News

ASUU Strike: Students Protest, Barricade Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Carpet FG

Published

4 years ago

March 9, 2022

Eric

Motorists and commuters were stranded along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday when some students, under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students, South-West zone, protested against the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities strike and the fuel scarcity in the country.

The protesters, who blocked both sides of the expressway around the Car Park C, Mowe, Ogun State, carried placards with various inscriptions and sang solidarity songs.

The activities of the protesters grounded traffic with many travellers trapped in the gridlock.

The NANS Chairman in Ogun State, Kehinde Simeon, who spoke on behalf of the students, said the association was giving the Federal Government seven working days to address the ASUU strike and the fuel scarcity.

Simeon threatened that if the government failed to address the issues before the expiration of the ultimatum, students would block all major roads in the South-West.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, the student leader noted that the association believed that the fuel scarcity was created by the Federal Government to hike the price of fuel.

He said, “One of the issues is the ongoing fuel scarcity which we perceive to be a kind of artificial scarcity which the Federal Government is trying to use to depict people’s opinion and look for a way to further hike the fuel price.

“We believe that they are using this to test run and if we keep silent in the face of such oppression and we do not speak out in the interest of teeming Nigerian students because we are the ones at the receiving end, and the masses by extension, it is going to be an aberration.

“The second reason is the incessant ASUU strike. We see that the Federal Government has decided not to do the needful. A senator would be going home with an average of N100m monthly and people in the teaching line who helped these people in actualising their dreams could not even boast of N200,000 monthly and they expect us to sit down, cross our legs and watch all this?

“They should listen to the lecturers, do the needful, go back to the negotiation table and come back with something meaningful.”

Speaking on why the protest was brought to the expressway, Simeon said it was to send a signal to the Federal Government since the road is a federal road.

Reading a statement jointly signed by the association’s South-West chairmen at the protest ground, Simeon said, “Unfortunately, at the height of these crises, the President, in his usual manner of leaving the country at the needed time, jetted out to London for medical check-up; another exposure of the unreasonable, lackadaisical and shameful personality of the Nigerian ruling class.

“We will only be charging the Nigerian people, most particularly the working class under the Nigerian Labour Congress. to come to their historical role in ensuring this nonsense is stopped.”

The Punch

News

OAU: MicCom Institutes Financial Awards for Best Graduating Student, Producing Dept

Published

6 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Makers of fine quality cables and wires, MicCom Cables and Wires Limited, has instituted an annual financial awards to reward the best graduating student, and the department that produces the best graduating student in the Faculty of Technology of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. The awards take off with immediate effect.

The revelation was made by the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, while delivering a speech during the 49th Convocation Ceremony of the institution, held at the school’s Amphitheater.

Speaking before a crowd of graduands, academic and non-academic staff, dignitaries and the general public, an elated Bamire announced that the award is instituted in honour of Engr. (Mrs.) Comfort Olufunke Ponnle, co-founder of MicCom Cables and Wires, and mother of the present Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Olubukola Adubi.

“MicCom Cables and Wires Limited has instituted an Annual Financial Award in honour of Engr. (Mrs) Comfort Olufunke Ponnle, FNSE, for the Best Overall Graduating Student (BOGS) in the Faculty of Technology (One Million Naira) and the sum of Ten Million Naira to the Department where the BOGS emerges in the Faculty of Technology.

“This award celebrates exceptional students and the invaluable role of their department in shaping and fostering the future of Engineering and Technology.

“The award is to be presented annually during the University Graduation Ceremony starting this year, 2025. This is to empower the next generation of engineers,” VC Bamire said.

Mrs Ponnle, a certified engineer, died in October 2012 at the age of 68.

This year’s awards were quickly presented to the 2025 winner, Amuke Sunday, who emerged the overall graduating student, while his department, Computer Science and Engineering carted away the N10 million grant.

The CEO of MicCom, Mrs Adubi, was on hand to make the presentations, supported by members of the academic community.

News

N150m Spiritual Intercession Demand: Power Minister Adelabu Petitions DSS Against Primate Ayodele

Published

3 days ago

December 12, 2025

Eric

The Minister of Power, Mr. Bayo Adelabu, has accused Primate Elijah Ayodele, the founder and head of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Oke Afa, Lagos, of blackmail and attempting to extort N150 million from him for “spiritual intercession” to make him governor of Oyo state.

Adelabu, a former governorship candidate, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 Oyo governorship election.

In a petition dated October 13, 2025, signed by Bolaji Tunji, the minister’s special adviser on strategic communications and media relations, to the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adelabu accused Ayodele of making false prophecies intended to malign his reputation after he rebuffed all efforts from the cleric, who allegedly demanded a huge sum of money and expensive spiritual items.

In a series of text messages between Ayodele and Adelabu, seen by TheCable, the cleric asked the minister to bring 24 APC flags for prayers. The cleric also demanded 1,000 pieces of saxophones/trumpets, with the least expensive Nigerian fairly-used grade costing a total of N50 million and the imported grade-one from China at N130 million in total.

Ayodele asked Adelabu to bring the items by April 1. He later extended the grace till April 4.

“Sir, I don’t do this, but because of the love I have for you,” the primate wrote.

The cleric told the minister that he had sent him several letters while he was CBN deputy governor and other times to the minister in Ibadan, but there was no reply. He repeatedly made requests to call the minister, who told him he was on pilgrimage. Ayodele asked him to “recite almu nasira 200 times”.

The cleric told the minister that what he was doing was based on instruction given to him by God. Ayodele repeatedly told the minister that he would rule Oyo state.

”I have divine advice for you sir, which can help a lot sir, kindly pick my call,” a part of the text message read.

”Do vigil and the angel of God is coming to hear request by 1am…I don’t want you to lose the coming election. That is why I’m following the instructions.”

In response, the minister told the cleric that he could not afford the expensive items.

After the incident, Ayodele, while speaking in his church, said Adelabu had failed and would not become Oyo governor.

In some video clips seen by TheCable, Ayodele said Adelabu had made mistakes and his message to the minister was a “warning from God”.

The cleric dared the minister to arrest or sue him.

TheCable

News

Bayelsa Deputy Gov Slumps, Dies at 60

Published

3 days ago

December 11, 2025

Eric

The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has died. He was 60 years.

The deputy governor reportedly collapsed in his office in Yenagoa on Thursday, December 11, 2025, around 1:30 p.m., and was immediately rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.

He was admitted into the hospital’s emergency department and placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where efforts to revive him ultimately failed.

Ewhrudjakpo’s media aide, Doubara Atasi, confirmed the death, but declined to provide further details. Hospital sources stated that despite prompt medical attention, the deputy governor could not be revived.

Born on September 5, 1965, Ewhrudjakpo had served as Bayelsa State’s deputy governor since 2020.