Conduct
JAMB boss lists major challenges
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) said malpractice and indiscipline are some of the board’s major challenges yet to be fully addressed. The Registrar made this known when members of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education visited the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja on Monday. Oloyede said that the challenges, unfortunately, were mostly with regards to parents trying to bend the system by all means and get their wards or children into schools, irrespective of their performance. “Our challenge remains examination malpractice, especially with regards to parents who keep calling me to favour their wards or children whether they meet the requirements of the system or not. “There’s also indiscipline from the tertiary institutions...
Anambra election: 22 political parties storm INEC office, want participation
Twenty-two political parties, on Friday, stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Abuja, to submit names and particulars of candidates for the November 6 Anambra governorship election. The parties, which were part of the 74 political parties deregistered by INEC last year, insisted that they must be on the ballot as they had obtained a declarative judgment by the Appeal Court quashing their deregistration by the INEC. The electoral body, however, rejected their request, insisting that the parties remained deregistered. It would be recalled that the parties had, on March 18 this year, submitted letters of notice for the conduct of the governorship primaries for the Anambra poll. But INEC, then, in a swift reaction, signed by INEC National Commissi...
House concurs with Senate, approves $6.183 billion external loan request
The House of Representatives has approved the federal government’s request for $6.183 billion (N2.343 trillion) as external borrowing in 2021 Appropriation Act. The approval followed the consideration and adoption of clauses in the report presented by the committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management, chaired by Hon. Ahmed Dayyabu Safana. The House also gave approval for the bill seeking to establish a Defence Research and Development Bureau (DRDB) to conduct and coordinate robust research and development in the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The approval was sequel to the consideration and adoption of the 5 parts and 34 Sections of the Bill’s report, presented by Chairman House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson. Presenting the report, Benson said the objective of the Bureau was to condu...
NSITF raises N180 billion from employers’ enrollment in 10 years
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Michael Akabogu, has revealed that the agency has raised N180 billion from employers’ enrollment from July 2011-May 30, 2021. He also said that plans were afoot to plug revenue leakages, even as he warned the public to be wary of fraudsters masquerading as agents of NSITF. At an interactive session with Finance Journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Akabogu also stated that the scheme has registered almost 200,000 employers. Out of this number, 170,000 employers are actively involved in the scheme by making their contributions steadfastly. He added: “We have collected both from the private sector who have contributed about 80% of the total revenue and we have collected from the government and all other agencies, so we...
Nigerian army chief charges troops to be decisive against terrorists
The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Faruk Yahaya, has charged troops of Operation Hadin Kai to be decisive and alert in the fight against the Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram terrorists in North East Nigeria. The COAS, according to a statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, on Sunday stated this while addressing troops of Sector 3 Operation Hadin Kai/Multinational Joint Task Force, Monguno. He was said to have embarked on his maiden operational tour of the sector on Saturday. The statement was titled ‘Be decisive and alert in countering insurgency – COAS tells Sector 3 OPHK/MNJTF troops.’ It read, “General Faruk Yahaya lauded the level of discipline and commitment to duty exhibited by troops of the Sector. He, however, admonished them to be apo...
Ogun council poll: OGSIEC cancels nomination fees for chairmanship, councillorship candidates
Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has cancelled the nomination fee deposit for Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates in the forthcoming local government elections in the state for all political parties. OGSIEC’s Chairman, Babatunde Osibodu, made this known while fielding questions from newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday. He explained that though, OGSIEC had in the guidelines released earlier, stipulated the payment of non-refundable deposit of N200,000 and N100,000 by intending candidates nominated and cleared to contest the chairmanship and councillorship elections in the LG poll, the fees have now been cancelled by the electoral body. “You will recall that we had earlier asked male Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates to make a non-refu...
Plateau council poll: PDP accuses PLASIEC of plotting to exclude party in election
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau State, has raised the alarm over plan by Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to exclude the party from the October, 2021 Local Government Election in the state. Secretary, PDP Caretaker Committee, Plateau State, Hon. Patrick Ogbu disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Jos and vowed that the party will resist such attempt. He noted that the Caretaker Committee was drafted to the state following a court judgment that ordered fresh State Congress to elect officers of the party and on resumption, the committee invited PLASIEC to participate in their up coming local government party primaries but didn’t show up. “Based on the election guidelines and timetable released by PLASIEC, our great party in line wit...
Commissioners urge partners to support ongoing efforts to ensure security in schools
The Commissioners of Education in the 19 Northern States have urged development partners to support the ongoing efforts to ensure security in schools. The commissioners made the call in a communique issued in Kaduna on Wednesday, at the end of a meeting on Students Exchange Programme (SEP), held in Kano. The communique was signed by the Chairman, Shehu Muhammad, who is also the Commissioner of Education, Kaduna State. The meeting was organised to discuss pressing issues affecting education in the region. The commissioners suggested that community members and education ‘stakeholders’ be part of the security architecture to ensuring security in schools in the region and the country. They appealed to the federal, state governments, development partners, parents, non-governmental organisations...
Official: PDP focused on taking over government in Anambra
File Photo The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra, Ndubuisi Nwobu, said the party remains focused to take over the state in the upcoming governorship poll. Nwobu said this in an interview with newsmen in Awka on Tuesday, adding that he would not be distracted by those trying to destabilise the party in the state. He lauded the National Executive Committee of the party for organising successful ward congresses in the state which he said was a sure step to the party’s free, fair and credible primary election. “We want to conduct our primary election, where party people will freely vote and produce a candidate that will be acceptable to Anambra people at the November 6 poll. “This is not (the) time for distractions. We are focused on taking over the government from the ...
PANDEF: President Buhari lacks power to impose open grazing on states
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum has again warned the Federal Government and groups such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, against conduct and utterances capable of making the already bad security situation in Nigeria worse than it is. Elder statesman and leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, gave the warning at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday. He said President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the power to impose open grazing on state governments. He said the people of the Niger Delta have watched with restrained patience the reckless and irresponsible utterances of a group of jihadists who have over the years threatened other Nigerians over grazing routes and rights. Clark noted that the latest being the threat issued by a group of faceless anarchists who issued a warning to the Delt...
PANDEF: President Buhari lacks power to impose open grazing on states
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum has again warned the Federal Government and groups such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, against conduct and utterances capable of making the already bad security situation in Nigeria worse than it is. Elder statesman and leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, gave the warning at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday. He said President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the power to impose open grazing on state governments. He said the people of the Niger Delta have watched with restrained patience the reckless and irresponsible utterances of a group of jihadists who have over the years threatened other Nigerians over grazing routes and rights. Clark noted that the latest being the threat issued by a group of faceless anarchists who issued a warning to the Delt...
Anambra election: Political parties start primaries today
In line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of next year’s Anambra state Governorship Election, primary elections by political parties to democratically nominate their candidates for the election will commence today (Thursday). Also the collection of nomination forms from INEC Headquarters has started even as the Commission had on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, implemented the first activity on the Timetable by publishing the official Notice for the election in its offices in Anambra state. This cheering news was disclosed in a terse statement by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu. The statement read in parts: “It will be recalled that on 19th January 2021, the Commission published the Timetabl...
