The Rector of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Uwana (AIFPU), Ven Ogbonnia Ibe-Enwo has warned lecturers to desist from the act of abusing students sexually or financially.
The rector who gave the warning during the 35th Matriculation Ceremony of the School said anyone caught in the act will face the consequences. He added that appropriate measures have been taken to eradicate or curtail any form of extortion in the institution.
Venn Ogbonia, however, urged the Federal Government to review the Federal Polytechnic Act, noting that the move will revolutionalise polytechnic education in the country and ensure the production of manpower up to the highest level from Bachelor of Technology to Doctorate degree of Technology.
His words: “The review will also enable us be at par with universities while allowing our core mandates to remain. The rector noted that the move will ensure productivity and ensure a level playing ground for all members of the sector such that they would attain the peak of their careers.
“We should abrogate all dichotomies militating against productivity, as obtained in the career progression between the university and polytechnic graduates,” the rector added.
Wike Opens Up On Rivers Commissioner’s Suspension
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, has said he suspended the state’s commissioner for Works, Mr Kevin Wachukwu because of negligence of duty and failure to monitor projects effectively.
“This is the time to deliver good governance to the people of Rivers State and I will not tolerate negligence of duty. The failure to deploy site engineers to these project three project sites means that the government and people of the state can be short-changed via poor quality delivery.
“The contracts have provision for site engineers and project vehicles. There was no reason why it was not enforced. If I am always at project sites supervising the quality and pace of work, there is no reason why the commissioner should not do the same. This goes to other commissioners. We are in the era of governance and every official must work for the people of the state”, Wike said addressing Journalists in Port Harcourt.
Fuel Crisis: FG Orders NSCDC To Arrest Black Market Operators
In bid to stop the activities of black market operators and others illegally benefiting from people in the current fuel crisis, the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC) has ordered a 24-hour surveillance of petrol stations by the Officers of the corps.
The Commandant General of Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC) Alhaji Abdullahi gave the order after a meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu at NNPC towers Abuja,
Federal Government has outlawed selling of petrol on roadsides and directed the NSCDC official to arrest and prosecute offenders.
The deployment of officers of the Corps to petrol stations across the country would help check sharp practices and ensure the smooth supply and distribution of the product.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, during the meeting, stated that the involvement of NSCDC operatives became necessary following the need to ensure total eradication of queues from fuel stations across the country and for effective monitoring of the distribution system.
Agriculture: ‘Buharists’ Begin Diversification Of Economy
The Buhari Youth Organisation BYO, in line with Federal government’s aspiration to diversify the economy from oil has began full activation of the agricultural sector by educating and engaging youths with agriculture.
The Lagos state chapter of the BYO which recently registered it’s agric cooperative society with the Lagos state Ministry of Agriculture, over the weekend, held an Agric seminar with the theme; Repositioning Agriculture For Youths Empowerment and Rural Development.
According to the group, the seminar is aimed at educating the youths and its members on the need to take agriculture seriously and how to succeed in the sector by having firsthand information from experts in the industry.
Speaking at the event in Lagos, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Toyin Suarau said the state had acquired 2,134 hectares of land from neighbouring states to promote agriculture.
The commissioner, who was represented by Oladeji Alao, the General Manager of Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, said the state government had invested much in agriculture to empower youths.
He said noted that Nigeria is currently facing hard times because of over reliance on oil.
The commissioner decried the absence of youths in the industry, adding that the average age of a Nigerian farmer today is about 55.
“Lagos State has 84 hectares of land in Osogbo, out of which 20 hectares is used for palm produce, while others are used for rice farm, cassava and mills.
“We have also acquired 1,000 hectares of land in the same Osun, 500 hectares in Ogun and Oyo each and 50 hectares in Abuja to encourage farming.”
According to Saurau, the state has developed estate farming and cluster farming because of the challenge of space in the state.
While delivering a lecture entitled: “Reclaiming the Lost Paradise through Agricultural Entrepreneurship”, the Guest Speaker, Isaac Oluyi, said resourceful youths would understand that agric is a good business, adding that the sector must be technologically driven.
“For agriculture to be attractive, it must be driven by technology. We can make use of technology to change our fortune through agriculture. Agriculture has gone beyond hoes and cutlasses, Oluyi said.
The guest speaker urged youths to stop complaining but rather engage in crop cultivation, animal rearing, processing, distribution, marketing and many others.
The National President of BYO, Khalil Aminu, said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is going back to the basis which is agriculture.
Aminu noted that soft loans would be given to youths who are interested in the agriculture. He assured that the fund would not be siphoned by the political class who may want to present themselves as farmers, saying it is no longer business as usual.
The BYO boss commended the initiative of the Lagos state chapter, saying it was timely and aligned with the policy trust of the Federal Government.
He further directed all state chapters of the BYO to emulate the Lagos chapter’s initiative to empower the youths in agriculture.
Earlier, Prince Wale Oyekoya, the Chairman, Agriculture, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, urged all states to take advantage of agriculture to improve on their Internally Generated Revenue.
In attendance at the event were; National Vice President, BYO, Mrs Lucy Ajayi, Lagos Patron of the group, Hon. Hakeem Oluwo Apesin and BYO Lagos Agric Grand Consultant, Prince Wale Oyekoya among others.
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YABATECH Part Time Students To Resume After Dazan’s Death
The Authorities of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, on Friday said its part-time students for the 2015/2016 academic session would resume on April 2.
This was disclosed in a statement by the institution’s Head, Public Relations Unit, Mr Charles Oni, in Lagos. It reminded all newly admitted candidates that they were expected to pay their acceptance fees and school fees on or before the resumption date.
It will be recalled that the management of the institution directed the student to go on a forced break on the 11th of February 2016, following protests by the students over the death of their colleague, Charity Dazan, HND 2, in Office and Technology Management OTM student.
The students alleged that the School Medical Centre did not respond on time to the emergency needs of Dazan who eventually died.
The full-time students of the institution had resumed on March 29, 2016.
Fresh CONTROVERSY As Presidency Denies Receiving 2016 Budget Document
The Presidency has said that it has not received, not just the details but also the documents of 2016 Appropriation Bill from the National Assembly.
Speaking at the Corporate Headquarters of the Leadership Newspapers in Abuja on Thursday, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated that, “It is not true that the president has refused to assent to the budget. The fact remains that it (budget) is not even before him.
“The practice really is that when the budget is approved like that, there is what we call headline figure that is approved, then, it will take a few days for the National Assembly to throw up the details.”
It will be recalled that a government official under the condition of anonymity, had on Tuesday confirmed that President Muhammdu Buhari received the Budget, though without details.
“The President has just received the transmission of the Appropriation Bill (2016 Budget) from the National Assembly and is very anxious to sign it into law, but the National Assembly only sent in the highlights without the details of the budget”, the source had said.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, before now said that he would not sign the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law until he was sure that what had been returned to him was the same with what his administration submitted to the National Assembly.
He said he would do a ministry-to-ministry review before he appends his signature on the Budget.
Lai Mohammed further stated that despite controversies surrounding the 2016 Budget, the President and the National Assembly nurture no rift.
He said: “On the passage of the budget, I want to clear the misconception. There is absolutely no rift between the executive arm of government and legislative arm of government”.
