It is shocking, as well as, disheartening, the rate at which the students of The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki have lost their lives during this lockdown period.
Again, the death of a well known student on campus was announced yesterday, few days to resumption.
Balogun Abeeb, well known as “Pepper” on campus, from Insurance department also had his share in the shocking alarming death occurence recorded by the Institution.
According to reports, the undergraduate was at a beach in Lagos on Thursday, September 17, where he drowned in the course of swimming.
His death was later announced yesterday, Friday, September 18, by his parents, after his corpse was brought down to Ibadan, his native town.
Before his death, Balogun Habeeb was the Students’ Representative of his department.
So far, the institution has recorded over 7 death cases of undergraduates during this lockdown period.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has approved the resumption dates for Public and Private Primary, Secondary schools and Tertiary Institutions in the State.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Education, Barrister Olasukanmi Olaleye and also made available to the press on Tuesday, September 15.
According to the statement, “In another development, the Governor has also approved the re-opening of State owned Tertiary institutions and Private Institutions for regular academic activities to commence from Monday 28th September, 2020”, it can be deduced that Tertiary Institutions in the state are up for full resumption as from September 28.
Although, some institutions in the state had reopened earlier this month, ordering its staff to resume fully, while they await the resumption of students back on campus, in which The Oke Ogun Polytechnic was not an exemption of this development, reopened on September 7.
Academic activities for Tertiary Institutions will proceed from where it stopped later this month.
And Academic Boards and Senate of institutions are expected to fixed their date and comply strictly with the guidelines on re-opening.
With this, students at Tertiary level, awaits their respective school management to release official memos, to seal the deal on resumption.
Furthermore, in the statement released to the Press today,
“the resumption date for 2020/2021 academic Session for Public / Private Primary and Secondary Schools as announced by the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will commence on Monday, 21st September, 2020.”
Primary and Secondary School, both Private and Public owned, while resume for a new academic session with revised guidelines which will be strictly followed.
The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic Saki (TOPS) Higher National Diploma (HND) Form and National Diploma (ND), for 2020/2021 Academic Session will be on sales from 14th, September 2020.
Deadline to apply is 30th November 2020.
See how to apply and other details in the image below.
PRESS COUNCIL TOPS “…pushing the pen to radiate light with one voice”
Earlier today, a memo was released from the office of the Deputy Registrar of The Oke Ogun Polytechnic,Saki, ordering all staff of the institution, teaching and non-teaching, to resume back on Campus, on Monday, 7th of September, 2020.
In the memo, it can be deduced that the order was passed across after a meeting was held by the School Management on Thursday, 3rd of September, sequel to the government’s directive on re-opening of Tertiary Institutions across the Nation in preparation ahead of full resumption for students.
Also, in accordance to this directive, all staff were told to observe strictly, all necessary COVID-19 precautions, as laid down by NCDC and Ministries of Health and Education.
Starting from Monday, September 7, The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki will be reopened for all staff, while resumption for students shall be announced soon, as deduced from the School Management’s memo.
The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the re-arrested of 19-year-old Sunday Shodipe, a man accused of involvement in the rape and murder of some female residents in Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan.
On 17th of July, it was reported in the news that he has been arrested, but later managed to escape from custody last Sunday, August 11.
The state police command had also announced a N500,000 reward for anyone who may help in locating him. Two officers were also arrested in connection with Mr Shodipe’s escape.
When asked how the arrest was made, he replied that a press statement would be released later in the day.
At the early hours of today, Friday, 21st of August 2020, a student of The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki bids the world goodbye.
A final year student of TOPS at National Diploma level, department of Public Administration, Onyeabor Ogbona Joseph, took his last breath at the early hours of today after suffering from complications he had from a football injury, a day before.
According to the report gotten by The Press Council correspondence, it was said that Onyeabor Joseph had earlier engaged in a football match where he had made an attempt for the ball on air with his head and somersaulted in the course of landing back on the ground, which lead to the complications he had before he was rushed down to the hospital.
Also, report have it that, Joseph was later again, rushed down to a church yesterday evening where he was been prayed for till morning, but all efforts and hope to see him come back to life all proved futile.
Words from source stated that;
“It just happened this morning. The guy went to play ball yesterday evening. And according to one of their family members that I called, he said he tried to head the ball and he somersaulted on the ground.
Assuming they were able to rush him to the hospital that time maybe there would be another solution.
After they see that this thing is getting worse, they now rushed him to the hospital. Getting to hospital, he has collapsed already.
They now took him to church to pray for him. That evening, they started praying for him till this morning and he could not wake up, and now take him back to their family to be buried.”
Also he went further; “I was very surprised when I was called by the Vice President of The Igbo Students’ Association to verify if it is true”.
Onyeabor Joseph was also the Public Relations Officer to the The Igbo Students’ Association of The Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki chapter.
On the 18th of August, 2020, an online news platform, myschoolnews.com.ng, reported what they tagged breaking news, claiming that, the Federal Government, Vice Chancellors of universities in Nigeria and National Universities Commission (NUC) had agreed on September 7, 2020 for school resumption.
‘‘Information has it that the federal government (FG), all Vice Chancellors (VCs) and National Universities Commission (NUC) have agreed to reopen all schools in Nigeria in September 7, 2020 after a long meeting during the weekend”- myschool.com.ng reported
The news also claimed that the Federal Government has assured the general public that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) won’t halt the agreement of all schools in Nigeria to reopen on September 7, 2020. ‘‘Second semester is expected to begin in October 30, 2020”- myschoolnews.com.ng reported.
Myschoolnews.com.ng also claims that, as a form of learning activity, teachers and lecturers must administer examination within 2 weeks after 3 weeks of revision.
Myschoolnews.com.ng concluded the news by reporting that ‘‘Note that all federal, state and private universities have been directed to use this official academic calendar to be used ahead of september 7 resumption and should be used for running academic activities after the shutdown of schools forced by COVID-19”.
ROUND CHECK FINDINGS:
Following the global pandemic occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus, students in Nigerian tertiary institutions were directed to vacate school premises in March 2020.
Earlier today(August 18, 2020), the news about tertiary institutions resuming on September 7th, 2020 surfaced on the internet(published by myschoolnews.com.ng).This has led to mixed feelings among students in Nigeria.
However, in a chat with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka said in a conservation with round check,
“There’s no official communication to us yet. We are naturally very excited about the possibility of resumption soon.” This is an indication that there is no official date fixed yet for the students who have been at home for about 5 months. The Vice Chancellor could not confirm the claim that FG, VCs and NUC agreed on September 7th as the date for school resumption.
In a news report published by Premium Times news platform on August 18,2020, it reported that, ASUU said that Nigerian Universities won’t reopen even if Federal Government reopens schools.
‘‘Should the federal government eventually ask schools to resume, university administrators will comply, but Mr Ogunyemi’s explanation indicates the lecturers will not be resuming classes until ASUU’s concerns are addressed”, Premium Times reported.
Also, according to a news report published by Guardian news platform on August 17,2020, the vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin said that there’s no resumption date yet for students, ‘‘Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, says no date has been fixed for resumption of academic activities for students of the university who had been out of school since the outbreak of COVID-19”., The Guardian Nigeria reported.
CONCLUSION:
Misleading.
The news is misleading
Nigerian students should debunk any news claiming that schools will reopen on September 7, 2020. Also, the public should note that, the FG, VCs and NUC did not agree on September 7 resumption date.
Source: RoundCheck.com.ng (By: Kunle Sotibi and Seun Muritala)
A video of the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, has been trending on social media of him allegedly saying: “all schools can now be reopened on the 7th of September 2020.”
The the video was circulated on social media on the 18th of August alongside the misinformation by myschoolnews.com.ng where it claimed FG, VCs, NUC agree on September 7 for school resumption.
ROUNDCHECK FINDINGS:
The video is doctored
Upon findings, RoundCheck found the original video on YouTube, published by the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA on the 12th of January 2016, where the minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, was originally speaking university research at a Capacity Enhancement and Sustainability Workshop for the Nigerian African Centres of Excellence in Abuja
CONCLUSION: Fake News
This means the video where the minister was allegedly saying “all schools can be reopened on the 7th of September 2020” is doctored and the claim is false.
In further findings, RoundCheck finds out that September 7 is the day announced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for the start of the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination Screening for 2020 admission as published by punch.ng on the 11th of August.
The Oyo State Police Command has announced the escape of a suspected serial killer, Sunday Shodipe, connection with ritual killings of people at the Akinyele area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, made this known on Sunday in a statement by Public Relations Officer of the command, Olugbenga Fadeyi.
The statement reads, “The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP. Joe Nwachukwu Enwonwu, wishes to state that the prime suspect in the serial killings at Akinyele Local Government Area, Moniya Ibadan, one Sunday Shodipe ‘m’ 19 years, who was arrested and paraded along with two others on 17th July, 2020 and later charged to court but remanded in police custody escaped from lawful custody on 11/08/2020.
“Consequent upon this, the CP wishes to implore the general public to be on the lookout, arrest and immediately inform the officers and men of the command when sighted for immediate handing over for further action.”
Sequel to the on going rumours as regards hostels been burgled while students are absent from campus, the Students’ Union Government of The Oke Ogun Polytechnic Saki has deemed it fit to make provisions for students, as they have sent out phone numbers which students can contact, incase they fall victim of such occurence.
Recently, there has been complaints from students of the institution that their hostels are been burgled.
Some students who had returned to their hostels for personal reasons were shocked, confused and helpless as they met their rooms empty or did not meet any of their foodstuffs and other valuable items they left in their rooms before leaving for their respective homes when the school was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the rumours had gotten to the Students’ Union, in which, investigations to confirm these allegations and complaints proved futile.
Hence, the intervention of the Students’ Union Government of the Institution, in regards to its obligations, to provide and assure the students necessary attention on trivial matters as such.
Press Council The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic,Saki (TOPS) 