Category: Uncategorized

Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

No fewer than 5-9 million Nigerians are diabetic, National President of Diabetics Association of Nigeria (DAN), Mohammed Alkali has disclosed.
Alkali said the statistics could grow worse with an attendant serious social, economic and psychological implications on individual, family, society and the nation as over half of the people living with diabetes were still not aware of it.

The DAN President spoke at the Triennial delegate congress and World diabetes Day celebration in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

In his opening speech on day one of the celebration with the theme :”Improving Diabetes Care In Nigeria: Useful Strategies” in Abeokuta, he called for concerted efforts to combat the non – communicable disease.

He advocated for public awareness and massive screening as the main strategies to prevent diabetes and manage it effectively.

According to him, diabetes is responsible for over 105 million deaths annually across the globe, adding that over 425 million people are living with diabetes over the world.

He projected that by 2040, diabetes would have affected 642 million people across the world if necessary steps were not taken.

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Alkali advised Nigerians to go for screening, seek medical advise on how to live healthy and protect themselves from any disease, saying if proper health care was maintained, over 50% of diabetics cases would be prevented.

Alkali said: “Diabetics has become a major global epidemic being the leading Non-Communicable disease (NCD) and responsible for over 105 million deaths annually.

“The current number of people living with diabetics is over 425 million and is protected to reach 642 million by 2040 unless urgent steps are taken.
“Although, no reliable National Data is available in Nigeria for the number of people living with Diabetics, it is protected to be between 5-9 million with over half of them not aware of their disease.

“It is not exaggeration to say that almost everyone in Nigeria has a relation or friend that is diabetic and might have lost one. This is only going to be worsen unless concerted efforts are put in place.

” Public awareness and massive screening have been identified as the key strategy to prevent this epidemic from engulfing the world.”

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will create a platform that will enable some candidates who scored 250 and above to know why they are denied placements in their respective schools of choice.

Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to him, the development is to further engender transparency and equity as well ensure that candidates do not fall prey to fraudsters who may claim to be in a position to influence their placements if they (candidates), can meet their terms.

“The board is urging all candidates to have faith in the system as they need not beg, pay or patronise anybody to secure admission.

“Reports reaching us indicate that some persons have been going around collecting candidates’ registration numbers and scores under the guise of helping them to secure placements in their respective institutions of choice.

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“Most of these candidates are high scoring candidates who in the board’s 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) ordinarily could have secured their admission on merit considering the system put in place by the board,” he told NAN.

“The board, has through the Central Admission Process System (CAPS), defined all parameters for admission, and once a candidate meets the requirements, such a candidate is automatically picked by the system without interference.

“Unfortunately due to the ignorance of some of these candidates on how the system is being configured to engender transparency, equity and fairness, they allow themselves to be defrauded by some criminals, parting away with huge sums.

“Apparently, these candidates, in an event of being able to secure admission through the CAPS, attribute their success to these criminals who had collected money from them, without knowing that they made no contribution to their success.”

According to him, it is against this backdrop that the board has decided to create a platform that will guide high scoring candidates, from 250 and above on their admission status.

“These group of candidates are to visit platform and know why they are not admitted in the case of such eventuality and take necessary precautions for subsequent exercise.

“This is to ensure that these candidates have confidence in the system, as well as prevent them from falling prey to fraudsters.

“We therefore, also call on all institutions of higher learning to key into this sensitisation of disclosing why some high scoring candidates may not be admitted,” Benjamin said.

Alao Abiodun

 

Two hundred and forty-one graduates of the University of Ibadan (UI), have been awarded First Class degrees in the 2017/2018 academic session.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abel Olayinka, said that the Faculty of Science had the highest number of First Class (46), followed by the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry with 38 and Faculty of Technology (27).

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A breakdown of graduates for the 2017/2018 session showed that 1,966 students had Second Class Upper (Division), 4,206, Second Class Lower (Division), 625, Third Class, 82, Pass and 310 unclassified. Seven thousand four hundred and thirty students graduated.

By John Austin Unachukwu

 

PROTESTS and appeals have trailed last week’s abduction of Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu of the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Iheme-Nwosu was kidnapped along the Benin-Agbor Road on her way to work. Her police orderly was killed.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) condemned the abduction and appealed to the kidnappers to free the judge.

Ozekhome, a kidnap victim, wrote an open letter to the kidnappers.

He said: “The abduction in broad daylight in Benin City of the Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu (JCA) is the saddest reminder of a beleaguered nation in the asphixiating throes of death by instalment.

“That her Police Orderly that accompanied her was brutally killed and dismembered in the process, in a most horrific manner, sends the chill down our spines. This is a noble woman of high virtue, a fecund mind and one of the finest Jurists of great erudition, currently dispensing justice in our intermediate Court, the Court of Appeal.”

According to him, Nigeria has been turned into “a gruesome and crimson theatre of blood, with absolutely no government protection in sight.

“Whilst Nigerians are being mauled down across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, the politicians are ever busy politicking, instead of spreading democracy dividends.

“While the ink is yet to dry on paper as regards the February, 2019 elections, mindless politicians are already busy, strategising and plotting for 2023! Nigeria has become an over-heated and over politicised enclave with no space for real genuine governance. And the hapless masses are the victims of this societal degeneracy and misplaced values.

“The Judiciary, the weakest and whipping child of the three arms of government (Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper No 78), is mostly at the receiving end.”

Ozekhome observed: “A minister or Senator (both of the Executive and Legislative arms of government, respectively), can afford to travel in convoys of fully armed security operatives.

“A Judge is mercifully left with just one Policeman, usually armed with obsolete firearms. He is plucked down and dismembered like a chicken. Yet, the Judge, especially Justices of the Court of Appeal, must traverse the nation, handling never ending sensitive appeals from election petition Tribunals, in jurisdictions other than their ordinarily accustomed places of  abode or sitting.

“They are thus compelled by the cause and course of duty to travel by road, the very bad roads that are unmanned by security personnel. They thus fall easy prey to marauders. Justice Iheme-Nwosu, (JCA), has just suffered this fate.”

He pleaded with the abductors to set the judge free.

Ozekhome said: “I beg you, captors or kidnappers of Justice Chioma, in the name of Almighty God,to please release her unhurt. See her as your mother that you would never do anything to hurt no matter the circumstances. I beg you also in the name of humanity and of womanhood, as you read this, to set free, unharmed, unmolested and unhurt, this judicial Amazon. Please, please, please. I beg you”.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Benin branch (The Lion Bar) and Imo branch also boycotted  and shut down all courts in both states in response to the incident.

The Owerri branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to which the Justice belongs, also declared a court boycott and prayer sessions for the safety and release of the Judge.

A statement signed by the Chairman of the branch Mr. D. O Nosike  stated: “The the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Owerri branch shall boycott all courts in Imo State in protest over the kidnapping of  Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme and the gruesome murder of her orderly, an Inspector of Police and a Nigerian citizen.”

“ The chairman thanked and urged all the members of the Bar to pray for God’s intervention for the freedom of Justice  Nwosu-Iheme (JCA) within the remaining days of the court boycott.

“Take further notice that the lawyers boycott of all the Courts in Imo State will continue today (last Wednesday) till Thursday and all the members of the Bar in Imo State are urged to ensure full compliance,” Nosike stated.

The NBA, Benin branch also  declared a three-day boycott of courts to protest the kidnap of Justice Iheme-Nwosu.

Chairman of the Benin branch, Prince Collins Ogiegbean, who made the declaration at a briefing, said the boycott would run from last Wednesday till last Friday.

He added that if by then the abducted justice still remained in captivity, they would have no option than to extend the boycott.

“The branch  also set up a task force headed by Mr. Douglass Ogbankwa to ensure compliance within all courts in Benin jurisdiction, adding that the taskforce would liaise with chairmen of other branches of the NBA in Edo State  to monitor as well as ensure total compliance.

Prince Ogiegbean, who was flanked by Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, the immediate-past chairman of Ikeja branch of NBA; and Mr. Habeeb Lawal, National Assistant Publicity Secretary of NBA, also called on the state government and security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities to ensure the protection of lives and properties, which according to him, “remained the primary responsibility of government”.

“We are calling on state government and heads of security agencies to live up to their billing. Face the task squarely in protecting lives and properties and to go the extra mile to see that Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu is rescued and that this should be the last time such will happen.

“It offends our senses as persons living in a society such as ours. If the orderly of a justice can be shot and the justice taken away in broad daylight what happens to those of us who do not have security around us?”

Read Also: Appeal Court Justice kidnapped

 

Meanwhile, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Danmallamý Mohammed, said operatives of his command were working hard with other security agencies to secure the release of the abducted judge.

In another development the traditional ruler of Nkwerre ancient kingdom, Eshi of Nkwerre and Deputy Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chijioke Okwara and his kinsmen have appealed to the Federal Government and the security agencies to do everything within their powers to rescue their daughter, Justice Iheme-Nwosu.

The monarch, who made the appeal last week, said the abduction was giving her kinsmen and women from Nkwerre sleepless nights.

He said: “We, who are the kinsmen of Justice Chioma Iheme-Nwosu, have not slept since she was kidnapped.

“I am speaking as the traditional ruler of Nkwerre and we are still at a loss that seven days after we have not heard anything about her.

“We still don’t understand why judicial officers whose duties are to interpret the laws of the land and to protect the common man are being abducted.

“We, therefore, condemn a situation where judges are not only being  harassed but kidnapped.

“She is a judge of the Court of Appeal and if this kind of situation subsists, it would be very difficult for judges to carry out their constitutional duties.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government and the security agencies to immediately secure her release. Again we are appealing to the Federal Government to tackle the insecurity in the country.”

By Alao Abiodun

No fewer than 241 graduates of Nigeria’s oldest citadel of learning, University of Ibadan (UI), have been awarded with First Class degree in the 2017/2018 academic session.

Professor Abel Olayinka, UI’s Vice Chancellor disclosed that the Faculty of Science had the highest number of First Class at 46, followed by the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry with 38 and the Faculty of Technology with 27.

The breakdown of graduates for the 2017/2018 session showed 1,966 students had Second Class Upper (Division), 4,206, Second Class Lower (Division), 625 Third Class, 82 Pass and 310 unclassified. The 71st Convocation ceremony will witness a total churning out of 7,430 students.

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He said, “A further breakdown of the graduating list shows that 3.38 percent and 27.61 percent of our students finished with First Class and Second Class Upper (Division) Honours, respectively. A special recognition must be given to one of our students who finished with a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average of 7.0. She is Ofure Mary Ebhomielen of the Department of Computer Science”.

Miss Ofure Mary Ebhomielen of the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science was the cynosure of all eyes on Tuesday as she was presented as the best graduating student at the 2019 Convocation ceremony.

Ebhomielen, who graduated with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA of 7.0 received a thunderous ovation when she was presented to parents and well-wishers at the ceremony.

In her valedictory speech, enjoined the class of 2018 to strive for excellence as they began another journey in life.

Olayinka in his remarks said, “Ofure Mary Ebhomielen is the fourth person ever to have obtained perfect Cummulative Grade Point Average (7.0 out of 7.0) in the 71-year history of the University of Ibadan and the first female. This is worth celebrating and we are indeed very proud of her. The world is now under your feet, Mary, aim for the skies while we keep celebrating you.”

Agency Reporter

The University of Abuja, on Tuesday, appointed Malam Yahaya Mohammed, as the new Registrar of the University to oversee its affairs for the next five years.

Mohammed was the Deputy Registrar (Administration) of the institution before his elevation as the Registrar.

The new Registrar is a 1987 graduate of Public Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and has a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Abuja.

He joined the institution in 1990 and rose through the ranks.

Mohammed said while taking over that he would key into the vision and mission of the University for the development of education in the country.

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The former Registrar, Mrs Rifkatu Swanta, while handing over to Mohammed called on the management and staff to support him in order to succeed.

The new Registrar, a member of many professional associations, was born in 1964 and hails from Kogi.

(NAN)

Duku JOEL, Damaturu

The new chairman of Yobe State Universal Basic Education Board and immediate past Vice Chancellor of Yobe State University Prof. Musa Alabe has announced his intention to take up a teaching job at the primary school in the State.

Prof. Alabe who spoke to journalists Tuesday in Damaturu after taking over the helms of affairs of the board said he want to bring in dignity, quality leadership and show the primary teachers that they have one of the best profession on the surface of earth.

“This is a call to service. This is a state service I have developed the Engineering Department when I was the Dean of Faculty of Engineering at Bayero University, Kano, I developed the promotion guidelines for Covenant University. I have done so many things. Our Basic education is the most important for all sector of education. We are building the future of our state and I am happy to part of that.

“A collapsed education system will lead to a collapsed future. I know not even a Phd holder has held this office before in our state. We need the highest even if there someone that is more than a professor to come and rejig, retool and rejuvenate and redirect the system. I want to tell you here categorically that I will take over teaching in primary school to show the importance of teaching in primary school. In Germany for instance, if you are teaching in primary school, you earn one of the highest salaries in the land but here we look at it differently. I want to bring out the importance of teaching in primary school and by so doing I hope to start next week. Every week, I will be going round to teach in the primary schools. I want to be part of the teachers and make them proud and show them that they have the best profession on the surface of the earth,” Prof. Alabe declared.

The former Dean of Faculty of Engineering at Bayero University, Kano who also build the State university from the Scratch said he is not unware of the challenges of basic education in the state which he noted need to be rejigged, retooled and rejuvenated in line with the vision of Gov. Mai Mala Buni.

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“I am not new to assignments like this. Everybody knows that when I took over Yobe State university, it was virtually an empty university but by the time I left eight years later, it became a full fledged university with all the courses accredited. It was a great challenge working for eight years 24/7 to build that university. I known that the expectations are very much but we will pray, work hard, commit ourselves and we will see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Speaking about his zero tolerance to corruption and sub-standard work, the Civil Engineering professor warned unscrupulous contractors to stay off from the board as his tenure will not comprise on quality of work.

“Like I mentioned earlier, I was in Kukareta on a private visit because I know there was a problem there and I said it publicly so that everybody will know that this new leadership will not compromise standard non-condone sharp practices by contractors because that has been the bane of our problem. They put substandard buildings and after three month or so they go back for renovation to spend more money. We cannot tolerate that. We will also make sure that our teachers are train and re-trained to meet the best standard,” Prof. Alabe assured.

Speaking on his strategy to mop up low enrollment especially among the female children, the new SUBEB boss said; “We are going to employ a lot of strategy. Some I know but some I don’t even know them. But as I sit and take briefs from everybody, we will get to know some of the challenges and how to deal with them squarely. The governor is aware of these challenges and he is passionate in turning around basic education in Yobe State. He is passionate in transforming education in Yobe State. Our task is to assist the governor to achieve his goal”.

He noted that his leadership will be up and doing to attract more interventions to the board in addition to the existing linkages of SUBEB to donors and agencies.

“Already, SUBEB has a lot of linkages but I think that is not enough. We need to go out and look for our interventions because we are in a disaster area. I will go out and look for these helps. I cannot seat in this chair and be rolling here in Damaturu and expect those interventions to come and meet us here. I know it’s a heavy task and I am ready to go out to rejuvenate education in the state.”

By Sampson Unamka

 

The Society For Forensic and Analytical Scientists Nigeria (SFASN), in conjunction with the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos (Unilag) has announced the first edition of its First Forensic Conference.

Addressing reporters at a news briefing at the Department of Sciences, a Professor of Cell Biology and Genetics, Unilag, Senior Professor Olusesan Omidiji said the conference starting from yesterday will hold till November 14th at the Julius Berger Hall, Unilag.

With the theme: ‘Violent and Non-Violent Crimes: Implications for National Progress and Development’, Omidiji noted that SFASN was birthed out of the need to bring together academics, students, industry personnel’s, military andpPara-military officers involved in teaching and research using tools of forensic and analytical sciences.