27022020 - Insurgency: Depressed soldier shoots 7, kills self

Vanguard, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 — 11
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RECONSTRUCTION—Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun (operating the tractor), with
Commissioner for Works, Engineer Ade Akinsanya (on the governor's left), during the flag-off and
turning of sod of Ijebu-Ode/Epe road reconstruction, yesterday.
UCH medical consultants down tools over
mandatory PhD certificate
By Ola Ajayi
I BADAN—MEDICAL
consultants in the
University College
Hospital, Ibadan,
yesterday, embarked on an
indefinite strike to protest
a circular which prescribed
acquisition of PhD for
clinical lecturers in
Nigerian universities.
The consultants, under
the auspices of Medical
and Dental Consultants’
Association of Nigeria, said
the mandatory PhD was not
in tandem with what
operates in the developed
world.
The circular which was
dated December 24, 2019,
addressed to vicechancellors
of all Nigeria
universities and the
registrar of National
Postgraduate Medical
College of Nigeria, showed
that PhD programmes shall
be introduced in the clinical
sciences in the university
system.
Led by their Chairman,
Dr. Dare Olulana, the
medical experts, said
having tried other options
which yielded no fruitful
results, they had to down
tools.
Olulana said: “It is
ancient logic that efficiency
is compromised whenever
the cart is placed before the
horse. This is what the
obnoxious NUC circular on
PhD for clinical lecturers in
Nigeria universities that
were released represents.
“This justifiably provoked
sufficient upset for us to call
an emergency meeting of
our association in Abuja on
January 4. MDCAN met
again two weeks later in
Port Harcourt and following
extensive deliberations, a
21-day ultimatum was
issued to NUC to withdraw
the circular but sadly, our
demand was ignored.
“Consequently, we are
left with no further choice
than to withdraw our
services from the
universities with
immediate effect. We
resolve to comply with the
directive of our national
body to embark on
indefinite withdrawal of our
services from the College
of Medicine, UI.”
S-West pushes for establishment of Devt
Commission ...as bill passes second reading at Reps
By Levinus
Nwabughiogu
ABUJA—A bill for the
establishment of South
West Development
Commission, SWDC,
yesterday, passed for
second reading at the
House of Representatives.
By this passage, the next
stage for the bill is a public
hearing.
The bill, titled: “A Bill for
An Act to Establish the
South West Development
Commission Bill 2020 and
Other Related Matters (HB
597),” is sponsored by Mr.
Femi Fakeye from Osun
State.
The Bill, co-sponsored by
Nkiru Onyejiocha and 79
others, is essential to tackle
ecological problems and
other related environmental
and developmental
challenges in the region.
Fakaye, who led the
debate, yesterday, at the
plenary, said the bill has 33
sections.
Defending the bill,
Fakaye recalled the
creation of regional
governments at Nigeria’s
independence, noting that
the South West at the
moment needed to revive
its infrastructures.
He said: “The country has
evolved into a political
structure that consists of 36
states and one Federal
Capital Territory, all
constitutionally
I B A D A N —
GOVERNOR Seyi
Makinde of Oyo State,
yesterday, disclosed that his
administration has been
following the laudable
steps already taken by the
Independent Corrupt
Practices and other Related
Offences Commission,
ICPC, in deepening the
anti-corruption war,
especially, the setting up of
the Anti-Corruption
Monitoring Units, ACTUs,
summarized into 6
geopolitical zones. Even as
Nigeria remains a united
political entity, it is a country
with a plethora of
socioeconomic challenges
that have turned out to be
more damning and
daunting, six decades after
independence.
“For one, Nigeria’s multiethnic
population has
ballooned to an estimated
200 million, but so have the
country’s socio-economic
challenges multiplied,
manifesting unsavory,
unintended consequences,
all of which are equalopportunity
retardants in
our post-military
democracy.”
He also noted the
growing population of the
zone, saying it needed
some special budgetary
allocations.
We're deepening anti-graft war in Oyo —Makinde
By Adeola Badru and the inclusive
budgeting process.
The governor, who was
represented by the
Secretary to the State
Government, SSG, Mrs.
Olubanwo Adeosun, made
the disclosure, at the
commissioning of the
commission’s state office
complex, along Old Airport
Road, Samonda, Ibadan.
Makinde said: “As you
must have been aware, the
fight against corruption is
one that is taken seriously
by the current
administration in Oyo
State.
“That was why I
specifically told members of
the 9th Oyo State Assembly
at a dinner preceding their
inauguration that one of
the first bills I would send
to them was the Oyo State
Anti-corruption bill.
“As a state government,
we are following the
laudable steps already
taken by the ICPC in
deepening the anticorruption
war, especially,
the setting up of the Anti-
Abiodun flags off reconstruction
of Ijebu-Ode/Epe road
By James
Ogunnaike
A BEOKUTA—
GOVERNOR Dapo
Abiodun of Ogun State,
yesterday, flagged off the
reconstruction of Ijebu
Ode-Epe road, reiterating
the commitment of his
administration to provide
infrastructure in all border
communities in the State.
Abiodun said provisions
of necessary infrastructure
in border communities
would bring relief and
succour to the people living
in those areas and
engender socio-economic
development of the people
and the State.
He recalled that on
assumption of office in May
2019, one of his promises
was to provide adequate
infrastructure in all parts of
the State.
He said: “It is very painful
that our people at these
border communities see
people on the other sides
of the border enjoying the
same dividends of
democracy that had
seemed elusive to them.
“Indeed, in the course of
the campaign, I made a
specific promise that our
administration would
rehabilitate and reconstruct
the Ogun State segment of
Ijebu Ode – Epe Road to
By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA—TWO factions
of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in
Ogun State, yesterday,
reconciled and pledged to
forge a common front in the
interest of the party.
The two factions, led by
Senator Buruji Kashamu
and Mr. Ladi Adebutu
buried the hatchet at the
party’s national secretariat,
Abuja at a press conference
attended by members of the
party’s National Working
Committee, NWC,
including the national
chairman, Prince Uche
Secondus.
Corruption Monitoring Units,
ACTUs, and the inclusive
budgeting process.
“That is why we are not
mincing words on this issue and
that is the reason I have offered
to wave my own immunity if there
is any reason to call me to
question.”
In their separate remarks, the
Chairman, Senate Committee
on Anti-corruption and Financial
Crimes, Senator Suleiman Kwari,
and the Chairman, House
Committee on Anti-corruption,
Mr. Sheu Garba, maintained that
Nigerians must consider the fight
against corruption as a personal
cause.
bring relief and succour to
our people and engender
socio-economic
development of our state.
“ I am delighted that
today’s event is yet another
instance of promises made
and promises kept. As a
Government that places a
premium on character and
integrity, we will continue
to keep all our promises”.
While directing that the
construction company
should ensure that 50
percent of the workforce is
sourced from the
community, the governor
reiterated his
administration readiness to
reduce challenges being
faced by the residents of the
border areas of the state.
He said: “Today’s event
of the turn of the Ijebu-Ode-
Mojoda-Epe 14km Road is,
therefore, a symbolic
testimony of our
Administration’s
commitment towards
creating an enduring
economy of our dear State
and ensuring the well
being and welfare of all the
people of Ogun State.
"The governor also
promised to sustain the
Public-Private-Partnership,
PPP, Agenda “and a robust
approach to good
governance that is allinclusive
and participatory.”
Ogun PDP’s factions mend fences
Narrating how the feud
affected the fortunes of the
party in the past, Mr.
Adebutu expressed joy that
issues of conflicts have now
been laid to rest.
He said: “The chapter of
the party in Ogun State had
been embroiled in conflicts
for 12 years. So, a chapter
that had 100 per cent of all
the elective positions in the
state has now moved to a
party that only has one out
of the 40 elective positions.
“In these 12 years, we
have had two parallel
executives in the state that
have not always worked
together. This cumulated in
a situation where in the last
election when the party
produced me as the
candidate of the party, the
other faction had another
candidate. At the end of the
day, unfortunately, we lost
the election woefully.”
Addressing the NWC,
Adebutu said: “It is my
pleasure by the grace of
God to now present to you
the state working
committee of the other
faction. Our own faction has
been at peace and we have been
recognized by the national
working committee of the party.
And to the glory of God today, I
am happy to present to you the
Secretary of the Ogun faction of
the PDP, Mr. Semiu Sodipo."