Nigerian breaks academic record at John Hopkins University
June 26, 2012 by SEGUN OLUGBILE 168 Comments
A 22-year-old Nigerian has emerged the best graduating student of John Hopkins University in the United States. He obtained a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of a possible 4.0 to earn a degree in Neurosciences, SEGUN OLUGBILE writes.

A 22-year-old Nigerian, Emmanuel Ohuabunwa, has made history at John Hopkins University, United States of America. Ohuabunwa from Arochukwu, Abia State, has done the nation proud by becoming the first black man to make a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of 4.0 to bag a degree in Neurosciences in the university. He was also adjudged as having the highest honours during the graduation that was held on May 24 this year.

For his efforts, he has won a scholarship to Yale University to pursue a degree in medicine. Besides, he has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society, a prestigious honour group that features membership of 17 US Presidents, 37 US Supreme Court Justices, and 136 Nobel Prize winners.

According to Wikipedia, The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honour society. Its mission is to “celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences” and induct “the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities.”

It was founded at The College of William and Mary on December 5, 1776, and thus it is the oldest honour society for the liberal arts and sciences and among the oldest undergraduate societies in the US.

In an online interview with our correspondent, Ohuabunwa, who was born in Okota, Lagos and attended Lilly Fields Primary School, Lagos, said he left Nigeria after his junior secondary school education at Air Force Comprehensive School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

“My parents moved the whole family when I was 13 years old. I was about to begin SS1 at Air Force, Ibadan. When I got to the US, I was enrolled with my age mates, which meant at 13, I was in middle school. I went to Fondren Middle School, which was in the middle of the ghetto. That was one of the darkest years for me because I encountered a lot of peer pressure. Some of the students, ignorant about Africa, bullied me and called me names such as ‘African booty scratcher’ because to them, Africans were dirty and scratched their butts all the time.

“Some asked me if I lived in mud huts and ate faeces for breakfast. I remember one day, when I was walking to the school bus, a boy came from behind and punched me in the face, called me an African and walked away. It took everything in me not to retaliate. I knew that God had put me in the U.S for a purpose and it did not involve fighting or selling drugs or doing the wrong things.

“My experience during that year gave me a thick skin. I learned to stand for what I thought was right even when the opposition seemed insurmountable. I also learned to look at the positive in all situations. Even though these kids were bullying me, I was still gaining an opportunity to school in America and nothing would stop me from making the best of this opportunity.

“The shocker was that the kid that punched me in the face was black. I would have expected the blacks to be nicer to me. Nevertheless, I don’t blame those kids because they were ignorant about Africa. All they knew about us was the stuff they had watched on TV or documentaries, showing primitive African tribes, living in the jungle and making noises like monkeys.

“In regards to the whites, there might have been some minor episodes but again I don’t blame them for it because it is a problem with stereotypes,” he said.

But in spite of this humiliation and racial prejudice against him, the first in a family of three was not discouraged. He faced his studies and was always coming top in his class. After he completed his middle school education, he passed the entrance examination to DeBakey High School for Health Professions. It was at this school that his interest in neurosciences and medicine started.

“By the second year of high school, we were able to interact with doctors, nurses and other administrators in the hospital. The more I learned about medicine, the more it felt like the thing God was calling me to pursue and by being in the US I got a lot of people to support me to do this. Even though in high school, I got to see first-hand what it meant to be a doctor. We studied advanced anatomy and physiology, learned medical terminology, and learned important skills, such as checking blood pressure, pulse rate, and many more.

“I knew I wanted to go to the best school in the US. I had heard that Johns Hopkins Hospital had been ranked the number one hospital in the US for the past 21 years and I wanted to be in that environment.’’

Worried that his parents might not be able to sponsor him to the university, Ohuabunwa purposed to work very hard. He did and when the result of the PSAT came, he performed so well that he won the National Achievement Scholar.

By virtue of this award, he received certificates of recognition from various organisations including senators from the Congress of both Texas and the US. He also received scholarship from the University of Houston; Rice University, Texas A&M Honors College and many more.

He had also won the Principal’s Award during the annual awards ceremony at DeBakey High School.

“During our graduation ceremony at DeBakey, I also won the Award for the Most Outstanding Senior Young Man and the student volunteer award for my volunteer activities in the State of Texas,” he said.

But his breakthrough came when he won the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation full scholarship to any university of his choice. He worked hard and gained admission to Johns Hopkins University to study Neurosciences.

But why Neurosciences, Ohuabunwa said, “I studied Neuroscience, because I was fascinated with the brain, its control of our behaviours and how various diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, lead to a decline in its activity. I also minored in Psychology because I wanted to understand disorders in the psyche. What causes bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. I did not just want to label them as crazy but to understand what causes these conditions and how we can treat them,’’ he explained.

But what does he consider to be the missing links in the education sector of Nigeria when compared with that on offer in US, Ohuabunwa said unpredictable academic calendar, corruption, examination malpractice and inadequate funding were some of the problems confronting his home country’s university sector. These, he said, were absent in the US.

“There were a few problems with Nigerian higher education that contributed to our emigration in 2003. The first was the number of strikes that occurred in schools. It took my uncle seven years to graduate with a degree that should have taken him only four years. A second problem was the corruption. We had heard of people going into universities, because they paid someone to look the other way. I also heard of a few cheating scandals, where people would pay someone to take their exams for them or get a copy of the exam a few days before,” he said.

But is he saying that US university system has no such problems at all? Ohuabunwa said, “Although this sometimes occurs in the U.S, it is less common because of the strict security. I remember when taking the Medical College Admissions Test, test required before one can matriculate into medical school, each student had to get his fingerprints taken every time we entered and left the hall. The whole place was packed with cameras and security staff that monitored everything we were doing. The exam was computerised to make sure that no one saw the test before the actual date.”

Another difference, he said, is that America rewards hard-work while the system also emphasises on a balance between academic life and extracurricular activities.

On how he won the scholarship to Yale, Ohuabunwa said his 3.98 GPA in Neurosciences, and many awards he had won and God’s grace, contributed to his winning the scholarship.

“As at the time of my application for medical school, I had a 3.98 GPA of a 4.0. This made me the only black student inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa. I was also awarded the Becker Family Scholarship for being the most outstanding student in the Neuroscience major at Johns Hopkins University. Furthermore, by God’s grace, I took the MCAT and scored in the top five percentile.

“That, combined with my hours of volunteer service in different hospitals across the US allowed me to gain acceptance into every medical school I applied to, including Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Cornell. As the time came to make a decision, I had narrowed it down to Harvard and Yale. Both schools, I enjoyed visiting. Nevertheless, while my parents prayed, they asked God to give us a sign of what school to attend. A few days later, I received a letter from Yale Medical School, offering me a full ride scholarship for all four years. That was the sign from God,” he said.

But would he come back to Nigeria after the completion of his programme, he said yes.

“I am absolutely interested in the health care policy decisions in Nigeria. Because there are many changes that need to occur, I will not rule out the possibility of coming back after my studies, in order to join hands with the leaders to make these changes possible.’’

He added that his ambition is to become a medical doctor specialising in brain surgery.

“Two weeks ago, my grandmother passed away after a long battle with strokes. Even during emergencies, it was difficult for her to get to the hospital, let alone get treatment. This is a common theme not only in the health care system of Nigeria, but in different countries in the world, where the poor get neglected.

“Second, Nigerian hospitals lack the infrastructure required to compete with major hospitals around the world. It would be an honour to one day contribute to this transformation that is necessary for improvements in Nigeria’s health care sector,” he said.

He, however, advised Nigerian youths who have the wherewithal, to go abroad to study. Ohuabunwa also called on wealthy Nigerians to invest more in the education of the poor rather than in acquisition of material things.

Ohuabunwa, however, said that his parents, who he described as his greatest role models, contributed a lot to his academic feat through Godly training, counsel and guidance. He also did not forget the impact that his short stay at Air Force school had on him.

“I was definitely not the brightest at Air Force. At that time, I felt like I spent more time running away from seniors than focusing on my studies. Nevertheless, I learned three things at Air Force that have served me well in the US. I learned discipline, adaptability and resilience. These attributes helped me a lot in US,” he said.

http://www.punchng.com/education/nigerian-breaks-academic-record-at-john-hopkins-university/

Jonathan opens up on Boko Haram, Azazi, others
June 25, 2012 by Niyi Odebode, John Alechenu, Friday Olokor, Ade Adesomoju, Simon Utebor and Maureen Azuh 207 Comments
President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday fielded questions from a team of journalists on the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram; the renaming of the University of Lagos, and Friday’s sacking of his National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi.

The President also offered explanations on his controversial trip to Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, the 2015 general election and the economy as well as other hot issues confronting his administration.

While Jonathan submitted that he had no regret embarking on the journey, he said the removal of Azazi and Haliru Bello as defence minister was to evolve a fresh strategy in dealing with Boko Haram.

The President stated that those who argued that he should not have embarked on the trip when Kaduna and Yobe states were being attacked by the violent sect , were ignorant.

He spoke during the Presidential Media Chat broadcast live on the Nigerian Television Authority.

Trip to Brazil

Justifying the trip, he said, “I have no regrets going to Brazil. The issue of security in this country, especially relating to the Boko Haram crisis is pathetic, I have lost people and I have lost property. I sympathise with people who have lost property and relations. I feel the pain.

“As President of this country, even if one person dies, I feel sad. But one thing is that if you know the tactics of terrorists, Nigerians who were worried that I travelled got worried out of ignorance.

“One of the tactics of terrorists is to strangle government. If they heard that the President and the Vice-President wanted to travel but couldn’t do so because they struck, they would celebrate it.”

According to him, Presidents of other countries had always encouraged him to ensure that the government of Nigeria does not stop because of terrorism.

The President also dismissed insinuations that Azazi and Mohammed were removed for incompetence.

He commended the two for what he described as, the effective discharge of their duties while in office.

He, however, said the change in tactics by the terrorist group required a change in the security strategy to deal with the growing security challenge.

Jonathan said, “Security is a global challenge now, not just in Nigeria. Just like the economic recession is global, different countries are having their share.

“The issue of Boko Haram which is giving Nigeria the indignity of security challenges which government is dealing with, definitely we will get over it.

“The day the international community gets to know that the President of Nigeria could not travel because of Boko Haram, we are finished.”

Azazi, Bello

“Relating to the changes we made where the Minister of Defence was removed. We have not named anyone yet because that one has to get to the Senate. We cannot announce any name because it is the Senate that has to clear him or her. So we don’t announce until the Senate clears.

“But the NSA, which is a Political Adviser position, some other person has taken over.

“Those two who occupied those two offices have done well. But if you look at the evolution of Boko Haram, they have changed their tactics.

“The interest of terrorists is to destabilise government. If they use one thing it doesn’t work, they want to use another thing.

“So, you too will begin to change your personnel, change your style, (and) change your strategy.

“I also thought it was time some other hands came in to do things slightly differently; it’s not that the people who were there before did not do well.

“They worked very hard. We will continue to adjust our security architecture and where there is the need to change personnel to fit into the new programme, we will surely do that. “

Dialogue with Boko Haram

On dialogue with the sect, Jonathan said there was no ongoing talks with the sect because they had remained in the shadows.

He said, “Security issues are not issues that we are going to discuss in details. The issues of dialogue continue to come up. Some people feel that government should not dialogue with terrorists and criminals. That is the position of some, particularly in the West.

“But to us in this country and to me in particular, the Boko Haram members are Nigerians and I don’t want to lose the life of one Nigerian.

“I will love a situation where the Boko Haram people will stop the rubbish that they are doing so that they can be trained in business skills that will enable them to become productive and contribute to our economy.

“Government will like to dialogue with Boko Haram but presently, Boko Haram has no face. Nobody will come and tell you I am the leader of Boko Haram. “And government will not dialogue with a faceless group. You must have a face; you must tell us the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Then of course, we will dialogue.

“We want them to change; we want them to become decent citizens; to become top businessmen in this country.”

According to him, terrorists all over the world have a common agenda which is to destabilise the government .

The President stated, “They believe that when they attack a church, Christian youths will revolt against Muslim youths, and they don’t care about who dies in the process.................................

http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-opens-up-on-boko-haram-azazi-others/

Available

Available

@justmenoni: Thanks for the interest shown so far. I will suggest you let me know when you will be available so dt we can go for viewing.

Available

Still waiting for sellers.

kaaycee: dis Falana of a man must be ill informed , if not he would know dat world over and in d contitutionally, ICAO recommendations, and IATA recorgnises d fact dat in d principle of seperation of Aircrafts dat VIPs which are usually d Presido and VP in any country, heads of international org. like d UN etc, kings and Queens like d saudi and britain etc are allowed a free airspace 15mins before landing and 15mins after landing. may be he should sue Oga Jona and Sambo. no be dia fault, it comes with d office as 1bn food allowance also comes with d ofis.

The big question is'' Is the air way supposed to be closed for the wife of the president too?''.
Another thing to point out is '' What happens if more than one VIPs are to land in the airport simultanuosly''. Does it mean that all the planes in the air space will be hovering around?.

sayruffy2004: ‎​GƠ̴̴͡.̮Ơ̴̴̴͡d day, I have 94 model of honda bulldog naija used very clean and it going for cheap price the car is somewhere at ogba. U can call me tomorrow if u will like to check it.. 08052397937..thanks

Thanks Sayruff,
I prefer the 97 model.

Still waiting. I will really like to come for inspection this week-end.

Still waiting for prospective sellers.

We’re doing God’s work –Dying suicide bomber

June 21, 2012 by Jude Owuamanam, Jos with agency report 83 Comments
A suicide bomber who was blown off with an explosive device he was carrying on Tuesday said on his deathbed that the group was doing “God’s work” and would not stop.

The suspected suicide bomber however died in the hospital on Wednesday, police in Bauchi said.

The police said the suspected suicide bomber died at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, where he was receiving treatment after the bomb he was carrying exploded.

They said the suspect was taken to the hospital by the Police, following injuries he sustained from the blast.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Idris Abubakar, said the suicide bomber died in the hospital, where he was receiving treatment.

He said, “On June 19, at about 5.05pm, an anonymous caller informed the Divisional Police Officer, Township, Bauchi, that there was an explosion opposite ANPP Secretariat along Gombe road, Bauchi.

“The police went to the scene and on arrival, a young man was found at the scene seriously injured.

“Upon search by the police bomb experts, it was discovered that the unidentified man was hit by an improvised explosive device he was carrying.

“We recovered one revolver pistol and five rounds of life ammunition on him.’’

The statement added, “The bomber was rushed to the ATBUTH but died in the course of treatment.

“Before his death, the suicide bomber confirmed that he was member of Boko Haram Islamic sect.’’

On Tuesday, the suicide bomber had travelled by public transport for more than 393 km with the device from Yola, Adamawa State.

He was said to have concealed the bomb in his backpack.

The bomber was unfortunate when he carelessly dropped the bag on the floor to urinate in a corner.

The device subsequently detonated, dismembering his lower limb and fingers.

Shortly after the incident, while conscious and in pains, the bomber told onlookers – including police officers who had come to arrest him – that he was part of a larger cell of the terrorist Boko Haram sect who are infiltrating the city to carry out an assignment in “God’s name.”

He said his colleagues were on their way to the city from other towns.

When thoroughly searched, a gun was found on him, which the police reportedly took away.

http://www.punchng.com/news/were-doing-gods-work-dying-suicide-bomber/

Still waiting.

abidav: Bros na stolen vehicle u wan buy .. With all ur specification see what u ar offering you ar so prone to falling a victim... You better reduce ur expectation or increase ur budget
Anyway I have one but its above ur budget its like over 500k obetodun owolo paa
If u int u can call raji on 08023194486

For a vehicle whose Toks price ranges between N700-N750k, I don't think I'm asking for too much.
Anyway, that is my budget.
Thanks.

I'm sure you wanted to state the mileage as 120,000km and not 120km. Please respond.

Thanks City Hood. I prefer 97 model.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba, on Tuesday opened up on the $620,000 bribe allegedly collected by Mr. Farouk Lawan from businessman, Femi Otedola.

Jagaba, whose committee oversees the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, wrote the Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, denying to be in possession of the exhibit.

Part of the letter, dated June 19, which The PUNCH obtained on Tuesday, reads, “I wish to categorically and unequivocally state that there was never a time I was in possession of the sum of $620,000 or any other exhibits (in my personal capacity or official capacity as Chairman, House Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and Financial Crimes) relating to the subject matter of the above investigation.

“I hope this explanation lays to rest once and for all the claims that I or my committee is in possession of the sum of $620,000 purportedly given as bribe to the Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime.”

Findings indicated that Jagaba was responding to a directive by Tambuwal asking him to respond to a letter from the office of the Inspector-General of Police.

The letter from the IG’s office was signed by the Commissioner of Police, Special Task Force on Subsidy Bribe Investigation, Mr. Ali Amodu.

It requested Tambuwal to retrieve and submit to the police, “the sum of $620,000, which Farouk Lawan admitted to have collected from a marketer and handed over to the House Committees on Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption.”

The letter was dated June 15 and carried a reference number, CR:3000/IGP.SEC/STF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.2/373.

On the other hand, the speaker’s letter to Jagaba was signed by his Special Adviser (Legal&Legislative), Mr. Chile Igbawua.

Tambuwal simply forwarded the IG’s letter to Jagaba with his own letter, directing him to respond to the issue raised therein.

The letter with reference number, NASS/SPK/LEG/VOL.II/294, stated, “The content of the said letter (IG’s) is self-explanatory and the Honourable Speaker has directed that you react urgently to the request in paragraph 1(I) Therefore to facilitate his action.”

As the development unfolded, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Information Communication Technology, Mr. Yusuf Tajudeen, commended President Goodluck Jonathan and Tambuwal for their commitment to implementing the report of the subsidy probe.

Tajudeen, who represents Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State, said it was heartwarming that Jonathan promised the nation not to sweep the report under the carpet.

Meanwhile, some youths staged a protest at the gate of the National Assembly on Tuesday demanding detailed investigation into the bribery scandal.

Their coordinator, Mr. Solomon Adodo, said Nigerian youths were unhappy with developments at the National Assembly.

http://www.punchng.com/news/jagaba-denies-collecting-620000-bribe-from-lawan/

Still waiting.

Waiting for feedbacks.

House!!
I need a Nigerian used Honda Bulldog(1997 model) between now and end of the month.

Features should include;
Clean body and interior, Factory-fitted A/c, Alloy Rim, Cloth/leather seat, Automatic transmission,Good engine.
Budget is N350k but it can still be stretched to N380k if no repairs or touch-up will be needed on the car.

If you have any you can send it to eninoble@yahoo.co.uk

Still waiting for responce.

Unserious elements.

I also know someone who wants to buy Honda Bulldog of the same specification. Budget is N350k and can stretched to N380k if there is nothing to be done on the vehicle. I mean nothing to be done.

Ok

Ok

On

Ok

On

FOR the first five months of this year, the Federal Government has spent a total of N1.44 trillion, comprising of N1.03 trillion on Recurrent Expenditure, made of salaries and overheads, while the balance of N404 billion has been released for capital votes implementation.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, gave this breakdown yesterday, at a briefing to debunk insinuations in some quarters that the Nigerian economy was broke and was no longer meeting her financial commitments.

Accompanied at the briefing by the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla, the minister explained that the little challenges encountered by the agencies of the Federal Government in accessing their funds was due to the current glitches arising from the full computerisation of government’s accounting system.

She also used the occasion to announce the appointment of an Acting Director-General at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the person of Bolaji Ibrahim, who is the most senior Director at the SEC.

He is to resume duties on Monday, as “the Federal Government has declined to extend the tenure of the SEC board which tenure ends today.

Defending further the Federal Government’s liquidity position, Iweala said from the revenue profile of Government in the first five months, Government suffered a shortfall of N376 billion, which was raised by the Debt Management Office and maintained that there was no cause for alarm.

She added that N304 billion was released as first quarter capital votes, out which N239.8 billion, representing 39 per cent only had been accessed and utilised by MDAs so far and another sum of N100 billion released on Thursday, thus providing enough funds for MDAs to execute their budgetary plans, hence there was no reason for complaints by them.

Her words: “I am really completely puzzled by this issue of releases and cash-crunch and I want to say to you that that is not the case. We have just looked at utilization of the first quarter allocation that we released and we are at about 39 per cent utilisation. So there is still plenty of room for MDAs to spend.

“The reason it is 29 per cent now is because the last year ended in March this year and this utilisation is only till the end of last moth, May. But this is the last time we are going to extend our Budget cycle. From year 2013, there will be no more extension. We have begun the process of the fiscal year 2013 Budget because we want to address the pitfalls of delays in budgets implementation, so that we can have it passed in December this year.

“We are expecting utilisation to speed up in terms of implementation. But as at now, I can assure you that the issue of cash -crunch is not there; that releases have all their cash backing, which has not fully been utilised and we are about to have a cash management meeting now so we can release the second quarter allocation.

“We have equally released the recurrent allocation. And there has been no delay in paying our salaries and meeting other commitments. Now I want to say one thing, as you know, we are implementing an integrated payroll management system so that we can pay people directly instead of the old system that we had where we would send the money to their MDAs and they would take charge of the payments.

“But we are computerising the whole thing and it will make for more transparency. Now, induing the computerization, there are sometimes glitches with the software and connectivity and that has happen now and again so that a few civil servant may not get their salaries on time because of network connectivity or glitches in the system.

“The Accountant-General Office has worked so hard to bring down the number of staff who are affected from 15,000 to 3000 and now we have only 300 of them. And we are working very hard to ensure that that does not even arise. You can see that if you are paying about 100,000 people salaries and you have 300 that are affected, that is not so bad. But you know if your salary hasn’t been paid, you would notbfeel so good about it. So we are working really really hard to ensure that not even one person is affected.

“But there is no issue with the recurrent budget with regards to paying the bills of the Government. We are working with the people that install the software to correct this challenge and correct any abnormalities. We are also working with the banks, the individual banks where the accounts are.

“Again let me say one thing, there is no where in the world where you are changing the entire payroll management system that you do not have glitches, we are all aware of that. I am actually quite proud that as of this moment, we are working the glitches out one by one, so bear with us,” the minister further explained.

Otunla said the implementation of the of the integrated pay roll and the GIFMIS had save the country the sum of N14 billion as at April 2012 and fingered 43,000 ghost workers.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89327:govt-spends-n144tr-in-five-months-generates-n129tr-&catid=31:business&Itemid=562

Go for Bulldog.

Thermocool is the king. Forget all these things that some people are saying. If a company produces 500 products and 2 goes bad when it gets to the end user, this is still within the accepted international failure rate.

When you give in to sex early in a relationship.