As I woke up today Thursday 16th March 2023, I was looking forward to Nigeria media space if I’ll come across the name of Ladipo Aderenle Soremekun. Not that because he clocks seventy today, but because of his contributions to the sports industry in Nigeria. It may be pardonable that he left the stage at a time most of our sports commentators today were not born and in a way history and sports archive are not fanciful, most of our legends are forgotten so fast.

For those who still have memory of basketball and volleyball ball tournaments in Nigeria of 70s will agree that Lado was an asset.

A spectacular feat was in Algeria in 1978/79 all African games where he played basketball for the Nigerian national team. The team came back to the country with a silver laurel. Apart from basketball he also played for the National volleyball team at several international tournaments and sports festivals. He was one of the earliest players for Oguns state when it was created and later became professional in basketball game at Kwara and Plateau states.

A remarkable moment was at an international competition in Angola where famous Hakeem Olajuwon was still a rookie. It was at the competition that American talent scout spotted Hakeem and later became a superstar in NBA.

Uncle Ladi as I fondly call him was born in Jos and had his early years in Bauchi where he started his primary education at St Paul Anglican school. He is a native of Bakatari under Ilugun LCDA of Ogun state where the family tree is heavily rooted.

I’ll say life has been very good to you and you are blessed with a wonderful family. I also know my good aunty Mofoluke is keeping the family name flying as former chairman of Ilugun LCDA.

In Los Angeles that is now your home, you’ve made a name for yourself as a selfless person. Your kind disposition is second to none while your work ethics, even at 70 is still battling to the younger ones.

Uncle Ladi is into courier business in California and he’s a founding member of a thriving courier company based in Los Angeles

Happy birthday my great egbon and many happy returns in good health

-Sogbuyi writes from California

Four lecturers have been sacked by the Management of Kogi State Polytechnic has over alleged gross misconduct bordering on sexual harassment and victimization of female students, abscondment from duties, insubordination, falsification of records, disobedience to lawful order and diversion of TETFUND training grant, among others.

The Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Unit of the Institution, Uredo Omale confirmed the sack of the lecturers in a statement issued on Thursday, 16 March, 2023.

Omale said this forms part of the decisions of the Polytechnic 68th Regular Meeting of the Governing Council held on Wednesday, 8th March 2023.

The dismissed staff, according to Omale, are: Mr. Abutu Thompson Okolo, Department of Language and Communication; Mr. Ipinmoroti Samuel Adejoro, Adegoke Kehinde Vivian, both of the Department of Architectural Technology; and Sylvester Ojone Blessing of Registry Department.

According to Omale, Thompson, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Language and Communication, was dismissed on account of sexual harassment and victimization of a female student in the Department of Computer Science.

The institution image-maker also added that Ipinmoroti Samuel Adejoro and Adegoke Kehinde Vivian, were dismissed for disobedience to lawful order, falsification of documents to obtain a training grant and diversion of the said training grant to the tune of 22,676,500.00 and 21,204,000.00 respectively.

Omale also said the Council further directed the Management to use available legal means to recover from Ipinmoroti and Adegoke the sum of 22,676,500 and 21,204,000 respectively, being the fund they fraudulently collected as training grants without undergoing the training at the approved University in Malaysia.

Sylvester Ojone Blessing according to Omale was dismissed for absconding from duty from 5th January 2020 to 31st July 2022.

Ojone is to refund the sum of N1,356,653.79, being the unearned salaries drawn from the government within the period of abscondment.

In a related development, the Polytechnic also terminated the appointment of Mr. Aremu Oloruntoba Samuel of the Department of Social Science and Humanities, School of General and Communication Studies, on account of gross misconduct bordering on extortion of students in the name of Continuous Assessment (CA).

The probationary appointment of one Aremu was therefore terminated, just as he was directed to refund the sum of Two hundred of Ten thousand naira (N210,000.00) only being the illegal money he imposed and collected from the students for Continuous Assessment (CA).

A University of Benin, 400-level computer engineering student Destiny Osasenaga, has been killed by alleged gunmen in Benin, Edo State.

The deceased was abducted at his residence in the Uwelu area of Benin by gunmen suspected to be secret cult members in the presence of his father and other family members.

The gunmen were said to be in search of the deceased elder brother who they said had offended one of their gang members and subsequently declared him wanted.

The source quoted by Punch added, “When they could not find their target, they abducted the deceased, put him in a Mercedez Benz GLK Jeep and zoomed off to a bush path along Benin-Akure Road by Oluku community.

“The deceased was beaten to death by the gunmen and dumped at a refuse site by the roadside,” the source added.

Following the murder, one Kenneth Ediagbony was arrested in Port Harcourt by the police in his hideout as the principal suspect.

When contacted, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident and the arrest of Ediagbonya.

He assured that other gang members who are at large would be arrested.

“It is true that one of the suspects has been arrested while other members of the gang are at large. However, the police are working hard to ensure other gang members are arrested,” he added.