NEWS

Sanction Nigerian Institutions Running Unaccredited Courses, NANS To FG

Published

5 months ago

January 3, 2024

Stephen

Sanction Nigerian Institutions Running Unaccredited Courses, NANS To FG

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has asked that federal government to sanction Nigerian universities offering unaccredited courses.

The call comes barely 24 hours after the President Bola Tinubu led administration suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republic of Benin and Togo.

World Wide Gist had earlier reported that the Ministry of Education blacklisted roughly 18 foreign learning institutions following an undercover investigation undertaken by a Nigerian newspaper that uncovered the practices of a degree mill in Cotonou, a major city in Benin Republic.

The investigation revealed that the undercover reporter graduated from a Cotonou institution in six weeks and completed the National Youth Service Corps program as required.

However, NANS praised the Federal Government for suspending the review and accreditation of degree credentials from Benin Republic and Togo schools in a statement signed on Wednesday by its Senate President, Elvis Ekundina.

The government was urged “to extend its sanction to tertiary institutions operating in Nigeria who are offering courses without accreditation from relevant authorities,.”

The association charged the Federal Government “to commence investigation into the activities of the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities of obtaining degree certificates from foreign universities.

“While we commend the Federal Government for its quick decision to suspend the accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo, it is, however, important for the government to take further steps into investigating the activities of relevant agencies fingered in the fraudulent activities.

“This is the only way the Federal government can save its face and restore the battered image of the country.

“We also want to use this opportunity to call on the government to beam its searchlight into the activities of tertiary institutions, especially privately owned ones, that are running unaccredited courses.

“These institutions, in their fraudulent act, are destroying our education sector and swindling innocent young Nigerians of their money by offering them unaccredited courses.

“NANS describes these universities and polytechnics offering unaccredited courses as illegal institutions as we want the government to deal with them appropriately.”

In order to reposition the country’s education sector, Ekundina called on the Federal Government to work with NANS and other student bodies to eradicate illicit tertiary educational institutions from the country.

NEWS

Abia Judicial Panel orders arrest of Ikpeazu’s former Chief of Staff, Deputy

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2024

KOLLYLAD

Abia Judicial Panel orders arrest of Ikpeazu’s former Chief of Staff, Deputy

The Chairman of Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the recovery of Government Property and Funds, Justice Florence Doruoha-Igwe (Rtd) has issued a Bench Warrant on Anthony Agbazuere and Don Ubani, who served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff, respectively, to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

This is even as Don Ubani has said that he never received any invitation from the panel.

The Bench Warrant on Agbazuere according to Justice Duruoha-Igwe was because of his alleged failure to appear before the Panel to give evidence in respect to a Toyota Hilux Land Cruiser alleged to be in his possession since he left office.

Justice Doruoha-Igwe (Rtd) who adjourned the matter to January 24, 2024, directed that Agbazuere should be arrested and produced for further cross examination.

The Panel said that the Bench warrant on the former Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Don Ubani, was because of his alleged failure to appear before the Panel and his inability to file a response to a notice served him on 30th of November, 2023.

Speaking before adjourning the matter to 24th of this month, the Chairman Justice Doruoha-Igwe (Rtd) directed that Ubani should be arrested and produced on January 24, 2024, to defend himself.

But reacting to the development, the former Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Don Ubani said he was shocked to read that a Bench Warrant had been issued on him, saying that he was never invited by the Panel.

“I am shocked to read that a Bench Warrant could be issued on me without ever being invited to a Panel either by writing or even through a telephone call,” said Ubani who also described the arrest order as ‘false propaganda and political witch-hunt’.

But the former Deputy Chief of Staff also promised to appear before the Panel of Enquiry if he received an invitation.

NEWS

No date yet for inauguration of Supreme Court’s new Justices – NJC

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2024

KOLLYLAD

No date yet for inauguration of Supreme Court’s new Justices – NJC

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has clarified that no date has yet been fixed for the swearing-in of the newly appointed eleven Justices of the Supreme Court.

The Council said that the purported news by an Abuja based media organization suggesting Monday January 16 for the inauguration of the Justices did not emanate from it.

A statement by the NJC’s Director of Information, Barrister Soji Oye clarified that neither the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who is the NJC Chairman, nor the Council itself authored or endorsed the purported date.

While asking members of the public to disregard the news, the NJC said that the date for the swearing-in of the Justices would be made public at the appropriate time.

NJC’s statement read in part, “The attention of the National Judicial Council has been drawn to a trending story purportedly informing the public that the newly appointed 11 Supreme Court Justices would be sworn in on Monday 16 January 2023.

“The Council by this medium expressly denies the news as it did not emanate from the Council or the Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

“The date for the swearing-in of the Justices will be made public at the appropriate time. Members of the public should please disregard the trending news.”

NEWS

MACBAN demands probe of alleged extra-judicial killing of members in Kaduna

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2024

KOLLYLAD

MACBAN demands probe of alleged extra-judicial killing of members in Kaduna

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Kaduna State, has demanded a probe of alleged extra-judicial killing of their members.

WORLD WIDE GIST recalls that an online report alleged that 11 decomposing corpses of Fulani natives, from Tulde Fulbe, Ladduga Grazing Reserve in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were on Monday discovered in a forest.

They were alleged to have been killed by the Nigerian Army.

But the Headquarters, 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, in a statement on Thursday night, by Lt. Col Musa Yahaya, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, denied involvement of the Army in the said killing.

However, in a statement by MACBAN Kaduna chairman, Haruna Usman Tugga, he insisted that the organisation as an umbrella body of Fulbe in Nigeria received with serious concern the information.

The statement condemned what they described as “extra-judicial killing of law-abiding Fulbe youths of Tilde Fulbe community and other areas of Ladduga Grazing Reserve in Kachia Local Government Area of the state by military personnel at Kachia, headquarters of Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.”

He said they called an emergency executive meeting of the association to get to the root of the matter and find out the remote causes, perpetrators and names of the victims.