News
Ukwuani Council Chair Denies Delta Govt Interference in LG Funds
The Chairman of Ukwuani Local Government Council in Delta State, Possible Ajede, has dismissed allegations that the state government interferes with funds accruing to the council.
Ajede made the clarification in a statement issued on Sunday in response to claims by a suspended councillor, Victor Chukwemeka, who had called on the council chairman to account for public funds allocated to the local government.
Chukwemeka had, during a live television programme, alleged that the Delta State Government was deducting funds meant for the local government while accusing Ajede of reckless spending of council resources.
However, Ajede rejected the allegations, insisting that the council had maintained transparency and accountability in the management of its finances.
According to him, the council regularly publishes its financial records and presents its income and expenditure before the legislative arm for scrutiny.
He said the records were also made available online to enable members of the public, particularly indigenes of Ukwuani Local Government Area, to examine how the council’s resources were managed.
Ajede said, “We in the local government have been accountable to our people. All the records of what we have done in the past three years are contained on the website.
“We publish accounts. Every year, we go to defend what we have received and what we have spent before the House. After we defend it, we are allowed to publish it so that everybody can have a view of it.”
The council chairman explained that the publication of the accounts was an additional transparency measure alongside the statutory requirement for the chairman to present the local government’s income and expenditure to the legislative arm.
Ajede also addressed the suspension of Chukwemeka, clarifying that the council executive did not initiate the action against the councillor.
He said the executive became involved only after the legislative arm formally communicated its decision to suspend Chukwemeka.
According to him, the suspension was a decision taken by the legislative arm of the council and was not imposed by him in his capacity as chairman.
The chairman’s comments came amid the ongoing exchange between the council leadership and the suspended councillor over financial accountability and the administration of Ukwuani Local Government.
News
Gunman Opens Fire Outside Turkey School, Injures Five
A gunman opened fire outside a high school in western Turkey on Tuesday, injuring five people, including students, according to local media reports.
The incident occurred at about 8am local time (0500 GMT) in the Turgutlu district of Manisa Province, private broadcaster NTV reported.
One of the victims was said to be in serious condition.
According to the reports, the unidentified attacker opened fire in the area for reasons that were not immediately known before fleeing the scene.
Police and medical teams were deployed to the area, while security was tightened around the school as authorities launched a search for the suspect.
The latest shooting comes amid heightened concern over gun violence around schools in Turkey following several recent incidents.
In April, a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in Kahramanmaras Province, killing nine students aged between 10 and 11 and a teacher.
The teenage attacker also died at the scene.
In another incident in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, a former student opened fire at his former high school, injuring 16 people before dying by suicide after being confronted by police.
The incidents have triggered public outrage and renewed debate over gun control and security around schools.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has responded by dismissing a deputy education minister and announcing that the government would introduce additional measures, including restrictions on gun ownership.
Authorities had yet to disclose the identity or motive of Tuesday’s attacker as the search continued.
News
Ondo Boys High School Alumni Seek Support for Development Trust Fund
The Ondo Boys High School Alumni Association has appealed to its members in Nigeria and the diaspora to support the establishment of a proposed trust fund aimed at accelerating the development of the school.
The association said the Ondo Boys High School Trust Fund would provide a sustainable financial structure to support infrastructure, academic programmes, technology, student welfare and skills acquisition at the institution.
The new President-General of the association, Oladipupo Akinfaye, disclosed this on Monday in Ondo while outlining the priorities of the newly inaugurated executive.
Akinfaye explained that the proposed trust fund would create a structured platform through which alumni and other stakeholders could contribute financially to the long-term development of their alma mater.
He identified the establishment of the trust fund as one of the major priorities of his administration, stressing that sustainable funding was necessary to address some of the critical needs of the school.
“One of our major priorities is the establishment of an OBHS Trust Fund.
The fund will provide a sustainable financial structure for the long-term development of our alma mater, supporting infrastructure, academic programmes, technology, student development and other critical needs of the school,” he said.
According to him, the initiative is expected to strengthen the role of the alumni association in supporting the school while providing an organised mechanism for members and other stakeholders to contribute to its development.
Akinfaye also pledged that the new executive would build on the achievements recorded by the immediate past administration led by Pastor Khalil Akinboboye.
He noted that Akinboboye’s six-year tenure, which lasted from 2020 to 2026, witnessed several interventions in the school.
“Our administration plans to build on the achievements of the immediate past executive, led by Pastor Khalil Akinboboye, whose six-year tenure from 2020 to 2026 recorded several interventions in the school,” he said.
The new president-general called on members of the association, particularly those living outside Nigeria, to support the initiative and contribute towards improving the learning environment.
He said the proposed trust fund would enable alumni to make coordinated contributions towards projects and programmes that could have a lasting impact on students and the school.
“The proposed trust fund would provide a structured platform through which all alumni and other stakeholders could contribute to the long-term development of our alma mater.
So we appeal to all our members to give their support to improve the school’s infrastructural facilities,” Akinfaye added.
The association’s appeal comes as alumni bodies across the country continue to play a role in supporting educational institutions through infrastructure projects, academic initiatives, welfare programmes and other interventions.
For the Ondo Boys High School Alumni Association, the proposed trust fund is expected to provide a more sustainable approach to mobilising resources for the school and ensuring that contributions from members are channelled towards identified development priorities.
News
Iran President Pezeshkian Vows to Defend Tehran’s Position at UN
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed to firmly defend his country’s position at the United Nations as he travelled to New York to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Pezeshkian, who is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday, September 23, said Iran would use the international platform to present its position and highlight what Tehran describes as injustices suffered by the Iranian people.
“We emerged with our heads held high, and this is a source of dignity and pride for all of us.
Therefore, we will firmly defend our positions in international forums,” he said before departing Iran, according to footage broadcast by Iranian state television.
The Iranian president said his delegation would make the most of the opportunity to communicate directly with the international community.
“We will make the best possible use of this opportunity to convey Iran’s plight to the international community.
We will firmly tell our adversaries that, despite all the unfairness and injustices, the Iranian people have stood their ground,” Pezeshkian said.
His visit comes at a particularly tense moment in relations between Tehran and Washington.
The United States has allowed Iran’s core delegation, including Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to travel to New York for the UN meetings, despite the ongoing conflict.
However, members of the Iranian delegation are subject to restrictions on their movements while in the United States. Several Iranian officials and members of Pezeshkian’s communications team were also denied entry visas.
Iranian presidential spokesman Habibollah Abbasi described the denial of visas to members of the president’s media team as “hostile”, according to Iranian media reports.
Pezeshkian’s appearance at the General Assembly will provide Tehran with an opportunity to publicly outline its position on the conflict before an international audience.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, who arrived in New York ahead of the president, said the Iranian delegation’s priority was to defend what Tehran considers the rights and interests of the Iranian people at the UN.
The conflict has also placed the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the centre of international concern.
The waterway is a critical route for global energy shipments, and disruptions to maritime traffic have contributed to volatility in international oil markets.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that oil prices rose amid expectations of possible diplomatic developments involving the United States and Iran during the UN General Assembly.
The status of the strait is also closely linked to the wider dispute between Tehran and Washington.
Iran has made demands concerning the reopening of the waterway, while the United States has continued economic and other pressure on Tehran.
Pezeshkian’s trip to New York therefore comes as international attention focuses on whether the UN gathering could provide an avenue for diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
US President Donald Trump has also indicated that he is open to meeting Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly, although no formal meeting between the two leaders had been announced as of Tuesday.
The Iranian president is expected to use his address on Wednesday to present Tehran’s account of the conflict and reiterate its positions before world leaders gathered in New York.
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