Education / Law / News

UNILAG: Why Babalakin quit — FG

The Federal Government has explained that overbearing posture was responsible for the removal of the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Dr. Olawale Babalakin, SAN.

It also maintained that Babalakin was not exonerated of any wrongdoing by the General Martin Luther Agwai-led Regular Visitation Panel to the university.

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Bem Goong, who explained in a statement, insisted that the former Pro-Chancellor remained indicted and removed from office.

The statement reads: “The Senior Advocate of Nigeria had accepted his guilt by resigning hours before the release of the White Paper that came out of the Special Presidential Visitation Panel, adding that the hostility towards the Permanent Secretary for doing his job is unnecessary and unjustifiable. “After weeks of media hostilities over another contrived crisis in the University of Lagos, the Federal Government has maintained that the embattled former Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council of that University, Dr. Olawale Babalakin, SAN, was not exonerated by the General Martin Luther Agwai-led Regular Visitation Panel to the university.

“Following his indictment for breach of due process and flagrant disregard for the university laws in the aborted removal of the Vice-Chancellor and the unilateral appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor, the Special Presidential Visitation Panel and the White Paper, thereof, recommended and approved, respectively, his removal from office and the dissolution of the Governing Council.”

While condemning the campaign of calumny as a desperate attempt to distract and slow down the rising profile of the university, Goong said facts on the ground spoke to the contrary.

Asked to clarify whether the second (Regular) Visitation Panel exonerated Babalakin from the indictment of the Special Visitation Panel, Goong said: “It is embarrassing for a lawyer of Babalakin’s standing, a SAN for that matter, to say that a Regular Visitation Panel has exonerated him from the indictment of an earlier visitation panel on three grounds.

“First, the Regular Visitation Panel was not, is not, and cannot be an appellate body for the Special Visitation Panel.

“Administratively, the …

Crime / Law / News

Super TV boss Ataga murder: Court sends Chidinma to prison for 30 days

A Yaba Magistrates’ Court on Monday remanded Chidinma Ojukwu, prime suspect in the murder of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, for 30 days.

Chief Magistrate Adeola Adedayo made the order following an application by police counsel Cyril Ejiofor.

Adedayo also remanded Ojukwu’s co-defendant Adedapo Quadri on the same terms.

Ejiofor had prayed the court to remand Ojukwu in police custody pending the issuance of a Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) report on the matter. “The remand is to enable the DPP come up with legal advice. We pray for the remand of the defendants for the first 30 days in the first instance,” he said.

Director, Office of the Public Defender (OPD) Dr Babajide Martins, who announced appearance for Chidinma, complained the prosecution failed to furnish the defense with the remand application.

Nevertheless, he declined to oppose Ejiofor’s prayer “in principle.”

“I have just been privileged to get a copy of the remand application.

“I have not been able to go through it, my learned friend’s application is inevitable, I would have been happier, if I was obliged of the application earlier.

“The application will not be opposed, in principle,” Martins said.

Quadri had no legal representation.

In a bench ruling, Adedayo granted the prosecution’s prayer.

She held: “In the absence of any opposition, the two defendants are hereby remanded for 30 days in the first instance.

“The case is adjourned till September 5, for review of remand/DPP’s advice.”

Ojukwu, a 21-year-old Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, was arrested by the police on June 23, 2021.

She was said to have been in a romantic relationship with 50-year-old Ataga for about four months before the incident.

Following her parade by the police on June 24, the undergraduate said she and Ataga were “having fun” when an argument broke out and she stabbed him twice.

On June 29, she pleaded for forgiveness saying she was not ready to die.

She attributed her action to influence of hard drugs and smoking.

But …

Education / News

COVID-19: UNILAG shuts halls of residence indefinitely, reverts to virtual learning

To avoid escalation of COVID-19 cases at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the authorities, yesterday, shut down the hostels effective today till further notice and ordered students to vacate campus.

This followed the panic ignited by Tuesday’s report that more than six students from Honors, Moremi and Amina hostels reportedly contracted coronavirus and were sent to an isolation center. The development led the school management to convey an emergency Senate meeting yesterday.

The students were also advised to move all their personal effects at once. As of press time, students were seen packing their bags to go home.

Authorities also confirmed there has been a recent increase in the number of persons within the university community, who have presented with symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

In a statement yesterday, the University Senate, after the emergency meeting approved that all students vacate the halls of residence by 12noon today indefinitely. It also added that contact tracing has enabled them to identify those who have had exposure to the affected students and directed them to self-isolate immediately.

The statement reads: “The University of Lagos commenced physical classes at the end of May 2021 when the positivity rate of the infection dropped to about one per cent. The university management continued to enforce the COVID-19 protocols in all the teaching and learning spaces as well as the halls of residence.

“In addition, the COVID-19 vaccination was made available to the staff and students through the support of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council. Lately, some students have tested positive. These students have been sent to the appropriate designated facilities in the state and contact tracing has enabled us to identify those who have had exposure and directed them to isolate. The situation is, indeed, worrisome especially noting the reluctance of the majority of students to comply with the COV1D-19 prevention protocols.”

Sources within the school equally confirmed receiving a Whatsapp broadcast message from the Dean of Students Affairs (DSA), Mr Ademola Adeleke, informing them to leave the school’s hostels. “Lectures for the rest of …

Crime / Swift News

Details emerge on wife of Super TV boss killed by UNILAG student

Details have emerged in the identity of the wife of Super TV boss, Usifo Ataga, who was murdered by a 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu.

The 300 Level student of Mass Communication was paraded on Thursday by the Commissioner, Lagos State Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu, at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

According to According to Street Journal, the late Ataga’s wife, Brenda, is the National Project Coordinator of the LPG Gas Expansion Programs in the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

Brenda had previously served as the Special Adviser on Downstream and Infrastructure between 2015 and 2019.

She is a Mid/Downstream Commercial Strategist with over 15 years of experience in the Oil and Gas industry and a 2018 Nominee of the prestigious Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship.

Brenda also founded and sits on the board of a not-for-profit charity organization: True Foundation, which focuses on community and human capacity training for women and youths in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

She was reported to hold a Bachelor of Arts in Administration from the University of Lagos, BA in Business Management from Lincoln University and an LLM from the University of Salford.

Before being in public service, Brenda held key leadership positions in the private sector, where she attained recognition as the first female and first under-30 to serve in the capacity of Supply Manager at OANDO PLC (West Africa).

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