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Dominican University celebrates Architect Demas Nwoko, unveils Chair of African Architectural Aesthetics
In a momentous celebration on December 15th, 2023, at Dominican University, Samonda, Ibadan, Architect Demas Nwoko was honoured for his impactful contributions.
The event introduced the Academic Chair of Philosophy of African Architectural Aesthetics dedicated to Nwoko, acknowledging his lasting legacy.
Rev. Fr. Prof. Dokun Oyeshola, OP, the Vice-Chancellor, lauded Nwoko’s exceptional influence in African architectural aesthetics. The focal point was Nwoko’s 50-year-old masterpiece, the historic Dominican Chapel, now a renowned tourist destination.
Festivities featured a Keynote Lecture by Dr. Stephen Ajayi on “Architecture, Spirituality, and the Ethos of African Architecture.” A documentary on Nwoko’s life and a Panel Discussion on “Cultivating Synergies: Uniting Creativity for Development” added depth.
The highlight was the unveiling of the Demas Nwoko Chair of Philosophy of African Architectural Aesthetics. This prestigious chair aims to promote the study of African architectural aesthetics, ensuring its preservation and growth.
Nwoko received awards and an honourary certificate for The Dominican Chapel from the university registrar and Superior of the Dominican Community.
In humble remarks, he expressed gratitude for the unexpected tribute, reflecting on his life journey redirected to architecture after a life-altering train accident.
Despite international accolades, Nwoko emphasised his unwavering dedication, assuring, “I am not finished yet.” He hopes the Demas Nwoko Chair evolves into a school, fostering young talents and perpetuating African architectural heritage.
Dignitaries, including the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan and President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, graced the event. The celebration concluded with a reception and a tour of the iconic Dominican Chapel, underscoring Nwoko’s enduring legacy and the event’s significance in preserving African architectural aesthetics.
Chad announced Thursday that it was ending military cooperation with former colonial power France, just hours after a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“The government of the Republic of Chad informs national and international opinion of its decision to end the accord in the field of defence signed with the French Republic,” foreign minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement on Facebook.
Chad is a key link in France’s military presence in Africa, constituting Paris’s last foothold in the Sahel after the forced withdrawal of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
“This is not a break with France like Niger or elsewhere,” Koulamallah, whose country still hosts around a thousand French troops, told AFP.
At a press briefing after a meeting between President Mahamat Idriss Deby and Barrot, Koulamallah called France “an essential partner” but added it “must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”.
Barrot, who arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday evening, could not immediately be reached for comment.
– ‘Historic turning point’-
Chad is the last Sahel country to host French troops.
It has been led by Deby since 2021, when his father Idriss Deby Itno was killed by rebels after 30 years in power.
The elder Deby frequently relied on French military support to fend off rebel offensives, including in 2008 and 2019.
It borders the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger, all of which host Russian paramilitary forces from the Wagner group.
Deby has sought closer ties with Moscow in recent months, but talks to strengthen economic cooperation with Russia have yet to bear concrete results.
Koulamallah called the decision to end military cooperation a “historic turning point”, adding it was made after “in-depth analysis”.
“Chad, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement, undertakes to respect the terms laid down for its termination, including the notice period”, he said in the statement, which did not give a date for the withdrawal of French troops.
The announcement comes just days after Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye indicated in an interview with AFP that France should close its military bases in that country.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” Faye told AFP on Thursday.
The House of Representatives has confirmed the appointment of Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
While the constitution does not make provision for confirmation of appointments by the House of Representatives, the lawmaker adopted a report of its ad–hoc committee on the confirmation/screening of the Acting Chief of Army Staff and Thursday, confirmed the appointment of Lieutenant General Oluyede as the Chief of Army Staff.
Chairman of the committee Babajimi Benson in presenting the report, said Lt. Gen. Oluyede had satisfied all requirements.
Several members of Donald Trump’s incoming administration have received threats including bomb alerts, the FBI said Wednesday, with one nominee reporting a pipe-bomb scare sent with a pro-Palestinian message.
“The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners,” the agency said in a statement.
Swatting refers to the practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone’s house under false pretenses. Such hoax calls are common in the United States and have seen numerous senior political figures targeted in recent years.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump’s transition team, earlier said that several appointees and nominees “were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them.”
Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist congresswoman tapped to be UN ambassador, said her residence in New York was targeted in a bomb threat.
She said in a statement that she, her husband, and small son were driving home from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when they learned of the threat.
Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said his home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat sent with a “pro-Palestinian themed message.”
The former congressman from New York said he and his family were not home at the time.
Fox News Digital quoted unidentified sources saying that John Ratcliffe, Trump’s nominee to head the CIA, and Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary pick, were also targeted.
Ahead of his return to the House in January, Trump has already swiftly assembled a cabinet of loyalists, including several criticized for a severe lack of experience.
The Republican, who appears set to avoid trial on criminal prosecutions related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss, was wounded in the ear in July in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally. The shooter was killed in counter-fire.
In September, authorities arrested another man accused of planning to shoot at Trump while he played golf at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida
