UI students protest over lack of power, water

Students of the University of Ibadan on Saturday forcefully closed the school main gate and other entrances in protest against non-availability of electricity and water in the institution.
The five-hour protest put a halt to all activities within the school community while traffic built up on all roads within the school.
Thousands of the students came out of their halls of residence to join the protest, displaying placard, some of which drew the attention of the school management to their plight in the past few days. Some of them accused the school management of deliberately ignoring the problems confronting them despite several efforts to bring the issues to its notice.
President of the institution’s Students’ Union, Olateju Oladimeji, echoed the anger of the students in a chat with our correspondent. He said the students representatives wrote a letter to the school authority stating the problems they were facing without a positive response.
“We have been living on the campus without electricity and water for the past three weeks. Sanitary situation on the campus is currently at its lowest and we notified the school authority but it refused to take any action. The management is insensitive to our plights,” he said.
‎ Reacting to the protest staged by the students, the Director of Communication in UI, Mr Muhammed Oladejo, denied that the school management took no action to address the problems. He said sudden drop in the hours of electricity provided the school by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and the theft of the school electricity cable disrupted the supply of electricity to the halls.
“Our major problem is that IBEDC dropped its supply to the school from between 18 and 22 hours to 12 hours. We have our own arrangement to complement electricity supply but the cable that supply power to the school 33KVA power generation within was stolen. We have replaced the cable and spoke to the students. They were mature about the situation and calmness has returned. Their welfare is our concern,” he said.   Thanks for reading.

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DSS arrests gun fabricator for Boko Haram

The Department of State Services said on Saturday that it had arrested one Garba Abubakar, who it claimed was a gun fabricator for Boko Haram.
It said that Abubakar was arrested in Jos, Plateau State, during a special tactical operation by the Service.
A statement issued by the department’s spokesman Tony Opuiyo, said that the arrest was in line with the Service’s statutory mandate, and avowed commitment to national security.

He described Abubakar, an engineer who was arrested on March 2, 2016, as “a major gun fabricator, arms-runner and a covert linkman/courier for the Boko Haram group.”
Opuiyo claimed that during the arrest, two pistols, 80 rounds of live ammunition and several sensitive documents were recovered from him.
He added that in a bid to employ propaganda to manipulate the international community against the efforts of the Federal Government, in the ongoing war against terror in the North-West region, the suspect had approached a foreign mission in Nigeria for logistics and financial support to fight the Boko Haram.
The statement said, “However, unknown to the mission, he is actually an unauthorized gun-maker/runner with intent for mischief and communal strife in the North-Central region.”
He added that in furtherance of exploited leads, the Service apprehended other suspected associates of the gun-runner.
Those listed were Umar Khalil Muhammed and Mohammed Yakubu Tahir, aka Mallam Yaro, who he said were also apprehended March 2.
Opuiyo said that Muhammed was arrested at Layin Oscar in Jos South LGA, while Tahir was apprehended up at Mista Ali area, along Jos-Zaria road in Bassa LGA.
Opuiyo said, “The duo are accomplices and active marketers of Abubakar and his products to criminal elements in the North-Central region of the Country.”
In strengthening its counter-terrorism strategy, he said that the Service also arrested one Armaya’u Yakubu a.k.a Ali Tekwando, Yakubu Sule and Usman Ibrahim on 3rd March, 2016, at Hayin Danmani area in Kaduna metropolis.
He alleged that the three men were members of an extremist cell under the coordination of Yakubu, with affiliation to the proscribed extremist group, ANSARU.
Opuiyo further alleged that the three suspects had been perfecting plans to travel to Sudan, for terrorist training with other radical elements of the group.
He reemphasize the resolve of the Service to sustain the fight against organized vices and criminalities by terrorists, kidnappers, fraudsters and other deviant elements in the country.
Opuiyo urged law abiding Nigerians and indeed, all residents to continue to support law enforcement/security agencies, with proactive and actionable intelligence, for the sustenance of peace, law and order.  Thanks for reading

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Borno Govt Says Reconstruction Of Chibok Secondary School Ongoing

The officials of the Borno State Government has revealed that the reconstruction of Government Secondary School, Chibok is still in progress. According to the officials, there is a slow pace because there is need for the state government to access the level of work so as to monitor the progress.
The officials explained that work will soon continue as soon as the state government concludes it assessment.
Also, a member of the#BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) group, Sanusi Abiola who was part of the meeting, noted since the federal government is funding the reconstruction, it has become important for the state to monitor the project. 
It will be recalled that the school was destroyed by terrorist group, Boko Haram, on the night of Monday, April 14, 2014 when the group launched the attack which saw them kidnap more than 200 schoolgirls. Ever since the  Chibok Secondary School community in Borno State had lamented the inability of the present administration to continue the reconstruction of the school.
The vice president of Chibok Community in Abuja, Nkeki Mutah had stated that the renovation of the school which was burnt during the attack still remained uncompleted after work started during the past administration.
Nkeki stated that the school was the only one around the area which the children in Chibok and its environs attended adding that for nearly two years, after the abduction, the children in the area have been out of school.
He, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assist the community in the completion of the renovation of the school so that the children will see the four walls of the school again.   Thanks for reading.

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Osun: Court Resumes Hearing On Hijab Ban In Public Schools

Hearing on the use of Hijab by female students in public schools in Osun state has resumed after it was adjourned indefinitely in August, 2013.

The case initially instituted by the Osun state Muslim Community took a new turn when the Osun state Christian association of Nigeria (CAN) asked to be joined in the suit. The Osun state Muslim Community had dragged the Osun state government to court to allow Muslim female students use hijab in schools in what started three years agp

The joining of Osun state CAN into the suit, caused tension leading to the adjournment of the case. Justice Jide Falola of the Osun state high court expressed displeasure over the dangerous dimension the case is taking because of the series of letters and accusations by counsels to Christian and Muslim communities. He asked that the parties should not raise any religious tension in the state, advising for an out of court settlement on the matter. Counsel to the Osun state government were not in court but those of the Muslims and Christians react to the court proceedings.

Justice Falola later adjourned further hearing to the 8th of April, 2016

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Ebonyi Assembly Speaker In EFCC Custody Over N60m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Ogbonnaya Francis Nwaifuru, speaker of the Ebonyi state house of assembly for allegedly diverting the sum of N60m constituency project fund.
According to a statement issued by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, Nwaifuru was picked up at 11am on Friday at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after he spurned two previous invitations by the agency.
The statement reads: “Nwaifuru was first invited on October 20, 2015 to appear before the Enugu zonal office of the commission but did not respond to the invitation. A reminder letter was sent to him on November 19, 2015, which he also failed to respond to”.     Thanks for reading.

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Buhari To Begin Ogoniland Cleanup Next Week, Says Minister

President Muhammadu Buhari would in the coming weeks, commence the cleanup of Ogoniland.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed when she paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers.
“It is hoped that we will have this launch in the coming weeks and the president himself will launch the cleanup. It is really to us a turning point in the history of the struggle. Ogoniland is the first place where actions need to be – cleanup. There is a wide challenge of pollution in the Niger Delta. We are here to begin activities toward the launch of the cleanup with stakeholders’ dialogue.
“We are beginning in Rivers because this is the home of the struggle but we know it is wider,’’ she said.
The minister said that the cleanup of the Ogoniland would span between 25 and 30 years.
Howev
er, Wike advised the Federal Government that to achieve success, the cleanup must not be politicised as there were diverse interests.
The governor urged the Federal Government to be careful not to bring politics into the cleanup in order to achieve success.
“It doesn’t matter the political party that anybody belongs to, environmental issue does not affect a political party; it affects the entire state and the entire Niger Delta as a whole.
“Communities do not know about political parties, what communities know is about how to survive. And so, I will advice that we approach it in such way that it does not look political, particularly in Ogoniland, it is a very complex place; you have to be extremely careful.
“Because if you are not careful you may not achieve what you want you intend to achieve,’’ the governor warned.   Thanks for reading.

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Corrupt Officers Will Get 10-years Jail Sentence, Custom Boss Talks Tough

The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), retired Col. Hameed Ali, has declared that any customs officer caught involved in corrupt practice, would serve the maximum 10-year jail term prescribed by law.
Ali made this declaration while addressing custom officers of Sokoto/Zamfara/Kebbi Area Command on Tuesday.
“The minimum jail term for corrupt officers is five years, but I will make sure that any officer found to be corrupt gets the maximum jail term of 10 years.
“This is to serve as a deterrent to any officer who finds himself in the Customs to make money and not to earn money. I am not saying that there are no good, incorruptible officers in the service, but there are few bad eggs who are giving the service a bad name,” Ali said. He also cautioned the officials against indiscipline and living above their means. “Our work ethics must change to be in tune with the change mantra as championed by President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said. While explaining that the task before him was to reform the service, raise revenue, and improve the welfare of personnel, the CGC advised the customs personnel to make integrity, honesty and transparency their watch words.
”You should all do this to minimize the chances of getting into trouble, except those who are criminally minded.”
He therefore urged the officers and men to strive to block all areas of revenue leakages, saying that the service would use part of the revenue to provide offices and residential accommodation for them. Ali assured them that, henceforth, there would be no favouritism in promotions, transfers and postings.

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