Nigerian Oil Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike From Monday

Scarcity of fuel may likely spread across the nation from Monday as oil workers brace themselves for a confrontation with the Federal Government on numerous unresolved labour issues.

Premium Times reports that the oil workers, under sponsorship of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association [PENGASSAN] and their counterparts in the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers [NUPENG], are set to begin a nationwide strike Monday.



The strike is taking place as a result of the expiration of the notice given to the government for the resolution of some labour issues affecting their members as well as other national issues affecting the operation of the petroleum industry.

An official of PENGASSAN, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, told PREMIUM TIMES that some of the contentious issues include the decision of the management of Total Nigeria to sack the PENGASSAN zonal Secretary in Port Harcourt and the lack of promotion for workers of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF).

According to the official, the unions are concerned that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) sent to the National Assembly for consideration and approval more than two years ago is yet to be passed.

“We (the oil workers) have sufficient reasons, based on information available to us, to believe that the law makers are not prepared to pass the law, even as the state of the country’s petroleum industry has continued to deteriorate as a result of the absence of a regulatory and legal framework for the industry,” the official said.

Information available to the oil workers, he said, has to do with a plot by the Senate to move a motion on resumption this week to demand the setting aside of further considerations and deliberations on the PIB till the next legislative session.

The PIB was one of the key draft laws entrusted by the previous legislative assembly for deliberation and approval by the incumbent legislators.

“This does not augur well for the future of the country’s oil industry, as new investments would continue to elude the country, to the benefit of other oil producing nations around the continent, if the law is not passed. This is not acceptable,” the official said.

The oil workers said they have uncovered plans by the government to go ahead with the sale of the country’s four refineries, which has always met a hard struggle by Nigerians in recent past.


For some time now, the oil workers said crude oil allocation to the refineries for local petroleum products refining have consistently reduced from 60 to 30 per cent and then to zero.

The plan by government, the unions said, is to make the refineries appear unviable and their rehabilitation impossible as a way of making their eventual sale attractive to Nigerians.

The unions are also protesting against alleged poor funding to the Petroleum Training Institute [PTI], which was established as the technology training institution for the country’s petroleum industry.

It would be recalled that last week PENGASSAN was going to embark on a three day warning strike in protest against the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and other anti-labour activities of employers in the oil and gas sector.

Sources;naij.com

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CHEAP DATA PLAN FOR AIRTEL ANDROID USERS

How To Subscribe For Airtel New Data Plans For Android Users

Some of you Nigerian Android users must be aware of the mass petition which was fowarded to the NCC about data plans for android and how network and data providers should help in reducing the cost of acquiring data for their android device instead of the usual cost which is the same as that of computer and laptop users pay for data. Airtel has finally provided its users with a reduced cost of acquiring data for their android device.

 

So if you are a android user which also has a airtel sim or you are a full airtel user than this will be good news for you, as now you can get higher data for reduced prices, Now to get straight to the point, there are two kind of the android data package and they are;
Airtel Android 2.0 Bundle : N2000 for 2 Gigs
Airtel Android 4.5 Bundle: N3,500 for 4.5 Gigs

Yea, not so big a change right? I know that but what can we say, we need data on our android devices, so let just keep hoping and praying that one day it will be lesser as to help everyone to be able to subscribe for data for their mobile phones and be able to surf the internet like how other countries are doing.

BURN RATE
1 kobo/kb from 9:59pm - 5:59am & 1.5 kobo/kb from 5:59am - 9:59pm

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Atiku Abubakar To Officially Declare Presidential Ambition September 24

Atiku Abubakar To Officially Declare Presidential Ambition September 24

Barring any last minute change of mind, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will on September 24, 2014 formally declare his intention to contest the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Premium Times reports.

When he finally declares his intention, it would be the fourth time the former vice president has shown interest in the nation’s highest office. The presidential election holds February 14, 2015.

Do you guys find this interesting ? please share your thoughts below.

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Japan Develops 30-Minute Ebola Detector

Following the upsurge in the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in West Africa, Japanese researchers say they have developed a new method to detect the presence of the deadly disease in 30 minutes.

According to Professor Jiro Yasuda and his team at Nagasaki University, the new technology they developed could allow doctors to quickly diagnose infection of the Ebola virus.


                                               Representational image

The team also stated that their process is also cheaper than the system currently in use in West Africa where the virus has already killed more than 1552 people, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO.

“The new method is simpler than the current one and can be used in countries where expensive testing equipment is not available,” Yasuda told AFP by telephone.

“We have yet to receive any questions or requests, but we are pleased to offer the system, which is ready to go,” he said.

Yasuda said the team had developed what he called a “primer”, which amplifies only those genes specific to the Ebola virus found in a blood sample or other bodily fluid.

Using existing techniques, ribonucleic acid (RNA) – biological molecules used in the coding of genes – is extracted from any viruses present in a blood sample.

This is then used to synthesise the viral DNA, which can be mixed with the primers and then heated to 60C to 65C.

If Ebola is present, DNA specific to the virus is amplified in 30 minutes because of the action of the primers. The by-products from the process cause the liquid to become cloudy, providing visual confirmation, Yasuda said.

It was gathered that a method called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is currently widely used to detect the Ebola virus, which requires doctors to heat and cool samples repeatedly and takes up to two hours.

“The new method only needs a small, battery-powered warmer and the entire system costs just tens of thousands of yen (hundreds of dollars), which developing countries should be able to afford,” he added.

No fewer than five countries in West Africa have confirmed cases of Ebola virus within their territories- Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal.

In Nigeria alone, six people have died from the dreaded disease since a Liberian businessman, Patrick Sawyer, brought the disease to Lagos on 20 July, 2014.

With more cases of the Ebola virus disease being reported in the country and suspected patients having to wait for days to confirm their status, maybe the new technology would help to reduce the waiting period.

sources;talkofnaija.com

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Don’t eat bush meat, Sultan warns Muslims

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll, on Tuesday warned the Muslim ummah (community) against the consumption of monkeys and bush meat to avoid contracting the dreaded Ebola virus.

Abubakar noted that since it was first confirmed medically that the disease was discovered in monkeys and fruit bats, it would be reasonable for Muslims to avoid such, including other bush meat.

A statement on behalf of the Sultan by the JNI’s Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar in Kaduna on Tuesday said, “As confirmed by medical experts, the disease was first discovered in monkeys and contacted by those who eat monkeys and other sources of bush meat. Alas, in Islam eating of monkeys had already been discouraged (Makruh), according to many scholars of Islamic jurisprudence. Thus, we should continue to uphold this verdict as it also serves as a preventative measure.”

He also urged Muslims to abide by all health tips for the prevention of the disease seriously, noting that the culture of personal hygiene as well as proper sanitation must always be emphasised

According to him, Islam is a religion of cleanliness, adding that as reported in a sound Hadith, “Cleanliness is half of faith.”

Therefore, the Sultan called on Imams and Ulama to continue sensitising their respective followers on the dangers of the disease and the preventive measures they are supposed to imbibe.

He added: “Nigeria has now joined the league of West African nations with the deadly Ebola outbreak. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were reported as taking the lead. The Nigeria Ebola case was first reported with the arrival of a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer with the disease in Lagos and subsequently died at a Lagos hospital”

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Bitter Kola is not a cure for Ebola

Assistant Health Minister for Preventive Services, Tolbert Nyenswah, has disputed media reports that the nut, ‘Garcinia Kola’, commonly known as bitter kola is a cure for Ebola. He said to date no vaccine or cure has been found for Ebola. A local daily reported on Tuesday that the nut had stopped the Ebola virus in test tubes in initial laboratory experiments, experts, including a Nigerian pharmacologist, revealed. According to the Liberia News Agency, Assistant Minister Nyenswah made the bitter kola-Ebola cure clarification at the regular Thursday Ministry of Information press briefing held at the Ministry in Monrovia. Meanwhile, Minister Nyenswah is calling on the public to report anyone or group of people administering vaccines supposedly for the prevention of Ebola or any form of drug or tablets, herbs or injections in the communities to the nearest police station. He said the Health Ministry is also calling on people not to listen to any information from unknown individuals or groups, except that provided by the Ministry of Health and partners. According to Mr. Nyensuah, anyone caught administering fake vaccine or tablets and even spreading wrong information on the Ebola disease would face prosecution. In a related development, the Assistant Health Minister has disclosed that 11 persons have survived the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia and that four additional counties have been re-categorized as response counties, bringing the total number of counties affected by theEbola virus in Liberia to seven. The counties are Montserrado, Margibi, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Bong, Lofa, and Nimba. Assistant Minister Nyenswah said as from July 16, 179 Ebola cases have been reported with 67 confirmed, while at least 105 deaths have been recorded with 48 confirmed Ebola deaths since the second wave of the Ebola virus outbreak in Liberia from May 29 to July 16, 2014.

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Ebola virus [you need to read]

Once again, #Ebola is in the news! Ebola is an illness that cause death in up to 9 out of every 10 persons infected. It is caused by a tiny particle called a virus. Some viruses cause mild illnesses (like common cold). Others like Ebola virus cause very severe illness and quite often, death. Ebola was first described in 1976 in Yambuku in the Ebola river basin of the then Zaire. Since then, there have been several outbreaks of the disease in West, Central and East Africa. Ebola is believed to have an animal reservoir, most likely bats but this has not been confirmed by research. Human beings and apes get infected by direct contact with infected tissue or body fluids. Ebola can be sexually transmitted through semen. Hunting for or eating "bush meat" may contribute to outbreaks of Ebola. Poor health facilities and burial rituals (for dead victims) lead to infections of medical workers and caregivers. Travel also helps spread the illness from country to country. About three days after exposure to infected material, symptoms of fever, severe headache, sore throat and body pains may appear. This may be mistaken for malaria or other common fevers. After these, a rash may appear in fair people. The eyes may become very bloodshot. Eventually, most organ systems in the body begin to fail and patients may be noticed to bleed excessively from different places. Most patients (40 - 90%) do not survive beyond this stage. Survivors begin to show a gradual recovery after 2 weeks of infection. Special tests are required to confirm Ebola. These tests are not readily available in most areas affected by these disease. Hence, Ebola outbreaks are usually full-blown before they are recognized. There is no specific treatment or cure for #Ebola. No preventive vaccine is currently available. Many drugs have been tried but with disappointing results.

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Malaysia says jetliner did not make distress call [MALAYSIA. PLANE. CRASH UPDATE]

Kuala Lumpur - The Malaysia Airlines jetliner that went down in war-torn Ukraine did not make any distress call, Malaysia's prime minister said on Friday, adding that its flight route had been declared safe by the global civil aviation body. Najib Razak, who addressed a middle-of-the-night news conference after speaking with leaders of Ukraine and the Netherlands, and to President Barack Obama, said "no stone will be left unturned" in finding out what happened to Flight 17 and the 298 people on board. It is the second tragedy to hit Malaysia Airlines this year. Its Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It has not been found, but the search has been concentrated in the Indian Ocean west of Australia. "This is a tragic day in what has already been a tragic year for Malaysia," Najib said. In both tragedies, the planes were the wide-bodied Boeing 777-200. Najib said that Ukrainian authorities believe Flight 17, which was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew, was shot down on Thursday. Among the passengers were three infants. A US official said American intelligence authorities believe a surface-to-air missile took down the plane, but it is not clear who fired it. He said it appears unlikely the Ukrainian government, which has denied responsibility, shot down the plane because it doesn't have the capabilities. Pro- Russia separatists fighting the government have also denied any responsibility. "At this stage, however, Malaysia is unable to verify the cause of this tragedy but we must, and we will, find out precisely what happened to this flight," Najib said. "If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice," he said. At least 27 of the victims were Australian, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday that authorities owed it to the families of the dead to find out what happened. "As things stand, this looks less like an accident than a crime. And if so, the perpetrators must be brought to justice," Abbott told parliament. Abbott said he thought Russia was behind the shooting down of the plane. "This is a grim day for our country and it's a grim day for our world," he said. "Malaysia Airlines MH17 has been shot down over the eastern Ukraine it seems by Russian-backed rebels." Najib said the aircraft flight route was declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The International Air Transportation Association had also stated that the air space that the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions, he said. Besides, "Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that the aircraft did not make a distress call." Still, a former head of airports security group BAA suggested that many airlines including Malaysia Airlines had continued to use the route despite warnings because it was shorter and cheaper. "It is a busy aviation route and there have been suggestions that a notice was given to aviators telling airlines to avoid that particular area," said Norman Shanks, who is a professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England. "But Malaysia Airlines, like a number of other carriers, have been continuing to use it because it is a shorter route, which means less fuel and therefore less money," he told The Associated Press. Hours after the disaster, Malaysia Airlines announced all European flights will henceforth take an alternative route. Najib said the Ukrainian government has promised a full and thorough investigation which will include Malaysian officials. He said they will also negotiate with rebels to "establish a humanitarian corridor to the crash site." In his conversation with Obama, Najib said they agreed that "the investigation must not be hindered in any way. An international team must have full access to the crash site. And no one must interfere with the area, or move any debris, including the black box."

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Meet The 24-Yr Old Who Spent Over $30k To Look Like Kim Kardashian

24 year old Claire Leeson, a London resident has spent almost £20,000 (more than $30,000) in plastic surgery to look more like her idol, Kim K.

She told This Morning that one of the main reasons she decided to look like Kim was because she was bullied and called ugly in school.

“I was told every day that I was the ‘ugliest thing alive’ and I should ‘kill myself.

When I left school friends would tell me that I had a resemblance to Kim. So, I watched [Keeping Up With the Kardashians] and realized I had the same amount of siblings and that we have the same kind of arguments and things going on.

I thought she was so beautiful and I really wanted to be like her.”CLAIRE who is now in debt said it’s worth it……

More pics below..



The real Kim above…..Claire below….

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The MBGN Tourism 2012 is marrying her man Jude Okoye today in Anambra state, SEE PICS

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'Those who want to take power through the back door will die' - Gov Akpabio

The Governor of Akwa Ibom state Godswill Akpabio has pronounced death on any politician who tries to gain political power through the backdoor come 2015, adding that the PDP in the state will continue ruling the state.

The Governor made this declaration yesterday July 16th at the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the new PDP Secretariat in Uyo, the state capital.

He also stated that all those who betrayed him in politics would not enter into the government house "Just as God threw Lucifer unto the Earth, those who have betrayed the governor of Akwa Ibom State will not enter the Government House. And because of impatience, Absalom (son to King David) wanted to take over by killing King David.

And when David heard, he asked the people to leave him. This did not end up well with Absalom. He died before his father. Those who want to take power through the backdoor will die and the PDP will continue,” he said.

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Boko Haram claims responsibility for Lagos blast

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has claimed responsibility for two explosions on June 25 at a fuel depot in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub.

“A bomb went off in Lagos. I ordered (the bomber) who went and detonated it,” Shekau said, according to the French news agency, which is usually the first to get hold of Shekau’s videos before they are distributed online.

The two blasts minutes apart last month in the country’s main port, Apapa, were almost certainly caused by bombs, three senior security sources and the manager of a major container company told a news agency. One was most likely the work of a female suicide bomber, they said.

Authorities said the blasts on Creek road were an accident caused by a gas canister, but the security sources told the agency that was a coverup meant to avoid panic in the southwestern city of 21 million people. At least two people were killed.

sources;punch

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SO SAD: 21-Yr-Old Student Commits s*****e After Been Jilted By Lover

FRIENDS and family members of a 21-year-old student of Maritime Academy Oron, Effiong Otu are at a loss why he committed s*****e by hanging himself on a rope in his room on Thursday morning after he was jilted by his girl friend.

Ann, a family member told Vanguard that Effiong was found hanging in his room at Diamond Hill, a few minutes after he collected a rope from neighbours who became suspicious soon after he went inside his room with the rope wondering what he wanted to use it for.

According to the source, when his mother Grace Otu, a nurse at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital left the house at about 3pm on that fateful day, the young man borrowed a rope and killed himself.

According Ann: “The 10th of July was the 10th anniversary of his father’s death in a car accident and after the anniversary and everyone had left the house including his mother, he went to a neighbour and borrowed a rope which he took to his room and hung himself.”

Ann said: “The neighbours became suspicious of what he was doing in his room with the rope and decided to rush there but found the door to the room locked and before they could force the door open he had died.



She said before he hung himself, he called one of his friends, Adu on phone requesting him to tell his girl friend, Blessing who works with the UNICEM that she should now be happy that he has killed himself for her.

“Before his friend could rush to the house, the door had already been forced open by neighbours and Effiong’s body was hanging from the ceiling of the house”.

Ann stated that Effiong was an only son of the family and was given the late father’s name as a source of succor for the family but “he has again left us by this thoughtless action”

Perhaps to give an inkling of his planned action , Effiong had posted his face book page on the 6th of July the following message “It’s not about being engaged, married or in a relationship. It’s about being happy, safe, secured, relieved and feeling good. It’s about peaceful state of mind, it’s about sleeping at night without the fear of losing what you’ve got.

It’s being yourself and not someone else, it’s about feeling loved, happy, respected, understood, cared for and appreciated.! Goodnight my beautiful people!!

Efforts to speak with Hogan Bassey, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer did not yield any success as his phone was switched off. Effiong’s body has been removed and de[posited at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Calabar
sources; naijaloaded.com

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Drake and Chris Brown Put Aside Their Differences, In Studio Together For A New Song

Two years ago, Drake and Chris Brown’s rivalry over Rihanna came to a head with a fight at a night club in New York. Finally theyve decided to put aside their differences, they are in the studio together. A friend of Chris who tweeted the pic said the former rivals are making a song together.

To some fans of chris brown & drake its a surprise and people might as well be wondering what rihanna’s feelings would look like. lool.

when your ex’s became friends…

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TOO BAD: LASTMA Official Allegedly Beats Motorist To Convulsion [See Photo]

A LASTMA official by the name Asorona stopped a car he claimed had violated traffic rules, removed the man from the car and allegedly assaulted him around 7.30 am this morning on Tuesday July 08 in front of BRT yard at Ketu bus stop.

He and his colleagues also seized the man’s car. And before anyone knew what was happening, the young man fell down on the road into convulsion, shaking, according to eye witnesses, like an epileptic patient.

As the LASTMA official tried to leave the scene, he was surrounded by passersby who insisted he must stay there to see what happens to the man.

See more photos below:







- Sources;naijaloaded.com

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Boko Haram Attacks Put A Stop To Aid Work In North Cameroon

                                               Cameroon's Minister of Communication,

                                                             Issa Tchiroma Bakari

Aid and infrastructure projects in Cameroon's Far North region have been suspended due to high levels of insecurity caused by the Islamist group Boko Haram, reports AlertNet, a branch of the Thompson Reuters Foundation.

While the Boko Haram is based in northern Nigeria, the group’s impact is felt in a number of countries that border the region, including Cameroon.

With much relief and development work by the government and international organizations to help protect people from climate impacts now on hold, living conditions are becoming precarious for the Far North's impoverished population ahead of the rainy season in the coming months.

On a visit to the area last month, Cameroon's minister of communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakari, said local people and the authorities are paying the cost of cross-border Boko Haram attacks and abductions, which have led to an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.

Boko Haram, which evolved from a clerical movement, is fighting for an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria. The insurgents' behavior - especially killing civilians and kidnapping girls - has provoked international condemnation.

The Cameroon government has increased its military presence in the region near the group's base in northern Nigeria, to protect people from Boko Haram's violence. Its activities in Cameroon are thought to be motivated by the prospect of financial gain from ransom demands, the minister said.

The group is thought to be behind the kidnappings of a French family, three foreign priests and a nun in the past 18 months, with Reuters having seen evidence that a ransom of over $3 million U.S. dollars was reportedly paid to Boko Haram to free the family of seven.

"The attacks and killing of innocent persons in the Far North region are a serious cause for concern. People can no longer go about their activities as before, while many development activities in the region have been temporarily halted for fear of being ambushed," Bakari said.

"This is really dangerous because we all know how vulnerable this region is, plagued with high malnutrition and poverty due to its extreme climate," he added.

Cherif Musa, a local council worker in Maroua, told Thomson Reuters Foundation people have become wary of staying out late due to the risk of attacks. Bars are shut after 9pm and gatherings after that time are banned, he added.

sources;sahara reporters

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Osun: Two injured as new school building collapses

    the collapsed building

Residents of Ejigbo town in Osun State were on Wednesday woken up by the noise of the structure which collapsed at the newly completed Ejigbo High School.

Our correspondent gathered that part of the school which had been completed and ready for inauguration collapsed at around 5.30am.

Some persons were reportedly injured, but there was no death recorded as the structure had yet to be occupied by pupils.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola had on Tuesday at his campaign rally in Ede listed the new school as one of the most beautiful schools in the country.

The administration built the school following the introduction of school restructuring by the incumbent governor.

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Ayo Olowe, told our correspondent that the building collapsed around 5am.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, said the school building came down due to heavy wind.

She said that the preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the building collapsed following a heavy wind on Wednesday morning.

She said, “The building collapsed due to heavy wind which blew this morning. Two artisans laying tiles sustained injuries. They were treated and have been discharged.”

The governor, while reacting to the incident in a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said,
 “The Government of the State of Osun regrets to inform members of the public about the suspect incidence of the collapse of the main hall of the newly completed ultra-modern Ejigbo High School.

“Information at the disposal of the government indicates that the main hall which had been completed along with other classrooms of the school came down at about 6am Wednesday after a loud bang.

“As a responsible government, it is too early for us to say what the exact cause of the collapse is until we have full investigations and advice of professionals.

“However, it must be stated here that all necessary quality assurance tests were carried out to ensure structural durability and integrity of the project.

“Engineers from the Osun Ministry of Works and engineers from the Structural Engineering section of the Nigerian Society of Engineers have been dispatched to the site to establish the real cause of this unfortunate incident.”

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Sunday Akere, had earlier in a telephone interview with our correspondent blamed the collapse on sabotage.

He said that some residents of the town claimed that low calibre explosive was used to blow up part of the structure.

The Director of publicity, Research and Strategy of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, accused the Peoples Democratic Party of being behind the collapse.

He said, “I can tell you this categorically that the PDP sabotaged the structure. Investigation is going on.”

But the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Bola Ajao, denied the allegation. He said it was unfortunate that the school building collapsed.

Ajao said, “They are driven by what they will gain from everything. They used substandard products and now they are blaming it on PDP.”

sources; punch

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Boko Haram: Jonathan admits Nigeria passing through stress

                                                           President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday admitted that the country was currently passing through stress orchestrated by the violence being perpetrated by members of the Boko Haram sect.

He said that was why his administration had resolved to tackle the insurgency from different fronts.
Jonathan spoke while inaugurating a steering committee for the Safe Schools Initiative, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The committee, which is co-chaired by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and a former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, also has the likes of Aliko Dangote, Nduka Obaigbena, as well as governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, among others as members.

He said, “This country is passing through stress within this period, caused by the excesses of the Boko Haram sect and our government has been approaching it from different fronts.

“We always insist that the defence or security does not end terror but we need to stop collateral damage on innocent people.

“For us to win the war, we need to look at it holistically: economic issues, educational issues, religious issues and socio-cultural issues, among others.

“At the federal level, we have the Presidential Initiative on the North-East. They are looking at the totality of what the Federal Government can do in collaboration with stakeholders.”

The President said he had already received a copy of the report of the North-East Economic Summit, and that based on that report, his administration was looking at areas where government would come in.

He said the Safe Schools Initiative was one of the areas, where his government was intervening.

He decried the high rate of school dropout in some of the states, which he said, had risen to 70 per cent in some states, saying that was not acceptable to his administration.

He said Brown pioneered the initiative with government to see how they could tap global fund for school security.

Jonathan said he would also set up a Victims Support Fund, to assist victims of terror attacks.

He said he would launch the fund on July 16.

The President said, “We are also coming up with a package. Because we know that we need to intervene to cushion the effect of Boko Haram. So many people have been killed; we have widows and orphans. Properties have been destroyed, schools burnt.

“Government is also coming up with what we call Victims Support Fund. We believe that government alone cannot cushion the effect. We want to mobilise resources within and outside Nigeria, just like we did during the flood of 2012.

“We are trying to get somebody that will head that fund. We are looking at the 16th of this month to formally launch the fund. Government will put something and individuals will do too.”

Jonathan said the safety of Nigerian children and the security of their education must be paramount to all stakeholders.

He said tragic occurrences, like the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, must not happen again in the country.

“In line with this, we have designed this initiative to enhance the safety of our children and the teachers within the school environment and maintain the confidence of parents in sending and keeping their children in school.

“Education and skill acquisition are key to the advancement of our country and ensuring the employment potential of our youths.

“In Borno State today, for example, children, especially girls, are not going to school because of the risk they face from terrorism and violence. This is not acceptable.

“I understand we can only make schools safer within the context of a secured nation but I want to assure you that my government will do everything possible to ensure safety of lives and property nationwide. We have challenges; we are confronting it and we will surely overcome,” he said.

Jonathan disclosed that in tackling insurgency, his administration was deploying a three-point strategy that focuses on security, seeking political solution as well as economic solution through various economic empowerment and job creation programme all directed at combating insecurity.

sources;punch

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List Of Most Expensive Universities In Nigeria

       BABCOCK UNIVERSITY

Gone are the days when university education was free! It now costs a fortune to have your child educated in a private university. Parents part with as much as N3 million per year for their child to earn a degree in a private university. The advent of missionary schools has not even helped matters.


List Of Most Expensive Universities In Nigeria

This is a private Christian co-educational university owned and operated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Nigeria. The university was established as the Adventist College of West Africa (ACWA) in 1957. Their school fee ranges from N620,000 to N3 million



In Babcock University, your meal and hostel defines your fee. It offers two and three daily meal services. And for accommodation, there are three to seven students in a room. When it comes to accommodation, it depends on your choice. Either it is regular (7 in a room), premium (4 in a room) or classic (3 or 2 in a room).


Here is a breakdown of Babcock school fees: Medicine: N3 million, Law: N2 million, Accounting: N1.5 million, Nursing: N1 million, other faculties: N860,000 – N620,000.


AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA (ABTI)

ABTI is the first Nigerian university with American structure and curriculum. It is in north eastern Nigeria, Yola, capital of Adamawa State. At ABTI, students pay as much as N1,378,500 to receive quality education. Parents, however, pay in dollars.


For tuition: $6,600 (N990,000), meals: $1,900 (285,000), four in a room: $500 (N75,000), private room: $1,900 – N285,000). In total, it amounts to N1,378,500 per annum.

Accommodation and feeding are taken care by the school.

AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY

Afe Babalola University is a private higher institution in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. It was established in 2009 by Nigeria’s foremost lawyer and legal icon, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN). The fee covers tuition, development levy, ICT, ID card, medical, sports, PTCF levy, course registration, caution fee and accommodation which is either four per room or two per room.

Here is a breakdown of their school fees:

For Engineering: N925,000 (4 beds) and N1,075,000 (2 beds).

Health Science: N725,000 (4 beds) and N875,000 (2 beds)

Sciences: N675,000 (4 beds) and N825,000 (2 beds)

Social Management Science: N675,000 (4 beds) and N825,000 (2 beds)

The fee ranges from N675,000 to N1,075,000 annually. There is no provision for feeding.

IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY

The university came into existence following the presentation of certificate of approval on May 16, 1999. Thus, it became the first licensed private university in Nigeria. The tuition ranges from N540,000 to N820,000 without feeding.

For Medicine, Pharmacy, Law and Engineering, they pay a tuition of N610,000, accommodation: N100,000 and other facilities: N110,000.

BOWEN UNIVERSITY

It is owned and operated by the Nigerian Baptist Convention, at Iwo in Osun State and opened November 4, 2002. The tuition fee ranges from N500,000 to N750,000 per annum. The university is only responsible for accommodation and tuition. Students are made to buy their food from the cafeteria.

CRAWFORD UNIVERSITY

Crawford University is a private Christian institution in Igbesa, Nigeria. It was established in 2005. The school provides accommodation for students but does not provide feeding. Parents only pay for tuition, accommodation and some additional charges. The school fee ranges from N400,000 to N600,000.

REDEEMER’S UNIVERSITY

Redeemer’s University is a Christian school located in Redemption City, Ogun State, Nigeria. It was opened in 2005. At Redeemers, Natural Science pays N605,000, Management Sciences; N575,000 and Humanities pays N545,000. All this fees are paid without feeding but tuition and accommodation. We can see that the fees range from N500,000 to N650,000 per annum.

- Sources;naijaloaded.com

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Nigeria’s Police Chief Accused Of Investment Fraud

A human rights group named Paths of Peace has accused Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, of defrauding police officers of billions of naira in a dubious investment scam.

IG of Police, MD Abubakar

In a petition to the Senate, the group demanded that Mr. Abubakar be probed over the alleged multi-billion-naira scheme that reportedly affects every police officer in the country. Paths of Peace (PoP), a non-governmental organization that wrote the petition, stated that its objective was to fight for the rights of the oppressed.


The petition, which was submitted to various Senate Committees, including the Committee on Petition and Privileges and the House Committee on Diaspora, alleged that Mr. Mohammed deducts N11,000 from each police officer’ account each month. The petition stated that the deductions are part of a scam perpetrated through the so-called “mechanized salary section” (MSS). The measure allows police authorities to cut the salaries of officers and to divert the deductions into what is called a mortgage bank called Fokas Savings and Loans Limited.






The petition disclosed that the deductions were purportedly to be used to buy shares for all police officers. However, none of the officers ever received any certificates or documents detailing the ownership of shares or the size of their shares.






PoP’s spokesman, Dandy Eze, stated that the Senate had previously ordered the IG to stop the illegal deductions from officers’ salaries. Mr. Eze disclosed that Mr. Abubakar had not heeded the Senate’s order.

According to the petition, the IG never refunded the deducted funds to police officers. The petition also accused Mr. Abubakar of flouting the legislature’s order by continuing to make further deductions from police officers' accounts.

PoP urged the Senate to intervene and to prevail on the Inspector General to stop making any more deductions and also to refund what he had so far deducted from police officers’ accounts.

sources;sahara reporters

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