HOW WE RIGGED FAYOSE INTO OFFICE-EKITI PDP SECRETARY

Secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Temitope Aluko on Sunday opened a can of worms as he gave an insider account of how the military was used to rig the 2014 Ekiti State governor election that Ayo Fayose won under PDP.
Aluko, who was the Chief Returning Officer and signed the results for the election, also disclosed how former President Goodluck Jonathan, gave Fayose $37 million cash to
prosecute the governorship election.

The embattled Secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of PDP, made the disclosure in Abuja, stressed that he was forced to come forward with the revelations because Fayose betrayed
him and derailed from the original plan they had for the development of the state.

Aluko had also testified in camera before the military panel that investigated the role of the military in the Ekiti election. According to Aluko, who said he was part Fayose’s inner cycle
during the election, alleged that Jonathan initially gave the incumbent Ekiti governor a first tranche of $2 million in March 2014 for the primary election.

He noted that this cash was collected at the NJC headquarters in Abuja and was taken to Fayose’s private house, in Abuja before it was moved to Ekiti.

“Immediately after the primary election, we collected. another $35 million from Jonathan on June 17, 2014. The money was brought to us by the former Minister of State for Defence,
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro".

“We all assembled at the front office of Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, owned by Fayose. Thereafter, the cash was taken to a Bureau De Change in Onitsha where it was converted to N4.7 billion”, Aluko added.

Aluko, further alleged that Fayose received about N3 billion cash from Sen. Buruji Kashamu in 2013 for revive the PDP in Ekiti State. The Ekiti PDP scribe, also gave account on how the military was used to win the election.

Aluko said “the former President agreed with Fayose and summoned a security meeting at the Presidential Villa for the purpose of the election. “Those at the meeting were the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh; then Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Kenneth Minimmah; and former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.

“Others included Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, then Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and Obanikoro. “At that meeting, the former President made it clear to the ex Chief of Defence Staff that Fayose would stand for him (as Commander-In-Chief) in terms of providing security for the election”.

Aluko alleged that Fayose, relying on Jonathan’s directive, approached the former Commander of the Army Brigade in Akure, Brig. Gen. Dikko to take charge of the election for the PDP, who refused to cooperate and was replaced after a petition was filed against him.
“But Gen. Dikko did not give us audience. He stated bluntly that he would not be available for such operation. So Fayose sponsored a petition against him which led to his replacement
with Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh who was amenable to our plans”.

Aluko alleged that a total of 64 PDP stalwarts were picked,who had knowledge of their local governors were picked to help with information on opposition members. “They gave detailed information regarding names and locations of opposition members in all the local governments, the various routes, areas of strength and weaknesses of the PDP in the 16 local governments.

“Today, most of these 64 hatchet men are members of the Senate, House of Representatives, state House of Assembly, commissioners, local government chairmen, special advisers
and the rest”, Aluko said. He continued, “We went into the election with 1040 recognised
soldiers and another batch of 400 unrecognised soldiers brought from Enugu by Sen. Andy Uba.

“In addition, we raised 44 special strike teams brought in Toyota Hilux buses from Abuja and Onistah. We made special stickers for the vehicles that conveyed members of the strike
team and black hand bands for each of them. “Each strike team was made up of 10 members headed by a soldier and comprising soldiers, policemen, DSS operatives and Civil Defence corps. They were detailed to attack and arrest prominent APC chieftains in all the local governments.

“We set up anchorage, mainly residential houses, in every local government where the strike team members collected their welfare and other allowances. “To encourage the strike team members, we gave them orders to share money and other valuables they could lay their hands on in the houses of APC chieftains they raided.

“Then we set up detention camps, mainly in primary schools where most of the APC chieftains were detained. Others were detained in police stations where the DPOs were friendly with us. We let them off after the election was over.

“A day to the election, we used the military to block all routes in the local governments and prevented APC chieftains, including former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi
from coming into Ekiti. “So we ensured that no APC chieftain was insight on election.
We provided polling agents for the APC in most of the polling units so we had no problem getting them to sign electionresults in the units.

“All these local and foreign observers that described the election free and fair only witnessed the voting exercise on election day without knowing what transpired before the
voting”. Explains why he was coming up with the revelations, Auto said “Before the election, Fayose, Femi Bamishile and I jointly swore with the Holy Bible on a sharing formula after we must have won the election. We agreed that Fayose would be governor, Bamishile his deputy and I Chief of Staff.

“But the moment he got into office, Fayose reneged on the agreement and left me in the lurch. More worrisome is the fact that Fayose has derailed from the original Ekiti...

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LAGOS FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF 114 ROADS, MOBILIZES CONTRACTORS WITH 30% PAYMENT.

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday announced the flagging off of 114 roads to be constructed in the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State, just as it assured that more roads will be accommodated in the next phase of the project.

The project, which is being fully funded by the State Government, will be constructed two per each LGAs and LCDAs, and is expected to be completed within six months.
Speaking at a joint press briefing addressed by the State’s Ministries of Information and Strategy, Local Government and Community Affairs and the Conference of Executive Secretaries of LGAs and LCDAs, the government disclosed that the project would commence simultaneously in all the Councils within the next seven days.

Giving a background to the project, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde said the mission for the actualization of the project started in October 2015 when Governor Akinwumi Ambode met with the Executive Secretaries of all the 57 Councils in the State, and agreed with them on the need to massively embark on rehabilitation and construction of inner roads across the State.

Ayorinde said the project was designed to complement the massive road construction and rehabilitation going on in the State which culminated in the repair of 300 roads in just seven months, adding that same was in sync with the determination of the current administration to make Lagos work for all.

While corroborating Ayorinde, Chairman of Conference 57, the umbrella body of Executive Secretaries of LGAs and LCDAs in the State, Hon. Kolade Alabi recalled that upon assumption of office, Governor Ambode directed the Council bosses to submit a list of two inner roads in each of the Councils for construction in the first phase of the initiative through open competitive bidding.

Alabi said that in executing the project, a unique model of bottom up infrastructural development and inclusive governance style was adopted, which eventually culminated in the active participation of all the relevant stakeholders in the list of the roads selected for the project.

He said stakeholders such as the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and others were involved in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the project, adding that a transparent process was also adopted in the appointment of contractors that would execute the project.

He said the project was initially designed to gulp N19 billion, but the cost was reduced to N17.5 billion after a transparent bidding process, adding that the contractors have been directed to engage the locals, especially artisans and experts, so as to boost the fight against unemployment and poverty.

Alabi, who is also the Executive Secretary of Bariga LCDA, further disclosed that the 114 roads will be of best standard with walkways, street lights and drainage, adding that contractors have already been mobilized with payment of 30 percent of the total cost.
The remaining cost of the project, according to Alabi, would be released as work progress on the project.

“This is no doubt unprecedented in the history of not just Lagos State, but in the entire nation with all modesty. I salute Governor Ambode’s vision, sense of commitment and dedication to grassroots development. It is indeed taking Lagos to the next level and the benefits as well as the gains of this project on the socio-economic lives of Lagosians cannot be over-emphasised,” Alabi said.

Also speaking, Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Muslim Folami said the project was in fulfillment of the campaign promise made to the people by the Governor.

Folami said that the next phase will commence after the completion of the first phase, assuring that Governor Ambode would not relent until all the inner roads in the State are fully rehabilitated.

CITATION OF THE NEW VC OF LASU - PROF. LANRE HAKEEM FAGBOHUN

The Lagos State Governor and visitor to the institution, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday,  6th of January, 2016 approved the appointment of Professor Olanrewaju Abdulhakeem Adefunmilayo Fagbohun as the Eighth (8th) substantive Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University, Ojo. 

Professor Fagbohun was born on 19th October, 1966, at Akesan, a town in Alimosho local government area of Lagos State. 

He had his primary education at Local Authority Primary School,  Agege Lagos and his secondary education at Ikeja Grammer school Oshodi, Lagos.  He proceeded to University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University where he obtained his first degree in Law in the year 1987.

Quest for knowledge took him to University of Lagos where he acquired Master of Law (LL. M degree) in 1991. He went further to the Robert Kennedy College, Switzerland where he obtained Postgraduate Diploma in International Tax Law. He went back to Obafemi Awolowo University for his Ph.D in law. 

Professor Fagbohun is a Professor with  the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies where he currently acts as the director of studies. He is the first to hold the prestigious NIALS chike Idigbe professional chair. Prior to joining the Institute, he taught environmental law and policy  and International Environmental Law at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the faculty of law of the Lagos State University.  

His practice, researches and writings have have in the last 20years focused on environmental advocacy and litigation, indigenous rights and the Law of Pollution Control and Environment Restoration. Currently he is also the Director of the Environmental Law Research Institute (ELRI).  

PROF. FAGBOHUN ANNOUNCED AS NEW LASU VC

Prof. Abdul-Hakeem Lanre Fagbohun 

The visitor to Lagos State University, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode today announced Prof. Lanre Fagbohun as the new Vice Chancellor of the institution amidst speculations.



Professor Fagbohun came first in the interview held for candidates who showed interest for the no 1 position in the school, and this announcement was in agreement to the interview result.

Before now, most candidates considered came 3rd in the interview, this had informed speculations that the candidate who came 3rd, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello would be announced as the new VC.

Prof. Lanre Fagbohun is the Director of Studies of International Law Association (ILA), Nigeria. In this capacity, he provides overall guidance and expert supervision to all scholarly reports and publications of the Branch.

Prof. Fagbohun is currently the Chike Idigbe Distinguished  Research Professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos. Prior to joining the Institute he taught Environmental Law and Policy and International Environmental Law at the Undergraduate and Post-graduate levels in the Faculty of Law of the Lagos State University.  His practice, research and writing has in the last 20 years focused on environmental litigation, indigenous rights and the law of pollution control and environmental restoration. 

Professor Fagbohun was at different times

• A member of Senate of the Lagos State University; 
• Head of Department of Business Law and later Department of Private and Property law; 
• Co-ordinator, Law Centre, Lagos State University;
•  Co-ordinator the Department of Environmental Law and Allied Disciplines of the Centre for Environment and Science Education of the Lagos State University; 
• Project Facilitator and Resource Person to the British Council, Committee on Ecology and Environment of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, United Nations Development Programme, the National Judicial Council; 
• Environmental Rights Action & Friends of the Environment, Nigeria. 
• For several years he was the Editor-in-Chief of the LASU Law Journal; 
• Member, Journal of Nigerian Labour Law; and 
• Chairman, Editorial Board of the Petroleum, National Resources and Environmental Law Journal.  
• He is a member of the National Work-Group for the Streamlining of Environmental laws in Nigeria and Development of Environmental Law and Policy Curriculum for Nigerian Universities; 
• Member, LASEPA Technical Advisory Committee on Environmental Management and Control (Downstream Oil and Gas Sector); 
• Member, Expert Group for the development of Climate Change Policy and Legislation for the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and 
•  Director, Environmental Law Research Institute.  
• He is a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminars.

Professor Fagbohun has published extensively in local and international journals in the area of environmental law, and co-edited several books among which is a 25 chapter book on “Environmental Law Policy”, and another 31 chapter book on “Development and Reforms; Nigeria’s Commercial Law”.  His latest work is an over 630-page book titled, “The Law of Oil Pollution and Environmental Restoration: A Comparative Review”

AMBODE CONVERTS LASU TO RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTION, APPROVES 70YRS RETIREMENT AGE FOR PROFESSORS

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode 

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Tuesday, signed a bill into law converting the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, to a residential institution, as well as approving 70 years retirement age for professors of the institution. The law, LASU (Amendment) Bill 2015, also approved a five-year single term for the Vice Chancellor of the institution.

Over the last few years, there has been a running battle between the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, with the immediate-past Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Obafunwa, over demands that the school approves 70 years as retirement age for professors, single term of five years for Vice Chancellor, among others.

Signing the bill into law at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday, Ambode said the amended law is aimed at raising the standard of the school to an enviable position and a school that people would be proud of.

The governor said it is the desire of the state government to build a LASU that would produce better students, saying that in the next few days, changes would begin to take place in the school. 

IS LASU CRISES OVER?... SHARE YOUR THOUGHT

One of the main point of attraction of the prestigious Lagos State University is the incessant crisis that rocks the school between management and staff unions, and student union body alike. 

It thus has become a normal occurrence for some persons when they hear of crisis in the alma mata. To this effect,  the visitor to the school, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has made some move to ensure the crisis is nipped in the bud once and for all. 

Some of the Burning issues that fueled the crisis as demanded by the staff union are

• Withdrawal of the then vice Chancellor, Professor Obafunwa from office and a refusal to come for second term having performed poorly in his first term
• Staff promotion exercise as denied by Prof. Obafunwa
• Outstanding salary arrears and those accruable from promotions when effected
• And others.  

The visitor in his first bid dissolved the previous governing council headed by Chief Bode August, the new governing council inaugurated started off with a critical look into the crisis situation and has thus so far resolved the following 

• Naming an acting vice chancellor, Prof. Fidelis Njokanma after the tenure of the former VC elapsed
• Approval of 2013/2014 promotion exercise for 41 members of academic staff, 309 non-teaching senior members of staff, and 296 non-teaching members of staff in the Junior cadre
• Advertisement and pre-selection of the best 3 candidates for the post of vice chancellor
• Among others

The visitor in his bid proposed  a 5year one term for vice chancellor. This proposal was forwarded to the state House of Assembly as a bill for amendment. 

On Tuesday, 29th December,  201, stakeholders met at the Lateef Jakande Hall of the state Assembly with a mission to salvage the situation of the Lagos State University, LASU, through an amendment to the law setting up the institution.

The stakeholders comprised majorly of lawmakers of the state staff and union members of the institution as well as other residents who had followed the trend of crises in the institution and who are interested in seeing that the crises get resolved.

Titled: A Law To Amend The Lagos State University Law, 2004, the bill which came up for public hearing has seven proposed amendments with the first section announcing the amendment. Section 2 of the bill seeks to amend Section 10 (subsection 2) of the original law to now read: “The Vice Chancellor shall exercise general supervision of the university, in addition to any other functions confer red on or imposed on him by law, the Statute, Ordinance and Regulations and shall subject to the approval of the Council, exercise general supervision over discipline in the university.

The bill also seeks to insert a new Section 36 (1b) to now read: “The Senate shall recommend the minimum admission requirements to the Council in line with extant law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” while seeking to delete section 36 (subsection 3) of the original law.

The new section 40 of the law is to now read: “a residential policy for students shall be as may be determined by the Senate and in case of medical students in their clinical years, the provision of residence is mandatory.

While the amendment proposes a single tenure of five years for the Vice Chancellor, it also proposes that the Pro-Chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council shall be appointed by the Visitor at his discretion.

Prior to the consideration of the executive bill for the amenment, the Vice Chancellor of the institution that has now been taken over by crises, enjoyed a four-year renewable term. But there is the belief that a single term of five years would help solve part of the problems of the institution.

From left: Funmilayo Tejuoso, Lanre Ogunyemi, deputy speaker Wasiu Eshinlokun, and majority leader Sanni Agunbiade at the stakeholders meeting. 

Giving his opinion on the single term for the Vice Chancellor, Lanre Ogunyemi, who chairs the Committee on Education and organised the stakeholders’ meeting, allayed fears in some quarters that it could result in Vice Chancellors becoming autocratic or showing dictatorial tendencies. According to him, there are other formal ways to check any such excesses.

Ogunyemi said the amendment is aimed at enhancing the quality of education being discharged in the university and that it would assist in putting an end to the protracted leadership crisis that has rocked the state-owned tertiary institution. Apart from this, the challenge affecting de-accreditation of courses in the institution would be considered.

“The single-term tenure considered in Schedule 1 of the amendment is imperative because the institution, since its establishment, has been bedevilled by internal crisis, which were targeted at sitting Vice-Chancellors, who desire to seek a second term in office,” Ogunyemi said adding that everyone must be on the same page in the quest to salvage the university from its multifaceted problems. “We must all agree together to diffuse tension borne out of the issues ranging from the tenures of the Vice Chancellor and other principal officers, the university’s residential policy, retirement age for professional cadre etc.”

In his view, the acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Fidelis Njekama, suggested that the institution should be given power to build hostels on campus at its discretion. “As it is now, we can’t have hostels. Just permit us to build hostels,” he said. And concerning the tenure of the Vice Chancellor, he reminded that such position is often occupied by a teaching staff and that there should be a way to recognise this so that a person occupying the position could return to classroom when his tenure ends.

Speaking through its Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, LASU chapter, suggested that professors in the university should be allowed to retire at the age of 70 instead of the current age of 65 that operates in the school. According to Idris, this is one of the reasons the institution has lost over 15 professors to other higher institutions. He also complained about other welfare packages which are lacking for professors. He suggested that professors, who serve and retire from the university should be given pension commensurate with their salaries and that those who only serve about 20 years should get the usual pension.

Dr. Idris said that ASUU-LASU had been advocating a single-year tenure of five years for the Vice Chancellor of the university and other principal officers of the institution for some time now. He suggested that other principal officers of institutions enjoy a single term of five years each. “We are proposing, as in the national law, that all principal officers like the registrar and bursar, use a term of five years instead of the others having a term of four years renewable for another four years.

“LASU has lost close to 15 professors. So let us implement the law that makes professors to work up to 70 years. Why would a brilliant chap want to come to LASU when he knows that by 65, he would be sent out when in UNILAG, he would stay up to 70? The law on retirement age for professors should be incorporated in the law. Those that are not in the professorial cadre and non-academic staff should be 65 years while academic staff in the professorial cadre should be 70 years. A professor who served the university up to the retirement age should be paid his pension equivalent to his salary while those who have served up to 20 years in same institution would get pensions as is supposed.”

Listing six propositions, the ASUU chairman suggested that one law that should be considered by the House should be the Autonomy Act which has also been amended twice. He also suggested that the Visitor should not be given the power to pick a Vice Chancellor. Rather, the power should be vested in the Governing Council which would only inform the Visitor. “The Governing Council would appoint the Vice Chancellor and it would be approved by the Visitor, the Governor of the state,” he said.

In his view, the Majority leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade, who reviewed the bill, appealed to all staff of the institution to change their attitude and conduct in order to make the law active. He lamented that the institution’s problems had to do with the law and the conduct of some people within the system who have vowed that no law would work. “The staff know where the shoe pinches; our own responsibility is to make laws that would push the institution to the next level,” Agunbiade said.

For Obafela Bankolema, Special Adviser to Governor Ambode on Education, “what we’ve presented here is the thought of the executive. This is the only university we have and are not proud that we are always engaged in one crisis or the other.”