FRSC operatives flee office as Offa/Erin-Ile communal clash flares again

 Violence broke out on Thursday following a clash between Offa and Erin-Ile, two neighbouring communities in the southern district of Kwara State.

The crisis, which began on Wednesday, started between road transport workers of the two communities, this newspaper gathered.

Residents ,who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, said they heard sporadic gunshots on Thursday afternoon but could not say if there was any casualty.

Students of the Federal Polytechnic Offa, located at the boundary between the two communities, were seen fleeing in a couple of video clips obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

“I think it is between the road transport workers of Erin-Ile. The moment we sensed the clash, we instructed students and staff to vacate the school premises. You know we are at the boundary. There are security operatives there already,” said Olayinka Iroye, the spokesperson of the school.

It was also gathered that the office of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) located at the boundary area was attacked in the clash.

The Inspector Commander in-charge of the Kwara command of FRSC, Jonathan Owoade, confirmed this to our reporter.

According to Mr Owoade, officials of the agency fled the office at the sound of gunshots.

“Most of them have left the office when they heard gunshots this afternoon. I’m still trying to locate my men,” he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the police in the state, Ajayi Okansanmi, said officers had been deployed to restore normalcy to the areas.

“We have already dispatched police officers there to see what is going on. No information yet.”

The two communities have a history of bloody fights over land that has been intractable for more than 20 years.

In January 2013, the fight, which lasted almost four days, resulted in loss of lives and property.

A former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, once imposed a 24-hour curfew in the two communities and also set up a-10-member judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the causes of the crisis.

Culled from Premiumtimes.

NBTE Accredits All Iresi Polytechnic Courses

 NBTE Accredits All Iresi Polytechnic Courses

Salaudeen Abdullahi Ishola

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has given the all-clear to all the programmes (courses) presented to it for accreditation by The Polytechnic Iresi (TPI), Osun State.

The evening of Tuesday 23rd February, 2021 was without doubt one of the happiest days not only to the council members, staff and students of TPI but also to the community at large as the NBTE fully accredited the Polytechnic to offer all its courses presented for accreditation. The accreditation exercise which started on Monday 22nd and ended on 23rd February, 2021 was indeed a great milestone and massive triumph to the institution.

During the presentation of the accreditation report to the institution, the Acting Executive Secretary of NBTE Mallam Abbati Muhammad ably represented by Engr. Ademola Isaac Olorunfemi who unequivocally noted that The Polytechnic Iresi is endowed with experienced, competent and group of polymath lecturers as well as modern facilities which gives the Polytechnic immense opportunity to compete with other high-profiled Polytechnics in the country such as Yaba College of Technology.

Engr. Olorunfemi also affirmed that some federal Polytechnics in the country lack most of what were put in place by TPI in their various laboratories and workshops.

The NBTE team who visited the Polytechnic to carry out the two-day exhaustive accreditation exercise are Director of Polytechnic Programmes, Mallam Musa Isgogo, Engr. (Dr.) E.I.E. Onyeocha, Mrs. Ansa Ndem, Arc. Ogoh Ngbede, Engr. (Dr.) Bello, Mr. John Onyebuchi, Mr. Adesina Oluodo, Engr. Sulaiman Moh’d, Mrs Esther Tanko and Mrs. Emmanuelle Maji. The team also include professionals and technocrat across the various departments that were accredited.

The Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, Engr. (Dr.) Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed reacting to the approval of all the programmes presented to NBTE, described the accreditation success as a remarkable achievement on the part of all the stakeholders and the community as a whole. Dr. Abdul-Hameed addressing the NBTE representatives promised to ensure that the Polytechnic will sustain its impartation of good standard in order to make the institution more successful in its future exertion.

In his welcome address on the arrival of the NBTE visitation team, the Ag. Rector explicitly said that “It is noteworthy to state that most of the infrastructural facilities on this Campus were donated by private individuals. The enthusiasm and the zeal for the development of this Institution from the Iresi Community is unquantifiable.” The Rector therefore commended the selfless efforts of NBTE, The Polytechnic Governing Council, members of staff and all the community for their unflinching support towards making the Polytechnic an enviable fortress of learning among its peers.

The Acting Registrar of the Polytechnic, Mr. Sanni Lasisi Omotayo, in an interview also expressed his profound gratitude to God Almighty and all the staff of the institution for their diligence and hard work towards achieving the accreditation milestone.

In his remark, The Registrar commended the outstanding qualities and sacrifices of the former Governing Council Chairman of the Polytechnic, Professor Samuel Olusegun Ayodele and that of the present Chairman, Professor O. A. Ajayi. Mr. Sanni also shower encomiums to the Oluresi of Iresi land, Oba Sikiru Adeseun Ibiloye Odunmirin II. Ibiloye and the Iresi Community at large for their immense contribution towards achieving the accreditation triumph.

Salaudeen A. I. is a lecturer in The Polytechnic Iresi and the Institution’s Director of Social.