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• Soyombo begs UNILAG unions for support in maiden meeting

Soyombo begs UNILAG unions for the support in maiden meeting.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities says its position that Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos remains unchanged.

This is as the new acting Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Omololu Soyombo, in his first meeting with workers on Wednesday begged for the support of the unions in the institution.

Soyombo, who was warmly received by some members of staff at the university’s Senate Building, thanked the unions in the university for their support.

He said, “I want to thank all our unions. I see it as a call to service to the university; it’s in this regard that I accepted the post.

We all came here to work and it behoves us to make it better than we met it.

We should not allow the ship of this university to drift.”

Soyombo informed them that his immediate plan for the workers was staff welfare, adding that staff members were the core asset of the university.

My major focus will be on staff welfare. My belief in this regard is that  human resources (staff) are the core assets of the university and any organisation.  Otherwise, we cannot achieve anything,” he said.

Soyombo, who also spoke to the press at the Senate Chamber, said he assumed the post on August 12, 2020 and as such would ensure he lifted the institution to a higher pedestal than he met it.

“We shall ensure effective delivery of lectures by upgrading our teaching facilities, provide modern multimedia platforms, projectors and upgrade research facilities for better performance because the university is the repository of knowledge,” he said.

However, Chairman, ASUU, UNILAG chapter, Dr Dele Ashiru, insisted that the union was unwavering in its position that Prof. Ogundipe remained the vice chancellor of the institution.

• Barca boss Koeman hopes Messi stays with Catalan club

Lionel Messi will be at the heart of Ronald Koeman’s plans as Barcelona head coach so long as the “best player in the world” wishes to remain at Camp Nou.

Koeman was unveiled as Quique Setien’s successor on Wednesday, continuing a tempestuous few days at Barca following their humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final loss to Bayern Munich.

Sporting director Eric Abidal departed after handling Setien’s sacking, although reports Messi wishes to leave the club have arguably caused the biggest shockwaves.

Under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Barcelona’s in-house television channel that Messi will be part of the club’s immediate future, despite conceding he had not spoken to the player in the aftermath of the Bayern debacle.

Predictably, Messi was a prominent topic of conversation when Koeman faced reporters for the first time in a role he left his Netherlands post to take up.

“Messi is the best player in the world and you want the best player in the world on your team,” he said.

“I don’t know if I have to convince him to stay. I would love to work with him because he wins you games. If he gets the usual performance, I’m very happy that he stays.

“He has a contract. You have to talk to him, of course, he is captain of the team. We have to talk to several players. We have to make decisions. In the case of Messi, I hope he will be here for more years.

• Super Eagles resume AFCON 2021 qualifiers in November, Qatar 2022 in May 2021

The Emergency Committee of Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved resumption dates for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the Africa qualifying group stage of 2022 FIFA World Cup.

This means a busy schedule awaits the participating teams, with double-headers from November 2020 through to November 2021 in the battle for spots to the final tournament of the two competitions.

“The schedules for the two competitions have had to be revised in light of the COVID-19 outbreak which halted many sports activities across the continent and beyond for some time.

“For Cameroon 2021, the qualifiers will hold from Nov. 9 to Nov. 17, 2020, with the Day 3 and Day 4 matches, while the penultimate and ultimate matches take place from March 22 to March 30 2021.

“The 40 teams in contention for the five slots for Qatar 2022 will commence the journey between May 31 and June 15, 2021 with the Day 1 and Day 2 matches.

“From Aug. 30 to Sept. 17, the Day 3 and Day 4 matches are expected to take place, with Day 5 and Day 6 matches fixed for Oct. 4 to Oct. 12, 2021.

“The Playoff matches have been scheduled for Nov. 8 to Nov 16, 2021,” CAF said in a statement.

Meanwhile, CAF has said it was monitoring the situation closely and working with the relevant authorities with regards to hosting of the matches and would make pronouncements accordingly.

• Lagos supports 23 tech firms, entrepreneurs with N100 million – Official

The Lagos State Governmenthas awarded 23 young innovators and tech firms a total grant of N100 million to pursue various technology-driven innovations, an official said on Wednesday.

According to a statement released by the governor’s chief press secretary, Gboyega Akosile, on Wednesday, the recipients are the first set of beneficiaries to benefit from the N250 million seed capital earmarked, last year, as Research and Innovation Fund by the state government.

The awardees were reportedly selected through a highly competitive process overseen by the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) established in 2019 by Governor Sanwo-

Olu

The governor congratulated the successful awardees and urged them to apply the grant judiciously.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said his administration was born with the sole aim to solve contemporary challenges facing the state.

“Last December, we inaugurated the Research and Innovation Council with a seed fund of N250 million in demonstration of our commitment to transform Lagos into a 21st century digital economy and Smart City.

“The body has a mandate to facilitate investment in science research, innovation, and STEM education throughout the State, and to encourage the development of innovative solutions to problems, using cutting-edge technology.

“We are here today to match our words with action, by handing out grants from the LASRIC’s Research and Innovation Fund to successful applicants. I congratulate all awardees and beneficiaries of our very first set.

“As a Government, we believe in each and every applicant’s capacity to create and scale up ideas that can proffer solutions to our current challenges,” the governor was quoted as saying.

He added that with the presentation of the grants, “the responsibility now firmly rests on the recipients’ shoulders to justify the opportunity.”

He said Lagos was on a journey “to properly identify, enable and build great human potential through flagship technology-driven projects, such as Metrofibre programme and Smart City initiative”.

“The grant recipients represent key research initiatives and innovative startups ready and qualified to be resourced for the development of Lagos, and indeed the world.

“Today’s event is the first in many of this administration’s support and development of the science and technology ecosystem,” he said.

Meanwhile, the governor’s special adviser on innovation and technology, Olatunbosun Alake, reportedly described the ceremony as “tangible development in the history of governance in the State.”

He said the awardees would be initiating innovation in key areas of manufacturing, food security and health management.

• The Academic Staff Union of Universities

(ASUU) has accused the federal government of not consulting Nigerian research institutions and university-based scholars in the fight against COVID-19 and other national challenges.

The national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the same attitude of the government had “brought our universities to their knees and deprived them of capacity to respond to national challenges.”

The coronavirus pandemic has assailed the world since the beginning of this year with the global tally of confirmed cases exceeding 21 million.

Nigeria has so far recorded 49,895 infections with nearly a thousand deaths.

There is yet no globally approved COVID-19 cure or vaccine. Although clinical trials of vaccines are still ongoing in many countries, Nigeria is not involved in any at the moment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced his country’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine named “Sputnik V”, but scientists around the world have expressed concerns over the lack of final-stage testing of the vaccine.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Ogunyemi said ASUU “finds it unacceptable that the Presidential Task Force would discuss issues relating to prevention control and possible cure of COVID-19 in Nigeria without reference to universities and university-based scholars.

“However, we view the Federal Government’s failure to acknowledge the intellectual and research community in the national discourse on COVID-19 as a continuation of the trajectories which brought our universities to their knees and deprive them of capacity to respond to national challenges,” the statement issued read.

Mr Ogunyemi, however, said despite its exclusion, the body of lecturers has been involved in government efforts to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus just like other frontline workers.

“It is no longer news that ASUU members across the country were actively involved in the production and distribution of hand sanitisers, radio/TV jingles, handbills and posters, hand washing buckets and other items supportive of government efforts to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.

“At the same time, our medical and paramedical professional members were and are still involved in frontline activities as members of COVID-19 State Task Forces and volunteers in the isolation centres and clinics where their services were (are) critically required in critical moments.”

According to him, deploying ASUU members for medical and social emergencies at a time the Nigerian government was (is) withholding salaries of some of its colleagues in federal universities is a decision borne out of their sense of history.

“History teaches us that in a time of extraordinary adversity, extraordinary demands are made on the will of humankind, both in relation to our sheer courage and determination to survive, as well as in terms of the wisdom and ingenuity which we must bring to bear on the existential task of surmounting the adversity that we are confronted with.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is one such moment of supreme adversity in the career of humankind, and we as a union are proud of our heritage of demonstrating courage and resourcefulness in a moment like this.”

Mr Ogunyemi urged the federal and state government to reverse the trend of ignoring its members for Nigeria to witness genuine development.

He also disclosed that in acknowledgement of their contributions, more than ten state governments of the federation have sent appreciation letters.

• The national body of Academic Staff Union of Universities

(ASUU) on Wednesday, rejected the removal of Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The Council, chaired by lawyer and businessman, Wale Babalakin, last Wednesday announced the “removal” of Mr Ogundipe for alleged misconduct.

The decision was taken at the Council’s emergency meeting in Abuja during which a probe report

Although Mr Ogundipe rejected his removal, accusing the council of not following due process in its actions, Theophilus Soyombo has been appointed in an acting capacity to replace him.

The Senate, alumni body, as well as other concerned parties, have condemned the removal of Mr Ogundipe.

“We reaffirm our confidence in the leadership of Professor Toyin Ogundipe as Vice-Chancellor of the university,” the ASUU branch chairman, Dele Ashiru, stressed last week.

The embattled Professor had kick-started a court process to challenge the decision of the Babalakin-led council’s decision.

Meanwhile, on several forums and media appearances, Mr Babalakin had justified the council’s decision, insisting that the verdict stands.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Wale Babalakin

should be reminded that the knowledge of procedures and processes for appointment and removal of Vice-Chancellors is not the exclusive preserve of “legal luminaries because the sources are out there in the public space. Curiously, he has been quoting a strange law – the “Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act of 2009”, which is not known to any other stakeholder, and the basis of his Council’s decision.

The body accused Mr Babalakin of ‘dragging’ its negotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement with the federal government without a concrete result.

“It is public knowledge that ASUU has consistently been at the forefront of the struggle for University Autonomy in Nigeria. As we speak. “University Autonomy and Academic Freedom is one of the four key items listed for renegotiation in the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement which Dr Wale Babalakin-led Team has unduly dragged for three-and-half years without any concrete results!”

“Law puts it, the amendments of 2003 and 2012 not yet formally incorporated are to be made into the enabling laws under the principle of incorporation by reference”. Dr. Babalakin appears to have been quoting Section 3(8) of the Principal Act (as amended) which states: “The Vice-Chancellor may be removed from office by the Governing Council on grounds of gross misconduct or inability to discharge the functions of his office an a result of infirmity of the body or mind, at the initiative of the Council, Senate or the Congregation after due process.

Mr Ogunyemi said the Pro-Chancellor has been evasive on two interrelated questions; “1. Did the Senate participate in the process as required by the Law? and (2) Was the due process followed?”

“ASUU fully supports the UNILAG Senate’s rejection of the Dr Wale Babalakin-led Governing Council’s ill-informed decision to remove the Vice-Chancellor.”

ASUU, however, called for President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately “constitute a Special Visitation Panel to look into the immediate and remote causes of the events that led to the purported removal of Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe VC of UNILAG with a view to bringing anyone found culpable to book.”