. At the INEC state h...

INEC declares Obaseki winner of Edo governorship election Minutes after he was pronounced winner of Wednesday’s Edo State governorship election Gowdin Obaseki, yesterday promised to fulfil his promises. “We will strive to deliver,” he said at a news conference in which he hailed his opponents and the voters – as the heroes of the tension-soaked poll. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate defeated his closest rival -Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Osagie Ize-Iyamu – with more than 63,00 votes. Obaseki polled 319,483. Ize-Iyamu scored 253,173. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Obaseki governor-elect after tallying results from the 18 local government areas. Returning Officer Prof Kayode Soremekun , who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, said Obaseki won, having scored the highest valid votes. He said there were 1, 900, 223 registered voters; 662,039 were accredited and 613, 244 vote...

Naira exchanges at N480 to dollar in parallel market The naira yesterday tumbled to new low of N480 to dollar on the parallel market as dollar shortage persisted. The local currency was exchanging at N476 to dollar in the morning hours, but weakened and closed at N480 to dollar in the last trading sessions of yesterday. The continuous decline in the value of the naira has been fueled by dollar scarcity and other unfavourable economic variables including the rise in import bill. “Dollar is very scarce in the market right now because many people don’t know how low it will fall in the near term, so people are holding on to their hard currencies in order to watch the direction of the market,” one dealer said. Speaking on the development, President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Aminu Gwadabe, said traders from neighbouring countries and some importers had also been moving in recently, mopping up dollars and putting pressure on the nair...

NUPENG to resist fuel price hike National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President IgweAchese has said the union could not afford to embark on a strike now, because it would increase the suffering of Nigerians. He said this while addressing reporters at the end of NUPENG’s third Quarter Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Meeting in Asaba, the Delta Sate capital. He noted that this was a challenging time, adding that the union needed to consider it’s actions. He, however, warned that the union would not hesitate to resist policies that would frustrate the hopes of the masses. According to him, the union will resist any attempt by the government to increase the price of petroleum products. “It would not be right for the government to contemplate increase in price of petroleum products in an environment where nothing is working, cost of goods are high and the exchange rate fast tumbling. “I tell you, if NUPENG should go on any industrial acti...

Kwarapoly expels five students The Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has expelled five students. A statement by the Assistant Registrar (Academic Affairs), Mr. AbdulRahman Ola Muhammad, said their expulsion followed the approval of the report of the Students’ Disciplinary Committee in accordance with Section 14.2 of the Students’ Regulations. Imam Murthado Olanrewaju (HND/14/AE/FT/019) was expelled for allegedly assaulting a member of staff and disruption of official activities; Elebiju Rotimi (HND/14/SLT/FT/095), for stealing clothes and attacking the owner; while Adam AbdulAzeez T(ND/14/QTS/FT/022), Muhammed Habeeb (ND/14/COM/FT/461) and Khalid Olamilekan (ND/14/PA/FT/56) were expelled for alleged destruction of polytechnic property. Also, Olutayo Oluwatobi Elizabeth (HND/15/BF/FT/233) has been rusticated for one semester (second semester, 2015/2016 session) for allegedly behaving rudely to a member of Dress Code Committee; and the result of Toluwaleke Gbenga Adeniyi (N...

Save our roads, UNIZIK students urge Obiano Students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, popularly called UNIZIK, are bemoaning the state of access roads to the institution’s campuses in Awka and Nnewi, reports FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO from Awka. Words cannot quantify the hardship students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, face on the deplorable Ifite-Amansea Road which connects the university to the Awka, the Anambra State capital, where many students live. The road gets worse during the rainy season and most buses conveying students to school always break down, forcing the students to wade through muddy water. Sadly, the state of the road is not new, as successive state governments had turned deaf ears to the plight of members of staff and students of the institution. In the past, the government placed equipment and heaped stones on the road, but it was never fixed. Anambra State Governor Dr Willie Obiano reportedly visited the university sometime in July, durin...

Students to pay N5,000 as FUNAAB resumes October 3 The management of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has endorsed the decision of its Senate to reopen the institution on October 3, 2016. The Senate also directed that all students of the university, including postgraduate students, those on Industrial Training (IT) and the Farm Practical Year (FPY), should pay a reparation fee of N5,000 to cover replacement of private and public property worth millions of naira destroyed when students protested perennial robbery attacks on August 18, 2016. The protest resulted in the burning of seven vehicles, a police post, vandalisation of the Divine Heights Bible Church, Abeokuta, and other properties. A statement signed by the university’s Head, Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), Mrs Emi Alawode, noted that the crisis was well investigated and involved 13 sittings by the committee set up to investigate the unrest, during which it interacted with about 80 stakeh...

Flour miller commission N8m equipment in Yabatech Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), has taken delivery of equipment worth N8m donated to the institution by Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN). The Rector, Dr. Margaret Kudirat Ladipo, who thanked the donor for the gesture, used the opportunity to seek more support from corporate bodies and industrialists so as to continue to fulfil the mandate of the institution. In attendance were: a representative of Dangote Flour Mill Mr. Kwaku Boateng; Yabatech Deputy Rector (Academics) Dr. Olufemi Oyelola and his counterparts (Administration), Mr. Taofeek Omobayo Raheem; Registrar Ms Charity Amakapabo, Librarian Mrs. Taye Adebowale, among others. Ladipo said: “We need the support of well meaning people at a critical time like this so that our goal to produce graduates for the global market and entrepreneurs would be fully realised. “As an institution, Yabatech has continued to forge ahead in improving skills development...

Oyegun to PDP: accept people’s verdict The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has urged the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to accept the verdict of the Edo people in good faith. In a statement last night in Abuja, Oyegun congratulated the party’s candidate and running mate on their election victory. The APC National Chairman said: “The people of Edo state voted to ensure continuity and consolidation of the massive multi-faceted developments recorded under the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.”

Assets declaration: CCB invites Adeosun , Emefiele , Fashola others The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has invited some serving ministers and recently engaged public official over “issues” about the asset declaration requirements. It threatened to drag defaulters and those, who ignore its invitation for clearance to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for prosecution. The CCB, in a statement by its Chairman, Sam Saba, said he has invited some serving Federal Ministers among others. They include Kemi Adeosun (Finance), Kayode Fayemi (Mine and Solid Minerals), Adebayo Shittu (Min. of Communication); Babatunde Fashola (Minister of Power, Works and Housing); Ibe Ikachukwu (Minister of State Petroleum); Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (Minister of Science and Technology) Others are Mike Okiro (Chairman, Police Service Commission), Godwin Emefiele (CBN Governor), Abubakar Bawa Bwari (Minister of State Solid Minerals) and Rotimi Amaechi (Minister of Transport). Also invited are Sen. Aisha Al...

Buhari congratulates Obaseki, Oshiomhole on victory at poll President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday congratulated the government and people of Edo State on the successful conclusion of the gubernatorial election and the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Godwin Obaseki at the polls. In a telephone call to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, President Buhari commended the well-articulated campaign programme of the APC in the state, the doggedness of the governor, governor-elect and party members in going round the state to reach the people with records of good governance over the years and a promise of continuity. In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said that the outcome of the election clearly reflected the mood of the people to sustain the pedigree of responsiveness, forthrightness and diligence that Governor Oshomole brought into the service of his people. ‘‘The victory is good for democracy, ...

Lagos consumes N1.6 Billion worth of cattle daily Lagos state alone consumes about 8000 cattle and small ruminants valued at N1.6 billion daily. It is projected that, when fully realized, NIRSAL’s efforts to create a structured market for the livestock business in the country, through a bankable standard business model, has the potential to increase the overall value of Nigeria’s livestock market to about N2 trillion. Bello Abdullahi Abba, Coordinator Research and Strategy of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), made this disclosure in a press released he issued and signed Thursday in continuation of the recently launched project to transport cattle by rail from the north to the south which was facilitated by the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), at the second cattle train of fifteen wagons that left Nguru, Yobe state for Oko-Oba, Lagos yesterday. Speaking on the development, the M...

"We are Journalists, not Activists" - ACJ OAU President. Speaking at a press conference yesterday evening, the President of the Association of Campus Journalist, OAU in person of Olanrewaju Oyedeji stressed the need to make students understand the objectives of the association as students on campus already see them as a body which should always help them channel their grievances to the school management and fight for it. He said " We will make decisions based on what we know is right, based on our objectives as campus journalists. We can't act according to public outcries. ACJ OAU is not management sponsored and we are not scared of addressing any issues. Sometimes ago, we accused the SU of embezzling funds and also raised some accusations against the former Vice Chancellors and we stood by it. We are not  politicians but journalists " He also pointed out his efforts so far as to unite journalists on campus towards registering under the ACJ which by virtue of...

MOHANDAS GANDHI TO NIGERIA POST COLONIAL SLAVERY “The earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed”. GREED is the husband of CORRUPTION and CORRUPTION is the mother of all the atrocities that have been committed in Nigeria. Unless GREED is terminated, he would continue to impregnate CORRUPTION. Unless CORRUPTION is eliminated, she would continue to reproduce atrocities. If this couple is not deleted from your system, be it educational system, political system, judicial system, economic system, social system or whatever, then what you have read about atrocities in Nigeria is just a preface! You have refused to send all your children to school while the ones you sent to school; you did not give them education (sound or dull). You kept on with the business of amassing wealth at the expense of your future. Embezzlement is one of your favorite professions. You are a specialist in bungling the implementation of policies that would fa...