JAMB to re-distribute candidates with lower scores to other universities.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said it will re-distribute candidates who scored above 280 but whose scores are less than cut-off-marks of their first choice universities to needy institutions .

This is contained in a statement signed by the Head, Media and Publicity of the board, Fabian Benjamin, and made available to journalists on Sunday in Lagos.

It said that the recent admission policy witnessed at the University of Lagos was aimed at ensuring that Nigerian universities admit only the top-best as was done globally.

It would be recalled that candidates and their parents had on Wednesday, July 22, staged a peaceful protest at the University of Lagos gate over the high cut-off marks for 2015/2016 post-UTME screening.

“Sequel to this development, the board has redistributed the other candidates with cut-off marks less than what their first choice required to needy institutions.

“The board, equally, urges candidates and their parents to check its website from Friday, July 31, 2015 for their names and institutions they are placed in,’’ the statement said.

According to the statement, universities are centres of excellence anywhere in the world and that of Nigeria should not be an exception.

It said that JAMB was working round the clock to ensure that Nigerian universities were among the best in Africa and perhaps the world in the next ranking.

The statement explained that the board was also cautious about utilizing the available spaces in admitting more candidates bearing in mind the admission criteria of various needy institutions.

“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated that the national cut-off marks of 180 for universities.

“We also have 150 for Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Innovative Enterprise institutions in the 2015 UTME as a bench mark to set the tone for 2015 admission exercise.

“The decision to have a national accepted cut-off mark at the policy meeting was to serve as a guide and pruning mechanism.

“It will also give the tertiary institutions qualitative and manageable candidates to choose from a pool of candidates desirous of tertiary education.

“However, universities and other levels of tertiary institutions are at liberty to go higher, but not lower, depending on their peculiarities and the performance of candidates that choose them,’’ it explained.

The statement added that the board wished to state that no candidate would be denied any right to aspire to tertiary education.

According to the statement, the board is equally aware that some universities have their own admission cut-off marks acceptable by the board for the various courses they offered.

“Please be informed that the board will always ensure that these institutions apply this cut-off marks uniformly across all candidates without discrimination.

“The decision of the board on the print-out for this year exercise was done in good faith and not to jeopardize the right of candidates due to individual cut-off set by some Nigerian tertiary institutions.

“Those candidates who do not meet the cut-off marks of such institutions will be placed in needy institutions within their geo-political zone depending on available spaces in such institutions.

“The board’s aim is to accommodate as many candidates as possible instead of just pushing them to schools we know abinitio does not have the carrying capacity to admit all,’’ the statement said

The statement asked that if UNILAG, with a carrying capacity of about 9,000 candidates, has over 60,000 applying to it, what happens to the over 50,000 others?

It said that in such occasion, the board would ensure that there was balance by ensuring that those remaining candidates who were not too fortunate to meet the cut-off marks were also placed in other needy institutions.

According to the statement, candidates are to note that the policy is only meant to ensure that every candidate with a reasonable score of 180 and above is placed somewhere.

It added that Nigerians were also urged to believe in the board as it continually strives to give the entire education system the best.

“We are not comfortable with the large number of candidates that sits for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), year in year out without gaining admission.

“It is the belief of the board that this policy will address the shortfall and accommodate more,” the statement said.

(NAN)

Indecently dressed candidates barred from Unilorin post-UTME exams.

The University of Ilorin says 65, 000 candidates seeking admission into the school for the 2015/2016 academic session have been cleared to appear for post UTME screening which begins on Monday, August 17.

The Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs of the institution, Kunle Akogun, who made this known in a statement in Ilorin on Sunday, said the week long exercise would hold simultaneously in Ilorin and Lagos.

Mr. Akogun said only candidates who scored a minimum of 180 marks in the 2015 UTME and made the University their first choice would take part in the computer-based test.

He advised candidates to bring along to their respective centres printed copies of their examination schedules indicating that they were slated to write the examination at a particular date and time.

Mr. Akogun said this became necessary as there were many batches for the examination daily.

He also advised prospective candidates to bring along with them payment receipts generated from the students’ portal of the University’s website.

He warned that the accreditation team would insist on the receipt from the varsity’s website to verify candidate’s identity– through pictures that tally with the face of each candidate.

He said that only registered candidates for the screening exercise would be allowed into the screening premises.

Mr. Akogun cautioned the candidates against indecent dressing and bringing of cell phones or any electronic appliance into the examination hall.

“Candidates for the pre-admission screening exercise are also advised to be decently dressed, as candidates with indecent dressing will not be allowed into the screening premises.

“Also, phones and all other forms of mobile communication, electronic devices, bags and luggage are not allowed within the screening premises,” he said.

73, 250 of the over 107,000 candidates that applied for admission into the University this year scored 180 marks and above at the UTME.

By the close of the portal on Sunday, only 65, 000 out of the 73, 250 qualified candidates registered for the post UMTE. (NAN)

Ife stands still as Ooni goes home.

Cross section of people at the entrance of the Ife Palace. 

THE ancient town of Ile-Ife, Osun State stood still, yesterday, as dignitaries across the world came in droves for the burial of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, who joined his ancestors July 28 but who was officially pronounced dead only on Wednesday.

For the second day, commercial activities were grounded to a halt as all shops, stalls, banks and markets were closed down in honour of the highly revered monarch.

At the venue of the inter religious service organised for the monarch, notable people  started trooping in as early as 8am.

Aides of Osinbajo, Aregbesola fight over sitting arrangements

Before the commencement of the programme, there was a little misunderstanding between aides of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over sitting arrangement.

Though, all the seats had been labelled according to those invited, there was a heated argument between supporters of the two political leaders.

The organisers of the programme said the front row in the middle had been reserved for Governor Aregbesola and that any other person who comes should take the back seat.

These comments did not go down well with the VP’s aides who said the sitting arrangements  were not in order and insisted that the VP, because of his position, would not sit at the back of the governor.

This exchange of words continued and was about boiling over when some elders from Ife moved in and settled the matter. But eventually, Aregbesola did not attend. He sent his Secretary to State Government.

Wives, children must not see corpse

This came as some Ifa priests in the ancient city revealed that wives and children of the monarch must not set their eyes on his corpse before interment.

If this is not adhered to, they said such children and wives could die prematurely.

“As the corpse will be brought, it must be brought straight to us. Not all people can see it. As we are, we are not the ones to bury the remains , but they must bring the corpse to us so that all necessary rites would be done. Even, no child or wife of the monarch must see the corpse. Any child that sets his eyes on the remains could die suddenly.

 Only Lokore can see the corpse. It is not their property, it is the property of Ife people. If they do not bring the corpse to us, the corpse will not be buried.”

These were the comments of the leader of the priests, Chief Apena Ogboni, Iledi Ooni, at the palace of the monarch immediately after an inter religious service was held in honour of the monarch.

The priests add ed that as part of the burial rites, all children and queens of the monarch had left the palace.

The sermons

The inter religious service started a little behind schedule.

Leaders of the three religions, Christianity, Islam and traditionalists were in attendance. Both Christians and Muslim clerics offered special prayers for the families of the departed monarch, Ile Ife town, Osun State and Nigeria. Each of them was given 30 minutes.

Christianity was the first. In his sermon entitled, “How are the mighty fallen,” the cleric, Right Revd. Oluranti Odubogun  took the Bible reading from II Sam. 1:19 and said the late Ooni brought fame and popularity during his days.

His words: “The message is not for this monarch who has gone to have a peaceful sleep. It is for us who are still living. The monarch brought fame and popularity to Ile-Ife and made the town the centre of attraction to the outside world. But see how the mighty fell. We, as mortals, should know that the body would decay someday.

“Whatever has a beginning must have an end. Our lives had a beginning and must also have an end. Our father, in spite of his wealth and fame, still died. We are not God. Only God is immortal. In Ephesians 2:20, he said mankind is a tool in the hands of God.’’

Odubogun  hinged his sermon on six major points that are inevitable in the life of a man, namely: whatever has a beginning has an end; there is time for everything, time to be born and a time to die; we are not God, only God is omnipotent; there is judgement  at end of man’s journey on this planet earth; there is a better place after this world; and after this world, we shall reign with Christ.’’

The cleric said to show the level of vanity in the world, some people are already jostling to become the next king even before the late monarch is buried and mourned.

In his exaltation, Alhaji Mufutau Yussuf, Mufashir of Ibadanland, highlighted the immeasurable contributions  of the monarch to Islam and Ife land.

He said: “Our father dominated and acted like a great giant . Our father was not vindictive. Some people would come to this world without leaving any traces of their existence. Our father excelled”.

“Just like Christianity, it was during the reign of his  father, the first Olubuse that Islam was brought to Ife land. When we were reconstructing the central mosque in Ife, Oba Sijuwade donated handsomely to ensure speedy completion of the project.”

Before, Ifaloba, the representative of traditionalists mounted the podium,  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who came with a retinue of his aides at exactly 11:12am, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, all Christian and Islamic clerics left the venue in large number leaving families and  friends behind.

Before he left the hall, Prof. Osinbajo said, “Ooni as a title does not die. We are celebrating a happy end. Our Papa lived a wealthy life.  If our father could steer the ship of Yoruba race successfully, he did well.

Governor Aregbesola was represent by the Secretary to the state Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti.

Adeoti read the contents of a letter to the families of late Ooni and later delivered it to the first son , Prince Adetokunbo Sijuwade.

Aregbesola described the monarch as a man that distinguished himself in all walks of life, saying, “he excelled in social life, commerce, royalty and industry. He was a successful businessman. His life is worthy of celebration for the service to his community, the state and the nation at large in the last three decades”.

Drama

Meanwhile, there  was a mild drama shortly before the commencement of the prayers.

An elegantly dressed woman who identified herself as Olori Adedolapo Sijuwade was asked to leave the seat where she was sitting among other queens (Olori).

When asked to stand up, she introduced herself as one of the Olori. She was forced to leave the seat by one of the Olori and she later sat among members of the Ife Dev elopment Board.

Attendance

Those who attended the ceremony  included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; Secretary to Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; former Military Governor of the defunct Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd); former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Alani Akinrinade (ertd); Rear Admiral Akin Aduwo (rtd); former Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Bashir Awotorebo;  President, IDB, Prof. Muheeb Opeloye; Senator Baju Bamgbetan; Prince Rasaki Adele Adewole; Prince Adegoke Sijuwade;  Prince Adebayo Sijuwade; Prince Adedamola Aderemi; Revd. Mrs Omotola Oyediran;  Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu; former Deputy Governor of the state Senator Iyiola Omisore: Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi; Chief Dele Momodu; Mr. Yemi Omisore; Mr. Akintunde Adegboye; Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye; General Manager (Publications)/Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye ; and Prof. Tale Omole.

The traditional chiefs at the ceremony were Lowa of Ife, Chief Joseph Ijaodola; Adagba of  Iyanfowo rogi, Oba Adegbola Fatunluse; Oluwaro of Iwaro, Oba Daniel Akindele;  Eyenla of Amula Ife and Oba Adesiyan Mayowa, Elemure of Emure Ekiti and Oba Emmanuel Adebayo.

Wives of the late monarch at the event were Olori Mori Sijuwade, Olori Ladun Sijuwade, Olori Linda Sijuwade, Olori Odun Sijuwade,  Olori Nike Sijuwade, and Yeye Oba, Mrs. Ladun Lawal.

High priests annoyed over sermons

Meanwhile, Ife high priests were displeased with the sermons, which they said were against the tradition. Speaking with Saturday Vanguard  in the premises of the palace, the priests who said they were 30  complained seriously about the inter religious service saying it ran foul of the tradition.

To them, the way the ceremony was held in the open was not in tandem with the norm.

Asked what impact modernity  made on tradition, he said: “Part of what modernity has done to tradition is what they did outside there. It was not like that in the past. Nothing must be done until the remains were interred. No ceremony under whatever guise must be held. After the whole thing, ‘if Eru Ife’ is not received from them, their lineage will not be entitled to the kingship title again.

“Look at the way the news of the whole Ooni was broken. It must not be heard that the monarch is dead  just like that. So, when they broke it, it was not for us. To us, our monarch was not yet dead. Only those abroad heard it. The news was not for us,”  he said.

He added that the role they play in the town was basically on reformation.

Lineage to produce next king

Speaking earlier with Saturday Vanguard, the Secretary to the next lineage to produce the king, Soko Adebisi Adedigba said since the kingship is rotational, it is the turn of Agiesi to produce the next monarch.

But, this will not be done until the Ifa Oracle is consulted.

He described the late monarch as a very great king.

“Ife has lost a very great king. We pray that we will get somebody of his personality to succeed him. Oba Sijuwade was born to reign. He was a very great custodian of Yoruba culture and he was recognised worldwide,” Adedigba  said.

The priests on new king

Speaking on how the next king will emerge, the priests said, ‘’we are not the ones to select the next king. It is the Ifa Oracle that selects whoever  is fit. We are the ones who lead a new king to ‘Ilofi’  (house where the king stays till all rites are performed).

As at the time of filing this report, the remains, according to the priests, had not been brought into the palace.

Warning to journalists

While  newsmen were filing their reports, Ifa priests had started another series of rites and indigenes of the town told them to leave before 4pm. All residents of the area were seen packing their wares hurriedly.

NNPC failed to remit N2.5trn crude oil sales proceeds – NRGI.

An international governance watchdog, the Natural Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, Tuesday, accused the NNPC of failing to remit $12.3 billion, about N2.46 trillion into the Federation Account, being proceeds of sales of one of Nigeria’s crude oil grade over the last ten years.
The NRGI, in a report titled, “Inside NNPC Oil Sales: A Case for Reform in Nigeria’, said its research found no evidence that NNPC forwarded to the treasury any revenues from sales of Okono crude between 2005 and 2014, volumes which totaled over 100 million barrels with an estimated value of $12.3 billion.
“In other words, the corporation has provided no public accounting of how it used a decade’s worth of revenues from an entire stream of the country’s oil production,” the report stated.
The report further disclosed that the NNPC’s approach to oil sales suffers from high corruption risks, adding that company had failed to maximize returns for the nation.
According to the report over the last 38 years, the NNPC has neither developed its own commercial or operational capacities, nor facilitated the growth of the sector through external investment, noting that instead, it has spun a legacy of inefficiency and mismanagement.
The report lamented that in spite of the failings of the NNPC, especially in its debilitating consumption of public revenues, successive governments have made no effort to undertake a reform of the corporation.
It said, “We find that management of NNPC’s oil sales has worsened in recent years—and particularly since 2010. The largest problems stem from the rising number of ad hoc, makeshift practices the corporation has introduced to work around its deeper structural problems.
“For instance, NNPC entered into poorly designed oil-for-product swap deals when it could no longer meet the country’s fuel needs. Similarly, it began unilaterally spending billions of dollars in crude oil revenues each year, rather than transferring them to the treasury, because NNPC’s actual budget process fails to cover operating expenses.
“Some of these makeshift practices began with credible goals. But over time, their operation became overly discretionary and complex, as political and patronage agendas surpassed the importance of maximizing returns.
“These poor practices come with high costs. Average prices for the country’s light sweet crude topped $110 per barrel during the boom of 2011 to 2014. Yet during that same period, treasury receipts from oil sales fell significantly.
“While volumes lost to oil theft explain some of the decline, NNPC’s massive revenue withholdings and an increase in suboptimal sales arrangements are also to blame. “Mismanagement of NNPC oil sales also raises commercial, reputational and legal risk for actors worldwide: the sales involve some of the world’s largest commodity trading houses, are financed by top banks, and result in the delivery of crude to countries across the globe.”
To this end, the report called for an urgent deeper structural reform of the NNPC, especially in its management of oil sales, warning that if a reform is not undertaken, the country risks a new round of coping mechanism.
Continuing, the report said, “NNPC oil sales are Nigeria’s largest revenue stream and face severe problems. Fixing them should come first in the reform queue, before revisiting upstream contracts with international oil companies.
“Repairing oil sale governance does not require omnibus legislation like the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). Rather, a bold and targeted agenda with a one-to-two-year timeline better suits Nigeria’s political timetables.
“When overhauling oil sales, the government should prioritize simplicity throughout. Current governance problems thrive on byzantine arrangements which only a handful of people understand.
“The bad practices that undermine NNPC oil sale performance all have political interference at their root. Only sustained leadership from the very top will shift incentives towards performance and away from patronage.”

Common foods that cause poisoning.

Food poisoning is a relatively common problem that many people face at some point in their life, and although in most cases it’s not fatal, it is serious and can be particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and pregnant women. Sources of food contamination are various and include bacteria salmonella and listeria, which can be eliminated through cooking, but not all food we eat goes though heat treatment. Here are common food items that pose a major risk to your health and could lead to food poisoning.

Raw eggs

Raw eggs are very likely to give you food poisoning, accounting for more than hundreds of thousands of food-related illnesses in the last few years. Although the likelihood of getting food poisoning from raw eggs has decreased over the past couple of decades, they are still one of the “riskiest” foods you could be consuming.

It is the bacteria called salmonella that is to blame for food poisoning coming from raw eggs, and the trouble lies in the fact that salmonella can’t be detected before it enters the body and wreaks havoc.

Salmonella penetrates the eggs before they are even hatched, contaminating your food and posing a potential threat. Eggs are consumed raw when certain cakes or sweets are made or in instances in which people drink them for various reasons. The truth is, eggs are best consumed scrabbled, hard-boiled or coddled if you want all the benefits without exposing yourself to any risks.

Chicken

Although chicken is definitely one of the most popular foods around, it is also one of the biggest offenders when it comes to food-borne illnesses. All poultry can cause food poisoning, but chicken accounts for the largest number of instances of stomach problems. If chicken is not defrosted or cooked properly it can lead to serious disease.

Anyone who handles raw chicken must make sure the meat doesn’t come into contact with other foods, especially if they aren’t cooked, because the bacteria found in chicken, such as campylobacter and salmonella, can cause dreadful food poisoning.

These bacteria are located in the intestines of the poultry and can come into contact with the human body after the bird is slaughtered. Chicken must be cooked for the right amount of time and at a certain temperature to protect everyone who will eat it.

Leafy green vegetables

Produce in general ranks as one of the top causes of food-borne illnesses, and leafy greens pose the largest risk when it comes to leading to stomach problems. Vegetables such as lettuce and spinach must be washed thoroughly to eliminate that risk. One of the ways to make sure your leafy greens are safe to eat is to soak them in water in which you add a teaspoon of baking soda.

Almost half of all food-borne illnesses are caused by produce, so you have to make sure you are well aware of the risks brought on by the foods you are feeding your family, as well as the ways in which you can avoid them.

Cooking your veggies for the right amount of time will definitely lower the risk of food-related illness, and so will purchasing produce from accountable sources. Although food-borne illnesses caused by leafy greens are usually not as dangerous as those caused by meat, they can still lead to diarrhoea, nausea, and stomach cramps.

Watermelons

Watermelons may not be the obvious choice, but  pose a serious threat when it comes to causing food poisoning simply because they are not washed before they are consumed.

Watermelons need to be scrubbed thoroughly before being cut, simply because if they are cut without being washed, the knife that goes through the rind picks up the bacteria and takes them right to the meat of the fruit.

Listeria and salmonella are the two bacteria responsible for watermelon-related illnesses and they need to be washed well before served to anyone, especially children and older individuals. Wash melons under running water, scrubbing with a brush if you feel that’s necessary.

Tuna

Tuna fish can pose a serious threat to your health and is one of the foods often left out of the lists of dangerous foods that can cause food poisoning. Tuna fish may carry scombroid toxins, which are the agents responsible for food-borne illnesses.

Scombroid toxins can occur in tuna that is left in a warm place for too long, so handling this fish properly is crucial for eliminating the risk. In most cases, scombroid toxins are found in fresh or raw tuna rather than canned tuna, which means canned tuna is safe in this aspect.

It should be noted that these toxins can’t be destroyed through the cooking process if they exist in the raw fish in the first place. The most common symptoms of food-borne illness brought on by tuna include nausea, cramps and diarrhea. Make sure you purchase tuna from reputable vendors that won’t leave the fish sitting at room temperature for too long.

Ice cream

Ice cream is a type of food that many people are sad to see on this list, but the truth is ice cream poses a major risk to your health because it’s made out of dairy products. If the eggs or milk, for instance, used to make the ice cream contain salmonella, consuming such food will most likely lead to food poisoning.

Ice cream may be contaminated in various ways, from using contaminated ingredients to make the pre-mix, to not keeping the scoops clean. Listeria is another bacteria found in ice cream that can lead to large-scale food poisoning, while it is crucial to mention that ice cream products, such as sorbets and ice cream sandwiches, can also be affected.

Potatoes

Potatoes are unlikely offenders, however, bacteria such as salmonella and listeria are to blame for stomach problems associated with eating potatoes, and they are usually found on the kitchen counters and other areas where food is handled.

In the majority of cases, it’s not the potatoes that lead to a bacteria outbreak, but rather other contaminated foods that potatoes often come into contact with, such as salads, especially those containing dairy products or mayonnaise.

Washing potatoes properly and making sure never to use the same knives, cutting boards and other utensils when handling raw meat and other foods is one of the best ways to prevent food-borne illnesses, especially those associated with produce.

Cheese

One of the main reasons why cheese is a food that is responsible for many food-related illnesses is the fact that several steps are necessary to make it, include including curdling, salting, and processing, leaving plenty of room for contamination.

Other more obvious reasons include using contaminated raw milk and milk not pasteurized properly, but the correct pasteurization process is usually what eliminates all the harmful bacteria and keeps cheese safe for consumption.

It should be noted that softer cheese, such as brie or camembert, are more likely to contain listeria, and they need to be purchased from reputable vendors to avoid any risks and unpleasant effects of contaminated food.

Tomatoes

Most people don’t associate tomatoes with food-borne illnesses, yet tomatoes are often a source of disease because they are consumed raw and are seldom subjected to high temperatures.

Not washing the produce that is eaten raw properly, including leafy greens and in this case, tomatoes, leaves everyone susceptible to serious stomach problems associated with bacteria that are commonly found in fresh produce but were never meant to enter the human body.

When it comes to tomatoes, it’s salmonella that is responsible for most illnesses, followed by Norovirus. Keep in mind that eating fresh fruits and veggies is necessary for a healthy diet, but so is purchasing them from accountable sources and serving them correctly.

 

FG inaugurates joint committee for 2015 Economic Summit

The National Planning Commission (NPC) yesterday formally inaugurated a Joint Planning Committee (JPC) for the 2015 Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#21).
Inaugurating the committee, the Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission (NPC), Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, said this year’s summit the 21st in the series is unique, giving that it was conceived on the policy thrust of the present administration anchored on ensuring inclusive growth, job creation, addressing security issues, curbing corruption and all leakages in the public service.
According to him, it is expected that the conclusion of the summit will be helpful towards articulating strategies for ensuring effective implementation of the change agenda that will be helpful towards ensuring effective implementation of the change agenda that will help in making effective implementation of the agenda that will help in making Nigeria’s socio-economic environment globally competitive.
He said the public membership of the JPC has been broadened to the deepen for the success of this year’s summit.
They include: The national Planning Commission as Co-Chair; the Office of the Chief Economic adviser to the President; the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President; the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; the Federal Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. Other are: the Office of the Inspector General of Police; the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council; the Budget Office of the federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Governor’s Forum as members.
The Joint Planning Committee is a supreme organ of the summit planning process and consists of members drawn from the public and private sectors.
The key mandate of the committee s to undertake all preparatory arrangements for the successful hosting of the summit.as part of its duties, the committee is to review the reports of the 20th Economic Summit; articulate the budgetary requirements and the sources of funding for hosting the summit.
It is also to propose the optimal strategy for funding the activities of the JPC; prepare the report and Green Book for the NES#21; mobilise relevant public and private sector stakeholders for the summit and undertake any other work that may lead to the successful hosting of the summit.
The Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) is an annual summit organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the NPC.
The summit which is expected to hold in October has so far become the singular and largest annual economic forum for policy makers and captains of industry from the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy, as well as the representatives of the academia, civil society organizations and development partners.
It is expected to serve as a platform for participants to interact and share thoughts on key issues and challenges facing the Nigerian economy, with a view to evolving a common strategy and policy framework.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) , Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola, explained that the job of the JPC will be anchored on better implementation and monitoring of resolutions.
He said that the summit has ten committees ranging from: human capital development; policy commission, education, youth and gender issues, oil and gas, trade and investment, micro economic, food and agriculture, SMEs, health and other issues, with structures and steering committees as teamatic groups.

CLO petitions EFCC over Yabatech’s rector alleged financial impropriety.

There was a mild drama on Tuesday, at the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as members of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO)‎, stormed the anti-corruption agency’s office to protest the alleged financial impropriety and abuse of office by Rector, Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, Dr. Margaret Ladipo.

Yaba-Tech

Members of the civil society organisation, led by its President, Igho Akeregha, who arrived the EFCC office, along Awolowo Way, Ikoyi, at about 11.30am, said they were protesting to remind the agency of the urgent need to conduct a detailed impartial investigation into alleged mismanagement of public funds, abuse of office and sundry acts of corruption levelled against YABATECH Rector, by some senior staff of the institution.

Akeregha, whose members initially met stiff resistance at the commission’s main gate by security operatives, noted that despite writing the EFCC in 2014 and again in June 2015, the agency has refused to invite the management for interrogation.

A mild drama, however occurred when two senior officials of the EFCC Media and Publicity department, Lagos office, later came out to address CLO members, as there was argument over the passivity of the EFCC in probing the matter, following several petition letters sent by the CLO.

Akeregha said: “We are here to meet with officials of the EFCC to sought reasons why a petition we wrote since 2014, to draw the attention of the Commission to the alleged fraud and abuse of office by the Rector, Yaba College of Technology. Since the Commission has not responded to any of our two petition letters, we decided to take the bull by the horn to come here with some of our members.”

However, in a swift response, an official of the Media and Publicity department of the EFCC Lagos, who pleaded anonymity as he was not authorised to speak said: “No, you are missing it. The EFCC is aware of your petition letters and we have been ‎on it. To show that we acknowledged your letters, that was why they bore our official stamp, when you sent them to our office. That is how we operate, when we get petitions from concerned Nigerians.

“The only problem we have is communication lacuna. Our method of handling civil matter is different from the way we handle matters of financial impropriety. I can assure you that we have invited the Rector for interrogations. So, we need not make noise over it,” the EFCC official said.

Still not satisfied with the explanation of the agency, Executive Director of CLO, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike said: “We have lost patience with the EFCC with the way it has treated our petitions. If you say, you‎ have been treating our petitions, why have we not heard that the Rector of YABATECH had been invited? If the EFCC says it needs not make noise over its operations concerning our petition, why did we hear about the invitation of the wife of the Senate President, Toyin Saraki, and other recent cases.”

Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, efforts to speak to the institution’s Rector was futile as her phone was switched-off. Also, Vanguard made efforts to speak to the institution’s spokesperson, Charles Oni, but he failed to pick calls made to his phone, neither did he respond to text message sent to his phone.

Groom re-arrested after ditching new wife.

Sydney – A man who was granted bail to get married was re-arrested by Australian police on Tuesday, a week after he jilted his new wife and went on the run.
Prosecutors said Murat Shomshe, 33, who was facing possible firearms charges, was given a weekend furlough to get married, as long as he returned to jail on the Monday after the wedding.
They said Shomshe had convinced a Melbourne Magistrate’s, that the wedding had to go ahead or he would lose the 5,000 dollars he had already paid for the ceremony.
It said his bride-to-be posted 7,300 dollars for his bail and the Muslim wedding went ahead on 25 July, attended by no fewer than 450 guests.
Prosecutors said the bride, Belinda Dulevski, however, told the police that her new husband disappeared, while she was in the shower, on the same day he was meant to return to prison.
They said Shomshe was re-arrested on Tuesday in the Campbellfield suburb of Melbourne.

Unemployment Nigeria’s biggest threat after Boko Haram .

ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday warned that the Federal Government will no longer tolerate illegal mining and other improper activities that have inhibited the growth of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.buhari

President Buhari who gave the warning after receiving a briefing from top officials of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development led by the Permanent Secretary, Baba Umar Farouk also stated that such illegal activities have undermined employment opportunities in the country.

According to the president, the mines and steel sector was significant in the diversification of the economy project.

The president who expressed dissatisfaction with that current practice of illegal miners, stated that it had jeopardized many job opportunities.

“This is one of the most demoralizing briefs I have received. The biggest threat to this country besides the Boko Haram is unemployment and the mining sector is key to employment creation.

“We cannot be held back on such a strategic industry that can give us much needed jobs and promote economic growth.

“There must be more seriousness in running this country and we are determined to instill that seriousness,’’ the President said

Breaking news: Buhari appoints new NNPC boss.

New NNPC Boss, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Dr Ibe Kachikwu as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notice of the appointment is contained in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

The statement noted that Kachikwu, who was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon-Mobil (Africa), was to take over from Dr Joseph Dawha. Kachikwu hails from Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State. The statement also quoted the credentials of Kachikwu as being a First Class Graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law School.

“The new NNPC Chief Executive also has Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from Harvard Law School.’’ It stated that the new NNPC boss started his working career with the Nigerian/American Merchant Bank before moving on to Texaco Nigeria Limited, from where he joined Exxon-Mobil.

Man, 24, docked for scaling fence into Judge’s house to steal.

A 24–year old vigilante, John James , was arraigned before an Iyaganku Senior Magistrates ‘ court sitting at Ibadan, Oyo state, on Tuesday for an alleged attempt to steal at a Judge’s residence. James is facing a two-count charge of attempt to commit felony to wit stealing and going around with cutlass in public.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Olufemi Omilana, said James jumped the perimeter fence into a building belonging to a sitting Judge (name withheld) in Oyo state in an attempt to steal. The accused, alleged to be a vigilante in the area, was accosted by one Mr Sunday Ojedele, the internal security of the house on the fateful day.

Omilani told the court that the accused jumped out of the Judge’s compound and failed to disclose what happened to him with his other colleagues. The prosecutor also said that the accused armed with cutlass was going around in public without lawful permission in a manner as to cause terror to one Sunday Ojedele.

James was said to have committed the offence on Aug. 2, at about 4a.m., at Aerodrome Estate, Samonda in Ibadan. Omilana said the offence contravened Sections 80 and 509 of the Criminal Code Cap. 38, Vol. 11, Laws of Oyo State, 2000. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Munirat Giwa-Babalola, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum. She said one of the sureties must be a level-six cadre in the Civil Service while the second surety must be a blood relation of the accused. The court adjourned the case to Sept .9 for hearing.

Nigeria’s problem is lack of continuity, says Obasanjo.

ABEOKUTA – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said one of the problems facing Nigeria is lack of continuity.

Obasanjo stated this while receiving the immediate-past Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence , Dr. Ade Abolurin, Tuesday, at his private residence in Abeokuta .

The former President said some essentials things would be maintained and preserve through continuity in governance.

Abolurin who was accompanied by his wife, Aderonke and states commandants of the Corps in the South West to Obasanjo’s residence during his ‘homecoming’ visit , described his 10 years journey as ‘rough, tough and challenging’.

In his remarks, Obasanjo explained that he institutionalised the NSCDC while he held sway as President of the country because of the” virtue of the good work the organisation was doing as a voluntary organisation for many years”.

Obasanjo said “One of the things that I had to confront in my tenure as President of Nigeria was pipeline vandalisation, holdup, and crude oil stealing, that stealing is what they called bunkering, there is nothing like bunkering, it is outright stealing.

Synagogue: Don’t prosecute TB Joshua’s church, engineers; youths beg govt.

Youths, numbering hundreds Tuesday, stormed Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja to protest planned prosecution of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN over the collapse of their six-storey building on September 12, 2014.
Meantime, traders of Sandgrouse Market, Lagos Island, also stormed the State House to protest over the planned redevelopment of the market.
It will be recalled that Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has disclosed plans to reopen the case by prosecuting the church and the builder following the recommendation of the Coroner Inquest, led by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, which indicted the church for failing to secure necessary approval before erecting the structure that led to the death of 116 worshipers.
The youths, under the aegis of Ijaw Progressive Congress and Eko Youth Front, stormed the office of the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to express their dissatisfaction over the planned action and appealed to the government to have a rethink and dump the move.
The youths who stormed the seat of power, displayed placards with various inscription. Some of the inscriptions read, “No man will build his house and collapse it for any reason; stop the prosecution of our helper,” among others.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr. Innocent Agbo stated that before the building caved in on September 12, last year, an helicopter hovered round the building which he said could have orchestrated the collapse of the structure.