The Federal Government has condemned the claim by former Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Dr. Wale Babalakin, that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, was indicted by the Presidential Visitation panel to the institution.

In a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education, the government described Babalakin’s claim as false and has no bearing with the report submitted by the General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) panel.

The statement, signed by Director, Press and Public Relations, Ben Bem Goong, said government was in the process of setting up white paper committees to address all the findings and recommendations of the panels set up to investigate federal universities, including UNILAG, in a holistic manner.

Goong disclosed that government had earlier issued a white paper on the report of the 2020 special presidential visitation panel to the institution, which culminated in the dissolution of the Babalakin-led council and Ogundipe’s reinstatement.

While urging stakeholders to ignore the claim, Goong said the government would soon release its white paper on the panel’s reports.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, yesterday in Abuja, during the inspection of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in some schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), recalled that the seven-man visitation panel to UNILAG submitted its report along with others to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on August 31, 2021, and not September 7, 2021, as claimed in the publications.

He said: “Government is in the process of setting up white paper committees to address the findings and recommendations of the panels, including that of UNILAG, in a holistic manner.

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors CPC of Nigerian Federal Universities has appointed Emeritus Professor Nimi Dimkpa Briggs the Pro- Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, as the Chairman Committee of Pro-chancellors of Federal Universities.

The Secretary General of the CPC, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, said in a statement that the appointment was made in a meeting held at the CPC secretariat on September 20, 2021.

Ochefu also said that Prof Nimi Briggs takes over from Professor Munzali Jubril, the serving Pro-Chancellor of Federal University, Lafia who had been the Chairman of the CPC since 2017.

Prof. Briggs’ appointment is for a term of four years.

Bashir Dalhatu was also appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Committee. Dalhatu is the current Chairman of Council and Pro-Chancellor of Moddibo Adama University Yola.

The National Youth Service Corps NYSC in Ebonyi State South-East Nigeria has urged all corps members who are ending their orientation course today to cultivate the habit of hard work and shun drug abuse, cybercrime, illicit trafficking and advance-fee- fraud throughout their service year.

The NYSC Director- General, Professor Shuaibu Ibrahim, represented by the State Coordinator, Mercy Bamai Dawuda stated this in her address during the terminal parade/closing ceremony of the 2021 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, old MacGregor college Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Dawuda said the whole of the orientation exercise went smoothly and orderly.

She warned the corps members to avoid risky behaviour both in their primary place of assignment and after their service year.

“I advise you to avoid risky engagement such as staying out late at night; attending late night parties; visitation of dangerous places and accepting car ride from strangers.

“I also implore you to shun drug abuse, trafficking, cybercrime, advance -fee- fraud among other vices”, Bamai advised.

She encouraged them not to engage in local politics in their areas of assignment as it is against NYSC scheme.

The Coordinator urged employers and captains of industries not only to accept corps members but to also provide enabling environment to develop their potentials.

Dawuda appreciated Nigeria Government, Ebonyi State Government, Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State, Traditional Rulers and security agencies for the unwavering support given to NYSC during the orientation course.

Consequently, she thanked the corps members for their orderly manners during the course.

The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has again, restrained the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) from replacing the provost of Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology, Vom, Jos.

The presiding judge, Justice Bashar Alkali, gave the order while ruling on an application for an order of interlocutory injunction brought before him on Monday.

Alkali said that the earlier order of the court stopping the conduct of a recruitment exercise to replace Dr Joseph Okwori, the Provost of the college should subsist.

He ordered that ARCN should desist from conducting the recruitment exercise pending the determination of the substantive matter.

”The order of interim injunction earlier granted by this court still subsists.

”The defendants are restrained from replacing the claimant as the provost pending the determination of the substantive suit,” he said.

Recall  that on Sept. 1, the court granted an ex-parte order restraining the defendants from conducting an exercise to replace the provost.

Okwori was appointed as provost of the college on July 2, 2018, for a term of five years.

Joined as co-defendants in the suit are, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the minister in charge of the ministry