Members of the unions barricaded the varsity’s gate on Wednesday, carrying placards condemning the process. Some other members of the unions stormed the university’s Council chamber where the final selection is to be made.

Our correspondent reports that their grievance is that they have a fear that the selection committee was planning to impose one of the candidates on the university.

The protest began also after the screening committee announced six finalists out of 18 professors eyeing the post.

The university’s NASU Chairman, Mr Malachy Etim, told our correspondent that the unions decided to make its grievances known because “the process of selection of a vice-chancellor for the university has been very faulty from the beginning.

“They want to impose a candidate on us through this faulty process and we are saying we cannot accept any imposition.

“Yes, we have had internal crisis before, but the one that triggered today’s protest is the selection process.

“We are holding our congress right away and shall come up with a position in the event that the committee announces the candidate we think it wants to impose on us,’’ he said.

Chairman SSANU, Mr Wale Akinremi, also told our correspondent that members of the screening committee elected internally “got there through manipulated and fraudulent electoral process’’.

“We will never work with the candidate they plan to impose on us. We have even locked the varsity’s gate,’’ he said.

“We must restart the process. Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the sitting vice-chancellor, must hand over to an acting vice-chancellor,’’ he stressed.

Five of the six finalists are professors of the University of Ibadan, while one is from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

The six finalists were shortlisted after each of the 18 candidates made 15 minutes presentation before the screening committee comprising the entire Council members of the institution on Tuesday.

Three of the finalists are Prof. Kayode Adebowale, Prof. Olusegun Ademowo and Prof. Ebenezer Farombi.

The other three are Prof. Abideen Aderinto, Prof. Babatunde Salako and Prof. Femi Mimiko from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

The five-man screening panel is headed by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Nde Joshua Waklek.

Other members of the panel are two external representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, Sir Ben Okoronkwo and Dr Uchena Uba.

The two elected representatives of the Senate in the screening committee are Prof. Ezekiel Ayoola and Prof. Peter Olapegba

When contacted, the university’s Director, Public Relations, Mr Tunji Oladejo, told our correspondent that he would not like to comment until the final announcement has been made.

Whoever emerges as the new vice-chancellor is expected to assume office on Dec. 1.

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The Director of the group, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, gave the advice on Monday in a statement.

Akintola said, the measures will go along way in curtailing the ethno-religious killings and other forms of criminality been perpetuated in the area.

The group however condemned the recent killings of some youths in Zangon Kataf, which according to him violated the peace agreement initiated by the Agwa Atyap, Sir Dominic Yahaya between the Atyap and Hausa/Fulani.

“MURIC strongly condemns these killings and attacks on law-abiding Muslims. We call for stronger presence of security agents.

”It is high time soldiers are drafted to Southern Kaduna to enforce law and order.

”We advocate long term military presence until the inhabitants of Southern Kaduna learn how to peacefully coexist,” he said.

He said, the group was formed to promote peace and dialogue.

”As an organization whose motto is ‘Dialogue, No Violence’, we frown at violence in all its ramifications.

”We are fully committed to a peaceful approach to the Southern Kaduna crisis, we therefore call on both parties to sheath their swords,” he said.

It was reported that vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Aug. 28, assured that the Federal Government will not sweep the major issues underlying the conflict in Southern Kaduna under the carpet so as to effectively deal with the situation.

Osinbajo stated this during the virtual Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Annual General Conference.

The Vice President identified the major issues to include, ‘ensuring justice, fixing economic marginalization and the prosecution of persons responsible for these killings, this is to ensure that the impunity doesn’t worsen.”

On the way out, he stated: “I have been involved since 2001, through the work of the Macedonian initiative, an NGO that focused on providing relief materials to displaced persons.

”There have been judicial commissions and all sorts, but the problem remains. So, there is the need to address the underlying issues.

The fact is that we must prosecute persons responsible for these killings. The mindless, callous killings in Southern Kaduna are heartbreaking. And again, we must condole those who have lost loved ones and those injured or who have suffered loss of property. “These tragedies are unacceptable and they are avoidable.”

It was also reported that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) deployed additional special forces to southern Kaduna, to boost the ongoing fight against bandits and suspected ethnic militia who have been terrorising residents of the area.

The Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command, Air Marshal Musa Mukhtar, asked the team of security operatives, numbering 32 and trained in all aspects of counter-insurgency operations, to crush the bandits.

The deployment of additional troops comes as the military steps up operation to combat the rising cases of attacks by bandits and suspected ethnic militia in the area.

Also, on Aug. 14, the military deployed Special Operations Forces to curb the recent attacks and isolated killings in the southern part of Kaduna State.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, said that troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) had continued to intensify efforts aimed at securing lives and property in the area.

He said: “Particularly, Special Operations Forces have been deployed to the Joint Operations Area covering the various flash points.”

“This move is expected to achieve the desired result with the provision of credible and actionable intelligence specifically from primary sources.”

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It was reported that Bagudu was accompanied by Governors Simon Lalong of Plateau and Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa.

Our correspondent reports that the agenda of the meeting between the president and the governors was unknown as at the time of filing this report.

It was, however, gathered that the meeting may among other national matters deliberate on the ongoing political crisis in the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the suspension of the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole, by the court.

Our correspondent reports that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan had on June 21 met with President Buhari over the APC crisis, where he challenged leadership of the party across the country to make every possible effort to get the party reconciled.

Ahmad said: ”I believe that we have to deal with these challenges, this is the ruling party with the president; with the control of the National Assembly; with more governors than any other political party.

”So, I believe that we have to sort this out and that will make our work even better and easier when we have a stable party as the party is supposed to be part of the apparatus of running government.’’

It was also reported that APC chieftains across the country, including the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, are calling on the president to summon emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to address the crisis.

Nabena urged the President to convene NEC emergency meeting to deliberate on consolidating the APC’s control of Edo and Ondo States ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections in the states.

Our correspondent reports that the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC), has been divided into factions, each claiming leadership of the party.

The crisis followed the Appeal Court ruling affirming the suspension of Oshiomhole as the party’s National Chairman.

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“Ruga Settlement” seeks to settle migrant pastoral families.

It simply means rural settlement in which animal farmers, not just cattle herders, would be settled in an organised place with provision of necessary and adequate basic amenities.

Such amenities include schools, hospitals, road networks, veterinary clinics, markets and manufacturing entities that would process and add value to meats and animal products.

Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, explained that beneficiaries of the Ruga Settlement would include all persons in animal husbandry, not only Fulani herders.

He said: ”The Federal Government is planning this in order to curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders.

”The overall benefit to the nation includes a drastic reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers.

”A boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.”

According to the presidential aide, other gains of the scheme are job creation, access to credit facilities, security for pastoral families and curtailment of cattle rustling.

Shehu dismissed the insinuation that Federal Government planned to seize state land or force state governments to embrace the scheme.

”Stripped of the politics and howling that has attended the recent comments, there is no government plan to seize state land, colonize territory or impose Ruga on any part of the federation.

”Government has made it clear time and again that the programme is voluntary,” he said.

Shehu also revealed that so far, 12 states had applied to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, making lands available for the take-off of the scheme in their states, adding that the number would be sufficient for the pilot scheme.

”Unfortunately, some state governments that have not signified interest in the scheme and, therefore, are not on the invitation list have been misleading people that the Federal Government is embarking on a scheme to take away their lands.

”Mostly, these are state leaders that have no explanation to offer their people for continued non-payment of workers’ salaries.

”It is true that government at the centre has gazetted lands in all states of the federation but because the idea is not to force this programme on anyone, the government has limited the take-off to the dozen states with valid requests.

The presidential spokesman, therefore, urged states to partner with federal government in encouraging all sides to these conflicts to make efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution.

”As we seek a permanent solution to these unwanted conflicts, efforts must be made to ensure that no innocent person faces any kind of deprivation or loss of right and freedom under our laws,” he added.

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The National Secretary of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, made the appeal while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday on the position of the association to the crisis between farmers and herdsmen across the country.

Ngelzarma said the decision was the position of members reached at the end of its National Council meeting.

He said no fewer than 1,000 of its members including women and children have been killed and 20,000 cattle rustled between June 2017 and January 2018 during crises in various states.

The National Secretary called for the setting up of a Federal Judicial Commission of Inquiry to access the killings in order to unravel the truth and offenders.

“We call on the government to pay compensation to victims of all crises to reduce their level of suffering.

“If the government accepts that, it is left for them to establish a committee that will go and access the level of damage.

“We have a document of members that were affected by the pastoralists in the North-East but what we discovered is that none of them were captured in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) programme because they are not sedentary.

“Let the government compensate. That will help calm the situation very well,’’ he said.
Ngelzarma, who said the association had over 20 million registered members and no fewer than 50 million cattle, regretted that they were the most neglected farmers in the country.

He appealed to the Federal Government to set up a Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to attend to the multidimensional needs of the industry.
Ngelzarma said the association welcomed the current resolve by the Federal Government to address the lingering crises, adding that dialogue was the solution to tackling the menace.

“We submit ourselves for any positive participation to restore mutual and harmonious relationship in the country.
“We dissociate ourselves from any other group or individual that is out to foment trouble in the country.

“We demand for immediate disarmament of all illegally armed militias across the country in the interest of peace, security and stability,’’ he said.

Ngelzarma was accompanied to the briefing by the National President, Alhaji Muhammadu Kirowa and other members of the association from different states.

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The Olori has also reverted to her maiden name Zaynab Otiti Obanor.

She disclosed this via an official statement on her official Instagram page @hhzynab on Wednesday.

Her post partly read, “What I can confirm is that the Ooni and I are no more. I inhale love and exhale gratitude.

“No matter how much time you’ve invested, no matter the use of media to silence & manipulate, no matter the circumstance, slander, embarrassment, threats and lies: Get out and seek immediate help!

“My journey continues as a humanitarian aiding women and victims of domestic violence & abuse with the United Nations.

The revelation has confirmed media reports in recent times that the Oni marriage’s to the Benin-born queen was having crisis.

Recall that the Ooni got married to his ex-Edo bride at an elaborate society traditional marriage held in Benin, the Edo State capital on March 16, 2016.

Although the monarch was not physically present, he was represented by his father, Oluropo Ogunwusi.

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