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Lagos Metro Train Services Begins Soon

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The Lagos state government has announced the arrival of two trains for its Metro Red Line rail system.

The trains arrived three months ahead of the December deadline set by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to complete the rail line project embarked upon by the state government.

Governor Sanwo-Olu has set the first quarter of 2023 for the take-off of both the red and Blue Lines of the multi-billion naira rail project started by the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola but was slowed by the Governor Akinwumi Ambode administration.

The rail project received a boost in January this year, after Governor  Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his government has purchased two trains from Talgo, a train manufacturing plant based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., for the Lagos Metro Rail project.

According to a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso,  the state government said TALGO SERIES 8 Trains acquired for the Red Line have finally arrived in Lagos, saying “The 2 Nos. Ten and Eleven Car trains which were bought from Milwaukee are here”.

Omotoso explained that it was necessary to decouple the train into 21 individual cars for effective transportation to Lagos, adding that the trains will be recoupled with the help of rolling stock Engineers from Talgo, the company that manufactured the trains in the United State of America.

He said: “The Engineers will also take the opportunity to train our local Engineers whilst they are here to equip our young people with the requisite skills. Once the recoupling is complete, the testing and commissioning will commence followed by full passenger operations in the first quarter of 2023.

“Each train can carry 1500 passengers and is expected to run on the Red Line Rail from Agbado to Oyingbo, with the journey taking less than 30 minutes.”

Meanwhile, transport analysts insist that when completed the rail system will have the capacity to transport millions of people daily, apart from reducing congestion on the ever-busy state roads, as most commuters will now prefer the train services to other modes of transportation.

Court Rules Against Senate President, Ahmed Lawal, Orders APC To Drop Name As Senatorial Candidate

By
Ayodele Oni
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Ahmad Lawan

By Ayodele Oni

Senate President, Ahmed Lawal’s bid to return to the Senate in 2023 has, again, suffered a setback as the primary election which produced him has been nullified.

A Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe state, ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) to submit the name of Bashir Shariff Machina as the authentic candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

The court affirmed the 28th May 2022 primary election conducted by the party which produced him.

Justice Fadimatu Murtala, in a judgement delivered on Wednesday in Damaturu, also nullified the parallel primary election of 9th June 2022 that produced President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan.

The end to the case has not come as Counsel to the Senate President Kolawale Balogun, said after the judgement that his client would be appropriately advised on the next move.

Insecurity: Presidency Acknowledges State Owned Security Outfits

By
Ayodele Oni
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Garba Shehu

By Ayodele Oni

The Presidency has justified move by States to set up security outfit to collaborate with other agencies to tackle insecurity.

It however kicked against attempt to equip personnel of state owned security outfits with sophisticated weapons.

 A statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on media to the president, the power to grant approval for weapons still rests squarely with the presidency.

Reacting to claim that Katsina has been granted permission to arm its security personnel while request by Ondo was not granted, the statement explained that no State is enjoying such priviledge for now.

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu had insisted that state owned personnel of Amotekun security corps will be equipped to fight insecurity.

 According to the Presidency, nobody is allowed to illegally carry AK-47 or any other automatic weapons and that they must surrender them.

The Presidency added that under the existing regulation, only the Office of the National Security Adviser could issue such authorization, upon proper clearance by the President and Commander-in-Chief.

The statement reads, “In the specific Katsina State often cited, the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari wrote to explain that the administration invited the Provost of the Civil Defence Training College in Katsina to train their Vigilantes for a five-day period ‘in the handling and operations of Pump Action Rifles,’ emphasizing that ‘the Vigilantes were not trained to take over the responsibilities of the security agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria but to assist them.’

“As they continue to expand their capabilities as well as their active collaboration with law enforcement agencies of the federation, the joint efforts continue to yield good results, thwarting attempts of terrorists to wreak havoc and destruction on communities.

“The President in particular has expressed happiness that in the last couple of years, security outfits mandated by state governments have been associated with several important initiatives, and reports have reached him of acts of utmost bravery and professionalism.

“He thanks them for their alertness that is helping to defeat nefarious plots against targets at grassroots levels. He, however, cautions against the politicization of security.

“Government at the centre with a national mandate cannot afford to alienate Ondo State or any other state for that matter on the important issue of security and urges leaders at various levels to exercise restraint in their speech, even as we are in a political season.”

Osun State University, Ilesa, Takes Off, Oyetola Signs Bill Into Law

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

Amidst opposition by incoming administration and low revenue status of Osun state,  Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, has given go ahead for the take off of the state owned university.

This followed signing into Law the bill seeking to upgrade the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa to a full-fledged University.

The Governor’s assent followed the successful passage of the Executive Bill into Law by the Osun  House of Assembly in August this year.

The present administration is expected to terminate in November with the election of July which was won by Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).

The incoming government had protested the hurriedness with which outgoing Governor is carrying out some programmes at the eve of departure.

The state government presently owns a university, located in the state capital.

Speaking shortly after assenting to the law, Governor Oyetola reiterated the fact that the decision of government to upgrade the CoE to a university was “not a product of fanciful effort”, but a “thorough and rigorous interrogation, characteristic of the culture of deep engagement” which his administration is noted for.

He said the proposed university has been carefully conceived as a thoroughly entrepreneurial and innovative institution that would be funded through a mix of sources such as the government, community, industry, and other stakeholders without exerting unnecessary pressure on the finances of the State.

Speaker, of the state Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, while receiving the copies of the University Establishment Law from the Governor after his assent, said, “The signing of this Bill into law is a new dawn in the entire Ijesa land in particular and the State in general.

“This is a huge development for Ijesa people and Osun State. This is what we have been clamouring for, for over 40 years. As a matter of fact, the College which was established in 1979 is more than 40 years now, and thinking to upgrade it to a full-fledged University is a welcome development.

“We commend and appreciate Mr. Governor for his magnanimity and generosity to Ijesa people.

“I want to assure you that the establishment of this University will attract a lot of developments and improve on the socioeconomic activities of Ijesa land.

“It is going to turn Ilesa into a tourist centre as ijesas home and abroad will come to support the government. I can assure you that the government will not regret upgrading the College to a University.”

The Chairman, Implementation Committee of the proposed University, Prof. Olu Aina, applauded the Governor for the swift response, saying the signing will give the Committee enablement to continue to conclude the implementation process.

He described the signing of the Bill by the Governor as a clear testament to his love for education and indeed, the provision of quality, qualitative and functional education since assuming office.

“The work is not yet completed . What we had today is the enablement for us to continue to conclude the work of implementation. I can see three major stages ahead of us.

“First, the constitution of Governing Council and appointment of Principal Officers of the University, and secondly we will start work and, begin to recruit staff and finally we will  open up the classrooms for academic activities. “With this, the government is opening up more opportunities for youths to have and access quality education. This is going to be the first university of its type in Nigeria.”

Group Tackles Buhari On Amotekun, Says President Not Playing Role Of Impartial Father

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Amotekun in Ondo State

By Adesina Soyooye

“As President Muhammadu Buhari navigates the throes of his last leg as leader of this country, justice,equity and balance should be his legacy and not a polarizing tactics that serves to set us apart

A Yoruba Group, Yoruba Global Alliance, has strongly  condemned what it called President Muhammadu Buhari’s double standards in dealing with the South-west Security outfit, Amotekun.

The Group, in a statement signed by its Director of Communications, Taju Tijani, said it was shocked that the President approved the carrying of arms by a similar outfit in Katsina, the President’s home State, but denied Amotekun the same treatment. It accused Buhari of deploying polarisation tactics in his handling of issues in the country, and urged him to desist from doing such.

The Group demanded the immediate issuance of licence to Amotekun to carry arms, as was granted their Katsina counterparts.

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, in an earlier statement on the issue, had strongly condemned the discriminatory action against Amotekun, and said he would arm the outfit.

Following is the statement  by the Yoruba Global Alliance.

Please Stop The Double Standard

We read with shocking dismay the blatant exceptionalism still being displayed by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The president’s claim to integrity and national cohesion without fully living up to these virtues could not be more pronounced in the disturbing revelation that Katsina State Government, the President’s home state, was granted the permission to equip its security outfit with sophisticated arms, including Ak47, while denying same for other states of the federation.

News had it that earlier this month, Katsina State Government announced its plan to recruit 3,000 individuals into its Special Vigilante Corps to combat terrorism in the state.

No fewer than 600 have been trained in the usage of sophisticated weapons including Ak47. We at the Yoruba Global Alliance condemn unequivocally this nepotistic and highly polarizing policy in a nation governed by federalism.

The South Western Security Network, Amotekun, was created to offer security for the Yoruba land. It came into existence due to persistent, reckless, and murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen who have become an existential threat in Yoruba land.

Amotekun opened a Pandora box of deception and the crisis of our coexistence. The South West leaders specifically asked the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to allow Amotekun operatives bear arms but were denied. It became a contentious issue between the Northern Caliphate and the South West.

Till date that outfit is denied that mandatory necessity.

We recall the furore over the creation of Amotekun and the Caliphate’s bulldog reaction to its existence which was a clear demonstration of their unhidden agenda to keep South Western Nigeria under perpetual captivity, slavery and domination.

The brouhaha that trailed Amotekun also brought into sharp focus the polemical resistance to the idea of Yoruba collective security and protection. Amotekun was perceived as disservice to our unity.

We also remember that the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami, in a moment of kinship loyalty to his Caliphate paymasters, issued a statement that declared Amotekun an illegal security outfit. His rebranding of Amotekun as an illegal structure generated a measure of scorn, anger, and derision worldwide.

The Yoruba Global Alliance therefore condemns President Muhammadu Buhari’s partisan and bigoted politics of allowing identarian right to his home state of Katsina by arming the Special Vigilante Corps with sophisticated weapons but denying the other states of the federation same right.

What is good for the goose should automatically be good for gander.

This self-perpetuating political impunity could lead to other states of the federation arming their security outfits illegally which may lead to uncontrolled arms proliferation in the country. And others may be forced to go underground with its dire consequences.

As President Muhammadu Buhari navigates the throes of his last leg as leader of this country, justice, equity, and balance should be his legacy and not a polarizing tactics that serves to set us apart. We in the Yoruba Global Alliance therefore demand an immediate issuance of licence for Amotekun and other security outfits to bear arms to defend their people as is the case in Katsina State.

And now that all the states of the Federation, all traditional rulers and the National Assembly have in unison agreed on the immediate establishment of state and local government police, it is expected that the president should send a bill to the National Assembly or invoke his Executive Order to get the much-needed Force established without further delay.

Taju Tijani

Director of Communications, Yoruba Global Alliance

26th September 2022.

2023: PDP Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Snubs Atiku, Stands By Tinubu, Says People Are Belly Aching

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Chimaroke Nnamani and Bola Tinubu

By Adesina Soyooye

Former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is not relenting in his public support for the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

A couple of days ago, Nnamani, a Medical Doctor – turned  politician, triggered a storm when his name appeared on the list published by the APC, of members of its Presidential campaign Council. Nnamani was number 350 on the 422 membership list.

While  the storm rages, Nnamani has kept sealed lips. Many people expected him to issue a statement to deny his membership of the APC list.

He has not. Instead, a Spokesperson of the Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, jumped in defence of the former Governor. He said Nnamani is a close friend of Tinubu, and there was nothing wrong in his making the list.

The leadership of the PDP, both at the National and State levels have, also, kept mum over the embarrassing development.

On Tuesday, when the Presidential candidate of Nnamani’s Party met South-east Stakeholders of the Party at Nnamani’s backyard, the Senator was neither present nor sent in an apology. He snubbed the well-attended gathering.

He, instead, on same day, flaunted his relationship with Tinubu, said people were belly-aching, and praised the APC Presidential candidate’s competence to high heavens.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Nnamani wrote: “HE Tinubu is my friend, brother and colleague. I have great respect for him, his political antecedents and strides in Governance. And, I am very proud and well pleased with him. Anybody belly aching should go himself.”

Nnamani is seeking for a third term in office as a Senator under the PDP. His “boy”, Peter Mba, is the PDP Governorship candidate in Enugu State.

The questions people are asking are: Given the circumstances, who will Nnamani vote for in the 2023 Presidential election? Who will he campaign for – Atiku or Tinubu? And, how will he manage the contradiction on the day of the Presidential and National Assembly election which hold same day?

ASUU Strike: NANS Lash Senator Adeola Over Unsavoury Comments

By
The Source
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Senator Olamilekan Adeola

By Akinwale Kasali

Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, representing Lagos West Senatorial District at the Senate has been lashed by the  National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West Zone D, for urging the Nigerian Government to stop funding Government-owned Universities.

The Senator who is presently running for the Ogun West Senatorial District Seat at the forthcoming 2023 election is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, in a Statement recently said the Government needs to have a rethink on funding government-owned tertiary institutions, their salaries as well as recurrent expenditure.

Reacting to his statement, Coordinator of the NANS Zone D, Adegboye Olatunji, knocked the senator, describing his statement as ridiculous.

Last week, the Union staged a protest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos, halting activities in the Aviation sector, as travelers were stranded. Airlines were forced to reschedule their flights.

The student body has vowed a serious showdown over the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, that will affect the electioneering campaign set to commence tomorrow, Wednesday, 28th September, 2022.

In the statement released by the NANS Zone D, the students also tagged Senator Adeola ignorant of the processes and activities going on in the university system.

“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Olamilekan, during an interactive session with revenue generating agencies on 2023-2025 MTEF/FSP, lamented that some universities generate N17 billion annually and expend all, with no justification on how the funds were expended,” Olatunji said in a statement on Monday.

“We watched with utter dismay the video of the Senate Committee on Finance, Solomon Olamilekan, where he declared that the Federal Government should stop funding education. We find the statement very ridiculous and irresponsible of a lawmaker.

“We were expecting Senator Solomon to know better. But, alas, we were proven wrong by his sheer display of ignorance. We could have categorised it as wilful ignorance but it is obvious that the Senator does not understand what the business of governance is.

“We may conclude that Senator Solomon and other members of the Committee, like many other government officials out there, are lacking the knowledge of what Section 18 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) says on the enforcement of public education right in Nigeria.

“ It is also disturbing that these same people forget that they appoint members of Governing Councils for these institutions. And, if the import of what Senator Solomon is saying is that they are not aware of how the generated revenue is being spent, the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education has been nailed of inefficiency.

“As much as we know, fees are now being paid to the purse of the Federal Government through Remita. Meanwhile, the essence of the Treasury Single Account is to enhance government revenue generation and to ensure transparency and accountability in government expenditure. Unfortunately, revenue leakages are still rampant in several ministries thereby defeating the purpose of the TSA.

“Education, as much as we know, is in the concurrent list which implies that the bulk of the responsibility falls on both State and the Federal Governments. Unfortunately, successive government in the country has failed to invest in the educational sector.

“In the said video, the lawmaker was seen decrying the inability of managements of tertiary institutions to remit ‘reasonable sum’ to the purse of the Federal Government. This now leaves us to ask if the essence of institutions of learning is profit-making or impacting knowledge.

“This is not surprising as we are aware of a Federal Government report of 2012 that recommended that our Universities should start paying between N450,000 to N525,000 as tuition fees. It is also on record that the Federal Government brought forward same recommendation to ASUU in 2020. The plan has always been to take public education out of the reach of the poor (which we shall fight to a standstill). And, this is the reason the government has been recalcitrant in resolving ASUU strikes.

“They are not interested in education funding. They would rather prefer we remain slaves to their kids who now enjoy oversea education than to invest in the country’s educational sector. Meanwhile, the Nigerian tertiary institutions were a sort of Mecca to foreigners prior mid-1980s.

“However, as an association, we insist that education must be free at all levels, functional, and we call on the Federal Government to invest massively in public education. We maintain that education remains a right and the Nigerian State must be mandated to fund same. Even in advanced countries where their institutions are self-dependent with huge endowment fund, the government still does follow-up by budgeting heavily for the institutions.

“It is a shameful act to come out and blame ASUU for your lack of proper management of the national resources. What we can make out of the embarrassing statement of the Senator is that the Senate Committee on Finance is indirectly saying that Public Universities should be privatised. The question we ask them is how well are the privatised national corporations like water, power etc functioning if not that this same government still gives them bailout funds after selling them? No doubt, the Nigerian students will be back to the streets very soon, and with such mobilisation that will make #EndSARS look like a joke.”

JAMB Issues New Guidelines For Admission Process

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Ishaq Oloyede

By Akinwale Kasali

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB,  has provided new guidelines to ensure seamless conduct of future operational processes, including the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME for prospective admission seekers.

The Board made this known in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar in Abuja.

There are six new guidelines including introduction of double fingerprints, exemption candidates, and others.

The Board stated that as a requirement for printing registration slips, a candidate must use at least two fingers and any of the two fingers taken would be used for biometric verification prior to entering the examination hall on the day of the examination. The two verifiable fingers of all candidates must be consecutively indicated on the candidates’ registration and examination slips.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, warned that some cybercafes and tutorial centres had been prohibited from participating in any of the board’s exercises.

Oloyede said that no CBT centre would be allowed to collaborate with the prohibited group, adding that any violation of the directive, whether in part or whole, would lead to the revocation of the licence of the erring CBT centre.

He stated that No new Computer-Based Test centre would be accredited without meeting the new requirements.

To this end, new CBT centres must use laptop computer systems as clients, zero thin-clients or Remote Desktop Protocol would no longer be accepted, and also, No CBT centre must install any clients with less than 2 gigabyte RAM.

It has however mandated that the Autobot system should be used for the accreditation of CBT centres; there should be three Autobot tests: Pre-accreditation during Mock – UTME and the dummy examination.

The registrar also said that biometrics of all accredited CBT centre registration officers would be captured ahead of the exercise.

This, he explained, was because the board as a proactive agency must move with the tide to stay ahead of the machinations of cheats and safeguard the integrity of the system.

At the registration point, candidates with bad fingerprints would be scheduled for the examination as ‘Exemption Candidates’.

Their registration slips would be colour-coded and visually different from those for other candidates.

Such candidates would sit their examination in Abuja on the last date of the national examination calendar and their results would not be released until after being subjected to proper scrutiny.

It added that to further consolidate its data collection efforts, the board would consider separating UTME registration from that of Direct Entry beginning from 2023. And to further condone illegal admissions and printing of indemnity forms, all candidates’ registrations, including UTME, DE and others, must be completed with fingerprint authentication.

2023: Ihedioha Says South East Will Produce President After Atiku’s Administration

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Emeka Ihedioha
Emeka Ihedioha

By Akinwale Kasali

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has backed the Candidature of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar saying that after his tenure, if he wins the 2023 Election, Nigeria’s presidency will rotate to the South-East.

The former Imo State Governor made this statement in a video, making the rounds on social media, that  there are only two parties in the forthcoming 2023 elections, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress.

He noted that Nigeria cannot afford to make mistakes in the 2023 election.

He said, “Let me tell you, after Atiku Abubakar, the next President of Nigeria will come from the South-East of Nigeria. That is the gospel. You must win in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa etc. to become the President of Nigeria.

“There is what we call passion and there’s what we call emotion. They are two different things for people who went to school like me. Emotions don’t win elections. You must be realistic to win elections.

“You must plan to win election and that is where I belong. I want to tell you, I have the key to the direction of where Igbo should go.”

Falae Says No Presidential Candidate For Him Yet, Lists Criteria For Choice

By
Ayodele Oni
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Olu Falae

By Ayodele Oni

Former secretary to the Government of the Federation and a Chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae has clarified that he is yet to annoint any presidential candidate for next year’s election.

The elderstatesman distanced himself from the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, for the elections.

Falae, in a statement issued by his personal assistant, Retired Captain Moshood, said it is to early to endorse any candidate without going through the programmes he has for the masses.

The elder statesman said he has to consider all important parameters, including capacity, experience and proven track record before endorsing a candidate.

Falae admitted that the South East had not had the opportunity of being Nigeria’s President, stressing that It’s not an automatic slot that can be filled without other important considerations.

“As a responsible leader, Chief Falae will consider all important parameters, including capacity, experience and proven track record before endorsing a candidate.

“This correction is necessary in order not to mislead the public that Chief Falae is supporting any of the candidates yet. It is necessary to await the programmes and manifestos of the political parties and their candidates before arriving at a particular candidate to support.

“Although, Chief Falae admitted that he said that it was true that the South East had not had the opportunity of being Nigeria’s President, it’s for them to persuade other Nigerians that they can offer something better than candidates from other geopolitical zones.

” It’s not an automatic slot that can be filled without other important considerations. Chief Falae never canvassed or claimed to be supporting Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party for the 2023 race.”

The Afenifere leader, Ayo Adebanjo, had on Monday justified its decision to back Peter Obi, saying the group would not compromise the principle of justice, equity and inclusiveness.

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