Adblada

Sunday 19 March 2017

DISTINGUISHED NIGERIAN: PROF. J.F. ADE-AJAYI 1929-2014


He was born on May 26, 1929 in Ikole-Ekiti in today’s Ekiti State. His father was the postmaster in the town, hence his local nickname, ‘omo baba postmaster’. His father’s education impacted on all the children. Under constant parental supervision, young Adeniyi Ajayi completed his primary education at St. Paul’s School in Ikole in flying colours at a very young age. He proceeded to Igbobi College in Lagos, where he completed his secondary school at the age of 17.

He later entered as one of the pioneers of the University College, Ibadan in 1948 with a general degree in English, History, and Latin, before moving to the University of Leicester in England to do an honours degree in history, obtaining a first-class degree. He later obtained a doctorate in history from the University of London, serving briefly as a research fellow at the London Institute of Historical Research, before returning to join the department of history at the University of Ibadan.

Prof. Ade Ajayi’s significance is not as much in the string of academic and honourary degrees he deservedly obtained during his academic career: Ph.D. (Lon); Ll.D. (Lon); Honorary. D.Litt (Birmingham) as it is in the stellar contributions he made in more than half a century to historical research in Africa and the English-speaking world. He was a seminal figure in the development of the Ibadan School of Historical Research, a school that became famous for its insistence on development of new historiography to capture properly the unique character of Africa, particularly as a human space with hundreds of years of history making in pre-colonial and preliterate times.

Professor Ade Ajayi constructed a historiography that combined the understanding of the nuances of oral traditions with modern historical research methods as the only credible way to tell the true story of colonial and post-colonial Africa, thus debunking the colonial historiography that made the Berlin Conference the beginning of history in sub-Saharan Africa. He blazed the trail in writing seminal historical works that served as models for several historians after him in Nigeria and most of the Anglophone and Francophone historical research institutes. Simply put, Professor Ajayi was a leading figure in the decolonization of African studies and the rise of nationalism in Nigeria.

In this respect, Professor Ajayi wrote over 200 academic papers and presentations and numerous books. His books include Milestones in Nigerian History (1962), Christian Missions in Nigeria (1969), Yoruba Warfare in the Nineteenth Century (1971), History of Nigerian Engineers (1995), Development Planning in Nigeria: Bishop Ajayi Crowther vs Taubman Goldie in the Sokoto Caliphate (1999), and African Experience with Higher Education (1996). Books he co-edited include A Thousand Years of West African History (1969), UNESCO’s General History of Africa (1998), and Slavery and Slave Trade in Nigeria: From Earliest Times to the Nineteenth Century (2010).

He came to lead the University of Lagos in 1972, with a wealth of administrative and management experience from his alma mater, the University of Ibadan, where he had served as Dean and Deputy Vice Chancellor. As the third Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos between 1972 and 1978, Professor Ajayi contributed immensely to the development of the university. His imprint on the institution is still noticeable decades after his departure from the institution. For example, he was responsible for the building of the University’s biggest hall of residence and the three high-rise buildings on the campus today.

Under his leadership, the University of Lagos became a major comprehensive research institution. Serving as Vice-Chancellor during the infamous Ali-Must-Go students’ crisis, Professor Ajayi defended the independence and integrity of his institution against the dictates of the ruling military junta. He set a high standard of personal professionalism and institutional independence which we recommend to the leaders of today’s institutions of higher learning.

Professor Ajayi was famous worldwide for his prodigious and incisive scholarship; when his flight from Ireland to London was delayed sometime in 1997, a packed room of Oxford dons waited patiently for two hours for him to arrive and deliver his lecture. He used this global reputation for the good of his university, attracting top-flight scholars from other universities to join the research faculty of the University of Lagos in various disciplines including medicine, legal studies, architecture, mass communication, and accounting, performing arts and urban studies.

Having to leave the University of Lagos in the midst of the crisis over sudden increase of fees by the federal military government in 1978, Professor Ajayi returned to the University of Ibadan to continue teaching and research in history. With this, he started a tradition that several vice chancellors after him followed by returning to the classroom after serving as chief executives of universities. An academic leader to the very end, even in retirement his personal library at home was open to use by up-coming graduate research students.

Nigeria and the world of ideas have, in the passing of Professor Ajayi, lost not only an institution builder but also one of the most insightful historians of the century. No nation can progress without building an indigenous intellectual community, including historians who have the duty to interpret the past of the nation so the future can be built on firmer grounds.

He died at the University College Hospital of the University he loved till his end, Nigeria’s premier University in Ibadan on August 9. Popularly known as J.F. Ade Ajayi, the frontline university administrator and renowned academic was one of Africa’s astute higher education administrators. His passing is an irreplaceable loss to the academic world and research communities across the globe.

SOURCE: NNMA
 PHOTO: THE GURDIAN

NIGERIAN NATIONAL HONOURS AND THEIR MEANINGS

Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria every year.They were instituted by the National Honors Act No. 5 of 1964, during the Nigerian First Republic, to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the benefit of the nation.The Nigerian National Honours, in descending order of importance, are:

Grand Commander of the order of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Grand Commander of theOrder of the Niger(GCON).

Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).

Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).

Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)


The GCFR and GCON are customarily respectively bestowed on former occupants of the office of president of Nigeria and vice President of Nigeria including former military heads of state of Nigeria and Chiefs of General Staff. The GCON is also customarily bestowed on the chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Nigerian Senate during their first year in office, while the CON is customarily bestowed on Justices of the supreme Court of Nigeria. Others such as the CFR,MFR,MON,OFR etc are distributed to members of the public for great achievements, these includes public servant,political leaders, traditional leaders and other persons in various works of life.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Saturday 18 March 2017

PHOTOS: OONI GRAND ARRIVAL @ HEATHROW AIRPORT RECEIVED BY PRINCE CHARLES

 Alayeluwa Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi ,Ojaja II,Ooni of Ife's  grand arrival at Heathrow Airport London on the 14th of March, for a 2-week Cultural rebirth visit to United Kingdom.
He was received by Prince Charles.

FULL GIST:A LADY ALLEGED TO BE DAVIDO'S THIRD BABY MAMA ! (PHOTOS)

A lady alleged to be Davido’s third babymama has surfaced.  Ayotomide Labinjo,  is alleged to be the mother of Davido's three year old daughter,which has sparked controversy on social media.

In her exclusive interview with The Punch, Ayotomide disclosed that she met the Nigerian singer in an Ibadan club in February of 2013, they had a brief affair which fell apart after she told him she was pregnant.


“When I told him I was pregnant at the end of March 2013, he said I should keep it but the following morning, he blocked me from his Blackberry Messenger list. I could not reach him throughout the period I was pregnant. On each of the days we met in Ibadan, he had a police and three body guards with him.

“On the day the baby girl was being named, he added me again on his BBM and I sent him her pictures. He asked me what I wanted and I told him that he should take up the responsibility of the child. But he blocked me from his contact list again the next morning. We named the baby Aanuoluwapo but he preferred to call her Vero and anytime I asked for anything, he would embarrass me.”


As earlier reported, Ayotomide’s family contacted Davido’s family the Adelekes. A paternity test was conducted and the result returned negative. However, Ayotomide said she still suspects foul play in the test.

Here’s Punch's report;

“…a copy of the test carried out at Clina-Lancet Laboratories, Babatunde Jose Street, Victoria Island, Lagos on September 2, 2014, showed that Davido was ‘excluded’ from being the biological father of the child.

However, Labinjo disputed the result. According to her, she alleged she saw Davido giving a ‘big’ envelope containing lots of money to one Alex Sogbola who conducted the test when she entered his office, alleging that the technologist was induced or compromised.”
Confirming the story, Ayotomide’s mother said she went extra miles to investigate why the result returned negative.
Punch reports that the lady alleged that she went to Lagos with her daughter to see Davido’s father, Adedeji Adeleke, in respect of the DNA test. According to her, the meeting was arranged after series of attempts to meet Adeleke and following the involvement of her family lawyer. She added that her husband, a professor of sociology at the University of Ibadan, died 16 years ago, leaving her and two children behind.

She said,

“I wrote a letter to Davido’s father but there was no reply until our lawyer wrote to him. When he called me, I explained what happened between my daughter and his son and he arranged for the DNA. He said his son told him that he did not know my daughter.


“He later sent his driver to Ibadan to bring us to Lagos for the test. After meeting him, he told the driver to take us to Davido’s house. We met him and his brother Wale, his cousins B.Red and Shina.   Shina told him he would not be a party to this (paternity tussle).


“From there, we went to a hospital, Davido was in another car. I was suspicious of the whole set up because there was no indication that the facility could handle DNA test. My daughter was called upstairs with Davido and the child. My daughter was left outside a door but out of curiosity, she opened the door and saw Davido giving lots of money to the doctor after his father had already paid for the DNA test.


“Davido and the baby’s blood samples were only taken so I asked the doctor why he did not take that of my daughter because Davido’s father had told me that he paid for the three people at N65,000 each. They asked us to come back after two weeks but the result came out after seven days. Davido’s father sent a car to bring us to Lagos again for the result. Davido had left the country then. The result showed that Davido was not the father but my findings after that showed that only blood test was carried out and not DNA test.”

The widow said having lived in London before and having done DNA test before, she was sure that the test carried out was not a DNA. She said he had told Davido’s father that when she has the money, she would go to a government hospital to conduct another DNA.

“I have written Chief Adeleke to do me a favour by presenting Davido on the day of the test. From what I know, hair sample or saliva swab and not only blood sample are used for DNA test,” she said.

When The Punch paid a visit to Clina-Lancet Laboratories and had a chat with Sogbola, the young man said he remembered the case and the test result was genuine.

He said it would be quite impossible for him to be dubious with a DNA result as the samples were taken to their South African branch for testing.

Sogbola said that he had handled all Davido’s DNA tests and so far, he has never had any problems. He also denied ever collecting any money from the music star.

He said;

“I remember the case. If I should check the system, I am sure I would still have the details. We also have a sister company in South Africa where the blood samples were tested and if you go to South Africa, you would get the exact same result we gave her here in Nigeria. I have every record and if I bring my records out, I would show you the picture of the lady when she came, the baby’s picture and Davido’s own as well. I remember the lady’s mother.

They came in from Ibadan and the samples were not taken here. It was done in Verdic Hospital in Lekki, they paid for home service so I had to go and take the sample from Verdic Hospital. We gave the result out and the day it was out, I cannot remember if the lady was there but Davido’s father collected the result from me. I remember the girl said she was in school and I asked her where she met Davido but I could not keep asking questions because it was none of my business.

He might have come for a show in her school and something happened between them. Even her mother’s ring tone then was Davido’s song. Even Davido’s father said that he had been investing some money in them but they should give him some time to get the DNA done so that they could take charge of the child. That was what he said. Before the test was conducted, the man had been sending money to them. He sent a car to pick them from Ibadan for the test.

The second DNA that was done for Davido’s baby, Imade, I also conducted the test. I can tell you that I have never collected any huge sum from Davido ever since I have come in contact with him. He has never given me even N2,000 despite the fact that he has money. I don’t know what the girl wants but if it is another DNA, then that is between her and Davido.

She can have a re-test anywhere else in the world. I am sure she has a copy of that result. Even if there is a foul play here, would I do it as well with the people in South Africa? If I do a foul play with any DNA result, it would not only affect us here in Nigeria but also our office in South Africa. So if they are suing us here, they are also suing our branch in South Africa.”

When Davido who has threatened to sue The Punch for N30bn was contacted through his manager, Asa Asika, via an email exchange, he simply said that Labinjo’s claim is false.

He said, “Apologies for the delayed response, I have been flying. This is not a true story, thanks for reaching out to clarify. Thanks.”

ZIMBABWEAN BOXER WHO WAS DUE FOR DEPORTATION ALLEGEDLY COMMITS SUICIDE IN LONDON! (PHOTOS)

 Bhekitshe Moyo, 42, Zimbabwean boxer who was due to be deported by immigration officials has allegedly committed suicide in south London.  Moyo, who was reported missing on the evening of Monday, March 6, was discovered dead the following day close to Mitcham Common. Moyo, a former bank manager had lived in the UK for more than 15 years before he was ordered to leave by the Home Office.

Before his death, an unusual Facebook post prompted concerns from his family in Zimbabwe. ‘I have to sleep now. I love you all. Now be good to one another,’ he wrote on Facebook.

Moyo, who lived in Wallington, was a talented boxer who competed in matches frequently and he often volunteered teaching youths interested in the sport.

He went to the UK on a sports visa, a family friend told the Evening Standard.

UPDATE: THE MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO STABBED HIS MOTHER TO DEATH NEVER KNEW WHAT CAME UPON HIM!~~OLDER BROTHER SAYS..

Cletus Ogah, one of the older brothers of  Emmanuel Ogah, the medical doctor who stabbed their 59-year-old mother, Janet, to death penultimate Thursday, has revealed that his younger brother (Emmanuel) graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 2007.

But he said due to ‘depression relapse’ he suffers occasionally, he went for his one year national youth service in 2016, nine years after.

Cletus revealed that Emmanuel was 27 years then when he graduated, having been a brilliant student.

He said all the seven children of their late mother are graduates and four of them graduated from ABU. Cletus said he read Chemical Engineering.


He said Emmanuel did well in his secondary school certificate result and scored well over 4 points in Cumulative Grade Point Average when he graduated in Medicine from ABU in 2007.

He said, “He made 4.38 as his CGPA at ABU.

While Cletus said it was true that he suffered ‘depression relapse’ on some occasions, he said the family had taken him to certain psychiatric facilities for medical intervention in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Uyo.

He said, “We noticed the problem of depression in him in 2008, when he was doing his housemanship. He was reported to have spoken rudely to his superiors.

“He was sent away from that place. Again, in subsequent years, he went to some other places for the housemanship, the same thing happened.

“We took him to the Psychiatric Hospital at Yaba, Lagos in 2014 where he was receiving treatment and doing his housemanship.

“Eventually he completed it at this place, but he was still asked to go and serve the one year national service, because they said he was 27 when he graduated from ABU. That was what he was doing at Jigawa State, when he returned last Wednesday and he killed our mother on Thursday.”

On that fateful day, Emmanuel, who was believed to be under some ‘forces’ controlling him, knifed their mother to death at her restaurant located along Lafenwa-Itele Road, Aparadija in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

He did not kill the mother in their residence on Number 16 Ololade Lateef Street, Aparadija, Lafenwa-Itele, as earlier reported.

The picture of the corpse which had gone viral on the social media was gory enough. Emmanuel disembowelled the mother, and gave her other deep cuts on the face and neck.

Also the video of his ‘detention’ inside burglar proof section of the restaurant after he had done the havoc, did not portray him as being coherent in all the questions put to him on why he killed the mother.

Cletus, who said he got to the scene two hours after Emmanuel had killed their mother, said he(Emmanuel) was still being ‘detained’  in the shop, when he arrived.

He said when he jabbed him and asked him why he killed their mother, he suddenly became remorseful, saying he never knew what came upon him.

He said, “When I arrived our mother’s restaurant two hours after the incident, Emmanuel was still being held inside the shop, I moved closer to him, jabbed him twice and asked him: ‘why did you kill our mother?’ All he could say was ‘brother, I did not know what happened, brother I did know what happened’ and he started crying.

“Then he began to say some incoherent things.

“I believe there were ‘some forces’ at work on him. Because from the responses, it seemed that he came to his senses suddenly and showed remorse. Emmanuel neither smoked nor drank alcohol. I had taken him out on some occasions.”

Cletus said their mother was a loving mother who supported her husband, Bernard Ogah, now a retired soldier to train all of them.

He recalled, “I could remember in my own case, my mother plaited hair for people in the barracks to raise money and supported in paying my school fees then while I was in ABU.

“My mother gave her all to her children.”

A service of songs was organised for her on Thursday in front of her former shop, where her virtues were celebrated.



Pastor Femi Samuel said, “Mama was quite accommodating and she was always smiling.

“She was a giver. If you came to the restaurant, you would eat whether you have money or not.”

One of her neighbours, Stephen Gyamfi described her as a “mother well loved by those who knew her.”

The landlord of the house where she had her restaurant, Mr. Eddy, who said the deceased rented the shop from him in February 2016,  described her as a nice and easy going person.

Eddy said he had only seen Emmanuel once at the mother’s restaurant. “I only saw him once, and that was sometime last year. He was clutching a travelling bag and the mother told me that’s her son. Then he was going for the national service as a youth corp.”

The remains of the late Mrs. Janet Ogah have since been taken to her village, Agila,via Oturkpo in Benue State, on Friday for burial.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel is still being held at the homicide section of the Ogun State Police Command headquarters, Abeokuta.

Mixed reactions greet action

Ogah’s action has continued to attract a lot of attention on the social media, from those who claimed to know him and those not too close to him.

However, many of those who commented on his action submitted that it might not be ordinary.

Some argued that it might be due to depression, another noted that it was schizophrenia and while some others contended that it could be a ‘mental case.’

One Dosunmu in his comment contended that Ogah might need a psychiatrist’s attention.

He wrote: “I think that guy needs to see a mental doctor(psychiatrist), something is wrong, he might have mental issue.”

Another concerned person, Deansmart, obviously replying to Dosunmu’s comment, noted: “My first thought exactly. He must have a serious case of depression or something.

“So sad, and we need doctors badly.”

One Edgar Zomboss, who claimed to know Emmanuel closely having once worked with him posted about three messages. He described him as a ‘good friend of mine’ and ‘a good person back then.’ He also wondered what must have gone wrong.

He posted, “No sir. The guy has schizophrenia. I worked with him. He was a very good friend of mine and I knew him on a one on one basis.

“He used to be a good person back then in school. I think something terrible had harpened to him somehow.

“Oh my God, Dr Ogah! Dr Ogah!! I know Dr Ogah. He is (was) a very good friend of mine. He has schizophrenia and I am ready to testify on his behalf.”

Just like Zomboss, another colleague of his, Sanjo,  posted that he (Emmanuel) was a nice guy. He said he has a case of mental health and indicated further that if he had got adequate medical intervention, the ugly incident could have been averted.

Sanjo wrote, “What he has done, is unimaginable but bear in mind Emmanuel Ogah is a very nice guy who unfortunately has a mental health condition.

“We were once colleagues. He has always had times of relapse but if Nigeria had a good support for those with mental health conditions, probably this wouldn’t have happened.”

Yet another friend of his by name Kopi also posted, “He is very very intelligent. We studied together back then in school.”

Onyewuchi Nze wrote, “In others places, the slightest sign of a mental condition disqualifies one from pursuing a medical career. Who allowed him to pass through a medical college?”

Source: PunchNg

Friday 17 March 2017

CRIME & FRAUD: EX-CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF FORFEITS N1.8 BILLION TO FG

former Chief of Naval Staff, Dele Ezeoba.


The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the temporary forfeiture of N1.8 billion allegedly diverted from the coffers of the Nigerian Navy by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Dele Ezeoba.

The court gave the forfeiture order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act 2006.
Joined in the suit as defendants are Chukwuka Onwuchekwa and Aquila Leasing Ltd.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Ezeoba, a retired admiral, headed the Navy between 2012 and 2014 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the money was traced to the account of Aquila Leasing Ltd, adding that Mr. Ezeoba had agreed in his statement to the EFCC to forfeit the money.

“The money is proceeds of crime fraudulently diverted from the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Dele Joseph Ezeoba,” he alleged.

He said Mr. Ezeoba used the name of “Chukwuka Onwuchekwa” to open a fraudulent account while laundering the money.
The EFCC said the former Naval Chief stated in his statement that the account was opened with Onwuchekwa’s consent while he (Ezeoba) managed it.
“Neither the signature nor the driver’s license used in opening the account was his (Ezeoba).”

The commission said in a “desperate bid” to further disguise and conceal the illicit source of the funds, Mr. Ezeoba entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to buy Aquila’s shares from Onwuchekwa, who is the managing director.
The shares were worth N2. 4 billion out of which N1.8 billion has been recovered in drafts in favour of the Federal Government.

The lawyer said that the order of the court was required to forfeit the sum of N1.8 billion to the Federal Government of Nigeria as the sum “is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity.”
In granting the application, Justice Muslim Hassan directed the EFCC to notify the defendants in whose possession the money is to report in court and show cause within 14 days why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The case has been adjourned to March 29.

Source: NAN.