In reaction to the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma’s announcement of renaming the Eastern Palm University to K. O. Mbadiwe University due to the decamping of the son of the late politician and ambassador, Greg Mbadiwe to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former Governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha has said that renaming the University without his consent is impossible.

Rochas Okorocha, who is currently representing Imo West senatorial district stated that the university was set up based on a public-private partnership between the state and the Rochas Foundation, added that it will be contemptuous for Governor Hope Uzodimma to rename the Eastern Palm University.

Okorocha also faulted the State assembly’s repealment of the law establishing the university. He said; 

“The law establishing the University prescribed the PPP arrangement.

“Since that was the setting, the Assembly, therefore, defaulted or had acted in contravention of the law by not getting the consent or agreement of the two parties involved, on the reported repeal.

“In other words, the repeal only existed in the imaginations of those behind it.”

The Senator who revealed that he established and got licences for five universities and four polytechnics while he was governor, accused the lawmakers and the state government of disregarding a pending court case on the matter.

Okorocha added; 

“For both the Assembly and the government to be taking one-sided decisions on the fate of the university, without reference to the main party and the court matter, has only made their actions questionable and contemptuous.

“A university is not a street one can rename or change its name at a polling unit where he had gone to revalidate his membership of APC. So, the claimed renaming of the university does not add up in reality.

“The purported repeal of the law establishing the university without recourse to the position of one of the parties has also made the Assembly a willing party in the matter in court.

“Until the court decides on the matter before it, there is nothing anybody can do about that.”

After the shutdown of physical classes and laboratories in Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) by the Ekiti State COVID-19 Response Task Force following violation of guidelines, the management of the University, on Sunday appealed to the university community and the public to remain calm and shun distractions that could hamper their academic target.

The University’s management in a statement titled, ‘FUOYE management’s response to Ekiti NCDC visit’, through its Deputy Director, Corporate Information Services, Adeyinka Ademuyiwa, said the university had taken steps on the observations of few infractions against COVID-19 protocol during a lecture in a classroom/ laboratory.

Why was physical activities stopped in the University?

The Coordinator, Ekiti State COVID-19 Response Task Force, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, had, following widespread violation of COVID-19 guidelines observed during a surprise visit to FUOYE on Friday, directed the university authorities to shut down all physical classes and laboratories until further notice.

FUOYE management’s reponse.

But Ademuyiwa said, “The management has immediately directed the university community, particularly students and staff to follow strictly the guidelines established for post-COVID resumption of academic activities, which stipulated virtual lecture delivery mode for large classes and compulsory wearing of masks on campus.

“Other measures taken include monitoring of lectures and enforcement of compliance by the university committee task force; immediate reticulation of water for hand washing on both campuses and display of more banners and posters for more sensitisation and compliance and provision of more sanitisers and infrared thermometer in strategic locations.”

The management urged the university community to “stay focused and shun distractions that could jeopardise our goal of finishing 2019/2020 academic session as scheduled.”

Three students of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) allegedly died after they suffocated while attempting to write a GST exam in a crowded hall on Wednesday.

According to acquired footage shared online showed hundreds of students struggling to get a space in the hall for the exam.

During the struggle, eight students reportedly fainted, some got injured, and some suffocated to death.

Footage shows students rushing unconscious students out to the open space so they can get air.

Some allegedly never regained consciousness.

SEE THE VIDEO BELOW:

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Below are Twitter reactions from students and videos of the incident.

Swipe below to watch the videos.

A student of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State was macheted to death by some unknown armed persons on Wednesday.

The Polytechnic’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Ojo, who confirmed the incident said the reason for the attack is still unknown.

Ojo dismissed rumours that the killing might be connected with the Student Union Government elections which is holding this week. He said there was no evidence to back up the claims that the killing is connected with the SUG elections and that the killing happened outside the polytechnic campus.

Ojo added that an official statement on the incident will be released later.

The Kaduna State Government has approved Monday, February 1, 2021, as the resumption date for some primary and secondary school students in the state.

The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Phoebe Yayi said only SS3, JSS3, and JSS1 students of public and private secondary schools are to resume on Monday, while primary 6, 5, and 4 of Private Schools only are to resume on the same day.

Phoebe who disclosed that all public Primary Schools remain closed until all the COVID-19 protocols have been properly put in place before they will be opened, said the decision to reopen the schools was taken after extensive appraisal of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State and a series of consultations with relevant stakeholders of both State and Federal Health and Education sectors within and across the State.

The appropriate resumption dates for the rest of the classes SS2, SS1 and JSS 2 in public and private schools and Primary 3, 2, 1, and Nursery classes will be announced at the appropriate time.