News
Road Carnage: Oyo Govt. Trains 5000 Public, Private Drivers
• To enforce training for all drivers every 2 years
Oyo State government has commenced training for over five thousand public and private drivers in the state to reduce to the barest minimum road carnages that have caused loss of lives on the roads.
The government, has also been reported to have put all machineries in motion to enforce the training of all road users every two years on traffic regulations and possible guides against accidents.
This was disclosed by the State’s Head of Service, Mrs Ololade Agboola at the commissioning of the State’s Drivers’ Institute and flag-off of training of 5000 drivers in Ibadan on Monday.
Mrs Agboola who was represented by the Director, Vehicle Inspection Services, Mr James Opalola underscored the importance of training and retraining of drivers in order to curb the incessant cases of avoidable vehicular accidents on major roads.
The exercise which was conducted by Oyo State Drivers’ Institute and Institute of Road Transport Workers would see to training and retraining of both private and commercial drivers in the State on road safety, vehicle literacy and other details regarding the highways.
In her address, Agboola said “with the training in place, Oyo State will take the lead in the 2019 National Road Safety Strategy, thereby restoring the State back to its Pace Setter status because similar programmes are being organized in other neighboring States.
“This exercise will go along way to curb the incessant road carnages that have caused untold hardship to many families over the loss of their loved ones to avoidable vehicular accidents and prepare road users to be ready for challenges that might lay ahead on the road and take adequate precautions.
“The State will also start soon a compulsory training for all road users, whether public or private which will take place every two years and will attract a tone fee,” he added.
In addition, the State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, who was represented by Mrs. Abimbola Afolabi, commended the giant stride taken by the State Government to establish the Drivers’ Institute which will therefore go a long way to reduce road Carnage as being experienced currently.
In his remarks, the General Manager, Oyo State Drivers’Institute, Engineer Victor Ogunranti, reiterated the essence of establishing the Institute by the State Government which is to train and retrain drivers in the State for better performance on the road so as to reduce the number of accidents on the highways.
Ogunranti reiterated that the programme which was a Public-Private Partnership form along with the Institute of Road Transport Workers, would engage different Stakeholders in the transport sector to continually train drivers, confirming that the training would be in two forms, namely the specialized one and the mandatory one which everybody must attend every two years and would attract a token fee.
He said the training would capture details of every participant and at the end of the training, certificates and ID Cards will be issued to participants.
Mr Rashidi Olokode, the Director, Institute of Road Transport Workers, described the partnership with the Oyo State Drivers’ Institute as a Scheme that will fill two vacuums in the transport sector which is the vacuum of knowledge and that of social benefits. According to him, participants will be impacted with knowledge and also benefit in the Micro-bus empowerment Scheme where they’ll be given seven(7) sitter buses on higher purchase after meeting the necessary requirements and they are expected to pay back the money after two years.
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the severe economic challenges faced by Nigerian households, revealing that two-thirds of the population struggle to afford healthy and nutritious meals. The survey, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), underscores the worsening multidimensional poverty and the erosion of purchasing power due to the persistent rise in the cost of goods and services.
The report shows that approximately 63.8% of households have been forced to eat only a few kinds of food due to financial constraints. About 62.4% of respondents admitted worrying about food insufficiency, while 60.5% ate less than they thought they should. The situation has deteriorated significantly since the last survey, as the proportion of households expressing food insecurity concerns rose from 36.9% in the previous wave to 62.4% in the current one.
Power Outages and Access to Energy
The survey also sheds light on the nation’s energy crisis, revealing that Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week. While 82.2% of urban households have access to electricity, the figure drops to 40.4% in rural areas.
Cooking remains predominantly dependent on traditional methods, with 65% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on firewood. However, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is reportedly increasing.
Sanitation and Asset Ownership
In terms of sanitation, the report highlights that many households still lack basic toilet facilities, relying on bushes or streets for waste disposal. Access to clean drinking water is often through tube wells or boreholes, reflecting a lack of formal infrastructure in many areas.
On asset ownership, the survey indicates a decline since 2018/19. While two-thirds of households own mobile phones, only 21.3% have internet access. Housing ownership remains significant, with 70.4% of households owning their homes—80.1% in rural areas compared to 49.1% in urban centers.
The NBS report provides a stark reminder of the challenges many Nigerians face daily, from food insecurity and power outages to inadequate sanitation and declining asset ownership. It calls for urgent policy interventions to address these critical issues and improve the living standards of the population.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
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