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BREAKING: UI’s Ex-VC, Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo is dead

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Ex-University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor, Prof Auto Banjo is dead

He was aged 90.

The don died early morning, Friday, May 24.

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The ace academic celebrated his 90th birthday on May 2nd.

Renowned for his contributions to the development of the English Language curriculum in Nigeria and the promotion of Nigerian varieties of English, Banjo is the former Chairman of the Board of the National Universities Commission

He was Pro-Chancellor of the Universities of Port Harcourt, Ilorin, and Ajayi Crowther.

Banjo’s scholarly contributions include over 50 publications and widely used textbooks in primary and secondary education.

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He was born into the family of late Pa. Reverend Samuel Ayodele Banjo, a graduate, an educationist and a teacher at St. Andrew Primary School, Oyo, a period when Professor Ayodeji Banjo was born. He is a native of Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

He started his education career at the St. Andrew Anglican Primary School where he did standard One (1) to three (3). On transfer of his father to Christ Cathedral Primary School in Lagos on same mission, he completed his Standard Four (4) and Five (5) at St. Aroloya and Christ Cathedral Primary Schools both in Lagos.

He attended Igbobi College, Lagos from 1947 to 1952 for his secondary education.

Following his sound academic background and excellent performance at ‘A’ Level Class at the Nigeria College of Arts Science and Technology, Ibadan, on the nomination, Professor Ayodeji Banjo was awarded the British Council Scholarship in 1959 to study Master of Arts (M. A.) in English Language at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He thereafter proceeded to do a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PG in education) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in English Studies at the University of Leeds in England and came out, with distinction.

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In 1966, he was awarded a scholarship by the American State Department to study Master of Arts (M. A.) in Linguistics, at the University of California, Los Angeles, United States of America (U. S. A.). He got his Ph.D with a specialization in English Language at the University Ibadan, Ibadan in 1969. Professor Banjo’s work experience was garnered across several countries of the world.

During summer, he was consistently travelling to the Oxford University press, England, to write English Course Books and Oxford Dictionaries at primary and 4 secondary levels. This work, he did from early 70’s until he was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan in 1981.

Professor Ayodeji Banjo has to his credit, over 55 publications (books, chapters in books and articles in learned journals).

Professor Ayodeji Banjo spent ten (10) Years, consistently in the University of Ibadan, managing the affairs of the University; two (2) years as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, one (1) year as Acting Vice-Chancellor and seven (7) years as Vice-Chancellor respectively. Records have shown that Professor Ayodeji Banjo is the longest-serving Vice-Chancellor in the history of the University of Ibadan, to date!

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On successful completion of his term of office as Vice-Chancellor in 1991, Professor Ayodeji Banjo, humbly displayed a beauty in the academics by returning to the classroom to lecture. In 1994, Professor Ayodeji Banjo, clocked sixty (60) years of age in service and consequently retired from the service of the University.

The Nation

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BREAKING : Court orders final forfeiture of ₦150m kinked to Delta HoR member

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A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of ₦150 million linked to serving House of Representatives member, Nicholas Mutu, to the Federal Government.

The ruling was delivered by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik after the court upheld an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court held that the funds should be permanently forfeited after no convincing explanation was provided to show why the money should not be seized by the government.

The forfeiture followed earlier proceedings in which the court granted an interim order against the funds.

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The court also directed that the order be published in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to challenge the application.

However, after the publication and the expiration of the required period, no sufficient cause was shown before the court to stop the permanent forfeiture.

The EFCC told the court that its investigation linked the money to alleged corrupt dealings involving Mutu during his time as chairman of the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission.

According to the anti-graft agency, the lawmaker allegedly received kickbacks running into over ₦400 million from a consultant working with the NDDC.

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The commission argued that part of the funds traced during investigations included the ₦150 million now ordered forfeited.

After reviewing submissions from both parties, Justice Abdulmalik ruled in favour of the EFCC and granted the final forfeiture order.

Mutu, a long-serving federal lawmaker from Delta State, remains a serving member of the House of Representatives.

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Photos: “I Directed Wike To Build Roads Before Asking Nigerians to Move into Renewed Hope Estate, He Has Done It” – Tinubu

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, disclosed that he directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to provide roads and other engineering infrastructure to the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana before residents could occupy the estate, and the minister wasted no time in carrying out the directive.

The President, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, made the disclosure while commissioning the 10.5-kilometre Access Roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West District, Abuja.

 

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He said the completion of the road network fulfilled the directive he gave during the groundbreaking of the housing project, stressing that no housing estate could function without access roads and supporting infrastructure.

“When I performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City here in Karsana, I gave one clear directive: provide the roads, provide the engineering infrastructure, and unlock this district for development. Housing without access is a blueprint without a building.

“For too long, Abuja’s story was ‘awarded and abandoned contracts’. Today, we are ending that story with roads that open, not ones that stall,” he said.

Tinubu said he specifically instructed Wike to immediately open up the district because “civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach.”

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“I gave that assignment to a Minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, that civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach. ‘Open Karsana, and open it now.’ He took that brief, set the pace and delivered.

“When urgency meets quality, results follow. That is what you are standing on today.”

The President said the newly completed Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40 and Special Important Local Street 03 have linked Karsana West to the Outer Northern Expressway, making thousands of affordable housing units accessible, livable and secure.

He praised Wike for what he described as the visible transformation of the Federal Capital Territory, saying the minister had turned stalled projects into completed infrastructure.

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“You took stalled corridors and made them active corridors. You brought the same urgency to Karsana that you brought to other districts and the area councils. You measure contractors by output, not promises. Minister, you have earned my trust and you have my commendation,” Tinubu added.

He also commended Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, engineers and officials of the FCT Administration for ensuring the project was completed on schedule and according to specification.

The President further praised Lubrik Construction Company for delivering the project after it was awarded the contract in February 2025, assuring contractors that his administration would continue to honour prompt payment for jobs delivered on time and to specification.

Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr. Nyesom Wike recalled that Karsana was inaccessible when Tinubu performed the groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Estate in 2024.

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“For those of us who were here that day, I was imagining how anybody would come and live in this area because there was no road,” he said.

The minister disclosed that developers had expressed fears that their investments would become worthless without access roads, but he assured them the government would intervene.

“I told them, ‘It is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the road in this Karsana district.’ Today, it is a different story.”

Wike said the project became possible because the Federal Government ensured prompt payment while the contractor fulfilled its obligation by delivering within schedule.

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He also announced that the FCT Administration would next Wednesday, July 8, flag off the construction of Kaba- Kagini – Zaudna road following recent request by residents over its deplorable condition.

In her remarks, FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the roads would boost economic activities, improve connectivity and expand access to affordable housing across the territory.

While celebrating the successful completion of the access roads, Mahmoud called on residents and stakeholders to take collective ownership of public infrastructure by protecting and preserving it for the benefit of present and future generations.

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Just in: FRSC Starts 2026 Nationwide Recruitment

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has officially commenced its 2026 nationwide recruitment exercise, beckoning on qualified Nigerians to apply for various positions across its Officer, Marshal Inspectorate and Road Marshal Assistant cadres.

According to the Corps, the online application portal opened on Friday, July 3, 2026, and will remain accessible for four weeks. The recruitment exercise is completely free, with the agency warning applicants not to pay any individual or organization claiming to facilitate employment.

Interested applicants are required to submit their applications through the official FRSC recruitment portal at HERE

Available Cadres
The recruitment covers three major categories:

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Officer Cadre – Open to holders of B.Sc., BA, HND and other relevant professional qualifications.

Marshal Inspectorate Cadre – Available for candidates with qualifications such as ND, NCE and other approved credentials.
Road Marshal Assistant Cadre – Includes opportunities for eligible SSCE holders, artisans and drivers, depending on the position.
Required Documents
Applicants are advised to prepare the following before beginning their application:

National Identification Number (NIN)
Educational certificates
Birth certificate or age declaration
Recent passport photograph
NYSC discharge, exemption or exclusion certificate (where applicable)
The FRSC also advises applicants to use their personal email address and phone number during registration and to ensure all information provided is accurate. Shortlisted candidates will be required to present printed copies of their completed application forms during the screening process.

The Corps urged interested Nigerians seeking a career in the Federal Government to apply early in order to avoid heavy traffic on the recruitment portal before the application window closes.

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