Buhari fires heads of JAMB, TETFUND, others; names new CEOs for 17 Education Agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of 17 new Chief Executives for parastatals and agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The appointment took effect from August 1, 2016.

While some were sacked, others like the National Universities Commission got new heads as tenure of the ex-CEOs had ended.

The new appointees are:
National Universities Commission – Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed

Nigerian Institute for Education Planning and Administration – Prof. Lilian Salami

Universal Basic Education – Dr. Hameed Bobboyi

National Library of Nigeria – Prof Lanre Aina

National Examinations Council – Prof. Charles Uwakwe

National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal education – Prof. Abba Aladu

Nomadic Education Commission – Prof. Bashir Usman

National Business and Technical Examinations Board – Prof. Isioma
Isiugo-Abanihe

Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria – Prof. Sunday Josiah Ajiboye

Computer Registration Council of Nigeria – Afolabi Aderinto

National Commission for Colleges of Education – Prof. Bappah Aliyu

Tertiary Education Trust Fund – Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa

National Mathematical Centre – Prof. Steven Ejugwu Onah

Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB – Prof. Ishaq Oloyede

National Institute of Nigerian Languages – Prof. Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche

Librarian Registration Counil of Nigeria – Prof Michael Afolabi

National Teachers Institute – Prof Garba Dahuwa Azare.

Similarly, President Buhari has also approved that the following chief executives to be retained in their respective agencies:

Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council – Prof. Samaila Junaidu

Nigerian French Language C\Village – Prof rauuf adebisi
National Board for Technical

Education – Dr. Mas’ud Kazaure
National Arabic language Village – Prof. Muhammad Mu’az.

Universities need freedom to admit students —FUNAAB VC

The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and President, Association of African Universities, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, has said universities need a free hand to decide on the quality of the students they want to admit.

He stated  that the current unitary system whereby only JAMB scores is depended on may not really be reliable in determining the good quality of students that should come into the system.

He added that there is need to sustain post-UTME or look for other means of ensuring that students who are coming in through the JAMB are the qualified ones who also wrote the examination.

He also said that he is not sure that JAMB has the foolproof solution to the problems that it is facing .

University of Ibadan begins industrial action

All is not well with the ivory tower, University of Ibadan as academic and administrative activities were paralysed at the institution on Monday.

The Non-academic staff unions
continued their warning strike on Monday to demand full payment of salaries and arrears from January
2016 to date.

Staff of the university have since January 2016 been collecting incomplete salaries due to shortfall of allocation from the federal government to the institution.

The unions had ordered their members to go home last week Friday after holding a joint congress at the university entrance gate forcing people to trek distances to their destinations.

However, in a post on the social media, Bursar of the University Michael Alatise disclosed that the university has now received payment of shortfalls covering January to April, 2016 with directive of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka that the money be paid.

Nurses at LUTH suspend strike

Nurses at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba yesterday suspended its protracted strike which resulted to the discharge of all patients in the
tertiary hospital.

Full services will resume at the hospital from today, raising hope that patients who had abandoned the facility since June 10, 2016 can return to the hospital.

Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), LUT H Branch, Stephen Olutola told Vanguard that the strike was suspended after a meeting between the leadership of the nurses and the Federal Ministry of Health, FMOH, during which the ministry pledged to address the demands of the nurses.

I left the university system better, says Okojie

The immediate past Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okojie, has said he left the university system better than it was 10 years ago.

Speaking yesterday at a brief handover ceremony in Abuja, Okojie who came into the commission as a visiting professor in 2002 before becoming its chief executive attributed his achievements to teamwork.

He, therefore, thanked the directors,
stakeholders and the media for the support he received during his tenure.

Okojie said he had been driven by the fear of God and love for neighbour, enjoiniing the new Acting Executive Secretary, Professor Chinedu Mafiana and his team to steer the wheel of the university system with courage.

LASU suspends three over attempt to abduct SUG President

Three students of the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, have been suspended indefinitely over an alleged attempt to abduct the President, Student Union Government (SUG) of the institution, ‘Tayo Sekoni.

The suspended students are Oladayo Mojeed Babatunde, a 500-Level student of the School Of Transport; Adebanjo Fatai Adekoya, a 500-Level student of the Faculty of Law, and a Fola Kosoko, who just completed his studies in the institution. He had earlier been suspended over his involvement in some fracas.

According to the school’s latest official bulletin, released by the Centre for Information, Press And Public Relations of the Vice Chancellor’s Office (LASU), the trio attempted to abduct Sekoni on his way home on Thursday, July 28, 2016.

The bulletin said the management of the school suspended the “students with immediate effect, for attempting to abduct the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) President ‘Tayo Sekoni, on his way home on Thursday, 28th July, 2016, pending their appearances before the Students’ Disciplinary Committee (SDC).”

It added that the “aforementioned students/graduate have been strongly instructed not to participate in the socio-academic activities of the prestigious Lagos State University until the suspension is lifted. In addition, the suspended students/graduate are not to be seen within the university premises except on invitation.”

NUC approves new Bayelsa’s varsity in Dickson’s village

The National University Commission (NUC) has approved the University of Africa (UA), Toru-Orua, the community of the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, as the 43rd state university in the country.

Its approval was reportedly followed the formal presentation of the relevant gazette law, academic brief, physical master plan and the report of the advisory assessment visit by the commission.

The UA, Toru-Orua, is said to be an initiative of the Bayelsa State Government expected to run as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.

The state government is required to only provide the enabling environment, while the financing would reportedly come from the private sector.

The NUC was said to have given its nod for the university in a letter dated July 28, 2016.

According to a statement signed by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, congratulated the state government.

He noted that, the establishment of the university took effect from the 28th of July, having complied with the basic requirements adding that the AU is also the 143rd in the Nigerian university system.

Students’ remarkable week

Students of the Mass Communication Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), held their yearly Week, tagged: “Jackson Week”. The event featured a vocational training, where the students learnt craftwork. JAMES OJO (300-Level Mass Communication) reports.

It was a week they all looked forward to, but none expected the large turnout at the event. It was the yearly Week of the Department of Mass Communication of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

Students, under the aegis of Mass Communication Students’ Association (MACSA), turned out in gorgeous attires for the event.

The week-long event started with a vocational training, where students learnt website development, computer programming and video editing.

The participants were also trained on how to make cakes, bags, beads and shoes. The training was followed by a seminar on finance management and how to start small scale businesses.

On the second day, there was a novelty football match in honour of the Head of Department (HOD), Dr Greg Ezeah. Second year students of the department worn the contest.

On the third day, the students organised a lecture with the theme:
Journalism today: The realities of professional practices. It held at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium (PAA) and was graced by speakers

Internet fraud: AAUA suspends student arrested by EFCC

The management of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, has suspended a student of the institution, who was among the students arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for fraud.

The student, Tajudeen Kolawole, a 400-level student of Political Science of the university allegedly used a fake identity to perpetrate fraud.

Kolade was allegedly involved in a N16m internet scam along with four other students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, leading to their arrest by the EFCC.

In a statement on Thursday by the Head, Information, Protocol and Public Relations of the institution, Mr. Sola Imoru, the student was punished in line with the regulation of the university, pending the conclusion of investigation by the anti-graft body.

The statement read in part, “The suspension is in line with the extant rule of the university to place on suspension any student allegedly involved in a criminal act either within or outside the university until the conclusion of his or her case by the investigating or prosecuting authority and the relevant University Disciplinary Committee.”

The institution advised Kolawole to stay away from the university campus until further notice, except if he was expressly invited by the university authorities.

It will be recalled that the management of FUTA had also suspended the four students who were arrested by the anti-graft agency for the fraud.

New UNIJOS VC escapes death

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Prof. Sebastian Maimoko, on Wednesday night escaped death when gunmen stormed his home, shooting dead a private security man and injuring a police officer and another private guard.

Maimoko was said to be away when the incident happened. A source said the injured security man was whisked away and the rifle of the police officer seized.

According to a source, the VC, who assumed office in June, was out of the country at the time of the attack.

A witness, Stephen Serki, said the incident took place around 8:30p.m. on Wednesday.
In a statement from the university’s Principal Assistant Registrar, Information and Publications, Mr. Abdullahi Abdullahi, it said “the unknown assailants with unknown motives arrived the personal residence of the Vice-Chancellor at Eto Baba Road, Angwan Rukuba, Jos, and opened fire at the entrance of the residence, adding that in the process, one security man of the university, Owes Jibrin, an Assistant Patrol Supervisor with the Security Division, was killed.