LASU makes history again as Best graduating, MSc students set new record of 4.95, 5.0 CGPA respectively

Success Damian:

Lagos State University (LASU) has once again made history with both the best graduating and MSc students setting new institution record of 4.95 and 5.0 respectively as LASU graduates 8,959 students of the 2018\2019 set 

While Oladimeji Idris Shotunde of the Department of Business Administration emerged Best graduating student, with 4.95 Cummulative Gradient Point Average (CGPA), Olisola Aanu Olabanjo with 5.0 CGPA emerged Best MSc student.

This was revealed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun (SAN), at the 24th Convocation Ceremony of the University at Buba Marwa Main Auditorium in Ojo on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

With 76 first class graduating students, Lasu has no apologies going further on top in the next world university ranking.

Prof. Fagbohun who disclosed that the convocation speech was his fifth and final convocation speech as the Vice Chancellor of the great institution, said this year's Convocation ceremony was quite remarkable because the best graduating students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels set a new university record.

“This year's Convocation ceremony is quite remarkable because our best graduating students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels set a new university record. Oladimeji ldris Shotunde of the Department of Business Administration graduated as the best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.95 while Olusola Aanu Olabanjo with a CGPA of 5.0 graduated as the best MSc. student,” Fagbohun disclosed.

Professor Fagbohun, whose five years tenure as VC would end next January said he was particularly happy that LASU for the past five years and despite COVID-19 pandemic had uninterrupted academic session.

He congratulated all the graduating students for being found worthy in both character and learning “I congratulate all of our students both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels who are being awarded various degrees at this year’s convocation ceremony, after being found worthy in both character and learning.

“I commend you all for your hard work, tenacity, resilience and determination to succeed. You demonstrated to the world during your Studentship that the best can come out of our institution. My advice to you all is not to rest on your oars. Go out there and prove to the world that you are the best. Always remember that line of our anthem which says “Blaze forth, shine for humanity’”, Fagbohun maintained. 

He also said that his students can stand toe to toe with their colleagues from anywhere in the world. “l commend your efforts in achieving this great feat. You have demonstrated to the world that truly our students are of world class standard and can stand toe to toe with their colleagues from anywhere in the world. You are indeed our pride.” 

Fagbohun ended his speech on personal reflection when he said “Allow me, if I may, to end on a more personal reflection. My stewardship in the last four years and eleven months is quite intriguing and at the same time interesting. 

“I have cherished being part of a unique community of inquisitive and creative men and women from our world class students, to faculty members, non-academic colleagues, enthusiastic and committed ‘alumni scattered across the world, awesome members of Management, high flying leaders that constitute our Governing Council, highly committed government functionaries and immensely supportive legislators,” he stated.

 

Wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, who was at the ceremony to felicitate with the Best Graduating student, Oladimeji Shotunde, who is an indigene of Ogun State, commended LASU for what she called its strong contributions to the university education in the country and also on its recent ranking as the second-best university in the country.

Mrs Abiodun urged federal government and various staff unions in tertiary schools in the country to always ensure they reach a compromise on issues causing disagreement so as to enjoy stable and peaceful activities on our campuses.

She said disruption of academic activities is not doing the country any good but detrimental to development.

Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, was at the event alongside the Special Adviser to the Governor on Students’ Affairs, Mr Adeyemi Amoo.

 

Professor of Radiology calls for PPP in medical imaging in Nigeria

Success Damian:

Professor Rachael Adeyanju Akinola of Radiology Department of Lagos State University (LASU) has called for Public Private Participation (PPP) in medical imaging in Nigeria.

Akinola took the stance while speaking as the LASU 76^th Inaugural Lecturer at the institution’s Main campus in Ojo on Monday.

In a lecture titled ‘My Eyes Have Seen Inside, Out: Scrolling through the Black, the White and the Colour Maze’ she said her department is heavily equipment dependent, forever rapidly evolving and capital intensive.

She said “My department is heavily equipment dependent, forever rapidly evolving and capital intensive. It would be economically, socially and politically apt to put all hands on deck by involving bodies that will financially support the healthcare in that regard, particularly in equipment acquisition and maintenance, training and research grants. The Public Private Participation is a must-do in medical imaging in Nigeria.”

She commended the Lagos State University Vice Chancellor, Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun for his daunting efforts in seeing that promotion exercises are dutifully carried out as and when due, but added “The custom of disregarding case reports as being contributory to staff elevation in some clinical disciplines during promotion exercises should be given a rethink.” She stressed that in Medical imaging the given staff that academically showcase such case reports should be able to earn accolades.

Radiology is a branch of medicine concerned with the use of radiant energy such as X-rays or radioactive materials in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. It also deals with visual information; and like any information, this requires interpretation. It is a practical field where medical images are used to make inferences about the state of people’s health.

She said research in the accuracy of medical imaging must draw on techniques from a wide range of disciplines including Physics, Anatomy, Psychology, Computing, Neuroscience and Medicine in an attempt to minimize diagnostic error, thus emphasizing the relevance of collaboration and multidisciplinary approach.

Speaking on what she called Trends in Medical Imaging, Akinola stated “Apart from the fact that newer imaging modalities might be found, there are at least five related trends across all modalities that are shaping the future of medical imaging.” While stating that these trends are closely linked and synergistic, she stressed that none of them was clinically important 25 years ago, but all are now central to the practice of Radiology at the celebration of the 21^st.

Akinola also disclosed that Conventional radiography is however the mainstay of medical imaging and is likely to remain so for a long time especially in the emerging healthcare system in developing countries.

Further she maintained that basic research in medical imaging should proceed along two fronts, one is to discover better imaging methods and two to use imaging methods to study problems of fundamental biomedical interest.

LASU Alumni to raise statue on campus to honour outgoing Vice Chancellor

Success Damian:

Lagos State University (LASU) Alumni Forum, Lagos State chapter, has hinted of plan to raise a statue on the main campus in honour of the outgoing 8^th Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun (SAN).

The group made the disclosure at the Coconut Breaking Ceremony which took place at the campus in Ojo on Monday.

The Coconut Breaking event was part of activities to mark the 24^th Convocation ceremony of the institution.

The Alumni group stated that the aim of the statue was to appreciate the innumerable achievements and focused leadership of Prof. Fagbohun in the past five years as Vice Chancellor of the institution.

Barr Omolola Oladipupo Satar LASU Alumni Lagos State Chapter said the Prof Fagbohun has brought tremendous infrastructural and human resources development to the university in the past five years hence no honour was too much for him.

Speaking at the event, Prof Fagbohun who has begun a countdown to his stepping down as the LASU VC said he is a fulfilled man. He commended Lasu community for his successes as a Vice Chancellor. “27 days I will be stepping down and I say it again, I am fulfilled. And each and every one of you made that possible.”

He commended the Alumni and charged them as critical stakeholders to ensure LASU does not slide back into the time of retrogression. “I thank the alumni for being supportive and making sure that we keep the dream of our founding fathers alive. 

“Alumni, you are best positioned to ensure that what we have started does not fail. There are so many things you can do. You are positioned to call us, management to account; you are positioned to get government to be interested in this institution. 

“You are positioned to caution evil doers, those who enjoy crisis in this university. You have everything to sustain the vision. You are the strongest critical stakeholder in the LASU project. And that is why this coconut breaking ceremony is a critical component of our convocation ceremony.

On the hints coming from the Alumni that it would erect a statue in Fagbohun’s  honour in appreciation of his contributions, successes and achievements during his administration he said “Coming from the alumni, you know the alumni is a critical stakeholder of the university, that initiative coming from them is very humbling for me and I am so appreciative to them that they found me worthy of wanting to erect a statue in the institution. I feel very deeply humbled and I want to thank them from the depth of my heart, I was not expecting it at, what it means is that anywhere I continue to find myself I should continue to do my own modest bit to add value to that system.”

On what is unique about the 24^th Convocation, being his last as VC of the school he said “Our objective is to achieve excellence as part of our convocation, we will continue in that line and my prayer is that because we have done it back to back consistently without any break in academic session, I pray they are able to sustain it and the university is able to continue along that path,” he stated.

Fagbohun disclosed where he derived his inspiration and energy from “When you work in an environment where you are happy, when you are doing something that is giving you joy, you don’t get tired because it is your line of duty and you are enjoying it, because I am enjoying what I am doing I am working with my people, I am working with staff I love and who love me; students I love and who love me, I am enjoying it, I am not feeling the weight of it.”

The coconut breaking ceremony was an activity designed to pray for peace and progress of the institution and involved breaking of the coconut.

Some of those that attended the event include Mrs Yeside Faghohun, wife of the VC, members of the university management, and so many others.

Student union, labour unions, management, the Alumni, all took turns to break the coconuts.

Highlights of the event include performances by masquerades including Igunuko, Zamgbete masquerades among others.

 

Write your name in gold, restructure Nigeria now - UK Afenifere tells Buhari, APC

By Clifford Ejenavi

The Afenifere Group in United Kingdom (UK) and Europe has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressive Party (APC) to write their names in gold by restructuring Nigeria now 

The Secretary of the Group, Engr. Anthony Kayode Ajayi stated this while speaking with Nigerian Impact from UK today.

According to him, restructuring is a song on the lips of many Nigerians, saying that it has trended for decades and it is an inter-generational topical issue in Nigeria. 

He said that the persistent call for restructuring takes numerous dimensions particularly outstanding in the dimension of politics. 

"It is no surprise though because the philosophy behind the existence of every state and the control of its resources bothers on politics. Therefore, when there is a damaged cog in the wheel of the politics of the state, it becomes imperative to politically restructure the state", Engr. Ajayi said.

The Group according to Engr. Ajayi strongly believe that, “Since massive corruption, insecurity, embezzlement of public fund, poor accountability; high cost of governance and the crisis of legitimacy; recurring ethnic, regional and religious clashes; abuse of constitution and constitutionalism, etc have thwarted Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development, we therefore urged that Nigerian's federal status as presently constituted be restructured along a legal framework that would grant a reasonable measure of autonomy to the states and component parts of the federation as the current poor socioeconomic situation of all Nigerians across the regions does not show sign of significant improvement in citizens’ living standard.

"To ensure peaceful coexistence of Nigerian multiethnic nationalities as one peaceful entity called Nigeria and effecting of rapid and competitive development of the different regions of the country among other factors consists the need for restructuring; while elite interest, fear of ethnic dominations, political idiosyncrasy among others construe the challenges facing political restructuring in Nigeria.

"The current Nigerian political structure right  from its inception till now has shown symptoms of administratively sick system of government resulting from such issues as the issue of resource control, outcry of marginalization, issue of ethno-tribal and regional discrimination and issue of  ensuring that every citizen irrespective of age, sex, religion, ethnic, linguistic, regional or tribal affiliation is given a sense of belonging to the country. Most importantly, the issue of resource control vis-à-vis political restructuring has become a contentious issue in Nigeria body politic, having been a key problem facing theNigerian state since the onset of ethnic politics.

"Despite the lopsided nature of the  country’s political structure, Nigeria  has persisted in the practice and has always resolved to the effection of punitive measures to the dysfunctional issues marking the nature of the federalist political structure operational in Nigeria. These measures manifest in form of the different reforms, structural policies, intergovernmental relations, unification programmes etc which had been adopted in the past by different Nigerian government regimes. Irrespective of the practice of imbuing the Nigerian political structure with corrective and curative measures, both scholars and other interested parties have gone to town for donkey’s years to continue their clamour for the restructuring of the federalist political nature of the country with   emphasis highly placed on the issue of intergovernmental relations between the federal and sub-national governments, issue of resource control and allocation, issue of revenue allocation, efficiency and functionality of the constitution, inequality of states and local governments in geopolitical zones, security and marginalization amongst others. 

"We therefore call on President Buhari and APC leaders not to miss this golden opportunity to restructure Nigeria now as history may not be kind to them if the country collapse under their leadership going by the reality of the day across the country".

 

Novelty Match: Rufai commends LASU Vice Chancellor for excellent achievements in 5 years

Success Damian:

Nigeria’s iconic goalkeeper and Ambassador, African Students Football Union, Peter Rufai, has commended the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun for his excellent achievements in five years of his administration.

Rufai gave the commendation while speaking as the Guest of Honour at the Novelty Football Match played in honour of Professor Fagbohun, the iconic outgoing 8^th substantive Vice Chancellor of the Institution, at Ojo on Thursday.

The football event was organized by the Icon Builders in honour of a man who brought great transformation and internationalization to the institution, having served LASU from 2016, and due to bow out in January 2021.

‘I remembered coming sometime ago to seek approval for use of the Campus Football pitch, and to my greatest surprise I was given the green light to make use of the pitch. Some of the things I see on the campus today were not there. Coming in today to witness a beauty of a campus, you know indeed, I have the real honour of facts to say that Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun (SAN) and his management have been able to do this wonderful work on the campus,” Rufai said.

Dod Mayan, as he is fondly called also commended the wife of the Vice Chancellor for his patience and being a partner in progress. “It is said behind every successful man there is a woman, I want to give this special acknowledgment to Madam Fagbohun for her wonderful support and patience all these years, I want to say, Madam, well done and thank you.”

He did not fail to also thank the entire university for their support for the VC. “All the management of the school, the staff, when success is achieved, you look at the structure that has produced that result. And on this note I want to thank everybody here, those who are not here, students, staff and management, Professor Olanrewaju, I thank you. It is true we are going to miss him on the campus, but I am very sure that he will not be far from the campus.”

Commenting on the novelty football march which was between Academics and Non-Academics of the institution, which was eventually won by the Non-Academics through a penalty shootout, Rufai said the game lived up to the expectation saying “The football match was beautiful, I was watching the match and I saw some beautiful moves, the two goalkeepers, they did very well. I didn’t get the invite on time I would have come with my gloves to make one or two saves. Nevertheless we are looking forward to a more and better situation where we will have cause to come together and celebrate one of ours again.”

He pleaded that whoever that is coming in as the institution’s helmsman should also be supported in the same way Fagbohun was supported, “So that is something we should look up to, to make sure that the same cooperation that was giving to Prof Fagbohun is extended, and let this steam not die as he is stepping out, let it continue to grow from strength to strength.”

On his part, Professor Fagbohun in his address recognized the impactful role of Peter Rufai in national assignments. “Let me welcome Dodo Mayana, a man I followed from club to club, anywhere Dodo Mayana is, that is my club; that is the extent of my love for him. You are an icon, you represented our country very well; we would continue to love you, thank you for what you did for this great nation,” Fagbohun stated.

Commenting further Fagbohun said, Peter Rufai got him interested in sports. “He is the kind of man that should be given recognising and honour just like other international sports icons. When Dodo Mayana was in goal post for Nigeria, you have high confidence that he will not disappoint.”

He also thanked the organizers of the event, Icon Builders, and the management, the world class students, “Today is not a day for long speeches for me, today is a day of appreciation to all of you for making it possible, I recalled when we started out in 2016, nobody wanted to touch LASU, nobody wanted to relate with LASU, but working together as one, LASU has become the pride of all. I did not do it, we all did it together. And I thank you all, Fagbohun stated.

He stated Further “What we are celebrating today, is a joint achievement, so on behalf of my wife and my entire family, I have the backing of my management, I have the backing of our great union leaders  across the board, the student leaders, I thank you all for what you have contributed. Do not leave the banner, continue to raise the banner. What will make all of us happy is to leave number 2 and go to number 1.” 

On what he is going to miss in LASU, Fagbohun maintained that it is a holistic thing. I will miss everything LASU, not just one.”

The Chairman of the event was Mr Tunji Disu, Commander, Rapid Respond Squad, Lagos State. He is also a product of LASU

Opinion: Buhari’s men; Fashola, Ngige, Onu, Amaechi, others…thank you Orji Uzor Kalu

By Modestus Okechukwu Umenzekwe

Before now, it was Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who showed interest in Igbo Presidency! I thanked him for reawakening the interest in Igbo Presidency with his stand that anybody, irrespective of zone, can contest for the presidential election in 2023. That got the sparks across the world and some started reacting either way for good of Ndigbo. You were apt when you said that, “Zoning does not exist in the constitution of All Progressives Congress, APC. As long as it is not a constitutional matter, the presidential bid is an open basket, which anybody can vie for.”

 

The leadership of South East for President 2023 (SEFORP2023), led by National Coordinator, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, said it is grossly disappointed with Dr Kalu’s position. That wasn’t an issue because we knew what you did. We were docile as a people even when His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has reassured that Ndigbo’s turn it is to have the presidency. Nobody was behaving as if the presidential election is in two years’ time.

 

Your statement made us realize it’s time for us to start putting our homes in preparatory state for the game in 2023. That your moves brought global movement for 2023 Igbo presidency, coordinated by Comrade Kenendy Iyere, begin to mobilize Ndigbo in that respect. That as well brought Ohaneze Ndigbo to meet with Governors of the South-East, notable stakeholders and youth leaders in favour of Igbo presidency.

 

That got Governor of Ebonyi state , Engr Dave Umahi scheming to contest for Presidency and in that spirit, he dumped PDP and joined the APC which he said is the only party that has assured Ndigbo that presidency is zoned to the South-East. Once again, let me thank Kalu for re-awakening us from slumber. I know you are qualified to be President of Nigeria but you didn’t say that initially. Now, you are saying it indirectly as thousands of people, even from the North, are rooting for you. I am proud of that masterstroke but we shall re-visit this issue later. Thank you for supporting President Buhari. Thank you for being pro-APC, always.

 

Let me restate that the way I perceive our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, it’s not likely he will go against such demand for Igbo presidency, having fulfilled other promises with Onitsha Sea Port, 2nd Niger Bridge and Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, to mention but a few.

 

I reiterate that I see President as someone that believes in equity and fairness. I believe he will support Igbo to succeed him in 2023. I recall that in 2004, when the former Attorney-General of the Federation, late Chief Chike Offodile, was being buried, I heard Buhari clearly, at the house of great Zik of Africa in Onitsha, when he paid courtesy call to Late Chukwuma Azikiwe and he said: “My friend Chuma, if by the grace of God, I become the president, I will make Ndigbo proud by completing the Zik’s mausoleum and build a second Niger Bridge and other infrastructural developments in Igbo land.”

 

Let me say that President Buhari has fulfilled that promise, using the workaholic Minister, Babatunde Fashola SAN, to execute all those projects, of which by 2022 at most, the 2nd Niger Bridge will be completed. So, with all these, I believe strongly, he will support an Igbo man to succeed him in 2023.

The other day, it was unbelievable but it happened. Onitsha seaport has become functional after over 40 years it was first commissioned. Another commissioning took place October 6, 2020 courtesy of the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari.

 

Babatunde Raji Fashola, Nigeria’s Minister for Works and Housing has delivered visible and quality projects and I can attest that there is no State in Nigeria without the Federal Government attention, executing at least one road project with construction workers engaged on the sites. I am happy that difficult and abandoned projects like the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos Ibadan Expressway and the Bodo-Bonny Bridge have been brought back to life by Fashola.

 

The Federal Government is set to fix 44 roads with the Sukuk funds raised in the bond market. Already, the sovereign Sukuk symbolic chequeof N162.55 billion, the amount appropriated for roads in 2020 budget, was presented to Fashola by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed in Abuja.

 

The only meaning of this release is that the economy would soon be on the path to economic development, including development of rails, roads and power needed for Nigeria’s economic growth and ease of doing business.

 

Fashola is assuring that the public roads that will benefit fromthe fund would come from all 6 geopolitical areas, with the North-Central getting eight roads, eight roads for the Northeast, North-West seven roads, South-East five roads, South-South 10 roads, and South-West six roads.

 

Debt Management Office, (DMO) had announced that this would be Nigeria’s 3rd Sukuk bond, with the first being an N100 billion bond in 2017 and another N100 billion by 2018.

 

The office says the bonds, with the Green bonds, would be used for the development and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure in the country depending on budget allocations.

 

Fashola’s office been instrumental to infrastructural development since the Buhari-led administration, hence across the six geopolitical zones, there are over 200 ongoing highway projects, all of which stretches to a total of 7,483.04 kilometres with N2.4 trillion worth of contracts. Of these projects, some are funded by local and external loans as well as Sukuk bonds.

 

There are flyovers and bridges, particularly the second Niger River Bridge and the Loko-Oweto bridge linking Benue and Nasarawa States.

 

Termed the “Highway Project and Management Initiative,” Mr Fashola said in June that the federal government planned to ‘concession’ 10highways to raise a total of N163.32 billion and over 23,000 jobs at the initial phase.

 

The Ministry has impacted on 514 highways projects that covered 826.84, producing about 144,395 jobs (49,080 direct, and 95,350 indirect jobs). FERMA also maintained 2075.24 km stretch of road, involving 406 contractors and 150 people.

 

Fashola said to bridge the housing deficit in the country, the Ministry rolled out a national cooperative housing scheme which gives 80 per cent developmental loans to cooperative groups. The loans funded by the Federal Mortgage Bank, the initiative has under its radar about 5,301 mortgages worth N38 billion.

 

Under President Buhari, several roads such as the following are undergoing rapid construction. They are:

 

-Onitsha-Awka-Enugu Expressway

-Enugu –Port Harcourt Dual Carriage way.

-Rehabilitation of Okija bridge Junction leading to Umuahia-

Amappatu-Uli Egbuoma

-Construction of Umuerogha-Umuelema Nbubo Road

-The Second Niger Bridge construction, which presently stands at 44.6% completion, despite being on the drawing board for several years by previous governments of Obasanjo, late Yar’Adua and Jonathan.

 

For the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige had upon assumption of office for his second term on August 21, 2019, vowed to resolve the crisis surrounding the N30,000 national minimum wage, the ongoing university workers strike and other issues affecting the industrial sector.

 

The Minister said he will follow due process to put ‘smiles’ on the faces of workers by putting energy in all assignments assigned to his Ministry. Other promises made by the Minister include creation of job opportunities to avoid job losses, revival of Nigeria’s Labour Advisory Council and implementation of 1990 Factories Act which entails occupational safety and health components of labour activities.

 

Those that have commenced payment of the minimum wage include Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Sokoto, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).The States that are yet to start include Benue, Cross River, Ekiti,

Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba and Zamfara.

 

The suspension of the planned strike action and protests sequel to electricity tariff hike and deregulation of the downstream sector of by the organized Labour had the imprimatur of Dr Ngige, Already, there are signs Senator Ngige will end the ASUU prolonged strike on a good note by this Friday.

 

On his part, the Minister for Transport,  Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who was a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2018 has shown class in the Ministry of Transport in Nigeria’s history.

 

Modern railway lines restoration is one of the major feats of Buhari led administration. Thisday honoured him with Minister of the Decade. Amaechi is committed to fixing the Lagos-Ibadan corridor of the Lagos-Kano railproject which is costing billions of Dollars. The Itakpe-Warri rail line is already on. His drive and commitment to give Nigerians a better travelling experience is not in contest as he is focused in driving Buhari’s administration’s efforts to revive the railway system in the country. There is Lagos-Kano standard rail line that will link Nigeria’s eastern and northern corridors. The water transportation system is also receiving attention. The Lagos to Kano railway line has about 30 million tonnes of cargo per year whereas Port Harcourt to Maiduguri has about 11 million tonnes per year, hence Amaechi is targeting its completion first, before embarking on Lagos to Calabar.

The Itakpe-Lokoja-Warri rail was awarded in 1987, is being championed to completion by Buhari government. The Kaduna-Abuja rail is part of the Lagos-Kano. The Minister has stated that the Federal Government needs a total funding of $656 million to complete work on the Lagos-Ibadan railway project. Let me not talk about other of his achievements for this rail project is good enough.

 

 

Another Buhari man is Hon Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, first civilian governor of Abia state and Minister of Science and Technology, who has passion and a rigorous drive for home grown technological and scientific solutions.

 

He has 17 parastatals under his ministry and he has been able to set Nigeria’s economy on an innovation driven path which will make it asadvanced as China in the “next 30 to 50 years.”

According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, over 900, 000jobs have been created through the implementation of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies of the Federal Government. As well, over N1 Trillion has been saved through the reduction in imports of raw materials. YoungNigerian scientists went into contest during the 2020 edition of the National Science and Technology competition for secondary schools in Nigeria with scholarships to doctorate degree awarded to three young scientists who came tops in the competition tagged “774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award (774 YONSPA)”. Top winners at the National Science and Technologycompetition got cash awards of N1 Million, N750,000 and N500,000 respectively.

The first made in Nigeria ventilators and disinfectant safetysprayers by NASENI, an agency under the ministry, to combat the coronavirus is a plus to his ministry under Buhari. As well, that MoU with the United Kingdom Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for update ofthe Nigeria Energy Calculator 2050 (NECAL2050) and the China-Arab States Technology Centre (DASTIC) to boost Science, Technology and Innovation in Nigeria are feats too.

 

With Chairman of the All Progressives Congress’s Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni, who is also the Governor of Yobe state, APC will take over Anambra State come 2021. The signs are glaring. And with his reconciliation moves which yielded good results in Ondo State, even Edo State, President Buhari is at home with his style.

 

Other members of the committee are Osun state Governor, Isiaka Oyetola, Niger state Governor, Abubakar Bello, Sen. Ken Nnamani, Sen. Abubakar Yusuf, Hon. Akinyemi Olaide, Mrs. Stella Oketete, Dr. James Lulu, Chief David Lyon, Sen. Abba Ali, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Barr. Ismail Ahmed as members and Sen. John Udoedeghe as the Secretary. These are people with impeccable history. APC is set for Anambra elections and would definitely win. Their actions have been proactive and responsive as promised.

 

I dare to concur that truly, President Buhari is an institution and a phenomenon yet to be understood by Nigerians! Buhari has charged public servants to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system andsolicited the cooperation of the Legislative arm to maintain their brief ofmaking laws and carrying out oversight functions.

 

Listen to him: ‘’I believe that it is when the three arms and the three levels of government work together that government will be enabled to serve the country’’. That’s the spirit of a true democrat or do you think otherwise?

 

He believes that together as a nation, as a people, the three arms and three tiers of government working together, we can attack corruption and realize the vast potentials of our country.

 

He is angry with the greed of a callous few in political office and civil service. Hence, he was advocating for a corruption-free public sector to achieve the transformations his government is championing. He equally advocated for a judicial system that dispenses justice without undue delay and technicality.

 

Speaking at a summit by ICPC, Buhari said: ‘’We need laws andlegal system to be reformed to deliver justice to every citizen without regard to status and finally we need ethical re-orientation of the people to achieve this goal. When we work together against corruption we can defeat it’’.

 

With the ENDSSARs protests over, President Buhari has warned against impunity among police officers. Yet, some hold contrary opinion. Let’s respect our leader and President for we have no other nation to call our own,if we ignite it today. Like the President, his men are doing well.

 

Modestus Okechukwu Umenzekwe, an APC Chieftain from Anambra State, is resident in Lagos. He can be reached on modestusokechukwu661@yahoo.com

 

2023: Nwokedi advocates president of Igbo extraction …Tasks region to be more united

Success Damian:

High Chief Chika Nwokedi has lent his voice to the raging clamour for president of Igbo extraction.

While maintaining that it is time for Ndigbo to occupy Aso Villa, he called on the Igbos to be more united in order to achieve their purpose.

Chief Nwokedi who is the President of Igboburuotu Social Club of Nigeria made the advocacy during his Family Thanksgiving at Fire Grace & Mercy Restoration Ministry, Ijegun Lagos State on Sunday.

He said “I have said this thing before, if they want to do the right thing, it is time for Igbo to rule. They should give Igbo a chance to try their best.””

Showing regrets that Igbos are not united he added “But where I have problem is when they give them the chance and say Ndigbo come out to rule, my brother we will kill ourselves. Some will say it is the turn of Anambra, some Ebony, some Imo, that is the problem, because no Igbo man will step done for his brother.”

Nwokedi who is also known as Okpoko 1 of Obodoukwu said whatever be the case it is the turn of Igbo people to produce the next president. “But if the truth should be told, they should give Igbo a chance to do their best, Hausa has tried, Yoruba has tried, and other tribes have tried, so let them give Igbo a chance. God knows that it is the truth and nothing but the truth, but I plead that the Igbo should bring one person or two. If they want justice in this country, they should give it to the Igbo, if they do well good, if they don’t do well, they will put their name where they put others,” Nwokedi maintained.

Speaking on reason he decided to go to the church and thank God he said “I am happy, because some people don’t know what it means to thank God. As far as you sleep and wake up, you must appreciate God. The almighty God kept us alive from January till today, so no matter what, appreciate God. When I was worshipping in Rhema, and CPM, I thank God every year, because when you thank God for what he did, he will do more. That is why I celebrate my birthday every year, even though low key but there must be about 50 people to eat and drink, but my 45 years birthday I did it in a hall, and two years coming, it will be in a field because it is my gold, so it is not easy for me to be alive today, I thank God.”

On what is unique about this year’s thanksgiving, he said “At least you are in the world, you see how there was too much pandemic, and in which people lost lots of loved ones, America lost almost 100,000, Britain lost, Spain, Italy, but me and my family, nothing happened to us. Another on was ENDSARS issue in which  people also died, it didn’t touch me and my family, so I supposed to thank him even if I don’t have One Naira but appreciating God matters a lot. So I say God thank you for keeping me alive, thank you for keeping my family and friends alive. I would call my friends and they would respond that they are okay, that is what matters to me. My family, my brothers and sisters, cousins, no one had problem, so it is good to appreciate God; that is why I can dance and say God thank you.”

On his plans to celebrate his 50th birthday in a big way, Nwokedi said, “I don’t add to my age, I was born on August 4, on Sunday, 1972, by 2023 I will be 50 years. I said it when I wanted to do 45 that people would win machines, fridges, Tv, wrist watches, that was last three years, so the next two years if God keep us alive, it will be there, you will see the vehicle, a Tokunbo car worth N2million, machines will be almost five, fridges, tv and wrist watches will reach 100, and other things that people will take home, that is my plan, and I know that my friends will support me.

High Chief C.C. Nwokedi is renowned for his acts of philanthropy, placing children of widows and the less-privileged on scholarships. Recently he gave out drugs worth N120, 000 free of charge to a blind man that he was seeing for the first time. “After four days, the man called me and said I can move by myself now. The man said he is from Edo State, I don’t know him before. For me I do things as I am directed by God. Also I was in a meeting sometime ago, last three months, one man was crying saying that his son is seriously sick, they needed N65,000, I transferred 100k to the man, and the man started crying and today the baby is alive. I don’t know the man, I don’t even know the phone number. Where we were doing meeting he came to beg for money. The baby was dying and I said if my baby dies like that will I be happy? And I know that I had that money in my account; that is why I paid.

“Last year at Isheri, one woman that had a baby, two months, they supposed to take him to the hospital and they needed N120,000, and I had almost N150,000, I paid that money. Till today I don’t know the woman, once that money is in my account, I will help, because before God can say go and meet him God will give me that money before I help you, that is my belief,” Nwokedi narrated.