Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

Osogbo

OSOGBO – Osun State’s Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi has urged workers in the state sports council, as well as the Ministry of Sports to cooperate towards delivering Governor Ademola Adeleke’s development agenda for the sector or excuse themselves.

He also stressed that stepping on toes would not be his problem in order to ensure sports development in the state, adding that measures are in place to establish a sports commission to deliver on the governor’s agenda.

Speaking with newsmen at the Executive Council lounge of the Governor’s office at the weekend, the deputy governor, who is also the Sports Commissioner, said this administration will ensure that contract coaches, who have been serving the state are regularised as staff to get the best out of their talents.

His words: “I will try as much as possible to caution myself now not to look like a dictator, but I will step on toes and hurt some people terribly when the time comes. I will not hesitate to do that because we need to call a spade a spade at times so that people will know that what they are doing is absolutely wrong.

“We need to regularise the contract coaches, to ensure they are properly employed. I had to stop the idea that a person is singled out of about 30 or 40 for interview, it is wrong!

“I do not fear death, I am not afraid of being killed over revitalization of the sports sector in Osun State.

“We are looking at remuneration that is been paid in Oyo, Lagos, Delta, we might not be able to match them but we are trying to reach about 70 percent of that”.

He added that the state government will before the end of the month inaugurate a committee on the establishment of Sports Commission with a view to ensuring that the state regain its lost glory.

“A committee that will work for establishment of Sports Commission will be inaugurated before the end of the month, I have the names of all member already, they are respected members like Felix Owolabi, Ademola Adeshina among others. They will proffer solutions to challenges we are facing in sport across all the games.

Everyone must sit tight as the state government would no longer condone corruption that has permeate sports in the state anymore”, he added

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Friday said it has arrested a syndicate who specialises in importing banned crusader soaps containing mercury into the country.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos said that the syndicate used forged customs documents to import the product into the country.

According to Adeyeye, the importation of the soap into the country was banned by NAFDAC years ago because it contains mercury.

She said: “In the course of its regulatory activities, the investigation and enforcement (I&E) Directorate of NAFDAC has discovered a syndicate that specialises in importing banned crusader soaps containing mercury.

“The syndicate used forged customs documents to import the product into the country and further investigation through the ports show that the banned crusader soap was imported seven times in 2021 alone.

“Each consignment is not less than three containers with 4,500 cartons of the soap.

“These products have found their way into various supermarkets and cosmetic shops with unsuspecting members of the public patronising them.

“Acting on intelligence, our investigation and enforcement team in August 2023 busted a warehouse in Trade Fair Market, which was filled with the banned imported soaps.

” Three trailer-load of imported crusader medicated soap and mekako soap totaling 4,000 cartons by 12 packs by 12 tablet soap were evacuated from the warehouse, while some suspects were arrested in connection with the case.

“The street value of the evacuated products is approximately one billion Naira.”

She explained that the successful busting of the warehouse came after three failed attempts, as the cartel used their informants continuously to relocate the consignment of soaps to different locations in Lagos to prevent the discovery.

According to her, one Chief Peter Obih, the prime suspect, during interrogation claimed to have bought the franchise of the product from a company and presented an expired NAFDAC certificate that was issued for local manufacture of the product after the ban in Nigeria.

Adeyeye noted that not one bar of the soap had been manufactured in Nigeria since the purported registration in 2013.

“The suspect claims to have just secured a contract manufacturing agreement with a local manufacturer but they are yet to commence production.

” The sample of the product was taken to our laboratory for analysis and were found to contain heavy metals identified as mercury.

“The crusader soap is falsely labelled made in England to deceive Nigerians while actual source is India.

“This is an outright violation of NAFDAC Acts and a contravention of the agency’s regulations, including the cosmetic products (prohibition of bleaching agents) regulations 2019.

Adeyeye said that the presence of mercury in cosmetics was of global concern, because of the established and documented health hazards it poses to human health and to the environment.

She said the arrested suspects would be charged to court while a manhunt is currently being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of this syndicate.

The director-general, however, advised Nigerians not to patronise imported soaps and detergents, including mercury containing cosmetics, and to report all infractions to the nearest NAFDAC office. (NAN) (

The Chicago State University, CSU, on Thursday, said President Bola Tinubu attended the institution and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Business and Administration.

In a statement published by CBS News (CBS Broadcasting Inc.), the institution said it was confident in the veracity and integrity of their records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.

However, it noted, United States’ federal law prevents “us from providing any further information about Tinubu’s record, without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.”

The controversies over Tinubu’s academic records took a fresh turn when the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, took it up in a US court.

At a hearing in Chicago, Atiku asked a federal judge to compel the CSU officials to turn over Tinubu’s academic documents and appear for depositions.

Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois did not rule on the request.

Recall that election tribunal had thrown out Atiku Abubakar’s case earlier. But recating, Atiku said the war was not over.

The statement

The statement from the Chicago State University on Tinubu as published by CBS read: “As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records.

“Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.

“In August 2023, a request was made in U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student

The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree. Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.

CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu’s completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.

“The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.

“Our response to the request for Tinubu’s academic records has been entirely consistent with our practices, policies and federal law. We would respond in exactly the same manner for any request for any student information by a third party.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Thursday said that the former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, is not just the FCT Minister but his adviser.

Tinubu stated this when he welcomed the high-powered 62-man delegation from Rivers state, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He told Rivers State stakeholders that he has heard their cries on infrastructure development especially on the dilapidated Elementary junction-Onne axis of the East West Road linking the Port Harcourt Refinery.

The President in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale was quoted as saying: “The Honourable Minister, Wike, is not just the Minister of FCT, he is also my adviser and an admirer of mine. He has hit the ground running and he should be encouraged by the State”.

Advising the younger generation to be more patient with the processes of government, the President said, “I am the Captain and Chief Salesman of the country. We have to reverse the trend and achieve possibilities within a short period of time. Our people have high expectations for us. I pledge to work hard, and I pray to God to put me on the right path, not to disappoint Nigerians,” the President concluded.

Electricity supply has been restored hours after a nationwide blackout due to the collapse of the national grid on Thursday.

Disclosing this on its Twitter handle, now (X), Eko Electricity Distribution Company told its customers that electricity supply has been restored in the country.

Dear Valued Customer. Kindly be informed that power supply has been restored from the grid. Thank you for your patience,” the company said.

had reported how the country’s power supply dropped by 93.5 per cent to 273 megawatts, MW in the early hours of today, from  4,182MW recorded on Monday, this week, following a complete system collapse, due to equipment failure or grid disturbance in the sector.

The award winning paper had also reported how the Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, apologised to their customers and promised to restore supply when the situation improves.

FOR the second time in two weeks, another round of total darkness has hit the South East following the collapse of operations of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC.

Head of Corporate Communications of EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh in a press statement titled ‘Notice Of Total System Collapse’ said the incident happened at about 12:40am on Thursday.

The statement said: “The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 12:40am today, 14th September,2023.

“This has resulted to the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network.

“Due to this development, all our interface TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.

“We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo.”