June 16, 2023

Private varsity VCs, registrars hail Tinubu on Student Loan Act

The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria (CVCRPUN) has commended the signing into law of the Student Loan Bill by President Bola Tinubu.

Its Chairman, Prof. Kabiru Adeyemo, gave the commendation at the general assembly of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria at Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the general assembly was: Germane Issues Bothering on Improving Quality of University Education and Service Delivery in Nigeria.

Adeyemo, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Lead City University, said that the bill would remove the financial obstacles that frequently prevent talented Nigerian individuals from pursuing higher education.

He added that it would empower students to pursue their educational aspirations, ensuring that no talent would be left untapped.

“This is a non-discriminatory law in that it will accommodate students from public and private institutions by providing interest-free loans for students,” Adeyemo said.

He added that the Student Loan would open up greater opportunities for deserving students to access affordable funding.

The don, however, reiterated the importance of collaboration between private universities and regulatory bodies to foster a mutually beneficial relationship.

“By working hand in hand, we can address regulatory challenges, share resources and expertise, and ensure that our institutions meet the highest standards of quality and governance.

“This assembly as representatives of private universities in Nigeria provides an opportunity to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and work toward the betterment of higher education in our nation,” he said.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor, Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Prof. Chinedum Babalola, said that the general assembly of vice-chancellors and registrars of private universities sought to maintain highest standards of quality education in Nigeria.

Babalola said that the assembly created an opportunity to deliberate on crucial issues such as accreditation of the universities programmes by the National Universities Commission and professional bodies.

According to her, the assembly serves as a platform for partnership in research, study tour and to address the common challenges within members to ensure growth and development in the nation’s education landscape.

NAN reports that the event featured book presentation, recognition and award presentation to Prof. Timothy Olagbemiro, the immediate Past Chairman of CVCRPUN, for his support and dedication.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

June 16, 2023

U.S Institute mulls collaboration on peace building, trains community members

US Institute of Peace (USIP),has advocated collaborative effort towards peace building in Nigeria and equipping community members in conflict states with mediation and dialogue skills.

Dr Chris Kwaja, Interim USIP Country Director Nigeria, made this known at the Network of Nigerian Facilitators workshop themed: “Reflections and Prospects for the Future” on Thursday in Abuja”.

According to Kwaja, USIP works across the world, both with government and non governmental actors in ensuring a peaceful world, supporting conflict states by training men and women with peace building skills specifically for mediation and dialogue .

He said that USIP has worked in over 11 states in Nigeria including Kano ,Rivers ,Kaduna Plateau ,Benue ,Adamawa ,Imo ,Katsina ,Borno,Nasarawa ,Yobe among others.

” Here in Nigeria, we are involved in peace related advocacy; we support local level actors who are involved in mediation and dialogue; we support governmental institutions that are committed to working for peace.

“We are involved in the governance space, because you have a government that is committed to a peaceful society.

”Then people will be able to benefit from the dividends of democracy which has to do with the rule of law, participation of citizens, diversity, equity and inclusion.

” This is because these are some of the key drivers of disenchantment and discontent in our society, these are some of the issues we advocate for, support and pursue across the world working with research centres, civic groups at the community level.

” We build their capacities in the area of mediation and dialogue and they have been quite active in supporting our communities to identify commonalities around this whole notion of shared humanity.”

Kwaja said that the first responsibility of every government in a diverse society as Nigeria, was that the leadership must be committed to the management of diversity.

He said that the government should be true to the oath of office with a conscious effort to ensure allocation of resources is done in a way that shows equity , fairness and justice among all individuals and groups.

Kwaja said that the conference brought together men and women supprt3r by USIP across the country forefathers engagements.

” We have two cohorts of the Nigerian network of facilitators; we have trained them with peacebuilding skills specific to mediation and dialogue.

” They are able to facilitate dialogues, they are able to support communities and groups across the country to come together to work collaboratively towards a peaceful society.

“Many of them came from communities that have been in conflict, but today as a result of the kind of work they have done across those communities, these communities are peaceful today.

“These community is now value the importance of living together as people that are harmonious, not just tolerating each other, but they are living in harmony,”he said

Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director- General of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), said that the institution’s goal was to use the non kinetic, non violent approach to resolving conflicts in Nigeria.

” I think that it is time for us to take a second look and begin to reverse the gear and re-engage a non violent, non combative approach on how we deal with our differences in the country.

“We are going to be using more of an all stakeholders engagement collaborative approach; we are going to be using issues around mediation, negotiation, and how communities need to engage themselves together.

There has been a lot of mystification of violence conflict particularly when you look at the issues of farmers herders clashes .

”They are all criminalised and these violence actors are all intertwined .

Ochogwu said:” We need to begin to unpack, to identify the challenges. Until we do that we might just be wasting so much money using the kinetic approach. We need to provide and understand through research.

”Our research will provide a pathway for these engagements for the stakeholders.

” We are engaging with both state and non-state actors at the top and at the bottom for us to achieve what we need to achieve. We are ready to engage with the new approach.”

A participant and member of the network ,Mr Ruben Buhari,said collaboration between government organisations and individuals was needed to be able to have the kind of peace that was desired in a commadded; unity.

“If we can have this training replicated in most of the conflicts hotspots that we have in this country it is going to help, especially places like Benue ,Plateau Kaduna and other Northern parts and conflict areas in Nigeria .”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

June 16, 2023

Balance culture, corporate governance to minimise conflicts, V-C advices organisationss

The Vice-Chancellor of Pan Atlantic University, Prof. Enase Okonedo, says there is need for organisations to balance the interplay between culture and corporate governance to minimise organisational conflicts.

Okonedo said this at the Institute of Directors Nigeria (IoD) 2023 Biennial Lecture on Thursday in Lagos.

It had the theme: “Cultural Norms Versus Good Governance: Balancing the Tug of War”.

She said the balance was necessary to reduce the adverse impacts of the interaction on organisational goals and objectives.

She noted that while culture represented a person’s set of beliefs, norms and traditions, its presence in organisations might affect the efficient functioning of boards.

She said that the practices of culture and beliefs, if unchecked in organisations, might hinder the effectiveness of board diversity and several codes of corporate governance.

“Corporate governance is a system by which organisations are directed and controlled. Its rules may not have addressed certain characteristics such as culture and beliefs.

“If companies can fail with good corporate governance practices, there must be other factors on the board that led to the failure of those companies, thus the need to reflect on attitude of directors that may be shaped by culture.

“If you say board diversity is important, we need to bring in younger people on board for a target market.

“Meanwhile, culture which places respect on seniors and elders can impact board dynamics due to the tendency to defer on critical issues to more elderly or senior persons.

“When we bring in such person and he becomes hampered by inherent culture, it hinders his ability by and large the effectiveness of corporate governance practices,” she said.

Okonedo emphasised the need to conform to the regulatory affairs of good corporate governance in Nigeria.

According to him, corporate governance aims to promote transparency, accountability and good governance practices.

She noted that in minimising the conflict between culture and corporate governance, organisations must begin to raise awareness on the matter, promote ethical leadership and follow through with its written codes and visions.

She added that organisations should foster stakeholders engagement with the local community to understand their concerns and cultural perspectives because of its significant role and impact.

She, however, said that businesses should be cognisant of these by being mindful and establish systems to mitigate their adverse effects on organisational goals and objectives.

President, IoD, Dr Ije Jidenma, said that there should be a synergic effort of all the constituents of society for a good interplay of adherence to societal cultural norms and good governance.

The IoD President, whose tenure will end soon, said that under her leadership, the institute had recorded tremendous growth.

“You will all recall that the five pillars I mentioned in my acceptance speech were; inclusiveness, growth and development, chartership of the institute, IoD House Project and digital transformation.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we have done our best to add value to the institute in the last two years.

“I am sure that our system of continuity, which we emplace about five years ago, will ensure that my successor builds on the modest achievements of the past two years.

“Let me, however, admonish us all that the journey for a new IoD has just begun.

“We need to expertly navigate the process of transition into a chartered institute and ensure we put all feet right to ensure a seamless transition that will be to the benefit of members and the institute,” she said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

June 16, 2023

Call for suspension of CCT chairman out of ignorance – Official

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has described the recent call for the immediate suspension of its Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, from office over alleged incompetence as a reflection of ignorance.

The Media Aide to the CCT Chairman, Mr Atekojo Usman, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

A group under the umbrella of the Progressive Foundational Movement (PFM) had, on Thursday called for Umar’s sack through some social media plartdorms.

Usman said the call would have been ordinarily considered as the work of an idle mind and be ignored, but records must be put in proper perspective to guard against misguiding the public.

He said “the CCT is a specilonial court with coordinate jurisdiction with the Federal and State High Courts in Nigeria, saddled with the responsibility of adjudicating assets declaration related cases of public servants which emanated from the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

“This means, the CCT under the chairmanship of Justice Danladi Umar does not generate administrative cases to be adjudicated.

“This is with the exception those cases passed to it by the Code of Conduct Bureau, an agency saddled with the mandate to document, verify and assess assets of public servants in Nigeria.

“One is therefore, appalled at how a group which is led by an acclaimed lawyer who should know is displaying a crass ignorance of the workings of the CCT and CCB.”

The media aide explained further that “of particular interest, is the fact that every public servant is obliged to declare asset at the beginning of his or her office and also declare asset after the tenure of office.

“This means that public servants by the end of President Muhammadu Buhari administration on May 29, 2023 were expected to declare their assets which is statutorily the responsibility of the CCB.

“It is an administrative process which the CCB would have to carry out through its internal organ before forwarding to the CCT depending on the report of CCB’s Asset and Verification Committee report.

“One wonders if the CCT that has adjudicatory powers should witch hunt anyone as one, Mr Aganaba Johnson, a lawyer and leader of the group would want the public to believe,” he said.

Usman added that the CCT is a court and does not get involved in politics hence should be excused from political mudslinging of any sort.

He added that the court would not allow politicians to use it as means of political vendetta.

He also condemned the claim by the group that the two agencies had failed woefully in the fight against corruption in the past four years, especially the CCB, by not able to send at least one person to be prosecuted in the tribunal.

“If his words were anything to go by, should Danladi Umar-led CCT be going to the market square in search of who to prosecute?

“Surprisingly, the CCT chairman has championed a far- reaching reform on the Act that established the court which was signed into law at the twilight of the former President Buhari’s administration, that will yield results in no distant time.

“Justice Danladi Umar-led CCT is an open court where lawyers, private citizens, individuals are free to observe proceedings and it remains to be comprehended if the group leader has ever bothered to visit the CCT during trial of public officers to keep himself abreast of the many cases tried so far.

“This would have helped him in not dissipating energy for nothingness, particularly as a lawyer, he should be interested in the CCT cases.

“It is advised that the group leaders, individuals or interested individuals should explore the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information on activities of government agencies before rushing to the media,” he said.

According to him, this will help them to speak from the point of authorities as records will always be made available following the due processes.

He said the CCT had tried failed asset declaration cases of public officers across board with judgements delivered within the ambit of the law.

He said from the aforementioned, it was easier to deduce those sponsoring the group to issue spurious and misguided statements against the person of the Honourable Justice.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

June 16, 2023

Navy will continue to strengthen its special forces – Gambo

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, says the Nigerian Navy will continue to increase the strength of its special forces to defend the nation’s territorial waters.

Gambo gave the assurance during the inauguration of the Special Forces Holding Bay and other projects on Friday at the Naval Unit Abuja.

The holding bay was named after the pioneer Commander of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (SBS), retired Rear Adm. Apochi Suleiman.

He said that the SBS since its formative stage had been acknowledged to be the the best among the armed forces.

He added that the Nigerian Navy SBS had also done so much in restoring peace and security to The Gambia and put the country together.

Gambo said that naming the SF Holding Bay after Suleiman was a well-deserved honour to the retired senior officer who nurtured the SBS to where it is today.

“Thank you very much thus far for making the country proud, not just the Nigerian Navy and the SBS.

“I am sure that the next chief after me will ensure that the standards are kept or expand it and we will continue to do that for the benefits and unity of our great country, Nigeria,” he said.

Responding, Suleiman said that a lot of people had been ignorant about the operations of the special forces in warfare.

He said that special forces had played and continued to play important roles throughout the history of warfare, adding that the Nigerian Navy had become ready and capable for rapid deployment to meet varying contingency both in peace and wartime.

He added that the need to develop the capacity to respond quickly in support of armed forces in regional and sub-regional conflict resolution efforts was crucial to the formation of the special forces.

According to him, it is also essential for the Nigerian Navy to have rapid response forces for the conduct of search and rescue operations and conduct operations in aid or support of the civil authority during natural disasters and national emergencies.

“The need to attack and engage strategic operational targets with small units dragged the Navy into the formation of special forces with specialised highly focused capability.

“The special unit will be required to conduct special operations when the use of larger ships is inappropriate or impossible.

“The SBS were given mission specific training beyond the Nava basic skills where each of the personnel maintain a very high level of competency in more than one military specialty.

“They were carefully selected, trained, organised and equipped specially to accomplish specify roles and missions such as direct action, guerrilla warfare, special reconnaissance, security warfare, search and rescue.

“They were also trained for maintenance, welfare snapping, surveillance, unconventional warfare, material assistance, security assistance, information operation, combat terrorism, civil affairs, foreign and internal defence and peacekeeping operations,” he said.

Speaking further on the honour of naming SF holding bay after him, Suleiman said the honour was worth more than what money could buy, adding that he neither expected it nor thought of it.

He advised serving officers and ratings to put in their best in the discharge of their assigned responsibilities with diligence, adding that the navy system promotes punishment and rewards for actions.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

June 16, 2023

Walvis Bay budgets over N.dollars 600 million for capital projects

The Walvis Bay Municipality has tabled a N.dollars 609 million budget for capital projects, which will be executed over periods of more than one year.

During the tabling done in Walvis Bay on Thursday, chairperson of the Walvis Bay Council management committee councillor Richard Hoaeb said the total amount on the capital budget anticipated to be spent during the current financial year amounts to N.dollars 312 million and the remaining N.dollars 296 million into the next financial year.

Land development projects are anticipated to take up N.dollars 121 million, for projects which will be run over more than one financial year.

“From the above total land development budget, N.dollars 18.5 million has been budgeted for the development of Farm 37, Portion 11, while N.dollars 10.5 million has been budgeted for the electrification of Portion 10 of Farm 37. Both portions 10 and 11 of Farm 37 will yield 727 erven of which 677 are residential,” Hoaeb noted.

He added that N.dollars 26.7 million has been budgeted for the development of Narraville Extension 8 and is expected to yield 81 erven of which 71 erven are residential erven and N.dollars 11.5 million has been budgeted for, for the development of Extension 3 Meersig and is expected to yield about 94 erven, of which 86 are residential erven.

Service delivery-related projects take up a portion of N.dollars 11 million, and involves amongst others the implementation, upgrading and replacement of water and sewer infrastructure, planning and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant.

Meanwhile, N.dollars 577 million was budgeted for operational costs with expected expenditure recorded for the same amount, excluding estimated non-cash income and expenditure of N.dollars 64 million and N.dollars 214 million respectively.

The council has also announced a 5 per cent average increase for water, sewerage and refuse and 3 per cent for rates and taxes respectively for the current financial year.

No tariff adjustments on these items were proposed for the past consecutive two financial years – June 2021 and 2022.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency