News
Soludo Receives new Governing Council Members of Federal Poly, Oko, Harps on Revamping Higher Institutions in Nigeria

**By Christian ABURIME
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, today, Friday, 19th July, 2024, received the new Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic Oko.

The Council members led by its Chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade were received at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.
Senator Gemade who was the former National Chairman of People’s Democratic Party, described Governor Soludo as the most famous former Central Bank Governor in the history of the nation.

He explained that their visit was to officially inform him that they had assumed duty in the institution as members of the governing councils members”As Governor of the CBN, you brought tremendous innovation and we have seen that in your style of governance.
“Part of our work in the institution is to ensure that we collaborate with your government.

“This council will ensure that the institution is close to your government in programmes of technological development.
I am delighted to be here eith my members”; he concluded.Responding, Governor Soludo congratulated them on their well-deserved appointment, illustrating his emotional attachment to the institution.

“I knew it when it was Oko arts of science. It later changed to Anambra State and finally, Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
“It has grown in number and size, but you have a humongous task ahead of you.
“I look at the institution with mixed feelings of hope and opportunities but also of despair.
“We know where the dream was, but whether we are heading to the position, I don’t know.
“This is not peculiar to Federal Polytechnic, Oko. Most of our institutions are turning into glorified secondary school.

“We need to start asking the pivotal question of what our various individual institutions are known for.
What comes to mind when our institutions are mentioned?”Sadly, many of our institutions have gone down.
We need to go back to the fundamental ideas of our forefathers.
“I’m still looking at the glass as half full,” the governor stated.
He revealed that the new composition of the Council is an opportunity for something unique to be done in the institution, rather than being a place where people are given paper certificates without something to do when they graduate.
“In our own Polytechnic here in Mgbakwu, I have a team reviewing their status.
They will soon submit their report on whether the institution is fit for purpose.
“It is a general problem of our education, particularly tertiary education.
“I call them the “villagization” of our institutions, but I see Nigeria in terms of composition of members of the board.
“There is huge work to be done, to be able to rescue our education sector.
“I’ve seen university when it was universal, not minding where one came from but the value being added.
“Here in Anambra, we recruited 8115 teachers from 18 states of the country because the interest of the Anambra child is to be taught by the best teacher.
We are already practising what we preach.”Re-invent Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
It has been villagized to a glorified high school.
“I’ve seen how it works elsewhere and it pains me to see what is going on here.
“We have a job to rebuild because education remains the ladder of opportunities.”In terms of strategic partnership with you, there is a whole lot we can do to assist you, though yours is a Federal Institution in Anambra State.
Let’s do it together”; Governor Soludo added.Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi, Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr. Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, The Acting Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Dr. Uche Onyegbu, among others, attended the event.
Crime
BREAKING: Ibom Air Passenger Charged for Assault, Remanded in Prison

Comfort Emmanson, a passenger who allegedly assaulted airline staff aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been formally charged and remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility.
The update was shared by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. He made the disclosure in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over unruly behavior at Nigerian airports. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) recently announced plans to intensify enforcement, warning that such actions will become more frequent due to the rise in disruptive passenger conduct.
This development follows a separate incident involving Fuji music icon King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (popularly known as KWAM 1), who reportedly tried to stop a ValueJet flight from departing after he was deboarded.
News
Kogi Civil Servant Lauds Ododo, urges action on pending requests
Governor Ododo’s visionary leadership has been a game-changer for Kogi State, and his commitment to transforming the civil service is evident in the progress made so far.

By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
Kogi State Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Barr. Muhammed Musa Tanko, called on the State’s Governor, Aljaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, to approve pending requests that would further boost the morale of civil servants in the state.
Barr Tanko made the call today during a momentous occasion marking the Civil Service Week.
Barr Tanko acknowledged that under Governor Ododo’s leadership, Kogi State has made significant strides in transforming the civil service.
He cited a few examples of the progress made so far to include digital transformation, implementation of the National Minimum Wage, payment of salaries and leave bonuses, and gazetting of the Kogi State Vigilante Service personnel into the state civil service.
The state government has also established the Kogi State ICT Development Agency, headed by a Director-General, Dr. Bashir Tenuche, to drive digital innovation and development.
However, the chairman acknowledged that challenges persist in every system.
Issues of capacity, resource constraints, and bureaucratic bottlenecks are some of the challenges that need to be addressed.
Moreover, retirement from service is creating a vacuum that threatens to disrupt operations, and a robust succession plan is needed to mitigate this risk.
Barr. Tanko humbly called on His Excellency to look at the following requests with penetrating idea of clarity and approve them.
These include pending promotions for deserving and qualified civil servants in respect of years 2023, 2024, and 2025, training for MDAs in compliance with global best practices, training for the Comptroller-General and management team of the Kogi State Vigilante Service, and recruitment of staff to bridge the gap between junior and senior staff.
Governor Ododo’s visionary leadership has been a game-changer for Kogi State, and his commitment to transforming the civil service is evident in the progress made so far.
With these requests approved, the state civil service is poised to achieve even greater heights, and the people of Kogi State will reap the benefits of good governance.
As the civil servants of Kogi State celebrate this week, they do so with hope and optimism for a brighter future.
With the leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the dedication of the civil servants, Kogi State is set to achieve greatness. God bless His Excellency, God bless the Head of Civil Service, Pastor Elijah Adeiza Evinemi, CFA, PhD., and God bless the civil servants of Kogi State!
News
LASPA and LASBACA Seal BetterMart Supermarket Ajah Lagos
The facility manager and the workers were wisked off by the agencies.

•Rowdy scene of LASPA Enforcement officers seal Better Mart/ Ohibaba.com
Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) and its sister agency, Lagos State Building Control Authority , on Monday at 11.45am , swoop down and sealed Better Mart, a supermarket on Badore road, Ajah , Lagos; claiming regulatory infractions.
The facility manager and the workers were wisked off by the agencies.
Ohibaba.com scoops that the property ,owned by a business woman was purchased at the cost of over N170 million, then refurbished.
One of the agencies enforcement officer prattled that the owner of the supermarket had been invited to their office Alausa, Ikeja, adding that she will likely pay N20 million as regulatory infraction before they unseal the property.
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