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ASUU Strike: NANS Vows To Disrupt Political Campaigns

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The National Association of Nigerian Students on Wednesday vowed to disrupt political campaigns billed to start later this month in driving home their point for the Federal Government to end the ongoing strike.

It was earlier reported that the students union rolled out a new timetable for its nationwide protests.

In the timetable, signed by the ‘President-Elect’ of the student body, Usman Barambu, dated Monday, NANS scheduled the protests to hold zone by zone, from its Zone A to Zone F, with Abuja being the location for a final protest.

The protests, which have already begun in September, will run till October 11, 2022, after which Barambu will lead the “Abuja shutdown.”

NANS is protesting the prolonged strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

But addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the Chairman, NANS National Taskforce on #EndASUUStrikeNow, Ojo Olumide, reiterated the students’ commitment to sustained protest until the government resolves with ASUU.

According to him, NANS will continue to ground all the nation’s public assets from roads to airports if the federal government fails to resolve with the leadership of ASUU in no distant time.

He said, “For those misconstruing our struggle, we call on them to see reason with Nigerian Students and join us in the struggle to save public education in the country.

“The leadership of NANS demands a better deal for the education of the Nigerian masses because most of the children of the privileged few now study either overseas or in Private Universities established with our common wealth across the country by the same set of people we entrusted to govern us. This is more reason they will continue to turn deaf ears to the demand by ASUU for improved standards and conditions of learning in our public higher institutions.

“Our blocking of access to public roads and ports is just a warning. If the government fails to conclude all the negotiations and agreement with ASUU within the frame of two weeks, they will witness more protests and rallies all over the country, they will also witness the annoyance, anger, and frustration of Nigerians Students who have been at home for the past Seven months.

“As we promise them that we will not allow any political campaign to hold across the country until we are back to class. This government has pushed so many Nigerians Students into depression. We say enough is enough; we can no longer bear the brunt of this avoidable crisis in our nation’s public ivory towers again.”

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FG Knocks Kogi Governor Ododo, Asks Yahaya Bello To Submit Self For Probe

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Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, has been urged to act honourably and allow himself to be investigated by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a warrant for Bello due to suspected corrupt activities during his tenure as Kogi State governor.

Remember that both sides have been playing hide-and-seek and staging dramas over the past 24 hours in relation to the plan to arrest the former governor and arraign him on Thursday.

According to the AGF, in a statement he personally signed on Thursday, EFCC is empowered by law to invite any Nigerian for interrogation.

He also described the action of the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, who used his immunity to prevent Bello’s arrest on Wednesday as ‘disquieting’, adding that embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put Nigeria in bad light before the rest of the world is not the way to go.

According to him, he stands for the rule of law and will ensure no right of any Nigerian is trampled upon.

The AGF said in the terse statement: “The bizarre drama confronting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty has come to my notice (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) as a matter of very grave concern.

“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status. Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation.

“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting. A flight from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently. Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.

“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world.”

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FG Deploys Technology To Detect Sudden Power Drop To Tackle Grid Collapse

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The Federal Government of Nigeria has implemented new technology to identify and react to abrupt losses or dips in power generation throughout the nation in an effort to solve the ongoing failure of the country’s electrical infrastructure.

It made this announcement on Wednesday through the Transmission Company of Nigeria, saying that TCN’s grid management capabilities would be enhanced by the new Generation Dip/Loss Detection System.

According to earlier reports, Nigeria saw its sixth power grid breakdown of 2024 the day before. The system’s energy generation dropped from 2,583.77 megawatts at 2 a.m. on Monday to 64.7 MW at 3 a.m., and the grid was eventually restored later that day.

The report stated that hough the Transmission Company of Nigeria attributed the cause of Monday’s grid collapse to a fire incident, it had consistently blamed gas shortage for power generation and the vandalism of power infrastructure for the recurrent cases of grid collapse in Nigeria.

Nigeria generates an average of 4,000MW of electricity for an estimated 200 million citizens across the country.

But this is hardly sustainable, as the grid continues to record incessant collapse due to gas supply constraints, transmission infrastructure vandalism, and liquidity crisis, among others.

To address this, TCN in a statement issued by its spokesperson in Abuja on Wednesday, said a new technology had been deployed by the Federal Government’s company to effectively manage the transmission network and the national grid.

It said, “As TCN continues to make efforts to enhance grid management, its engineers have recently deployed the Generation Dip/Loss Detection System which plays a pivotal role in detecting and responding to sudden drops or dips in power generation across the network.

“This new innovation stands as a testament to the Transmission Company of Nigeria’s commitment to advancing grid management capabilities.

“Designed to empower the National Control Centre in Osogbo, GLDS provides grid controllers in NCC with advanced tools for real-time monitoring and analysis of grid performance.

“Its intuitive interface allows for the setting of parameters, continuous monitoring of power generating stations, and comprehensive reporting functionalities, enabling swift responses to grid disturbances.”

The company said GLDS incorporates sophisticated data analytics and machine learning algorithms to analyse real-time data and identify patterns associated with sudden generation loss.

“By leveraging anomaly detection techniques, GLDS can promptly alert grid controllers on deviations from normal grid behaviour, facilitating proactive intervention to prevent widespread disruptions,” it stated.

TCN further stated that the system would ensure seamless communication between GLDS and IoT cloud servers, enabling a more rapid response and coordination of mitigation strategies.

It said this connectivity underscores the company’s commitment to enhancing grid resilience and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of electricity to consumers across Nigeria.

The firm said, “Previously, TCN engineers had developed an in-house design that leverages on IoT technology as an innovative solution in response to the challenge of limited visibility of power generators.

“The IoT devices, which were strategically deployed across power stations and some substations, facilitate the collection of near real-time data, including power generation levels and grid performance metrics.

“The IoT enabled the expansion of visibility of power generating stations from six to 27, and this has helped TCN significantly improve its ability to monitor grid load and identify potential issues before they escalate.”

The power transmission company stated that recently, the IoT device was also used to capture generation from Taopex Gs and Zungeru hydropower station, bringing the total number of power stations visible to the national grid to 29.

It said, “The GLDS and the IoT represent a significant step forward in bolstering grid stability and reliability.

“These initiatives not only empower TCN’s grid controllers with the insights needed to proactively address challenges and minimise disruptions but also demonstrate TCN’s dedication to meeting the evolving demands of the NESI (Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry).”

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Mohbad: Court To Serve Late Singer’s Wife Wumi DNA Test Application Via Substituted Means

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The Chief Magistrate Court in Ikorodu has approved the directive to serve Wunmi, the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad’s wife, with notice of the pending DNA test application by other methods.

This was stated in a letter to the Aloba family, written by Monisola Odumosu, a member of the legal team.

The family requested an order to serve Wunmi by posting all of the originating proceedings and other processes in the litigation on the respondent’s last-known address in an application that the legal team sent to Joseph Aloba, the late singer’s father.

According to the statement, the legal team led by Emmanuel Oroko had argued that the sheriff had attempted twice to serve Wunmi the court process but failed.

Odumosu stated that “If the process were served on the last-known address of the respondent by Order of the Court, it would constitute good service and she would be aware of the pending suit. The Chief Magistrate granted the order and ordered that the respondent be served by posting the court process on her last known address.

“It will be recalled that the Aloba family is contesting the paternity of baby Liam and filed an application before the Family Court wherein it sought an order of the court against Wunmi to present herself and baby Liam for a DNA test at any recognised laboratory in Lagos.”

The statement added that the singer’s wife, in a viral video, said she was ready for a DNA test, noting that she had never been available for the court sheriff to serve her the originating motion.

Odumosu however disclosed that the matter had been adjourned till next month for the report of service.

When contacted, Wunmi’s lawyer, Taiwo Olawanle, denied knowledge of the court order.

He said, “We don’t have the court order. If we have an order, we will advise her to adhere to it. That is not a problem. But we are not aware of any order. I am just hearing that from you.”

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. The Lagos State Police Command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, amongst others.

The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

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