Convocation: You have been equipped to meet challenges ahead, Fagbohun tells graduating students

Success Damian: 

Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU) Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, (SAN) has assured graduating students of the institution that they have all it takes to meet the challenges of the competitive world.

“The world without doubt has become more competitive, but, you have also been equipped to meet the challenges ahead,” Fagbohun stated.

Fagbohun made the disclosure in his address at the 23rd Convocation Ceremony of Lagos State University which was held on Wednesday at the main campus in Ojo.

He told the teeming crowd that graced the occasion that apart from awarding degrees and diplomas, the institution would also reward excellence and efforts “At this year’s convocation ceremonies, we shall award diploma, first degrees, postgraduate diplomas and other higher degrees across faculties and disciplines. We will also be rewarding the effort, brilliance and outstanding performance of some of our graduands who have excelled in their various disciplines by giving them prizes and awards.”

Fagbohun said 57 students made first class and that the institution has never had it so good. “With particular reference to first degree graduands, we will be graduating fifty seven (57) first class students. Never in the history of the Lagos State University have we had it so good. This convocation is unique in the sense that two graduands, Ridwan Oladotun Ola-Gbadamosi from the Faculty of Engineering and Nneka Karen Enumah of the faculty of Science graduating with a CGPA of 4.88 to emerge as overall best graduating students.”

According to the VC, in the Faculty of Arts, Faith Chidinma Uzuegbu and Adenike Anthonia Abati both of the Department of English emerged the best graduating students in the faculty with a CGPA of 4.41, adding that there was also a tie in the Faculty of Social Sciences where Abosede Muinat Onifade and Omowunmi Ayomide Kassim both of the Department of Sociology graduated with a CGPA of 4.78 to emerge the best graduating students in their Faculty.

Graduands with the best results in other Faculties, according to Fagbohun include Shukrat Opeyemi Kannike (4.36) - Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences/Physiology; Moshood Adekunle Bakare (4.75) - Faculty of Education/Accounting Education; Oluwagbotemi Boluwatife Fasominu (4.31) - Faculty of Law.

Others include Ismail Owolabi salami (4.85) -Faculty of Management Sciences/Insurance; Titilope Aishat  Adebisi (4.47) -School of Communication/Mass Communication; Emmanuel Adeoye Oyeleke (4.12) - School of Transport/Transport Management and Operations.

Ugorji ordains 16 priests, says no more crisis in Ahiara Diocese

After close to five years of ecclesiastical battle occasioned by the appointment of Bishop Peter Ebele Okpaleke as Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, activities resumed in top gear in the diocese, most visible was the recent ordination of 16 priests by His Lordship Most Rev. Lucius I. Ugorji. SUCCESS DAMIAN reports.

Recently the entire Mbaise in Imo State was avid with activities in preparation for the epoch-making moment being the ordination of 16 of their sons into the Catholic priesthood, some of those to be ordained having spent 23 years in their search of the priesthood, especially as a result of the Ahiara crisis.

The joy was as ecstatic and exciting as was expected inside the massive Cathedral of Maria Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Ahiara on the 4^th of May when the Ordaining Prelate, His Lordship Most Rev. Lucius I. Ugorji, the Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese confirmed the priests ordained.

Ugorji said “My prayer is there should be no more crises, never again will there be crises in Ahiara, Mbaise, it will be forward ever, backward never. We thank God for ensuring peace which made it possible for the ordination of these our brothers, 16 of them. So we thank God for the peace in the diocese.”

Referring to the book of Jeremiah being the first reading of the Sunday, Ugorji said God is concerned about His people and that was why he sent prophets, adding that prophets are messengers of God, those God has chosen to bring message to His people.  “God chose Jeremiah, today He is choosing those He will send for the dissemination of His word, because of the concern God has for His people, for the salvation of his people in Ahiara Diocese,” Ugorji stated.

Among the 16 people ordained was Reverend Father Christogonus Chinonso Okonko, who on the second day after the priestly ordination, celebrated his 1^st Holy Mass of Thanksgiving at Christ the King Catholic Church Okpofe, where he thanked God and all those visible and invisible who helped in one way or the other to ensure his attainment of priesthood. He prayed to almighty God to take over those responsibilities which he would have shouldered in his family.

While thanking those who nurtured the young priests especially their parents, Ugorji stated that the process of ordination of priests is a serious and delicate business when he said “I asked the question if these ones are qualified to be priests and the answer was in affirmation. I asked those responsible for ordination of priests and they affirmed that they are qualified, I asked the Christian community through communication of bans, I asked their trainers, they also bore testimonies. So it is on the basis of all that we are doing what we are doing today. It will be an exercise in futility if the bishop goes ahead to ordain them without these witnesses according to the demands of the canon law of the church”

He went further to explain that it was wrong to put pressure on the bishop to ordain any particular person as priest “If you push the bishop to ordain somebody as reverend father, it is not valid. If it is done without the recommendation of those concerned, it can be valid but illicit, illegal, so it is a very delicate process, so we do this according to the direction of God, and those that make recommendation must also do so without fear or favour, Ugorji stated.

Ugorji urged the new priests to live a life worthy of emulation. “The people must see Christ in your actions, in your speech, there must be integrity, living in imitation of Christ and in holiness”

He also told them that the church recommends a life of prayer, 

“You must live a virtuous life and growing in holiness. The church recognizes a life of prayer,” Ugorji advised.

In the end the new priests were asked if they were prepared to serve the lord and they agreed that they were prepared.  He urged the newly ordained priests to respect their respective parish priests and the bishop.

Umezurike disowns Ogbonna over comment on Igbo origin, says statement not representing Ebonyi

Success Damian:

Comrade Umezurike Austine Umezurika, a political Engineer and Igbo stakeholder has said that the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos Chapter, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, did not represent the position of Ebonyi State by his public support to the claim by the Ooni of Ife that the Igbos originated from Ile-Ife.

Speaking at a press conference called by Igbo leaders of thought in Lagos on Wednesday, to address issues raised in an article in The Sun Newspaper of May 6, in which Chief Ogbonna, gave his firm support to the claim by the Royal Father of Yorubaland, Ooni of Ife, that the Igbos are from Ile-Ife and not from Israel.

In his words Umezurike said “Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene is the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, elected to represent Ebonyi slot, but Ebonyians from the governor to the last person do not know indeed what he is doing, he does not participate neither has he organized anything that has to show Eboyians that he is their representative in Ohanaeze, but I want to say something as Ebonyian, I also apologise to Ndigbo as onye Ebonyi, the other six Igbo speaking states, I sincerely apologse to them because I know quite well that they have been blaming Ebonyi that this man is from Ebonyi State, Ebonyi is causing us all these things.

“I want to say something here and now, I want everybody to understand that this is not the position of Ebonyi State for the president of Ohanaeze Lagos to take money on behalf of Ohanaeze without remitting such money to Ohanaeze purse, it is not also to the interest or in partnership of Ebonyi people to say that the Igbos originate from Ile-Ife,” Umezurike stated.

He stated that the Igbos are the most mobile tribe in Nigeria. ”You See, one thing we know is that the Igbos are the most mobile tribe in Nigeria, they go any place, develop the place and make such a place their home. It might interest you to note as the pioneer president of Ohanaeze Lagos said, if you go to Gabon you see Igbos, In Ivory Coast you see Igbos, everywhere in the world. There is one popular saying, which Nigeria has adopted, that anywhere you go in the world and you did not find an Igbo man, please don’t stay there, it is not habitable.”

Umezurike traced the biblical origin of the Igbos saying “Let me make one point, if you read the Bible very well, and you are a very good Igbo man, you will understand that there are researches already made by distinguished professors who have carved out a niche for themselves who have made so many presentations in so many conventions in the world and all accede to the fact where the Igbos came from. If you know about the twelve tribes of Israel, you will understand that the number six person, Gal, how he had the man call Nri, Arodi, Aleri, and these three men migrated to the western part of Africa, and they established clans, towns, cities, and people, and this still exist in Owerri, Arochukwu, and the riverine part of Anambra State.

“What are we saying, How can somebody because Ooni who is a monarch is trying to buy a favour for is people, for reasons best known to him which I know Obi of Onitsha will reply him and I am using this opportunity to call on Obi of Onitsha to reply as quickly as possible before this thin becomes a fact, because once you allow this thing to exceed now Google will carry it, and once Google carries it represents us, whether you like it or not.

“What I am saying is, I am talking as an Eboyian, nobody sent me, neither the governor nor any group but because I saw this thing and I saw what is going on, I am saying that Eboyians are not n support of such claim.

“If he claims that he has 3000 artifacts to prove we are from there because of ‘okute’, ‘ekuta’, ‘eti’, ‘nti’, it is ridiculous. I can assure you Eboyians are not part of it,” Umezurike stated.

Other Igbo leaders of thought who were present at the press conference were High Chief John Uche, First President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos; Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State and Vice Presidential Candidate of Alliance National Party (ANP) in the just concluded 2019 General Election, Evelyn Okere; Pastor Okey Anoruo, Babaloja of Tejuosho Market and President of Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos (ISTDAL) and Hon. Kalu Uguru, Ex-Officio Ohanaeze Abia State.

Okere tackles Ohanaeze President over comment on Igbo ancestry, says a curator is not a historian

Success Damian:

Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State and Vice Presidential Candidate of Alliance National Party (ANP) in the just concluded 2019 General Election, Evelyn Okere, has come out to dissociate the Igbos from comments credited to Chief Solomon Ogbonna.

She said as somebody who claimed to be a Curator, Ogbonna is not in the position to speak on the origin of Ndigbo as he is not a Historian or Archaeologist. She therefore called on the president of Ohanaeze Lagos Chapter to resign.

Speaking at a press conference called by concerned Igbo leaders of thought in Lagos on Wednesday, to address issues raised in an article in The Sun Newspaper of May 6, in which Chief Ogbonna, gave his unwavering support to the claim by the Royal Father of Yorubaland, Ooni of Ife, that the Igbos are from Ile-Ife and not from Israel.

While stressing the fact that there is crack in Ohanaeze Lagos leadership, Okere disclosed that Chief Ogbonna has carried himself in a very irresponsible manner in so many ways. “But the one that has come to the forefront is the embarrassment by concurring with a monarch that the Igbos originated from Ile-Ife based on word syllables and similarities.”

Okere stated that for the fact that everybody eats yam or plantain does not give him the audacity to say that these people are from the same place or same culture.

“Igbos are migrants in nature. To go back to history, history tells it all. Even during slave trade, Igbos have been traders; they trade in palm oil, slaves, kolanuts, they trade in so many things, and as early as 15^th century, the Igbos in the hinterland had already started slave trading, they conquer a village, they sell slaves, when people were coming through the waters, from Calabar axis, Port-Harcourt, so people were coming and, again we are here trading with the people.

“So certified historians and archaeologists have been able to prove their researches over time that this is where they believe Igbos came from. From the religious angle also, and in every school of thought there are different diversions, everybody with their own research, but whatever research it is you share with the world, there is a proper procedure for it. You don’t wake up because you buy artifacts from the market or you deceive people and go to shrines and collect masks, that gives you the authority to claim that because you have 3000 artifacts you bought from the market, or you went to Ile-Ife and bought one, that gives you the power or leverage to say that Igbos are from wherever, there are procedures,” Okere analyzed.

She challenged Solomon present his certificates to the people. “I am challenging the President if he wants the Igbos to believe what he is saying; he must give us certificate, primary, secondary, university, PhD, Masters, where he has tendered papers. He says he lives outside Nigeria, he is a Curator, my brother, if you go and check the definition of a Curator, it means someone who looks after Art works, Paintings, Status or sculptural pieces, I look after it every day and open it for people to see, I am a Curator.

“If you are not a certified Historian or Archaeologist, whose job it is to research, go to a site, where he has heard about certain things happening, culture, he excavates the land, finds artifacts to prove the culture of that race or people of whatever he is researching on and tells the world and share paper, and give speeches about his project, recorded, give empirical summations and conclusions, so that different school of thought can share from the idea. We are talking about intellectuals, who have studied overtime and this takes years to build, that is why you credit university graduates, you credit master degree holders, you credit PhDs, and you credit professors because they stay years to be able to prove whatever they want to prove to you.”

Okere stated that it is an insult to our people, adding “I want to apologise because no matter how you see it I am in the Exco, so I want to officially apologise to our people, that in the face of all these we should all take heart and we should be calm, it is in order to make things better. You heard from everybody here, I think he should tender his resignation for this huge embarrassment and give unreserved apology to Igbo people because this is going round the whole world right now.

“I am giving him a challenge, in two weeks to produce his certificate to prove what he is saying. Having 3000 artifact does not give people the right to change the course of history; you change the course of history with certification, proving that you have that authority, that mantle to change history,’ Okere asserted.

Other Igbo leaders of thought who were present at the press conference were High Chief John Uche, First President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos; Comrade Umezurike Austine Umezurike, a political Engineer; Pastor Okey Anoruo, Babaloja of Tejuosho Market and President of Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos (ISTDAL) and Hon. Kalu Uguru, Ex-Officio Ohanaeze Abia State.

Concerned Ndigbo demand resignation of Ogbonna over support for Ooni's comments on Igbo ancestry

Success Damian:

A group of concerned Igbo leaders in Lagos State has expressed angst over comments credited to the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos Chapter, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, to the effect that he supported claims that the Igbos come from Ile-Ife.

The group also stated that the best option for the leader of the socio-cultural group after series of anti- group behahiour was to resign.

The group took the position at a press conference held in Lagos on Wednesday to address issues raised in an article in The Sun Newspaper of May 6, in which Chief Ogbonna, gave his unflinching support to the claim by the Royal Father of Yorubaland, Ooni of Ife, that the Igbos are from Ile-Ife and not from Israel.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Pioneer President of Ohanaeze Lagos State, High Chief John Uche, maintained that Chief Ogbonna had no powers to speak on the subject matter, “If Ooni of Ife made such a comment, we are waiting for our own royal fathers like Obi of Onitsha, to make a statement or call his counterpart and discuss the issue.

Another person that can speak on such issue is Nnia Nwodo, who is the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide; he will consult wide before making a statement and not somebody like Solomon. It is not within the ambit of his powers to make such a statement. However he has dished out the statement and it is a controversial issue as at now.”

Uche spoke further on the matter by saying that by nature the Igbos are travelers and see wherever they go as their home. “What I will say is that the Igbos are travelers; and being traveler, anywhere they find themselves, they make the place a home, just like Oyigbo here in Lagos, it is onyeigbo, but it is Oyigbo because of the intonation of the Yorubas. If you go to Gabon you see Biafran Market, are you now going to say Igbos are from Gabon? In Ivory Coast you see Biafran Market, it is just like that. The Igbos go to any place and develop the place; that does not make the place as if it is where the Igbos come from, no.”

He maintained that the Igbos are part and parcel of the Jews. “So for somebody to come tomorrow to tell us that we are from Ile-Ife, I think it is a deception of his people.”

On the reason he supported Ogbonna’s candidacy during his election, Uche made it clear that he supported Ogbonna during his Election because he (Uche) wanted somebody from Ebonyi State to ensure equity and fairness in the succession to Ohanaeze leadership in Lagos.

Speaking also on the qualification of Ogbonna as president of the socio-cultural group, Uche said School Certificate is the basic qualification for anybody aspiring for the position of Ohanaeze President, but added that Solomon did not present any certificate. He maintained that the Screening Committee are in position to answer the question as to his certificate.

On whether Solomon is working against the interest of the Igbos, Uche maintained that Solomon is not working against the interest of Igbos, but added that he is an illiterate in terms of leadership saying that he does not know what he is doing and does not want to seek advice.

“The young man does not know what he is doing because he has not been in leadership position even for one day before his present position. He doesn’t belong to his town union, he has never led any market organization, he has not led any cultural organization before this time; he now saw himself in position of collecting money. He now uses the position as economic line venture for himself; that is exactly what is happening. He forgot that he swore under oath that any money that comes to your hand as far as Ohanaeze is concerned is not his money, it is public money.

Uche urged Ogbonna to resign honorably “If I give you details of  what he has done heads will roll and the best thing for him is to resign now to save his head, otherwise he will find himself in a situation he will cry, we are prepared and we are ready.”

Other Igbo leaders of thought who were present at the press conference were Evelyn Okere, the Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Lagos State and Vice Presidential Candidate of Alliance National Party (ANP) in the 2019 General Election; Comrade Umezurike Austine Umezurike, a political Engineer; Pastor Okey Anoruo, Babaloja of Tejuosho Market and President of Imo State Towns Development Association Lagos (ISTDAL) and Hon. Kalu Uguru, Ex-Officio Ohanaeze Abia State.

LASU to graduate 57 First Class Students, holds 23rd convocation

Success Damian:

No less than 57 students of the Lagos State University (LASU) are set to be awarded First Class Honour position. The 57 first-class students came tops out of the 14,369 graduands at its 23rd Convocation, representing the highest figure produced by the institution in its 36 years of existence. Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Vice-Chancellor of the institution, made the revelation at a press briefing to announce activities for the University’s 23rd convocation scheduled to hold from May 10 to May 16, 2019 The VC also discloses that LASU produced 26 first-class students at its 22nd Convocation and less than 30 students in its previous editions. Speaking further, Fagbohun said the convocation would be very special and unique due to the number of this year's first class products. He said the University’s students had the habit of healthy rivalry. “Two graduands, Ridwan Ola-Gbadamosi of the Faculty of Engineering and Nneka Enumah of the Faculty of Science graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Aggregate (CGPA) of 4.88 to emerge as the overall best graduating students,’’ he said. The vice-chancellor disclosed further that Faith Uzuegbu and Adenike Abati of the Department of English emerged best graduating students in the Faculty of Arts with CGPAs of 4.41. “We also have a tie in the Faculty of Social Sciences, where Abosede Onifade and Omowunmi Kassim, both of the Department of Sociology, graduated with a CGPA of 4.78 to emerge as best graduating students in the Faculty. “Graduands with the best results in other faculties are:  Shukrat Kannike, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and Physiology with 4. 36 as CGPA, and Moshood Bakare of the Faculty of Education/Accounting Education with 4.75 as CGPA. “Oluwagbotemi Fasominu, Faculty of Law with 4.31 as CGPA; Ismaila Salami of the Faculty of Management Sciences and Insurance with 4.85 as CGPA; Titilope Adebisi of the School of Communication/Mass Communication with 4. 47 as CGPA, and Emmanuel Oyeleke of the School of Transport with 4.12 as CGPA,’’ he said. The Vice-Chancellor noted that the University would graduate a total of 14,369 students during the convocation, as approved by its Senate, out of which 54 graduated at diploma level, 10, 252 would be graduating with First degrees (Full-time and Part-time). He said some 4,063 graduates would be produced for the Higher degrees and 17 Ph.D holders. Fagbohun disclosed that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, would deliver the Convocation Lecture, billed for May 16. 1.

The New Planet Resort: Suspected internet blackmailer, armed robber nabbed in Lagos

Success Damian:

Nigerian Police Force has nabbed a notorious internet blackmailer and armed robber, Abdusalami Wasiu, aka Spartacus.

Spartacus, it was gathered has been on the run since he attempted but failed to extort and blackmail a popular Resort, The New Planet Resorts, located at Aka Road, Ajangbadi, Ojo, Lagos

Spartacus was alleged to have plotted, recorded and posted a false video of an unknown lady found in a dirty water channel at Church bus stop, Ajangbadi, which he manipulated to indicate and deceive the public that the incident happened at New planet Resorts premises.

Police sources said that the suspect’s intention was to discredit the Resorts for an earlier refusal by the Management, to allow him to run an illegal toll collection point in front of the Resorts Main Entrance.

It was gathered that the manhunt for Wasiu, which lasted about two weeks, ended last Saturday, April 27th, 2019, when Operatives from Ilemba Hausa, police Division received credible information that the suspect was sighted at a black spot in Ojo.

Sequel to the report, a team led by the DPO, SP Kazeem Abonde, stormed his hideout and arrested the suspect.

After his arrest, eyewitnesses reported that the suspect broke down in tears, begging the public for forgiveness over all crimes he confessed he had committed.

While pleading for mercy, Wasiu confessed to being responsible for the recording and internet posting of the false video clips to discredit  New planet Resorts.

According to the Ogbomosho, Oyo state born suspect, “it was the devil that pushed me to crime. It was learned that Spartacus was also arrested in 2018, by SARS operatives for robbery and possession of firearms.

He was later prosecuted, arraigned in court, remanded in prison. However, he was released from prison in certain circumstances the same year. It was gathered that the suspect would be charged to court soon.