10—Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013
Eminent Nigerians honour Akhigbe EMINENT Nigerians, including former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan and Senate President, David Mark, yesterday paid glowing tributes to former Chief of General Staff, CGS, Vice-Admiral Mike Akhigbe, who died on October 28 this year after a long battle with cancer. They all spoke at a requiem mass held in his honour at the Church of Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, saying late Akhigbe was fearless and goodness personified. Those who attended the requiem mass alongside Chief Sonekan and David Mark, included former CGS, Gen. Oladipo Diya; second republic Vice-President, Chief Alex Ekwueme; former Chiefs of Naval Staff, Vice Admirals AllisonMadueke, S. O. Afolayan, V. K. Ombu, Jibril Ayinla and Akin Aduwo as well as former Inspector-General of Police, Musiliu Smith. Others were former Foreign Affairs Minister, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu; President, Naval Officers Wives Association, Mrs. Vivian Ezeoba; Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, ReaAdmiral Ibok-Ete Ibas; Gen. Tunde Ogbha; Rear Admiral A. A. Afolahan, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, F. B. I. Porberu (rtd), Ndubuisi Kanu, O. O. Joseph, A.O. Oni (rtd) and LON Iwuoya; Mrs. Rebecca Aikhomu and Chief Don Etiebet. They said the best way to honour a man like Akhigbe, was to immortalise the ideals he stood and died for, especially his undying love for knowledge and education. In his tribute, Senate President said late Akhigbe was an excellent person and a devoted Christian. Mrs. Tinubu in her own tribute described the late Akhigbe as a very disciplined and forthright officer who went about his business diligently.Vice-Admiral Madueke said Akhigbe’s legacies speak for themselves, just as he urged Nigerians to emulate him, saying: “He was a fine officer, a man with a great heart and a detribalised Nigerian. He was an epitome of hard work, courage, discipline and love. Mike, would help anybody and everybody and would never shy away from telling the truth.”
SSANU vows to proceed on strike over N1.6bn allowances BY DAYO ADESULU
A
FTER TWO times protest by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, over N1.6billion earn allowance, the union has vowed to proceed on strike if government reneges. At a briefing yesterday, at the University of Lagos, SSANU UNILAG chairman,
Mr. Adekola Adetomiwa said: “The present payment template of N180,000 as against N360,000 is an outright denial of the agreed and approved template by the government for our union.” He said that the Federal Government had approved N360,000 earn allowance for SSANU which UNILAG has refused to pay, chosing rather to pay N180,000.
According to him, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and University of Benin had been benefitting from the N360,000 template. He insisted that the union would not relent in ensuring that its members were adequately paid like their counterparts in other federal institutions.
CELEBRATION: From left, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe, Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Rural Development; Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, Commissioner for Rural Development, and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, greeting members of Neighbourhood Watch, during the 2013 Community Day celebration, entitled: Community Transformation Through Peoples Empowerment,' in Lagos. Photo: Bunmi Azeez
According to him: “Doctors at the medical centre were omitted by the UNILAG authority in the template , while names of other members of staff were also missing. Management should speak out if the money released by government is not enough to go round. “UNILAG generates the average of N5billion Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, every year, yet nothing to show for it on campus.” Adetomiwa stated that SSANU would not mind going to court to achieve its objective. Explaining its meeting with the Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Jerry Gana, the union leader disclosed that though the audit report stated that UNILAG was over staffed, they should be paid what was due to them. He said: “We are not begging the university authority to pay this money, it is our right. It is 360 but 180 template. The allowances that accrued to the tune of N360,000 are: responsibility allowance, excess workload, hazard, laboratory and clinic allowance.”
2015: Tambuwal faults zoning of political offices BY MONSURU OLOWOOPEJO
L
AGOS — AHEAD of the 2015 general elections, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday, faulted the idea of zoning elected public offices in the country, describing it as a threat to good governance. He spoke at the 5th Christopher Kolade symposium in Lagos. It was organised by the
Nigeria Leadership Initiative, NLI. Tambuwal who was represented by the Minority leader in the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila said doing away with zoning would help strengthen the country ’s democracy. According to him, the decision of who held an elected public office would be the determined by the public. He noted that if any elected
office holder knew that he or she was accountable to his electorate, he would work for the development of his electorate. In his contribution, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and the Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Nigeria, Mr. Atedo Peterside lamented what they called leadership failure in Nigeria, urging Nigerians to change their orientation to salvage the country. Fashola said the first step
Falana vows to pursue Iyayi's death in court surrounding the death of the former president of the Academic AGOS — HUMAN Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, activist and Lagos lawyer, Mr. Professor Festus Iyayi in court. Femi Falana (SAN), yesterday, He disclosed this while vowed to pursue the circumstances addressing journalists over Iyayi's death. Iyayi died in a road accident on Okene Lokoja Road when the BY OLAYINKA LATONA Archbishop convoy of Kogi State AGOS —The Bishop, V i n i n g Governor, Idris Wada Diocese of Lagos West, M e m o r i a l rammed into his car. C h u r c h He was on his way to Anglican Communion Rt. Rev. C a t h e d r a l , Kano for a National James Odedeji has enjoined Ikeja, Lagos, Federal Government to urgently O d e d e j i Executive Council,NEC, address the insecurity challenges e x p r e s s e d meeting of ASUU when facing the country, as well as worry over the the accident occurred. Falana, who noted that tackle the incessant kidnapping palpable fear the polity the death of the late don and other vices confronting the in occasioned by country. Speaking during Holy s e c u r i t y was a "personal loss," Communion/ Thanksgiving challenges in said the leadership of ASUU and the family of Service to mark the 14th the country. the deceased had given anniversary of the diocese at BY ONOZURE DANIA
L
Cleric calls for measures against insecurity
L
him the mandated to pursue the matter in court.
towards realising efficient leadership in the country was for the people whom he described as followers to define what he called the Nigerian dream. The governor said the country's dream must be defined to get the leaders committed to the attainment of the dream, adding that any jurisdiction where majority of the people evaded tax payment and other obligations could not call erring leaders to order. In his contribution Atedo who was represented by the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC pensions Mr. Ademola Sogunle, said in asserting authority the nation's leaders must be ready to accept mistakes for the country to be developed