Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday swore-in the newly constituted Governing Council for all the tertiary institutions in the state.
Sanwo-Olu who spoke during the swearing-in ceremony in Ikeja, urged the council members to see their appointment as a call to service for the advancement of tertiary education in the state.
The governor said that their appointment came with a huge responsibility that must be discharged with high level of integrity, foresight and dedication.
He said that tertiary education was critical in nurturing components that helped to ensure that individuals become innovators and wealth creators that would contribute greatly to the acceleration of the economy.
”It is in the realisation of this that we have selected all of you here, professionals, professors, academicians, technocrats, businessmen, public officers with a high level of integrity and competence, who have distinguished themselves in their various area of calling and have no doubt that we have chosen rightly,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He advised the various governing councils to take their various institutions to higher level, as the state government would give all the assistance needed.
”We will give all the right encouragement and resources for you to do well; we will ensure you have all it takes to take technology and education to a higher level.
”Education is so critical to the future of our children and government is ready to cooperate with you to ensure your graduates are ready for tomorrow; make your institutions the choice of all,” he said.
The institutions are Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Epe.
The LASU council is led by Prof. Gbolahan Elias SAN, while other members are: Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, Prof. Shafiudeen Amuwo, Mrs Adenike Yomi-Faseun, Dr Adetugbobo Hakeem and Mr Sule Tolani,
LASU council also include Mrs Folashade Adesoye, Mr Karl Toriola, Mr Kunle Soname, Dr Ifeanyi Odili, Mr Adebayo Akinsanya, Mrs Mojisola Taiwo, Mrs Moronke Williams, Mr Anuoluwapo Esho and Mrs Foluke AbdulRazaq.
The AOECOED council is headed by Prof. Nuru Olasupo and members are Mrs Riskat Akiode, Mr Olaolu Mudashiru and Dr Wole Ajifowoke.
For LASPOTECH, Prof. Rasheed Ojikutu is chairman and other members are Dr Olawunmi Awonuga, Saabi Alaba, Mr Habeeb Aileru, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, Mrs Iyabo Kuteyi, Mr Nurudeen Olaleye, and Mrs Olayinka Babalola
While MOCPED has Alhaja Sekinat Yusuf as head of the council with the following as members: Mrs Victoria Perigrino, Mrs Folashade Agbalajobi, Hon. Toun Adediran, Mr Johnbull Adebanjo and Dr Waliu Ipaye.
N200bn capital flight: NTA, Startimes MGT asked to step down
After three failed attempts to convince the Senate’s joint committee on Finance and National Planning of transparency in the joint venture the Nigerian Television Authority ( NTA) and Startimes entered into in 2008, the panel, yesterday, ordered management team of the venture to step aside.
The committee declared that forensic audit of the account of the non-profitable venture to NTA must be carried out in unraveling the quantum of money that had been fraudulently taken out of the country within the last eleven years , estimated to be N200 billion
It also described the affected management team namely Maxwell Loko who is the Managing Director of the joint venture, Tunde Aina who serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and another named Emeka who is the Director of Tax and Audit, as unpatriotic Nigerians working for Startimes but receiving monthly salaries from NTA.
Trouble came the way of the management team of the joint venture when the committee interfacing with heads of government agencies on revenue projections for the N12.6 trillion 2021 budget called on them to explain why the joint venture has not yielded any profit for NTA as noted by the Director General, Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, before the committee on Monday.
The MD of the joint venture, Maxwell Loko, told the committee that he agreed that the business was not thriving because Digital Terestial Television (DTT) being operated through the venture was capital intensive as against the satellite model.
He lamented that out of the four million subscribers Startimes have, only 20 per cent were active, which according to him, made the venture unprofitable for NTA and Startimes.
But the chairman of the committee, Solomon Adeola and other members, faulted his arguments based on records obtained from the audited account reports submitted by both the NTA and the joint venture.
Attempts made by both the COO and director of tax and audit of the venture to disabuse the minds of the committee on any sharp practice failed as the members resolved they must all step aside from their current positions for forensic audit to take place.
