Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 18th 2013 National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Friday barricaded the Asaba axis of the Niger Bridge for more than two hours. The action, which was jointly carried out by some university students and their polytechnic counterparts was in protest of the protracted strike by ASUU. The aggrieved students blocked the bridge at about 1 p.m., which resulted to a traffic gridlock that stretched from the bridge to Okwe junction about five kilometres to Asaba town. They also lamented the recent decisions of polytechnic lecturers under the auspices of ASUP to also embark on a similar strike, saying it would further cripple the education sector and send a wrong signal to the international community. NANS National Public Relations Officer, Victor Ola-Ogun, said that the students were tired of the strike and appealed to ASUU to call it off. He said that the students had embarked on the peaceful protest and taken it to Kano and “now they are in Zo...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 18th 2013 The police on Friday beefed up security in and around Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, in readiness for President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to the state on Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the President is expected in the state on the invitation of Chief Afe Babalola, a legal luminary and Founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti. He is to attend the first convocation ceremony of the university which is graduating 103 science-based students. The President is expected to inaugurate projects at the university, and the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, located opposite the university. NAN reports that by Friday afternoon, stern-looking uniformed and plain-clothed security men had taken positions in strategic locations in the state capital. In an interview with NAN, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Ekiti, Mr Victor Babayemi, said the police had put in place measures to ensure a hitch-free visit by the...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 18th 2013 First Bank of Nigeria has donated sport facilities worth N44m to Queens College and Kings College in Lagos. The bank constructed a 450-seater sports pavilion at Queens College and renovated the squash court at Kings College as part of its contribution to sport development and pupils’ well being. First Bank’s spokesperson, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, said the bank’s interventions in the area of sports development reinforced its commitment to boosting the process of developing the minds and abilities of the nation’s future leaders. “At First Bank, our ultimate goal is to remain a strong supporter of efforts geared towards equipping the youths with the skills required for socio-economic empowerment through support of sports development, youth engagement initiatives, endowment schemes and infrastructure development,” she said. “Our desire is to see these strategic and need-driven youth empowerment interventions culminate in equipping our Nigerian...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 18th 2013 The Kano Hisbah Board said on Friday that it arrested 15 young women for alleged prostitution during the Eid-el-Kabir festivities in Sabon Gari area of Kano, the state capital. The Public Relations Officer of the Board, Malam Yusuf Yola, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that the defaulters had been charged to court. He said that members of the Hisbah corps also arrested “deviant youths’’ during the festivities. Yola said that apart from those arrested for prostitution, more than 40 male and female youths were also picked up during the festive period for “misconduct’’ at places of leisure across the state. According to him, the parents of some of those arrested were invited to the board for discussions and advice and most of the youth were later released. “For those who had mischievous haircuts, the board made sure that they had clean haircuts before they were released.

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 18th 2013 Davido Davido had earlier in the week, claimed the ‘Skelewu’ video which went viral on the Internet, was leaked and not the official video of the song, Sesan, the ‘leaked’ video director, has frowned at Davido’s claims. Sesan, in a statement released by his team, said  Davido was pleased with the video when he watched it. The music director stated that he found it immature and irresponsible for his client to publicly put out a false statement. “My attention is drawn toward the chaos surrounding the release of the Skelewu video. I and my team shot the video for Davido in Nigeria and to the best of my knowledge, my client and his team were very happy with the result, when they watched and approved the video. “If he has since had a change of heart, that is okay. I am not in any way responsible for the release of the video. I believe Davido and myself did a very good job regarding the video production and as a professional of over 10 ...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 18th 2013 The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. Viola Onwuliri has assured the international community that Nigeria would continue to work in the area of preventive diplomacy as it takes a seat in the UN Security Council in 2014. Nigeria was elected on Thursday as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council along with four other countries. Speaking at a media briefing in New York Onwuliri also said that Nigeria would focus on mediation and prevention of conflict situations in Africa. “We need to have a strong voice to help the UN to deal with issues in Africa. African issues are the majority of issues facing the UN Security Council today. “We have been overwhelmingly given the mandate to serve in the UN Security Council on non-permanent category for the next two years. “Nigeria came to this assignment with rich antecedents and history being the fifth time we have been elected. “We want to thank the global community for this huge manda...