Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun,  on Saturday awarded 91 students of the institution  First Class (Honours) at its 16th Convocation Ceremonies.

The convocation ceremonies are for the 2023/2024 academic session.

Ojediran said that a total of 969 students graduated in the  academic session.

He said that they comprised the 91 students who made First Class grade, 505 who secured  Second Class (Upper Division), 313 with Second Class (Lower Division) and 60 graduating with Third Class.

The vice-chancellor said that 220 students were graduating in the post-graduate category.

Mr Sally Farouk  from the university’s Department of Architecture emerged the overall best  student with  a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.

He said that the institution set out to proffer best solutions from collective knowledge, shared experiences and resources, recognising that education was a lifelong activity.

The vice-chancellor lauded the staff of the university for cooperation and dedication to giving the students  quality education.

“You have joined  hands with the management of the institution to work on this fertile ground,” he  said.

The Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Bart Nnaji, said that university was the first private university of technology in Nigeria, noting that it was established in 2005.

Nnaji said that the institution had made remarkable achievements in teaching and research as part of its vision to contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria.

“Let me also congratulate the graduating students who have distinguished themselves through their hard work and discipline and are being rewarded today.” he said.

In his remarks, the Chancellor of the institution, Dr Ibrahim Dankwambo, commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for contributions to education development in the country.

Dankwambo also congratulated a former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, and the Executive Director of Sahara Group, Mr Temitope Shonubi, for  honorary doctoral degree given them by the university.

Report says that Okebukola and Shonubi were conferred with the degree for their outstanding pedigrees  and services to humanity. (NAN)

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has said that  suspects arrested during the #Endbadgovernance protest in August 2024 were not remanded in any of its adult custodial centres in Abuja.

The Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO) Abubakar Umar confirmed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

our correspondent gathered that the suspects arrested for treason during the #Endbadgovernance protest that held in August 2024, were on Friday, arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

Umar said that there were misleading reports making the rounds in some sections of the media purporting that the suspects were remanded in one of the adult custodial centres in Abuja.

According to the NCoS spokesman, the said report has no iota of truth.

”The service operates under the best correctional and global practices.

“To set records straight, the NCoS Act 2019 has empowered the Controllers of Corrections as well as Superintendents-in-charge of Custodial Centres not to admit juveniles in facilities meant for adults.

“The Act also mandates the service to reject more intake of inmates where it is apparent that the custodial facility in question is filled to capacity.

“The service wishes to inform the public that the said suspects were rejected and none of them were remanded in adult custodial facilities as insinuated by the said report.

“The service  assures the public that NCoS will continue to emphasise professionalism as well as respect for human rights in line with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Juvenile offenders.

“Furthermore, the general public is enjoined to disregard the said report because it is not the true position of things,”he said.(NAN)

The Federal Government has released funds for payment of withheld salary of Non-Academic Staff Union of Federal Universities (NASU).

Mr Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) made this known in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

According to Mokwa, the Federal Government also released funds for payment of benefits to retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS).

He said that payments to NASU had commenced, adding that many members had confirmed receipt.

He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to efficiently cater for the well-being of Nigerian workers and retirees.

Report says that NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) had commenced a nationwide strike on Monday.

The SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, said that the strike would continue for the next seven days unless the government addressed the grievances raised by the unions.

The unions had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum, urging the Federal Government to rectify the disparities in the payments among universities’ unions. (NAN)