Politics

Ekiti INEC Begins Preparation for Assembly Supplementary Election

By Web News 409

By Amos Ogunrinde

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it has commenced preparation in earnest for the smooth conduct of the April 15 supplementary election in Ido/Osi Constituency 1 of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, EKHA.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Professor Ayobami Salami made this known in Ado-Ekiti while presenting Certificates of Return to twenty-five lawmakers-elect for the assembly.

Professor Salami who announced that the supplementary election would take place in three polling units, sought the support of stakeholders in the area to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, while congratulating the lawmakers-elect on their victory urged them to justify their mandate by impacting positively on their constituents.

He described the just concluded House of Assembly Election in Ekiti State as the most successful in the country as a result of the cooperation of all the stakeholders.

“The House of Assembly poll went well and I must commend the support and cooperation of everybody in the state”, Prof Salami said

Speaking on behalf of others, the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Hakeem Jamiu representing Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency.

Two applauded the electoral body for conducting an acceptable House of Assembly poll.

Mr Jamiu noted that the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, made rigging and other irregularities difficult during the election.

The Deputy Speaker told the gathering that Ekiti State had six female lawmakers-elect, which is the highest in the history of the country in any State House of Assembly in Nigeria.

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Politics

INEC Sensitizes Nigerians on PVCs Collection

By Web News 597

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has again stressed the need for residents of Ekiti State who are yet to collect their permanent voter’s cards, PVCs, to do so in order to choose leaders of their choice in the forthcoming elections.

Ekiti state INEC Resident Electoral Commission, Professor Ayobami Salami stated this in Ado Ekiti during a road show, put up by the commission in partnership with some relevant organisations to sensitise the people on the need to collect their PVCs.

Professor Salami said the low response of eligible voters to the collection of their PVCs despite various enlightenment programmes necessitated the roadshow to further inform the people to obtain their cards.

According to him, it is only with PVCs that individuals can vote during the polls.

Professor Salami explained that over two hundred thousand have not collected their PVCs, out of the about one million registered voters in Ekiti state.

The roadshow awareness on PVCs collection took the commission to marketplaces, streets and strategic points.

Also, pamphlets were shared to the people, placards with inscriptions like “Vote not fight” were displayed with verbal sensitisation in both English language and Ekiti dialects carried out by participants.

Amos Ogunrinde

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Education

Prof Adesola Ajayi Becomes Second Vice Chancellor of Technical University Ibadan
 

By Web News 1877

The Governing Council of the First Technical University, Ibadan has appointed Professor Adesola Ajayi as successor to the pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayobami Salami.
 
The appointment follows the Council’s consideration of the recommendation of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board at its Special Meeting held on Monday, 7th March 2022. The appointment is for a single term of five (5) years and will take effect from 9th May, 2022.
 
Professor Ajayi emerged after a rigorous exercise in accordance with the University’s establishment Laws. The vacancy for the position was announced in daily newspapers on 6th December 2021 and out of 14 Professors that applied for the position, 8 were shortlisted and invited for interaction with the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board which met on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday, 3rd March, 2022.
 
Professor Sola Ajayi, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, is the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor of First Technical University. He is a Professor of Crop Science.

He obtained B.Agric. in Plant Science (First Class Honours) with the best overall result in the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1991. He also obtained from the same University the M.Phil. (Plant Science) degree with specialization in Plant Breeding/Seed Production in 1997. He bagged the Doctor of Agricultural Science (Dr. sc. agr.) degree in Seed Biology from Christian Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany in 2003.
 
Professor Ajayi has won several scholarships, fellowships, honours and awards among which are Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement Programme (CIRCLE) Champion Award by CIRCLE Visiting Fellows (CVF), 2021; Green Award by the National Association of Agricultural Students (NAAS, OAU, Ile-Ife) as the most-liked lecturer in the Department of Crop Production and Protection, OAU, Ile-Ife (2017); DAAD Re-Invitation Fellowship (2007); Vavilov-Frankel Fellowship, IPGRI (2002); Professor Werner Schulze Fellowship for young Agricultural Scientists,  Federal Agricultural Research Centre, Braunschweig, Germany (2000); DAAD Scholarship for doctoral studies in Germany (1999); Dr. Sunday Aribisala scholarship for the best MSc Agricultural graduate from Nigerian Universities recommended for a PhD Programme, IITA (1998); Ebony Award for being the student with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in the Faculty of Agriculture (1990) and Obafemi Awolowo University Scholarship for Outstanding students  (1989).
 
Professor Ajayi was appointed as Graduate Assistant at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on 15th December 1993 and was promoted to the rank of Professor on 1st October, 2010. He was Visiting Scholar at Pioneer Hi-bred International,  Pandorf, Austria (2000-2002); Postdoctoral Fellow at Cell Biology Research Unit, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa (2003-2005). He has also been Visiting Scholar at Goethe University, Frankfurt, am Main, Germany (2013); Seed Conservation Department,  Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK (2003); Maize Improvement Program, IITA, Ibadan (2011); and Agricultural Productivity Director, Winrock International/USAID-Nigeria Bridge to MARKETS II Project (2011).
 
Professor Ajayi is an acknowledged research leader with extensive research and industry experience on seed systems, agricultural innovations and enterprise development, climate change impacts, value chain analysis, research management, and agricultural policy dialogue. He has over 70 journal articles, book chapters, conference and research report publications and has attracted about 30 research and institutional development grants including grants for mentoring Early Career Researchers (ECRs). He has successfully supervised six 6 PhD, 17 MSc/MPhil candidates and several Final Year students Projects. He has participated in several national, regional and continental agricultural policy dialogues and regularly facilitates national stakeholders’ meetings on the development of the seed sector, crop improvements and increasing farmers’ income. A member of several professional bodies and associations, Professor Ajayi is a well-sought after scientist, consultant and resource person with over 28 years of wealth of experience. He has undertaken over 30 consulting assignments in the agricultural sector for several development organizations and agencies within and outside Nigeria. He was a member of the Seed Storage Committee, one of the Technical Committees of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA, 2008-2012), once President of the DAAD Alumni Association of Nigeria. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Journal of Seed Science and Director of the Nigerian Hub of the Sustainable Futures Global Network of researchers, practitioners and communities in Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Nigeria, Scotland and Uganda. He has active and on-going research collaborations with the University of Glasgow, Scotland and Technical University, Munich, Germany. To date, he has participated in about 100 academic conferences/meetings within and outside Nigeria and made over 30 presentations at these meetings.
 
Professor Ajayi has held several cognate administrative positions in and outside the University system. He is currently the Chairman of the Governing Council of The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki as well pioneer Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2018-date) and Pioneer Director of Academic Planning and Partnerships (2017-2018), First Technical University, Ibadan. At Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he was a Communication Officer, World Bank-funded Africa Centre of Excellence-Obafemi Awolowo University Knowledge Park (ACE OAK-PARK, 2015-2016); Chairman, University Security Committee (2014-2016); Director, Teaching and Research Farm (2012-2016), Head of the Department of Crop Production and Protection (2006-2008). He represented ASUU, Congregation and Senate in several University Committees at different times. He was a member of the TETFund Standing Committee on Research and Development (2015) and the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (2016-2020).
 
Aged 53, Professor Ajayi who hails from Igbojaye in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State is happily married to Ibiyemi Adeloyin Ajayi and they are blessed with four children.
 
He takes over from Professor Ayobami Salami whose term as Pioneer Vice-Chancellor expires on 8th May, 2022.
 
Professor Olanike K. Adeyemo
Pro Tem Council Chairman

Education

Vocational training needed at all educational levels in Nigeria – Professor Okojie

By Web News 700

Training on vocational and entrepreneurial skills should be made free and compulsory at all levels of education in Nigeria.

This was the submission of a former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Emeritus Professor Julius Okojie at the maiden convocation of the First Technical University, Tech-U, Ibadan.

Delivering a lecturer on THE TOPIC, “A skilled and knowledgeable workforce: The key to sustainable development in Nigeria”, Emeritus Professor Okojie said vocational and entrepreneurial skills should be embedded in relevant curricula at all levels of education to aid the transformation of the Nigerian economy.

In an address, the Vice-Chancellor, Tech-U, Professor Ayobami Salami, while noting that the university had produced skilled graduates who were ready to contribute to the development of the country, urged the graduands to live up to expectations.

The Overall Best Graduating student, Miss Adewumi Afonja, in a valedictory speech, charged her fellow graduands to use the experiences and skills acquired during their school years to build a better nation.

The visitor to the university, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, reiterated the goal of the present administration to ensure free and qualitative education by investing robustly in the sector at all levels.

Radio Nigeria gathered that 63 students in 5 academic programmes graduated at the maiden convocation, out of which 12 graduated with first-class honours.

The highlight of the ceremony was the conferment of honorary degrees to distinguished personalities across the country.

Mosope Kehinde