innosreport

*Nigerian Senate (Nigeria) The Senate on Wednesday stepped down two reports on bills seeking to establish the Federal University of Education Numan, and the Federal College of Forestry, Wawa Zange Dukku in Gombe state. The reports were presented by Senator Nora Daduut on behalf of the Chairman, Committee on a tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita.   The reports for the establishment of the two institutions were stepped down by the chamber after it suspended the clause-by-clause consideration of both bills in a Committee of the Whole. While clauses 1 to 5 of the bill to establish the University of Education Numan were approved by the chamber, only clauses 1 and 2 received approval in the second bill to establish the Federal College of Forestry before they were stepped down. The decision to step down consideration of the reports followed calls for further clarification on the recommendation of the Committee under Clause 6(e) of the bill seeking to establish

*Nigerian Senate (Nigeria) The Senate has acknowledged the approval by the Council of Legal Education, CLE, for the establishment of the Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School. Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said they would visit the Port Harcourt campus of the Nigerian Law School to assess ongoing construction work. Bamidele, in his opening remark at a public hearing on Legal Education (Consolidation, Etc) Act L.10, LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2021 (SB 820) at the Senate, yesterday, said the intent and purpose of the bill was to enhance the justice sector to be in time with trends and practice as obtainable in other jurisdictions. He said: "It is instructive to note that during  debate on the general principles of the bill at various sittings of the Senate, divergent views were canvassed by senators, thereafter, myriad  of reaction was stimulated from relevant stakeholders and member of the publ

President-elect, World Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teach Hospital, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, Edo State commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria and former UBTH CMD, Prof. Eugene Okpere  at a dinner organised by the UBTH management over the weekend in honour of Enabulele and Akoria on their new appointments. (Nigeria) The management of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin City, Edo State, has honoured two of its staffers, who have distinguished themselves in local and international health care. Prof. Obehi Akoria, a Consultant Physician and Head of the Geriatric Team in the hospital, who was appointed as Edo State Commissioner for Health and Dr. Osahon Enabulele, a Consultant in Family Medicine, who was recently elected President of the World Medical Association, WMA, were given special awards for bringing honour to the hospital. Speaking at a dinner organised for them by the hospital in Benin City, the UBTH Chi

(Nigeria) The Inspector-General of Police, IGP,  Alkali Usman, has charged Police Operatives across the country to sustain the tempo in the ongoing operationalisation of Operation Restore Peace in the country. Police Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba in a statement on Thursday, “The IGP, who noted that the special operation is remarkably assisting in rolling back the negative trend of crimes in the country, commended Police operatives for the recent arrest of 50 notorious criminal suspects for their involvement in different crimes including kidnapping, banditry, unlawful possession of firearms, trading in illicit drugs, amongst others. “Twenty-six sophisticated firearms including 13 AK47 rifles, 4 SMGs, 4 locally made revolver rifles and 2720 ammunition of different calibre are some of the exhibits recovered from the suspects.   “Notable among the cases is the arrest of three of the key suspects involved in the abduction of students of Bethel Baptist High School, Maraban

*Colonel Milland Dikio (Nigeria) National Association of Presidential Amnesty Students Worldwide, NAPASW, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to secure their future by making Colonel Milland Dikio (retd), substantive administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP. New executive members and all chapter presidents of the association made the appeal in Abuja,  when they visited the Amnesty Office to thank Dikio for providing the needed leadership for the PAP in the last one year. The students noted that since Dikio took charge of the programme, he has instituted key reforms and made the needed changes that they were satisfied with, adding that making him the substantive head of PAP would give him the opportunity to consolidate on the current achievements. National president of the body, Lucky Ukuekwu, said their pursuit for academic excellence under PAP may be truncated if Dikio was not allowed to continue and urged President Buhari to save them from that. He said

(Nigeria) The Senate on Wednesday passed two bills seeking to establish a federal university and teaching hospital in Ekiti and Nasarawa States, respectively. The bills are Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences Iyin, Ekiti State (Establishment) Bill, 2021, and Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital (Establishment) Bill, 2021. Both bills are sponsored by Senators Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), and Tanko Al-Makura (APC, Nasarawa South). The passage of both bills followed the presentation and consideration of two separate reports by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary). Chairman of the Committee, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), in his presentation, said the bill to establish the Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital was “necessitated as a result of the precarious health conditions faced by resident.” According to him, the bill to establish the Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences Iyin, Ekiti State, seeks to

*Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (Nigeria) It is the plan and purpose of the Federal Government that no Nigerian child is denied access to basic education, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. Osinbajo stated this today in Abuja where he was guest of honour at the National Dialogue Forum on the Girl-Child in Nigeria, themed “Towards A Girl-Friendly Nigeria” organized by the Women Arise for Change Initiative in collaboration with the African Child Policy Forum, Ethiopia. Highlighting the efforts of the Buhari administration in the area of improving access to education for the girl child in Nigeria, the VP stated that the Federal Government has “committed in word and deed to education so as to ensure that no child is denied access to free basic education.” “We believe that free and compulsory education of girls is game-changing in many respects, as it has been empirically shown to positively impact age of marriage, and even maternal and infant mortality,” he said.  The VP

*Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (Nigeria) By Admola Òrúnbon  Parents of students at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, have described as fraudulent and exploitative, for the school to have admitted about 400 students and make them pay so much higher than others, when it could only graduate 100 students at the end of six years. A concerned parent who claimed anonymity disclosed this to journalists, saying, "ABUAD admitted 400 students for the 1st year, with tuition of N4,000,000, knowing, only 100 could graduate, now, more than 75 percent of the  students passed the exams and the only option they have is use tuition fees to drop some students. "This children have been under stress and tension since day one. Even first semester result is not out at this time how can we be sure the process is purely based on merit. After collecting so much money already you now increase school fees to drive and WEED away students. Your institution has not done well in this regards. I

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State (right) with the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof Nnenna Otti when the Governor visited the Institution on Wednesday. (Nigeria) Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State,  has assured the authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, that the institution will enjoy unchallenged access to the parcel of land allocated to her 40 years ago by government. Governor Uzodimma therefore promised to work with the institution to remove all encumbrances that will militate against her expansion and service to the society as envisaged by the founding fathers many years ago. The governor spoke on Wednesday when he paid an official visit to the FUTO, particularly with regard to reports of festering issue of land allocated to the school and intruders. Governor Uzodimma told the principal officers of the university that he was in the school to have first-hand information of what the problems are and to "ensure t

(Nigeria) The Edo College Old Boys Association, ECOBA,  has endorsed the actions taken by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State arising from the recent viral videos of students’ molestation in Edo College, Benin City.                                                                            ECOBA in a statement on Tuesday, said that it would join hands with the state government towards ensuring that the glory of the school which the unfortunate incident tended to smear would be quickly restored. In a statement by ECOBA national president, Dr Reuebn Osahon, the old students’ group said that it endorsed the suspension of the principal and the housemaster by the governor. “We pledge our commitment to the ongoing investigations by Edo State, and all other efforts at nipping such ugly occurrence in the bud, for Edo College remains a citadel of learning whose products have excelled in diverse areas of endeavour across the globe. This ugly act definitely does not represent Edo College.

(Nigeria) Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has offered scholarships, up to University level, to the Enugu and Anambra-born young students of Government Technical College GTC, Nsukka and Enugu, Master Emmanuel Maduabuchi Chukwu and Master Chukwuebuka Udoye, who locally manufactured two aircraft (helicopter and jet fighter) and an MP3 radio set, respectively, in the state. Ugwuanyi announced the scholarships when he received the two students at the Government House Enugu on Tuesday, to appreciate their talents, skills and sheer dexterity in promoting technology-based innovation in the state. In addition, the governor gave the inventor of the two aircraft, Master Chukwu, an indigene of Nnewe in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, the sum of N1 million, and N500,000.00 to the student of GTC, Enugu, Master Udoye, an indigene of Aguata in Anambra State, who produced the MP3 radio set, to enable them advance their inventions. Expressing his delight, Governor Ugwuanyi disclose

(Nigeria) Enugu State Diaspora Community has commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for providing the enabling environment and mobilizing indigenes of the state resident abroad for direct foreign investments (FDI) in the state. Speaking on behalf of the Enugu State Diaspora Community when they embarked on an outreach programme in schools across the three senatorial districts of the state to commemorate this year’s National Diaspora Day celebration, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Matters,  Mrs Olangwa Ezekwu, expressed the delight of the Diasporans towards the governor’s support to them as well as his untiring efforts in driving direct foreign investments to the state. Mrs Ezekwu disclosed that the Enugu Diaspora Community, during the three-day National Diaspora Day Outreach Programme targeted at children in Nursery and Primary schools, distributed Anti-Malaria and Deworming medication, Mosquito nets, school bags, writing materials, face masks and hand sanitizers, amon

*Col. Milland  Dikio (retd) (Nigeria) The Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, has assembled experts to train ex-agitators and members of its Strategic Communication Committee, SCC, on skills required to change negative public perception about the Niger Delta region. A certified consultant in human behaviour, Collins Nwosu; a business improvement and communication coach, Barbara Lawrence and a Public Relations expert and journalist, Muyiwa Akintunde, were on Monday named as lead facilitators for the second edition of PAP's workshop for SCC members. The Interim Administrator, Col. Milland  Dikio (retd), who mandated its Communications Consultant, First Media Network Limited to organize the training programme, said the workshop which has its theme: “Communication for Positive Impact”, is scheduled for August 2, 2021, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and designed to ensure that the committee is well-prepared for its tasks. Dikio said: "The goal of this training is to ensure co

(Nigeria) The National Youth Service Corps has said it will not relent in complying with the provisions of the freedom of Information Act. It also said adequate measures have been put in place to entrench transparency and accountability in the day-to-day running of the Scheme. NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim disclosed this on Tuesday,  during the opening ceremony of NYSC Freedom of Information Act Desk Officers' Workshop in Abuja. The workshop with the theme: "Boosting Government's Fight against Corruption through the Freedom of Information Act", was organised for NYSC FOIA Desk Officers from all the NYSC State Secretariats and NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja. Director-General commended the commitment and resourcefulness of the Desk Officers, as well as the entire workforce of the Scheme, which has contributed immensely to the modest heights attained so far. Ibrahim said NYSC has remained commited to the successful impl

*Nigerian Senate (Nigeria) The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to establish the Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos State, as an Inter-University Centre for French Studies. The passage of the bill followed the presentation and consideration of a report by the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND. Senator Nora Ladi Daduut, while presenting the report on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee, Ahmad Babba Kaita, said the legislation to establish the Nigerian French Language Village would serve as vehicle to facilitate the exchange of academic programmes. The lawmaker explained that the presence of the French Language Village would   foster transnational bilingualism to ensure national and regional integration and as well support international co-operation in promotion of French language. “The knowledge and skills that would be acquired by the graduates from the establishment of the French Language Village, Badagry, Seme axis of Lagos state, will go a long

(Nigeria) The administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State through the State Fire Service has announced that has successfully completed the first phase of the fire safety training workshop for staff and students of secondary schools in the state. The State Fire Service also disclosed that it has so far conducted training, and installed fire extinguishers, in 18 secondary schools in the first phase of the exercise. Addressing newsmen during the installation and training exercises at St. Theresa’s College Nsukka, Community Secondary School Lejja, and Girls High School Okpu Orba, the State Chief Fire Officer, Engr. Okwudiri Ohaa, said that the second phase will commence soon. He stressed that “the process will continue until we cover all the schools in every nook and cranny of the state”. It will be recalled that Governor Ugwuanyi in furtherance of his administration’s concerted efforts towards safety of lives and property in Enugu State, approved the installation of f

(Nigeria) The Lagos House of Assembly on Thursday debated two bills proposing the establishment of two tertiary institutions - a University of Education and a University of Science and Technology - in the state. The bills, which scaled second reading on the floor of the House presided over by the Speaker, Dr Mudashiru Obasa, were committed to the House Committee on Education (Tertiary) to report back in two weeks. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) argued that the bill for a law to provide for the establishment of the university of Education, Lagos (UNEDLAG) was important as he suggested that it should also have provision for pre-degree programmes. Yusuff also noted a provision in the bill that would make graduates be somewhat independent rather than search for jobs. "The inclusion of vocational training will also make the students be self-employed," he said. On his part, Sani Okanlawon, said it had become important for the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and the Mich

*Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State (Nigeria) Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Wednesday,  said College of Medicine of University of Delta, Agbor, would be sited at Agbor, not Owa-Alero as being speculated in some quarters of the state Okowa made the clarification when he led the former Governor of Cross River, Senator Liyel Imoke, to inaugurate the reconstructed 10.2-kilometre Alihame/Agbor-Nta/Oki road and side drains in Agbor, and Abavo Circular Road Phase II and III, Abavo, both in Ika South Local Government Area, saying there was no iota of truth in the speculation.  He disclosed that the Trauma Centre being built by the state government in Agbor and the Agbor Specialist Hospital would serve as Faculty of Medicine of the university, adding that paperwork and the design for the medical school, which would be sited close to the defunct College of Education, Agbor, was already being prepared. He said that the land for the medical school had been assessed and acquired,

*Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State (Nigeria) Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Thursday,  called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to develop the permanent site of the Nigeria Maritime University, NMU, Okerenkoko, in Warri South West Local Government Area of the state. Okowa made the call while playing host to the Chairman and members of Governing Council of the university, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba. According to him, the call had become necessary as it would go a long way in putting the university on a sound footing that would ultimately enable it deliver on its core mandate of imparting sound maritime related education on its students. The governor disclosed that he was happy that the institution took off academic activities at the temporary site but urged the federal government to make resources available for the construction of buildings and provision of amenities that would enhance academic activities in the university. He said th

*Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State (Nigeria) Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday, commended the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, for its role in the growth and development of tertiary education in the country. Okowa gave the commendation when he received the chairman and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Services led by Aminu Suleiman, at Government House, Asaba. He stated that he was proud of the outstanding contributions of TETFund to the funding of research and infrastructure developments in higher institutions across the country. He said that the national assembly was an important organ of government and commended it for the enactment of laws and oversight functions that had engendered advancement in education in Nigeria. "As it stands in this country, the more the national assembly actually goes out on oversight functions, the more likely we are going to have better institutions. "There is no doubt t