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Edo Govt Not Owing COEASU Workers, Says PDP

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EDO State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said the state government is not indebted to workers of the College of Education, Ekiadolor (now defunct), who have been protesting in the last couple of days in Benin City.

The workers who have been complaining of 11 months of unpaid salaries and allowances have been protesting round the state capital since Tuesday.

The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikhare, said the lecturers were only wiping up sentiments to cover for their act of insubordination in carrying out lawful directives.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Edo Guber: Another Commissioner Resigns Appointment In Edo

However, the chairman, the school’s College of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, Fred Omonuwa denied the allegation, saying that they were only demanding what is their right and that there is no political coloration.

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The statement explained that the staffs were asked to go and resume at Abudu with the closure of the institution but they rejected the offer even after earlier refusing to transfer their services to the state civil service.

He said “We consider these protests very serious especially as the allegations of non-payment of salary was adduced as the reason for the protest for a government that is not owing any sector salaries including pension arrears.

“You will recall that the last APC administration led by Mr. Adams Oshiomhole established two new state universities same day. Tayo Akpata University of Education and Edo university of Science and Technology, Uzaiure, now known and referred to as Edo University  Iyamho. 

READ ALSO: Jegede Clinches Ondo PDP Ticket, Battles Akeredolu In Oct Poll

“We wondered how a new University was built from scratch, got accreditation and started admitting students even as Tayo Akpata University of Education with existing infrastructure did not have even a toilet added to the existing structures talk let alone admitting students in the Adams Oshiomhole administration.

“The newly “established” Tayo Akpata University of Education was eventually shut down, as the move to convert the old College of Education into a University of Education became impossible due to budget constraints, as the state is already blessed with two state-owned universities and seven private universities, it would be imprudent to establish another state-owned university.”

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It was gather that on Thursday, the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Legislative Matters, Hon Kabiru Adjoto had met with the workers where he was said to have told them that the governor would meet with them and address part of their demands between yesterday and tomorrow.

Omonuwa said, “Hon Kabiru Adjoto met us where he assured us that the government will meet with us today and that is what we are waiting for because it is an embarrassment for anybody to say we are being sponsored.

“There is nothing like politics here, nobody posted us to Igueben or Abudu as being alleged either by letter or directive.

READ ALSO: Edo Guber: Group Hails Ize-Iyamu’s SIMPLE Agenda, Vows To Galvanize Young Voters For His Election

“They are bringing politics into it, linking us with APC but we are it perturbed by that, we are fighting a just course and we are asking for our legitimate money. If they posted us and we did not go, what about the pensioners, were they also posted to Abudu or Igueben? Their payment is also part of the subvention so what they are saying are just lies. But we are resolute in our demands.” 

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Police Hand Over Delta King, Ikolo To Military

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Wanted King of Ewu, Clement Ikolo, who turned himself in has been handed over to the military by the police.

The development has been confirmed by the Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe.

King Ikolo who was one of the eight persons declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters in connection with the killing of 17 military personnel in Okuama community, turned himself in to the Delta State Police Command on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Soldiers’ Killing: Wanted Delta King Surrenders To Police

The monarch was said to have arrived at the state police command headquarters at exactly 6:41 pm, to report himself to Police Commissioner, Olufemi Abaniwonda.

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Before he turned himself in to the police, the monarch spoke to journalists, insisting on his innocence.

Earlier on Thursday, the Defence Headquarters declared eight persons, including Ikolo, wanted over their alleged roles in the recent killing of 17 military personnel on a peace-keeping mission to Delta State.

Those declared wanted are Prof. Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Dennis Bakriri, Akevwru Daniel Omotegbo (Aka Amagben), Akata Malawa David, Sinclear Oliki; a traditional ruler, Clement Ikolo Oghenerukeywe; Reuben Baru, and Igoli Ebi.

 

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Ex-NBA Pub Sec, Ogbankwa Assaults Edo NUJ Chair, Others Over Publication

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A former Publicity Secretary of the Benin Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Douglas Ogbankwa, late Thursday at the Edo State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) assaulted journalists including the State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Festus Alenkhe and others over an online report of alleged case of stealing preferred against him by the state.

He was at the NUJ premises with plain cloth policemen to arrest a blogger, Friday Aghedo, who had published a story of his arraignment at the Criminal Court in Benin City over alleged attack on the matrimonial home of one Sandra Palmer-Kelvin for alleged issues with Ogbankwa’s client based in Denmark who is Sandra’s husband.

When he arrived at the premises of the NUJ with the policeman, journalists who witnessed what was happening informed the NUJ chairman who immediately met with the policemen and informed them that they should have announced their presence before the leadership of the union.

The chairman, however, assured the policemen that Aghedo would honour their invitation.

READ ALSO: Malabu Oil Scam: EFCC Loses Case As Court Discharges Ex-AGF Adoke, Others

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Infuriated by Alenkhe’s intervention on the planned arrest, Ogbankwa turned to the NUJ chairman where he roared “Alenkhe, even you, I will pick you up” and then threatened to deal with other journalists present including the Chief of Staff to Alenkhe, Simeon Osajie, the State Correspondent of Vanguard Newspaper, Ozioruva Aliu, Secretary of the Council, Andy Egbon, Treasurer of the Council, Solomon Obonzuya and several others.

Earlier, when his case was mentioned in the court, several lawyers including the Benin Branch chairman of the NBA, Nosa Edo-Osagie, Emmanuel Usoh and others pleaded with the judge to allow them intervene in the issue which they assured would be settled and report back in the next date where he was expected to take his plea.

In the charge sheet marked B/10/600/2024 between The State and Douglas Ogbankwa and others now at large, they were accused of allegedly stealing a stabilizer belonging to Sandra Palmer-Kelvin.

He is facing charges including felony punishable under Section 412 of the Criminal Law of Edo State, 2022.

READ ALSO: Iran Sentences Police Officer To Death For Killing Protester

The charge also reads: “Ogbankwa and others now at large, sometimes in the month of January, 2023 at 2nd Ugbor road, GRA Benin within the Benin Judicial Division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: forcibly entry” which it said is punishable under Section 56 (1) of the criminal law of Edo State, 2022.

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“Douglas Ogbankwa and others now at large sometimes in the month of January, 2023 at the 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State within the Benin Judicial Division , did forcefully enter the residential house of one Sandra Palmer-Kelvin damage door keys belonging to one Sandra palmer-Kelvin.

“Douglas Ogbankwa and others now at large, sometimes in the month of January, 2023 at 2nd Ugbor Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State within the Benin Judicial Division , did steal one stabilizer belonging to one Sandra Palmer Kelvin.”

Justice Ikponmwonba however adjourned the case for a report of settlement pleas not taken.

The prosecuting Counsel, Mr Orobosa Okunbor however did not oppose the defendant counsel application.

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MDCN Inducts 25 Graduating Medical Doctors In Bauchi

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The Medicine and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on Thursday inducted 25 graduating medical doctors of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.

Speaking during the induction ceremony, Dr Fatima Kyari, the Registrar, MDCN informed the doctors that they were not celebrating an arrival to their destination, but a commencement of the journey into their medical practice.

She said that the Council would register them after the induction ceremony and provide them with the Provisional Registration (PR).

“You are required to utilise the PR to create accounts individually on the MDCN Centralised Housemanship Placement portal and subsequently return there to select the available Hospitals of your choices for your mandatory housemanship training of two years,” she said.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: MDCN Suspends Four Doctors From Medical Practice

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Also speaking, Prof. Mohammed Shehu, the Guest Lecturer at the ceremony, urged the young doctors to respect human dignity and rights of their patients.

Shehu, who further called on them to always uphold professionalism and honesty, admonished the graduands to shun self advertisement unless if permitted by law and ethics codes of the profession.

In his speech, Alh. Yakubu Abdullahi, Senior Special Adviser on Unlocking Healthcare Value Chain to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare said that the federal government is working tirelessly to provide a conducive environment in the health sector.

According to him, the federal government is leaving no stone unturned in its effort to provide an enabling environment in the health sector for practitioners in the country and eradicate the ‘Japa’ syndrome.

He said when these efforts began to yield results, it would encourage even those who had left the country to come back home to practice and further enhance the sector.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Tinubu Re-appoints NAFDAC DG, Names New NCDC Head

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“There are two core areas of this initiative and the first one is the provision of an enabling environment in tackling every hurdle that is making it difficult for the medical and healthcare services in Nigeria less affordable and accessible.

“The second one is encouraging medical professionals that are even in diaspora to begin to see the reasons why they should come back home and put their talents, expertise, experience and knowledge in the healthcare service delivery.

“Thousands of them are out there in the UK, US, and other parts of the world for reasons being that the environment in Nigeria is not conducive and in this regard, we are trying to make some changes so that they are being attracted back home,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Muhammad AbdulAziz, commended the cumulative effort of both the Bauchi State Government, the Governing Council of the University and other stakeholders in ensuring that the College of Medical Sciences took off and was today getting its first set of students inducted by MDCN.

Represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor , Academics, Prof. Sani Kunya, the VC assured all the stakeholders that the College of Medical Sciences, just like the other Faculties in various other fields of study in the institution, would continue to provide the nation with quality trained graduates in both character and learning.

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