06112109

12 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 , 2019
A-Ibom varsity sacks 8
lecturers over alleged
extortion, sexual harrasment
:Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
By Harris Emanuel
& Chioma Onuegbu
U AUTHORITIES Y O —
of
Akwa Ibom State
University, yesterday,
disclosed that eight
lecturers have been sacked
over alleged extortion and
sexual harassment of
students.
Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Eno Ibanga dropped the
hint while interacting with
newsmen at Ikot Akpaden,
adding that an associate
professor has already been
indicted by a panel and
would soon face stiff
sanctions.
Ibanga said some of the
sacked lecturers were in
court challenging the
punitive measures, adding
that 10 students involved
in cultism were also
caught by the management
of the institution.
He said the students who
were caught at the junction
of the main campus with a
mini coffin, red clothe and
axes where on their way to
an initiation ceremony.
He noted that the
university was doing its
best to instill sanity and
discipline among lecturers
and students alike, noting
that cases of immorality
were thoroughly
investigated by the
management before
disciplinary measures are
carried out.
He said: “The
appointment of eight
lecturers have been
terminated by the
university bordering on
sexual harassment and
extortion. As we speak, a
notorious one is on
ground and the person
will not go scot-free.''
LEDAP, others challenge Akpabio
in court over interim management
committee
By Innocent Anaba
A
civil society
organisation, Legal
Defence and Assistance
Project, LEDAP, has
dragged the Minister of
Niger Delta Affairs
,Godswill Akpabio before a
Federal High Court sitting
in Abuja, challenging his
powers to constitute an
interim management
committee to run the affairs
of the Niger Delta
Development Commission,
NDDC.
Joined as plaintiffs in the
suit are some indigenes of
the Niger Delta area,
including Iruo Onoruvwe,
Anatole Osuji and Walter
Abere, while other
defendants are Dr Gbene
Nunieh, Dr Cairo
Ojougboh, and Chief
Ibanga Etang.
In the suit filed by
Executive Director of
LEDAP, Chino Obiagwu
SAN, the plaintiff are
asking the court to declare
that the purported
appointment by the first
defendant of three-man
interim management for
the second defendant is
contrary to sections 2, 10,
and 12 of the NDDC Act 6
2000(as amended)
They are further asking
the court to declare that the
purported appointment by
the first defendant of the
third defendant as the
Managing Director of the
second defendant, the
fourth as Executive
Director, Projects, and the
fifth defendant as Executive
Director, Finance and
Administration of the
second defendant are
contrary to the provisions of
section 12(1)c of the NDCC
Act as amended, which
provides that the
Managing Director and
two executive directors of
the second defendant shall
be appointed by the
President, Commander-inchief
of the Armed Forces
and confirmed by the
Senate in consultation with
the House of
Representatives.
*A declaration that by
virtue of Section 12(2) of the
second defendant of the
NDDC Act, the Managing
Director of the second
defendant performs his
functions under the
general direction of the
board of the second
defendant.
*A declaration that the
first defendant cannot
validly appoint the 3rd-5th
defendants as acting
Managing Director; and
Executive Directors of the
second defendant while
the list of nominated
members of board of the
second defendant
submitted by the
President, pursuant to
sections 2, 10, and 12 of
the NDDC Act 2000 to the
National Assembly.
EXHIBITION: From left; Group MD, Nestoil Plc, Dr Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi; Father of ‘Impossibility is a
Myth’ Art Exhibition Artist, Mr Tagbo Okeke with the Artist, Kanye Tagbo-Okeke; The Exhibition Curator and
National President, Association of Professional Creative Artists and Designers in Nigeria (APCAD), Chief
Kingsley Okafor and The Higher Commissioner of Pakistan, Maj. Gen. (retd) Waqar Ahmad Kingravi at
the kick-off of a 7-day solo exhibition of contemporary abstract paintings by Kanye Tagbo-Okeke in Lagos.
Attack on Oba of Lagos, Obaseki, others at
Oshiomhole’s residence premeditated
— EDO GOVT •Demands apology
By Gabriel
Enogholase
BENIN—EDO State
government has said
that the attack on Governor
Godwin Obaseki, the Oba
of Lagos, Oba Rilwan
Akiolu, and other notable
guests, at the Iyamho
country home of the former
governor of the state and
National Chairman of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Mr Adams
Oshiomhole was
premeditated and
executed with the active
connivance and directive of
the former governor.
In a statement by the
Secretary to the State
Government, Osarodion
Ogie, yesterday in Benin
City, the state government
demanded that an
unreserved and
unconditional apology be
tendered to all persons who
were victims of the
sacrilegious, treasonable
and extremely
embarrassing event.
Narrating the ordeal of
the governor and his
guests at Oshiomhole’s
residence, Ogie said, “On
Saturday, November 2, the
governor as Visitor of the
University, attended the 1st
Convocation Ceremony of
the Edo University,
Iyamho. The governor was
accompanied on his trip by
HRM, Oba Rilwan Akiolu,
the Oba of Lagos; Dr.
Aderemi Makanjuola, the
newly installed Chancellor
of the University and his
wife; Oba Otudeko,
renowned businessman
and philanthropist, among
other dignitaries.
“Upon the conclusion of
the ceremony at the
university venue, the
National Chairman of APC
and former governor of Edo
State, Oshiomhole,
personally invited the
governor and his guests to
his country home at Iyamho
for lunch.
“Oshiomhole went ahead
of his invited guests to his
residence and obviously
was aware of the build-up
of thugs within his
compound in advance of
the arrival of the governor
and the Very Important
Persons, VIPs.
“The governor and his
guests, which included the
Oba of Lagos and the
Deputy Governor of Edo
State. Mr Philip Shaibu,
then proceeded to the
residence of the National
Chairman to honor his
invitation, only to be
attacked upon arrival by the
propositioned thugs at the
entrance to the residence of
It’s wicked that NDDC pays N1bn to collecting
agents — MD
By Egufe Yafugborhi
O R T
P HARCOURT—
ACTING Managing
Director, Niger Delta
Development Commission,
NDDC, Dr Gbene Nunieh,
yesterday, described as
“wicked,” the commission’s
payment of N1 billion every
month to a consultant as
Speaker, Commissioner laud WDU, say Okowa'll
make Delta first In education
SPEAKER of the Delta
State House of
Assembly, Chieff Sheriff
Oborevwori and the state
Commissioner for Higher
Education, Prof. Patrick
Mouboghare, yesterday,
commended the Western
Delta University, WDU,
Oghara, Ethiope West,
Delta State, for its giant
strides since it was founded
over a decade ago.
Apart from WDU’s having
graduated students as at
when due without missing
a year since it was founded,
they praised WDU for
moving fully to its
permanent sit, unlike many
universities older than it.
They spoke at the
commissioning of the
university’s ultra-modern
the National Chairman.
“The entourage suffered
damage to vehicles on the
convoy and had to return
to the university premises
from where they boarded
the helicopter for the trip to
Benin.
“It is clear from the
sequence of events that the
attack on the governor, the
Oba of Lagos and other
VIPs was premeditated and
could not have occurred
without the active
connivance or directive of
the National Chairman.
“In the circumstances, the
government of Edo State
funds collection agent.
Nunieh said the
commission under her
leadership, had suspended
the said payment to the
agent for alleged collection
of money from International
Oil Companies, IOCs, on
behalf of NDDC, noting
that a separate entity had
also been pocketing three
percent of funds collected
from the IOCs.
students hostels, which also
marked WDU’s final act in
its year-long preparation to
have all its main activates
in its permanent site.
Oborevwori and
M o u b o g h a r e
congratulated WDU on the
state of the art facilities in
the school.
They said that
c o m f o r t a b l e
accommodation is rated
highly in all the great
universities of the world
because students cannot
give their best if they are
condemned to live and
study under squalid
conditions, adding that as
the youths are the leaders
of tomorrow, the
environment in which they
live is very germane to their
believes that the only
option open to a host who
has superintended such
misdemeanor is to tender
an unreserved and
unconditional apology to all
persons who were victims
of this sacrilegious,
treasonable and extremely
embarrassing event.
“In the light of the
seeming inability of the
actual culprit to generate
the required spirit to offer
the necessary apologies, the
government and people of
Edo State apologise most
sincerely to all our honored
guests, who were victims of
this show of shame, the
facts of which have earlier
been recounted.''
Speaking in Port
Harcourt, Rivers State, she
said: “We have a consulting
firm engaged as a
collection agent. Another
company collects three per
cent whenever money is
paid by the IOCs. We don’t
need a middle man to
collect three percent for gas.
The money should just be
paid into NDDC accounts
with the CBN.''
overall development.
The Speaker, represented
by Dr. Okorodudu, said
that the Delta State House
of Assembly was leaving no
stone unturned in making
such laws as to ensure that
education at all levels is
well-funded in the state,
promising that the
legislators are taking their
oversight functions in the
education sector zealously
so as to ensure that the
educational standard in the
state remains very high.
The Education
Commissioner,
accompanied by his
Permanent Secretary, said
that Governor Okowa, had
given all the stakeholders
in the state the
marching order to make
Delta State the number
one state in education.