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  • ‘We’re committed to empowering children for leadership’

    The ARM Pension Managers has restated its commitment to the empowerment of children through education to prepare them for future leadership.

    The Regional Manager, South East and South South, Valentine Dim stated this in Onitsha, Anambra state during the presentation of over 2,500 exercise books to schools under the Anglican Diocese on the Niger.

    He said the organisation had always been interested in investing in the future of the children to ensure a more stable and prosperous society.

    He said, “We’re here to give back to the society as a responsible corporate body. We seize every opportunity we have to gladly give back to the society we’re taking from.

    “Diocese on the Niger has lots of schools, both primary and secondary through which they empower next generations.

    “ARM being a forward-looking organisation is also interested in investing in that future of the children so we can have more stable and prosperous society.

    “We’re also giving back to their parents whose pensions we manage and whose assets we generate income from which we use in investing in what we’re doing today.”

    According to Dim, the gesture was targeted at cementing and appreciating the relationship between the two bodies which was established something ago.

    Read also: ARM premium hits 31 %

    He further said the organisation has earlier developed a learning application deployed for university students which contain all the information they need.

    “This church is not the first place we’ve made donations. As a body, we’ve always been giving, including tertiary institutions and other groups,” he added.

    He further disclosed that the gesture was the first batch, assuring that more books would be donated to the students in no distant time.

    Responding, the Education Secretary of the diocese, Ven. Rufus Ezenwaka expressed appreciation to the organization, promising judicious use of the books.

    “We’re glad that the relationship between two of us is being sustained. We assure you that the books would go a long way to assisting the students in their academic pursuits,” he said.

    Photo: The Regional Manager, Valentine Dim (4th right) pose with the Education secretary, Ven. Rufus Ezenwaka and members of his team during the books presentation.

  • School of Public Health, Nsukka for upgrade

    The Enugu State government has said arrangements have been concluded to upgrade School of Public Health Nursing/ Health Technology Nsukka to College of Health Technology and Nursing Services.

    Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi disclosed this in Nsukka during the matriculation of 125 students for 2019 session of the school.

    He said the state government was happy on the performance of the school since its establishment in 1977.

    “Very soon the school will be known as College of Health Technology and Nursing Services Nsukka.

    “The state government is happy with performance and achievement of the school and has concluded necessary arrangements to upgrade the school to a college.

    “When the school becomes a college, thousands of candidates from different states  of the federation will seek admissions into the college,” he said.

    Ugwuanyi who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health in the state, Dr Ifeanyi Agujiobi commended the principal of the school Mrs Uchenna Eze on the recent approval by West African Examination Board for the school to start running environmental health programme.

    “Since 1977 the school was established various principals made efforts for approval of this programme but within one year you assumed office it was approved.

    “The state government is happy with  you and your management for this great achievement,” he said.

    The governor advised the matriculated students to shun immoral vices,  exam malpractice and any form of cultism but should rather focused on their studies so as to be useful to themselves and the society.

    “Focus on your studies and shun immoral vices, exam malpractice and cultism as they will mar your future , “ he said.

    In a remark, Eze, the principal of the school urged new students to give priority attention to their study and be of good conduct since not all candidates who applied for admission in 2019 session were admitted.

    “it is not all candidates that wished to be here made it, you must count yourselves privileged to be admitted.

    “Remain focused, so that you acquire knowledge and skills you needed to attend to the sick and helpless.

    “Both academic and non-academic staff of this school are ready to help you achieve success,” she said.

    The principal told new students that the school had zero tolerance for shortcuts and indiscipline and would not hesitate to sanction any student that violated the school rules and regulations.

    She commended   Gov Ugwuanyi who provided the fund and logistics that made it possible for the school to get four years accreditation recently from Community Health board .

    “Staff and students of this school are grateful and pledged to rededicate ourselves to duties,” she said.

    Eze announced that the school had been granted approval to run Environmental Health programme, describing it as a dream come true.

    “This is a dream come true as the search for this programme has been on since the establishment of the school 1977.

    “I express my appreciation to state government, ministry of health and school management for their support that made this landmark achievement to be possible,”  she said.

    The principal listed some of the challenges of the school to include the completion of  female hostel building, building hostel for male students, employing of new security officers to replace retired ones as well as sinking of a borehole for the school to stop students  going outside in search of water.

  • ‘Demystifying mathematics key to success among students’

    Anambra State Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha has blamed students’ poor performance in mathematics on the wrong presentation of the subject by teachers.

    The commissioner maintained that demystifying mathematics remained a sure way to guaranteeing massive success in the subject among students.

    Omenugha spoke in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state during the opening of a four-day training exercise on difficult subject areas for mathematics teachers conducted by Pan-African Community Initiative on Education and Health (PACIEH).

    She described mathematics as one of the easiest subjects to understand and excel in if presented properly and in a simplified manner.

    She said, “Mathematics has not been properly demystified. If you have a teacher who understands the concept and is able to teach it in a very natural and simple way, the students would be able to do better.

    “I came back from a conference on education in London and I just wished I was still a child because of the way maths was taught there, it was so simple with computers.

    “They said the worst way to teach mathematics is just to say 2+2=4, that’s a horrible way. You could get oranges and other aids so as to make it as practical as possible. I think that’s what our children need.”

    According to the commissioner, mathematics and other core subjects had always been given priority attention by the state government in view of their importance.

    “Governor Willie Obiano is very passionate about dymistifying mathematics among the children because he himself is a very good mathematician.

    “That is also why we’re committing much in building the capacity of our teachers for them to appreciate that teaching and learning mathematics can be fun,” she posited.

    Expressing confidence on the performance of the teachers after the training, Omenugha urged them to view their profession as more of blessing and opportunity to impact lives.

    Omenugha said, “The teachers are brilliant. For them to have done maths at the university level, some with Masters, it shows the level of their intelligence.

    “The only thing they need is to believe in themselves, have a vision and mission to drive the vision. They also need to continue to improve their capabilities and capacities.”

    The commissioner further revealed that the training which was a pilot edition, would be extended to other local council areas of the state.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Pan African Community Initiative on Education and Health (PACIEH), Prof. Uche Amazigo, said the training would focus on selected subject items identified to be difficult among the teachers.

    She revealed that a total of 28 teachers selected for the training would be drilled by eight others drawn from the best and experienced, expressing optimism that they would do justice to the subject.

    On his part, Project Coordinator, State Education Program Investment Project (ANSEPIP), Kene Enukora, said his organization would be supporting the programme technically and financially.

  • Navy college holds health outreach for community

    The Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics College (NNFLC) Owerrinta in Abia State has held its medical rhapsody for its host community.

    Naval medical personnel examined the locals and provided medications and advice for them, urging them to make good use of the medical supplies which they got free.

    Speaking at Trailer Park Owerrinta venue for the medical treatment, the commandant of the college, Navy Capt. Omotola Omotayo Olukoya said that all patients attending the exercise should listen very well and make good use of the drugs they were given after consultation with the doctors.

    Olukoya said that they are doing the free medical to treat ailments, but that some of them could be avoided if they live in a clean environment, stressing that good health is better than money.

    He said that the navy decided to hold the free medical exercise on that day being the national environmental cleanup day, adding that a health environment will also make for good and healthy living which in most cases may not require medication.

    The commandant said that they have three consulting rooms, child health clinic, family planning and distribution of condoms, antenatal clinic, eye clinic, laboratory and pharmacy department and urged them to access them for their own good.

    Read also: Maritime security: Navy takes delivery of new equipment

    Olukoya who was represented by acting deputy commandant, Commander Akinbamidele Samson Odunsi said that despite their major assignment which is to provide security with the help of other security agencies, that they also have to provide social services to their immediate community.

    The commandant of NNFLC said that the Chief of Naval Staff decided to have the medical outreach as one of the ways to create a human face and also make the people who live close to them to know that they are human beings like them.

    He described the free medical exercise as one of the ways they have to give back to the host community that welcomed them since the college was established, “I want you people to keep supporting us, and this will in turn encourage us to do more”.

    Olukoya told them to listen attentively to whatever the medical team will tell them and do accordingly so that they will not have any complications, adding that once they take their drugs as directed that there will be no problem.

    He said, “We are here to give free medical care to our people of Owerrinta community and its environs and we expect all to received medical attention as good health is very important more than money, as money is not everything”.

    The navy captain urged them to make good use of the drugs they will be given after being examined by the doctors on duty, stressing that by so doing they will live a healthy life devoid of avoidable ailments.

    Olukoya told them to always feel free to come to the base to make use of the clinic as they will be charged little money, “What we will charge you at our base clinic after treatment will never be the same with what you will be charged outside our clinic”.

    Earlier a Public Health Officer (PHO) at the navy clinic, Ms Light Emmanuel had told them the need for them to take their drugs as directed and that when they go in to consult with the doctors that they should not be shy but feel free to express themselves.

    Emmanuel said that it only when they tell the doctors what is wrong with them that they will be given proper medical attention, stressing that when they are shy and hid what is wrong with them that the disease will end up destroying them or killing them.

    She charged them not to feel shy to ask for condoms as they have both male and female condoms, “The condoms will be given free and they (condoms) will help to stop unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases”.

    The PHO also used the forum to demonstrate to the patients how to use the condoms for male and female for proper usage and urged them to teach others who for one reason or the other could not be at the medical outreach for their own healthy living.

    Emmanuel equally taught them how to use the treated mosquito nets which will be given to the children under five years, explaining that they must air the nets for at least twenty-four hours before usage to avoid health problems.

    She warned against using same for fishing as they are a fishing community, “This treated mosquito nets we are going to give you are not for fishing as they are not meant for that venture, as they can never hold fishes”.

    The navy PHO told the pregnant women that they will be given routine drugs for their health and that of their unborn children and also treated mosquito nets, “Please all pregnant women should come to our base on Monday for registration and free ante natal treatment”.

    In his contribution the medical doctor in charge of the navy hospital, Lt Commander Richard Ezeibe said that the navy is there for the people and also create a good working relationship with the community which will in turn make them feel free to come to them at all times.

    Ezeibe a surgeon said that the medical exercise is one of the ways to tell the host community that the federal government cares for them, as they are free to seek medical attention at the base clinic at all times.

    He told them that the medical outreach which includes ante natal care for pregnant women and also postnatal care after delivery, adding that they are also into reproductive health care which includes birth control methods.

    The navy medical doctor urged them to make good use of the exercise to treat all their ailments, adding that the medical outreach is for all category of patients from the old, men and women, pregnant women and children.

    Ezeibe thanked the people for turning out in their numbers to take advantage of the free medical as their response has given them the tonic they require to do more for the host community and other communities around the base.

    He noted that the children will be de-wormed and called on all present to go home and bring their children for free de-worming so that they will be free from worm related ailments.

    In his reaction, one of the recipients of the medical rhapsody, Ikechukwu Nwosu described the exercise as one of the best things to happen to the people of the Owerrinta community and urged the navy not to relent in giving them free medical treatment.

    Nwosu said that the medical rhapsody is an exercise that will go a long way to make the people of the community and its surrounding environs to have a healthy living, “I want to urge the navy to continue the good works as their drugs have helped many to live a healthy life.”

  • Late Alonso header gives Chelsea win in Prague

    Chelsea struck late with a header by defender Marcos Alonso to beat a stubborn Slavia Prague side 1-0 in their Europa League quarter-final, first leg on Thursday.

    Spaniard Alonso broke the deadlock for the west London side in the 86th minute when he sneaked behind two defenders to connect with Willian’s cross.

    Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri made seven changes to his lineup from the team that beat West Ham United 2-0 in the Premier League on Monday.

    Belgian talisman Eden Hazard had to come off the bench for the last half an hour.

    Alonso’s goal gave the Blues a vital away goal as they put behind them bitter memories of the stadium where they lost the 2013 Super Cup to Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout. (Reuters/NAN)

  • FG to beef up security at Itakpe-Warri rail line

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday said that the Federal Government was going to beef up security at the Itakpe-Warri rail line.

    The minister gave the assurance during an inspection tour of the Itakpe-Warri rail project at Warri.

    He observed that two security personnel deployed on the train service were not adequate, noting that not less than 10 security personnel should be on the train.

    “Two security personnel are not good enough at least there should be not less than 10 armed security personnel on the train to protect the passengers.

    Read also: Warri-Itakpe Railway ready for commercial activities — Amaechi

    “I will meet the Inspector General of Police to deployed more security personnel on the route and all the needed amenities will also be provided,” he said.

    He, however, said that commercial activities should commence with immediate effect by puting a stop to free train ride, which had lasted for six months.(NAN)

  • Candidates forced to abandon WASSCE for UTME

    Some candidates writing the ongoing 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for schools were not able to sit for their examination on Thursday because it clashed with the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) which started same day with three sessions scheduled daily.

    JAMB and WAEC had promised to sort out the clash in timetables which affects about 23 Entrepreneurship/Trade WASSCE subjects scheduled to hold during the six days that the UTME would last.

    SS3 candidates writing the WASSCE were scheduled to write Animal Husbandry and Store Management today (April 11, 2019) but they missed out because the paper clashed with the UTME examination.

    A parent who does not wish to be named, said his daughter and about 20 others at Providence High School, Fagba, could not sit for Animal Husbandry scheduled to start 9.30am – 30 minutes after they were to write their UTME at the Lagooz CBT Centre, O’Riley Agege, Lagos.

    “My daughter could not write Animal Husbandry today. She was to write UTME at Lagos School by 9a.m. But the exam did not start until 11am. By the time she got back to her school, she did not meet the invigilators for (Animal Husbandry). She was not the only one affected. There were about 20 of them. But their teachers told them they could get a chance to do an alternative version of the paper on the 15th,” he said.

    A teacher at Winners Treasure Kids School, Ketu, also said the clashing timetables did not affect most pupils in her school.

    A pupil from another school said nobody was affected in his school because none of them offered the subjects written on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, the UTME went well in centres monitored by The Nation.

    At Connection Computer training Institute, Cele, Ojo, accreditation, and biometrics of candidates started late and was slow.

    There were four sessions for the exam – 7am, 9am, 1:30pm and 3:00pm.

    Miss Shittu Ronke, a candidate in the first batch, said the examination went well save for minor delays.

    ‘’I started the examination after 8 and finished after 10. I am a science student. I did English, Chemistry, Biology, and physics. The physics was hard for me but I did my best.

    I am happy because my computer did not trip off during the examination.  After the examination, we were told to stay in a room from there we queued up and thumb printed out’’

    Mr Kalu Uche, another candidate in the second batch, also said his system did not malfunction.

    However, a female candidate, who was meant to write Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English 7am, missed her examination.

    She said she was late because she lived too far from the CBT Centre. She got to the centre some minutes to 8am.

    The candidate who identified herself as Oge, blamed her lateness on traffic.

    ‘’I stay at Ota. I left the house around to 6am this morning. On my way, there was traffic. When registering, I picked a centre closer to my place which is Festac but I was posted here. I was told to write a letter to the Jamb Zonal Regional Office if I have a reasonable excuse,’’ she said.

    A parent, who simply called himself Mr Orji, said stopping Oge from writing the exam was pure wickedness.

    ‘’With this new order now, a girl missed her examination and there is no way or remedy for it. She was asked to write a letter to the jamb headquarters office. For me if they had allowed her to write before immediately she came, she will almost be true by now. It is just pure wickedness,” he said.

    Speaking on the conduct of the examination, Mr Kayode Gbenga, a parent urged JAMB to improve on their biometrics.

    ‘’With what I have seen, JAMB is trying. But they should and improve on their biometrics. In my opinion, thumb printing out should be done immediately after the examination. Why do the candidates have to stay in a room, queue up before they thumbprint out. It is a long process,’’ he said.

     

  • Ministry makes case for neglected children at 40th Anniversary

    The Children Evangelical Ministry (CEM) has appealed to government at all levels to rise up to the challenges of children with special needs particularly in local communities across the country.

    The Director, Lagos State Chapter and National Director, Ghana, Mr. Michael Ogo made the appeal during a Children Outreach Session held in Lagos to officially announce the Ministry’s programmes for its 40th Anniversary slated to hold between May 13th and June 18th.

    The Anniversary, according to Ogo, will feature various programmes such as Anniversary Lecture, Dinner and Awards Night, Community and Medical Outreaches, Children’s Week and 10, 000 Free Literatures.

    The director, described the Anniversary as a reunion adding: “We want to bring all these people home on the 13th of April to thank God together and celebrate the faithfulness of God.”

    He said the President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Chief Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa will deliver the Anniversary Lecture on the 1st June, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba to educate the public on “The Implications of Single Parenting on the Society.”

    According to him, the Ministry will hold Luncheon/Reunion on the 13th April and  Children Speak on 25th May respectively.

    He further said there would be a rally for the children tagged Children Speak targeted at May during the Children’s Week.

    He said, “We want to examine the issue of children that are currently being exposed to pornographic films and media violence. The lecture will x-ray the implications of all these vices on the 21st century children.

    “These are going to be our focus for the Anniversary Lecture. We want to enlighten the society on the evils that come with all these issues to our children. What could be the implications on these children in the future if these vices are not curbed,” he added.

    “We are having a gathering of Children to come and speak their mind concerning the Nigerian nation. Children will be allowed to speak about the kind of nation they hope to have and the issues affecting them now as a child. Their message to the parents and the Nigerian government,” he said.

    Ogo also said during the Anniversary, the Ministry would engage in series of welfare and medical outreaches in communities where the Ministry has yet to actively imparted in the lives of children.

    “We are going to have Makoko welfare and medical outreach. We are visiting some local communities for welfare outreaches to give food, clothing and medical items,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Director also said the Ministry will distribute about 10,000 free literatures to children in order to equip their mental and intellectual capacity.

     

  • Africa can leapfrog many phases of development with innovation – Osinbajo

    Africa can leapfrog or skip many phases of development with innovation and technology, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said.

    Osinbajo communicated this on Thursday at the Calestous Juma Innovation Colloquium organised by the Africa Institute for Leadership and Public Administration at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre, University of Lagos(UNILAG).

    The theme of the colloquium is “Africa’s New Culture of Innovation.”

    Calestous Juma was a Professor of the Practice of International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, US.

    The vice president said that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country would become the 4th most populous nation in the world.

    “Over 50 percent of that number will be young persons under the age of 25; today 60 percent of the unemployed in Africa are young people.

    “The implications for social upheaval are clear;  climate change poses special concerns, especially desertification, the drying up of the Lake Chad and its implications for lives and livelihoods that depend on the lake.

    ” The challenges of Healthcare delivery and education for a large population have led to the worst human development indices in the world.

    ” But these challenges have peaked at an auspicious time; a time when technology and innovation have begun to disrupt older and slower ways of achieving results.

    ” And for Africa a time when its young innovators, digital scientists and creatives have emerged with incredible creativity and resourcefulness.

    “There is no question that Africa’s future will be determined by innovation. With innovation and technology Africa will skip or leapfrog over many phases of development that other continents had to go through.”

    He said that Nigerian and African innovators had creditably acquitted themselves in areas of telecom, agriculture, healthcare, power, among others.

    According to him, Africa is leading the way in a new way of thinking, as innovators figure out how to produce power in situ.

    He said that new storage technologies also meant power was going to be portable for Africans.

    Osinbajo said that as part of efforts to diversify power sources and improve access, Nigeria started a programme of providing solar power in 20,000 homes in rural villages.

    ” We started in Wuna a village just outside Abuja. Wuna is an agrarian community. It is not on the national grid, and had no other source of power.

    “To charge their phones an entrepreneur with a small generator runs a service.

    ” You take your phone to his shop once a day or so, you pay a small fee for charging. Life in Wuna shuts down at about 7 p.m. until daylight.  But Working with a PPP model.

    “The government-owned NDPHC partnered with Azuri technology a private solar company to provide a domestic solar solution.

    Read also: Osinbajo presides over FEC

    ” Azuri had provided the same end to end service in East Africa.

    “A solar home system,  including a payment system; the Solar equipment cost N1,900 a month ( about 5-6 pounds a month) .

    ” Every home had one mounted on their roof. For the first time in its existence the village now has running water solar powered; the school has power.

    ” The school hall is now used as a community hall in the evenings. Each home has 4 points of light,” he said.

    Osinbajo said that children could stay up and do some studying at night as many of Wuna’s women could process their millet and yams at night.

    He said that new jobs had been created for, solar installers, maintenance, and management of the payment system.

    Osinbajo said that on a much larger scale, the Federal Government had facilitated private solar power supply to markets across Nigeria, using new extra powered lithium cells.

    He listed some of the markets as Sabongari market Kano, Sura market in Lagos,  in Ibadan, and Isikan and two other markets in Ondo state.

    Earlier, Director of the Institute, Yemi Cardoso, said that Juma, who died in Dec. 2017, was full of humanity and humour.

    He said that Juma, who was originally from Kenya, designed a course– Technology Innovation on Entrepreneurship in Africa–specifically for Africa.

    Cardoso said that Africa Institute, a world-class institute determined to promote governance and build society, was inspired by the thinking of Juma.

    Some former Juma’s students at Harvard also paid glowing tributes to the scholar(NAN)

  • Warri-Itakpe Railway ready for commercial activities — Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi on Thursday said that the Warri-Itakpe Standard Gauge line was ready for passenger, commercial and freight services.

    Amaechi disclosed this while supervising the nearly completed standard guage rail project across the three states involved on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the train corridors involved Itakpe in Kogi, Aghenebode in Edo and Agbhor in Delta with 12 railway stations along the corridors.

    Amaechi, while commenting on the level of work done said that the Itakpe to Abuja axis would cost the government $3 billion.

    “The train is now available for commercial activities and we believe the passengers and companies on iron ore will patronise the services.

    “We have 12 stations from Itakpe to Warrior where work is ongoing but mostly all of them are nearly completed for easy access to the train services in the 316 km journey.

    “The Itakpe-Abuja corridor will cost the Federal Government three billion dollars with Seaport in Warri.

    “The government has said it has the plan to connect the whole country by train, so we are doing it gradually; very soon all the states will be connected,” the minister said.

    NAN reports that the railway stations include, Ujevwu, Agbhor, Itakpe, Eganyi, Adogo, Ajaokuta, Itogbo Aghenebode, Ehkehen, Igbanke Abraka, and Okpara involving the three states.

    NAN also reports that free passenger train operations commenced in Nov. 26, 2018, with the train running four times per week in the same corridor with over 2,501 passengers so far transported in 49 trips. (NAN)