Edo poll: Presidency dismisses opposition members planned arrest by Gambari, Oshiomhole
The Presidency has described as the handywork of mischief makers, a trending short video, alleging that the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Adams Oshiomhole had hatched a plan to arrest opposition members ahead of Edo governorship election.
Oshiomhole, the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had on August 17, visited the Presidential Villa where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari, at the end of the meeting, warned political actors in the September 19 Edo governorship elections to shun any act capable of disrupting socio-political order in the state.
However, barely 24 hours after Oshiomhole’s visit to the villa, the video clip went viral.
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday described the video clip as the handiwork of misguided elements.
”It is very important to strongly dispel misguided messaging amongst commentators, rights activists, advocates and journalists who have been reacting to a trending short video clip, alleging that the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Adams Oshiomhole, the former All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman had hatched a plan to arrest opposition individuals ahead of the September election in Edo.
”Firstly, it is important to state that the video was an ingenious patchwork of mischief, extracted from an innocent conversation focused on the emerging incidents of violence in the run up to the election.
”It is equally a fact that various political parties campaigning in Edo have levelled accusations of violence against one another.
”In such a heightened state of uncertainty, responsible leadership must ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful manner and if warranted, judicious use of law enforcement to protect lives and properties of citizens is mobilised thus preventing criminal elements from subverting the democratic process.
”This message has consistently been repeated by Mr President.
”He does not support violence of any sort and its propagators will be brought to justice. Elections must reflect the will of the people,” he said.
Shehu maintained that both Gambari and Oshiomhole have a history and track record of working to protect the rights of Nigerians and humanity of all walks of life, especially the poor and marginalised.
According to the presidential aide, Gambari and Oshiomhole will never be found encouraging any conduct that runs counter to these values.
UNILAG crisis: ASUU wants Buhari to constitute visitation panel, says ‘Babalakin trying to defend the indefensible’
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a special visitation panel to look into the purported removal of Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos.
Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President, made the call while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ogunyemi said that it was imperative for the president to set up the special panel to look into the immediate and remote causes of events that led to the removal of the Vice-Chancellor.
It will be recalled that Ogundipe was removed by the Wale Babalakin – led Governing Council over alleged financial infractions, among other issues.
According to Ogunyemi, the union is shocked not because the vice-chancellor is a saint but because his removal did not follow due process.
“The national leadership of ASUU received the news of the purported removal of the vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos by the governing council chaired by Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN) with absolute shock and total disappointment.
“We are shocked not because we regard Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as a saint but for the fact that all available evidence indicates that he was not taken through the due process.
“In spite of Dr Babalakin’s spirited efforts to defend the indefensible, it is now clear to all and sundry that there is more to the story coming from the senior member of the bar.
“ASUU fully supports UNILAG Senate’s rejection of Wale Babalakin-led Governing Council’s ill-informed decision to remove the Vice-Chancellor.
“We call on Mr President, as the visitor to the University of Lagos, 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 Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as VC of UNILAG with a view to bringing all found culpable to book,” Ogunyemi said.
He, however, called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to probe all fraudulent practices allegedly committed by “overzealous vice-chancellors who have compromised academic standards and are subverting university ethos in the name of the so-called new normal.”
ASUU President, however, commended the courage and resoluteness of many vice-chancellors who, he said, had stood their ground in preserving whatever was left of the quality of Nigeria’s university education.
He added that the union would not hesitate to expose those sacrificing the system in the name of internally generated revenue.
Ogunyemi, while speaking on the issue of Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) and University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), an alternative software being recommended by the union, noted that new understanding had been reached with the government.
“Following our engagements with the Federal Government over the issues that eventually led to the declaration of the ongoing strike action on March 17, the government declared that it accepts in principle UTAS.
“This is being deployed by ASUU and its researchers for the financial administration of the university’s Federal Government staff monthly payroll and accounting processes.
“In addition, the Federal Government pledged that when fully developed UTAS will be subjected to integrity tests in order to verify its efficacy to see whether this final product will pass the necessary technical attributes test as specified by NITDA,” he said.
He also noted that ASUU had given a timeframe of 18 months to the government to develop, test and deploy UTAS in keeping with the promise.
Ogunyemi added that ASUU was pleased to announce that UTAS is now ready for the “integrity tests” required of it by government.
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