The Abia state chapter of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) has called on the Ngwa people to unite and ensure that it produces the next governor of the state in 2015.
In a chat with 247ureports.com in Aba, the state chairman, Mr Jude Chukwu, said the organization was planning workshops in the 17 local government areas of the state, to sensitize the electorate and political parties on their civic responsibilities ahead of the 2015 elections.
He disclosed that the workshop, titled “You Can Change It if You Want’’, was aimed at wooing the political parties in the state to adopt persons from Ngwa extraction for the governorship position in 2015.
Chukwu maintained that old Bende in Abia North senatorial district had had a shot at the Abia Government House since the return to civilian rule, more than other zones in the state.
According to him, Ngwaland in Abia Central and South senatorial districts, with nine local government councils out of 19, is yet to produce a governor of the state.
“We are going to carry out a house to house campaign after the workshops, to achieve this objective ahead of the 2015 general elections. We are not doing these for monetary gains.
“But we thought it is right for equity and justice for Ngwaland, with the commercial city of Aba, to produce the next governor of the state,’’ he stated.
Chukwu advised the Ngwa people against misusing the opportunity by resorting to monetary gains stressing that power is not given but taken.
The renewed emphasis on post-graduate studies by universities has raised hope that the nation is coming to terms with the importance of research in the transformation of the socio-economic landscape as being championed by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.
Only recently, the University of Ibadan, an institution that prides itself as Nigeria’s premier university, graduated a total of 3,277 candidates with higher degree certificates. Of this number, 262 are PhD holders; 16 were awarded Masters’ in Philosophy; 43 bagged Masters’ in Public Health; 2,246 bagged Academic Masters’ Degrees; 494 received Professional Masters’ degrees, while 216 received post-graduate Diplomas.
With this number and others from universities across the country, the rank of researchers in the country has swelled and with the deployment of their knowledge to solve problems in public and private sectors of the economy, the nation is bound to gain optimally.
While this renewed emphasis on post-graduate education is commendable in view of the critical role that research plays in nation-building, not a few have decried poor funding of universities, insisting that this has to be reversed for these institutions to deliver on their mandate, including production of quality post-graduate candidates.
Recently, Federal Government disclosed that it has set aside N3 billion for research in Nigerian universities, but many insist that the amount is inadequate to enable universities improve on their records.
Decrying poor funding of universities, Chief Wole Olanipekun, Pro-Chancellor of University of Ibadan, said there is the need for better funding of all universities in the country if they were to be better players in the provision of tertiary education.
Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria spoke during the University of Ibadan 2012 Convocation and 64th Foundation Day ceremonies, held at the International Conference Centre of the institution recently.
“Nigerian Universities have been lagging behind for quite some time now; bluntly but respectfully put, the University of Ibadan is being under-funded. I align myself to the plea for adequate funding of our universities. It is also my passionate plea to government at various levels in this country to properly fund education”.
Also, admitting that funding for post-graduate education/research is poor, Chief Executive Officer/Managing Consultant, FM & T Consulting, Dr. Chris Asoluka, called on government as well as private sector organizations to upgrade their funding to enable universities produce better researchers.
“The present level of funding for post-graduate education/research by government is inadequate and this should be addressed in view of the critical role that research plays in nation-building. Also, the private sector should seek ways of funding research in varsities. Varsities on their own should also find ways of being more resourceful. That does not mean commercialization of university degrees. They don’t need to award degrees to attract support from individuals/corporate organizations,” he said.
On role of post-graduate education in national development, Asoluka who was among the 262 PhD holders recently graduated by University of Ibadan during the2012 Convocation and 64th Foundation Day ceremonies of the institution asserted that “there can’t be national development without thinking, without research. It is said that if a nation/individual fails to plan, such a nation or individual has already planned to fail. Things are not as easy as they appear and there are levels of interruption. This is the role that research, post-graduate education plays in national development. It provides the platform/basis for sustainable development”.
He noted that a country that will move forward must place emphasis on research, adding that post-graduate education is the platform for such forward movement.
In his words: “We must interrogate the old practice. New problems will arise and when they arise, they must be investigated. As the new problems arise, you also have contemporary experience which you can draw from. All these things require enormous research. So, research is extremely important. Without research, a nation suffers atrophy. Nation-building and research go hand in hand.
“So, in terms of nation-building, no country develops without research. How could the world have developed to the present level without research? So, if a nation does not place emphasis on research, it means that it is satisfied with decay. I don’t see any nation or even firm doing well without research; and the factory for research is the university.
However, Asoluka challenged university authorities across the country to find ways of encouraging academics who are in corporate world to join on their faculties to beef it up, admitting that it is the only panacea for students to get the best of theory and practice which will place them in better stead to compete in life.
“Academics who are knowledgeable in theory and practice but working in the private sector or outside the academia should be encouraged to come in from time to time to train students,” he counseled.
While agreeing that there have been some innovations to improve funding of university education by Federal Government through the Educational Trust Fund established in 1995 and the series of intervention fund by the Federal Government, Dr. Emmanuel Remi Aiyede, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, insisted that the funds have remained inadequate. He said beside funds, there are other challenges that are yet to be addressed.
On relevance of Post-graduate education to nation-building, Dr. Aiyede, said it provides the skill levels and problem solving abilities that enables individual to be a productive in the contemporary knowledge economy.
He noted however that for Nigerian university and post-graduate education to be central to development, they must be tailored to the needs of society. “For Nigerian universities to play effective role in shoring up the country’s competitiveness and act as catalysts of development, they need to become centres of innovation and produce graduates with entrepreneurial mind-sets. They must move away from being degree certificate awarding institutions to become real centres of innovation and enterprise. They must be able to raise the students’ awareness and motivate students to identify and exploit opportunities, train students on how to set up a business and manage its growth. They must provide the innovative ideas and inventions that add value to production”.
Suggesting what can be done to enhance post-graduate education, Dr. Aiyede, who is also the Coordinator, Leadership and Governance Programme, Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan, urged the Ministry of Education to define the problems of post-graduate education in relation to the needs of the economy and society, and promote innovations and partnerships that will help fulfill these needs.
He called on universities to partner with private sector organizations in revising and refocusing their curricula.
“There is need for private sector support in upgrading the quality of teaching, learning and research in our universities. This can be done by forging and deepening partnership in teaching, funding of research projects, establishing endowments as well as making demands on universities to fill skills gap in industry,” he stated.
Contributing, Dr. Ayo Adetunji, a Microbiologist with a research institute in Oyo State, said that for the renewed emphasis on post-graduate studies to be sustained, greater funding from government is required to upgrade facilities in universities as well as attract requisite staff.
His words: “Emphasis on post-graduate education by institutions in the country is a step in the right direction as it provides foundation for transformation of the economy and can only be sustained to the extent that government supports these institutions by way of improved funding particularly for research purposes. The funding should be channeled towards upgrade of facilities as well as recruitment and remuneration of requisite academics”.
Though he lauded Federal Government for earmarking N3 billion for research in universities in the country, however insisted that the amount falls short of what is needed for universities to improve their capacity of producing researchers that will stand the test of time.
“I commended Federal Government for setting aside N3 billion for research in our universities but still this amount is grossly inadequate if these universities are to produce world class researchers. So, while one appreciates this gesture as it shows that the government has come to terms with the importance of research in nation-building which post-graduate education provides, I would still make case for increased funding,” he said.
President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday appointed controversial Edo politician, Tony Anenih, as Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
The appointment was announced in a statement late Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim.
The statement also contained the list of appointed board members for the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
But of all the appointments, none is as controversial as Mr. Anenih’s.
Anenih for NPA
Mr. Anenih has held several positions in government including ministerial appointments.
However, the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees is best remembered for his role as the Minister of Works, a position he held under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mr. Anenih was indicted by a National Assembly Committee for mismanaging over N300 billion that accrued to the Works Ministry during his tenure as minister. His tenure as works minister saw no major road in the country repaired or constructed. The Lagos- Ibadan Expressway, and the Benin-Ore Expressway were in deplorable states during Mr. Anenih’s tenure as minister.
The President’s decision to appoint Mr. Anenih as NPA board chair also shows the lucrative state of the agency.
NPA and Bode George
The NPA is considered one of the most lucrative agencies outside of the oil and gas industry.
It has also served as agency of choice for PDP leaders since 1999.
A former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bode George, once held the position now given to Mr. Anenih.
Mr. George was eventually convicted of contract splitting of billions of naira while he served on the NPA board. He served a two-year jail term.
The lucrative post is now Mr. Anenih’s.
PDP BOT position
It is also not clear if Mr. Anenih’s appointment is the president’s way of diverting his interest from the PDP Board of Trustees Chairmanship position for which he is angling.
Mr. Anenih was believed to be Mr. Jonathan’s choice for the post while former President Olusegun Obasanjo supports the candidacy of Ahmadu Ali, former PDP chairman. The PDP had to postpone its election for the BOT chairmanship position to 2013 when the party elders could not agree on a consensus candidate.
With Mr. Anenih’s NPA appointment, it may just be that he has let go of the BOT post.
The NPA Board Chairmanship position may just be a good enough replacement for the Edo politician.
Two Lebanese, Hassan Rmaiti and Talal Hammoud who were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on November 26, 2012 with $2,073,160 (Two Million, Seventy Three Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Dollars) have been convicted by Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
While Hassan Rmaiti was arrested with $1,971,920 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Dollars) Talal Hammoud was caught with $101,240.00 (One Hundred and One Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty Dollars). The convicts were on their way to Lebanon when they were arrested for failure to declare the money to Customs at the airport as required under section 12 of the foreign exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigerian 2004 and section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011. The offence is punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The one count charge against Hammoud reads: “That you Talal Hammoud on or about the 7th of November, 2012 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash the sum of $101,240.00 (one hundred and one thousand two hundred and forty Dollars) from Nigeria to Lebanon failed to declare to the Nigerian Customs Service the said amount of $101,240.00 (one hundred and one thousand two hundred and forty Dollars) as required under section 12 of the foreign exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provision) Act cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigerian 2004 and section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Pr0hibition) Act ) 2011”.
One of the two count charge against Rmaiti reads “That you HASSAN RMAITI on or about the 23rd of November 2012 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of this federal high court while transporting in cash the sum of $1,971,920 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Dollars) form Nigeria to Lebanon failed to declare the said sum of $1,971,920 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty Dollars), to the Nigerian Custom Services as required under section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act cap F34 Laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004 and section 2 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act 2011”.
When the charges were read to the accused persons, they all pleaded guilty.
Based on their plea, prosecuting counsel, ABC Ozioko prayed the court to convict them. Defence counsel, Chris Emeh however pleaded with the court for leniency as the accused persons were first-time offenders.
Justice Okeke accordingly convicted the accused and ordered that they forfeit $25,310 (Twenty Five Thousand Three Hundred and Ten Dollars), being 25% of the undeclared sum to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The United States Embassy has issued travel warning to its citizens in Nigeria ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. The warning which was posted on the Embassy’s website and tagged “Security Warning For U.S Citizens” reminded “U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance during the holiday because of continued security concerns in Nigeria.”
The message reads inter alia: “we recommend U.S. citizens remain vigilant during this holiday season given the deadly attacks which were conducted the previous two years over the Christmas holiday. All U.S. citizens in Nigeria should be particularly vigilant around churches and other places of worship, locations where large crowds may gather, and areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers during the upcoming holiday season. U.S. citizens should pay attention to their surroundings, and keep their cellular telephones in close proximity for use in cases of emergency.
The Nigerian Security Services have heightened security measures in Nigeria as a result of threats posed by extremist groups and U.S. citizens can expect to see additional police and military checkpoints, additional security, and possible road blocks throughout the country during the holiday season.
This year, extremists attacked many locations in Nigeria, killing and injuring hundreds of people. They have threatened churches, mosques, media houses, police stations, immigration and customs offices, transportation centers, financial institutions, large hotels, shopping malls and markets, state government offices, communications centers, beer gardens, and nightclubs. Attackers have also attacked and destroyed public and private schools, educational institutions, cell towers, electrical stations, and churches in many northern and central states. Additionally, extremists continue to target westerners for abduction. The security situation in the country remains fluid and unpredictable”.
The US Embassy also urged citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Programme so that they can have the latest travel updates and also enable the Embassy to contact them in an emergency.
Source: The Street Journal
Stealth capabilities from unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured in Iran are more advanced than rival programs, a deputy commander said.
Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, said Iranian drones are more sophisticated than some U.S. counterparts. Iran’s stealth drone program, he said, is among the best in the world, he told the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
In early December, Iran claimed it captured a Boeing ScanEagle, a low-budget drone used by the U.S. military and other Western powers.
“The technology used in the ScanEagle is very old and our UAVs are much more advanced than them,” Salami said.
Iran said it was able to extract the data from the drone. Last year, the country said it was able to reverse-engineer an RQ-170 Sentinel drone operated by the CIA that strayed across the border with Afghanistan. This week, the military announced it began production of its own ScanEagle variant.
“We will use every opportunity to design all kinds of drones,” said Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi.
Abia state governor, chief TA Orji says he has provided a conducive environment for investment in the state, hence the need for Abians in Diaspora to come home and partner with the state in area of economic and social development.
The governor made this declaration in Lagos in an interactive session with members of Abia Think Tank.
In a statement by his chief press secretary, Ugochukwu Emezue, Governor Orji hinted that unlike in the past when the atmospherease was characterized by fear, occasioned by the activities of kidnappers, the state is now secured more than ever, as this ugly trend has been consigned to the dust bin of history.
Chief Orji noted that with security in place, investors are now making Abia their destination point.
He specifically revealed that shoprite; a business conglomerate is now building its outfit in Umuahia the state capital.
Chief Orji maintained that he is not regretting the huge investment he is making in securing the state.
Speaking further, the governor stated that most of the projects he is building in the state will be commissioned next year.
He stated that the equipment for the dialysis center will be installed in January 2013.
Chief Orji assured that he will strive to make Abia the envy of other states.
Earlier in his speech, the chairman of Abia Think Tank, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa commended the governor on the infrastructural development going on in the state.
He made it clear that the leadership style of the governor is highly appreciated.While thanking chief TA Orji for the achievement he had made in terms of security, urged him not to relent in giving Abia a new face.
The Editor-in – chief of BusinessDay delivered the key note address.
Delta state government has showered enormous cash gift on its victorious athletes in the just concluded National sports festival with gold medalist bagging one million naira for each gold.
Announcing the cash gifts at a grand reception held in Asaba yesterday, the state Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan said all silver medalists would receive six hundred thousand naira for each silver while bronze medalist would receive four hundred thousand naira for each bronze.
Dr Uduaghan also said that all team members whose team won gold would receive four hundred naira each while team members who won silver would receive N300,000 three hundred naira each.
Amidst ovation the governor announced a reward of fifty thousand naira each for every athlete who participated in the games but did not win any medal.
Dr Uduaghan who also rewarded the coaches handsomely said “Head coaches who won gold receive one million naira each while those who won silver and bronze will receive six hundred thousand naira and two hundred and forty thousand naira respectively”.
He announced automatic employment and scholarship for all gold medalists while selected silver medalists would also enjoy the same gesture.“We are not going to watch our athletes go through frustration. They are our pride and we will continue to reward them adequately to enable them do better. Indeed we are going to produce Olympic gold medalists from among them,” he said.
The governor who said his administration would use sports to create employment for the youths promised to continue to encourage deserving youth athletes with appreciable reward.
The governor who announced that the state would host the forth coming under 17 Africa youth Athletic competition said the event would be used as scouting ground for talents.
Dr Uduaghan disclosed that the state government has embarked on the policy of promoting sports from primary to secondary school and expressed the hope that it would produce the desired result of sustaining the leading position the state is occupying in sports.
In his remarks the Director Grassroots Sports Development and representative of the Minister of sports and Chairman National Sports Commission Alhaji Hassan Yakmout suggested that the nation should only allow athletes who had the body anatomy for a specific sport to participate in the given sports.
Alhaji Hassan said such arrangement will ensure specialization and promote excellence.
He described Delta state as a unique state in sports even as he disclosed that 65 percent of Nigeria athletes who won laurels in All African games were from the state.
The speaker Delta state House of Assembly Hon. Victor Ochi in his speech said the victory of Team Delta in Lagos showed that the Rivers state victory in Port Harcourt was a fluke.
Hon Ochei commended Team Delta for being well behaved and disciplined especially as the team did not record any ugly incident.
Welcoming guests to the ceremony the chairman of the state sports Commission Mr. Amaju Pinnick commended the governor and his wife for boosting the morale of the athletes through visits and prayers.
Mr. Pinnick also commended the governor for giving the state a positive image explaining that the governor’s support presented a conducive atmosphere for the athletes to work hard.
The governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has declared 2-week work free day starting from 21st December 2012 till January 7, 2013.
Adressing Imo workers at Owerri City School, Owerri, Gov. Okorocha used the opportunity to review his achievements with particular attention to free education to Imo children from primary school to tertiary level, construction of 305 primary schools in all INEC wards in the state.
Others are Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies (ICAPS), construction of General Hospitals in all the 27 LGAs, construction of one thousand kilometer of roads in the 27 LGAs, construction of 18 floors monumental building and thousand units of buildings in New Owerri.
Gov. Okorocha decried the attitude of contractors who collect money and thereafter abandon the project. Stressing that from January 2013, that his administration will deal ruthlessly with any contractor who fails to execute his job for which he has collected money. Gov. Okorocha said he will make public the names of all the contractors who fail to carry out their contract project.
The Governor said that his administration from 2013 will embark on the construction of industries to reduce unemployment in the state, as well as complete the land mark projects which include Multi-Purpose Shopping Mall with a cinema hall, Princess hotel Okigwe, prince hotel Orlu, Akachi Tower and Ecumenical Center.
He stated that Owerri will be zoned into nine zones for effective waste management disposal, as first class equipment will be procured to ensure sanity of the city.
Gov Okorocha promised Imo workers that his administration will continue to ensure regular payment of their monthly salary as government has deposited workers three months salary from December 2012 to February 2013.He announced ten thousand naira to each Imo worker for their Christmas celebrations.
On the issue of security, Owelle Rochas Okorocha assured Imolites of adequate security during the yuletide.
He urged Imolites to appreciate his effort by showing understanding and have a change of attitude to spur him to greater performance.
Dignitries that graced the occasion include the Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, the SSG, Prof Anthony Anwuka, the principal secretary to the Governor, Dr. Pascal Obi, members of Expanded Executive Council, Eze Imo and other top government functionaries.
