The Senate of the University of Ibadan today elected Prof. Adebola Babatunde Ekanola, as the new Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university. Journalists gathered that Ekanola until his appointment was the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics. Report says five Professors had indicated interest in succeeding the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka whose tenure expired on the 30th of November, 2020. Ekanola scored 275 votes to defeat four other rivals vying for the position. Others who contested include Professor Olanike Adeyemo who scored 13 votes, Professor A. Oluleye who got 80 votes, Professor Adigun Agbaje who got 15 votes and Professor Gbemisola Oke who got 14 votes.

European player of the year Robert Lewandowski is one of 10 players on the shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award unveiled Wednesday, alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Besides Polish striker Lewandowski, one other winner of the Champions League with Bayern Munich made the list, Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who joined Liverpool in September. The English champions also count Senegal’s Sadio Mane, Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Dutchman Virgil van Dijk on the shortlist. Paris Saint-Germain, beaten Champions League finalists, are represented by Mbappe and Neymar. Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos complete the list. Argentinian coach Marcelo Bielsa, who led Leeds into the English Premier League, headlines a list for the men’s coach award, which also features Bayern’s Hans-Dieter Flick, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui and Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane. Three finali...

A judge on Saturday rejected the White House’s limitations on a program protecting 700,000 so-called “Dreamers,” undocumented migrants brought to the United States as children. The federal judge in New York ruled that President Donald Trump’s acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was not lawfully serving in his role when he issued the new rules for the DACA program in July. The ruling is another victory for proponents of the Barack Obama-era program after the US Supreme Court in June rejected Trump’s cancellation of it. President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in the November 3 polls, had pledged to reinstate the program when he takes office on January 20. Wolf, who has not been confirmed in his role by the US Senate, issued new restrictions on the program in response to the Supreme Court ruling. Saturday’s court decision said his restrictions “effectively suspended” DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, while the Trump administration reviewed how to proceed. Wol...

Barely three days after police in Anambra State resumed duties, men of the state command have foiled a robbery operation in Onitsha, arresting two suspects. The state police command’s spokesperson, SP Haruna Mohammed, who disclosed this to journalists, said firearm and ammunition were also recovered from the suspects, while a Toyota Venza car, suspected to have been stolen by the gang was also recovered. Since after the End SARS protest, which led to the burning down of most police facilities and killing of personnel, police have been off duty, giving cultists, robbers and other hoodlums the opportunity to operate freely around Anambra State. Mohammed who disclosed the arrest of the suspects said, “On the 14/11/2020 at about 10:05pm, there was a distress call that two suspected armed robbery gang were operating near Shoprite, Onitsha. “Following the distress call, Police operatives attached to the Command Rapid Response squad, RRS quickly responded, rushed to the scene and arrested one...

The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi says youths’ anger and hunger should be pacified with supports in form of training, mentorship and other empowerment initiatives. Ooni explained that youths are angry because they are hungry and the only way to get them out of the anger is to continue to empower them. The monarch disclosed this during the commencement of his fifth year coronation anniversary and graduation of Ojaja II Fashion Training Institute, OFTI students in Ile-Ife. “In line with the celebration of my 5th year on the throne, I have mapped out plans to empower 5,000 youths to be financially independent and be able to feed others. “I hereby call on Nigerian leaders, political, traditional and religious leaders to know that it is now a necessity to empower the youths. Out of our earnings, let us dedicate part to the empowerment of youths in our areas. We must consider this as a necessity and what should be done on a regular basis. “We just had a sample of youth restiveness and it sho...

The federal government has declared that teachers without requisite qualifications and practicing license will be removed from the Nigeria Teaching Service. The government said henceforth, First Class and Second Class Upper graduates will get teaching jobs. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono made this known on Saturday in Abuja. He spoke while monitoring the conduct of the 2020 October Diet Batch B Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examinations, PQE. “By 2021, we will not engage teachers if they don’t meet particular threshold. We are now limiting entry point of teaching only to the best who are qualified. We will engage individuals with second class upper and first class divisions,” he said. The official disclosed that arrangements will be made for conversion programmes for such graduates. Echono said since most studied in fields not related to teaching, they need to learn pedagogy and methodology through the National Teachers Institute, NTI, and the Teachers Reg...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, told students to prepare for resumption next week. ASUU said this on its official Twitter page as the education body expressed hope of an agreement with the federal government. The Union expressed optimism that students would return to universities next week after its meeting with the federal government. The tweet read: “ All Federal University students should prepare for resumption as we expect a positive outcome from ASUU on Wednesday.” This is coming after the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Friday, expressed the hope that the agreement with the Union will be concluded next week. Ngige lamented that ASUU was not considering the challenges their demands would create.

The Lagos State Panel of Judicial Inquiry probing police brutality and the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate resumed today after suspending sittings for a week. The retired Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel was, last Saturday, forced to suspend its sittings due to the boycott of the panel sitting by the two youth representatives on the panel – Oluwarinu Oduala and Temitope Majekodunmi. The youths had boycotted the panel sitting in protest against the freezing of the bank accounts of 20 #EndSARS promoters by the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria. One of the frozen accounts belongs to Oduala. Commenting on the absence of the youth members last Saturday, the Chairman of the judicial panel, Justice Okuwobi, had said without the youths, the panel could not form a quorum and had no other option but to adjourned till today. However, the panel resume sitting today with the two youth members. The panel is set to take the testimony of th...

The federal government will consider “options” to stop the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU from continuing its industrial action. Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, spoke on a Television programme yesterday. “There are so many options left. We have the labour laws and I have options left to me in the labour laws. I have other channels,” he said. Ngige complained that the union was not considering the challenges their demands would create. The minister said even if countries go to war, they eventually meet at the negotiation table. “I’m inviting them (ASUU) next week, we are doing side meetings on our part. I’m collating responses from the Accountant General of the Federation’s Office and everybody who has something to do with this matter.” On the return of students to classes, Ngige said he was hopeful that it would not take long. Ngige expressed optimism that talks will be concluded next week. Ngige confirmed that government had agreed to try out University Tra...

What happens to a soldier who goes to the battlefield without planning out his moves? I guess such should be ready to meet his doom! Moreover, it's often said that he who comes into equity must come with clean hands. I doubt if any of these youths carting away and looting someone else's electronic stores all in the name of fighting for good governance will have the opportunity to get their ways through the corridors of power, and won't sell the entire country and even get discounts in return. I thought the long-term tragedies were over, but yet, another shame. No doubt, current and past administrations in Nigeria have failed us; hence, the need for restructuring. But do we have a veritable alternative? Mind you, without the above being effectively planned and put in place, the current quest and struggle for good governance will definitely amount to child's play. Let's face the reality at least, rather than chasing shadows. The major bane plaguing us as a nation is t...

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU cannot claim to be autonomous when lecturers are paid by the government, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said on Wednesday. He said autonomy can only work when a university generates its resources to pay workers and meet its obligation. Ngige spoke while defending his ministry’s budget before the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment. Striking lecturers have refused to call off their seven-month strike because of disagreement with the government over the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS). ASUU claimed that enrolling on the platform would erode the autonomy of the university system. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday issued a 14-day ultimatum to parties to resolve the lingering strike or face nationwide protests. Ngige, according to a statement by his media aide, Emmanuel Nzomiwu, told the lawmakers that the Federal Government was addressing the strike holistically to ensure ...

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commenced strategic plans aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. The party made unsuccessful attempt in 2015 to return to power through its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It has now gone back to the drawing board and this time, the youths are being projected to lead the battle. A youth summit is scheduled to hold in the six geo-political zones of the country. Inaugurating the South-East planning committee for the event in Enugu, on Wednesday, the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus said it was time for the youths to take the centre stage. He said power would shift to the youths as the elders had failed to meet the expectations of the people. “Power will shift to the youths, we can’t continue to say leaders of tomorrow, the tomorrow should be now. “The elders have failed this country without any apology, so the youths should rise up. We can’t continue to watch while the...

The Lagos State Mobile Court had ordered forfeiture of 31 vehicles to the State government for contravening the State Traffic Law. The Court made the pronouncement after the 31 defendants (drivers) pleaded guilty to the ‘One-way’ traffic offence charged against them. According to the Mobile Court, “These arraigned 31 drivers were charged for driving in the direction prohibited by Law (One-way) punishable under Part (III) item 27 of the ‘Lagos State Transport Sector Reformed Law of 2018 and have been penalized accordingly.” However, 43 other drivers arraigned for plying the BRT corridors and causing road obstructions were ordered to pay fines to the government in accordance with the law and severity of their offence. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi confirmed that out of 160 arraigned traffic offenders, including those apprehended for driving against traffic (One-way) only 74 had so far appe...