FINALLY, BUHARI ADMIT: THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO NIGERIA'S PROBLEM.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday admitted that there are no easy solutions to the mirage of problems bedeviling The country.

He however assured Nigerians that his administration is earnestly pursuing the solutions available to it with a view to repositioning the country.

Buhari said this in his nationwide broadcast to the nation in commemoration of Nigeria’s 56th Independence Anniversary.

Describing economies behaviour as cyclical, the President said all countries face ups and downs.

He attributed the recession being witnessed in the country to shortage of foreign exchange and the violence being perpetrated by the Niger Delta Avengers.

He however assured Nigerians that the problems are temporary.

Buhari said, “Our own recession has been brought about by a critical shortage of foreign exchange. Oil price dropped from an average of $100 per barrel over the last decade to an average of $40 per barrel this year and last.

“Worse still, the damage perpetrated by Niger Delta thugs on pipelines sometimes reduced Nigeria’s production to below one million barrels per day against the normal 2.2million barrels per day. Consequently, the naira is at its weakest, but the situation will stabilise.

“But this is only temporary. Historically about half our dollar export earnings go to importation of petroleum and food products! Nothing was saved for the rainy days during the periods of prosperity. We are now reaping the whirlwinds of corruption, recklessness and impunity.

“There are no easy solutions, but there are solutions nonetheless and Government is pursuing them in earnest. We are to repair our four refineries so that Nigeria can produce most of our petrol requirements locally, pending the coming on stream of new refineries. That way we will save $10bin yearly in importing fuel.”

On the economic crisis facing the county, Buhari said he was aware of the difficulties being faced by Nigerians.

He said he was aware that many families could not afford to pay children’s school fees or buy foods at exorbitant prices while many others are unemployed.

He added that as a salary earner all his adult life, he is also aware of the problem inherent in insufficient salary.

Amidst all these, Buhari assured Nigerians that the economic crisis would not last.

The President said, “I know that uppermost in your minds today is the economic crisis. The recession for many individuals and families is real.

“For some It means not being able to pay school fees, for others it’s not being able to afford the high cost of food (rice and millet) or the high cost of local or international travel, and for many of our young people the recession means joblessness, sometimes after graduating from university or polytechnic.

“I know how difficult things are, and how rough business is. All my adult life I have always earned a salary and I know what it is like when your salary simply is not enough. In every part of our nation people are making incredible sacrifices.

“But let me say to all Nigerians today, I ran for office four times to make the point that we can rule this nation with honesty and transparency, that we can stop the stealing of Nigeria’s resources so that the resources could be used to provide jobs for our young people, security, infrastructure for commerce, education and healthcare.

“I ran for office because I know that good government is the only way to ensure prosperity and abundance for all. I remain resolutely committed to this objective.

“I believe that this recession will not last. Temporary problems should not blind or divert us from the corrective course this government has charted for our nation. We have identified the country’s salient problems and we are working hard at lasting solutions.

“To re-cap what I have been saying since the inception of this administration, our problems are security, corruption and the economy, especially unemployment and the alarming level of poverty.”

The President insisted that on security, his administration had made progress by defeating the Boko Haram last December, leaving the sect resorting to cowardly attacks on soft targets, killing innocent men, women and children.

Besides Boko Haram, Buhari said his administration was confronting other long-running security issues, including herdsmen vs farmers, cattle rustling, kidnappings, saying the government is firmly resolved to tackle these challenges and to defeat them.

He again read the Riot Act to Niger Delta militants who have been vandalising oil installations, saying his administration would no longer tolerate their excesses.

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MEET A GENIUS FROM IKORODU WHO HAD A1 PARALLEL IN WAEC 2016

Who said there is no genius in Ikorodu?

A young Lady as emerge as the over all best student in Ikorodu; bagging home with A1 parallel in all her subject [WAEC 2016]

She was born without a Silver spoon.

She struggle with her parent to make ends meet.

Yet she remained focus.

Her name is: OLUWADAMILARE CAROLINE OMOLOLA

SCHOOL: KEME BALOGUN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IBESHE.

STATE OF ORIGIN: EKITI

She was well received by the likes of Hon Jimi Benson, Hon Sanai Agunbiade, Oba of Ibeshe, Lagos State Commission for Sport. Some of which vowed to make sure that she gains admission into the university and to see her through..

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NIGERIA IS 56, SO WHAT'S NEXT?

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UNILAG CLOSE MAIN CAMPUS OVER STUDENT PROTEST

The aggrieved students were said to be protesting against the rustication of some members of the students' union.

The rusticated students were leaders of the students’ body that led a protest in April over poor electricity and water supply in the community, and the difficulty faced by a large number of students living off campus to attend classes as a result of the fuel crisis.

Members of the suspended University of Lagos Students Union (ULSU) executive had earlier in the month protested what they described as an “unjust rustication” of the union members.

The aggrieved students gathered at the school’s Senate building to demand thorough investigation of the suspensions of the students’ leaders, ranging from two to four semesters, for their role in a protest that led to the closure of the university in April.

It just doesn’t make sense that a Vice Chancellor should have the power to decide that he’d shut down his school every time he feels hot. That’s not why he was appointed. We think that if he attempts to fix the underlying issues, he won’t have to deal with angry protests that will irk him anymore.

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MEET GIRL WHO HAD A1 IN ALL HER SUBJECT IN WAEC AND GOT SCHOLARSHIP UP TO Ph.D

Beautiful Miss Faizal Abu bakar Sani, 17, a former student of Olumawu School, Abuja, is a focused young girl. When she was writing her West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination, few months ago, little did she know that the examination would earn her a scholarship to study any course of her choice in any university in the world of her choosing.

Faizal, who was celebrated by her alma-mater, Olumawu School, Abuja; had nine A1 in the May/June 2016 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). She had A1 in English Language, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computer Studies, Civic Education and Marketing. The result was adjudged by her school and Kano State government as the best ever in the state.

Faizal who spoke with Vanguard said: “I will like to study Medicine in any of the famous universities abroad. Meanwhile, I have been offered admission by at least seven universities in the United Kingdom and one university in Egypt, to study medicine.’’

On her reading habit, Faizal said: “I have no specific study hour because most times I study until I get tired and often fall asleep.”

She added that, “My mother contributed greatly to my academic success, because she encourages and grooms me. My father is a businessman who paid my school fees.’’

On the early marriage in the north, as opposed to education for some girls, Faizal mum said: “I do not have a problem with early marriage if the girl is already matured. The important thing is that whoever is getting married should be focused.”

She continued, “Even though I got married at an early age, I knew where I wanted to be and education was my primary focus. I achieved a lot in education. I might not have been an A1 student like her (my daughter), but I was good in many courses in school.”

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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REINTRODUCE HISTORY STUDIES TO SCHOOL

Paul Obi in Abuja Following the outcry that trailed the suspension of History as a taught subject in schools nationwide, the federal government on Thursday reinstated it across basic schools in the country.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who called for the disarticulation of Social Studies in the current curriculum of basic schools and reintroduction of History as a subject, said this had become imperative given the critical nature of History to the nation’s socio-political development.

The minister made the statement in Abuja yesterday while addressing delegates at the 61st meeting of the National Council on Education Ministerial Session.

The minister also urged the council to consider making the study of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) compulsory for Christians and Muslims to the end of Senior Secondary School.

Adamu said the reintroduction of History as a subject would give the Nigerian child a self-identity of who they really are.

He added that Nigeria owes present and future generations the responsibility of removing all inhibitions against opportunities of acquiring morals and ethics as taught in religious traditions.

“It is only the study of history, our own history, that can explain and give meaning to our very humanity and that is why we must study it and teach our little ones. And it is also not enough that they merely know who they are, we must teach them about their God.

“Since it is said that if you want to destroy any nation, it is said that first the family must be destroyed, then education is destroyed, and the third are social morals that are destroyed, so in Nigeria we owe both present and future generations the responsibility of removing all inhibitions against making our children acquire morals and ethics,” he said.

At the council’s meeting, the minister also launched the National Teacher Education Policy (NTEP) and the National Quality Assurance Policy (NPEQ).

According to the minister, NPEQ is an assurance system for institutions below tertiary level and expected standards of practice in Nigeria while NTEP identifies the pivotal role of qualified teachers in the provision of quality education at all levels.

“The objective is to produce highly skilled knowledgeable and creative teachers who are capable of producing globally competitive students. The policy also seeks to ensure that teachers are recruited, trained and re-trained based on explicit standards,” he said.

On the school feeding programme and the recruitment of 500,000 teachers nationwide, the Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education, Zakari Muhammed, at the meeting expressed concern over the programmes, saying that legislators might face challenges with programme monitoring and evaluation, as they are not directly domiciled under the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Shamzu Abubakar, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Science and Technology in the state, called on the federal government to channel all resources to the grassroots across the state and local governments.

He also called on the federal government to concentrate more on monitoring and evaluation to ensure adequate review of the developmental strategic plan.

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Can you imagine! Nigerian soldier and police exchange gun fire because of Ramadan rice and semovita

At least one person was injured Thursday at the Borno State government house when soldiers and police exchanged fire as they fought over food items distributed by the government to mark the Ramadan fast.
The government has since Monday distributed large amounts of rice and Semovita to poor residents.
On Thursday, thousands of people converged at the entrance of the government building in Maiduguri, forming a lengthy queue of men, women and the aged who hoped for either a 25kg bag of rice or Semovita, or both.
As the distribution started, police barred vehicles from accessing the venue, except those on special permission.
At about 11am, a Nigerian Army truck showed up, insisting on gaining access to the venue where rice and Semovita were being shared.
Suspecting that the soldiers were trying to help themselves to the handouts, police officers demanded they turn back immediately.
This led to an argument and an angry soldier allegedly opened fire, injuring a policeman in the leg, witnesses said.
One of the army officers drafted to help control the crowd, identified only as Idris, a lieutenant, did not go free, as angry policemen who accused him of instigating the crisis, beat him up.

read the full gist here
premiumtimes

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FUTA delivered four student to represent Nigeria in Bulgaria

Four students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, who came tops at the National Mathematical Centre’s 8th National Mathematics Competition for University Students (NAMCUS 2016) in Nigeria, will represent the country at the international Mathematics competition organised by the University College, London, holding in America University, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

The FUTA team comprise Michael Omolaja, a 500 level student, who clinched a gold; Mary Akinade and Segun Ofe, both 500 level students, silver medals, and Desmond Dike, 300 level, bronze. FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebiyi Daramola, congratulated the team and their supervisors,

Dr. Babatope Omolofe and Mr. Ayodeji Afolabi, describing their feat as testimony to the institution’s excellence.

 Source at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/futa-students-represent-nigeria-bulgaria/

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Graduates don't have a choice... Over one million applicants applied for Police job in Nigeria

It was an irony of sorts when the Police Service Commission (PSC)  recently invited applications from qualified Nigerians for recruitment into the Force based on President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the recruitment of 10,000 policemen.  The Commission had advertised for the hiring  of 500 Cadet ASPs, 500 Cadet Inspectors, 1,500 Specialist Officers and 7, 500 Constables. Within a few days of the advertisement, officials of the  PSC were astounded, if not shocked, by the response from applicants. According to Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the Commission, between April 24 and May 2, 2016 no fewer than 843,008 applications had been received.

 A breakdown of this showed that  243,327 applications were received for ASP cadre, while 197,990 and 401,691 applied for the Inspector and Police Constable cadres, respectively. Soon after, the figure rose to over one million applicants, leaving many wondering if the Police was indeed as unpopular as generally held. Even the Inspector General of Police could not help but exclaim that he “never knew Nigerians liked the police this much that such a gargantuan number wants to join the Force.” It is, however, obvious that the stampede for police jobs has little to do with “popularity”. 

With an unemployment rate of 36.8 per cent of Nigeria’s over 170 million people, jobless Nigerians certainly cannot be too choosy when positions are advertised by any organisation. This was what informed the response by 6.5 million applicants to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment in March 2014, which ended tragically with the death of 23 job seekers during a recruitment test. The Police authorities have to exercise extreme care in this recruitment drive, ensuring that only people who are suitably qualified with impeccable characters and backgrounds will be brought on board. 

The process of ascertaining this must be very painstaking to keep out bad eggs. The large number of applicants for every job opening, is an enduring warning bell over the worrisome unemployment situation. We urge governments at all levels to come up with radical ideas to put more of our idle youth to work and reduce the social consequences of high unemployment.

Source at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/one-million-chasing-10000-police-jobs/

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LASU VICE CHANCELLOR EXTENDS STUDENTS’ SECOND SEMESTER RESUMPTION DATE

Due to the various renovation works on-going at the University Campus and preparation for the forthcoming 20th Convocation Ceremonies.

The Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, Prof. ‘Lanre Fagbohun, on behalf of the University Senate has given an executive approval to the resumption date of the Full-Time undergraduate students of the University.

 The new resumption date for the students is now Wednesday, 1st June, 2016, for the Second Semester, 2015/2016 Academic Session.

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INSUFFICIENCY OF #19,800 AS MONTHLY ALLOWANCE FOR CORP MEMBERS

In an attempt to give the above issue raised a critical coloration, I must start by saying that the begging question of whether the monthly allowance of 19,800 naira for corps members be increased cannot be over-emphasized. The meat of my argument in support of same is in three-fold.
In the first place, it goes without saying that present day realities and pragmatism reveals that there is more finance required for the personal upkeep of corps members. As such, we need not dilly-dally over the fact that the present day economic realities of the country makes it practically impossible for a corps member to go about is activities and upkeep for the month with just such a stipend as #19,800. In this light, the Government should give it a serious rethink.
In another breath, of a truth, motivation plays a vital role in any form of human endeavor or venture. The NYSC scheme is not an exception to this. The corps members should always be financially motivated aside the allowance which, as it even stands seems inadequate. The gist of my argument is this- Corps Members should have other means of cash inflow in which the government will be responsible for same. Though, some may argue on the contrary advancing the argument that Corps Members get some money from their places of primary assignment which helps to consolidate the allowance received from federal government. Well, such an argument is a different kettle of fish. As such, it is crystal clear that some of this private firms seek the services of these corps members all with the apocryphal motive to have them as cheap labour.


In the third place, I pray for an upward review of the allowance given to corps members by the Federal Government on the strength saving habit could be encouraged among corps members as they can start up something as entrepreneurs after their service year. When such upward review is effected, corps members will find it easy to raise capital. Though some may argue that saving habit can be encouraged whether or not the allowance is increased. But, I must ask such persons how realistically possible is it to safe any dine out of #19,800 which is insufficient in the first place? The answer seems to be no. So, an upward review of the allowance will go a long way in encouraging saving habits among corps members.
To this end, I respectfully recommend an upward review of the corps members monthly allowance from #19,800 to #40,000 In conclusion, I am of the opinion that the purpose of Government is to cater for the welfare of its citizenry. In this light, the Government should put its hands of deck to savage the issues of the country as it affects corps members.
From corp member Taiwo Oluwasegun LL.B,B.L


It isn't enough...some of us are posted to organizations dat dont pay corpers and dont provide accomodatn.Itz out of ds 19800 dat we pay our house rents.., transport ourselves to our ppa, feeding too is there&transportatn to our various cds centres and of cos notin is even left for purchase of clothes and toiletries.It is well wt Nigeria
Corp member Omotola from akure batch A 2013


It's never enough. Because no amount can compensate what some some corps members are going through during service year. I remember few years back when the allowance used to be #8,850. And in the future when it will be raised, it will not be enough. The simple answer is-it will never be enough.
From ex corp member batch c 2013

whats your say about this

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