OAU Students Demand Fee Hike Reversal

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September 20, 2023

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun State has demanded the Federal Government’s reversal of their tuition fee hike.

The President and General Secretary of the institution’s Students’ Union, Abbas Ojo and Akinboni Sunday, made this demand in a statement.

Management of the varsity announced adjustments to the fees that students of the institution will be required to pay for the upcoming academic session.

They said Education is the cornerstone of development and progress for any nation. So, it’s sad that in a country as great as ours, education is becoming a choice only the rich can make.

The union earlier demanded that the school management make it a duty to reverse the increment in school fees and “all financial institutions, remita, especially ignore and suspend any payment from OAU pending the time the union will write to them; otherwise, their branches in Ife and OAU campus will be shut down.

”We’ve also written to all respective banks to halt the acceptance of fee payments from any student until a better resolution has been achieved. As much as we don’t want to, we are currently running out of options and might have to shut down all activities on campus and progressively on all campuses throughout the country if the school authorities remain silent on the issue,” the union added.

It called on the federal government to take decisive action by providing viable solutions to tackle the increment by increasing the budget allocation for education and ensures that schools are well-equipped, staffed and capable of providing quality education.

“Implement policies that address the barriers to education, such as ensuring accessibility to schools for students by guiding against arbitrary increment. Enhance investment in lecturer training and professional development programs to improve the quality of instruction. Establish scholarship and financial aid programs to alleviate the burden on students and families,” the union added.

Nigeria Needs Additional 20,000 Schools – UBEC

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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September 20, 2023

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The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says Nigeria currently needs an additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms to be able to absorb the over 10.5 million out-of-school children in the country.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hammid Bobboyi, made this known while briefing the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman on the activities of the Commission.

Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong made this known in a statement available to journalists in Abuja.

He quoted Bobboyi as noting that infrastructural gaps and inadequate manpower as some of the challenges facing the Commission in its efforts towards ensuring equitable access to quality basic Education.

Earlier in his briefing, UBEC Executive Secretary, Bobboyi told the Ministers that the country needs additional 20, 000 schools and 907, 769 classrooms to absorb the growing number of out-of-school children.

The Minister of Education, Mamman, however, reaffirmed the commitment of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize basic Education in the country.

He noted that President Tinubu has directed the return of the 10.5 million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure.

Mamman emphasized that the foundation level is the most critical segment in the education sub-sector which must be properly developed in order to impact positively on other tiers of the sector and overall national development.

While receiving briefings from the Executive Secretary UBEC, Dr. Bobboyi called on all the States of the federation to show more outstanding commitment towards providing counterpart funding to accelerate the development of basic education in the country.

He added that the government of Tinubu would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every Nigerian child is brought on board the ship of education.

He noted that the forthcoming National Census will pay paid to the controversies surrounding the actual figures of out-of-school children.

Speaking in the same vein, Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Tanko Sununu said all hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigerian children get the desired education to prepare them for the future.

Sununu directed the UBEC Chief Executive to take the struggle for counterpart funding to the doorstep of State Governors, explaining that an uneducated child is a clear danger to himself and society at large.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Hammid Bobboyi revealed that the Commission with the support of other critical stakeholders, has developed a national Framework of Action designed to address the out-of-school children phenomenon in Nigeria.

Speaking at the regional stakeholders’ engagement on the National Framework of Action to tackle OOSC menace, Bobboyi urged the state governments and other stakeholders to be focused on the implementation of the National Framework of Action in order to address the challenge.

He noted that the alarming number of OOSC has given the country a negative reference to educational development strides and aspirations on the global scene.

Illinois Judge Orders Chicago University To Release Tinubu’s Academic Records

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faith Jegede

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September 20, 2023

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A United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, has granted the request filed by the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, seeking the release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records by the Chicago State University.

Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, a US magistrate, gave the ruling, ordering CSU to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents to Abubakar Atiku, the plaintiff, within two days from Tuesday

The judge ruled that the matter is before the Court on Atiku Abubakar’s Application Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for an Order Directing Discovery from Chicago State University for Use in a Foreign Proceeding (“Application”) [ECF No. 1] and for several reasons discussed below, the Application is granted.

Language Education Will Aid Peace – Scholars

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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September 20, 2023

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The English Scholars’ Association of Nigeria says language, literary studies, and communication will foster and uphold peace and security in Nigeria.

While giving a keynote address at the 38th Annual ESAN Conference, Vice-Chancellor Ahman Pategi University, Kwara State, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, emphasised that his paper interrogated the significance of language, literature, and communication, saying it situated their relevance in the context of promoting peace, security, and development in the world, with Nigeria being its microcosm.

The four-day conference, held at the Lagos State University, Ojo and titled, ‘Language and communication studies for peace, (In) security and development in Nigeria,’ highlighted the crucial role of language, literature, and communication in addressing societal needs.

Adedimeji said government and policymakers should encourage language education across all states to enable citizens to become skilled and critical communicators since the proper use of language engenders peace and security.

He also said policymakers and citizens should be encouraged to embrace literary works so that they can be exposed to a variety of cultural norms and values of different ethnic groups in Nigeria which should be respected and defended.

Head, Department of English, LASU, Prof. Pius Akhimen, acknowledged the significance of the conference’s theme in addressing contemporary realities.

He encouraged all participants to actively engage with the speakers and make the most of the conference’s insightful discussions and presentations.

The National President of ESAN, Prof. Tajudeen Surakat reiterated the role of language in shaping human activities and consciousness.

He called for government leadership, cooperation from the governed and the eradication of divisions based on religion, ethnicity, gender and age.

Borno Governor Appoints Abubakar New Ramat Poly Rector

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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September 20, 2023

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Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved the appointment of Bukar Abubakar as the new rector of Ramat Polytechnic with effect from 25th September 2023.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau.

Until his appointment as rector, Abubakar was deputy rector in charge of administration at the same polytechnic from the year 2020.

The incoming rector holds an engineering PhD in Energy and Environmental Studies obtained in 2021, Masters in Engineering also on Energy and Environmental Studies in 2014, and Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering obtained in 2005. All the degrees were from the University of Maiduguri.

Artist Ordered To Repay Museum After Submitting Empty Frames

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Koko Lawrence

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September 20, 2023

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Danish conceptual artist Jens Haaning has been ordered by a Copenhagen court to repay the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, northern Denmark, after he submitted two empty frames to the institution in place of his commission, according to news sources.

Haaning was loaned about 532,000 krone (roughly $49,500) from the museum’s coffers to recreate his work An Average Danish Annual Income (2007) which displayed krone notes fixed to canvas in a frame, and a similar work from 2011 that used euro bills to comment on average incomes in Australia.

He delivered the works to the museum two days before the exhibition “Work It Out” was set to open, but after unpacking the works museum staff discovered he had submitted two empty frames titled Take the Money and Run. The exhibition ran from September 24, 2021, to January 1, 2022.

The museum ultimately hung the frames but demanded that Haaning repay the commission. (He was also paid an artist’s fee of 40,000 krone, or about $3,700.)

According to the news sources, Haaning’s contract stipulated that the money be returned by January 16. That date came and went without Haaning returning the money.

“We are not a wealthy museum,” director Lasse Andersson, said in an interview. “We have to think carefully about how we spend our funds, and we don’t spend more than we can afford.” According to Andersson, the money Haaning was loaned was intended to pay for building upkeep.

Haaning, whose work focuses on power and inequality, seems to have turned his artistic lens on himself. Speaking to the Danish radio station DR in 2021, Haaning said that he would not be returning the money, and implied that the museum didn’t understand his work. “[Take the Money and Run is about the fact that] I’ve taken their money. It’s not theft. It’s breach of contract, and breach of contract is part of the work.” He claimed that recreating the works would have left him in the red.

Haaning went on to encourage people “who have working conditions as miserable as mine to do the same. If they’re sitting in some shitty job and not getting paid, and are actually being asked to pay money to go to work, then grab what you can and beat it.”

Ex-Minister Urges Parents To Invest In Education Of Children

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Nzubechukwu Anodo

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September 20, 2023

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A former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, has called on parents to invest more in the Education of their children as schools resume nationwide for the new academic calendar year.

Adedoja, who was also a former Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, noted that despite the current economic hardship, parents should ensure quality education for their children as that is the only sustainable legacy to bequeath to them.

He made the statement through his media office, stating that education remains the best gift a parent could bequeath to their children; hence, the need for them to ensure they put in their best in giving their children the very best and not to rely on the government.

He said it was necessary to train and equip today’s children because they would be the future drivers of the nation’s economy in years to come.

He further advised parents not to relent on close monitoring of their wards to avoid negative peer influence, while also congratulating the students on the resumption of the new academic calendar and wishing them a crisis-free academic session.

Adedoja also called on Education stakeholders, including governments at all levels, teachers, and non-teaching members, to give their best in ensuring the children attain their fullest God-given potential.

Nigerian Fashion Brand DWL Earns Qatar Govt’s Recognition, Support

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Koko Lawrence

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September 20, 2023

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Luxury women fashion brand, DWL, founded by Nigerian designer, Ivie Odemwingie-Osula, has been accepted into the Scale7 Fashion Accelerator program funded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB).

Currently based in Qatar with operations in Lagos and Doha, DWL, an acronym for Defining Women’s Lifestyle, was selected alongside nine other prominent Qatar-based fashion and design brands for the program which kicked off on September 18, 2023. The program involves provision of specialized mentorship, business development activities and funding.

Scale7 is the first fashion and design business incubator in Qatar founded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in partnership with M7, Qatar’s epicentre for innovation and entrepreneurship in design, fashion and tech.

Established by Qatar Museums under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa, M7 responds to the demands of Qatar’s growing fashion and design industries to support Qatar-based promising innovative entrepreneurs with huge market potential to grow their businesses to iconic global fashion and design brands.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have DWL selected for the prestigious Scale7 fashion accelerator program after a rigorous selection process,” says Ivie Odemwingie-Osula in a statement. “This recognition not only validates our vision and hard work but also provides us with unparalleled opportunities for mentorship, networking, and capacity growth towards positioning DWL as a competitive global brand.”

On how the support from Qatar Development Bank will impact her business, she enthuses: “Undoubtedly, the government of Qatar will enhance the status of the DWL brand, to increase our operations and growth, globally. For us at DWL, the Business Accelerator Program will amplify our capabilities, allowing us to refine our strategies and scale faster for enhanced brand presence, increased capacity, streamlined operations, and a wider reach and audience. We are excited for the journey ahead and the positive impact it will have on the DWL brand and community.”

Surulere to Doha

DWL is a luxury female fashion brand that offers unique designs that present a fusion between modest fashion and western contemporary trends and helps women use the power of dressing as a tool to project confidence and an amplified version of themselves.

Established 2017 in the bustling Surulere neighbourhood of Lagos State, the now popular luxury DWL brand, which makes ready-to-wear and bespoke blazers sets for women from internationally sourced fabrics and accessories, initially imported ready-made dresses.

Ivie Odemwingie-Osula, a professional photographer and former banker, holds an MBA from Aberdeen Business School of Robert Gordon University.

Rwanda’s Kagame says he will run for fourth term

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Mana Balagbogbo

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September 20, 2023

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Rwandan President Paul Kagame has said for the first time that he plans to run for a fourth term in elections due to be held next year.

“Yes, I am indeed a candidate,” Kagame, who has ruled over the country with an iron fist for decades, told Jeune Afrique, a French-language news magazine, in an interview published online on Tuesday.

“I am pleased with the confidence that Rwandans have placed in me. I will always serve them, as long as I can,” the 65-year-old was quoted as saying.

The Rwandan government in March decided to synchronise the dates for its parliamentary and presidential elections, which are due to be held in August next year.

Kagame had previously not made his intentions clear, but presided over controversial constitutional amendments in 2015 that allowed him to run for more terms and stay in power until 2034.

A former rebel chief, Kagame became president in April 2000 but has been regarded as the country’s de facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide.

He was returned to office — with more than 90 percent of the vote — in elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017.

While Rwanda lays claim to being one of the most stable countries in Africa, rights groups accuse Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech.

In 2021, “Hotel Rwanda” hero and outspoken Kagame critic Paul Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years in jail on terrorism charges, following his arrest the previous year when a plane he believed was bound for Burundi landed instead in Kigali in what his family called a kidnapping.

Freed from jail in March this year and flown to the United States following a presidential pardon, Rusesabagina released a video message in July, saying that Rwandans were “prisoners in their own country”.

The country was ranked 131 out of 180 countries in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

Asked in 2022 if he would seek re-election, Kagame said he would “consider running for another 20 years”.

“Elections are about people choosing,” he told the France 24 news channel in an interview.

Kagame was just 36 when his Rwandan Patriotic Front party forced out Hutu extremists blamed for the genocide in which some 800,000 people, mainly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus, were murdered between April and July 1994.

Tinubu’s Speech at 78th UN General Assembly

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Mana Balagbogbo

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September 20, 2023

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STATEMENT DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 78TH SESSION OF UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 18TH SEPTEMBER 2023.

Mr. President, Heads of State and Government, Secretary-General, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr. President, 1. On behalf of the people of Nigeria, I congratulate you on your well-deserved election as President of this Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

We commend your predecessor, His Excellency, Mr. Csaba Korosi (Cha-ba Kor-o-chi) for his able stewardship of the Assembly.

We also commend His Excellency, Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, for his work seeking to forge solutions to humanity’s common challenges.

This is my first address before the General Assembly. Permit me to say a few words on behalf of Nigeria, on behalf of Africa, regarding this year’s theme.

Many proclamations have been made, yet our troubles remain close at hand. Failures in good governance have hindered Africa. But broken promises, unfair treatment and outright exploitation from abroad have also exacted a heavy toll on our ability to progress.

Given this long history, if this year’s theme is to mean anything at all, it must mean something special and particular to Africa.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, nations gathered in an attempt to rebuild their wartorn societies. A new global system was born and this great body, the United Nations, was established as a symbol and protector of the aspirations and finest ideals of humankind.

Nations saw that it was in their own interests to help others exit the rubble and wasteland of war. Reliable and significant assistance allowed countries emaciated by war to grow into strong and productive societies.

The period was a highwater mark for trust in global institutions and the belief that humanity had learned the necessary lessons to move forward in global solidarity and harmony.

Today and for several decades, Africa has been asking for the same level of political commitment and devotion of resource that described the Marshall Plan.

We realize that underlying conditions and causes of the economic challenges facing today’s Africa are significantly different from those of post war Europe.

We are not asking for identical programs and actions. What we seek is an equally firm commitment to partnership. We seek enhanced international cooperation with African nations to achieve the 2030 agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

There are five important points I want to highlight.

First, if this year’s theme is to have any impact at all, global institutions, other nations and their private sector actors must see African development as a priority, not just for Africa but in their interests as well.

Due to both longstanding internal and external factors, Nigeria’s and Africa’s economic structures have been skewed to impede development, industrial expansion, job creation, and the equitable distribution of wealth.

If Nigeria is to fulfil its duty to its people and the rest of Africa, we must create jobs and the belief in a better future for our people.

We must also lead by example.

To foster economic growth and investor confidence in Nigeria, I removed the costly and corrupt fuel subsidy while also discarding a noxious exchange rate system in my first days in office. Other growth and job oriented reforms are in the wings.

I am mindful of the transient hardship that reform can cause. However, it is necessary to go through this phase in order to establish a foundation for durable growth and investment to build the economy our people deserve.

We welcome partnerships with those who do not mind seeing Nigeria and Africa assume larger roles in the global community.

The question is not whether Nigeria is open for business. The question is how much of the world is truly open to doing business with Nigeria and Africa in an equal, mutually beneficial manner.

Direct investment in critical industries, opening their ports to a wider range and larger quantity of African exports and meaningful debt relief are important aspects of the cooperation we seek.

Second, we must affirm democratic governance as the best guarantor of the sovereign will and well-being of the people. Military coups are wrong, as is any tilted civilian political arrangement that perpetuates injustice.

The wave crossing parts of Africa does not demonstrate favour towards coups. It is a demand for solutions to perennial problems.

Regarding Niger, we are negotiating with the military leaders. As Chairman of ECOWAS, I seek to help re-establish democratic governance in a manner that addresses the political and economic challenges confronting that nation, including the violent extremists who seek to foment instability in our region. I extend a hand of friendship to all who genuinely support this mission.

This brings me to my third crucial point. Our entire region is locked in protracted battle against 10 violent extremists. In the turmoil, a dark channel of inhumane commerce has formed. Along the route, everything is for sale. Men, women and children are seen as chattel.

Yet, thousands risk the Sahara’s hot sand and the Mediterranean’s cold depths in search of a better life. At the same time, mercenaries and extremists with their lethal weapons and vile ideologies invade our region from the north.

This harmful traffic undermines the peace and stability of an entire region. African nations will improve our economies so that our people do not risk their lives to sweep the floors and streets of other nations. We also shall devote ourselves to disbanding extremist groups on our turf.

Yet, to fully corral this threat, the international community must strengthen its commitment to arrest the flow of arms and violent people into West Africa.

The fourth important aspect of global trust and solidarity is to secure the continent’s mineral rich areas from pilfering and conflict. Many such areas have become catacombs of misery and exploitation. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered this for decades, despite the strong UN presence there. The world economy owes the DRC much but gives her very little.

The mayhem visited on resource rich areas does not respect national boundaries. Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, CAR, the list grows.

The problems also knocks Nigeria’s door. Foreign entities abetted by local criminals who aspire to be petty warlords have drafted thousands of people into servitude to illegally mine gold and other resources. Billions of dollars meant to improve the nation now fuel violent enterprises. If left unchecked, they will threaten peace and place national security at grave risk.

Given the extent of this injustice and the high stakes involved, many Africans are asking whether this phenomenon is by accident or by design.

Member nations must reply by working with us to deter their firms and nationals from this 21st century pillage of the continent’s riches.

Fifth, climate change severely impacts Nigeria and Africa. Northern Nigeria is hounded by desert encroachment on once arable land. Our south is pounded by the rising tide of coastal flooding and erosion. In the middle, the rainy season brings floods that kill and displace multitudes.

As I lament deaths at home, I also lament the grave loss of life in Morocco and Libya. The Nigerian people are with you.

African nations will fight climate change but must do so on our own terms. To achieve the needed popular consensus, this campaign must accord with overall economic efforts.

In Nigeria, we shall build political consensus by highlighting remedial actions which also promote 14 economic good. Projects such as a Green Wall to stop desert encroachment, halting the destruction of our forests by mass production and distribution of gas burning stoves, and providing employment in local water management and irrigation projects are examples of efforts that equally advance both economic and climate change objectives.

Continental efforts regarding climate change will register important victories if established economies were more forthcoming with public and private sector investment for Africa’s preferred initiatives.

Again, this would go far in demonstrating that global solidarity is real and working.

CONCLUSION 41. As I close, let me emphasize that Nigeria’s objectives accord with the guiding principles of this world body: peace, security, human rights and development.

In fundamental ways, nature has been kind to Africa, giving abundant land, resources and creative and industrious people. Yet, man has too often been unkind to his fellow man and this sad tendency has brought sustained hardship to Africa’s doorstep.

To keep faith with the tenets of this world body and the theme of this year’s Assembly, the poverty of nations must end. The pillage of one nation’s resources by the overreach of firms and people of stronger nations must end. The will of the people must be respected. This beauty, generous and forgiving planet must be protected.

As for Africa, we seek to be neither appendage nor patron. We do not wish to replace old shackles with new ones.

Instead, we hope to walk the rich African soil and live under the magnificent African sky free of the wrongs of the past and clear of their associated encumbrances. We desire a prosperous, vibrant democratic living space for our people.

To the rest of the world, I say walk with us as true friends and partners. Africa is not a problem to be avoided nor is it to be pitied. Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future.