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  • Man docked for stealing motorcycle

    A 29-year-old man, Joshua Udoh, was on Monday brought before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a motorcycle, valued at N235,000.

    Udoh, of no fixed address, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Lucky Ihiehie, told the court that Udo and others still at large, committed the offences on Dec. 28, 2018 at 11.00 p.m. at Owode Elede area of Mile 12, near Lagos.

    Ihiehie said that the defendant and his accomplices conspired to steal a Bajaj Boxer Motorcycle marked KTU 246 QH, belonging to one Mercy Ibok.

    He said the defendant was caught by men of the vigilance group in the area and handed over to the police.

    Read Also: Man needs N1.2m to bail wife, triplets from hospital

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 287 and 411 of Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Magistrate, Mrs E. Kubeinje, granted Udo bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Kubeinje ordered that the sureties should reside within the court’s jurisdiction and should show evidence of one year tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    She adjourned the case until April 23 for further hearing.

    NAN

  • ‘Useless’ Senators

    I hardly get involved in arguments online, on any platform, over any issue, no matter how strongly I feel about something I don’t agree with.

    Online arguments can get messy with one saying what he or she should not say. There have been hot online exchanges that have resulted in enmity between longtime friends.

    People have unfriended themselves, blocked others and exited groups.

    Last Thursday I broke my rule when I questioned a claim in a forwarded message on a WhatsApp group I belonged to. My colleague who forwarded the post did not take kindly to my question mark response to one of the claims in the message and we had to engage in counter arguments all day until some others called for truce the day after.

    Thankfully, the disagreement has been resolved, but I am opting to write about it to stress the need for caution in claims by many persons, some of who should know better.

    In the forwarded post in contention, whoever the originator, who is not my colleague, claimed that Senators who allegedly earn N433,000 daily are useless than other Nigerians who earn pittance.

    I agree that Senators can do better than they have been doing in their legislative duties but I didn’t think it was right to say they are useless despite the bogus salaries they earn. Many of them are accomplished persons in their own rights and indeed have Constitutional roles without which many government policies can’t be implemented.

    While Nigerians may not understand the justification for the salaries the Senators earn, I am of the opinion that knowledgeable persons should help others who may not know or understand the presidential system of government better by appreciating the role of every arm.

    Just as the executive have its role, the legislature and judiciary are equal partners in the administration of the country and cannot be wished away for whatever reason.

    If our Senators are useless as some claim, Nigerians are to blame as they elected them and many of them have been re-elected in the last election.

    Based on the present Constitution we have, we cannot do without Senators. The earlier we get useful Senators, who understand their roles, the better for us as a country, I argued.

    Is their pay commensurate with the work they do or could it be that legislative functions are super tasking in Nigeria than in developed nations? Someone asked.

    My response was that the issue of commensurate pay is not limited to Senators alone. The same could be asked about most elected officials. Same for House of Representatives, State Houses of Assembly; and governors and presidents with bogus security votes. The current crop of legislators did not fix their salaries. It was based on what the framers of the laws setting up that arm of government expected to be their roles.

    If Nigerians say what they earn is too much, our present constitution requires that the same Senate will have to amend the laws. Again, let’s not forget that some of the legislators are not poor people. Unfortunately, I don’t know any legislator, APC, PDP or whatever party, that has rejected the pay. It is up to Nigerians to ask for reduction through the Senators!

    My advice to Nigerians is that considering the key role of the Senate and the various legislative houses, we should ensure that the right persons are voted for. Just as we want good president and good governors, we need committed legislators who can pass and initiate bills needed for the overall development of the country and discharge their legislative oversight functions.

  • How Tinubu led ACN to reclaim lost states in 2007, by Osinbajo

    VICE President Yemi Osinbanjo went down the memory lane yesterday to relive the role played by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in reclaiming states lost by the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the 2007 elections.

    Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari as Chairman of the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium, told the gathering how the APC stalwart hired 63 fingerprint experts from the United Kingdom (UK) police to help prove cases of over voting in the 2007 elections.

    He said with the help of the experts who worked hard for six months, it was discovered that while it takes an average voter about five minutes to conclude his voting process, it took the PDP agents less than five seconds to thump print the ballot that were counted in their favour in 2007.

    The vice president said it was the political dexterity of the former Lagos state governor that ensured that the ACN reclaimed Edo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states, adding that the last to be won through that process was Osun.

    He praised the role played by the APC leader in the success of APC in this year’s elections, adding that the choice of the phrase “Next Level” as a campaign slogan was simply to tell Nigerians that the country was moving to the next phase of development.

    He said: “We celebrate a man who has spent the last 30 years of his life in creative and catalytic public service. He is not a lawyer as many of us know, but there are few Nigerians who have provoked so many legal controversies and constitutional challenges resulting in several landmark judicial pronouncements, especially in the area of federalism and what today is loosely described as restructuring.

    “Many of us know that he is not an engineer, but a lot of his vision is what is responsible for what we see today in Lagos – the BRT, the Lekki Free Trade Zone, even the Eko Atlantic Project and, of course, the reform in the tax system of Lagos State. Today, Lagos, as we know, earns more revenue, more IGR, than 31 states of Nigeria put together. That began in 2001.”

    Speaking on the Next Level campaign slogan, Osinbajo said: “As you know, the expression Next Level, itself, is our political campaign slogan in this last election.  And what we were saying was simply that there was a next phase to what our country has seen.

    “There are many who will say that there are many things that were promised in 2015 which have not yet been realized.  I think the best way of putting it is to say that our country, for the first time, is witnessing the type of leadership that is bound to lead us to where it is that we are proposed ourselves as a government.

    “In my view, the honest leadership, leadership with integrity of our president, President Muhammadu Buhari, is a very important component of getting anywhere at all in all of our development plans.  I said before at the last colloquium that Nigeria’s main problem is not the lack of ideas, it is not the lack of projects and programmes.

    “It was most of the time, especially the leadership in the past, and corruption in particular, was the reason why we were finding it difficult to make progress.

    “I explained that that’s why we earned $383 billion in four years, the highest ever in the history of our country, and yet Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was not done.  The Lagos-Kano railway – and all that is being done today – was not done then.  We cannot point to a single major infrastructure project that was completed in the 10-year period, despite the high earnings, including power.

    “So, a government coming after so many years of waste must be a government, first that emphasises fiscal prudence, a government that emphasises integrity in public finance so that it would manage the little resources to achieve the maximum that can be achieved.  And that is what President Muhammadu Buhari set out to do.  As I keep saying, the President has never claimed to be an orator.  He just gets things done.

    “It was under President Muhammadu Buhari that three of the four refineries that we have today were built, when he was Minister of Petroleum.   About 3500km of pipelines were built by him as Minister of Petroleum in a three-year period.

    ”So, there is a track record not of talking, but of just getting things done.  And this is what we have seen in the past four years. That is why we were able to set aside money for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.  And that is going on at present.  That is why we opened up the first phase of the Lagos-Kano Railway that was commissioned a couple of weeks ago, the Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan phase of that project.

    “The Itakpe-Warri Railway, now completed after 35 years of being on the books.  The Light Rail project here in Abuja started in 2005, budget after budget, never completed was completed also at the end of 2017.  We now have that light rail from the airport to Idu.  Same as several other infrastructural projects. Mambila Hydro has been on the cards for 40 years.  We have just put together resources to begin that project and we will complete that project.

    “For us, infrastructure is critical at the Next Level.  You cannot have the situation where you have the kind of power situation we have today and expect transformative progress.  That is why we are focused on power and other infrastructure.

    “We are focused on fixing the infrastructure in the country and we believe that if we fix the infrastructure, the roads and the rail, and especially power, we will be able to make significant progress.

    “Today, our rail project starts from the Apapa Port so that we are able to clear the congestion in that port because the Lagos to Kano railway starts from the Apapa port.  And we can start taking out cargo from the Apapa port using rail as an alternative means.

    “The same is true of agriculture; and we just heard our partners from Brazil talking about the next phase of our agricultural development and we are committed to that project because we believe that is what will transform the agro-industrial phase of our planning and that is what will transform agriculture in this country and create additional jobs.

    “It is enough to have farmers everywhere; we need the refining capacity; we need the processing capacity and that is what our partnership with the Brazilians will provide for us.

    “On the reforms we are making in education and healthcare, today the emphasis is on digital literacy; the emphasis on training our teachers to be able to train the next generation of children in school.

    “And we are focused on doing so using some of the methods we have described very comprehensively not just in the ERGP but in our next level document.

    “So, we are focusing on STEAM, not STEM; we are focusing on training young people on digital skills, critical thinking and some other skills that are necessary for the kind of jobs that the 21st century will provide. Our focus on healthcare is on National Health Insurance because we cannot finance healthcare by the budget alone.

    “Again, at the Next Level, we will expand our social investment programme; at the moment, the programme is the biggest of its kind anywhere in the African continent.”

    The Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), U.G. Mohammed, who spoke on using the power sector to propel industrial growth, said that the power sector privatisation in the country was an ambitious venture embarked upon by Nigeria, saying the mistakes made through the exercise must be acknowledged and corrected.

    Mohammed also said the country still does not have the capacity to distribute all the power currently being generated, adding that his agency has stopped connecting generating companies to the national grid to avoid damaging the system.

    He also disclosed that the country has not been able to complete many projects in the sector because such contracts were not awarded to be executed

    The TCN managing director said that since his assumption of office as the head of TCN, he has stopped such award, and ensured that projects awarded were completed.

    Read also: Buhari not an orator but action man, says Osinbajo

    According to him, when he came on board, the TCN had over 800 containers at the port, many of which had been there for over 15 years. The company has so far recovered over 730 of such containers.

    Mohammed advocated the recapitalisation of the Distribution Companies (DisCos) with government providing 40 percent of the equity. Such capitalization, he said, will ensure a good tariff regime, which will not be expensive.

    In his welcome address, Lagos State Governor and the chief host of the event, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode praised Tinubu for spear-heading the party’s victory in the general election.

    Ambode described Tinubu as “a man of high political dexterity, a dogged leader and a man of undaunted courage and expressed confidence that the APC was spreading its progressive tentacles further into the country while Nigerians are looking forward to moving to the next level.”

    He said the theme of the colloquium:  ”Next Level: Work for the People”, was chosen to coincide with the times when the country was on the threshold of greatness.

    Those who attended the colloquium include: Prof  Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo; APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole; Governors Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano); Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Simon Lalong (Plateau); Ambode’s wife Abimbola; Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); Gboyega Oyetola (Osun); Edo State Deputy Governor Phillip Shuaibu, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former APC Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande.

    Also there were: ministers Musa Mohammed (FCT); Senator Chris Ngige (Labour & Employment); Okechukwu Enelama (Trade & Investment) and Lai Mohammed (Information & Culture).

    Others include: Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan; former Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wammako; Lagos State Governor-elect Babatunde Sanwo-Olu and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat; Senator Shehu Sani; former APC Deputy National Chairman, (South) Segun Oni; Voice of Nigeria Director-General Osita Okechukwu and Senator Smart Adeyemi, former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, former President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Samaila Isa Funtua; Vanguard Publisher Sam Amuka-Pemu; Senator Khariat Gwadabe, Senator Gbenga Ashafa; former Lagos State Information and Strategy Commissioner Dele Alade and Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hamid Ali.

    The roll call also includes the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who led other royal fathers to grace the occasion; National Assembly members and members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) as well as members of the diplomatic corps.

     

  • NUFBTE warns firm against engaging expatriates

    The National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) President, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, has advised   Lacasera Company management not to allow expatriates take over positions meant for Nigerians.

    He gave the advice when Lacasera Company new Managing Director, Mr. Chinedum Okereke, visited NUFBTE executives in Lagos.

    Comrade Oyelekan, who is also the vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), told reporters after the meeting, that part of their discussions was how the company would ensure that it secured Nigerian jobs from expatriates.

    Oyelekan said: ‘’We said he should use it to protect the interest of Nigerians because if you look back most of his colleagues have erred and disappointed Nigerians.

    “Some of his colleagues back then employed expatriates into all the departments whereas Nigerians were looking for jobs.

    “If not for the intervention of President Muhammadu with Presidential Order 5 that says all jobs that Nigerians can conveniently do should not be given to expatriates, we would have been faced with more people roaming about the streets jobless,” he said.

    Read also: NUFBTE partners MINILS to boost workers’ industrial relations knowledge

    It would be recalled that the Executive Order 5 is made up of 18 sections covering various headings: Preferences, Accreditation, contract award, Language of contract, capacity development, Disqualification from contract award; Database of experts in Nigeria among others.

    Oyelekan lamented that the issue of expatriates taking Nigerian jobs had become uncontrollable in the food sector, such that even the position of a supervisor is given to an expatriate, but that Okereke promised to do what it takes to ensure that the interests of Nigerians were safeguarded.

    “We have also promised to give him all the necessary support for him to excel and make the company grow and excel.

    “We have also mandated our members and officers to give the company all the necessary support in order for it to turn around for the betterment of Nigeria,” he added.

    He further said the government was ready to listen and get information on over the influx of expatriates and that the government reacted.

    “Most of the multinationals are coming with robots and modern equipment, such that where they ought to engage 200 Nigerians, they will employ only five workers.

    “This is where the government needs to look at critically because with our population, we are not matured enough to use robots in our factories.

    “If india and China didn’t allow robots, because they will create problem of unemployment, then the Federal Government needs to come up with a policy that sophisticated machines and  robots should not be allowed in Nigeria because we are regularly producing millions of graduates in the country,” he said.

     

  • Three Crowns milk commences 30 days Fitness Challenge for a great heart

    Three Crowns milk commences 30 days Fitness Challenge for a great heart.

    Nigeria’s leading low cholesterol milk brand, Three Crowns milk has commenced the 2019 Three Crowns Milk 30 days Fitness Challenge. This is its sixth edition and it was conceived to encourage every Nigerian, especially mothers to live a healthy lifestyle by cultivating healthy habits. The fitness initiative runs twice a year and it is a 30-day long fitness programme designed to drive home the importance of keeping fit and healthy eating habits especially for Nigerian moms so that they can have a good heart to show love to their families.

    Three Crowns Milk 30 days Fitness Challenge is a digital led campaign but supported on Radio and direct coaching on whatsapp with fitness instructors for 30days. It combines daily exciting workout routines posted on the brand’s social media pages (Instagram, Facebook and twitter) for 30days. It also incorporates physical cardio-dance sessions on Saturdays that is streamed online for others to participate.

    It’s a fact that people’s threshold to exercises fitness differ, so this year Three Crowns has created three different levels with a tailored approach to help participants achieve their fitness goals. The fitness levels are Pro, Newbie and Wannabe. Participants in Every level will be coached differently by the fitness instructors. Those interested have been invited to register at Pro:http://bit.ly/tcfpro1, Newbie:http://bit.ly/tcfnew1, Wannabe:http://bit.ly/tcfwan1, depending on which level they prefer to join.

    Participants are expected to make a demo video of themselves doing the same routine the showcased daily by the brand, repost it on their social media handles and tag @3crownsmilk with the hashtag #TC30DaysFitnessChallenge and their level e.g. repost demo video using ‘’@3crownsmilk, #TC30DaysFitnessChallenge, Newbie’’. Similarly, they can share their videos directly on the WhatsApp coaching groups.

    Within the duration of the activity, consumers will be encouraged to workout with whatever household material is available to them like buckets, kegs, tyres or do simple routines that do not require expertise supervision to accomplish. More importantly Three Crowns desires that every Nigerian dances and have fun which is synonymous to working out.

    Explaining the details of the campaign, Senior Brand Manager, Three Crowns, Mrs. Omolara Banjoko, explained that Three Crowns acknowledges the pivotal place of mothers in the families and the larger society. She said that is why Three Crowns has made the care for mothers a top priority as we acknowledge them as the ‘’Heartbeat of the home’’

    According to her “In caring for the mothers we ultimately care for everyone in the society,” she said. This campaign aims to consolidate what the brand stands for to keep mums healthy so that they have a good heart to take to their families”

    Three Crowns milk is a brand of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC – Nigeria’s foremost dairy company and an affiliate of Royal FrieslandCampina in The Netherlands, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the world.

  • 9 things you should never say to a divorced woman

    Unless you ARE a single mom, you can’t feel like one.

    In the year 2000 I was happily married (for 13 years, together for 20) to my college sweetheart, with a lovely home and two young children.

    Then one day I began the process of discovering my husband’s long-standing affair—with someone I knew very well. Within 9 months my marriage was over.

    And though I met and married a wonderful man— and have been married for over 10 years—the hurt and pain of that time is still there. Still palpable.

    I was (and still am) very lucky to have an incredible network of friends and family—without whom I would have never come out the other side as successfully as I did. Yet even among my closest friends, I would experience “well-meaning” advice, words and comments that really stung. Things that I myself might have said prior to my divorce, having no idea how powerful those seemingly innocent words could be:

    1. “It’s too bad you have children—you’ll always be connected because of them.”

    This was very painful to hear. My kids were often the singular reason that I got out of bed many mornings following my divorce. There were so many times that I would wake up not knowing how I was going to face the day. But then I’d remember my children—and the responsibility I had to them—and I did what I needed to do. Having them around me made me feel happy, loved, not alone. I can’t imagine my life without them.

    1. (When a spouse is out of town) “I feel like SUCH a single mom this week.”

    No you don’t. Yes, you may not have extra hands at breakfast or bath time, but this is NOT the same as being a single mom. The fears, anger, hurt and complications that accompany divorce are there 24/7, as opposed to the temporary “single” status that occurs when a spouse is away. Do NOT say this, ever.

    Read Also: Woman seeks divorce over father-in-law’s ‘sex request’

    1. “I kind of envy your ‘alone’ time.”

    Another well-meaning comment that ultimately stings. Mainly because even in moments when I was enjoying my “alone” time, the reason for it would quickly overwhelm. I was alone not by choice, and as the result of a devastating event.

    1. “You’ll never be truly happy until you forgive.”

    I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this. My husband had an extra-marital affair that ruined me emotionally, physically and spiritually. I will never forgive him—ever. And yet I can say, with complete conviction, that I am happy. Happily married. Happily employed. Happily engaged with life.

    1. “I saw it coming.”

    Even if you did, don’t say it. No matter the cause, divorce almost always feels—on some level—like failure. A comment like this just pours salt on the wound.

    1. “It’s ultimately for the best.”

    It’s natural to want to offer hope in this situation. And I was lucky that in my case it really did work out for the best. But in the beginning I was terrified—for my financial future, and that I’d never meet anyone else. A comment like this diminishes that fear, and rings hollow.

    1. “I’d never survive if it happened to me.”

    This is like the opposite of the above comment—implying that divorce is something that would decimate the average person. I only wanted to feel “typical”—not some freak or outsider because of my new status.

    1. “You’re so brave.”

    Another seemingly innocuous comment—well-meaning, and yet I can’t think of a single time I heard this that it didn’t ultimately feel like pity.

    1. “I would never put up with (insert spouse’s awful behavior here).”

    I hung in for months after discovering my husband’s affair—and no one was more surprised than I was. I knew there’d be no turning back once I ended my marriage, and I needed to be absolutely ready and sure before I did. I learned that you don’t REALLY know how much you’re willing to tolerate—until you’re there yourself.

     

    Source: www.womansday.com

  • Archaeologists find gates of Hell

    Archaeologists find gates of Hell

    When researchers are searching for remnants of structures and settlements constructed by ancient peoples they typically focus on areas that are hospitable to human life.

    This discovery in Saudi Arabia, according to BGR.com, goes firmly against that notion, with archaeologists revealing the existence of hundreds of stone “gates” situated in and around ancient lava domes, in an area that is little more than a hellish landscape devoid of vegetation and water.

    The structures, which measure anywhere from 40 feet to nearly 1,700 feet in length, are crude in their construction, built of rough rocks that have withstood thousands of years of wear and tear. What’s most interesting is that it appears that the lava fields these structures were built upon was still active at the time, with hardened lava appearing to have flowed over some of the gates.

    Gates are found almost exclusively in bleak, inhospitable lava fields with scant water or vegetation, places seemingly amongst the most unwelcoming to our species,” David Kennedy of the Western University of Australia, who led the research, wrote. Kennedy noted that the structures “appear to be the oldest man-made structures in the landscape,” and that at the moment “no obvious explanation of their purpose can be discerned.”

    The discovery was made using satellite imagery, and the researchers used their birds-eye view to identify nearly 400 of the gates in the same area. Along with the odd walls, other clearly manmade structures were spotted including what appear to be animal traps and wheel-shaped objects that are yet to be identified. The current best guess as to the age of the construction is somewhere in the neighborhood of 9,000 years.

    The next step for researchers is launching some kind of expedition to investigate the site and perhaps come up with some kind of an explanation as to why the structures exist and what they were used for. It’s an incredible discovery, but the structures — and their precarious location — are so mysterious that there’s bound to be an even greater story waiting to be told.

  • Finally, Yobe council chairmen handover after The Nation report

    All of the 17 local government chairmen in Yobe state have finally handed over to the Directors of Personnel Management (DPMs) less than 24 hours after The Nation published their dilly-dallying on the directive of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

    The governor had directed the chairman on February 15th to hand over to the DPMs but only four of them compiled with the order as at Wednesday.

    Most of them were reportedly reluctant based on the belief that the governor could convert the handover order to appointing them as caretaker chairmen.

    But a source from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs confirmed to our correspondent in Damaturu on Thursday that all the chairmen have submitted their hand-over notes to the ministry.

    Some of the DPMs have also confirmed that they have taken over the affairs of the Local Government as directed by the Gaidam.

    Investigation revealed the governor was furious after receiving news of non-compliance of the local Government chairmen.

    He was said to have ordered the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to ensure the chairmen complied on Wednesday.

    One of the DPMs called last night to inform he was handed over the affairs of the Local Government by his former chairman at about 6.00pm on Wednesday.

    The Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Dawa Maigari also confirmed all the local government chairmen have handed over since Wednesday.

    He denied the chairmen refused to handover, saying: “It is not true that they refused to hand over as your report stated.

    “Even His Excellency called me after he read your report but I told him that they have handed over”.

  • ‘How I found my death certificate in my husband’s car’

    ‘How I found my death certificate in my husband’s car’

    A Lagos based nurse and mother of four, explains how she found her death certificate in the vehicle of her husband and father of her children.

    She shared this experience with a Nigerian OAP who posted it on her Twitter account.

    The message reads:

    “I am in a very sad mood, I feel used and rejected, I feel so terrible, I am married with four kids and I always felt I am married to the best man in the world.

    “I am a registered Nurse in a Government hospital here I Lagos, while he is a dentist.

    “Our plan has always been that when our first child finishes primary school, we will relocate to the US.

    “About a year ago, my husband started dating a lady in her late 30s. I saw her messages and challenged him after which he appologised and I forgave him.

    Read Also: ‘I want to end my two weeks marriage, I hate extravagant women’

    “However, to my surprise, he came home late on Friday night and slept very early on Saturday. I drove his car out to refill the gas. I saw an envelope in his car.

    “Inside this envelope, was his passport with US visa on it and the lady’s own with US visa. I saw the form he used to fill his visa application.

    “In the form, he said his wife was late and my death certificate was attached and his wedding certificate with the lady was also attached.

    “In the form, he wrote out all our children’s name but he claimed their mother was late. I made a photocopy of all the documents and returned the documents.

    “I nearly ran mad. He observed that I have been so cold lately and he has been asking what the matter is.

    “What should I do? How should I accept this level of wickedness and traitor attitude?

    “Please Mummies, advise me before I do something drastic”

  • UNICAF rewards essayists

    Three outstanding professionals have received their prizes at the UNICAF University office in Lagos.

    The winners featured in the UNICAF essay competition titled: “Higher education of international quality shaping the leaders of tomorrow in Nigeria and in Africa.”

    First prize winner, a diction and phonetics teacher, Folashade, Shodipo, won a full scholarship to pursue a Masters programme in Business Administration with UNICAF University plus N100,000 cash reward.

    Speaking to reporters at the ceremony, Shodipo said she has also joined the beneficiaries of UNICAF scholarship, which helps to enhance higher education system in Nigeria.

    She said: “It is one of the best ways for Nigerians to get access to higher education through online study, because it is all encompassing and the teaching personnel is qualified and experienced.”

    She lamented that university education in Nigeria is getting more expensive every year, adding that UNICAF comes handy, credible, flexible and affordable.

    “More institutions should copy this beautiful idea, so that more African people have access to low cost, credible higher education,” she said.

    Nigeria essay competition third winner receives scholarship certificate from Emmanuel

    First runner up, Mr Chekwube Okeke, a college teacher, won a full scholarship to pursue professional development short course with UNICAF University with a cash of N50,000.

    Chekwube, who expressed appreciation to UNICAF for the rare opportunity, encouraged young generation not to give up on higher education because of how expensive it has become.

    “They should strive hard to increase their knowledge and skills. Information is now at their fingertips, they should search online for education opportunities because knowledge is power,” he said.

    He also added that the government should help in establishing more online providers of higher learning, and higher education should become more practical, pragmatic and less theoretical.

    READ ALSO: I was denied admission locally, says UNICAF scholarship winner

    Communications Consultant, Emmanuel Babatope Famokun, who emerged third position, stressed that UNICAF has really inspired him with the concept of quality higher education made available online without necessarily going to a classroom. He advised fellow Nigerians to tap into higher education opportunities available through the internet to get empowered and exposed to many other nationalities and cultures. He received a full scholarship to pursue a professional development short course in UNICAF University.

    The UNICAF scholarship programme has so far offered scholarships to eligible individuals in Africa and the rest of the world worth more than $90 million  and has helped change more than 15, 000 lives, through international quality higher education.