The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 2014

  • 2014 National Sports Festival: Athletes appeal to NSC on inclusion of deaf sport

    2014 National Sports Festival: Athletes appeal to NSC on inclusion of deaf sport

    Some deaf athletes in Lagos on Thursday appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to rescind its decision not to include deaf sports in the 2014 National Sports Festival (NSF).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 19th edition of the biennial festival, tagged: “Paradise Games” is to hold from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7 in Calabar, Cross River State.

    An Olympian, Nurudeen Badmus, said it was heart-breaking that deaf athletes had been excluded from the Paradise Games after putting much effort preparing.

    Badmus noted that he won three Gold, one Silver and two Bronze medals for Rivers at Eko 2012 and had been working towards performing better to clinch more medals in 2014.

    “I was at the London 2012 Olympics for 100m but unfortunately, I lost out in the semi finals. I’m hoping that the festival would be an avenue for me to evaluate myself. Excluding us from the festival makes us feel unwanted and not appreciated for what we’re doing and that is not encouraging. I’m a family man and it’s the reward I get at participating in competitions I use to cater for my family,’’ he said.

    Another deaf athlete, Uchenna Eze, said that the NSC’s decision could scare away talented aspiring deaf athletes.

    Eze said that deaf athletes should be allowed to enjoy the same treatment as their able-bodied counterparts.

    “They should stop giving preference to our able-bodied counterparts because it does not make us feel good. We practically do the same thing they do and should enjoy the same benefits at international competitions. We mostly perform better than they do,’’ he added.

    NAN recalls that deaf athletes featured at the 18th NSF, tagged: “Eko 2012” in Lagos.

    A Team Lagos gold medalist, Nofisat Alaba, who was at the 2012 festival, said the NSC should consider deaf athletes challenges and make them relevant.

    Alaba said that the festival was the only national competition that deaf athletes often had opportunity to compete in.

    “If we do not participate I don’t know when we would have another opportunity as deaf athletes to participate at any national competition. We need to put in practice what we have been learning after the last NSF in 2012 because it is when we compete that we can get better,’’ Alaba said.

  • Toyota Sienna: Sporty, spacious

    Toyota Sienna: Sporty, spacious

    For 2014, the Toyota Sienna is essentially unchanged apart from the tow prep package becoming standard across the board and the SE trim offering a blind spot monitoring system as an individual option, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO with agency reports

    The 2014 Toyota Sienna’s ride quality is plush, and all versions offer competent handling. The SE’s recalibrated suspension gives it even more agility around turns, albeit with a somewhat firmer (though still comfortable) ride quality. The steering in most Siennas is precise and light in effort (but low on feedback and not especially sporty), while the SE offers a meatier feel to its steering action in keeping with its more athletic character.

    There is just no getting around the fact that a box on wheels is the most space-efficient vehicle for moving people and cargo. As such, minivans, although not the flashiest things on the road, make the best family haulers. And among these amiable beasts of burden, the 2014 Toyota Sienna stands out as a top choice.

    As with its peers, the Sienna provides a spacious interior as well as plenty of available luxury features. As auto lovers would expect, there are the well-equipped base and loaded-up luxury versions. But there is also the SE version, which boasts something rare in this segment: a sporty personality via its firmer suspension tuning, along with some bolder styling tweaks that do their best to make the minivan look cool. It is a nice complement to the Sienna’s V6 engine, which is one of the strongest in this class.

    Toyota’s minivan can also carry up to eight passengers, and it can be optioned with all-wheel drive — the Sienna is actually the only 2014 minivan available with AWD and it’s a boon if one frequently slog through snow. Of course, the Sienna is not the only impressive choice for a minivan. The 2014 Honda Odyssey is also one of our favourites and boasts minor advantages in fuel efficiency and second-row seating versatility.

    Also worth considering are the more affordable 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan and the off-beat 2014 Nissan Quest; both offer ultra-convenient fold-flat second- and third-row seating arrangements. But among this box-on-wheels group, the 2014 Toyota Sienna is still very easy to recommend given its combination of performance, space and features.

     

    Body Styles

     

    The Sienna minivan comes in five trim levels: base L, LE, SE, XLE and Limited. The LE and XLE come in seven- and eight-passenger configurations; the L and Limited are seven-passenger only and the SE is eight-passenger only. All trims come with front-wheel drive, while the LE, XLE and Limited also can be had with all-wheel drive.

    The Sienna L includes 17-inch alloy wheels, a tow prep package, manual sliding rear doors, triple-zone air-conditioning, full power accessories, a telescoping steering wheel, cruise control and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack.

    The LE adds roof rails, power-sliding side doors, a power liftgate, privacy glass, heated outside mirrors, floor- and overhead-mounted consoles, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, triple-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver seat (with power lumbar support), second- and third-row sunshades, a 3.5-inch infotainment display, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a six-speaker sound system with satellite radio and an iPod/USB interface.

    The sport-themed SE is equipped similarly to the LE, but adds more aggressive styling thanks to 19-inch alloy wheels, a unique front fascia (with foglights, mesh inserts and a larger air intake), lower-body skirting and tinted head- and taillights. The SE also has firmer suspension tuning and revised power steering. Inside the SE are leatherette/cloth upholstery, unique instruments and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

    The Sienna XLE adds some luxury features to the LE’s list of amenities, including a unique metallic-gray grille insert, automatic headlights, a sunroof, an acoustic windshield, a blind spot monitoring system, leather upholstery, wood-grain interior trim, premium instrumentation, heated front seats, a four-way power front passenger seat and power-opening rear quarter windows.

    The plush Limited features 18-inch alloy wheels, a satin chrome grille, auto-dimming outside mirrors, dual sunroofs, front and rear parking sensors, keyless ignition/entry, two-tone leather seating, driver memory settings, a leather-and-wood steering wheel, an upgraded 10-speaker JBL surround-sound audio system, second-row lounge-style seats and a power-split-folding third-row seat.

    Although some of the upper trims’ features are available on lower trims as individual options, most optional features are grouped into packages that vary based on trim level and where you live in the United States. Other notable highlights include a rear-seat DVD entertainment system (with a large screen that can be split to display two different sources) and a navigation system with a 6.1-inch display, Entune smartphone app integration and a rearview camera. For the Sienna Limited only, Toyota offers xenon headlights with automatic high-beam control and adaptive cruise control with a forward collision warning system.

     

    Powertrains and Performance

     

    Every Sienna comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 266 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque and drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The Sienna LE, XLE and Limited models can also be equipped with all-wheel drive.

    In Edmunds testing, a front-drive Sienna Limited is timed from zero to 60 mph in a swift 7.5 seconds. The EPA fuel economy estimates come in at 21 mpg combined (18 city/25 highway) for front-wheel-drive versions. Opting for all-wheel drive drops those estimates to 19 combined (16/23).

     

    Safety

     

    Antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, a driver-side knee airbag and active front head restraints are standard on all 2014 Toyota Sienna models.

    A rearview camera, a blind spot monitoring system and front and rear parking sensors are available depending on the trim level, while the Limited can be had with a forward collision warning system.

     

     

     

    At our test track, a Sienna Limited stopped from 60 mph in 127 feet — about average for the minivan segment.

     

    Interior Design and Special Features

     

    Lower trim levels of the Sienna are attractively decked out with high-quality fabric upholstery, while higher-end models get leather along with simulated wood cabin accents. Some of the interior plastics feel a bit down-market, though, while others – such as the intentionally coarse-textured plastic on the dash — are just plain odd. Seating is plush, though, and there is abundant storage space along with user-friendly controls.

    On the electronics front, the Sienna’s available navigation system includes Entune, a suite of smartphone-connected services that includes features like the Bing search engine, Pandora streaming radio, and real-time traffic, sports and stock information. The touch screen interface is pretty easy to use, but sometimes the virtual buttons’ delayed response to touch inputs can be frustrating. The long reach from the driver seat to the center console’s controls can also be problematic. The available rear-seat entertainment system features a split-screen monitor that allows two different media (a movie on one side and a video game on the other, for example) to play simultaneously — thereby making it easier to keep the peace in the backseat.

    With a seven-passenger Sienna, one get second-row captain’s chairs that tip forward to allow easier access to the third row; these chairs also have a long-slide feature to maximise legroom for taller passengers. However, the seats require a fair amount of effort to slide, and removing them is a job best left to two people, as they are rather heavy and awkward. The eight-passenger Sienna comes with a 40/20/40-split second-row bench, and its center section slides close to the front seats for easier access to the little ones seated there.

  • The market place in 2014

    The market place in 2014

    Customary in social environment at this period, we say “welcome to 2014, we wish you all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year”.

    Some people question the sincerity of this gesture of friendliness, especially as it concerns genuine innate WISH. MuyiwaAfolabi in his radio program of Thursday January 9, 2014, says neither money nor power attracts loyalty and love. In that psychological state when one is in need of genuine appreciation and therefrom, reliability, very little is achievable by use of perishable resources – money and power. This position underscores the futility of force and selfishness in inter-personal relationships. Suffice, therefore, the shortest and surest means to rewarding and enduring inter-personal relationship is sincere love.

    Sincerity makes all the difference.

    Historically, the catalysts for brand-consumer connect and engagement started outon mere information. For both parties, the value on offer was ‘making-known’. Characteristic of those medieval days, competition was comparatively non-existent; it was an era of simple production – “you need eggs, I have eggs”. Such basic information triggered patronage, repeat purchase and consumer loyalty. Basic!

    With time, brand-consumer relationship grew in distinctive value offering, requiring of differentiation. That situation, once instigated, triggered a long process of modern day brand building, differentiation, market segmentation, etc. we now run with theories written to engage the psychology and sociology of being…so much to cram together for the purposes of SELF, for investors and brand ownership.

    As a rule, therefore, we here of calculations spinning off in the direction of cost, margins, profit(ability), investible and re-investible funds, savings, etc. In all the brand engages in, the bottom-line is profit (SELFISHNESS). When brand speak the language of LOVE (often times we hear of LOVEMARKS) it is simply honing on its gains/benefits, in most cases, in absolute terms. I am yet to experience a brand with up to 5% consumer interest in its dealings at the market place.

    Some even add insults to the consumers’ injuries, in form of bogus consumer promotion/reward programs. For instance, GLO called me up early in December last year, to say I was being rewarded in their customer loyalty program. According to the lady that called me up that quiet morning, I was to be rewarded for my heavy spending and loyalty. So, I was prompted to wait for a package from GLO anytime within the month. To cut the story short, I am still waiting.

    Some others will sell increased pack sizes as reward for big bulk purchases, when the consumer has no way of measuring the standard packaging to determine the difference. How do the telecom service providers expect callers to ascertain their rights over bonus airtime? That one is even so funny, it makes me pity the operators; it turns out a case of one smiling in the dark. When these GSM operators say they offer bonus air time for certain level of recharge, somehow, the entire airtime credit run out even faster. It really bothersme when they make such promises; and to even think they expect the consumer to believe them, beats my imagination.

    It is like in the case of pouch-pack water commonly called ‘pure water’. Many of them spot NAFDAC numbers. They do all sorts of things to establish their value essence and promise of pure, hygienic and safe water. In the real sense, however, they know very well, over 90% of such packaged water is “unsafe” for human consumption. Yet, as brands that they like to be identified, they are working against the good of the consumers while piling up opportunities for profit optimization.

    On radio broadcasting! The problem with the media brands is the parochial understanding they permit of themselves as brands and their appreciation of the imperatives of their brand-world. To wit, they make wrong assumption of their personality, and therefrom, miss their target market; from their brand personality profiling to brand benefits manifestation, confusion rules. Starting with target listenership profiling and targeting, through content development and presentation, to target listenership, established media habit and user-ship pattern, the entire brand-consumer relationship is mired in confusion.

    Characteristic of brands in the media world, they talk to themselves. Our concern at this point is with the radio broadcast market. Veteran broadcasters have ceased to listen to radio in Nigeria, because their essence, prevalent, is simply offensive. From duty announcers to newscasters, nobody cares about proper pronunciation of English words. Instead of being at the vanguard in protection of proper pronunciation of the English language/words, broadcasters easily yielded to the negative effect of social media ‘english’. Sadly, the role of the radio as a teacher gave way to carelessness, manifestation of bad manners, rude behavior and anti-social comportment.

    Going the way of poor market culture in our environment, the ‘target consumer’ has no place in the thinking of media market brands (especially the radio stations/brands).

    Among high profile market players, the Nigerian civil aviation operators fared most carelessly, according to a survey we conducted. Given its premium rating in value articulation, the tendency is to assume an over-rated assessment, which will be a mistake. The importance attached to activities of operators in the air transport market is of equal and direct proportion to its cost to target market/consumers, and in line with its value essence profiling.

    Overtime, sadly, this sector of our economy has posed total disregard for basic market rules. The least operators in the air transport market could do is provide service of value equitable to consumers’ investment for the services these domestic airlines are expected to deliver. Aside the issue of safety (which is grossly lacking, according to air travellers) ground services among all of the market operators can only be described as an abuse of travellers. Little wonder these local airlines do not invest in brand management (not the least Reputation management); they are the same – lacking in basic service delivery. They push homogenous market offering. The long distance land transport companies have turned out to be of better value-offering, compared to air transport brands, except for its speed.

    During the year-end festive period, the rush at the airports fired up on the negatives; touts took over ticketing, boarding and parcel services. At the NnamdiAzikiwe International Airport, Abuja, touts made good business helping their customers jump queues for boarding pass, luggage handling etc., for a fee. Scheduled flights were moved with no respect for the passengers. In fact, it turned out that passengers were not sure when their flights will be rescheduled. I spent 6hours waiting for my flight with Arik from Abuja to Calabar, at around mid-December – without meaningful apology.

    We at MC&A Digest have always mentioned respect as the key and functional ingredients for a rewarding brand-consumer relationship. We can go ahead to chronicle incidences of consumer abuse in our local market. Yet, we must warn: brands must re-orient themselves for the emerging market. Globally, economic experts have projected increased consumer discernment. At the center of global competitiveness among nations, is a SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. As it is with nations, so it is with brands; investment must be careful to attract patronage, and the surest way to achieving that is building enduring relationship based on mutual benefit and respect.

    World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Report for 2013 has listed 12 Pillars of Competitiveness for nations’ competitive advantages, we have listed three for brands in our local market, and they are:

    1. Sincerity

    2. Innovativeness

    3. Consumer appreciation

    Into 2014, many brands in our local market will go down if they continue in their old ways. To note, consumer discernment is devoid of education now, but owing further reduction of already scarce Consumer.

  • ‘Our expectations of ASUU, others in 2014’

    ‘Our expectations of ASUU, others in 2014’

    2013 is a year that students will love to forget. Why? The Academic Union of Universities (ASUU) strike kept them at home for over five months. In 2014, they are praying for a hitch-free academic session. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI and TAIWO ADEBULU write.

    THEIR experience last year is not something they wish to remember. Because of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, students were at home for over five months. Their prayer is that in 2014 they would not go through the same experience. University teachers have since resumed but their Polytechnic counterparts have yet to return to work.

    The socio-economic cost of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) industrial actions is unquantifiable. Among others, the academic pursuit of many students was delayed. Those in their final year could not graduate. Those who graduated could not be mobilised for the National Youth Service.

    The end of ASUU strike was seen by the students as a blessing and with the coming of 2014, their hope is that truly would not travel down the same road again.

    Adeleke Theophillus, a 400-Level Animal Science student at the University of Ibadan (UI) hopes his graduation would not be delayed again. “I wish we get a quality service from our lecturers now that their five months’ salary and arrears have been paid by the government,” he said.

    There should be a turnaround in the education sector, Tunmise Oladoyinbo, a 400-Level English Education student at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, said, since the government had released funds to improve facilities in higher institutions.

    For Taiwo Isola, the months of ASUU strike were a break from face-to-face encounter with insurgency in the North. The 300-Level Human Anatomy student at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State, wants the government to ensure the safety of students studying in the Northeast because of the dreaded Islamic sect Boko Haram.

    Taiwo said: “I wish 2014 would mark the beginning of economic prosperity and democracy building; a year when the voice of the youth will not be silenced or ignored as irrelevant. I wish there will be no strikes this year, and campuses in the North will not witness carnage and be violence-free. But, if the government fails to do all these, 2014 may just be a repetition of the previous years.”

    Rasheedah Owolabi, a 300-Level Language Arts student of OAU, is seeking an overhaul of the sector.

    “As a graduating student, what more can I ask for than getting a lucrative job before my National Youth Service. After service, I want to establish my own enterprise as an entrepreneur,” Blessing Adeoye, a 400-Level English student of OAU, who should have graduated last July, said.

    Joseph Onovughakpor, a 400-Level Pure and Applied Physics student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, urged youths to see beyond their predicament and face their studies. “As we return to school, I want to work hard and I urge my peers to do the same; we must explore all the opportunities on campus and never give up until we graduate from the system,” he said.

    Taiwo Ayomike, a National Certificate in Education (NCE) student at the Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo, hopes to complete her programme without delay. Ayomike, who is studying Christian Religious Studies, also wishes to improve her entrepreneurial skills before graduation.

    She said: “I want to embark on a comprehensive skill acquisition programme that will boost my chance and equip me for life after school.”

    “I want Nigeria to experience peace in every area of our national life,” John Omowale, 200-Level Microbiology student of Ekiti State University (EKSU) said.

    Caleb Adebayo, 400-Level Law student of OAU, wants to devote time to his studies in 2014. He said: “I want to commit quality time to my academics, considering that there would be so much rush to cover for the lost time. I definitely want to serve God better too; to be closer to him.”

     

  • How the world ushered in 2014

    How the world ushered in 2014

    A SEA of horn-tooting, funny hat-wearing revellers cheered (and some even smooched) as the famed crystal ball dropped in freezing New York City’s Times Square to ring in 2014, capping a world-wide wave of celebrations that included a dazzling 30-minute fireworks show in Dubai and a deluge of confetti in London that tasted as good as it looked.

    Bronx-born U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor led the 60-second countdown and pushed the button that unleashed the shimmering orb with 2,688 crystals, a role usually filled by the New York City mayor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on his last day in office, was sitting the celebration out after 12 years on the job, while newly elected Mayor Bill de Blasio took the oath of office just Kerrie just after midnight at his Brooklyn home.

    Kerrie McConaghy, 20, a university student visiting Times Square from Armagh, Ireland, was dancing and jumping up and down, donning a big blue top hat.

    “It’s unbelievable here,” she said. “The lights, seeing the ball, hearing the music, all the people. It’s amazing.”

    “TV doesn’t do this justice,” she said. “You have to be here to believe it.”

    The annual New York celebration, which this year featured performances from artists such as Miley Cyrus, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Blondie, has become part endurance sport because post-9/11 security measures force spectators into pens at least 12 hours in advance, with no food, warmth or bathrooms.

    “We’ve got adult diapers. We’re wearing them right now,” said teenager Amber Woods, who came with friends from the New York City’s suburbs to experience the event for the first time. They entered their corral at 10 a.m. For nourishment, they brought lollipops and popcorn. For the cold, they did a lot of jumping in place.

    “Every time I say, it’s the last. But then I come back,” said Yasmina Merrir, a Washington, D.C., resident attending her fourth Times Square ball drop. In 2009, the cold was so bad, she got hypothermia. Her legs swelled up like balloons.

    She was also fasting and not drinking anything to deal with the lack of restrooms. As for the cold, she recommends vigorous dancing for as long as you can stand on your feet.

    “At a point,” she said, “your brain is not working anymore.”

    Edible confetti in London, world record sought in Dubai

    On the other side of the Atlantic, London welcomed 2014 with a mixture of futuristic fireworks and torch-lit tradition. The city’s mayor said this year’s explosive display came packed with peach-flavoured snow, edible banana confetti and orange-scented bubbles. The evening also included scratch-and-sniff programs, LED wristbands and fruit-flavoured sweets.

    In Russia, where two suicide bombings in two days killed 34 people, eerily empty buses lumbered through the streets of Volgograd, where authorities cancelled mass events for New Year’s Eve and asked residents not to set off fireworks.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his New Year’s Eve address to the nation, vowed that the fight against terrorists will continue “until their destruction is complete,” Russian news agencies reported.

    In Dubai, a Persian Gulf city known for glitz, glamour and over-the-top achievements like the world’s tallest skyscraper, officials sought to break another record by creating the largest fireworks show.

    The Dubai skyline was a canvas for a dazzling 30-minute show. The display capped off with six minutes of fireworks that engulfed the city’s man-made, palm-shaped island, with its fronds and trunk shimmering in thousands of lights. Organizers had promised that the fireworks would form a flying falcon, a sunrise and the United Arab Emirates flag.

    2 dead, 100s injured in Philippines

    At least two people were killed and nearly 600 others were injured by fireworks and gunfire in New Year celebrations in the Philippines, officials said Wednesday.

    About 50 hospitals nationwide reported 599 injured from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, a 43 per cent jump from the same period last year, said Department of Health spokesman Dr. Eric Tayag

    In northern Cagayan province, a fireworks fountain display packed with firecrackers exploded and killed a 19-year-old man, while an infant boy was killed by a bullet that went through the roof of the family’s house in northern Ilocos Sur province.

    Doctors in nearby Ilocos Norte province said another boy is fighting for his life after he was hit in the forehead by a bullet that is still lodged in his head.

    The deaths and injuries come at the end of a year where several disasters hit the Philippines, including the Nov. 8 super Typhoon Haiyan, locally called Yolanda, that left more than 6,100 dead and nearly 1,800 others missing.

    “Many here are welcoming the new year after losing their mothers, fathers, siblings and children so you can imagine how it feels,” said village chief Maria Rosario Bactol of Anibong community in Tacloban, the city worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan.

    Tayag said he expects the number of injuries to rise as the Health Department continues its count through Sunday.

    Many Filipinos, largely influenced by Chinese tradition, believe that raucous New Year’s celebrations drive away evil and misfortune, and set off huge firecrackers and fire guns despite dangers and threats of arrest.

    This year, there was even firecracker sold on the illegal market Super Yolanda which was named after the killer typhoon.

    With files from CBC News

  • ‘Our wish for education in 2014’

    ‘Our wish for education in 2014’

    2013 was a challenging year for education.  Stakeholders are praying that the demons of the past do not haunt the sector in 2014, report KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE and NICHOLAS KALU.

    For students and their parents, the prayer is that the lot of education, especially at the tertiary level, will be better in 2014 than it was in 2013. Last year, the sector was troubled by strikes and the Boko Haram menace.

    These events have not stopped stakeholders from hoping that 2014 will be better. When The Nation posed the question of hopes for the sector to teachers, rectors, vice-chancellors, commissioners and students, they all prayed that there would be positive changes this year.

    Topmost on their wish list is a stable calendar. Vice-Chancellor, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Prof Oladipo Aina, and his counterparts at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof Adebiyi Daramola; Federal University of Technology, Minnat (FUTMINNA), Prof Musbau Akanji; Caleb University, Imota, Prof Ayodeji Olukoju, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Prof Olusola Fajana, and others, were united in this desire.

    Aina said the strike “led to a highly disrupted academic year and several adjunct problems” and hoped that in the New Year, such will not surface. He also hopes to see an end to underfunding and poor infrastructure, which, he said together with instability “have undermined the actualisation of the roles of universities as the fount and nursery of great ideas and the incubator of inventions and ennobling ideals through which societies are transformed and nations are built.”

    FUTMINNA VC, Prof Akanji is hoping that the Nigerian University System (NUS) can once again run a uniformed academic calendar, which would only be possible if there are no disruptions this year.

    “By the end of 2014, I wish that the education sector, especially the higher education segment will experience a major crisis- free year so that by 2015, we should all attain a stable normal academic calendar (September to June),” he said.

    Though JABU VC, Prof Fajana said it may take up to 50 years to right the wrongs in Nigerian education system, he noted that 2014 could signal a start to that recovery if the effort by ASUU to get the Federal Government to spend more on education is fruitful. He advocated s summit of the Nigerian University System to chart the recovery.

    He said: “I desire that the Nigerian University System (NUS) be more focused, possibly through a summit to be convened for all the operators of the NUS. At least at end 2014, a fairly good rebuilding of the foundation for recovery of the NUS would have been achieved. This is because the rot in the NUS over the years would take some time to remove. The aftermath of persistent rot is that half-baked graduates who have been released into the labour market have gone to infect the lower levels of the educational system (i.e., pre-primary and secondary levels) with mediocre performance. It probably would take another 30-50 years before a significant difference would be recorded, and that is if the effort of ASUU to sanitise the NUS in 2013 is allowed to bear the desired results in 2014 and beyond.”

    Prof Isaac Adewole, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, is optimistic that ASUU’s efforts will begin to yield results this year.

    “I was one of the five Vice-Chancellors who mediated between ASUU and the Federal Government. Myself and the Vice-Chancellors of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (Prof Muhammad Hamisu Mohammed); University of Lagos (Prof Rahamon Bello) Bayero University, Kano (Prof Abubakar Rasheed); and University of Port Harcourt (Prof Joseph Ajienka). In fact, we were called the G5 for the universities.

    “We are quite optimistic that 2014 will usher in unprecedented development in the university system. The committee has worked on the allocation of the N200 billion for 2013. We believe that if the guidelines are followed on the use of the funds, Vice-Chancellors will have no choice but to use the money for what it is stipulated.

    “Give this country another five years and the injection of N1.3 billion will usher in a situation where our universities will compete with even the best in the world,” he said.

    Vice-Chancellors are not alone in wishing for a stable calendar this year. The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Dr Mufutau Olatinwo, also joined his voice to theirs when he said he desires a “crisis-free and internationally-competitive education system responsive to the needs of the country” by the end of the year.

    For Abubakar Aliyu Rafin Dadi, Students’ Union President, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the only way to avoid strikes in the universities is for the Federal Government to stay true to its agreement with the workers’ unions, notably ASUU. He said the prompt release of the N220 billion the government has agreed to give for infrastructural development this year would make a world of difference.

    He said: “Sincerely speaking, the most important issue here, and my hope and prayer is that the Federal Government will keep up with the agreement it entered with the ASUU to release about N220 billion annually to uplift and upgrade the standard of equipment and infrastructural development of the universities.

    “By end of 2014, we will not see more of any industrial action from the ASUU of what so ever kind as long as the government keeps to their end of the bargain so that we have a smooth academic atmosphere in all universities.”

    Rafin Dadi also hopes that when released, the funds would be judiciously utilized and lead to the transformation of campuses nationwide.

    “We hope that when it is given, it will be judiciously utlised and will not be given to quack contractors and politicians so that it will be used for what was intended. We hope to see on ground these structures, facilities, rebranding and revitalization of education in Nigeria. Our belief is that education is at the fore front of any transformation agenda. And if the presidency is serious about the transformation, then they should demand that other agencies that TETFUND, PTDF and others will continue to fund the education system,” he said.

    Prof Tolu Odugbemi, Vice-Chancellor, Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH), Okitipupa, is however worried about the effect of corruption on the education system and prays for the return of values once cherished in the Nigerian society.

    He said: “Honesty, hard work and expression of all good values that we used to honour in the old days and even taught as Civics should be brought back as attributes of good citizens, not the acquisition of wealth by any means that are not decent and honourable. There is unbridled and reckless display of wealth, which should have been directed to productive ventures in health, education and agriculture. There should also be a workable code of conduct amongst various professional groups – teachers, judges, doctors, civil servants etc. Monies are recklessly spent in public places to show off. This behaviour is not good for the nation as it sends wrong signals to our youths.”

    Apart from a stable calendar, stakeholders also wish for successes in other areas of education.

    Private University administrators are praying 2014 will bring about a change in the way government treats private educational institutions and are hoping that more public funds will come their way.

    Prof Fajana said he particularly looks forward to an end to the discrimination against private universities.

    He said: “I hope 2014 will be more conducive for all operators as a more equitable playing ground would have evolved in which private universities are allowed to operate without current discriminations which are in the least so to say strangulating and de-motivating. Currently, private universities are not allowed access to any form of assistance from the Federal Treasury, not even the TETFUND. Graduates of private universities, who took part in the Presidential Scheme for Foreign training as part of their Career Development, were unfairly discriminated against because no candidate from the private university category has been offered the scholarship in spite of the very good performance of these graduates at the qualifying tests!”

    The Head of National Office (HNO) WAEC Nigeria, Mr Charles Eguridu, said the council has plans to reduce examination malpractice and improve performance of candidates in its examinations.

    Regarding malpractices, Eguridu said candidates will not enjoy the benefits of using technology to cheat as the Council will deploy powerful scanners to stop the importation of mobile phones into examination centres.

    “Some phones can scan questions, send to others and retrieve answers. But we are going to ensure that candidates don’t use technology to have undue advantage in our examinations.

    “Beginning with the May/June 2014 WASSCE, the Council is deploying cutting-edge technology in the conduct of its examinations, by using contactless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Smart Card, for easy and accurate identification, automated attendance register, instant malpractice reporting and effective post examination management,” he said.

    To improve performance, Eguridu said the council will begin to organise workshops – but only for states interested in them.

    For institutions that made progress in various areas, they seek to consolidate on their achievements in the New Year. The Cross Rivers State Education Commissioner, Prof Offiong Offiong hopes that in the course of 2014 there would be a holistic policy that would reduce the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

    “At the national level the figure is over 10 million out of school children in Nigeria. In Cross River State, out of that we were given about 45, 000. Generally the Southsouth states do not have many out-of-school children; but 45, 000 for us is a significant figure as a state. We certainly have to find a way of accommodating them and that informed the recent approval of the governor for the establishment of some schools even in very remote areas. So we still believe that even though the number is low, that number needs to be addressed if we need to keep faith with the education for all goal,” he said.

    Offiong will also seek to consolidate on improved performance of candidates in the state in the WASSCE this year.

    “We expect that the investments we have done in the education sector since 2007 should begin to manifest in 2014 in terms of performances of performances of our children in terms of internal and external examinations. Obviously we are beginning to see this as we are now the sixth best performing state in the WASSCE. So we are looking forward to better performance in 2014. It is like some of these reforms are beginning to gain grounds in the education sector,” he said

    For the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi, 2013 was a good year. The state recorded a lot of awards by its pupil school pupils in local and international competitions. In the year in review, the Ministry of Education employed 13,201 teachers who underwent a one-month induction programme; established a Quality Assurance Agency to oversee the supervision, evaluation and monitoring of schools; inaugurated the School Based Management Committees SBMC and signed an agreement with a German firm ZWH to manage the Port Harcourt Technical/Vocational Centre, among others.

    In 2014, Mrs Lawrence-Nemi said the government will seek to enroll more pupils in school.

    “The State Government is addressing the issue of out-of-school children. The government has approved the construction of 20-classroom blocks for model primary school with a carrying capacity of 1200 pupils per school. The vision of the Rivers State government is to ensure that no child is left behind,” she said.

    Also the commissioner said a school census will be conducted in the State in partnership with UNESCO to ascertain the number of pupils in schools for proper planning.

    In Lagos State, 2013 was the landmark year that the Eko Secondary Education Project, a World Bank-sponsored initiative that provided grants directly to schools, ended after a successful four years.

    Ms Ronke Azeez, Special Adviser to the Governor on the Lagos Eko Project said the project, which was rated as one of the best five in Africa, helped the state to improve learning outcomes in secondary schools, which positively impacted on WASSCE results.

    She said 2014 would be used to improve the result further.

    She said: “Let me put it on record that the World Bank has agreed to extend the life of the project beyond 2013 because of its achievement in meeting the overall objective of enhancing students learning outcomes. To put this into perspective, students’ performance in Nigeria in WASSCE over the years has been poor for public secondary schools. However, Lagos state has taken a bold step in rectifying this trend and was able to improve on students’ performance in WASSCE from 18.41 per cent in 2009 to 41.06 percent in 2013 of students who obtained five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics.

    “For 2014, the Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has challenged all leaders in the education sector to significantly improve on the 2013 results and I can tell you that right from teachers to principal, education districts and the ministry of education are geared towards achieving this target. With this mandate, my vision is quite simple – meeting the target set by the Governor and embedding a more robust data-driven system to accelerate performance at school and education district levels. From international best practice and our experience, data gathering, analysis and utilisation has been fundamental to any meaningful planning and implementation especially in the area of education.”

    Despite the challenges of strike in 2013, Prof Aina said EKSU made progress, which he hopes will expand this year.

    “In 2013 we focused on expanding our on-campus infrastructure for staff and students and increasing our private sector partnerships across various initiatives – because we understand that in today’s economy leveraging expertise and relationships are critical toward the success of any organization and educational institutions are not an exception. For 2014, we hope to build on these successes. I pray for a peaceful year and a congenial academic environment that is uninterrupted by strikes in order to achieve our common goal to build for Nigeria a veritable university system,” he said.

    Prof Daramola said FUTA would seek to improve on its rating nationally and internationally. ”

    “As a centre of Excellence for food security, we will continue to adapt our researches in the agricultural sector and other areas for the benefit of humanity .We shall continue to improve the content of our teaching and research activities while our rating as an ICT compliant institution will be firmed up,” he said.

    Prof Olukoju of Caleb University anticipates new programmes at postgraduate and undergraduate levels, increased student enrolment and improved infrastructure in his university, while Prof Fajana hopes JABU retains its first position in the web ranking of private universities in Nigeria, becomes more visible and register more effectively in the consciousness of all Nigerians including government.

  • Welcome to 2014, the year of possibilities

    Despite all the pessimism of 2013, we all hope for a better year in 2014 in all ramifications.

    Many Nigerians from all walks of life and religious leanings no doubt spent the final hours of 2013 in earnest supplications to the Almighty not to allow the evils of 2013 crossover into 2014 with us.

    I join them to say Amen and sing the song, bye-bye to strikes, students’ unrest, examination malpractices, sex for marks, cultism, and corruption within the system in the New Year in the name of Jesus.

    We all know the solutions to our problems. If only we are determined to follow up our prayers with positive action, then there will be no room for the demons we perceive are chasing us.

    How can we prevent the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from going on strike this year? This should be simple enough. The Federal Government should ensure that it honours its part of the agreement by releasing the promised N200 billion. It should also ensure that the Implementation Committee on the Needs Assessment of Public Universities and the monitoring committees follow up on the projects assigned to each of the 61 public universities benefiting from the fund. If indeed – as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Sola Adewole told me – that the money is enough to make our universities to start looking like the Harvards and Oxfords of this world, then we want to see it happen.

    The members of the union should also do their part. They should not fail to attend classes when due.

    Regarding curbing examination malpractice, we also know what to do. All state governments should follow the example of Lagos, which has started punishing its teachers found culpable for aiding malpractices. Last year, nine teachers, including the principals and vice principals of one of the model schools in Lagos, were dismissed, suspended, demoted or transferred for compromising the integrity of the mathematics paper during the 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). This singular act sent a strong message to teachers in other schools. When we monitored the November/December WASSCE, many of the invigilators were very strict. They were not ready to scuttle their career for some pecuniary gains that could come from allowing candidates to cheat as they were aware it could not be compared to their salaries, gratuity and pension. Lagos State Ministry of Education also punished teachers who altered results of the internal promotional examinations. Their names were published in the dailies for all to see.

    If the system does not tolerate malpractice, students would be forced to read. When they study hard, they would be confident to write the examination on their own without seeking assistance from others. At the end of the day, they would perform better and be able to defend their results.

    What about corruption? We keep shouting that the government is not spending enough on the education sector. However, we should also be concerned about how the little allocated is utilised. I am sure that if all that was allocated to education in the past was well utilised, our education system would have been in a far better state than is presently the case today.

    The solution to the problems in our education sector does not just lie in increasing funding. Yes, funding is crucial. However, without transparent and intelligent appropriation of the funds, we will just be pouring good money down the drain. In 2014, those who extend a pipe from public education funds to their personal accounts should desist from doing so. If we all get our acts together, 2014 may well be our year of possibilities.

  • ‘Katsina council polls for early 2014’

    ‘Katsina council polls for early 2014’

    Katsina State Governor. Ibrahim Shema on Sunday said the state’s Local Government elections would be conducted in the first quarter of 2014.

    Shema who disclosed this in Katsina at a state PDP zonal meeting said the elections date would be announced in January for the political parties to begin preparations

    The governor, who was represented by Sen. Umar Tsauri, said all the materials needed for the exercise were on ground.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 34 local governments in the state were being managed by caretaker committees.

    This was as a result of the expiration of the tenure of elected council officials early in 2011.

    “The elections will take place next year, God willing, because everything has been put in place,’’ Shema said.

    The governor called on PDP supporters to come out en mass during the elections to vote for the party’s candidates.

    On the defection from the party to APC by some members, Shema said “most of such people are not original PDP members. Now, they have joined the group they belong to’’.

    He, however, admitted that the party was facing challenges.

    “We all know that PDP is facing some challenges and anyone trying to say otherwise is deceiving himself.

    “But we have been able to identify those challenges. By identifying the problem itself, it means half of the challenges facing us as a party have been solved,’’ the governor said.

    Shema however said PDP in the state would continue with the zoning and consensus principle.

    He also called on party members to woo to the party’s fold other people that would help PDP in achieving its political objectives.

  • Federer: I‘ll bounce back in 2014

    Swiss tennis star Roger Federer believes that he can bounce back in 2014 and aims at winning five tournaments. Federer is sure about his comeback and wishes to continue playing good tennis in the upcoming season. Having won only a single title at Halle in 2013, Federer admits that he did not play aggressively enough and was put off by back problems.

    2013 proved to be a pretty disappointing season for the winner of seventeen Grand Slam titles where he was able to bag a single title at Halle, prior to Wimbledon. After winning a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon crown in July 2012, Federer was unable to defend his title this year and was knocked out of the tournament by Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round. He also faced a number of early exits and defeats at the hands of low-ranked players.

    Additionally, Federer suffered a number of back problems which pushed him down to No. 6 on the ATP Rankings.

    “Things weren’t always easy in the last few months. I was playing sometimes in pain and sometimes I shouldn’t have played.

    “My body didn’t give me such problems in the last few weeks and my results (a final and two semi-finals) were a big step. It makes me want more,” Federer said.

    However, the Swiss had a positive approach towards that and said that he did not really care about his rankings since he was just playing tennis because he loved the sport.

    “Some great players have a `I hate losing’ attitude. I’m a guy who loves winning more than I hate losing,” Federer told The Sunday Mail. “Both work, as we have seen over the years from so many players, the ice in the veins sort of guys and the fire in the stomach sort of players.

    “I feel I found the right combination for me to be successful on the tour.

    “In the beginning, maybe I was too nice to be successful. You need to have that fire, that grit, that toughness to be successful for a long time.”

    Federer explained that when he won his first Grand Slam in 2003 he felt that the game was getting away from him for which he needed to develop his mental and physical strength.

    “I was like a rough cut diamond,” Federer said. “That’s how a lot of people saw me. I needed polishing. I came in at a time when Lleyton (Hewitt) was unbelievably successful at a young age. So was (Andy) Roddick, so was (Marat) Safin, so was (Juan Carlos) Ferrero. They were just a bit ahead of me. I don’t want to say I was frustrated, but I didn’t understand why it wasn’t happening for me. I was far enough behind that I was, `OK, let’s push myself a little more.’

    “Day in day out, my mentality improved, always being professional. I understood more and more how important fitness was. I didn’t know why I was lifting weights, when it was going to help me later in a tennis match.

    “The physical strength and the mental strength were the last things to fall into place. The mental part of my game, that was the hardest part for me… the consistency I have been able to have for long, I am quite surprised I have managed to do it for so long.”

    Federer hopes to kick off 2014 with a brilliant start at Brisbane and then come to Melbourne to play the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open.

    “This stretch is very important for me and I really don’t want to have any more setbacks,” he said. “I feel very confident about my chances, not only in Brisbane and Melbourne, but also beyond that.”

    The 32-year old has been practicing and hitting in the courts in Dubai and has been discussing his game with Stefan Edberg. Edberg has proposed to become Federer’s coach if Federer asks; after Federer parted with Paul Annacone after 3½ years.

  • Emenike wants more goals and glory in 2014

    Emenike wants more goals and glory in 2014

    Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike has told only MTNFootball.com he will aim to do more for country and club in the coming year.

    Emenike was AFCON 2013 top scorer with four goals and led Nigeria to book a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup with four goals in the qualifiers.

    Fenerbache are top of the Turkish league going into the new year and there is also the World Cup in Brazil in June.

    The striker was also listed among the best 100 players in the world for 2013 by English tabloid The Guardian.

    “It is a great feeling for me to be ranked among the best 100 players in the world where the likes on Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and others featured, I really feel excited to be on that list,” Emenike told MTNFootball.com.

    “I am not being carried away, I need to work harder. I know I really need to do more than what I am doing at the moment. It has been a great year in my life and career, it has been full of successes for me.

    “It is a year I can’t forget in a hurry, but I am looking forward to have a far better year in 2014.

    “I don’t want to be specific in terms of the honours or what I wish to achieve next year, but I wish to achieve more with Nigeria and my club. I still have a lot to give and only time will speak for me, I will not rush.”

    The powerfully-built 26-year-old is also on the list of players vying for African Footballer of the Year 2013 alongside compatriots Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Vincent Enyeama, and he told MTNFootball.com all the players listed by CAF deserve to win the award.

    “Individual honour is not the priority. My first priority when I am on the field for my country and club is collective victory. If my team-mates work for me to score goals, or I do same for my mates to score, it is all for the team’s success because football is a team game, like a family affair,” he insisted.