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NECO reacts to social media reports, says allowances of all examiners have been paid

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The National Examinations Council (NECO) says it has paid the allowances of all 72,138 examiners who were ad hoc staff in the 2024 senior school certificate examination (SSCE).

The council was responding to social media reports claiming it had deliberately refused to pay the examiners.

In a statement on Wednesday, Azeez Sani, the council spokesperson, said NECO began paying the examiners on bank basis since October 4, 2024.

“This was to ensure easy reconciliation and to avoid clumsiness in the payment process. NECO has completed the payment of the examiners allowances as at today Wednesday 13th November, 2024 according to the payment plan of the Council,” the statement reads.

“Also, it was discovered in the process that some Examiners submitted incorrect bank details, which the Council has reconciled with the affected examiners. Out of the 24 banks being used for the payment, all the banks have been cleared.

“It is therefore incorrect and false as being speculated recently in the social media that the Council has deliberately refused to pay Examiners engaged in the conduct of the 2024 SSCE Internal.

“The Management advice that any person(s) engaged by the Council should seek clarification/explanation from it, on matters oblivious to them before resorting to the Media.

“NECO wishes to reassure its esteemed Examiners and other ad-hoc Staff that the Council cherishes their invaluable contributions to the effective conduct of its examination and will therefore not take their renumeration for granted.”

Education

Abducted Kogi university student found naked in Kwara

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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kwara State Command, on Monday, said the abducted 400-level student of Abubakar Audu University, Ayangba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State was rescued while wandering naked.

The 19-year-old English Education undergraduate whose name was given as Fauziyah Muhammed was alleged to have been kidnapped in Ayangba on Sunday morning, hypnotised and later dumped in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident took place between 9 am and 10 am on Sunday.

The state commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Umar Muhammed, who briefed journalists in Ilorin on Monday, said the student was discovered by the residents of Ajegunle-Isale community on Egbejila road in Ilorin on Monday morning.

The commandant said that “Fauziyah was wandering about the community naked” adding that the residents seized and handed her over to the NSCDC officer, Afolayan, who later mustered the command’s support.

He said, “Fauziyah is no longer coherent in speech, suggesting her horrible experiences while with the kidnappers.

“She was found naked while some Good Samaritans in Ajegunle Isale, Egbejila Road, Ilorin provided her with clothes and we as a command have tried to comfort her.

“We have briefed Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq about her plight and the governor being a father has promised to assist us with fuel to return her to Kogi tomorrow,” he added.

During an interview, Fauziyah said she did not know how she got to Kwara State from Kögi State, but recalled: “One of the books I carried dropped and as I made to pick it, I lost consciousness.”

The commandant said that the command was set to release her to one Mallam Salihu Aliu who claimed to be her uncle and was delegated by the family to act on their behalf.

In another development, the command also paraded one Abu Usman Soja suspected to be an informant to some kidnappers who abducted three people including a woman and her two children in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The NSCDC said that the kidnappers, now on the run, abducted the woman and her two children on November 7, 2024, and placed a ransom of N50m for their release.

According to the commandant, “The kidnappers demanded N50m ransom but later reduced it to N15m. The mother has been released while the kidnappers have escaped into the forest with the children.”

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Education

FUNAAB worker found dead in apartment

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A member of the security team at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Oriyomi Fatai, was found dead in his apartment on Anigilaje Street, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday.

It was learnt that Fatai might have died from a fall, as his body was discovered in the apartment around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Residents in the area where the body was found, noticed a foul odour coming from the apartment, prompting them to report it to a nearby police division.

While the police investigative team quickly responded and forced open the apartment’s door, PUNCH Metro learnt that Fatai’s lifeless body was found swollen, lying on the floor of the apartment.

The state command spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, told our correspondent on Sunday that the crime scene assessment suggested the deceased might have fallen from a couch due to intoxication, as remnants of the alcohol he had consumed were found on the table.

Odutola said, “Residents noticed an unpleasant odour coming from the apartment of a co-tenant named Oriyomi Fatai. Our officers were dispatched to the scene, and upon arrival, they discovered the lifeless, swollen body of the deceased in the room.

“The position in which he was found suggested that he might have fallen from the couch and hit his head on the ground due to suspected intoxication. Remnants of dry gin were found on the table. We also learnt that the deceased was a Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, staff member.

“The deceased’s family was notified, and they requested the return of Fatai’s body for burial, as no signs of foul play were found.”

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Education

‘I was abducted, pelted, forced to read script’ — ex-VC Lilian Salami recalls UNIBEN protests

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Lilian Salami, the outgoing vice-chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), has recounted how students of the institution pelted her and forced her to read a script during a campus protest.

Protests have, on several occasions, erupted in UNIBEN over various issues affecting the student community on campus.

In October, the institution’s management appointed Edoba Omoregie, a specialist in constitutional law and governance, as the new VC of the institution to take over from Salami.

Salami, before exiting office, authored a memoir where she recounted lessons and experiences from her time governing the federal university.

Salami recalled that the varsity council had decided to raise the penalty for late payment of sessional fees, a move that prompted outrage on campus.

She recalled that all efforts by the dean of student affairs to quell the demonstrations were to no avail.

Salami said the institution’s chief security officer, the police divisional officer, and the area commander had visited and urged her to reverse the decision but she stood her ground.

“The students took to the expressway with musicians providing music for them and caterers cooking on the highway,” the outgoing VC narrated.

“On the third day, they had decided to abduct me, forcing me to come to the highway to address them. The DCP, DPO, as well as security officials, were in my house asking me to address the students, assuring me of my safety.

“By this time, the mob had pulled down my chain-wire fence and dragged me out of my official residence to force me to trek to the main gate.

“Somehow, some of them advised against trekking. So, I was allowed to ride in my Hilux van with students sitting on the hood, bonnet and windows.

“Guns were brandished and some were shown to me under their shirts. Finally, as I got to the main gate, I was forced to climb on the Hilux van and directed to repeat an address after one of the ring leaders, which I did.

“At that point, some pure water sachets were thrown at me. After reading the address and ensuring that the ICT unit had complied, I was let go. I was taken to the DPOs and then to the CP’s offices. The CP later booked my one-night stay in a hotel.”

Salami alleged that the cabals seeking to discredit her administration sponsored students and some academic staff to protest against her.

The purpose of the protest, she claimed, was to create the impression that she was inept and incapable of running the institution.

“They claim that in the past, they were adequately compensated with money, with some of them on the payroll, while others got cash for unexecuted contracts. Still, others were given admission and hostel accommodation slots in place of cash,” Salami recounted.

“A couple of groups had reached out to me to be educated and initiated into the cabal groups, which I politely declined.

“These were unarguably the platforms and persons who apparently might have vowed to continuously cause unrest during the tenure of my administration.”

In her memoir, Salami wrote that an investigation had indicated that her security was compromised, with some professors complicit.

Lilian Salami was slated to hand over office to her successor on December 1, ending her five-year tenure as VC.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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