Professor Popoola Appointed As Committee Chairman To Investigate Misappropriation & Sex Scandal In University

Professor Popoola Appointed As Committee Chairman To Investigate Misappropriation & Sex Scandal In University

The Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu on Thursday in Abuja inaugurated committees to investigate the management of 10 universities and polytechnics over allegations ranging from abuse of due process, financial mismanagement to sexual harassment.

The minister said government had received numerous complaints against the governing councils and management of some institutions and resolved to set fact-finding committees to determine the veracity of the claims and give appropriate recommendations.

The institutions included the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina state, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Federal University Kashere, Gombe state, University of Abuja, FCT and University of Nsukka, Enugu state. Others are Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra state, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos state and University of Calabar, Cross River state.

The minister said the allegations and counter claims against the institutions “have created mistrust and hostility and hindered the smooth conduct of academic activities to the detriment of students,” saying “this cannot continue and it must not be allowed to liger.”

The allegations include: financial misappropriation, disregard of due process, nepotism and irregularities in recruitment and promotion of staff, corruption, power tussle among council members, sexual harassment and fraud to mention but a few.”

The minister named Professor Magaji Garba of Ahmadu Bello University(ABU), Zaria as the committee chair to probe Dutsin-Ma University while Mahmud Sanusi Rafindadi, Rabi’u Hassan Makera, Oyerinde Adeola, L.M Farouk and Anigbogu O.J (secretary) as members. Professor Popoola of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife was the chairman for Umudike University and had Professor Kayode Soremekun, Chief Philip Ukaonu, Uba Ibrahim, Dr. Maryam S. Ali and Amudipe Gabriel (secretary) as members. Professor Sadiq Isa Radda of Bayero University Kano was the chairman for University of Uyo with Professor Mahmud Lawan, Dr. Emmanuel Akpanobong, Iliyasu Rakiya, Engineer Abraham Chindusu and Opariji Catherine (secretary) as members.

Professor Sulkaiman Abdul of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi was the chairman of the fact-finding committee for Kashere University while Blug-Jack Essenwa (secretary), Professor S. N. Madubuike, Prof. B.G. Nworgu, Ulu-Awa Arua and John Mairafi Ahmadu will serve as members. Abuja University had Professor Toyin Olorode of Ekiti state University as chairman, Sani Maikudi, Prof. Vicror Amen, Adeoye Adeleye as members and Ebikwo Juliana as secretary. Prof. Godwin Nsofor of Federal University of Technology, Minna was named chair for the committee of Nsukka University while Mrs. Agnes Bamgbala, Prof. Ikenna Onyido, Prof. Haruna Abdu, Bashir A. Bello, Dr. Chinelu Nwonsu and Ameh Emaliku (secretary) will serve as members.

The committee to investigate Auchi Polytechnic had Prof. Andrew Haruna of ATBU as chairman and Nakwarai Jamil (secretary), Dr. Roxy Momoh, Prof. George Nnona, Folorunso Isaac and Bamamu I.B as members.

The committee to probe Oko Polytechnic had Prof. Sech Accra Jaja of the University of Port-Harcourt ‎ as chairman, Prof. A. L Tanko, Prof. Madueke O. Iwe, Dr. Kareem Olawale, Abubakar Mohd and Mulikat Jimoh (secretary) as members. Professor Idowu Awopetu of OAU was the chairman for the committee to probe Yaba College while Oshiba P. O (secretary), Prof. Ngozi Nnmani, Dr. Sikiru Eniola, Ngubane Gladys and Lawal Hafis will serve as members. The committee for University of Calabar had Dr. Salihu Abubakar of ABU, Zaria as chairman, Haruna A.B (secretary), Prof. Sani Abba, Prof. Greg Wajiga, Uba Uche and B. C Odum as members.



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Amazing Photos Of Inside The Palace Of The New Ooni Of Ife

Who says the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II is not as classy as the previous one? Checkout photos of inside the Palace of His Royal Majesty.

Photo Credit: Stella Dimolo Korkus

JAMB Delists Four Osun State Tertiary Institutions From Website

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has delisted four tertiary institutions owned by Osun State Government have been from its website.
They were said to be delisted for next two academic sessions on the request of the state government over plans to restructure them.

The institutions as made known by the Alumni Associations of the four state-owned tertiary institutions are Osun state Polytechnic Iree, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun, and Osun state College of Education, Ilesa.

This is as no fewer than 50,000 students who have been offered admission to study various courses in the four institutions might forfeit their admissions.

The President of OSPOLY Alumni, Iree who is spokesperson of the alumni bodies, Mrs. Mobola Odebode said state government had written to JAMB to delist the affected institutions for the next two years in order to give way for its proposed restructuring of the institutions.

Odebobe who was flanked by other alumni Presidents said the state government has refused to listen to the voice of reasoning on the rumoured merger of the four tertiary institutions stressing that Governor Rauf Aregbesola is trying to obliterate polytechnic education in the state.

She said that most of the affected admission seekers to these institutions had been offered provision admission for 2015/2016 academic sessions but were surprised to find out that their potential schools are no longer on the JAMB portals.

Her words: “It is painful that despite pleas from traditional rulers, host communities, political parties, students, market women, Alumni Associations and well meaning Nigerians, the government has refused to listen to he voice of reasoning on the matter. As products of institutions, we had resolved to continue the struggle to protect the existence of these institutions.

”Part of the frustrations we envisaged is already manifesting. It is before the public knowledge that the state government, last week sacked over 250 workers in Osun state Colleges of Education, Ila Orangun and Ilesa. These institutions already lack academic and non academic staff for the past five years.

”Also, over 50,000 students who applied to the four state owned tertiary institutions through Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will be denied admission as the government has written to the admission body to delist these four institutions for the next two years. This means that none of the affect state-owned institutions is on the list of JAMB.”

Odebode also disclosed that Osun state government had ordered the four institutions to advertise admission for vocational and remedial studies thus querying the government on why polytechnic should lay the role that a technical college could play more effectively.

She said “It is rather ironical that at a period that China is converting universities to polytechnics to advance the technological education as a key for the growth and development of the country, the state of Osun government is trying to obliterate polytechnic education.

“We are so confident that the government wants to destroy the whole system for their private business benefits. We are fully aware of correspondences between some private institutions approaching the affected institutions to divert their admitted students to their various schools,” Odebode added.

The alumni body however condemned the alleged dismissal of the over 250 workers and demanded for their reinstatement.

The associations also demanded that the state government withdraw the letter written to JAMB to allow admission to the affected institutions ad allow candidates who have been offered provisional admission to continue their programmes.



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Prof. Y. K. Yusuf Saga: ASUU OAU Demands Serious Disciplinary Measures

Prof. Y. K. Yusuf Saga: ASUU OAU Demands Serious Disciplinary Measures

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter has demanded that the University authority should as a matter of utmost urgency invoke disciplinary measures to bring to book those indicted in the Professor Y. K. Yusuf saga.

The former Dean of the Faculty of Arts and a Professor of English, Professor Y. K. Yusuf who was holding an EGL class at ODLT was reported to have been disturbed by some students including some members of the Students' Union Central Executive Council (CEC) last month. This development has since generated a lot of controversies amidst the student population; some feel the Union leaders were wrong to have disrupted his class while some hold a contrary view.

In Professor Y. K. Yusuf's account of the incident, he stated as follows: “While the lecture was in progress, a student who was not taking the course walked in and asked me to stop the lecture so that he could make an announcement. I told him that it was not proper for a student to interrupt a lecture for that purpose and that he would do well to leave the class. He then informed me that he was the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Obafemi Awolowo University Student Union. I told him that, that notwithstanding, the sanctity of a lecture in progress ought not to be undermined and that he still had to leave the class. His response to this was that whether I liked it or not, he was going to make the announcement. I insisted that that would amount to an affront on discipline. In spite of this, he started to address the students in the class with the public address system he had brought with him.”

During the Congress of ASUU OAU on Thursday, December 3, members of the Union described the incidence involving Professor Y. K. Yusuf and some students as gross misconduct, untold attitude, lack of respect for lecturers and total disobedience to law on the part of the students and as such vehemently condemned the act. The same Congress however resolved that the University authority bring those indicted to justice by invoking serious disciplinary measures on them urgently.

In a related development, the Public Relations Officer of the Students' Union, Ojedokun Emmanuel a.k.a Immanuel Kant confirmed to OAU Peeps News Agency that himself alongside two other members of the Students' Union Central Executive Council have received a letter from a Panel set up by the University Management to investigate the Prof. Y. K. Yusuf saga. The other two executives include the Students' Union President, Omotayo Akande a.k.a TY and the Secretary General, Oketooto Oluwaseun a.k.a Hon. Seun. When pressed further on the content of the letter and to know if the Union officers have responded appropriately, the PRO refused to respond. However, the Students' Union President, TY during a Press briefing two weeks ago when asked about the status of the rift, he said ASUU OAU leadership has told him not to worry as everything will be worked out peacefully.


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URPSA Holds Maiden National Conference

Students of Urban and Regional Planning nationwide under the aegis of Urban and Regional Planning Student Association of Nigeria (URPSA) which is the national body for all universities association will hold her first conference tagged 'PLANNING DYNAMISM'. This is the first of it kinds and it will be hosted by the Federal University of Technology, FUTA, Akure.

The conference which will start on December 16th and end on December 19th, 2015 will also be an avenue for students to learn from seasoned town planners who will grace the event. The event will include debate competition and quiz among participating universities, and paper presentation on "The Role of Landscape on Urban Planning". Also, the conference will feature lectures that will be delivered by leading professionals in the field of Urban Planning.

Speaking to our correspondent, Mr Afolayan Ajibola, the National President of URPSA said this will be the first time Urban and regional Planning students will be coming together to discuss issues affecting the profession and it promises to be educative.‎

It will be recalled that the national body was constituted some months ago and has universities where urban and regional planning is being studied as her member associations. This giant step has received a lot of praises from town planners across the country and also students from different universities have also give kudos to the organizer‎s.

We Need The Fence - Pope Jay

“Sitting on the Fence” is an English Idiomatic expression that is used to signify neutrality and in some instances; Indecision. However, one use of this expression that I remain rather skeptical about is its usage in denoting Cowardice. Even though in some circumstances, indecision can arise from Cowardice and other factors, I believe strongly that the “Neutrality” that the expression primarily depicts is a very strong necessity in the today’s society.

In the world today, almost everything is polarized, it is either; Right or Wrong, Good or Bad, White or Black, Republican or Democrat, APC or PDP, Ronaldo or Messi etc. One of the sad resultant effects of this polarization is the heavy rise in the sentimentalism of the society; People now tend to bend the interpretation of facts in a very annoying way to suit their ideals, thereby creating several dividing lines in the society. While some would prefer to go right, some others would prefer to go left.

 The next question would then be “Why not let everyman go is own way?” but then the issue of Man being a Social being then comes up. Man does not just function as a unit, he also functions as part of a bigger unit; The Society. If the society would then function as a unit, there is a need to establish some basic fundamental mottos and guidelines that would ensure her survival. Alexander Hamilton once said that; “Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything”. This doesn’t just apply to individuals; it in fact applies to societies. A society that is not established on any basic ideal is most definitely going to fall. Thus, there is the need for the society to make some objective decisions as a unit and this is where the problem of diversity comes in. As a society is made up of different individuals with different opinions and sentiments, it is almost, if not totally, impossible to get a singular perspective on certain issues and whilst some might argue that in these instances, the “Majority Carries the Vote” principle of democracy comes to play, I would also want to point out that the “Majority” is not at as infallible as she is often portrayed as certain instances in history have actually shown that the Majority can in fact be influenced to make unpleasant decisions.

Considering these factors, would it not then be best to let the “Men on the fence” have the major say in these decisions? I believe the Non-Partisan Men are best fit to run some very important bodies in any society; The Police and Judiciary System, The Electoral Bodies, The Press etc. because in the end, the best judges are the non-partisan ones.

Is sitting on the Fence then a bad thing?

(Comments can be posted below or sent to me at jobaoje@gmail.com)

Pope Jay      

OAU Stops Automatic Employment For First Class Graduates

OAU Stops Automatic Employment For First Class Graduates

The Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awowolo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Bamitale Omole, yesterday said the university would no longer offer automatic employment to graduates who make First Class degree.

Omole was addressing journalists in Ile Ife at a news conference to mark the 41st convocation ceremony of the institution.

He said graduates who make First Class should forget about automatic employment as there is no more vacancy as a result of the current economic situation in the country.

He noted that the idea of giving automatic employment to First Class graduates by the university was designed in the 1980s to retain them because they were not always willing to remain in the academics.

"The truth is that our First Class graduates should forget about automatic employment considering the dwindling resources and given the large number of students who obtain first class grade now. It is no longer possible for us to offer them automatic employment," he said.


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