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  • Ambode hails Ogundipe’s appointment as Unilag VC

    Ambode hails Ogundipe’s appointment as Unilag VC

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday congratulated Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe on his appointment as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos ( Unilag ).

    “Being a product of the university himself, I am proud to say that his appointment is thoroughly deserved; Prof. Ogundipe does not need any introduction in the academic world.

    “He has distinguished himself in the service of the prestigious University of Lagos over the years and his leadership skills are not in doubt,” Ambode said in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Habib Aruna.

    The university’s Governing Council at the end of its meeting on Oct. 27, approved the appointment of Ogundipe as the 12th Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

    Ambode, an alumnus of the university, noted that Ogundipe had over the years proved his competence in the academia.

    He said it was based on his professionalism and integrity that his administration appointed him as the Chairman of the Lagos State Research and Innovation Council in June this year.

    “He has risen through the ranks to the pinnacle of his career,” the governor added.

    Ambode, while acknowledging the strides of the outgoing, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rahmon Bello, expressed confidence that Ogundipe would bring his wealth of experience to bear in building on the enviable legacies of the university in the next five years.

    “I am totally confident that Unilag is destined for greater heights; I want to, on behalf of the people of Lagos State, congratulate him and wish him the very best throughout his tenure.”

    NAN

  • Nasarawa warns residents against illegal connection of pipe borne water

    Nasarawa warns residents against illegal connection of pipe borne water

    The Nasarawa State Government, on Monday, warned  residents of the state against connecting pipe borne water without obtaining approval from the government.

    The Acting General Manager of the state water board, Mr Abdullahi Agbo, gave this warning when he visited the state water board area in Keffi, Keffi Local Government Area.

    Agbo urged those who were involved in the illegal connection of water to desist from the act in their interest in order to boost water supply in the state.

    He added that the illegal connection of pipelines had affected water supply in the state negatively, hence the need for the people to avoid illegal connection.

    Agbo reinstated the commitment of the board to continue to provide potable water supply to communities across the state.

    He said that providing water to the communities would not only improve on the people’s living standard but the nation’s development.

    The General Manager said that the state was doing its best to provide potable water to communities across the state.

    Agbo urged the members of staff of the board not to relent in their efforts towards disconnecting illegal water pipelines in their respective areas.

    He also called on the relevant stakeholders to support the State Government in its efforts to improve water supply to communities across the state.

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  • Facebook to make its political ads more transparent

    Facebook to make its political ads more transparent

    U.S. social media giant Facebook will roll out new measures to increase transparency of political advertisements on its platform.

    Under the new rules, political advertisers will be required to verify their identities and locations and their posts will include a disclosure which reads “Paid for by.”

    When clicking on the disclosure, users will be able to find out more about the advertisers, Rob Goldman, Facebook’s vice president in charge of ad products, wrote a blog on Friday.

    Facebook said, all advertisements, no matter whether they are political or not, will be associated with a page as part of the ad creation process.

    The social media giant said users can click “View Ads” and see all of the paid ones, no matter whether they are the intended target audience for the ads.

    “Transparency helps everyone, especially for political watchdog groups and reporters, keep advertisers accountable for who they say they are and what they say to different groups,” Goldman wrote.

    The company will start the test in Canada in November and roll it out in the U.S. by next summer, ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, he said, adding that the measures will take effect in all other countries around the same time.

    The move came days before Facebook, along with its rivals Google and Twitter, was scheduled to testify in a Congress hearing on Wednesday over how their platforms were allegedly used by Russia or other foreign groups in the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign.

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  • Ekiti NMA clamp down on quacks, illegal medical centres

    Ekiti NMA clamp down on quacks, illegal medical centres

    Nigerian Medical Association ( NMA ), Ekiti State chapter, on Sunday, says it has signed a pact with the state government for introduction of accreditation of health facilities to fish out operators of illegal medical centres.

    The NMA Chairman in Ekiti, Dr Sunday Omoya, made this known at a news conference to round-off the 2017 Physicians’ Week and  Ordinary General Meeting of the medical body.

    He said the medical body regretted the activities of some unregistered medical practitioners in the state.

    He added that such activities had been affecting medical practice and denting the image of members, saying “this must stop in the overall interest of health security of residents of the state.”

    He commended the Gov. Ayo Fayose-led state government for implementing Consolidated Medical Salary Scale ( CONMESS ) for all categories of doctors in the state, noting however that the policy had not been beneficial, owing to the six months salary owed doctors.

    Omoya said a total of  300 people were offered free medical treatment by doctors at Ipole Iloro in Ekiti West Local Government Area during the 2017 Physicians’ Week.

    He added that NMA held medical education for rural dwellers on  dieting, hypertension, HIV/AIDS and other ailments ravaging the people at the

    grassroots.

    He urged government to pay members’ salaries and fund health institutions, particularly the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital(EKSUTH), to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

    He noted that “we have set up a committee to look into the issue of quackery. We reached an agreement with state government on accreditation and re-registration of all health facilities in Ekiti.

    “We are looking into the genuineness of health facilities to know if they go beyond the scope for which they are registered.“If a facility is registered as a maternity or clinic or hospital, it can’t go beyond that scope but in Ekiti, some maternity homes are performing surgeries and this is wrong and dangerous.

    “Defaulting facilities will be shut and the owners prosecuted accordingly.”

    He commended the state government for being among the five states that met 70 per cent  benchmark in immunisation coverage.

    On the issue of non-payment of salaries, Omoya said: “We are pleading that even if all the arrears won’t be paid, government should bring us

    as per with our colleagues in civil service.

    “As we speak now, we are owing government six months salary, while civil servants are owed five months and this is demoralising doctors in health institutions.”

    NAN

  • Sokoto to connect solar power in rural areas

    Sokoto to connect solar power in rural areas

    Sokoto State Government said it had started the process of connecting a number of rural households with solar power to deepen energy usage and enhance rural electrification in the state.

    Alhaji Bashir Gidado, the Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal on Public Private Partnership (PPP),  made the disclosure at a news conference in Sokoto on Sunday.

    Gidado said the project was a partnership between the state government and Nigeria Energy Support Project ( NESP ), GIZ of Germany and GoSolar.

    He added that a pilot scheme had already started in Kurdula, a rural settlement in Balle town in Gudu Local Government Area of the state.

    He explained that “this is an off grid mini solar project and the idea is to provide solar power to rural communities that are not covered by the national grid using solar energy which we have in abundance in Sokoto State.

    “Kurdula is a rural settlement in Balle and was chosen as location for the pilot scheme after series of deliberations by partners and local stakeholders.

    “So far, GIZ has completed the installation of the distribution network, while the next phase, which is generation network, will be provided by GoSolar.”

    The governor’s aide added that the state government had provided land for the project, while payment of compensation as approved by Gov. Tambuwal was being processed.

    Gidado said all generation equipment had already arrived the country and expected in Sokoto any moment from now.

    “On the whole, the targeted population will be provided with clean energy for domestic use and minor commercial uses at very affordable rates,” he said.

    He noted that the project was being coordinated by a State Working Group, with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the office of Sexretary to State Government.

    “We hope to officially unveil the project in the next three months,” Gidado said.

    NAN

  • Two suicide bombers killed in Maiduguri

    Two suicide bombers killed in Maiduguri

    The Police in Borno on Sunday said two female suicide bombers were killed while trying to sneak into Maiduguri metropolis.

    Mr Victor Isuku, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview.

    Isuku said that the incident occurred on Sunday evening along Maiduguri-Gamboru highway.

    He said that one of the suicide bombers detonated an Improvised Explosive Device ( IEDs ) strapped to her body and killed herself, while the other bomber was gunned down by security operatives before she detonated the bomb concealed to her body.

    Isuku explained that the incident occurred at the outskirt of Maiduguri, adding that there were no casualties recorded in the incident.

    “Preliminary information available to me indicates that two female suicide bombers tried to sneak into Maiduguri, one of them detonated the IED on her body and killed herself while the other one was gunned down.

    “Police EOD teams have been deployed to the scene to sanitize the area,” he added.

    NAN

  • Economic growth to rise to 3.4% in sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 – IMF

    Economic growth to rise to 3.4% in sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 – IMF

    Economic growth is expected to rise to 3.4 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 from 2.6 per cent in 2017, the IMF said in a report on Monday.

    The IMF, however, warned that rising debt and political risks in larger economies would weigh down future growth.

    The IMF said a good harvest and recovery in oil output in Nigeria would contribute more than half of the growth in the region this year.

    The fund added that an uptick in mining and a better harvest in South Africa as well as a rebound in oil production in Angola will add to growth.

    The fund said South Africa has been clouded by the rule of Jacob Zuma, who has battled scandals, including corrupt allegations ahead of his ANC party’s conference in December to elect a new party leader.

    “Key downside risks to the region’s growth outlook emanate from the larger economies, where elevated political uncertainty could delay needed policy adjustments and dampen investor and consumer confidence,” the IMF said in a report launched in Harare.

    “A further pickup in growth to 3.4 per cent is expected in 2018, but momentum is weak, and growth will likely remain well below past trends in 2019.”

    To help maintain growth, IMF advised countries to diversify from dependence on commodities and oil, implement fiscal reforms to stimulate growth and attract private investment.

    The IMF said public debt would rise to 53 per cent of GDP this year from 48 per cent in 2016.

    More worryingly, it said, most countries were now borrowing from local banks, which could distabilise the domestic financial sector and fuel inflation.

    Debt servicing costs were also up, but high debt levels were in particular complicating the economic outlook for six nations, including Zimbabwe, which is gripped by a crunch forex shortage.

    “Debt servicing costs are becoming a burden, especially in oil-producing countries … and are expected to absorb more than 60 per cent of government revenues in 2017,” IMF said.

    The IMF said that while some countries had made progress in reducing their fiscal deficits, others, like Africa’s most advanced economy South Africa would see the deficit widen.

    South Africa on Friday raised its estimate for this year’s budget deficit, saying the country faced sluggish economic growth, shortfalls in revenue and costly bailouts of struggling state-owned companies.

    The IMF in thye report added that inflation pressures are easing especially in east Africa, which was hit by drought and the governments there increased maize imports to cut food prices.

    The IMF said in other places like Zimbabwe the high cost of imports is raising price pressures.

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  • Residents celebrate with soldiers after victory against Boko Haram in Yobe

    Residents celebrate with soldiers after victory against Boko Haram in Yobe

    Goniri Village was yesterday thrown into jubilant mood after troops crushed a Boko Haram attack lunched on the Village.

    A resident of the Village Zarami informed that the entire village went into wide celebration with local hunters and soldiers shooting in the air after soldiers of Operation Lafiya Dole in the area lunched a successful fight against some Boko Haram elements who came late evening of Saturday to attack the Village.
    Residents sources informed that most of the insurgents that came for the attack didn’t returned alive as they were all killed by the troops. A feat that made the villagers to come out and started singing victory songs and praises for the troops.
    Another resident informed that, “within forty five minutes, the soldiers have finished with all the Boko Haram that came to attack us. We are so happy with what transpired that is why the people of the village couldn’t resist coming out to celebrate with the soldiers. We are proud of them,” he said.
    A top security source who does not want to be quoted has also confirmed that “the insurgents met their waterloo in an attempt to over ran Goniri yesterday. The soldiers gave them a good fight and inflicted heavy casualty on them. Though I cannot tell how many precisely were killed but many of them that came didn’t survive”.
    Yesterday’s attack on Goniri appears like a resurgence of the Boko Haram activities in a relatively peaceful Yobe after the insurgents barely a week killed about ten soldiers in a dastardly attack at Sasawa, another settlement in the state.
  • Army confirms ambush on soldiers in Zamfara

    Army confirms ambush on soldiers in Zamfara

    Nigerian Army on Sunday confirmed an ambush by suspected bandits against its anti terrorism team on Friday around Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara.

    Its Spokesman, Brig-Gen. Usman Kukasheka, made the confirmation on telephone.

    He, however, said none of the soldiers was killed during the attack.

    Kukasheka also said the army headquarters was still gathering intelligence on the unfortunate development.

    Bandits had continued to terrorise innocent citizens in the state, especially in rural communities but the troops made their criminal operations uncomfortable.

    A source at the 223 Light Tank Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Gusau, said that one soldier was wounded and two operational vehicles were burnt by the hoodlums.

    The source also said a number of the hoodlums were killed by soldiers, while some escaped with bullet wounds.

    “Soldiers are on top of the situation,’’ the source insisted.

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  • I am not happy paying civil servants half salaries – Aregbesola

    I am not happy paying civil servants half salaries – Aregbesola

    Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State on Sunday said he was not happy paying half salaries to civil servants and political appointees in the state.

    The information is in a statement by Mr Adelani Baderinwa, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Osogbo.

    Baderinwa stated that the governor said this when Federal Government team on digital switch over visited him at the governor’s office.

    He quoted Aregbesola as saying “economic downturn induced by brazen corruption, wanton theft of crude oil and mismanagement of the country’s resources by the last administration forced the state to what it was witnessing today.’’

    According to the governor, no reasonable person or government will be happy not performing its required responsibility.

    He added that “we are not happy paying modulated salary to our workers in the civil service and political appointees. We are compelled by financial reality.

    “Contrary to the lies around , it is not all our workers that receive half salary.

    “Workers on levels 1-7, being the most vulnerable and the largest chunk of the workforce are being paid full salary.

    “Workers on levels 8-10 receive 75 per cent of their salary, while levels 12 upward collect 50 per cent of their salary.

    “The workers have shown maturity, support and understanding. We acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifices and support of the workers.”

    Aregbesola, however, said the financial burden on the government was incurred to provide infrastructure and develop the state.

    NAN