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Oyo rep member ordered my arrest for standing close to her in a public elevator – Omo Agege’s aide alleges
Jide Babalola, the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Senate President on Print, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, has alleged that the lawmaker representing Oluyole federal constituency, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, ordered his arrest for standing too close to her during an elevator ride at the National Assembly complex.
According to the information scooped from Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Babalola was said to have spent close to two hours in detention at the crime unit of the National Assembly before another member of the house of representatives requested for his bail.
“I joined the public elevator on the third floor of the house of reps building, going down because I needed to take care of some things. I have always avoided the elevators meant for reps members and senators since 2000, because they are not meant for the public, and because that is the right way of doing things,” he said.
Babalola added that there were close to seven people in the elevator when he joined it.
“Two other people also joined the elevator after I did, and I made sure not to rub shoulders with anybody. Corona Virus is still out there. I was infected last year and I know what I went through before I recovered. All of a sudden, the honourable member shouted at me from behind, saying I was about to bump into her. Then I asked, “Madam, why would I bump into you?”, he questioned.
Meanwhile, he said the lawmaker became furious after she was referred to as ‘madam’ and started to scream at him.
“While she was screaming, she said she was an honourable member and started asking questions like, ‘Who are you?’ ‘What is your name?’ And so on,” the media aide told FIJ.
Babalola explained further that when they got to the ground floor, they met other reps members and the Minister of Health, who also saw her screaming.
He continued, “After listening to her explanation of what happened, one of the reps members told me that even if I felt I had not done anything wrong, I should still apologise to her, and I immediately did.
“After apologising and everyone had gone their way, I thought all had been settled. I was heading to the exit, then she beckoned on the officers working with the sergeant-at-arms and some policemen that I must be arrested, saying she still wanted to take the matter up with me and that I should not be released till she got back from where she was going.
“I was first taken to the police post attached to the National Assembly before being transferred to the crimes unit in the complex.
“It was while I was writing a statement at the crimes unit that another house of reps member heard of the incident and came for my bail,” the DSP aide narrated.
Responding, Akande-Shadipe, said it was a case of gender harassment.
“I was talking to a staff member of NASS when he came in. All I said to him was, ‘Please, don’t step back’, and he turned on me, intimidating me, because I am a woman. This is a case of gender bias and gender intimidation,” she told FIJ.
The lawmaker noted that if Babalola had stepped back, he would have had “a direct body contact with her”, step on her and they would have ridden “body-to-body” in the elevator.
“He was standing directly in front of me and if he stepped back his body would be having direct contact with my body, as he was directly in front of me and he could misjudge the distance between us,”.
“There was no space for me to step back and we would have ridden in that elevator body to body. Unacceptable”, the lawmaker said.
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.
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at a brief ceremony in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, announced that the payment would commence immediately.
She lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the welfare of workers despite the state’s limited resources.
“This development demonstrates the governor’s commitment to improving the livelihood of our workers,” Dr. Olomojobi stated, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the administration to ensure prompt implementation.
In their remarks, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Olatunde Kolapo, expressed their appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for fulfilling his promises to workers.
They confirmed that the new minimum wage would apply to all cadres, including employees in ministries, parastatals, agencies, and pensioners.
The Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Femi Ajoloko, described the implementation as a fair and commendable adjustment.
“This decision reflects the governor’s magnanimity and his dedication to fostering a productive workforce in Ekiti State,” he said.
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