…Eulogises Late Raymond Zard for contributions to Oyo’s devt
By Sodiq Adelakun
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has stated that intensive production, skills development, knowledge-based initiatives, and entrepreneurship are the core pillars of sustainable economic progress.
The governor made these remarks during the one-year remembrance ceremony of the late Chairman of Zard Group of Companies, Chief (Dr) Raymond Zard, held at his Iyaganku residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Governor Makinde paid tribute to the late industrialist and philanthropist, hailing him as a forward-thinking leader who made significant contributions to Oyo State’s economic advancement, especially in Ibadanland.
Reflecting on his personal relationship with the late Zard, the governor highlighted the impact of KOPEK, the Zard-owned construction company, on the state’s infrastructural landscape.
He said: “I couldn’t have missed this opportunity to say a few words about Baba and share the personal lessons I learned from interacting with him.
“Chief Raymond Zard contributed immensely to the infrastructural and economic development of Oyo State. KOPEK has bent backwards, accommodated the government’s vision, and remained highly professional. We cannot talk about infrastructural development in Oyo without mentioning KOPEK.”
Governor Makinde encouraged the Zard family to preserve the legacy and principles of their late patriarch, noting that Chief Zard’s example underscored that natural resources alone cannot drive real progress.
“Papa taught us that natural resources alone cannot lift a people out of poverty; it is productivity, innovation and doing right by others that create true prosperity,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Zard family, Mr Camille Zard described his father as a steadfast supporter and a man remembered for his generosity, humility, and dedication to humanity.
In his tribute, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev’d (Dr) Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, described the late Chief Zard as “an instrument of joy to people around him.”
Renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Tony Marinho, commended Governor Makinde’s attention to the welfare of pensioners and praised Chief Zard as “a man of many parts who shared his resources with the underprivileged.”
Concluding his remarks, Governor Makinde added: “On behalf of the government and people of Oyo State, I pray that Papa’s soul continues to rest in perfect peace.”
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JAMB releases mop-up UTME results, cracks down on fake admission syndicate
By Sodiq Adelakun
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
In a statement on Sunday, JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said that out of 96,838 candidates scheduled for the exercise, only 11,161 were confirmed present and had their results released.
Benjamin noted that many candidates who could not access their results failed to comply with the instruction to send “UTMERESULT” (as a single word) to 55019 or 66019 using the same SIM card used for their UTME registration.
Meanwhile, JAMB revealed progress in its investigation into a criminal syndicate forging and distributing fake admission letters.
With assistance from the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), five ringleaders were arrested and are facing prosecution at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Benjamin said the syndicate exploited unsuspecting candidates, charging them to procure fraudulent documents.
As investigations deepened, JAMB flagged 17,417 candidates suspected to be beneficiaries of the fake admission letters. Between 2024 and May 2025, 6,903 were cleared after due process, while 10,514 others were referred to police investigation offices for further scrutiny.
“Of this group, 5,669 were found to have completely procured forged admission letters, while 4,832 tried to bypass the ministerial waiver process through the syndicate,” Benjamin added.
JAMB confirmed that some institutions have since processed and regularised admissions for 1,532 affected candidates, warning them against further infractions.
