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Dr. Adenuga Chair: Don Charges FG, Others, to Embrace ‘Everythingprenuership’ to Reduce ‘Japaism’
A call has gone to government at all levels in Nigeria to support “everythingprenuership ” in the bid to stem the tide of human capital flight otherwise known as “japaism” in the country.
The first occupier of Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies, University of Lagos, Professor Sunday Adebisi, made the call at the first special lecture of the Professorial Chair entitled, ‘Revolutionizing the Nigerian Economy to Create Jobs and Sustainable Wealth. The Sole Ladder, The Sole Option, The Sole Platform’ which he delivered at the University of Lagos on Tuesday.
The University don who is also the Director of Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Centre of the institution opined that the deliberate intention to embrace “everythingprenuership” will bring about an appreciable value creation in the country while alleviating deprivation, hunger, unemployment, and “japaism” as it also moves many informal businesses into the formal circle.
According to him, “Government should identify possible innovations in the areas of their strength and motivate the citizens to pursue enterprise opportunities there. The three tiers of Government must make a deliberate effort to support the democratization of innovation and entrepreneurship from the next academic session in all levels of education in Nigeria with a good monitoring team at all levels”.
Furthermore, the academic explained that all the issues happening in and around Nigeria are avenues of opportunities, saying that the citizens, if given direction and supported with well outlined policies, would help the nation to create sustainable wealth.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, in her speech at the event, lauded Dr. Mike Adenuga for teaming up with the University towards enhancing the frontiers of entrepreneurial academic knowledge and skills acquisition through the Chair.
She noted that the determination of the Board of Trustees of the Adenuga Professorial Chair is gearing the University consistently towards the realization of the shared dream of the donor and the university which is to use the Chair to collectively explore innovative pathways that would not only address economic challenges but also pave way for sustainable and prosperous future for our youths.
On his own part, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Dr. Adenuga Professorial Chair, Professor Taiwo Osipitan, said the lecture was organised in order to incorporate entrepreneurship issues and subsequently achieve gainful employment for the Nigerian populace.
The Mike Adenuga Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies was endowed by the business guru and Chairman, Globacom Limited, in 2008 to provoke Entrepreneurship Research and open new frontiers for entrepreneurship knowledge and practice as well as enterprise creation in the nation.
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were directed at the political situation in Rivers State or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional decisions on the matter.
In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described the reports as a “gross misrepresentation.”
The statement clarified that Vice President Shettima’s remarks at the public presentation of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misconstrued by some online platforms and individuals.
“These reports have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” it stated.
“They twisted his account of how the administration of former President Jonathan considered removing him as Borno Governor during the insurgency to falsely link it with current events in Rivers State.”
The Vice President, who spoke at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block in Abuja on Thursday, was said to have referenced the past solely to commend Adoke’s professionalism while in office, and to reflect on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution regarding federal and state relations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.
“This action was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time, with the governor facing a looming impeachment and the State Assembly complex under demolition,” Nkwocha clarified.
The Presidency insisted that the action taken by President Tinubu in declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Governor was fully in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which authorises such measures when there is a breakdown of public order requiring extraordinary intervention.
According to the statement, the President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, confirming the legitimacy and constitutional propriety of the decision.
“The action of President Tinubu in suspending Mr. Fubara and others from exercising the functions of office averted the governor’s outright removal. To conflate suspension with removal is misleading,” the statement further noted.
Nkwocha also stressed that Vice President Shettima’s comments were delivered extemporaneously and intended to underline the importance of public accountability and historical documentation.
He referenced the Vice President’s mention of past public servants, including Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to illustrate principled leadership.
“His remarks were not in any way a criticism of President Tinubu’s actions, which the Vice President and the entire administration fully support and stand by without reservation,” the spokesman stated.
The Vice President, the statement added, remains in “loyal concert” with President Tinubu and is committed to implementing all constitutional measures necessary to safeguard democracy and uphold order across the country.
Concluding, the Presidency called on media organisations and political actors to desist from misrepresenting public remarks for sensational or partisan purposes.
“We urge media organisations and political actors to desist from the destructive practice of wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts,” Nkwocha said.
Headlines
Akpabio Relieves Natasha of Committee Chairmanship Position, Appoints Akwa Ibom Senator As Replacement
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has replaced suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora/Non-Governmental Organisations.
In her place, Akpabio named Senator Bassey Aniekun Etim (Akwa Ibom -East).
The Senate President, who made the announcement on the floor in Abuja on Thursday, did not give any reasons.
The committee position had remained vacant since March when the Senate suspended the Kogi-Central Senatorial District lawmaker for six months for flouting the Senate’s rule on the seating arrangement and seat allocation.
The suspended lawmaker, at a point, chaired the Senate Committee on Local Content before Akpabio reassigned her to the Committee on Diaspora/NGO, shortly before she ran into trouble with the Senate over her conduct on seat allocation.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.
