TOP NIGERIAN NOVELIST CHINUA ACHEBE IS DEAD

 

Professor Chinua Achebe, one of the world’s most celebrated writers and author of the classic novel Things Fall Apart, is dead. SaharaReporters learned that Achebe, who was the David and Mariana Fisher Professor of Literature at Brown University, died last night in a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Professor Achebe had been sick for some
time. He was 82 years old. Prof. Achebe literary agent, Andrew Whilie and his publisher,Scott Myers confirmed his death.
A friend of the Achebe family told SaharaReporters that the family would be making a formal announcement after
consulting with others, including Professor Achebe’s publishers and Brown University.
Achebe had been wheel chair-bound since sustaining serious injuries in a 1990 automobile accident near Awka, the capital of Anambra State. The accident left him paraplegic. Since receiving treatment for his injuries in a hospital in the UK, Achebe had lived in the US, teaching at Bard College at Annandale-on-Hudson and, for the last four years, at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. At Brown, he instituted the “Achebe Colloquium on Africa,” a huge annual conference that gathered policy makers, scholars and activists from around the globe to discuss some of the major issues pertaining to African democracy and development.
Achebe was born on November 16, 1930 and was educated at Government College Umuahia and University
College, Ibadan. At Ibadan, Professor Achebe was initially admitted to study medicine, but he decided to change his
areas of concentration to literature, history and religion. After graduating from university, he worked for Radio
Nigeria, rising to the post of director of External Broadcasting. He also began his career as a writer,
catapulting himself to the height of Africa’s most widely read novelist. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, is the
largest selling book by any African author. The novel has sold more than 10 million copies and has been
translated into approximately sixty languages around the world. The classic work was followed by such other
novels as No Longer At Ease, Arrow of God, A Man of the People, and Anthills of the Savannah. In addition, Achebe
authored several books of essays, including Morning Yet on Creation Day, Hopes and Impediments, Home and
Exile, and The Education of a British-Protected Child. Professor Achebe also published two books of poetry, a
collection of short stories entitled Girls At War, a political polemic titled The Trouble With Nigeria, and several
children’s books. His works won numerous literary prizes, including the Man Booker Prize and the Gish Prize
for artistic excellence which he received in 2010.
Professor Achebe’s latest book, There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, generated great controversy
and debate in Nigeria and around the world when it was published in October of 2012. The book is Achebe’s
insider account of his formation as a writer as well as a series of crises that led to Nigeria’s civil war in which a
reported two million people perished. During the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970), Achebe served
as an envoy of the secessionist state of Biafra. Achebe was the scourge of bad rulers in Nigeria and
elsewhere in Africa. His book The Trouble With Nigeria criticized Nigerian leaders for their “failure of leadership.”
He twice rejected offers of Nigerian national honors in protest against the policies of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo and incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
However, he won the inaugural edition of the Nigerian National Merit Award in the mid-1980s. Achebe is survived by his wife, Christie Chinwe Achebe, a professor of psychology, and four children – Chinelo (a professor), Ikechukwu (a researcher and academic), Chidi (a medical doctor based in Boston, Massachusetts), and Nwando (a professor of history at Michigan State University) – as well as several grandchildren.
SaharaReporters was told that the family had yet to make funeral arrangements. We could not ascertain whether
Professor Achebe will be buried in his hometown of Ogidi or in the US.

Driver steals N18.1m from bank- i think he deserves a presidential pardon doesnt he?

A driver with a new generation bank, Segun Fatoki, is currently in the custody of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Ikeja, for stealing $100,000 and 10,000 Euros amounting to N18.1m. A widower and father of four, 45-year-old Fatoki allegedly stole the money while offloading bags of foreign currencies from the bullion van which he had driven earlier in the day, into the bank's vault.
PUNCH Metro gathered that on March 8 2013, Fatoki in company with four other employees of the cash management
unit of the bank went on cash movement for the day. By the time they were through, the group returned to their branch at
Adeyemi Alakija street, Victoria Island, with seven bags containing foreign currencies.
"We moved in two cars; I drove the bullion van and there was the escort vehicle. We visited about six banks or more that
Friday before returning to the office. When we got back, I was the only person who offloaded the bags of foreign currency
from the van. At the time, I didn't notice that I had left one behind in the van," Fatoki recalled.
Each of the bags contained some amount of dollars and Euros. In the bag Fatoki overlooked, was $100,000 and 10,000 Euros. As it turned out, no other person in the team noticed the shortage and everyone went home for the weekend. Fatoki, however, had other plans. Early the next Monday, Fatoki resumed at work. He took the bullion van out of the bank
premises on the pretext of refuelling it. Safely away from the bank, he quickly made his way to a friend's
house at Oworonsoki where he handed over the bag with the instruction that he would later come back for it. Unaware of its contents, his friend Jide took the bag and hid it under his bed for safekeeping while Fatoki returned to the office.
A few hours later, there was confusion at the said bank when its management discovered a bag of foreign currency was
unaccounted for.
PUNCH Metro gathered that all the members of the team who undertook the cash movement were immediately arrested by the Bar Beach Police Division on March 11, 2013. The case was eventually transferred to SARS when the division
was unable to get a confessional statement out of the suspects. Fatoki lamented, "I never meant to steal the money; I don't know what came over me. I have worked 13 years for this bank as a bullion van driver. If they didn't trust me, I wouldn't have been entrusted with such responsibility. I only came early to the bank that morning because I was anxious to refuel the car before the day's work.
"Unfortunately, one of the tyres went flat on my way. It was when I stopped to replace it with a spare, that I discovered the
last bag in the car. I know I should have returned the bag. I have done it before when something of this nature happened a few months ago but instead, something came over me and I didn't"
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspect eventually made a confessional statement last Thursday to SARS that he had indeed stolen the money.
The bag was found hidden under Jide's bed in his apartment and its contents were still intact. Jide, however, fled his home
immediately he learnt of Fatoki's arrest. Apparently, he never bothered to check the contents of the bag which Fatoki had left in his custody.
There was no response to the calls and text messages sent to the phone of the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer,
Ngozi Braide, when PUNCH Metro contacted her.

A MUST READ- SHOCKING REVELATION OF NEW BOKO HARAM LEADER WHO SPEAKS WITH NEW THREAT

Below is the full translation of Shekau’ statement: "I, Abu-Muhammad ibn Abubakar Shekau, the leader of
Jamaatul Ahili Sunna li Dawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, is hereby passing across this message
with the aim of enlightening the world on the issue of religion of Allah and how important it is to us. Anybody
that is found standing against our religion should know that it is not a difficult task for us to die defending it. That
is the pronouncement from me in my capacity as Leader.
'We have a mission of establishing Sharia in this country and the rest of the world. We are the ones holding
hostage the seven French nationals. We are holding them in custody because the leaders of Cameroon and Nigeria
have also detained our brethren both women and children under dehumanising condition. It is against every rules of engagement to hold women and children as prisoners of war.
'Our message to the world is that these seven French will not be released until when we see our detained brethren
released. "Oh you French leaders it would be difficult for your to secure release of these hostages until we see our
brethren walk in freedom. And if you make mistakes of securing their release by force, then we shall fight you back with the might of Allah.
'Secondly, all those that are speaking on our behalf without our authority, thinking that by that they would
satisfy their earthly needs, should understand that they would not gain anything beneficial from it here on earth
in the hereafter, if they fail to go back to God and their religion.
'I also call on all media practitioners especially those airing or publishing anything that comes to them
concerning us, you should know that we are not perturbed by your publications, and we have nothing
against you. But our caveat is any message that comes to you journalists that is not directly from us, don't ever
ascribe such to our name. You are free to publish anything but don't credit us with what we have not said.
Our new spokesman is Abu Zinnira, and if our message does not come to you through him, then it is not from
us. If it is not from Abu Zinnira then it is not from us; I repeat, if it is not from Abu Zinnira, it is certainly not
from us. If I have to talk directly, all journalists conversant with me knows my voice even without
introduction.
We are saying this because one elements are going about faking to be us, but the can never be us because we have
come a long way in our mission. 'We have also been hearing of one Lt Colonel Sagir Musa,
one President (Goodluck) Jonathan saying they would not dialogue with us. That is not our focus. Our focus is on
the Owner of Heavens and Earth. He is our guiding leader, His religion is what we practice, and the teachings of
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) is what we are complying with. Anyone who wages war against our religion would
be fought back fiercely and such a person will not even have the chance of knowing when we would bring our
fight to him. And if your goal is to kill us, we welcome it. But you will not know your mistakes until you are done.
We pray you kill us on the path of religious struggle so that we can enjoy the mercies of Allah.
'To the little brat called Lt Col Sagir we heard of your claims that your troops, JTF, had ambushed our men on
the way to Monguno, killed several of our men and even retrieve four of our vehicles. These are all lies
unbecoming of a soldier. It is a shame.
'The fact is our members went to Monguno and easily invaded the army barracks, killed unknown number of
soldiers, we packed unknown quantum of arms and ammunition which was filled in two trucks, we burnt
down the excess from the armoury. They left with gallantry chanting Allahu Akbar. Here are the arms in
display. We have 15 Browning rifles in our armoury now, all from Monguno barracks.
'The arms we have is enough for us to bring down the entire Borno state. None of our members died as claimed
by soldiers except for three persons. But the soldiers we killed in Monguno barracks. But Sagir Musa should
continue to deceive the world, one day he would fall in our trap and we will deal with him, since we have his
photograph with us. We know all your movement around Maiduguri in a small car. You have no place to hide from
us, except you leave Maiduguri town. You shall see, and you shall see'.

WONDERS SHALL NEVER END- Ukrainian MPs in mass brawl after Russian is spoken in Parliament

Extraordinary scenes in the parliament building in Kiev as members of the Svoboda party fought with their rivals in the Communist party and the Party of Regions after the leader of the latter delivered a speech in Russian.

The Ukrainian parliament was briefly suspended on Tuesday after lawmakers from the nationalist Svoboda party brawled with opposition politicians over the language used in a speech.

The leader of the ruling Party of Regions faction, Oleksandr Yefremov, delivered a speech in Russian which angered members of the nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party, who chanted "Ukrainian!" as he spoke.

Afterwards, lawmakers from the Svoboda party approached opposition members and a brawl erupted.

The Chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Volodymyr Rybak, could be heard appealing for calm.

Lawmakers have frequently scuffled in the Ukrainian parliament.

A fierce fight in December 2010, which sent at least six lawmakers to the hospital, started when members of the Party of Regions threw chairs and punched opposition lawmakers who had been blocking legislative work all day.
During a fight in April 2010, the parliament speaker hid behind an umbrella as opposition lawmakers threw eggs and smoke bombs to protest a naval pact with Russia.
Ukraine is deeply divided into the Russian-speaking east and south, which favours close ties with Moscow, and the Ukrainian-speaking west, which wants Ukraine to ally itself with the West.
Its not only in Nigeria Law Makes fight, Oyingbo sef dey fight
Source: APTN

FIVE EKSU STUDENTS EXPELLED FOR RAPE

Five students of Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti who allegedly raped female student have been expelled by the University.

They have also been dragged before a court of law. The criminals were arrested on Thursday, 7th March, 2013 through a concerted effort of EKSU Security men, the Nigerian Police, and youths from Iworoko Ekiti, a neighbouring town.  Their expulsion was sequel to the report of the University Disciplinary Committee headed by Professor W. O. Adebayo that tried them.

The names of the expelled students are:
Babalola Adedotun Kolawole, a 300 Level Psychology student with matriculation number 092819, Omoteye Olalekan Olamide, a 300 Level Psychology student with matriculation number 0902886, Bamigboye Biola Moshood, a Pre-degree Social Science student,
Adekunle Lateef Omogbemileke, a 300 Level Accounting student with matriculation number 0902865.
As at the time of this report, both Adekunle Lateef Omogbemileke and Okube Gabriel Ogunmoroti were still at large.

A statement from the Deputy Registrar Information and Public Relations of the University,Ajibade Olubunmi quoted the Dean of Students Affairs, Professor I G. Adanlawo as saying that parents should monitor their children closely so that they won't belong to bad groups.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oladipo Aina has on several occasions warned that his administration would flush out bad eggs among the students and Staff.

MEET A REAL MAN- NEW WORLD RICHEST MAN CARLOS SLIM OF MEXICO

1 - He makes about $30 million per day (that's almost N5 billion naira).

2- The 1st Mexican to top the list and the first from the developing world, he is worth an eye-popping $78.1 billion. To appreciate this, he can spend N200,000 every minute for the next 100 years before finishing his money.

3- He lost his wife of 33 years, Soumaya Domit Gemayel in 1999 to kidney failure, and has not remarried since. Their marriage produced six children (three sons and three daughters). He described his wife as the love of his life and he learnt a lot from her about sculpture and painting. Their honeymoon was full of gallery visits. (Try that with a regular Nigerian gal if e no go red for you...lol!)

4- First named the world's wealthiest in 2007 when he surpassed Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, he has been ranked by Forbes to be the richest man on earth since 2010. At a time, he gained $23 billion in just 14 months. That's like double of Dangote's wealth -in just 14 months! Before he broke the jinx, Americans were the world's richest for sixteen years. Something tells me Dangote may emerge the richest man on earth in a decade or two.

5- Born on the 28th of January, 1940 in Mexico City, he is 73 years old and his parents were originally from Lebanon before migrating to Mexico.

6- He is a Maronite Christian. Across the globe, Maronites number just about 3.5 million. They are called thus because they follow Saint Maron, a 5th-century Syriac Christian monk who spent all his life on a mountain in Syria. He taught miraculous healing and Christian monotheism. Like many other minorities in a wicked world as ours, Maronites have been persecuted over time, with over 50,000 of them being massacred in the 1800s.

7- Interestingly, the world's richest man has some modest sides: he drives himself always even though his convoy of bodyguards closely follow, he lives in a not-too-spectacular six-bedroom house for the past 40 years, and is a mile from his office, a simple building. He says he doesn't need a bigger house and asks in Spanish-accented English: 'What I do with a house 10 times bigger?' In a big house, you don't see your family, never. You don't meet each other. My wife and me try to have this family, to, ehn, to live together, convivencia, I don't know if you say that in English. What for you want a big space? What for you need a big space? NB: Convivencia is the Spanish word for 'coexist'.

8- He has no interest in luxurious superyachts or palaces scattered across the globe and for most of the 1990s, he was using a plastic calculator watch (it doubles as his calculator). He doesn't indulge in designers but confessed he has a weakness for expensive Cuban cigars and of course, fine art. His arts are said to worth $6 billion but funnily, he has a debt of $1.5 billion.

9- He does not travel widely and has no home outside Mexico, something he is very proud of. He stays up late at night reading history books, especially about the legendary Genghis Khan and his art of deceptive warfare. And he never overpays for anything. At a time in Venice, he haggled with a store owner for hours just to get a 10% discount on a tie.

10- He is crazy about baseball, supports the New York Yankees and has a vast knowledge of the games and player statistics.

11- He is unassuming and rebuffs criticism saying: "I think sometimes when you are successful in business, you have others trying to turn public opinion against you because they are trying to compete with you." He says money is not his goal and becoming the richest in the world is not a competition. He just wants to be a good businessman.

12- He also said that he has no interest in being the world's richest, that making money is not his goal. He has a surprisingly simple strategy for making money: buy up undervalued companies cheaply and build them into powerful monopolies (why am I thinking of the Oracle of Omaha here?) Of course, he enjoys broad support from the Mexican government and is a good friend of the President (scratch my back, I scratch yours too!). When the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910, Slim's father bought the companies of his rivals who were fleeing the violence at very cheap rates and by the time the dust settled, he was many times richer.

13- Today, he owns the largest companies not only in Mexico but in all of South America. One is America Movil, the 3rd largest mobile network operator in the world, providing services to almost 252 million subscribers in 18 countries. That makes him the Adenuga of Latin America, which also brings to mind an interesting thought: if Mike Adenuga of Nigeria can control all of Africa's telecommunications, he can easily become the richest man on earth. #OwoBabaIjebu!

14- He is also into mining, banking, insurance, railways, bicycles, hotels, construction, drilling, airlines, tobacco, cement, retail, restaurants and printing. Mexicans joke that he owns every cactus (a type of desert plant) in the country. He also owns a part of New York Times, Firestone and Citigroup (owners of Citibank). In short sha, he controls over 200 companies (he says he has lost count) and plans to replicate his success on a global scale. Adenuga, buckle up o!

15- He was taught business practices by his dad, and by 12, he had already bought government bonds and shares in a bank in Mexico. He later proceeded to the university to study civil engineering while also lecturing algebra and linear programming (a mathematical discipline that includes knowing the best outcome of an event, also related to the concepts of maximum profit or lowest cost). He keeps costs as low as possible. His dad (who later died when he was 13) also taught him the art of book-keeping, record-keeping and how to read financial sheets, a skill that would be with him for life.

16- He owns the Carlos Slim Foundation, which built the $70 million Museo Soumaya, a private museum in honor of his wife. The museum, covered with 16,000 pieces of hexagonal aluminum sheets to reflect the sunlight, was designed by his son-in-law, holds over 66,000 art pieces worth over $700 million and these include works of Da Vinci, Rodin, Van Gogh, Dali and Monet. That reminds me o, do we have a national museum in Nigeria with 50,000 art pieces? I'm not sure, just asking. His foundation, found in 1986, has been endowed with $4 billion and it focuses on health, sports and education.

17- Like other billionaires, he has come under fire and has been criticized for being a ruthless monopolist (but seriously, can anyone become a billionaire or stay one without being aggressive? Forget the baby face of Adenuga jooor...lol!). His company controls 90% of the landline market in Mexico while he has also been accused of charging some of the highest fees in the world. His wealth is equal to 5% of all of Mexico's economic output in a year (it was 7% at a time). Now, that's more than a small slice of pizza. Critics say his domination has prevented the growth of smaller companies, decreased labour wages and increased unemployment where 50% live in poverty but he responds: "When you live for others' opinions, you are dead. I don't want to live thinking about how I'll be remembered."

18- His extent of influence is perfectly captured by the Telegraph UK: The reach of his dominion is so large that the average Mexican will wake up on sheets bought from a Slim-owned store; buy their morning bread from a Slim-owned bakery; and drive to work in a Slim-insured car. They will call friends on a Slim-owned mobile phone, lunch at a Slim-owned restaurant, and smoke Slim-owned cigarettes. It is little wonder that the country is referred to as “Slimlandia”. Well, is Dangote not doing the same thing to us? LOL!

19- He is a philanthropist but when Bill Gates and Warren Buffett pledged to donate at least 50% of their charities, Slim stubbornly refused to follow suit (akagum aye..lol!). He said: "But why half? Why half? I think it will be a big mistake that companies like Microsoft, Apple, the leaders of the world in technology be sold by the founders to put the cash to fund charities. They shouldn't. It's more important that they continue to manage the companies." He didn't stop there: "(Bill) Gates has to study how he can (fight poverty) in the same way that Microsoft...succeeded in business, because charity has not solved the problem." He bluntly stated that he has no intention of retiring from business to focus on charitable activities. "It's based on my conviction that poverty is not fought with donations, charity or even public spending, but that you fight it with health, education and jobs." "Poverty isn’t solved with donations," he once said, stating that building businesses is often more beneficial to for society than "going around like Santa Claus." (Do you agree?)

He also said: Wealth is like an orchard - you have to share the fruit, not the trees. With the orchard, what you have to do is make it grow, reinvest it to make it bigger, or diversify into other areas." Me I kuku trust Naija billionaires, they will give they all they have to charity without blinking an eye...lol!

20- He left control to his sons and sons-in-law to run the major arms of his business after a heart surgery. Talk of keeping it within the family. That reminds me of Alhassan Dantata, the greatgrandfather of Dangote and the richest man in West Africa told his kids shortly before he died: they should marry within the family. So dude, forget that your dream of marrying Dangote's daughter...lol!

21-He has no computer in his office and prefers to keep his records in carefully-written notebooks. (I thought someone would die in this era without a computer...lol!) He has a personal laptop but he doesn't like using it. He says: "I'm a paper man, not electronic."

22-He has been described as being avuncular and talkative. But hey, watch it, he can also lose his temper quite easily. For now, he is still untouchable in Mexico, and according to one government official: "When Slim dies, we can finally regulate his kids." His kids also studied in Mexican secondary schools and universities and did not go abroad to get their degrees.

23-Although Slim has many technology-based business empires, he agrees he does not understand how the technologies work. When he was asked a technical question in March 2007, he responded with courtesy: 'Senorita, I have no idea what you are talking about'.

24. He has the largest private collection in the world of the works of French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

25-He said he learnt some of his secrets of spotting opportunities early by reading Alvin Toffler's book, Revolutionary Wealth which he thoroughly read, jotted down, heavily underlined and made comments inside his own dog-eared copy. He is now very good friends with the author. Many people today would rather perish in poverty and ignorance than read or gain any form of tangible knowledge. Just saying.

Woman With World's Strongest Vagina Lifts Weight With It

Her weightlifting technique puts certain Olympic events to shame. Tatyana Kozhevnikova unofficially owns the World's Strongest Vagina by virtue of her record for vagina weightlifting, according to the Sun. She recently showed off her prowess on "The Body Shocking Show" in England.

She inserts a wooden egg into her vagina and attaches the weight to the egg. She contracts her muscles around the egg and lifts the poundage. The 40-something Russian mom says in the video it has taken her 20 years to become so powerful in her nether region.

She reportedly set the vagina weightlifting record by hoisting 31 pounds in 2009. Afterward she was quoted as saying, “It’s enough to exercise your vagina five minutes a day, ladies, and in just one week you’ll be able to give yourself and your man unforgettable pleasure in bed.

BILL GATES CANCELS VISIT TO NIGERIA

United States richest man and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has cancelled his planned official visit to Nigeria scheduled for March 27. Gates’ action, it was believed was part of an unfolding diplomatic row between the US and Nigeria following the
controversial pardon granted by President Goodluck Jonathan to ex- convicts Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Shettima Bulama. He was scheduled to meet President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors and officials of the Federal Ministry of Health on the polio eradication campaign of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Diplomatic sources said the trip was cancelled, two days after the US government expressed disappointment with the Federal Government for pardoning convicted money launderers. Gates was reported to have already instructed his staff to inform the Nigerian Presidency, the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Federal Ministry of Health that he was no longer coming. “The State Department has advised him that Nigeria is not conducive for such
visit at this time,” a source said. “We hope that the Nigerian government will get the message and return to the path of sanity.”

Culled From PUNCH....

IS OSAZE ODEWENGIE NOT SUFFERING FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM???

The Nigerian international has now been fined over £170,000 for various outbursts on a social media site Nigerian striker, Peter Odemwingie has been punished with another fine for his latest Twitter where he insinuated that West Brom are trying to ruin his career. The latest outburst could have gotten Odemwingie sacked but the club will not be going that way though it is now almost sure that he will be sold in the summer with one year left on his contract.
He said on Twitter: “If they like they shouldn’t even give me 10 mins to play. Threatening to ruin my career? Career I closed already last summer? No harm to me. “Want to treat me like an average player. The abuse and praise I get is it average? So get some extra from me too." The 31-year-old had ridden to Queens Park Rangers during January's transfer deadline to push through a transfer but he was snubbed at the gate and fined £75,000 for a Twitter outburst afterwards.
West Brom issued a statement which read: “The club is aware of comments made by Peter Odemwingie which will be dealt with internally.”
He has also been involved in a fierce clash with Steven Reid in the medical room at the club’s training ground.
Odemwingie was signed for £2 million from Lokomotiv Moscow in August 2010 and has played just 22 times in the league this season with five goals. Though he scored 10 and 15 goals in the last two seasons to emerge as the Baggies’ highest goals scorer.

62 Fake Corpers Arrested In Nasarawa State

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Monday discovered a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp at Tammah village, Nassarawa Local Government Area of Nassarawa State, with 62 ‘corps members’.
It was gathered that the fake camp was to operare for just a day, in which all the fake corps members would take their
pictures with the NYSC crested vests and other kits and be likely issued fake certificates for future reference.
The fake corps members, consisting of 44 females and 18 males, were arrested and paraded by the state commandant,
Mr Andekin Amos Musa, who said that the routine surveillance of the command made the arrest possible.
He added that the four drivers who conveyed them to the village, and the photographer hired for the illicit job, were also
arrested. He said, “The suspected fake corps members were arrested at the outskirts of Nassarawa Town near the Government Secondary School. Investigations are still on, and as soon as they are concluded, they will be charged to court. “So far, our investigations reveal that one Chinedu is the coordinator and director of the fake camp. We also discovered that the fake corps members paid sums ranging from N120, 000 to N200, 000 before being admitted to the camp.
“I want to warn parents and guardians to watch their wards very closely so as to curb their excesses.”
Some of the suspects who were interviewed claimed to be running evening classes at the University of Jos, Jos, Plateau
State. They also claimed ignorance of the fact that it was a fake camp, saying they were lured into it out of desperation as without an NYSC discharge certificate, one would not be able to secure a job in future. It will be recalled that the NSCDC had recently arrested and paraded fake corps members caught at two different fake camps preparing for orientation and induction at the outskirts of the state.

MY OGA AT THE TOP: I AM STILL IN-CHARGE - Obafaiye Shem NSCDC COMMANDANT

 The Lagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Obafaiye Shem, has dismissed the stories making the rounds about his suspension from work saying he is still in- charge of the command.

He said; ”I am still the State Commandant of NSCSC and I am determined to work hard to expose the vandals across the State.”

Shem who recently celebrated his 100 days in office said already, he has some pending files on his table which will be treated as soon as he resumes work. Since assumption of office, the Command under his leadership, has uncovered several hideouts of vandals especially at Arepo, Festac town and Epe and has paraded several pipeline vandals including three siblings.

On his wife’s visit to Channels Television, Obafaye said, ”my wife was in the village with me for my father’s burial and there is no way she could have visited the television station to carry out a protest. She is a learned person and somebody of that caliber would not have been involved in such a jinx. I see all these as a distraction which is not enough to hinder me from achieving my goal in Lagos State.”

Meanwhile, in a post in its website Monday, the Channels Television said, “the rumour making the rounds that commandant of the Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corp in Lagos has been demoted or suspended in the aftermath of a now famous phrase is false. The alleged visit by his wife to the headquarters of Channels Television to protest the upload of the interview where he failed to name his organisation’s website has been discredited as another wild tale.

NYSC WONDERS!!!!!!!!!

A corps member, Tolu Ekundayo who graduated from Lagos State University (LASU) has been decamped from the NYSC orientation camp in Sagamu, Ogun State over her refusal to wear trousers. The Camp Coordinator disclosed that she has been putting on skirts since she reported to camp, contrary to camp rules. Ekundayo however said her refusal to wear trousers has to do with her faith which she cannot compromise. She said at age 10, God spoke to her through a scripture to abstain from men's wears and she has taken cognisance of it since then. Her church, Faith Apostolic Church has waded in and may take legal actions. Ekundayo reported to camp on March 6 and was decamped 2 days later.

LASU KILLINGS: 34 STUDENTS FACE EXTRA YEAR

No fewer than 34 students of the Lagos State University have missed the first semester examinations which began on Monday. The students are currently in police detention following the killings of two students of the institution. The implication of this is that the students will automatically carry over all their courses.

The development could also lead to some of them having extra year because some of the courses must be passed before advanced level of the courses could be studied. Over 70 students were arrested in connection with the killings of two students of the school, Hip Hop artiste, Damilola Olaniyan aka Damino Damoche and Kabiru Atoyebi.

It was learnt that after the suspects were screened at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, about 36 students were released while others remained in custody. The Students Union Government of the institution had appealed to the school authorities to ensure the suspected students were allowed to participate in the examination, while their interrogation continued. According to a source in the school, who pleaded anonymity, the SUG feels that the students do not deserve to be treated like criminals since they have not been found guilty.

He said, "The students were indiscriminatel y arrested in their hostels by policemen and abandoned in the cell since March 3, 2013." But the SUG's Public Relations Officer, Adeleke Stephen, said, "This is a clear example of the effect of cultism. I see no reason why students should not face their education. For the good of all, I advise all students on campus to avoid engaging in cultism and all acts that may lead to disorderliness. "

All efforts to speak with the spokesperson for the institution, Sola Fosudo, proved abortive as all calls made to his telephone rang out. The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. John Obafunwa, when contacted, directed our correspondent to his deputy. However, a senior official of the school, who craved anonymity, said it was not LASU's fault that the students missed sitting for the examination. He added that the school would not make any concession for them.

UNILAG LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE PACKAGE FOR STUDENTS

Authorities of the University of Lagos have launched an enhanced Insurance Policy for all the students of the Institution.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Rahamon A. Bello disclosed this on Friday, February 22, 2013 while addressing the students on the Launch of Students’ Insurance Policy. He said three Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) have been contracted to undertake the policy for all the students of the University, namely: Clearline Care Ltd; Mediplan Health Care Ltd. and International United Healthcare.

Professor Bello said the insurance policy was meant to protect the lives of the students of the institution anywhere they might found themselves.

His words, “Today’s occasion is unique, unique in the sense that UNILAG is the first Institution to launch this kind of policy in Lagos State. The University Management did not unilaterally take the decision. The Medical Center and the Dean of Student Affairs deliberated on the appointment of the HMOs for the insurance policy for the students”

The Vice-Chancellor reiterated the commitment of the Management to students’ welfare and urged the students to register with the HMO allocated to their respective Faculties.

Below is a break-down of the HMOs and allotted Faculties:
1.        The International United Healthcare: Undergraduates and graduate-students of the Faculties of Arts, Education, Law, Engineering and Pharmacy;
2.        Clearline Health Care: Undergraduates and graduate-students of the Faculties of Business Administration, Social Sciences and Science; and
3.        Mediplan Health Care Ltd: All students of the Foundation Programme, Distance Learning Institute and Faculty of Environmental Sciences.

BOY, 10, EMERGES NIGERIA'S YOUNGEST CERTIFIED MICROSOFT PROFESSIONAL

A JSS 1 pupil of Valencia College, Ibadan, Oyo State, has done his school proud by becoming one of the youngest kids that have obtained the Microsoft Certified Professional certificate.

A 10-year-old pupil, Seyi-Ojo Anjolaoluwa, has emerged the youngest Nigerian Microsoft certified professional and one of the youngest people in the world to attain such feat.

Born on July 21, 2002 to the family of Dr and Mrs Anjolaoluwa, the chubby boy participated in the MCIP test on July 24, 2012. He scored 869 out of possible 1,000. Due to his performance, he was adjudged by Microsoft as a certified professional in Microsoft Windows XP (Administration Management and Configuration, Exam 70 – 270).

Anjolaoluwa, a JSS1 pupil of Valencia College, Ibadan, Oyo State, has thus joined the league of world’s set of young Microsoft certified professionals, including Lavinashree, an eight-year-old Indian, and two Pakistanis,  named Arfa and Thobani.

Though their performance was not as high as Anjolaoluwwa, some Nigerian children, which include Nwaiwo Favour of Royal Family Academy, Abuja; and Osaremen Davidson and Olanrewaju Shittu, both of Doregos Private Academy, Lagos are also in the good book of Microsoft Incorporation for their enviable performances in the certified examination.

Microsoft Certified Professional is an internationally recognised certification programme provided by Microsoft cooperation. The certification is tailored towards building skills on Microsoft business solutions, focusing on client-end operating systems such as windows XP, Vista, Windows7 among others.

Though he was not the only pupil registered by his school for the professional certification examination, the boy’s performance placed him shoulder higher than his five other school mates.

 Except for his good looks and good natured smile, nothing about Anjolaoluwa appears extraordinary.  But will he pursue a career in software/hardware development like Bill Gates and Michael Dell who started their software/hardware project around the age of 13? Anjolaoluwa said no.

Rather than pursue a career in information technology, he said his aspiration was to become a medical doctor. His mission in life is to make his school and country proud.

The Head of Training for ITS, an Ibadan-based IT company in charge of the ICT section of Valencia College, Mr. Oresanya Joshua, commended the efforts of Anjolaoluwa and the other five pupils, saying they should be celebrated.

“The kids deserve to be celebrated,” he said.

Oresanya also urged the Federal Government to urgently integrate information technology into the nation’s school curriculum.

This, he said, would not only enhance the sustenance of the gains that the country has made in information technology, it would also help the nation to discover ICT gurus in its school system.

He added that his company has been in the vanguard of efforts to integrate information Technology Training Curricula into Nigerian schools from primary to tertiary levels. Oresanya added that schools should be encouraged to take the teaching of ICT seriously.

“Schools should be encouraged to embrace ICT because some schools still teach computer studies the same way they teach social studies without exposing the kids  to practicals. If not for Anjolaoluwa and the other pupils that excelled in the Microsoft Professional Certification test, we would not have known that ICT gurus are within us,” he said.

The school Principal, Mrs Victoria Morakinyo, also applauded Anjolaoluwa and the other pupils who made the school, the country and Africa proud.

She added that they thrived in the examination because of the state-of-the-art facilities available in the college as well as the employment of expert and quality teachers that deliver qualitative education to pupils.

The principal, however, commended Anjolaoluwa and other five pupils that sat for and passed the certification examination.

The other pupils are Adeyinka Oreoluwa, Odunsi Nicholas, Ajao Blessing Ololade Toluwanimi and Agbele Oluwaloniope.

They also came out in flying colours and were certified.

 For the ICT savvy pupils, it was just the beginning of their career as they promised to explore other areas of ICT certification so as to match their counterparts in the developed world.

With the skill acquired from this certification, these young Nigerians stand the chance of securing high paying holiday jobs as system administrators, help desk support analyst or as system engineer. This qualification places them on a higher pedestal when compared with pupils of their age or class.

Morakinyo said that with this feat, the college could arguably be classified as the fist secondary school in the country to produce six Microsoft Office Specialist pupils within a year.

WAEC CANCELS RESULT AFTER FOUR YEARS

In 2008, Sulaiman Ismail, now 23, was one of about 200 candidates that Ogudu Senior Grammar School, Ogudu, GRA, Ojota, Lagos, presented for the May/June Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC). When the examination body released the results in September same year, the candidate, with examination number 4251410254 was one of the few who recorded average performance.

Details of his results are as follows: English Language- C6; Mathematics- B2; Agricultural Science- B3; Biology- C5; Chemistry- C4; Physics- C4; Economics- D7; Geography-D7 while absent was recorded against Government. In 2009, Ismail wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and scored 213. He later scored 80 per cent in the Post-UTME conducted by the University of Ilorin in Kwara State, his preferred university, where he was eventually admitted to study Computer Science.

He is not only four years into his studies, he is already preparing for his graduation when the unexpected happens.

As part of the prerequisites for graduation, he appeared at relevant university’s departments for clearance. At the Examination and Records Department, he was asked to prove the authenticity of the SSCE result he earlier presented and upon which he was offered admission. Innocently, Ismail supplied the detailed information to verify the ownership and that was when he received the shocker of his life.

“We logged on to WAEC’s website and rather than displaying my grades against each subject that I registered, all I could see was “cancelled” against every subject except Government which I did not write and they put ABS, which means absent. And it was like a dream to me at that point and even till now,” Ismail explained.

In his confused state, Ismail, a First Class material with current Cumulative Gradient Point (GPA) of 4.64, left Ilorin for Lagos on Thursday, February 14, and headed straight to his school to enquire about the situation. “When I got to the school, I met the new principal, Mr. Benedict and his deputy, Mrs. Adeniran, who told me they were also shocked to receive the news from some of my mates with similar experience.

When I probed further, I was only directed to the father of one of my mates, who they claimed had better information on the matter,” the astonished student narrated further. He went to meet his mate’s father, Mr. Owoyemi Moses, who told him that his son, Oluwatosin Owoyemi, was also affected by the development. But unlike Ismail, the boy was in 200-level at Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti when he discovered there was a problem with his WAEC result.

Oluwatosin wasn’t at home when National Mirror visited, but his father said the trouble started in April 2012 when his son was processing his course registration as a 200-level student and discovered that his results earlier released by WAEC had been cancelled.

“The boy was weeping when he told me and I could not believe my ears because he had checked same result on WAEC website and printed it four years earlier. We also got a statement of result from the school and the portion of a copy of the master sheet from WAEC that contains his details. So, how come almost four years after that he went online again to discover that, his results had been cancelled? “I pacified him and asked him to return to Lagos so that we could find out what was amiss. When we got to the school, I was surprised that they were not even aware of the development.

We were only told that the students had been coming for their certificates and that they had written officially to WAEC to know why the certificates were yet to be released three years after exam,” Owoyemi narrated. One of the school teachers, simply identified as Mr. Solanke, volunteered to follow Oluwatosin and his father to Ikorodu office of WAEC, which controls Ojodu area. There, they met with the officer in charge, Mr. Olu Adekeye.

A letter of complaint had earlier been sent to the office by the school. But surprisingly, the officer in charge told us he had no knowledge of any letter from the school concerning the matter and addressed to his office.

At that point, he got to know that the letter was received by a subordinate, Mr. Okonkwo, who never passed it to the relevant office for action,” Owoyemi alleged.

The matter later took the complainants to the Ikeja office of WAEC, from where the officer in charge of the office, simply identified as Mrs. Agwu wrote officially to the Nigeria’s head office of the council at Yaba for action.

While these were on, the school claimed it had informed the affected students that WAEC had responded to letter sent earlier and that the council complained of having problem in embossing on their certificates what they called blur photographs they provided during registration and that it would need replacements.

“We even submitted new passport photographs, which were also burnt on a compact disc by the school and submitted to WAEC through its Ikorodu area office,”  Oluwatosin told National Mirror on phone, adding: “That was done January last year.” Some of the affected students did not limit the struggle to the WAEC office.

In May 2012 for instance, Mr. Owoyemi took the matter before the state’s Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, when he waited endlessly to see the positive action from both WAEC and the school. Since then, many other affected students have come to the school to lodge similar complaint.

One of them, who is the senior prefect of his set and now a 500- level mechanical engineering student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Adesanya Zacheous Taiwo, is also unsettled as his fate remains hanging in the balance. Taiwo is due to graduate this year but if the matter is not resolved, the entire five years as an undergraduate may become a waste.

The same fate may befall Akinola Nofisat Bukola, a final year student of the Department of Computer Science, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, who is also stunned and has joined forces with her mates to seek remedy.

Now, considering the money and time he had expended on the matter and with no headway in sight, Owoyemi, on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, approached his lawyer, Mr. J.O. Oladeji of Leke Oladeji and Company, who wrote the exam body’s registrar in a letter he titled: 2008 May/June Senior Secondary Certificate of Owoyemi Tosin Examination No- 4251410/230. In the said letter, the solicitor requested to be furnished with reasons why his client’s result was cancelled within a 14-day ultimatum.

“But till date, we have received no response from WAEC and the only option left for us now is to take our case before the public and possibly to court.” To approach the matter from different perspectives, Mr. Owoyemi visited the Yaba office of WAEC just last week, where he met with the body’s Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Yusuff Ari. Ari advised that a fresh letter of complaint should be written and addressed to the registrar of the council.

A copy of the letter made available to National Mirror and entitled: ‘Appeal for reconsideration of result’, 19 sought the understanding of WAEC to review the situation and feed the candidates with relevant information on the issue.

However, some of the affected students, who gathered at the secondary school compound last Saturday, including Sanni Muhammed, another final year student in a college in Saudi Arabia, and Ali Saheed, resolved at storming the ministry of education latest next week to demand for its urgent and proactive intervention.

When National Mirror approached WAEC, Mr. Ari said the exam body later found out that a case of “serious” malpractice was reported against the school, and that WAEC decided to cancel the results after proper investigations were carried out.

“Their case is very complex and unusual. But the public should know that WAEC is a very meticulous institution that does not joke with the life of its candidates. When the school wrote to know the cause of the development, the council replied by informing the school that the affected students were involved in examination malpractice.

That is the information at my disposal. And I should add that WAEC has every right to cancel any result at any stage it discovers any irregularity,” Ari told National Mirror. However, the questions being asked by the candidates are that: ‘At what stage did WAEC get know of the malpractice allegation?

What is the particular offence committed? Who are the particular individuals found guilty of the crime? What are the evidences against them? Was there no need for fair hearing before the “damning” verdict?

According to Ismail, as far as he was concerned, there was no case of examination malpractice against him during the exam and that if he had not committed any crime, why should he be punished?

Until WAEC responds to these probing questions, the students’ fate will remain unknown and the situation may create more problems not only for the students but also the country at large. It is understandable that some other students of the set were in higher institutions of learning in South Africa, Europe and Asia pursuing one course or another.

But will the current situation not subject WAEC’s integrity to question among the comity of nations?

Source: National Mirror Newspaper

U.S. EMBASSY AND INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STARTS COURSE IN YORUBA LANGUAGE

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria is pleased to announce the annual call for applications for the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) program in Yoruba for the 2014/2015 academic year.
The FLTA program is a nine-month non-degree program funded by the U.S. Department of State, Washington D.C., and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York.
DEADLINE: Please note that the STRICT deadline for submitting online application and all supplementary documents is Saturday, June 1, 2013 by 12 noon.
Purpose: The FLTA program is designed to offer young foreign teachers an opportunity to teach Yoruba language and culture to American students in universities and colleges. The program also gives an opportunity for participants to refine their teaching skills, increase their English language proficiency and extend their knowledge of the cultures and customs of the United States by engaging in non-degree studies while strengthening the instruction of foreign languages at U.S.
colleges and universities. Becoming a participant carries with it a great responsibility. Along with their studies, participants teach language courses, supervise language labs and lead language table discussions.
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They may also act as resource persons in conversation groups, cultural representatives, attendants in language laboratories, coordinators of extra-curricular activities, guest speakers in civilization courses, head’s of language clubs, houses, tables and much more.
Grant Benefit: The grant covers the grantees round trip airfareto the U.S., a settling-in allowance, monthly stipend, housing allowance, health insurance, and tuition scholarship for their coursework. Provisions will be made for participants to attend a Fulbright FLTA Summer Orientation in the United States prior to beginning theirprogram.
During the FLTA program, fellows are also invited to participate in special Fulbright enrichment seminar and conference for professional development and networking opportunity.
Note: The grant does not cover travel of family members; hence grantees will not beallowed to travel with spouse and children or relatives to the United States even at their own expense.
Field of Study: Competition is open toapplicants who major in English Language, English Education or Linguistics.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: To be eligible for a grant: o Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Nigeria, or permanent residents holding a valid passport issued by the government of Nigeria. He or she must be residing in the country at the time of application
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Applicants must be no younger than 21 and no older than 29 years at the time of application
Applicants mustbe graduates who have received their bachelor degree in English language, English Education or Linguistics
Applicants must have at least a credit in Yoruba language in WAEC/NECO
Applicants must have an outstanding academic record and high level of English proficiency as demonstrated by a minimum score of90 in the Internet Based TOEFL test.
Selected candidates will be registered for this standardized test
Applicants must be teachers of English Language in Nigerian
secondary schools, colleges or universities. Proven years of teachingexperience are mandatory
Applicants must have the endorsement of their employer
Applicants must have an in-depth knowledge of Yoruba culture and current events in Nigeria. They must have sincere interest in teaching Yoruba language and culture to students in the U.S.
Applicants musthave leadership skills and the ability to motivate students in an emphatic manner
Applicants must clearly demonstrate maturity, dependability, creativity, professionalism, flexibility, and a willingness to learn
Applicants must be ready to become a cultural ambassador interested in meeting people and becoming part of community events and campus activities.
Applicants must have high motivation and a serious commitment to completing the program as scheduled and to returning home
The FLTA program seeks applicants that have developed a sense of personal integrity and are original thinkers.
Applicants that are found to have plagiarized in their application will be disqualified.
Application and Instructions:
The application and instructions can be found at http://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/flta/
Applicants should log onto the website, enter an e-mailaddress and create a password. Please remember this password because it will be used throughout the application process.
Applicants are strongly advised to read the instructions preceding the application carefully.
All applicants must fill out the application forms completely and attach their supporting documents online (3 letters of references, Curriculum Vitae, academic transcripts from eachpost-secondary institution attended and writing samples.)
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Essays should address the program goals and include future plans of teaching English language in Nigeria.
Note: The Fulbright program is a popular program, the Public Affairs Section will ONLY NOTIFY SHOTRTLISTED CANDIDATES.
COMPLETED APPLICATION :
A complete application includes:
1. An online application which includes:
*a clearly written objective including reasons for applying and long term career goals (essay approximately 350 words)
* non-academic interests and course interest (essay approximately 350 words)
* methodologies and techniques for teaching Yoruba language (essay 350 words)
* sharing Yoruba culture by selecting a scenarios with applicants unique ideas (essay approximately 350 words)
* personal statement to include personal history, interest andfuture plans (essay approximately 450 words)
2. Three letters of references submitted by referees who know the applicants very well.
3. Official academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended should be scanned and attached to the online application; (official paper transcripts should alsobe sent at a later date)
4. TOEFL score report.
5. Biodata pageof valid international passport (uploaded with application submitted online)
NOTE: Hard copies of official academic transcripts and other supplementary documents should be forwarded to our office by regular mail.
Please address the envelope to: Fulbright FLTA Program Assistant, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos.
For more information, please check the program website at http://flta.fulbrightonline.org