News
Alleged N80bn fraud: Protesters demand action on ex-gov Bello’s case at EFCC
Some Nigerians, under the aegis of the Kogi Conscience Liberation Movement and the Kogi Concerned Citizens Forum, staged a demonstration on Friday at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling for accelerated investigations into the alleged N80 billion fraud involving the former Governor of Kogi State and other key officials.
The protest, led by Peter Onuma and Okpanachi Jacob, highlighted the severe economic consequences of corruption on the citizens of Kogi State. The demonstrators emphasized the plight of the civil service, where workers are receiving only a fraction of their rightful salaries, severely impacting the local economy.
Recalling the actions of the previous administration under ex-Governor Bello, the group pointed out the prolonged and controversial screening exercise that resulted in job losses, deaths, and widespread hardship.
Amid chants demanding justice, Onuma declared: “Our state’s economy is bleeding, and the people are suffering because of the greed and mismanagement of those in power.
“It’s a domino effect. When the workers are underpaid, the entire community suffers. The velocity of cash flow is crippled, and the hardship is palpable.
“It wasn’t just the former governor. The corruption has seeped through to the local government chairmen and financial appointees. It’s systemic.”
Reeling out their demands, Okpanachi, on his part, said, “We are asking for a thorough examination of Kogi State’s expenditures from 2016 to January 27, 2024.”
“An investigation into the former Governor of Kogi State and other corrupt officials to set a precedent for future administrations.
“An assertion that former governors should not be immuned from investigation and that the public is keenly observing the proceedings.
“An investigation into all local government chairmen involved in the corruption network. “Public disclosure of the findings from the endless screening exercise conducted by Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration.
“A comprehensive probe into all parties connected to the alleged N80 billion and N10 billion fraud cases.”
The group reaffirmed their commendation for the EFCC’s anti-corruption efforts while urging the agency to shine its investigative light on the ongoing issue of percentage salaries, suggesting that the current Kogi State administration is perpetuating past corrupt practices.
The National Examinations Council (NECO) has given accreditation to more foreign schools to write the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Azeez Sani, disclosed this in a statement.
The newly accredited schools are in Niger Republic and Equatorial Guinea.
“NECO Accreditation Team visited the Schools to assess their readiness to write the SSCE and BECE.
“The Accreditation Team inspected classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer laboratories, workshops, examination halls and sport facilities to determine their adequacy and suitability for NECO Examinations.
“After a thorough evaluation and comprehensive assessment, the schools were granted full SSCE and full BECE accreditation status,” the statement said.
The statement added that the accreditation of additional foreign schools is a testament to NECO’s commitment to providing quality education and assessment beyond the shores of Nigeria.
“With its expanding global presence, NECO is poised to become a leading examination body in Africa, offering opportunities for students worldwide to benefits from its expertise, thus contributing to the advancement of education in Africa and beyond.”
In another development, the statement disclosed that candidates are participating in the on-going NECO SSCE External in Diffa, Niger Republic.
“The UNHCR School, Diffa, Niger Republic is the first NECO SSCE External Centre outside Nigeria.”
NECO examinations are now written by candidates in Benin Republic, Togo, Cote’ d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, suffered the worst defeat of his managerial career as they lost 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night.
The Premier League champions were already on a run of four consecutive defeats ahead of the visit of the North London side.
James Maddison scored twice in the first half to set Spurs on their way to a sensational win.
Pedro Porro drilled in a third, before Brennan Johnson got on the scoresheet late in the game.
The result leaves City in second place with 23 points. They could go eight points behind Liverpool by the end of this Game Week.
Guardiola takes his men to Anfield next weekend.
News
FUOYE Re-Marks Exam Papers of Student Failed By Lecturer Over Sex-for-Grade Scandal, Secures Justice
The Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, has cleared a female student, Ramota Olahanloye, to graduate following the re-marking of her final-year examination scripts.
Olahanloye had alleged that a lecturer, Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia, demanded sexual favours from her, and when she declined, he deliberately failed her in two final-year courses.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Wole Balogun, the university confirmed that Olahanloye’s allegations were investigated, and her scripts were re-marked.
“The young lady’s scripts were re-marked, and she performed fairly better than the scores initially awarded by Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia,” the statement read.
According to Balogun, the university management approved Olahanloye’s revised results, which qualified her for graduation.
“The university management has given executive approval for her results to be processed. She has since commenced her final clearance from relevant units of the university,” the statement added.
Balogun also disclosed that Agbegbedia had been sanctioned by the institution for his misconduct.
Olahanloye expressed her joy over the resolution of the case, saying, “I am happy that I have gotten justice, and I really appreciate the university Vice-Chancellor for setting up the committee that investigated the matter.
“I was shown my entire results, including the graduation list with my name on it. I have started my clearance as a graduating student of the university, and I am truly happy.”
Her father, Rasaki Olahanloye, also lauded the university for its commitment to justice.
“I can confirm to the world that FUOYE has served justice to my daughter. I was shown her upgraded results after her scripts were re-marked, and it is clear that she passed.
“The university fulfilled its promise to ensure fairness, and I appreciate the VC, Prof. Sunday Fasina, and the committee members for ensuring my daughter gets justice,” he said.
School principal suspended in Akwa Ibom over poor feeding of students
NECO accredits more foreign schools for SSCE, BECE
Guardiola suffers worst defeat of career as Tottenham hammer Man City 4-0
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