Nigeria
U.S. sanctions Turkey over purchase of Russian defense system
The United States imposed long-anticipated sanctions on Turkey on Monday over Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense systems, further complicating already strained ties between the two NATO allies. Turkey condemned the sanctions as a “grave mistake” and urged Washington to revise its “unjust decision.” Senior U.S. officials said in a call with reporters that Ankara’s purchase of the S-400s and its refusal to reverse its decision left the United States with no other choice. The sanctions, first reported by Reuters last week, target Turkey’s top defence procurement and development body Presidency of Defence Industries, its chairman Ismail Demir and three other employees. While limited to one company, they are still likely to weigh on the Turkish economy, analysts said, at a ti...
VC: I don’t know if Muhammadu Sanusi is still UNIBEN’s chancellor
Ten months after Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II was deposed as Emir of Kano, the Vice Chancellor of University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Lillian Salami, has asked the Federal Ministry of Education to clear the air on the status of the former monarch as the Chancellor of the institution. Sanusi was appointed Chancellor of the institution in 2015 by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. He was however deposed as Emir by the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, in March 2020, over alleged “insubordination”. He performed his last official duty as Chancellor of the University during the Convocation/Founders Day Ceremonies of the University in November 2019. Responding to inquiry by journalists over non-inclusion of Sanusi in the University’s 50th anniversary and the VC’s one ye...
Ebonyi governor denies giving cultists N3 million
Governor David Umahi on Monday said he did not give N3 million to placate notorious cult groups allegedly terrorising residents of the state. Umahi said this when the 13 Local Government Area Chairmen, Coordinators of Development Centres, with their Management Committee members, among other political appointees, paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Abakiliki. He dismissed the report that he gave the money to the groups through his security aide. According to him, he had ordered a manhunt for members of the groups. “How can a warrior such as me bribe cultists, to do what with the money? The duty of political leaders and the citizens is to give me the names of the cultists because I will give them a bad Christmas celebration. “I am searching for them whether they are in gover...
Vice Chancellor blames cultism in schools on idleness among students
Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, the Vice Chancellor, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi, has said that idleness among students leads them into cultism. Nwajiuba said this in an interview with newsmen in his office on Monday. He spoke on preparations for the institution’s fifth convocation and his impending disengagement from office after completing his five-year tenure. He said that the institution had no record of cultism because the students “are too serious” to engage in such an act. “Our students do not have to be dancing inside bushes at night because they begin academic activities from the first week of a every new semester. “We duly concluded the first semester of the 2019 academic session, re-opened on Oct. 2019 and our lecturers were already in classes upon...
ABU trains 500 head teachers of Kaduna public primary schools
The Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, on Monday began a five-day training to develop the managerial capacities of 500 head teachers and other officials on basic education in Kaduna State. Tijjani Abdullahi, the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, in his address, said that the training was funded by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Mr. Abdullahi, represented by the Director of School Services, Aliyu Idris, said that the trainings were taking place simultaneously in Zaria, Kaduna and Kafanchan. He said the goal is to equip the head teachers with the necessary skills for effective and efficient management of basic education in the state. “This is part of Gov. Nasri El-Rufai-led administration’s efforts to improve ...
Thugs invade northern coalition meeting in Kaduna, attack members
Armed thugs on Monday, invaded the Arewa House Kaduna, where officials of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), were holding a security summit. A statement by Spokesman of the CNG, Abdulaziz Suleiman, said “We regret to announce that armed thugs numbering hundreds were unleashed on the Arewa House venue of the security summit hosted by the Coalition of Northern Groups on Monday, December 14. “The Summit aimed to discuss ways to achieve synergy between communities and government security and design a uniform approach to the current security situation in the North. “Participants at the meeting included retired military officers, Retired Police officers, religious leaders, traditional rulers, various women, youth and trade associations.” The CNG said just as the meeting was about to “kick o...
Yuletide: Children are happier with gifts than excursions – study
Kids aged between three and 12 are happier when given material gifts than being taken on pleasure trips, a recently released study suggests. The findings, published in September in the International Journal of Research in Marketing, revealed that while adults tend to be thrilled by experiences, younger kids are more drawn to material goods. This effect, however, changes over time as a child’s cognitive skills increase, the study compiled by a team of researchers at the University of Illinois stated. “Across four studies with children and adolescents of ages 3–17 years, we show that children (ages 3–12) derive more happiness from goods than from experiences, but the effect changes over time,” it said. An associate professor of marketing at the Chicago-based institution, Lan Nguyen Chaplin, ...
Chioma Ubogagu scores first goal of the season for Real Madrid
Chioma Ubogagu scored her first goal in the 2020-21 Spanish Primera Iberdrola campaign as Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 8-1 at Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque on Sunday. The 28-year-old had starred for the USA at youth level before playing for England at senior level thrice, albeit in friendlies, and still eligible to represent Nigeria due to the new Fifa eligibility rules. Having been handed her second start of the season, the England international put up an impressive display in front of goal as her side extend their winning streak in the Spanish top-flight. Las Blancas made a fantastic start to the encounter as Sofia Jakobsson’s perfect pass allowed Olga Carmona to score the opening goal for the visitors after just nine minutes. In the 33rd minute, Teresa Abelleira set up Ubogagu to double...
Lagos governor responding to treatment – commissioner
Lagos State Health Commissioner, Akin Abayomi, says Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is responding well to home-based care and treatment for COVID-19. “Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is responding well to COVID-19 home-based care and treatment. He is in high spirit and very appreciative of all your prayers and well wishes. “I will be keeping the public informed regularly of Mr Governor’s recovery and wellbeing,” Abayomi stated in a two-part-tweet update on Sunday night. The commissioner had announced last night that the governor tested positive for coronavirus and has been in isolation since on Friday following contact with persons infected with the virus. Lagos is a major entry point in Nigeria with over 60% of incoming passenger traffic going through the Murtala Muhammed International...
Air passengers decry upsurge in fares, seek urgent attention to roads, railway
Nigerians, who travel by air, have decried the “sudden” upsurge in air fares and urged the Federal Government to intervene to avoid poor patronage that could dwindle the fortunes of the aviation industry. Newsmen report that the air fares shot up by about 100 per cent in the last one week, with some airline operators even raising their fares by as much as 120 per cent or more. At Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the fare from Abuja to Lagos, which was N35,300 (Economy Class), rose to between N70,000 and N75,000. Newsmen found that Business Class travellers were charged between N100,000 and N120,000, depending on the airline. Our correspondents, who visited other airports across the country, found that the rise in airfares was the same, a situation that forced some passengers to...
Kwara announces second wave of coronavirus
The Kwara Medical Advisory Sub-Committee on COVID-19 has announced that a second wave of the pandemic has hit the state. The announcement is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the committee’s chairman, Femi Oladiji. “Now, there are two epidemiological curves of the disease in Kwara. The first curve peaked between July and August, and then plummeted between September and October, at which stage people thought COVID-19 was winding down. “It is important to state clearly that we now have the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Kwara just like a few other states of the country,’’ he said. Mr Oladiji stated that the second curve started early in November with sharp rise in the number of positive cases. He noted that the reasons for the second wave included increase in awareness for vo...
AfDB chief urges Nigerian government to deepen investment in youth
The President, African Development Bank (AFDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has appealed to the Federal Government to deepen investment in youth, to enable them put their entrepreneurial ingenuity to good use. Adesina, who spoke virtually at the 2020 Nigerian Prize for Leadership at the weekend in Abuja, noted that Nigerian youth are plagued by plethora of challenges like unemployment, limited technical and vocational skills, limited inclusion in the socio-political space and lack of finances to develop their businesses. “No nation is perfect. But those who learn from history become greater. Events repeat itself twice when people do not learn. As a nation, Nigeria should do everything possible to invest and reinvest itself by focusing on the youth. “Today, we have 206 million people, 70 per cent ...
