Connect with us

Top Stories

Olowofela leaps to the next level

Published

on

Know your candidate…

THE global events point to one fact that the world longs for people who will stand up for what they believe, even if they have to stand alone, leaders whose courage has such a strong sense of purpose and security that they welcome the unknown.

May 3rd, 1963, in the sleepy but rapidly – developing town of Omi-Adio, via Ibadan, Ido Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria, late Mr. Owen Adeyinka Olowofela and his loving wife, late Mrs. Elizabeth Ajibike Olowofela were blessed with a baby boy named Joseph Adeniyi Adisa Olowofela. The boy is now Professor Joseph Adeniyi Olowofela, an academician of national and international repute, a grassroot mobilizer, political scientist, social crusader, human rights activist and an epitome of celebrated achievements whose contributions to the socio-political landscape of his community and state cannot be written off. His ilk constitutes great blessings to the black race.

Olowofela attended Hope Central Primary School, Omi-Adio between 1969 and 1975 before proceeding to United Christian Secondary School, Omi-Adio between 1976 and 1981. He later proceeded to the University of Ibadan, between 1982 – 1986 to earn his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics, and graduated with Second Class (Upper Division).

He served at Union Secondary School Agulu, Njikoka Local Government Area (old Anambra State) as a physics teacher. And, thereafter, studied for and earned his M.Sc. in 1987 and PhD, (Solid Earth Physics) in 1995 respectively. He, also lectured at the Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, between 1994 – 2003.

ALSO READ  COVID -19: Folarin is confused, desperate to derail Makinde's govt - Group

Continuing, he joined the services of the Federal University of Agriculture, (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, first on a sabbatical appointment from 2003 -2004, then as an Associate Professor and Head of Department, from 2005 to 2007 before rising to the position of a Professor of Solid Earth Geophysics in 2009.

As a cerebral and highly respected scholar of no mean stature, he holds various professional qualifications which include: Certificate in Seismic Hazard Assessment obtained from Potsdam, Germany; Certificate in Water Resources in Flensburg, Germany; Certificate in Microprocessors obtained from the United Nation University, Rome, Italy as well as the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Italy among others.

Professor Olowofela has since, successfully trained over 25,000 students, supervised over 50 B.Sc projects and more than 15 Ph.D projects, some of whom have become Professors and Associate Professors. In the course of his academic career, he had more than 70 publications to his credit, two of which are being used by University students in Germany till today.

With a passion to lift the fortunes of his community and people and with the desire to right societal wrongs, while promoting freedom and social justice, Olowofela joined active politics in the 80’s. His sole objective remains an advocacy for the improvement of the lot of his people and ensuring that young men and women coming after him in the community have a better deal through responsive, responsible and effective governance.

The Democratic Professor had served different parties and governments in various capacities which include:

ALSO READ  Ekiti Decides: Tribunal upholds Governor Oyebanji’s election

* National Delegate – National Republican Convention (NRC), 1990

* Member, Governing Council, Oyo State College of Education, Oyo, 2000-2003

* Party Chairman, Alliance for Democracy (AD), Ido Local Government, Oyo State, 2002-2003

* Chairmanship Aspirant, All Nigerian People’s Party, (ANPP). He won the controversial election conducted by the then Oyo State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Rashidi Ladoja in 2007.

* He was appointed by the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi as Transition Committee Chairman, Ido Local Government from 2011 to December, 2014.

* He was also appointed as the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Oyo state from June 2016 to September, 2018

To the glory of God, Professor Olowofela had received several awards and honours; both locally and national, they include:

√ Overall Best Performed Local Government Chairman in Nigeria, 2012 at the 19th Edition of National Award for Excellence in Grassroots Leadership, Presented by Grassroots Leadership Centre, Abuja.

√ Overall Best Performed Local Government Chairman in Nigeria, 2012 on Works/Education at the 10th Edition of the All Nigerian Local Government Chairmen Merit Award (LOGMA 2012) by Mentors Communication, Abuja.

√ Oodua Hero Council Chairman, 2013, an award presented by the Yoruba Youth Development Council, (YYDC).

√ Oyo State Commissioner of the year, at the 2017 Miss Oyo State Beauty Pageant, an award presented by Silverstone Communications.

√ Prestigious Award of Ambassador of Ethics and Conscience, and Induction into Hall of Fame, 2018 by Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation.

ALSO READ  UI not responsible for 22 years on Ph.D of late Zubairu, says ex- HOD

√ 2018, he emerged as one of the fifty most inspiring personalities in Nigeria according to The Guardian Newspaper.

√ Oyo State Commissioner of the year, at the 2018 Oyo Herald Magazine Annual lecture and Merit Awards

√ Award of excellence at the 2018 Prominent Oyo Peoples’ Awards (POPA 2018) by Cornerstone Media International

Olowofela is happily married and blessed with children.

He’s contesting as a representative of Ido/Ibarapa East federal constituency under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the forthcoming general elections billed for February, 2019.

Comments

Metro

Texas Storm Claims Seven Lives

Published

on

By

Shattered windows are seen on buildings in downtown Houston on May 17, 2024, one day after the city was hit by severe storms. Credit: Cécile Clocheret / AFP

The death toll from severe weather that lashed the Texas city of Houston has risen to seven, authorities said Friday.

The three additional deaths came after Houston, the fourth-largest US city, was hit Thursday by heavy rain and winds up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour, leaving downtown streets covered in glass from blown-out windows.

Downed trees and power lines littered residential areas and the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in the suburb of Cypress.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the new victims included an 85-year-old woman who died after her mobile home was struck by lightning and caught fire.

A 60-year-old man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead after going to his truck to try and power his oxygen tank, after electricity was cut across wide swaths of the storm-hit area.

And a 57-year-old man collapsed and died after trying to move a downed power pole.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Thursday after the storm that four people died, though specifics were not immediately available.

Schools in Houston, home to 2.3 million people with an economy centered around oil and petrochemicals, were closed on Friday and non-essential workers urged to stay home.

ALSO READ  Ekiti Decides: Tribunal upholds Governor Oyebanji’s election

 

Continue Reading

Crime & Court

EFCC Hands Over $22,000 Recovered from Convicted Internet Fraudster to FBI

Published

on

By

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has fulfilled its commitment to justice by handing over $22,000 recovered from a convicted internet fraudster, Hakeem Olanrewaju, to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

In a statement released on Saturday, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale announced that the handover took place on Friday in Lagos State.

“We are delighted to be handing over this proceeds of crime today,” remarked the Acting Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Command, Michael Wetkas. “The EFCC is willing and always ready to do more.”

At the handover event, FBI’s Legal Attaché Charles Smith praised the EFCC for its collaborative efforts.

“The EFCC and FBI work collaboratively together, and it is thanks to the EFCC that we can recover funds of this nature, especially from Business Email Compromise, BEC,” stated Smith.

“This type of crime cripples businesses in the US, and for them to recover the money within one to two years gives hope to the affected companies and brings some level of justice, even if not all subjects have been identified.”

Smith expressed hope for continued cooperation between the two agencies, emphasising the FBI’s readiness to support investigations.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, had previously ordered the restitution of the recovered money to Olanrewaju’s victim in the US.

ALSO READ  Education ministry presents proposal on Schools reopening

Olanrewaju was sentenced to two years imprisonment for identity theft and impersonation on August 15, 2023.

Continue Reading

Politics

Auxiliary: Oyo APC wants NSA, IGP to investigate alleged cover-up by state govt

Published

on

 

A fresh twist has been introduced to the travails of the former boss of the Park Management System (PMS) in Oyo state, Mr. Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, as the All Progressives Congress has called on the National Special Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbedokun, to carry out thorough investigation on the various allegations against the suspect to unravel his sponsors and other accomplices.

Lamidi popularly known as Auxiliary was paraded on Thursday at the Eleyele, Ibadan headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command following his arrest by the officials of the Department of State Security last week. The State Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, told pressmen during the parade that Lamidi would soon be arraigned in court on several charges which included; the murder of one Rahmon which happened in Ibadan in 2021, possession of a large cache of arms and ammunition among other crimes.

In a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC cautioned against selective justice “as could not have committed the heinous crimes all alone and without the sponsorship or support of the powers-that-be in the state in view of the fact that he was not only a chieftain of the ruling party but also an associate of the PDP governor.

ALSO READ  Digital switchover in Ilorin may not be Uhuru after all.

“Arrest and prosecution of Lamidi was long overdue in view of the fact he has always been a thorn in the flesh of the residents of Oyo state and the good people of Ibadanland in particular. It is on this note that we commend the officials of the DSS who eventually got him arrested following a long time of distress calls from his numerous victims. Until recently when the bubble burst between him and Gov. Seyi Makinde, the same man (Lamidi) was untouchable as he got the full backing of the Agodi Government House landlords to run a separate government in the state.

“There is no denying the facts that Lamidi and his vicious gang have violated many innocent people’s rights since May 29, 2019, when Gov. Makinde came into power. Also, it is an established fact that he had in his possession a cache of arms and ammunition which no security agency in the state could boast of. He displayed these weapons at will just like he did on several occasions when he went on political functions and campaigns in the company of Gov. Makinde. There are even claims from certain quarters that weapons meant for the Amotekun Corps in Oyo state ended up in the hands of Lamidi and his gang members.

ALSO READ  UI not responsible for 22 years on Ph.D of late Zubairu, says ex- HOD

“Apart from the 2021 incident in which one Rahmon was killed, Lamidi followed the entourage of the governor to Kogi state, Osogbo in Osun state, Ekiti state, Igangan in Oyo state, and many other places where he used the stockpiled arms and ammunition brazenly since he was under the state cover. The question on the lips of the people is; “why did Gov. Makinde keep Auxiliary so close to the seat of power for four good years only to part ways with him immediately he got his second term mandate?

“Many members and leaders of our great Party (APC) have fallen victims to Mukaila Lamidi’s reign of terror in the past but this cannot make us support selective justice. Both the NSA and IGP should wade into the matter and ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out to unmask those who sponsored or backed Lamidi’s criminal acts in the state. With thorough and unbiased investigation, a lot would be revealed and all those responsible for political violence, thuggery, and brigandage in the state over the last five years would be made to face justice.” Oyo APC stated.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Tweets by ‎@megaiconmagg

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required

MegaIcon Magazine Facebook Page

Advertisement

MEGAICON TV

Trending