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42-year-old Nigerian woman appointed Scotland varsity chancellor

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YETEMI

 

An inspirational Nigerian entrepreneur, well-known for her passionate commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion has been named University of the West of Scotland’s Chancellor-elect.

The university made this known via a statement on its website.

Yekemi Otaru, a tireless passionate supporter of women in business and an active mentor of business owners in the world’s poorest countries, will formally take up the role of Chancellor at the University of the West of Scotland on 1 September 2021, succeeding Dame Elish Angiolini.

Yekemi, 42, holds four degrees and has considerable industrial experience in engineering and marketing. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director at Doqaru Limited, a prominent Aberdeen-based sales and marketing consultancy.

She is also a board member of Interface, which connects a wide range of organisations from national and international industries to Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges, matching them with world-leading academic expertise to help them grow. A bestselling author and social media expert, Yekemi is also known for her innovative use of platforms such as LinkedIn.

As Chancellor, Yekemi will hold formal powers to confer degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions, and will represent UWS at key events as an advocate and dignitary.

Yekemi said, “I am honoured to have been appointed Chancellor-elect of University of the West of Scotland, following in the footsteps of a remarkable individual in Dame Elish Angiolini.

“We are all living through challenging times, and higher education plays a vital role in society and for our economy. I eagerly look forward to being part of the University, as it continues to carry out world-class research and knowledge transfer initiatives such as in the areas of healthcare and sports science.

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“Now is the perfect time for me to be joining the University’s journey in inspiring and educating the next generation of graduates, equipped with the skills needed to help society recover from the pandemic.

Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at UWS, added: “I am delighted with Yekemi’s appointment as the University’s Chancellor-elect. Yekemi’s values very much align with those of UWS, from her passion for advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to her commitment to enterprise, and her appointment is reflective of our strategic mission to make a positive difference to wider society.

Yekemi is a remarkable example of entrepreneurship and a tremendous role model for our students and wider University community. I am delighted to welcome her to the UWS family.
Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at UWS

“I would also like to pay tribute to Dame Elish Angiolini, who has been an outstanding Chancellor and ambassador for the University. I am deeply grateful for the committed and inspirational role she has played in our UWS community.”

The appointment represents another important moment in UWS’s history, as the role of Chancellor passes from one major figure to another.

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Dame Elish, who steps down from the role, said: “It has been a great honour to represent UWS as its Chancellor, and I have truly enjoyed each one of my eight years in this role. Yekemi has my very best wishes and I am sure that she will enjoy being part of the very welcoming UWS community.”

Ellie Gomersall, President of the Students’ Union at UWS, said, “Yekemi is a great fit for the role as Chancellor of the University. UWS is a 21st century university and, with Yekemi’s impressive background in social media and as a woman in engineering, her modern approach will be really welcomed. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with her and see what we can achieve together.”

Yekemi’s appointment comes at an exciting time for UWS, and follows last year’s launch of Strategy 2025 – a bold vision laying out the foundations for the University to achieve even greater excellence on the world stage.

Yekemi is the first of three children of Dr Raphael and Mrs Sarah Awoseyin of Ayedun in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State. Her younger siblings are Mrs Adenike Onyia (a geologist and educationist based in the UK) and Raphael Segun Awoseyin (a software professional based in France).

She attended Auntie Rose Primary School at Ugborikoko in Warri and from there proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri, where she did only JSS1 before going to Oman with her parents in 1990.
She attended American British Academy (ABA)-a multi-racial high school in Muscat, Oman and returned to Nigeria in 1994 to complete her secondary education at Greater Tomorrow Secondary School (GTSS), Benin City.

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From there, she proceeded to the University of Benin where she studied and graduated with a Second Class Upper Division in Chemical Engineering in 2002.
She got married to Gabriel Oghie Otaru-a Petroleum Engineer with Shell Petroleum, in Port Harcourt in March 2003 during her NYSC.

On completing her NYSC, she was selected by TotalFinaElf in Nigeria to be one of the 20 pioneer intakes into the collaborative MSc Petroleum Engineering programme of France’s Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) and University of Port Harcourt.

She was one of only six graduates of that programme pioneer set offered a permanent employment by TotalFinaElf. She soon moved to the UK when her husband – a Petroleum Engineer with Shell was transferred to Aberdeen.
In 2016, Yekemi teamed up with Sarah Downs to establish Doqaru Limited, providing knowledge-driven sales and marketing consultancy services to a variety of industries.

In 2016, Yekemi was named among the top 40 under-40 business innovators by Scottish Business News. In September 2018, she was appointed to the board at Interface, a public sector backed establishment helping Scottish businesses work more closely with academic institutions to drive innovative projects.

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Education

Oduduwa polytechnic denies extortion story

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The management of Oduduwa Polytechnic, Lagos, has denied media report that a lecturer in the institution was  extorting a female student and withhold her results.

 

According to the report, the student, one Jesulayomi Adedini, allegedly accused a lecturer of the institution, whose name was given as Ogunjana Adeolu of extortion and deliberate attempt to frustrate her graduation from school.

But the school, in a statement, copy of which was sent to The Post, stated: “The attention of the Management of the Oduduwa Polytechnic, Lagos has been drawn to a story published in The Punch of today titled: ‘Osun poly student accuses lecturer of extortion, withholding result.

“Contrary to what was published in The Punch, we wish to state that our institution, Oduduwa Polytechnic had nothing to do with the said story.

“We don’t have any record of both the staff and the student in our database.

 

“We, therefore, implore the members of the public to disregard the said story as it had nothing to do with our institution.”

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Shedding more light on the report, the management of the Oduduwa Polytechnic said, “We believe there is a mix-up somewhere. Our institution, Oduduwa Polytechnic, is located in  Lagos, not in Ife, Osun state, as claimed in the report by The Punch.
“It is surprising that while the report claimed the school involved in the alleged extortion story is in Ife, Osun state, but the photo used in the said story is that of our school, Oduduwa Polytechnic that is located in Lagos.”

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Education

Tinubu signs amended student loan bill into law

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President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the National Students Loan Amendment bill into law.

 

The President signed the bill in a short ceremony at the State House in the presence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Minister and Minister of State for Education, Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of State for Youth, Ayodele Olawande, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, other government officials and aides to the president.

 

Tinubu initially signed the student loan bill into law back in June 2023, to offer financial assistance to Nigerian students in tertiary institutions.

 

While the bill was signed earlier, its implementation has faced delays due to various issues hindering its rollout.

 

Speaking afterwards, the president said, “ First of all, I must thank members of the National Assembly for their expeditious handling of this bill considering the children of Nigeria, that education is the tool to fight against poverty effectively.”

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“We are determined to ensure that education is given the proper attention necessary for the country including skills development programmes. This is to ensure that no one, no matter how poor their background is, is excluded from quality education and opportunity to build their future.”

 

“We are here because we are all educated and were helped. In the past, we have seen a lot of our children drop out of college and give up the opportunity. That is no more, the standard and the control is there for you to apply no matter who you are as long as you are a Nigerian citizen.”

 

This development came after separate considerations from the two chambers of the National Assembly committees on tertiary institutions and TETFund.

 

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Education

Mohbad: Family faults wife’s petition against Primeboy

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The family of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has faulted a petition said to have been filed by the deceased’s widow, Omowunmi, against Ibrahim Owodunni, also known as Primeboy.

Primeboy, a close ally of Mohbad, was interrogated during a scheduled visit to the State Criminal Investigation Department on Tuesday, alongside Ayobami Fisayo, aka Spending.

The duo had been instructed to visit the police facility every week since the commencement of the investigation into the circumstances leading to Mohbad’s death.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, however, confirmed that the Afro singer was delayed and questioned during Tuesday’s visit over alleged defamation of character and other allegations cited in a petition filed by Wunmi.

 

Although the singer was released on Tuesday night, he returned to the SCID on Wednesday as police continued their probe of the allegations.

However, the family, in a statement signed by the head of its legal team, Monisola Odumosu, on Wednesday, alleged that the petition bordered on scaring potential witnesses in the unfolding investigative enquiry at the Coroner’s Court.

Mohbad’s family also noted that Primeboy was released from the SCID following the intervention of its legal team.

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The statement read, “It has come to our notice that Wunmi Cynthia Aloba has petitioned the police alleging that Primeboy and four other persons were cyber-bullying and threats to her life and her son Liam Aloba, amongst other allegations.

“As a result, the police detained Primeboy at their Panti office in Lagos and released him on Tuesday evening at about 8.00 pm local time. The legal team was led by Emmanuel Oroko Esq. Primeboy and Spending were at Panti Police Station earlier in the morning of (12/03/2024) to fulfil part of the conditions of their administrative bail which is that they must report to the homicide section of Panti police station every week.

“We are of the strong opinion that the police can only help to get justice in the matter relating to who killed Ilerioluwa Aloba (Mohbad) by vetting spurious petitions that border on scaring potential witnesses in the unfolding investigative enquiry at the Coroner’s Court. The police have shown professionalism and integrity by releasing Primeboy on bail and allowing our legal team access to the petition. Also, Primeboy was told to come back on Wednesday.”

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Odumosu explained further that it was not easy for the duo since they were listed as witnesses for the inquest.

“May we mention that since we listed Spending and Primeboy as witnesses for the inquest at the Coroner Court, it has not been easy for the duo. We have evidence of a sporadic call from a person sympathetic to Wunmi Aloba, and we queried why the person had to call and truncate the call when Primeboy had not picked up the call. Immediately the person switched off his phone and has not called back since then. Barely a week after, Primeboy has been petitioned against and detained.

 

“The petitions against the duo of Spending and Primeboy will not scare them away as witnesses at the next sitting of the Coroner Court. We shall do all within the law not just to protect them but also protect their mental health,” the statement added.

 

During its probe, the police declared Primeboy wanted on October 4, 2023, after which he turned himself in two days later.

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Meanwhile, Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, had filed an application in January at the coroner court sitting in the Ikorodu area of the state, seeking to call more witnesses in the bid to unravel the cause of his son’s death.

The witnesses requested to testify before the court include Primeboy, Spending and Boluwatife Adeyemo aka Darosha; all of whom were alleged to have been with the deceased at the material time.

Mohbad died on September 12 at the age of 27, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Being a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.

The state police command had on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley, and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, aka Sam Larry, amongst others.

The body of Mohbad was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

 

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