Kakaki

By Mary Omogbare

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters and Engagement, Hon. Eugene Utubor has led a delegation on a courtesy visit to Pastor Ize Iyamu, a prominent APC Chieftain, and leader in Edo State.

Hon. Utubor who said the purpose of the visit was to introduce himself and his team, also sought guidance and advice on his new role to effectively fulfill his responsibilities.

The Special Adviser expressed gratitude for the exemplary role played by the APC Chieftain in the governmental framework and acknowledged the significant contributions made towards political engagements in the state.

He emphasized the need for continued unity and cooperation among party leaders to foster a harmonious and productive governance structure.

While welcoming Hon. Eugene Utubor and his team, Pastor Ize Iyamu commended their initiative to seek support and mentorship.

He recognized Hon. Utubor’s qualities, noting that he embodies the quiet and humble characteristics akin to those of the Governor of Edo State.

Pastor Iyamu articulated several key responsibilities that Hon. Eugene must embrace in his role, emphasizing the importance of representing the Governor at various significant events in the Governor’s absence, such as birthdays, funerals, and visits to the sick.

He further highlighted that Hon. Eugene should proactively address any potential challenges that could arise for the Governor, reinforcing his role as a protective figure for the administration.

A central point of Pastor Iyamu’s advice was the need for Hon. Eugene to broaden his outreach beyond the Esan people to encompass all senatorial districts within Edo State.

He remarked, “Before you came into office, it was Esan Agenda; now you must expand to Edo Agenda,” encouraging a more inclusive approach that would demonstrate the Governor’s commitment to the interests of all constituents.

Pastor Iyamu expressed a strong desire for Hon. Eugene to pay special attention to the youth of Edo State, many of whom feel overlooked and neglected.

He underscored the importance of changing the narrative that only politicians’ children are given opportunities, and instead emphasized creating a more equitable environment for all young people in the state.

The Political Leader and Chieftain thereafter pledged to support the Special Adviser while commending him for being proactive and a good listener, affirming his belief that with dedication and attention to these matters, Mr. Governor has the potential to surpass all his predecessors.

By Mujidat Oyewole

Dr AbdulRoheem Kadir, a Lecturer at Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Kwara, has tasked private school owners on using unique qualities to attract customers and ensure high enrolment of children in their schools.

Kadir made the assertion on Wednesday in Ilorin during the annual Conference for School Leaders and Proprietors, organised by Association of Model Islamic Schools.

The lecturer, also Proprietor of An-Nujoom Schools, a private school in Ilorin, noted that unique selling point would ensure that people noticed and enrolled their children and wards in the school.

“A good school should have important qualities such as honesty, trustworthiness and sincerity, which should be part of their vision and mission that guides them.

“As a school owner, the first thing that should be considered is the reason for establishing a school and when there is no specific reason, don’t bother to start.

“I, personally, started my school because I want my children to have standard education in both western and Islamic knowledge, and to have good impacts on the society.

“Private school owners should invest in management and teachers, and ignore distractions from parents and other stakeholders. They should also reward and punish when necessary,” he said.

Mr Daudu Muhammad-Saheed, Proprietor, Offspring ILM Schools, a private school, said that technology was built for efficient learning and to preserve resources, hence, the need to use it to teach students.

“Training through technology helps students function well in a 21st century world they have found themselves.

“Technology is very important because we are training global citizens who will contribute meaningfully to the world at large.

“Teachers should be well enlightened and be ahead of students in the use of technology, in order to know what is in vogue and how to train and caution students on its usage,” he said.

Muhammed-Saheed, however, said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) should not be totally relied on.

According to him, students should not be allowed to use AI in answering questions in assignments, tests and examinations.

“Students should be made to understand that knowledge is basic and AI should only be a helping hand to guide and not to get the solution to all problems,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that awards were presented to six members of the association for their excellent performance.

New executives of the association were also inaugurated, while the Chairman, Alhaji Tahjudeen Bolaji, was re-elected.

Speaking to NAN on the sidelines of the event, Bolaji said the association was established in 1995 and currently had 23 branches.

The chairman said the headquarters of the association was located in Abuja, while their mission was to unite Islamic schools and encourage Islamic education.

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

Prof. Akeem Bolarinwa, the Director of, the Institute of Medical Research and Training of the University of Ilorin has said that community-based service and education is vital knowledge for MPH students of the University of Ilorin.

Bolarinwa stated this in Ilorin, during the MPH Field Posting Report Presentation, 2025 of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health of the University.

He explained that the programme is as old as this university itself, and the department is one of the very first to offer postgraduate degrees in the faculty of Clinical Sciences.

Bolarinwa who is also the Field Posting Coordinator for the MPH programme described the program as unique in Nigeria.

He added that it offers a multidisciplinary approach to the Master’s Degree program in Public Health for nurses, doctors, and others who contribute to public health.

“We’re also one of the few, if not the only one in the country, who would ensure that these students in the master’s degree program go to the community and have community experience.

“Our faculty and college is designated as the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative center for community-based services and education.

Bolarinwa explained that MPH students are posted in communities for a period of three months, where they carry out diagnosis.

“They diagnose the whole community in terms of their health needs. They recognize their health challenges and gaps, and then they use the skills that they’ve learned in the class to institute, intervention within this community.

“They also carry out other activities by engaging community stakeholders in health, the Non-Governmental Organizations, the Community-Based Organisations, in the community such that, they can garner the stakeholders in the community to, effect, some changes and effect some projects in the community.

He added that communities relate well with the students as they house them, interact with them while they are there, and gain trust with each other.

He stated that the students also leave community projects behind while mobilizing and encouraging the community to participate in whatever they do.

According to him, the program teaches them a lot of skills and knowledge about how to engage the community.

He pointed out that the programme has also placed the department and University in an international space.

Also speaking, Prof. Abdulraheem Ibrahim, the Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health of the University observed that the programme is laudable.

He explained that MPH students are acquainted with the health needs and challenges of communities.

Ibrahim said the students were able to see the reality of life and not just learn in classrooms, and they were able to intervene and assist the communities.

He appealed to the Federal Government to support health programmes, because it’s a social service that requires intervention for the less privileged, especially health insurance.

The HOD commended the Kwara government in its efforts on health, however appealed for engaging medical officers across each PHC across the 16 LGAs.

In their presentation, the students who were posted to three communities; Asa, Moro, and Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara, provided drugs and engaged in sanitation and repair of boreholes in their respective postings.

Mr. Ahmed Abubakar, the Deputy Director of OHC, Ilorin South Local Government Area commended the students for their humanitarian intervention in the community.

Also Mr. AbdulRazaq Jimoh, a staff at Ago-Aiyekale PHC, Ifedapo,. Ilorin South also praised the MPH students for coming to aid the community in terms of health and social services.

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The Concerned Citizens, a Humanitarian Group has appealed to Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara to help seek justice for Mr. Olatunji Jimoh, who was allegedly killed while in police custody.

Mr Owolabi Olumuyiwa, the leader of the group made the call on Friday in Ilorin
during a news conference.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 35-year-old Jimoh allegedly died while in the custody of the Kwara State Police Command in Dec. 2024.

NAN reports that the deceased was taken into custody of the police because of debt of N220,000.

The family of the deceased however, seeks justice over the death of their son, while accusing the police of alleged torture leading to death.

Olumuyiwa said: ” We are asking the Governor of Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to help us look into this case as a father and as the Chief Security Officer of the state.

“Please sir, dont wait until election time before you realize that you have some youth somewhere to campaign,” he appealed.

Similarly, he also appealed on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in the investigation into the death of their son.

He explained that the the family is seeking the IGP’s intervention to transfer the case out of the Kwara State Police Command, citing a lack of confidence in the command’s ability to conduct a fair and impartial investigation.

Olumuyiwa urge the IGP to take over the investigation and ensure that justice is served,.

Also speaking, the Lawyer to the family of the deceased, Barr. Olukayode Oloyede while commending the efforts of the IGP, appealed for him to ensure justice is served.

NAN recalled that the IGP had earlier visited the family of the deceased and assured them of a thorough and swift investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

The IGP had also directed the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) to take over the case.

By Mujidat Oyewole

The fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is far from being over and Nigerians must remain steadfast in efforts to combat them, a medical expert, Prof. Ayodele Omotoso, has warned.

Omotoso, who is of the Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin, gave the warning while reflecting on the institution’s 272nd inaugural lecture held on Thursday.

He said, however, that the diseases could be curtailed through research, education and community engagement.

“Governments and stakeholders should enhance research development, inter-disciplinary collaboration, community engagement and curriculum integration.

“We should also resuscitate public lectures on NCDs and other health-related matters,” Omotoso said.

He called for policy implementation, access to health care services, public awareness campaigns, funding and resources, private sector involvement, the intervention of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international collaboration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Omotoso had in the inaugural lecture, which he delivered, urged the three tiers of government and stakeholders to invest in the control of NCDs.

He had contended that this would greatly help to improve health conditions and life expectancy.

NAN reports that the lecture, titled “Of the Heart, for the Heart and from the Heart: Communicating the non-communicables heartily”, was about diseases related to the heart.

Omotoso explained that the human heart is a three-layer muscular organ, roughly the size of a closed fist, weighing 250-300 grammes in the female and 300-350g in the male.

“Located slightly left of the centre in the chest cavity, the human heart has four chambers, which are the right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle which deal with blood circulation in the body.

“NCDs are chronic diseases that are typically non-contagious, non-infectious and not transferrable from person to person.

“They are responsible for a growing burden globally, causing about 43 million deaths in 2021,” he had said.

Omotoso had added that while the diseases are commonly linked to older populations, approximately 18 million NCD-related deaths occur before the age of 70.

“These diseases have also emerged as a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, contributing to a substantial burden of morbidity and mortality.

“Several risk factors contribute to the rising incidence of NCDs in Nigeria, which can be categorised into behavioral or lifestyle, environmental and socio-economic determinants.

“The four major groups of diseases that constitute 82 percent of all NCDs are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases and diabetes mellitus,” he said.

Omotoso went on to note that the diseases have four main lifestyle-related risk factors in common, which include cigarette smoking, harmful alcohol use, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.

He said these diseases also share four metabolic risk factors which are hypertension, overweight and obesity, hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia.

“As I reflect on the title of this lecture, I am reminded of the core values that have guided my work.

“It is my hope that these values will continue to inspire future generations of researchers, educators and health care professionals,” Omotoso stated.

Renowned academic and community leader, Prof. Abubakar O. Sulaiman, has announced plans to kick off the New Year with an exciting festival of fun and togetherness.

The event promises a day filled with laughter, adventure, and unforgettable memories for all attendees.

The celebration, set to take place on January 1, 2025, will be hosted at Diamond Park, Ilorin, and feature activities designed to bring joy and foster community spirit.

The first 500 attendees will enjoy exclusive experiences, making it a truly special way to welcome the New Year.

Prof. Sulaiman encourages residents of Ilorin and beyond to join in the festivities and make the start of 2025 a moment to remember.