The Nation Newspaper

Tag: best

  • At their vocal best

    At their vocal best

    Ex-choristers of  St. Albert Catholic Church at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) are back with songs of praise. It was at a reunion organised by the church, reports EDDY UWOGHIREN (400-Level Medicine and Surgery).

    Years after they graduated from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), their ties with their alma mater remain strong. Last week, former choristers of the school’s St Albert Catholic Church returned to campus to worship.

    As they filed out on the stage, clad in elegant native attires to render songs, their appearance attracted little applause because the congregation did not expect much from them. However, they held members of the congregation spellbound with sonorous voices as they rendered songs and praises.

    The excited congregation rose to applaud the ex-choristers as they delivered their choreographic dance and melodies. That was the scene at the Alumni Choristers’ Reunion of St Albert’s Catholic Church University of Benin (UNIBEN) last Saturday.

    The event tagged: ‘Uma Familia-One Family’, witnessed massive turnout of students and alumni, who arrived early for the red carpet session.

    The organising committee Chairman, Dr Peter Agbonrofo, a Consultant-General Surgeon at UNIBEN Teaching Hospital, said the event was a home-coming for the ex-choristers of the church.

    He said: “This church, over the years, has been blessed with young and talented composers and singers, who have consistently turned out beautiful compositions in various languages nationwide. These former students have raised the standard of liturgical music ministration. We are proud of their achievement.”

    Agbonrofo said he was not surprised the choristers thrilled the congregation with “mind-blowing performance”, despite years of their graduation from the school. He said the church was reputed for giving youth the opportunity to develop their talents in the service of God and humanity.

    The ex-choristers rendered various gospel songs in traditional and classical ways. At intervals, they changed their attires to reflect the mood of the song rendered.

    Their songs were in various dialects to give every ethnic group a sense of belonging. The songs reminded the congregation of the grace and mercy of God upon them, and reflected the Catholic faith and supremacy of God.

    Highpoint was the joint performance of selected songs by the ex-choristers and members of the the church choir. The concert also featured a fund-raising for the activities of the choristers and special prayers for the church.

    At the end of the event, Noel Orji, who graduated in 2006, praised the church for organising the programme, which, he said, created a platform for the ex-chorister to share ideas on how to move the choir group forward.

    Wema Okungbowa, a 400-Level Medicine and Surgery student, and Mrs Ijeoma Ogbomo, a 2013 Pharmacy graduate, said the event exceeded their expectations. Wema said: “Ordinarily, one would have thought the ex-choristers had lost their voices, but their performance was impressive.”

     

  • ‘Our writers are the best in the land’

    ‘Our writers are the best in the land’

    In its ten years of existence, The Nation has proved its mettle by being both professional and commercial success. OLUKOREDE YISHAU tells the story of the newspaper’s many professional honours

    Gbenga Omotoso, Sam Omatseye, Steve Osuji, Olatunji Ololade, Adekunle Yusuf and Seun Akioye work for The Nation.  But that is not all they have in common. Year in, year out, they win awards for the newspaper. They are some of the many award winners who ply their trade in this newspaper. Their incisive stories and columns have made this newspaper a force to reckon with.

    Omotoso, Omatseye, Ololade, Yusuf and Akioye share this winning streak with the likes of Collins Nweze, Taiwo Alimi, Gboyega Alaka, Olukorede Yishau, Emmanuel Oladesu, Chikodi Okereocha, Taofeek Salako and Evelyn Osagie.

    This enviable club also parades stars such as Shola O’Neil, Joseph Jibueze, Azeez Ozi-Sanni, Muyiwa Adetula, Sina Fadare, Adedeji Ademigbuji, Oluwakemi Dauda and Kunle Akinrinade.

    From its investigative desk to its business desk to its political desk, great stories have been churned out and external assessors have had no choice but to authenticate them as some of the best pieces of journalism produced in the country. No wonder in its 10 years of existence, its reporters have won several laurels at the Nigerian Media Merit Awards (NMMA), the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), the CNN African Journalist of the Year, Wole Soyinka Awards for Investigative Journalism, Quill Awards, Golden Pen Awards, Schneider Awards and Rotary Awards.

    Aside reporters and writers who have won awards in the newspaper’s name, there are others who now ply their trades but have won laurels elsewhere. This class includes multiple award-winning Muyiwa Lucas, who now oversees the property section, Lucas Ajanaku, who was a finalist in the CNN African Journalist of the Year, and Raymond Mordi, now Deputy Political Editor.

    Omotoso, who edits this newspaper, and Omatseye, who chairs its editorial board, have shown the light to the reporters by winning awards regularly. For no less than five times, Omatseye won the Columnist of the Year. He has also won the DAME Informed Commentary Prize thrice. In 2010, he won the commentary category of both NMMA and DAME.

    Omotoso won the 2012 Alade Odunewu Informed Commentary Award at the 21st DAME. The piece that earned him the prestigious award is “A comedian’s fate”, which he wrote on November 3, 2011. The piece, said the organisers, wittingly analysed the “Baba Suwe vs NDLEA” saga.

    The DAME judges described Omotoso as a “witty columnist and one of the most experienced editors around”. The audience burst into laughter when extracts from the article were read in the hall.

    His winning came some days after Omatseye won the Columnist of the Year at the NMMA, a development which made Managing Director Victor Ifijeh remark that “it shows the strength of our writers, who are clearly the best in the land”.

    Significantly, twice the newspaper won the Newspaper of the Year at NMMA and DAME. At the NMMA last year, the newspaper proved that the best writers and reporters have found a home in The Nation. Of record 35 nominations, this newspaper won in 13 categories at the prestigious NMMA  the highest by any publication. It won Editor of the Year, Investigative Reporter of the Year, Columnist of the Year and 10 others.

    Omotoso is the reigning Editor of the Year (NMMA). He won in the same category three years ago. Assistant Editor (News) Yishau won two prizes at the event witnessed by former Governors Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Gbenga Daniel. He won the Columnist of the Year, with a piece titled “Time to deploy Mbu to Maiduguri”. He also won the Olu Aboderin Prize for Entertainment Reporter of the Year with his entry titled “October 1 and other stories”.

    Yusuf won the Investigative Reporter of the Year category with his story on how lead poisoning has killed many in Zamfara. Last November, he won the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporter of the Year for his three-part series on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    Nweze won two awards: Banking and Finance Reporter of the Year and Money Market Reporter of the Year. Salako won the Capital Market Reporter of the Year prize. O’Neil won the Buba Marwa Prize for Defence Reporter of the Year with his story “Inside the mess soldiers call home in Warri”. O’Neil was also runner-up in the Environment Reporter of the Year category.

    Osagie won the Female Reporter of the Year prize. She was also runner up in the Education Reporter of the Year category. Fadare won the Olagunsoye Prize for Culture Reporter with his story “ Magun: Myth or reality”.

    Oladesu, who is the Group Political Editor, won the Lateef Jakande Prize for Political Reporter of the Year.

    The Ernest Sisei Ikoli Prize for Newspaper Reporter of the Year was won by Jibueze, who also last year won the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) in the judicial reporting category. He won both prizes with his piece “How sabotage, blackmail and undue delays are killing the judiciary”. Okereocha, a serial award winner, won the Chevron Prize for Oil and Gas Reporter of the Year.

    In 2014, at the NMMA in Owerri, the newspaper won eight awards from a record 17 nominations. The newspaper proved that it parades some of the best commentators in the industry, with Editorial Board member Osuji emerging the Columnist of the Year. Omotoso was runner-up in this category.

    Yusuf won the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Prize for Culture and Tradition Reporter of the Year and the Chevron Nigeria Prize for Oil and Gas Reporter of the Year. He won the Culture and Tradition Prize with a story titled “Help, Nigerian languages are disappearing!” published on November 13, 2013. His story, “How Nigeria lost $11b to vandalism and theft” won the Oil and Gas Prize. Yusuf, earlier in 2014, won the Quill Award in the Industry reporting category.

    Ololade , who in 2014 won the CNN African Journalist of the Year award in the health and medical reporting category, got two awards at the Owerri event. His “Kalakuta Republic: A decade after” published on October 26 won the Olu Aboderin Prize for Entertainment Reporter of the Year. He also won the Gani Fawehinmi Prize for Human Rights Reporter of the Year with his “Fractured lives”, published on September 14, 2013.

    Akioye also did this newspaper proud at the 2014 event held at the International Convention Centre, Owerri by emerging winner in two key categories. Akioye emerged the Alex Ibru Investigative Reporter of the Year, with his entry, “Money, money everywhere, yet flood pains remain”, which traced how donations made by governments and philanthropists after the last major flood in the country were spent. He also emerged winner of the NAFCON Prize for Environment Reporter of the Year. His entry, “Even the rich envy us the way we live”, was published on April 20, 2013. Akioye won the Golden Pen Reporter of the Year with the same story. The same story also won DAME that year.

    In August 2013, Akioye emerged the winner of international environment award, the WASH Media Award organised by the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), Geneva  and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The award was presented during the World Water Week in Stockholm.

    At the 2014 NMMA, The Nation’s Dauda clinched the Maritime Reporter of the Year Award.  At the 2013 NMMA, which held in Ikogosi, Ekiti State, The Nation won six top awards, including Newspaper of the Year. Omotoso won the Dele Giwa Prize for Editor of the Year. The Editorial Board, which has won laurels for its editorials on critical issues, won the prize for Editorial Writing. Yishau won the Intercontinental Bank Prize for Capital Market Reporter of the Year. Ms Joke Kujenya, then an Assistant Editor (Investigations) with this newspaper, clinched the Peter Odili Prize for Power Reporter of the Year and Nweze won the UBA Prize for Money Market Reporter of the Year.

    At the 2014 DAME, where it won the Newspaper of the Year, the organisers said “: In emerging The Newspaper of the Year for the first time at DAME, The Nation put up an impressive fight, elbowing out The Punch in a close finish. The Nation won five DAME award in Informed Commentary, Development Reporting, Health Reporting, Political Reporting, and Judicial Reporting. It also came second in six categories, namely; Informed Commentary, Development Reporting, Child Friendly Reporting, Business Reporting, Editorial Writing, and Press Investigative Reporter of the year. Finally, it also recorded two third place positions in Press Investigative Reporter of the year award and Development Reporting. Established in 2006. The Nation has gradually emerged as a paper of record, parading some of the most enterprising reporters and columnists in the land. Guided by its Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director Victor Ifijeh and the Editor, Gbenga Omotoso, and Sam Omatseye, its chairman of the Editorial Board, and a host of other key officers, The Nation is truly one of Nigeria’s leading newspapers giants.Omotoso also emerged the Editor of the Year. Editorial Board Chairman Sam Omatseye won the Informed Commentary Prize. The newspaper’s reporters also won four other awards in Development Reporting, Judicial Reporting, Political Reporting and Health Reporting categories.”

    Of the 19 awards up for grabs that night, The Nation won seven, the highest by any newspaper, just like it did at that year’s NMMA.

    With the array of investigative and incisive pieces churned out by its reporters last year, it will not be surprising if baskets will be needed to carry its awards this year. Already, the floodgate has opened with Ololade winning the Quill Awards.

    Ololade’s several other awards are: Diamond Award for Media Excellence Anthony Enahoro Prize for Political Reporting (2012); Winner, Diamond Award for Media Excellence UNICEF Prize for Child-friendly Reporting (2012); Winner, Ernest Sisei Ikoli Prize for Newspaper Reporter of the Year(NMMA-2012); Winner, B.A.T Prize for Industry Reporter of the Year (NMMA-2012); Winner, Ernest Sisei Ikoli Prize for Newspaper Reporter of the Year, Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA-2011); Winner, Ibrahim Buba Shekarau Prize for Education Reporter of the Year, NMMA-2011; Winner, B.A.T Prize for Industry Reporter of the Year NMMA-2011; Diamond Award for Media Excellence Prize for Best Judicial Reporting of the Year (2010); Winner, Ernest Sisei Ikoli Prize for Newspaper Reporter of the Year (NMMA-2010); Winner, Gani Fawehinmi Prize for Human Rights Reporter of the Year NMMA-2009; Winner, Olu Aboderin Prize for Entertainment Reporter of the Year NMMA-2009.

    His entry, which won the CNN award, “‘This marriage will kill me – Tragedy of Nigeria’s child brides” took an in-depth look at the trauma suffered by Nigeria’s child brides. As well as often being married to men decades older, they are also brutally circumcised. This practice can cause severe medical complications. This, combined with the fact that many have bodies too young to cope with childbirth, means that they are left enduring lifelong, excruciating pain. These girls are also often betrayed by their families, finding themselves ostracised and forced into desperate situations to survive.

    He is set to leave for London for a training programme as a result of his outstanding performance at the Quill Awards.

    This year sure promises to be another year of reward for excellent reporting and writing.

  • ‘President is Nigeria’s best ever’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, High Chief Igho Osiebe, has said Muhammadu Buhari is Nigeria’s best President so far.

    The high chief said Nigerians should be grateful to God for using the former Head of State to accelerate the nation’s development.

    Osiebe, who ýwas the National Organising Secretary for Grassroots Mobilisers for Buhari (GMB), spoke in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

    He said President Buhari had displayed enough competence in administering the country, especially his prudent management of resources in the drive to deliver quality service to Nigerians.

    The high chief of Agbon Kingdom in Ethiopia East Local Government Area, cited the recovery of looted funds starched away in foreign banks by as one of the legacies that would outlive what he called the “no-nonsense” politician.

    Osiebe said: “We as a people shall celebrate a nation free of corruption under President Buhari.”

    He took a swipe at the Yakubu Wada-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in its failed attempt at calling out Nigerian workers on a strike.

    The hight chief noted that such action was self-serving because it lacked patriotism to the government and Nigerians.

  • Only the best will face Swaziland – Oliseh

    Only the best will face Swaziland – Oliseh

    Sunday Oliseh will not be swayed by past reputations as he looks to inspire the Super Eagles to a win in today’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Swaziland’s Sihlangi Semnikati.

    Swaziland will be looking to inflict a first competitive defeat on Oliseh at the Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba.

    The Nigeria national team head coach insists only “the best will play” against Swaziland.

    “It doesn’t matter to me if you have been playing ten years before or you have not been playing…it doesn’t matter.”

    Oliseh will be expecting more ‘head shakes’ against The Swazi’s – both away and at home

    “The best will play. It also does not matter if you are scoring 50 goals, 30 or 20 goals at (your club).

    “What is important is how you adapt to our style of play which will enable your teammates to play well with you.

    “We are not going to have one star player and everyone will be playing for him.

    “We will have 11 or 14 stars as the case maybe,” he said.

  • ‘Nigerian lawyers can match the best abroad’

    African Bar Association (AFBA) president, Mr. Hannibal Uwaifo has faulted the idea that foreign lawyers are better than their African counterparts.

    According to him, it is wrong to give important briefs to foreign firms when local ones can do better, saying  very good Nigerian lawyers can match the best abroad.

    Uwaifo, who noted the excellent performance of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the International Bar Association (IBA) conference which held in Vienna, Austria, said: “I want to thank our hardworking President Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN) for the beautiful admonitions he gave at the breakfast meeting of the African regional forum in Vienna.

    “He touched on the need not only to upgrade our skills,  but to join forces in order to benefit from the huge investments we make into IBA conferences without corresponding benefits.

    “It is obvious that most of the sessions at each succeeding conferences are not relevant to our practice in Nigeria and Africa.

    “I, however, do not believe that our skills are poor in Nigeria. I do not also agree that we can only fit into global legal practice by sharpening skills whatever that means.

    “Nigeria has always played at the world stage. In the World Court, in the International Criminal Justice system and practice. “

    All  jurisdictions, Uwaifo said,  have their peculiarities, culture and style. “However, successful legal practice is tied to good governance, the rule of law, economic wizardry and technology breakthrough and unfortunately, these are mostly lacking in Africa. “Lawyers join politicians to break the law and shop for judges to help validate these shameful conducts. They take advice from clients instead of offering them advice advice professionally,” he said.

    He continued: “Lawyers collect huge sums of money from political clients not in any way commensurate with the regime of legal charges, knowing that these funds were drawn from public funds meant for the commonwealth to tare roads, fix hospitals, schools, electricity and fund technological advances.

    “The Economy remain stagnant, unemployment becomes rife. There are serious security problems, the entire society is dysfunctional. The prosperity of the profession is blocked.

    “Everybody is  accusing each other and the profession is now  Thomas Hobbes’ contraception of nasty, short and brutish. You cannot meet global skills when you take bribes and promote corruption.”

    According to Uwaifo, AFBA will work towards improving lawyers’ fortune.

    His words: “We intend to  bring about some of these changes by encouraging individual lawyers and national associations to imbibe attitudinal changes by organising frequent interactions and acting as watchdog.

    “The present NBA executive has done excellently. They have shown that things can be done right. They are  bringing about orderliness transparency and professional etiquette.”

    The next Exco, he said, has to fight corruption, influence peddling, compromising judicial officers, accepting monies stolen from public coffers to pay professional bills for personal political cases.

    “Be bold to take on judges who ridicule our profession and our country by making ridiculous orders and granting bogus injunctions that will make even the market women reel with laughter.

    “Injunctions stopping security agencies from investigating corruption and other crimes against the Nigerian people should not be granted,” adding: “The bar and the bench must know that the average Nigerian, whose public funds is misappropriated daily is also entitled to injunctions against these mindless crooks and deserves the protection offered by the rule of law.”

     

     

  • PenCom emerges best performing establishment in Africa

    PenCom emerges best performing establishment in Africa

    The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has emerged the best performing pension institution on governance in Africa.

    The Commission was also awarded the best performed in coverage and social economic impact.

    The award is the maiden edition of the Africa Pensions Awards (APA) presented at the closing ceremony of the World Pension Summit Africa Special in Abuja.

    Present at the event were governors Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom. Also in attendance were senators, members of the diplomatic corps, local and international economic experts, stakeholders across the world in the pension industry.

    In the category of pension coverage, the Kenyan Retirement Benefit Authority was declared winner of the best performed pension institution based on its wide coverage of its informal sector while in the category of Economic Social Impact, the Namibia Financial Institution Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) was adjudged the best based on its innovations in pension regulation, and security markets regulation.

    The Chairman of the African Pension Award Committee, John Ashcroft who announced the winners of the awards said the 2015 African Pension Award was structured into three categories namely governance, pension coverage and social economic impact.

    He explained that the governance category awards was to honour countries which introduced innovations in the legal and institutional frameworks, adopted efficiency in their pension processes, corporate governance structures and service delivery.

    He added that the pension coverage award category was designed to celebrate countries that provided channels for sustainable livelihood like basic needs such as food and shelter for its citizenry, especially during old age.

    He said: “It is also intended to honour countries which have incorporated both the formal and informal sectors of the economy in their pension scheme.

    “The social economic impacts category was designed to evaluate how countries that utilised pension funds under the contributory system, to provide financial intermediation for the real sector and infrastructure development. It is also designed to honour nations whose pension funds impacted their local capital markets and insurance.”

  • Four emerge best in Knorr Taste Quest Season 3

    Four emerge best in Knorr Taste Quest Season 3

    • One evicted

    The quest to become a Master Chef took a new turn last week as the assessment of contestants in the Knorr Taste Quest was based on their culinary prowess, organisation of their works, tidiness as well as their presentation.

    With the aim of deepening market penetration and create observatory consumer experience of the Knorr cude, the contestants in that episode were tasked with preparing a three-course meal within one hour with compulsory ingredients: Lasagna sheets, Kidney and Lettuce for the Starter; Tomatoes, Plantain, Potatoes and Eggs for the Main Course while Couscous, Blueband Margarine and Knorr Chicken were essential for the Dessert.

    After the contestants were done, the judges were surprised at the outcome of the task: Balogun and Dapo who were on probation last week, impressed the judges with delicious dishes which triggered comments.

    The guest judge, Ozoz Sokoh, who is a food blogger, expressed satisfaction with what she experienced while tasting Dapo’s dishes.

    Following the judges’verdicts, Victor, Tunji, Dapo and Balogun emerged the best four while Aina, Hauwa and Davies were at the bottom three. Davies’ dishes was said to be over seasoned, while that of Hauwa and Aina didn’t meet the judge’s expectation.

    In a competition monitored by The Nation, Dapo emerged the winner of this week and was rewarded with N20,000 while Aina bid the show farewell as she was evicted.

    “As we approach the grand finale with six contestants standing, watch out for more thrills to discover who will wear the crown in Knorr Taste Quest Season 3 and earn the bragging right as Nigeria’s culinary best. The winner will be going home with a whooping N5million prize; kitchen equipment and loads of Knorr bouillon cubes. Also, prizes of N1million and N500, 000 will be given to the first and second runner,” the organisers said in a statement.

    “The show is proudly supported by TOTAL GAZ, reputed for affordable and safe-cooking gas as well as Shoprite, Nigeria’s leading one stop shop for food and household items at the lowest possible prices,” the statement added.

  • OSUSTECH ‘ll rank among the best, says Odugbemi

    OSUSTECH ‘ll rank among the best, says Odugbemi

    Professor of Medicine and Parasitology, Tolu Odugbemi, completed his tenure as the foundation vice chancellor of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) last month with a desire that the institution would rank among the best universities of technology in the world within a decade.

    Odugbemi, who was employed to salvage the institution from pre-mature death in 2010 as a result of its inability to start operation three years after being issued an operating licence by the National Universities Commission (NUC), has prepared ground for his successor to achieve this aim.

    In an interview, Odugbemi said the goal was the mandate given by the Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, when he was appointed vice chancellor.

    “The dream of His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko is to make OSUSTECH a model and one of the best universities of technology in the world.  The management of OSUSTECH has therefore been making frantic effort to make the university truly world class and one that will compete favourably with other notable institutions across the globe.

    Therefore, I desire to see OSUSTECH after five years to be ranked among the foremost universities of technology in Nigeria.  I equally expect to see OSUSTECH in a decade’s time to be among the best universities of technology in the world where meaningful research outputs are being turned out for sustainable growth and development of the country,” he said.

    In keeping with that goal, and with funding support of the government, Odugbemi said the university was able to recruit qualified workers, relocate to its permanent site in Igbokoda in record time, establish well-equipped laboratories and run the university farms, which have been crucial to the success of its entrepreneurship programme.

    The university, under his watch, also encouraged research in areas relevant to local needs and enhanced its relationship with the host community, which benefits from the many products of the farms.

    Odugbemi said: “OSUSTECH made history as one of the few universities in Nigeria that moved to its permanent site in a record time of two years after commencement of academic programmes in January, 2011. This was made possible with the support of Mr. Governor and his Government.  All the laboratories in the university are well-equipped with modern and state-of-the-art equipment. Modern university is about teaching, learning, research and community service. To this end, we encourage research in applied sciences among staff in such areas as solar energy, biogas, fertilizer production and soap and cosmetics production.

    “All the academic programmes being run in OSUSTECH have been accredited by the NUC. The University played host to the NUC accreditation teams between Monday, February, 25 and Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Industrial Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geophysics, Microbiology, Zoology, Botany, Fisheries and Computer Science had full accreditation while one programme, Biochemistry, had interim accreditation.

    The various laboratories, equipment and facilities at the University Libraries and Farms were adjudged adequate during the accreditation exercise. Efforts are also underway to start off the Faculties of Agriculture and Engineering. The Academic Briefs for the proposed Facilities had been prepared and made ready for submission to the NUC for approval. The TETFund too, had started the furnishing and equipping of Engineering workshops and laboratories in the University.”

    One area of success that the university currently enjoys is the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Leadership Training (CELT), which Odugbemi said provides training in 21 vocational skills for students once in a week.  The centre has spawned products the university is now proud of, including its bottled fruit juice drink.

    “The ultimate aim of this Centre is to inculcate practical training skills in our students order to make them job creators and positive contributors to socio-economic and political lives of the state and Nigeria at large.  At the Centre, the students are exposed to over 21 skill trainings; and every Wednesday afternoon has been made lecture-free period to enable them learn any vocational skill or trade of their choice.

    “Such trainings include bakery and confectionery, beads production, tailoring and fashion designing, drum-making, tie and dye production, weaving and production of “Aso-Oke”, sculptural works, welding, metal and fabrication, bottled and sachet water production etc. The University Farms too have been stocked with various poultry products, fish, pigs, goats and other cash crops to give practical agricultural trainings to the students.”

    Odugbemi’s tenure was not without challenges.  Earlier this year, students protested fee increment.  Also a recession meant that the government owed salaries for some months. However, Odugbemi noted that the students had no reason to protest as the fees were not increased from N100,000 (indigenes) and N150,000 (non-indigenes) charged since inception.

    As he departs from OSUSTECH, Odugbemi thanked all who worked with him to nurture the institution, and urged the university community to continue the pursuit of its vision.  He also hoped that credible people would be appointed to run the university.

    “We appreciate people of goodwill who have visited and commended the giant stride that OSUSTECH has made within the short time of its existence.  To improve the university system, eminent and courageous persons with vast experience in university system should be appointed into key university positions. Such leaders should be focused, fair and firm with proven high level of integrity,” he said.

     

  • Iheanacho: I want to be the best in the world

    Iheanacho: I want to be the best in the world

    Flying Eagles’ star Kelechi Iheanacho has said his biggest dream is to be crowned the best footballer in the world.

    Manchester City starlet Iheanacho, who only turned 18 last December, is in New Zealand with Nigeria for the FIFA U-20 World Cup and all eyes are on him after he was voted the MVP of the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

    Iheanacho has been the most popular Nigerian star for media interviews here in New Zealand and he revealed his biggest dream to FIFA TV.

    He declared: “I hope to continue to make progress in my career and one day be the best player in the world. I hope God will help me to achieve this. That’s my dream.”

    Iheanacho scored six goals as Nigeria won a record fourth U17 World Cup title in superb style two years ago and he said he wishes to surpass this with the U20s.

    “I am 100% ready to make an impact at this World Cup, even more than at the U17 World Cup,” he vowed.

    “We want to win something for Nigeria as a team, and I hope I can do good things for the team.”

    He added: “Most of the players were not available when we won the U17 World Cup two years ago, but they are now with us and we are a lot stronger than in 2013. We will go far in this tournament.

    “There is a lot to say about this team because we have a lot of potentials. We are individually talented.

    “We have to show our strength as a team, we have to show confidence, individual talent, what the coaches have taught us and everything that will give us the edge against all the countries who have qualified for this World Cup.

    “We have to fight to win this tournament by God’s grace.”

    He further said the U20 World Cup will be great opportunity to prove his worth at Manchester City, where he is yet to make his first-team debut.

    “This is a perfect opportunity to show Manchester City what I am capable of especially because I was injured for a couple of months,” he said.

    “I will work hard to make my club and my country proud at this World Cup.”

  • Covenant is best in West Africa

    Covenant is best in West Africa

    Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, has emerged the No.1 university in West Africa and 15th in Africa, according to two renowned ranking agencies-Webometrics and Repositories.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Charles K Ayo, said the rankings revalidate the fulfillment of the ‘Vision 2022: One of 10-in-10’, a mandate which was handed over to him when CU commemorated its 10th anniversary.

    He said: “As soon as we were given the mandate, we were mindful of that mandate. We embarked on it full throttle.

    “We took cognisance of the ranking agencies, and embarked on an eight-point agenda targeted towards the fulfillment of the vision. With the attained feat, we are convinced that we are set to conquer the world.

    “It’s not easy leading a revolution. We witnessed much criticism from the public, particularly on the dress code. Some labelled us a glorified secondary school but we were undaunted because we believed the process would definitely inform the product.

    “We raise kings and queens here. But we are happy that now a number of universities adopt our dress code though they may not be able to enforce it the same way we do.”

    Ayo noted that CU began academic activities in 2002, pioneering some innovations, such as the introduction of entrepreneurial education, abolishing a pass degree, introducing dress code as well as a certificate in leadership (diploma), which all graduates of the university must acquire alongside their course of study.

    Webometrics is the largest academic ranking of higher education institutions, comprising about 2,500 institutions globally. The agency considers factors, such as openness, impact, web presence and excellence as parameters for ranking.

    Repositories ranking  supports open access initiatives and offers free access to scientific publications in an electronic form and other academic materials.