Folarin Kehinde

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has slashed school fees by 5 to 20 per cent following protests by students.

In July, the university announced an upward review of its fees effective September 1.

The hike put the sessional mandatory charges for new undergraduate students at ₦‎126,325 for courses without a lab/studio and ₦‎176,325 for one academic session for courses that use a laboratory or studio.

However, the sessional mandatory charges for returning students were put at ₦‎100,750 for courses without labs and studios while courses with access to labs and studios were fixed at ₦‎140,250.

The university said the approved charge for all medical students of the institution was ₦‎190,250.

But following a meeting with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the university management in a statement Thursday said it granted micro fee cuts to the students who have been demanding a reversal of the hike.

Among the resolutions reached at the meeting with the university management is the reinstatement of UNILAG’s student union government, which was dissolved in 2016.

The following are new fees

Obligatory fees

*Utility charges for all students were reduced to ₦15,000 from ₦20,000.
*The obligatory fees for new undergraduate students were reviewed from ₦126,325 to ₦116,325 for courses without *Lab/Studio and ₦176,325 to ₦166,325:00 for Courses with Lab/Studio.
*The obligatory fees for returning undergraduate students were reviewed from ₦100,750 to ₦80,750 for courses without Lab/Studio; ₦140,250 to ₦120,250 for courses with Lab/Studio; and from ₦190,250 to ₦170,250 for medical/pharmacy students and students in health professions.
The convocation fee to be paid by all final-year students was reduced to ₦27,000 from ₦30,000.

Hostel fees

*For undergraduate hostels in Akoka and Yaba campuses, the fees were reduced to ₦43,000 from ₦90,000.
*For hostels in the Idi-Araba campus, the fees were reduced to N65,000 from ₦120,000.
*The fees for Sodeinde Hall were reduced to N135,000 from ₦250,000.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State is on fire.

The immediate cause of the fire is not known yet. Some residents of the area where TCN is located behind mechanic village in Birnin Kebbi metropolis said they only heard a loud bang followed by thick fire and smoke from a section of the electric installations at about 12: 32 am .

As at 1m when this report was filed, the fire was still raging and extending to other facilities around.

Fire fighters were yet to arrive at the scene.

The development comes hours after fire outbreak on the Kainji/Jebba 330 kilovolt (kV) line triggered the collapse of the national grid and resulting in nationwide power outage.

Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, had said the fire led to about 356.63MW generation loss.

“At 00:35Hrs this morning, Fire outbreak with explosion sound was observed on Kainji/Jebba 330kV line 2 (Cct K2J) blue phase CVT & Blue phase line Isolator of Kainji/Jebba 330kV line1 was observed burning. This led to sharp drops in frequency from 50.29Hz to 49.67 Hz at 0:35:06Hrs with Jebba generation loss of 356.63MW,” he said.

“Kainji started dropping load from 451.45 MW at 00:35:07Hrs to zero. At 00:41Hrs frequency dropped further from 49.37 Hz to 48.41Hz then resulted in system collapse of the grid,” he posted on Twitter.

The Lagos State Government, on Friday, announced palliative works to be carried out by its Public Works Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on failed sections of the ever-busy Third Mainland Bridge.

The state Ministry of Transportation, in a statement by its Permanent Secretary, Abdulhafiz Toriola, explained that the repairs would go on for two consecutive Sundays, September 17 and 24, between 7 am to 7 pm on both days.

Disclosing alternative routes, the statement noted that motorists from the Alapere/Ogudu axis of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway en route to Lagos Island would be diverted towards Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway, linking Ikorodu Road/Funsho Williams Avenue to access Eko Bridge and Lagos Island.

Similarly, motorists travelling from Lagos Mainland through Herbert Macaulay Road (Adekunle axis) towards Lagos Island via Third Mainland Bridge would be diverted towards Murtala Muhammed Way to use Carter Bridge to link Lagos Island.

A man, identified simply as Sadiq, has raised alarm claiming that his manhood disappeared after he had a handshake with a commercial bus driver in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

A witness, Salihu Ibrahim, who said the incident happened around 4pm at the Sabon-Tasha Garage in Abaji town, explained that a bus driver, identified simply as Godwin, stopped to buy drinks and that before then he exchanged pleasantries with Sadiq through a handshake.

Ibrahim said, “I was seated in front of a shop when the bus driver came out and shook hands with the man and asked him where he could get a shop to buy wine. So, it was immediately after the handshake that the man complained that his body was doing him somehow.”

He said that after Sadiq discovered that his manhood had “disappeared” he raised alarm following which some people went after the driver, manhandled him, adding that some people rescued him and took him to the police command in the area and the “victim” rushed to the hospital in order to ascertain if his manhood was truly missing.

A police officer at the command, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that the suspect, who drove an 18-seater bus with registration number: XH 894 BDG, loaded with passengers from Zuba heading to Auchi, Edo State, confessed to stealing the victim’s manhood, but that he had returned the manhood back to the victim.

He further said, “We went to the hospital to meet with the victim and he said his manhood had been returned, but we will keep the suspect until the victim recovers fully before he will be charged to court.”

Pauline Tallen, former women affairs minister, says President Bola Tinubu was selected by God to lead Nigeria.

Tallen stated this on Wednesday while reacting to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal’s verdict which affirmed Tinubu’s victory at the polls.

Tallen, also a former Plateau deputy governor and a one-time state minister for Science and Technology said:

‘’The emergence of Tinubu as Nigeria’s President is a God project for the nation’s unity and stability.

“Recall the issues that preceded his election, like the controversial naira redesign, the vicious campaign of calumny, among others which would have truncated his ambition, but somehow, in spite of all these odds against him during the campaign, he still emerged as the winner.

“This is a confirmation that leadership comes from God and when God designs it, nobody can stop it.”

Tallen called on the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of Labour Party to accept the court’s verdict and join hands with Tinubu to build Nigeria.

She said that Tinubu had in his reaction to the judgment, invited the opposition to join him which demonstrated his magnanimity and willingness to work for Nigeria’s development.

‘’Tinubu is imbued with a rare commitment to political inclusiveness, from his recent ministerial appointment it is obvious that they were not strictly for APC members,” she said.

“In any contest, there is bound to be a winner and a loser; it is okay that they challenged the election’s outcome in court, which is within their constitutional rights but Tinubu is now reconfirmed by the tribunal as president.

“In the interest of Nigeria, if we all love Nigeria and we all plan to serve and build this country to an enviable height, we should all join hands and build a nation of our collective dreams.

“They have their ideas but Tinubu also has his ideas. If we all put these ideas together on the table and work with him, I believe we will all be better off for it,” she said.

Tallen also urged those insinuating that the tribunal’s judgment was manipulated to jettison the idea and accept the court’s ruling as a victory for Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

“Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, the opposition, especially, has the right to think the way they do but as I said earlier, for national interest and Nigeria’s unity, we should accept the court’s verdict,” she said.

Tallen described Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian and exemplary leader, who had followers all over the country, and had paid his dues to deserve becoming Nigeria’s president.

She expressed confidence that Tinubu’s presidency would make positive impact on Nigeria in terms of economic and infrastructure development, notwithstanding the temporary economic hardships caused by fuel subsidy removal on the people.

“The prevailing pains can be likened to the pains of a woman in labour, everything ends as soon as she puts to birth, and immense joy follows suit.

“Looking at the antecedents of Tinubu as Lagos State Governor, I strongly believe that he is an exemplary leader and achiever, a good economist, who always works to succeed against all odds in any situation in which he finds himself.

“We know very well that he is a man that is self-made, who did not clamour for this office to enrich himself. He is not a hungry man, who came to enrich himself. I strongly believe that God will use him to make Nigeria better,’’ she said.

Tallen also expressed confidence that Tinubu would not only carry every part of the country along in his administration, but would also ensure that the 35 per cent affirmative action for women was implemented to the letter.

She said that although women did not get up to 35 per cent in Tinubu’s ministerial appointments, there were still many appointive positions underway for them as it must not be ministerial appointments alone.

“There are other appointments like ambassadorial, boards of MDAs and many more that are underway. The President is a man who cherishes women empowerment and is also a man of his own word, so I pray that he does not fail us,” she added.