All is not well in the IT Department of Covenant University, Otta, our source can authoritatively report.
A guru in information technology (IT) attached to that department is in the police net after he was found to have devised a means by which he diverted funds meant for the university into his private pocket. By the time the university woke up to his antics, he had succeeded in siphoning a whopping N180 million!
Before the bubble burst, not a few people were said to have wondered how the loved and trusted official was managing to get the funds with which he maintained a lifestyle the Chancellor of the university and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, would call “riotous living.”
He was said to have bought some flashy cars which he kept in a mansion he bought with stolen funds in highbrow Lekki part of Lagos, even though he had a house in the school where he lived with his wife.
Every Friday, he would cruise with his wife to the posh house in Lekki to enjoy the weekend. But what really gave him away was the habit of flying back to his duty post in Otta in a chopper that landed at the premises of The Bells University, which is only a stone’s throw from Covenant University.
Tongues began to wag from onlookers who started to wonder who the big boy could be. Word about his lifestyle soon got to the authorities of Covenant University who decided to put him under surveillance and realized that he had stolen the university’s money amounting to more than N180 million. The funds were mainly school fees paid by students.
The fees were paid into the accounts of the university in designated banks but the disingenuous inventor found a means of diverting the money into his private account. The discovery alarmed the authorities of the school. Oyedepo, sources said, was flabbergasted.
The IT guru was promptly reported to the police, who arrested him. Covenant University authorities expected the police to fast track his prosecution but that was not forthcoming.
Words got to the university that the suspected fraudster was greasing the palms of the police. Again alarmed by the development, the authorities sidelined the police and handed the suspect to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted stealing the said sum and even agreed to refund N56 million in cash immediately. Sentry will keep you posted on further developments.
Source
TheNation
On Friday, May 3rd, UK graduates were invited to reconnect with their former institutions and to find out more about career opportunities in Nigeria.
The event, dubbed “Nigerian talent, UK educated” was organized by a group of 19 UK universities as an extension of the alumni and career support typically offered in the UK. Following a first edition of the event held in Lagos in April 2018, the organizers deemed it appropriate to move to the nation’s capital for the second edition, which held at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
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| Emma Tarrant Tayou (University of Nottingham) and Deve Omiunu (representing Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University). |
Alumni were able to hold one to one interactions with employers such as Nigerian Breweries, Jaiz Bank, Phillips Consulting, and Stutern, who were all present at this edition of the event. Gabriel Negbenebor, who is Head of People & Organisational Development at Nigerian Breweries and a graduate of Cardiff Metropolitan University, explained the event was beneficial to employers who need to fill roles requiring international experience. Other employers joining the event in Abuja included Amnesty International, Centre for Studies of Economics in Africa (CSEA) and Norrenberger.
Alongside the one to one interactions, former UK graduates shared useful insights with fair attendees on topics such as developing a career in the legal sector and working within Public Health. Aramide Abe (alumna of University of Nottingham) brought Naija Startups to the event, offering both ongoing advice throughout the fair and a master class on entrepreneurship and the business start-up process aimed at helping those looking to set up their own businesses in the future.
The majority of the graduates in attendance had completed master’s level studies and some were also keen to understand future prospects in research and academia. A session on insights into Ph.D. study was offered by a well-qualified team of academics: Dr Terry Cousens, Senior Lecturer (School of Civil Engineering) University of Leeds; Dr Gareth Roberts, Lecturer in Remote Sensing and Programme Lead for Applied GIS and Remote Sensing University of Southampton; Winfred Dotse-Gborgbortsi, PhD researcher and previous MSc Commonwealth Scholar, University of Southampton; Professor Jim Baird, Chair of Waste and Resource Management (Faculty of Engineering), Glasgow Caledonian University.
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| UK university representatives worked together to organize the event. Back row: Sergine Monple (University of Central Lancashire, Annabel Mitchell (Nottingham Trent University), Adebisi Adekola (University of Salford), Oyedapo Oyeyemi (University of Leeds), Alicia Butterfield (Loughborough University), William Kelly (University of Glasgow), Tom Williams (UCLAN), Francis Ojo (University of Birmingham), Pamela Armstrong (University of Glasgow), Alexa Jones (Cardiff University), Chinelo Konwea (University of Portsmouth), Fern Williams (Cardiff Metropolitan University), David Lennon (Newcastle University)Front row: Ifeanyi Udofia (University of Sussex), Emma Tarrant Tayou (University of Nottingham), Jenny Hyde (University of Portsmouth), Ajoke Olakunle (University of Glasgow), Claire Grant (University of Stirling), Yusuff Kaffo (University of Salford), Melissa Gibson (University of Southampton), Deve Omiunu (Cardiff University), Charlotte Greenwood (University of Kent). |
Attendees of the event benefited from networking with employers as well as reconnecting with representatives from their universities. Graduates were also able to meet and network with other alumni from their previous institutions who may have graduated in different years as well as make new connections with graduates of other institutions but with whom they have a shared UK experience.
For graduates of the universities involved looking to stay connected with their institutions, or for enquiries about future studies at the institutions involved, relevant contact points are listed below:
- University of Birmingham — j.maurice@bham.ac.uk or f.ojo@bham.ac.uk
- Cardiff Metropolitan University — westafrica@cardiffmet.ac.uk
- Cardiff University — ominiud1@cardiff.ac.uk
- University of Central Lancashire — smonple@uclan.ac.uk
- University of Essex — arinze@essex.ac.uk
- University of Glasgow — ajoke.olakunle@glasgow.ac.uk
- Glasgow Caledonian University — lorna.campbell@gcu.ac.uk
- University of Kent — c.greenwood@kent.ac.uk
- University of Leeds — o.a.oyeyemi@adm.leeds.ac.uk
- Loughborough University — a.c.butterfield@lboro.ac.uk
- University of Newcastle — david.lennon@newcastle.ac.uk
- University of Nottingham — emma.tayou@nottingham.ac.uk
- Nottingham Trent University — annabel.mitchell@ntu.ac.uk
- University of Portsmouth — jenny.hyde@port.ac.uk
- Robert Gordon University — a.adebusuyi@rgu.ac.uk
- University of Salford — y.a.kaffo@salford.ac.uk
- University of Southampton — nigeria@soton.ac.uk
- University of Stirling — Claire.grant@stir.ac.uk
- University of Sussex — I.A.Udofia@sussex.ac.uk
More photos below
The Kogi Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Oludolapo Ahile, has died in an auto crash.
The Assistant Director, Public Relations, Kogi NYSC, Mr Adedapo Tayo said that the coordinator was involved in a ghastly accident alongside her husband on Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway in Nassarawa State.
Tayo said that the accident occurred at Lafia axis of the highway at about 2 p.m on Thursday, May 16, after her vehicle somersaulted twice and veered into the bush.
Tayo added that the late coordinator and her husband with two other occupants were on their way to Tiv land in Benue for the burial/funeral of her father-in-law.
He said that the four occupants of the vehicle were rushed to the hospital and that it was unfortunate that Ahile died the early hours of Friday, May 17.
Tayo disclosed that her husband, Mr Michael Ahile, the driver and the other persons survived the crash but were injured.
He said that the late Coordinator’s husband whose injuries were more severe was transferred to a hospital in Abuja.
According to Tayo, the late Mrs Ahile left Lokoja around 6 a.m on May 16, to join her husband in Abuja in preparation for the funeral of her father-in-law.
”Her husband, Mr Michael Ahile picked her in Abuja and they embarked on the journey to Tiv land in Benue through Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia highway.
”The accident occurred at Lafia in Nasarrawa State at about 2 p.m, and they were quickly moved to the Lafia Specialist hospital for medical attention.
”By 2 a.m this morning (May 17) we received information that she died at the Specialist Hospital Lafia,” Tayo said.
He said that the NYSC management had directed that the husband Mr Ahile, who had retired as its Director, be moved to a Specialist Hospital in Abuja for adequate medical attention.
Tayo added that the NYSC Directorate Headquarters had also swung into action concerning the sad incident.
”Appreciation goes to Gov. Yahaya Bello, who sent Mr Sani Ogu, the Chairman, NYSC State Governing Board and Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, on a condolence visit to the state secretariat of the NYSC.
“Oludolapo Ahile immensely contributed to the growth of the NYSC scheme in Kogi. She initiated the ongoing construction of NYSC Multipurpose Hall project that is about to be completed. She had also pressed on the state government for the renovation of the NYSC camp.
”She was a woman of peace and had brought peace in the management and the staff members of the scheme. She had been a motivator to corps members especially on skills acquisition and general counseling.
The entire corps members in Kogi will really miss her. Her last assignment was to present about six corps members for national presidential and honours award, and she celebrated with them in Abuja at the Presidency recently,” Tayo said.
People suspected to be cultists on Tuesday went on a rampage in The Polytechnic, Ibadan, unleashed mayhem and destroyed six vehicles and two tricycles.
Our sources gathered that they vandalised six cars and two tricycles were owned by some staff of the institution and commercial operators.
The attack came few hours after the institution’s management directed the students to resume for academic activities.
The institution had said the resumption became necessary in order for the students to continue their academic exercise for the remaining part of the first semester 2018/2019 academic session.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Registrar. Mrs Modupe Theresa Fawale, who disclosed that a town-and-gown meeting held on Monday, 6th May 2019, with parents, guardians, communities surrounding the institution as well as traditional rulers, religious leaders and landlord associations yielded positive results which culminated in the decision to re-open the institution forthwith.
Unfortunately, as they resumed it was gathered that the unknown gunmen invaded the institution some minutes before 4.pm on Tuesday and attacked anyone found in the institution.
A management staff of the institution said, “There were rains of gunshots as some unknown men disrupted the peace at the South campus entrance of the institution on Tuesday afternoon, 7th May, 2019.
"The incident began some minutes to 4pm in the afternoon, where various properties were damaged ranging from private cars, tricycles, the commercial bus, and the security house at the entrance of the Institution.
“Those people were three with two holding guns, and one with axe. They were in blue top and black beret. When they came, the security men manning the gate ran for their lives as they were shooting in the air as well as destroying cars with the axe.
“Before the security operatives would reach the venue of the situation, the perpetrators of the acts have left the scene”.
Another staff of the institution confirmed that,’
’the incident occurred at the South Campus of the institution where the assailants vandalised six cars and two tricycles.”
When contacted, the institution’s Public Relations Officer Alhaji Soladoye Adewole said he was yet to be ‘briefed’ about the incident.
Source
LEADERSHIP
The event will be the eighth annual convocation ceremony of the university.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Abdalla Adamu, disclosed this at a press conference on Tuesday at the institution’s headquarters, Jabi District, Abuja.
Mr Adamu said as a weapon of mass instruction, people are now accepting Open Distance Learning (ODL) as a way and system of self-training.
He said following President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent December 7, 2018 to the National Open University Amendment Act, graduates of the university will henceforth participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He said its law graduates can also go to the Nigerian Law School.
Mr Adamu said the Act allows the National Open University to operate as other universities in Nigeria.
He said NOUN also has the same power and functions and the same administrative structures as other universities, thus eliminating discrimination against its products.
“Negotiations have started between NOUN and agencies responsible for NYSC and Law School. We are also willing to accept whatever conditions are given to accept our students in Law School and NYSC.”
The vice-chancellor said NOUN gives hope to the hopeless in Nigeria in the pursuit of university education.
“It is only NOUN that gives opportunity to prisoners to study, while at the same time serving their jail terms.
“Presently, we have more than 400 prisoners who are studying under NOUN. There is also a particular prisoner who was sentenced to life imprisonment, but he is undergoing his PhD studies. Very soon we will engage him as our facilitator.”
Mr Adamu also revealed that a former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, receives N40,000 annually as an allowance for being a facilitator of the university.
“Mr Obasanjo’s allowance is N40,000 a year and he is happy being our facilitator. He has an office in our Abeokuta Study Centre, where we attached to him two students of Christian Theology.”
The president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun Ogunyemi while officially announcing the suspension of the strike yesterday, disclosed the various agreements reached with the Federal Government that led to the suspension of the over three (3) months strike action.
This was contained in a Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed by ASUU and the Federal Government on Thursday. Highlights of the Memorandum of Action include the following;
- In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MoU of 2013.
- Part-payment of the outstanding arrears of the earned academic allowances; defraying the balance up to 2018 in 4 tranches within 36 months; and mainstreaming further payments of EAA into the annual budgets beginning from 2019 budget.
- PICA verification and the release of the arrears of salary shortfall at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, not later than 15th February 2019.
- Strengthening the Consultative Committee on State-owned Universities (CCSOU), inaugurated on Monday, 28th January, 2019 to look into the issues of proliferation, underfunding and governance to consistently deliver on its mandate.
- Payment of the outstanding EAA arrears of all eligible staff in the University of Ilorin, especially the loyal ASUU members whose appointments were illegally terminated by today, 7th February, 2019.
- Acknowledgment and appreciation of Government for facilitating the release of the final letter of approval for the granting of an operational license to NUPEMCO.
- Visitation to all Federal Universities would commence tentatively by 11th March 2019.
- Provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March 2019.
The ASUU president further stated that should Government fail to fulfill its part of the agreement as reflected in this 2019 Memorandum of Action, ASUU shall resume its suspended strike action as the Union deems necessary.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has again disclosed that it has so far registered 1,205,187 candidates for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME, which will commence Saturday, March 16 and end Saturday, March 23.
It was gathered that Lagos and Kaduna states recorded the highest registrations with 161,654 and 76,049 candidates, respectively.
The board also reiterated that the phone numbers candidates used for their profile code registration, electronic pin vending and registration for the previous UTME, can only be used for the 2019 UTME by the same candidates only and no other person.
JAMB equally added that candidates using their previous phone numbers for the second or third time will use the same profile code to purchase the electronic pin. If the profile code has been forgotten, the candidate can retrieve it through a text message. In other words, the old profile code can be used by the same candidate to procure the new electronic pin.
The University of Ibadan has announced the resumption date for academic activities following the suspension of a three-month-old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The university management in a statement signed by the Vice Chancellor, Idowu Olayinka announced February 14, as resumption date for its students.
However, academic activities will resume officially on Feb. 18th.
The statement reads: “Following the suspension of the strike action embarked upon by the ASUU, we wish to advise our students to plan to return to the university as from Thursday, 14th February 2019.
“This would enable those whose voting centres are located within the university to exercise their civic responsibilities on election days.
“On the issue of resumption day for academic activities as directed by the ASUU President, the University of Ibadan management have scheduled to re-commence on Monday, February 18, 2019.
“A revised Academic Calendar for the rest of the 2017/2018 session is being drawn up and will be circulated shortly.
“We wish all those that will be traveling from far and near to Ibadan safe trips.”
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