₦airaland Forum

No information for now,
Keep your mind @ rest

Information about the date of the POST UME will be online as soon as it's been announced. For now, nothing solid has been decided as per the strike. Possibly, news will be available after the strike has been called off.



Keep your mind @ rest

T he marriage arrangement is in place. The wedding cards are ready for distribution.
Suddenly, the rumours get to you: your partner is an ex-convict. As if the rumour is not shocking enough, when you confront your partner, your worst fear is confirmed. Will you overlook the past and carry on with your marriage plans?

Bridget Amaraegbu as usual has all the answers.
Read on!

If he’s sincere and repentant, why not? — Ijeoma Imoh, Actress
First of all, I’ll need to know the kind of offence the person committed before I make up my mind whether to continue in the relationship or take a walk. You know, marriage is a life time thing and the decision one takes may leave one in misery for the rest of that one’s life.
Take for instance if it was a murder case, I’ll need to know the circumstance that led to his action. It could be that he was trying to defend himself against a dangerous situation that could have taken his life. And if that was the situation, I’d have expected him to have drawn the attention of the police. But the fact that he decided to keep it as a secret means there’s something he didn’t want me to know. For all I care to know, he can be a ritualist or man eater. And I’m sure you will not want me to live with such dangerous person so that I don’t end up being slaughtered and used for pepper soup someday.
We’ve heard several stories of people who killed their fellow human beings for no just cause.
Few days ago, we read about a man who killed his own son over nothing actually. The only complain he had against the little boy was that the boy was stubborn. The big question is, could this have been enough for a father to kill his own son?
Only God knows how many lives this same man would have wasted in the past, if he could do what he did to his own flesh and blood. That is why we need to be careful when issues like this spring up because if this man comes up tomorrow to say he has become a pastor, people will still need to watch him.
Let’s also look at internet fraud. People who engage in this business are just there to benefit from other people’s hard earned resources, and that’s all. It would be easier to forgive a person involved in this kind of business because such person can easily make a u-turn and go into a more legitimate business. .
Crimes have different categories. But the ones I dread most are the ones that have to do with murder, armed robbery and drug peddling. These are some of the crimes that people who are engaged in them find difficult to quit. They may never give up on it.
Those who are into drug peddling find it difficult to retire, and no matter how many times they go to jail, they’re still willing to continue in the business.
I know that some people will begin to look at it from the perception of the average human being not being perfect. This could be true but then what stops such person from revealing his secrets to the woman he intends to spend the rest of his life with. If he actually loves me, he should be prepared to let me into his past. People who intend to spend their lives together should be ready to understand each other very well before getting married. If it is possible, they should discuss all that happened to them in the cause of their growing up.
By Bridget Amaraegbu
Continued on: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/02/can-you-marry-an-ex-convict/

Umuahia—ABIA state Governor, Chief Theodore Orji yesterday, joined many other eminent Nigerians to call on the striking university teachers to return to the class room, saying that the long strike has caused “dreams and aspirations to be on hold”.
Orji in his 49th Independent anniversary message, also urged Nigerians to renew their faith in the Nigerian project, saying “we do not have any other place to call home”. The Governor who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Chris Akomas also called on Nigerians to pray for their leaders.
“I would be unrealistic if I should say that all is well with Nigeria. I admit that we have series of problems we are grappling with at the moment. I however would like to solicit that we continually uphold our leaders in prayer for God’s continuous guidance and direction.
“Administering a country as populous, multi-cultural and multi-religious as Nigeria is no mean feat. it can only take the grace of God for a leader to sustain the respect and admiration of the followers in a country like Nigeria.
“Let me therefore use this opportunity to call on our striking university lecturers to return to their class rooms in the spirit of the celebration of the independence of our great nation, four months is a very long time for our universities to be shut,” Orji said

By Anayo Okoli
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/02/orji-asks-ASUU-to-call-off-strike/

Mark also expressed concern over the lingering face-off between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government and called for amicable resolution.
He urged ASUU to call off the strike and return to the classroom as a gift to the nation for the 49th independence anniversary.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=011009&ptitle=Don%27t%20lose%20faith%20in%20Nigeria,%20say%20Yar%27Adua,%20Mark

What has ASUU strike got to do with the 49th Anniversary. All we are after is for FG to settle with ASUU and pave way for resumption

To the Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Comrade Moshood Erubami, 49 years in the life of Nigeria is an irony of life in term of progress and growth.
To the pro-democracy activist, it is paradoxical that, citizens of the sixth largest oil producing nation still wallow in abject poverty.

Excerpts:
Nigeria at 49?
To say that Nigeria is not yet demonstrating capacity to be out of the woods at 49 years is restating the obvious. Nigeria is 49 years today, yet it is still wobbling and fumbling in its strive to adulthood.

A 49 year old child still crawling is a disable and physically challenged. Currently, the country is confronted with the negative effects of youth militancy, slowing economy, rapid inflation, troubled religious disturbances, nationwide perfunctory electricity, generation and supply with disappointed citizens and leadership losing legitimacy.
Yar’Adua is running the most unproductive government that has refused to yield discernible dividends of democracy except to those masquerading as politicians using the party’s umbrella to cage the welfare of the people and detain democracy.

He is running an unrehearsed administration ever bestowed on the country and has ever since assumption of office gone into profound dreamless slumber.
He is a President Nigerians are learning to trust as his words can not be taken as his honour. He promised Nigerians an electoral reform that would correct past election rigging and make election manipulation a thing of the past, yet he rejected Uwais led committee’s report and still retain Prof. Maurice Iwu as INEC Chair, whereas, most Nigerians believe the first right step at election reform is the removal of Prof. Maurice Iwu and reconstitution of INEC immediately for all these failings, I will rate his administration very low, below 25 percent of good performance. He is a great concern to Nigerians and worry to the world.

What were our father’s dreams for Nigeria?
Our fathers’ dream for Nigeria was to establish a country that is united, strong and prosperous. A state based on the principles of democracy and social justice where sovereignty will belong to the people from whom government, through the country’s constitution shall derive all its powers and authorities.
A country, where the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government and the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured through one man one vote.

Expectations of our generation?
The expectation of our own generation was to build on the foundation of our fathers, a strong nation, where justice will be the basis of governance for the purpose of promoting national integration, while discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethic or linguistic affiliation will not be tolerated.
Establishment of a state where trust in leadership shall be freely expressed without molestation, violence and process manipulation.

Another expectation of our leaders is to hearness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity to build an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy for the common good of Nigeria citizenry.
Above all, where the welfare and security of all shall be the primary purpose of government.

Source of our mistake
Nigeria, by all standards, is the six largest producers of oil and an exporter, it accounts for half of the total resources of Sub –Sahara Africa, with the largest concentration of Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and other tertiary institutions.
In population, it is constituted with over 140 million citizens, accounting for one out of every five Africans. Yet, it could not utilize these great potentials to advance its movement to the land of destiny, due to bankrupt leadership.

Everything started going wrong with Nigeria, from the time it failed to solve the political logjam created by the civil strife resulting from the ethnic politics of the late 60,s, which led the country into civil war from 1967-1970. Ever since Nigeria has been bedevil by accidental and mostly unprepared and reluctant leaders without any blue print for development and good governance

Corruption, during the period took on a new dimension. It changed from the people, as a bait to secure government patronages to Government bait to the people to perpetuate their illegitimate ruinous rules.
Indiscipline was crying to the high heaven and became the order of the day among leaders and followers, as nobody seems to be in control of anything, hence a country with all resources turned out to lack everything, living its citizens to wallop in the paradox of poverty and hunger in the midst of stupendous wealth. That was the tragedy of a very rich country with a poor and very wick citizenry.

What to be done?
What can be drastically done to start getting things right is foremost, to stop reforming the present leadership but remove them politically .The present crop of leaders represent the crazy in the demon of Democracy in Nigeria. We need to be courageous to put the blame of our underdevelopment squarely at the door steps of the current illegitimate rulers and recognize that unless they are mechanically rebranded the current National leadership meltdown will lead us to total bankruptcy and no amount of pretencious rebranding will lift Nigeria out of its cul-de-sac.

Part of this effort will be to show the way out of government to Prof Maurice Iwu who has outlived his usefulness, as the head of the election management authority, having become a broken screen through which future election preparation and fairness can not be visibly seen.
If Nigerians are searching for electoral rationality from 2010-2011,on the basis of one person one vote, they must decide to remain firm in their voting allegiances and move decisively against tenure re –rerun by Prof. Iwu and develop public passion against his self described agenda to alter their preferences.
Secondly, election must be made to fulfill its historical missions, one to serve as a means of expressing trust in the person elected, as a tool for putting parliament in place to serve as a key institution of government and as a mechanism through which a ruling government is controlled, defeated and re elected.

Thirdly Nigerian youth and independent voters must wake up from their profound dreamless slumber to put their destinies by their hands and challenge all the status quo permutations by the old politicians working in concert with their political son to mortgage this country and confiscate its value and virtures of democracy while perpetuating misrules, and leadership illegitimacy.
Right virtues and values should be enthrown with ethical leadership so as to replace the current indirection where ethics will become the model to follow in politics and in governance, then the country will fly beyond the sky.

By RAZAQ BAMIDELE
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/oct/01/national-01-10-2009-001.htm

BENIN—COMMERCIAL activities in Benin City, Edo State capital, were grounded yesterday for several hours when a coalition of civil society groups, students and organized labour thronged the streets protesting what they described as the sorrowful state of education in the country.
The protesters, who carried coffins and placards that read: “Sam Egwu must go”, “ Assembly members, save our children by screening UBE nominees”, “Yar’Adua do not turn our children to robbers and prostitutes”, condemned alleged unconcerned attitude of the Federal Government towards finding solution to the on-going strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Also, Chairman of Izon-Ebe Community Task Force, Alaowei Afro Biukeme, called on the federal government to end its face-off with striking university lecturers, lamenting that the educational system had decayed so badly that the nation cannot afford further strike in the educational sector.
However, the protesters, under the aegis of Gani Fawehinmi Movement for Good Governance, made up of the leadership of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), One Love Foundation, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), National Association of Edo State Students (NAESS), including primary and secondary school pupils, also stormed the state House of Assembly Complex where they urged the lawmakers to reconsider their position in the screening of the nominees submitted to it by the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
They urged the House to urgently reconstitute the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), so the state could access the almost N5 billion counterpart fund in the Universal Basic Education scheme.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Kaduna Eboigbodin, who tagged the protest “Black Day for education”, said there was imminent danger in the country due to the collapse of the education sector.
ANEEJ stated: “Our country, Nigeria is at a cross roads. The continued closure of Nigerian public universities as a result of the four months old on-going nationwide strike embarked upon by members of ASUU, the two weeks strike of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) demanding the implementation of Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) are clear signposts of a failing state with decayed social sector, which public educational institutions at primary, secondary and tertiary levels signposts nationwide.
“The current situation is clearly a product of bad governance which has led to the continued widespread corruption with devastating consequences on basic infrastructure, with the rich getting richer and the poor suffering untold hardship.”

By Simon Ebegbulem
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/01/education-protest-rocks-edo/

OWERRI— Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, processed peacefully from Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, to the Government House, where they handed over a letter addressed to the President.
The letter was signed by the ASUU Owerri Zonal Coordinator, Dr. S.M. Nzota, as well as ASUU Chairmen of Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and Imo State University, Owerri, Dr. R.A. Ejimofor and Mr Vitalis Nwulu, respectively.
ASUU reminded the President that “the agreement arrived at, after two years of painstaking negotiation, holds the promise of revamping public universities in Nigeria, as well as stopping the rot in the system”.
They however,  lamented that “unfortunately, this agreement has been subjected to serious misinterpretation by government machinery and bureaucracy”, stressing that this is in spite of the fact that this agreement contains provisions for reversing the brain drain in the system.
Government was equally reminded that the unsigned agreement made provisions for enhancing the quality of infrastructure in the system, increasing the level of funding, achieving autonomy and improving the welfare of the academic staff and other sundry issues.
“All these hold promise for elevating the educational system and positioning it to play a proper role in the development of the country and achieving global rating and international competitiveness”, ASUU Owerri Zone said in the letter.

By Chidi Nkwopara
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/01/strike-ASUU-protests-in-imo/

ABUJA—Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Dimeji Bankole and the House Committee on Education is holding talks with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) on an end to the over two month strike of university teachers.
Rep. Farouk Lawan, chairman House Committee on Education, Rep Faruk Lawan had yesterday met with the ASUU president, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie and other members of the union including two former ASUU presidents, Dr. Abdullahi Kano and Dr. Dipo Fashina as well as Dr. Nasir for about three hours. Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, Lawan explained that the meeting was part of the ongoing consultation to resolve the crisis and restore stability into the nation’s education system.
He said “we are trying to find lasting solution to the crisis. ASUU has been on strike for several weeks, since the commencement of the industrial action, the committee on education deem it proper to interact with the leadership of
ASUU and Minister of Education, Minister of State on Education and Labour with the view to solve the problem.
“I met with two sides separately and jointly in the bid to broker truce among the parties. This has become a very devastating not only o university education but progress to achieve stability in the education system. I also visited the Minister of Education to find a way of intervening and ending the crisis. “Today we had quite exhaustive issues on key issues. A lot of effort is going on several interest groups and the National Assembly as well as Oshiomhole and NLC to make sure that issues that led to the strike are resolved. For us as a committee we will continue to explore major avenues to ensure peaceful resolution of the crisis. The aim of the intervention is to stabilise education in this country with the improvement of education in the country.”
…submit report on 2009 budget next week
The Standing Committees in the House of Representatives are expected to turn in their reports on the budget performance of ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s) of government as they resume sitting next week Tuesday.
Besides the House has also reiterated its commitment to review the 1999 Constitution and overhaul the electoral process in the Country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Ita Enang who disclosed this yesterday said in preparation towards the receipt of the 2010 Appropriation Bill, the House would consider reports from all its committees to assess the level of implementation of the 2009 budget, adding that the outcome would determine how the 2010 proposal may be approved.
It will be recalled that before proceeding on its long vacation on July 30, 2009, the House had issued a warning to President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and executive arm of government to fully implement the Appropriation Act or face sanctions.
According to him, everything was already set for the resumption which had been shifted from the earlier announced September 29th to enable members participate in the 49th Independence anniversary of today, adding that there were no challenges to alter the planned resumption date.

By Tordue Salem
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/01/reps-move-to-end-ASUU-strike/

If Nigeria can beat them above 5goals, they might still have the chance to qualify. Four best loser will be eligible to qualify because the team needed will not be enough if the best losers are not included. I hope they put smile on my face dt day.

Thank God Nigerians that succeeds abroad are well recognized. If they had studied here in Nigeria and excelled, nobody would have known these students. Is it a good thing for Nigerians to leave their fatherland and succeeds outside? Yes, but does it really speak well of us, since we can't recognize our own successful students?

0805-851-8305: Dele, Dele, Dele, how many times did I call your name? Devote your time, energy, and column to ASUU impasse! Let’s save our education now! — Olu
Numerous are the streams that lead to social prosperity, but all spring from the same source and that is public education —Gaspar Jovellanos, 1744-1811, Vanguard Book of Quotations, p. 46
BEFORE that text message from brother Olu, I had received some text messages requesting that I write on the ASUU/FG stalemate which has grounded our tertiary education in public universities while simultaneously providing those in private universities, whose education goes uninterrupted, with an advantage to which they are perhaps not entitled. Some of the messages accused me of neglecting the issue because my kids are schooling abroad.
Nothing can be farther from the truth. All my four girls, born in Nigeria, now graduates (computer science, medicine, civil engineering and law), attended universities in Nigeria and suffered the same deprivations as others each and every time government and ASUU closed down the schools. Incidentally, none of the ASUU leaders, if he taught in a private university, where unions are not allowed, would go on strike for any reason. Meanwhile, top government officials seldom send their kids to public universities.
So they have no stake in the outcome of strikes. There might be something for consideration in that observation. I had tried to evade the issue for three reasons which are interrelated.
National insanity
First is the demonstration of national insanity on display each and every time this happens; insanity being defined as doing the same thing over again while expecting a different result. Since the 1970s, or so when I first experienced, a national strike by the academic staff of universities, at least ten strikes of varying durations have been embarked upon – almost always for the same two broad reasons.
Salary/wage disputes and provision of conducive environment for teaching, research and learning have almost always closed the schools. One of my daughters required eight years to finish medical school which required no more than six since she did not repeat any class.
The second reason for my reluctance to get drawn into the problem is related to the origin of the problem itself. To the best of my knowledge, Nigeria is the only country in the world where all the public universities are closed at the same time on account of strike. And this is so because under the Gowon administration, in the 1970s, the military government seized control of the existing universities and created a monster called the visitor.
That creature of the military administration, which has no clone anywhere else in the world, is the head of state or president of Nigeria; he is also the “commander-in-chief of the universities.” His word is law in the universities throughout Nigeria, and he has absolute power. And as we know from Lord Acton, 1834-1902, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely”.
(Vanguard Book of Quotations, p.195). Almost right from the start, the absolute power given by decree to Nigerian leaders has produced the incessant strikes we experience. But, it has a helping hand.Centralisation of power by government in the office of the Visitor resulted in the creation of two monsters to counter it.
The first was Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU; the second was NASU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities. Suddenly, Nigerian universities which had previously enjoyed autonomy became hostages to three forces; each of whom could get the universities closed for any length of time.
Between those three “Made in Nigeria” institutions – the Visitor, ASUU and NASU – Nigerian public universities have probably lost the equivalent of five sessions since the nation took the wrong turn on the road under the military in the 1970s. And things have gone from bad to worse since then.
The third reason I have refrained for so long is related to a strong feeling about conflicts which had stayed with me for years. There are two dimensions to that feeling. One, the most difficult conflicts to resolve concern disagreements between two “rights or half-rights.”
It is easy to decide when all the facts support one side or the other. But, issues become complicated when the two have evidence to support their positions. Two, matters become even more complicated when one side or both reject mediation or arbitration from any quarters or when compromise is totally rejected by one party or the other. Mr Olu can observe from what has been written that the ASUU/FG disagreement is precisely at that point where neither party is prepared to negotiate or accept further mediation.
As the great current father of Africa, Nelson Mandela had observed,“If you don’t intend having c compromise, you don’t negotiate at all”. (Vanguard Book of Quotations ,p.171). Like all long drawn out wars in which the cease fire is turned down, a war of attrition follows. It is now a matter of who blinks first.
Ordinarily, one would have left the two parties to slug it out. Unfortunately, there is a third party involved in this tragedy – the student body of the universities. Like civilians caught in the war front, they get trampled upon by the warring parties without being able to lift a finger to save themselves. And nobody else seems to be able to help them either at least legally.
In fact trying right now to appeal to both sides in this great conflict ruining our nation’s future is worse than talking to a wall; it amounts to talking to two walls at the same time. Yet somehow, a solution must be found to this stalemate in the national interest.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/27/ASUU-vs-fg-a-national-tragedy/

Without the involvement of sentiment, which of the premier league clubs logo is the most colorful?

I am an Arsenal fan but i am giving the answer to LIVERPOOL (YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE

Emmanuel Adebayor remains unrepentant for his actions against Arsenal, insisting he was 'running on emotion'.

The Manchester City forward has come in for heaving criticism following the Blues' recent 4-2 victory over his former employers.

An ugly stamp on Robin van Persie and an over-exuberant celebration in front of the away supporters have seen him fall under the microscope, with the Football Association having now got involved.

Adebayor has been banned for three games over his clash with Van Persie and faces a further improper conduct charge relating to his celebrations, but is adamant that he did nothing wrong and is disappointed to have been singled out by the authorities.

"Of course I am disappointed but there has been a lot of reaction in the press and when there is this much reaction something usually follows," the Togolese striker told ShortList.

"I have a chance to be heard now and I hope people understand that I did not mean anything, I was running on emotion and when that is the case it is very hard to control what you do."

Sticking with the much-maligned celebration, where he ran the length of the field in order to taunt the away support, he added: "When you are being abused for the whole game it affects you.

"People are saying 10 seconds like it is a long time but it isn't. The whole of that 10 seconds I was running and I was running on pure emotion. I was not thinking like I would normally do. After you score a goal there is an instant high and that high can last a while.
React

"It doesn't matter what you do or what you earn if you get abuse for over an hour, an hour of personal abuse you are going to react. Just because we are football players it does not mean we have the right to be abused.

"The insults and abuse were personal and just because I am a football player it does not mean I should have to listen to that. People talk about the money we earn, but just because somebody makes a good living it does not mean they have to put up with abuse."

Despite the row which has followed his meeting with the Gunners, Adebayor insists he will not shirk away from the spotlight when City travel to Emirates Stadium on 24th April.

"I have already said I am ready for the return game," he said.

"I don't think there will be trouble, it is a long time away and people have a lot of time to calm down. It could be a big match for both teams, so I think people will just be concentrating on the three points."

After a summer of big spending at Eastlands, Adebayor also believes that City are capable of claiming the Premier League crown this season.

"There is a long-term plan at this club but with the way we have playing there is no reason we should have to wait for success if we are ready now," he added.

"We have the players to compete with any team in Europe so yes I am willing to say that we can win the title as early as this season."

It was a show of shame last Friday at the headquarters of the West African Examination Council, Yaba, Lagos, when the Head of National Office, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae, said he was proud to be a Nigerian despite the poor performance of candidates in the WASSCE.

He rated the performance of Nigerian candidates as the best when comparing it with those of other four African nations, which included Ghana, Sierra-Leone, Liberia and Gambia.

Uwadiae’s comment came as a shock to most journalists who had berated the results of May/June 2009 West African Senior School Certificate Examination. But to their surprise, the HNO said that Nigeria ’s poor performance was better than performances of the other four member countries, including Ghana .

To some of the journalists, to be candid, Uwadiae’s commentary was untenable. He had based his argument on the number of Nigerian candidates who had won WAEC best results awards in recent times. He posited that Nigerians had won the awards on several occasions and at a time the country dominated the lists of the awardees for years.

However, in order not to turn the news conference to a session of probe, the journalists had to keep mute to allow the HNO to defend the poor results.

One would have expected the HNO to use the candidates’ population as one of the factors to deduce the best performing country. Perhaps this would have revealed a better evaluation of the countries’ performance, bearing in mind that the population of the four member countries put together is less than that of Nigeria alone.

Statistics shows that out of over one million candidates that sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination every year, Nigerian candidates account for about 800, 000,  which, in other words, means that the WASSCE is virtually a Nigerian show.     

In term of population, comparing Nigeria’s performance with others’ will be a disservice to the other four member countries, especially Ghana whose record of academic excellence is gradually becoming an issue on the continent.

One is disturbed that the performance of Nigerian candidates is yet to improve, as only 25 per cent of them passed the May/June 2009 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

The statistics shows that over 700,000, out of 1,273,099 candidates who sat for the examination failed without credit in English Language and Mathematics.

According to Uwadiae, who announced the results on Friday, only 356,981 candidates passed with five credits, including English Language and Mathematics out of 1,273,099 that sat for the examination.

It will be recalled that 23.5 per cent of the candidates passed the examination last year with most of them having their results withheld due to various malpractices.

Out of the successful candidates, Uwadiae said 116,729 of them were science students; 33,024 social science while 100,632 were arts oriented student.

In his analysis, the HNO stated that the results of 109,201 candidates were withheld due to alleged involvement in examination malpractices.

According to him, 1,007,659 candidates had two credits and above; 860,665 had three credits and above, 718,269 had four credits and above; 574,108 candidates obtained five credits and above while 426, 244 candidates have six credits and above but without English Language and Mathematics.

Uwadiae stated that the reports of those involved in examination malpractices were being compiled for presentation to the Nigeria Examinations Committee of the council, which would communicate to the candidates through their schools.

What are the likely causes of mass failure in WASSCE? The HNO said it was due to nonchallant attitude of teachers, students and parents to learning.

He explained that most teachers were not ready to teach anymore because they were not being motivated by government while students seldom read due to the proliferation of cybercafés.

“The society has been so proliferated with adulterated culture to the extent that students no longer listen to their parents anymore. Parents find it difficult to tell their children to read. Even where parents could do so, there are no books that could entice the children. Our children now run after money but not knowledge,” he said.

However, in its effort to provide adequate service in the conduct of examination, the council would be introducing electronic-marking.

According to Uwadiae, the technology will check examination malpractices among the teachers and candidates and enable the council to release the examination results on schedule.

He also stated that the council would soon introduce electronic-verification of certificate, adding that the system would reduce the stress of individuals, institutions and companies that would like to verify candidates’ results.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/24092009/thr/edu.html

AS the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) entered its fourth month, parents have been told to go to the streets and protest the perceived non-challant attitude of the Federal Government.

The Co-adjustor Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Most Reverend Felix Ajakaiye, who said this in Akure, on Wednesday, at an interactive session organised by the Ilorin Zone of ASUU, said parents should rise and join the union in the struggle for a better education system in the country.

He regretted that Nigeria was a country that relied on deceit, as the leaders of the nation had always been deceitful in their approach to issues that concerned the ASUU strike.

The clergyman, however, said if the Federal Government had refused to sign the agreement reached with the striking lecturers, going out in protest by the parents was a way to make sure government woke up.

Ajakaiye lamented the persistent fall in the standard of education in the country, saying that he threw the challenge to show that some leaders of the country did not have value for education.

He, however, regretted that the country was being led by some people that did not believe in its educational development, adding that one of such leaders had once said that a staff sergeant in the Nigerian Army was better than a university graduate in Nigeria.

The Director of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Church, Ondo Diocese, Rev.Fr. Benedict Koledoye, however, challenged ASUU to be steadfast in the struggle.

He said: “We identify with the ASUU in their struggle for proper funding of the Nigerian university. No doubt, Nigerian university is in serious mess, to a patriotic Nigerian, this struggle is long overdue. Our support is total and absolute.”

He said it was disturbing that despite the harrowing experiences being faced by the students and the lecturers in the last three months, the Federal Government had refused to genuinely seek a solution to the impasse.

Koledoye however, challenged ASUU not to give up on the struggle, as they were fighting for justice and peace.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/24092009/news/news4.html

By Emeka Mamah
The kid-nappers of the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Mr. Waje Yayok, who demanded N40 million ransom for his release, have reduced it to N10m even as the police and the government have now admitted that Yayok was indeed missing.
The government had insisted when the news broke on Tuesday morning that Yayok was on official assignment to the Kaduna south area of the state, pointing out that it was wrong to declare him either missing or kidnapped when the incident was not up to 48 hours according to international standards.
The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Mr. Tambari Mohammed, who briefed newsmen yesterday, however, said he was confident that Yayok would soon be rescued.
According to the commissioner,Yayok will be located in the next 24 hours.
He said: ”from yesterday, we have been hearing that the SSG has been missing. This briefing is to confirm to you that actually the SSG is missing.

“Secondly, all the security agencies in the town are working together in overt and covert operations which has been put on the ground to ensure that the SSG is seen and very soon, he will be seen.

“We have spread our dragnets on the ground and within the next 24 hours, he will be seen. ”

The police boss’ question and answer session with reporters’ went thus:

Question: We heard that a deadline has been given for the government to meet up otherwise he will be killed.

Answer: Are you aware of this? I am not aware of any deadline that we are given for us to meet otherwise, he will be dead. I am not aware.

Have you establish any contact with him?

No.

Contrary to what was said yesterday that he was kidnapped at Manchok, we heard that he was actually kidnapped at Kenfeli. Are the police aware of this?

That is not true at all. I was at Kenfeli myself and there were no traces of him at Kenfeli on the day of the incident. All that we know is that he travelled to the Southern part of the state for an official engagement and did not return.

I personally went to Kenfeli and there was no trace of him at all. We have not actually got to that stage as to where he was actually picked from.

Has the police contacted the family because we learnt that there was a phone call to the family by the kidnappers demanding N40m? Have you been working with the family?

Even the family are divided. You have the wife who is living here and you have the brothers who are living back in his local government area. I have read from the papers too that the kidnappers have been talking to them. They have not been talking to me in any way. But, I have read in the papers that they have being talking to the family here and in Kaura.
We want to know where the man was kidnapped?
That is what I have said. All we know is that the man left here for an official engagement to the southern part of the state. That is why I said that we need more time. But I have confirmed to you that he has actually been missing for the past 48 hours or so. It is only when you get to him that you will know at what point he was actually picked.
Have the abductors actually got in touch with you to demand the N40m?
We have a way of dealing with kidnappers. This is not the first time people are being kidnapped.
We have our special ways of dealing with them. They can ask for anything, but sometimes you can negotiate with them and, in the process, you can reach an agreeable situation and a deal is struck. Sometimes, we can use it to get to the root of the matter.

Sometimes it can also fail. However, we will not answer any question that is going to pre-empt our action. We have overt and covert actions that have been laid on ground and we are not going to do anything that will jeopardise that.

The view has of late been canvassed that the Nigerian judicial system, by its very nature, constitutes a major hindrance to the war against corruption and other financial crimes in the country. It is said that when the corruption cases are taken to court, they experience all forms of applications that bring about delays and trying to tear up the cases.

The national identity card fraud case, whose trial has lasted more than four years now without the accused persons even admitting to enter into any defence, among others, is easily cited as an example. Some have even heaped the blame on the trial judges and the courts whom they allege collect huge sums of money as bribes in order to shield the suspects or kill or prolong the cases.

In view of these accusations, an examination, even if in a cursory manner, of the entire scenario has become necessary in order to verify to what degree the system of administration of justice in Nigeria has hindered the fight against graft in the country.

, I respectfully do not agree with the view that courts or judicial officers are to blame for the delay in concluding court cases in Nigeria. Anyone with a sound understanding of the working of the law and the Nigerian legal system would easily agree that in most instances of prolonged trials, the judges’ hands seem somehow tied.

In the first place, the Nigerian legal system is accusatorial and adversarial, and not inquisitorial – it is a system in which the state must necessarily establish the guilt of the accused person by evidence independently and freely secured and may not by coercion prove its charge against an accused out of his own mouth. An accused person is thus presumed innocent unless and until his guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt before a court of law in line with the requirements of section 36 (5) of the Constitution.

Further, in Nigeria if a judge collects bribe in order to favour a party in a case, it will be sheer waste of time for the favoured party, as the case will soon move to the appeal courts – the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court – where the justice of the case is sure to be unravelled. At the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court where between three and seven justices sit at the same time over a case, it is difficult to pervert justice, at least in most cases.

There are palpable loopholes in the system of administration of justice in the country, which are more often than not explored by accused persons and their Counsel to their advantage, thus leading to protracted trials.

But one may raise the question, as George Washington once did, Will it not amount to an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition that he may abuse it? Again, some people have cited the age-long maxim, justice delayed is justice denied, to explain perceived difficulties in protracted trials, without adverting their minds to the fact that justice rushed is justice crushed.

Though prolonged trials may lead to death of key witnesses or disappearance of material evidence, which may ultimately defeat the justice of the case, it is nevertheless pertinent to call to mind the positive sides of such otherwise unfortunate delays.

First, by the time suspects and their lawyers are done with the so called “all manners of applications” and judgment is finally delivered and sentence handed down, the suspect would have little or no cause to whinge over the proceedings and the result, having himself been afforded ample opportunity to put up his defence, in line with section 36 (6) of the Constitution.

Besides, it could well then be said that not only has Justice been done; it has also been seen to have been done (see R v Sussex Justices, Ex parte McCarthy ([1924] 1 KB 256, [1923] All ER 233). Second, the accused person who is engaging himself in tactics to delay trial is merely postponing the evil day; what will happen, they say, will definitely happen. And, what is more, as long as the charge is still hanging on the accused person’s neck, society, more so the Nigerian society, will continue to keep him at an arm’s length as one whose hands are soiled.

It is therefore seen that the suspects themselves who apparently delay the trials are not having the best of times, especially in their social lives; they keep suffering one form of deprivation or another until the cases end, in their favour. Take for an instance, in Nigeria, an accused person, especially in corruption cases, will scarcely be considered for appointment into any public office unless and until he is discharged or acquitted.

Also, in his village group meetings, club, and other gatherings, he is easily shouted down as a stained person. Let us imagine what emotional torment and social stigma the recently deposed and arraigned bank Chief Executives are already passing through, even though they are not convicted yet. I think the fact they have been arraigned on charges of serious wrongdoing is sufficient deterrent to others in similar positions.

Instead of the one-sided proposition that the characteristic delay in the Nigerian judicial system is considerably hindering the fight against corruption, one should also consider whether such delays have in no way helped the system, especially considering the rights of the accused persons themselves and the essential demands of a fair trial.

Sir William Blackstone’s dictum that it is better for ten wrongdoers to go scot-free than for one innocent man to suffer unjustly is appropriate in this circumstance; a situation where, once accused of corruption or other wrongdoing, the suspect is arrested and immediately thrown into prison would be very dangerous for a society such as ours, for then no one, including the really innocent, would be safe.

Oftentimes, we hear much of people’s calling out to punish the guilty; but very few are concerned to clear the innocent. It is therefore humbly suggested that, just as fire sharpens iron, let the charges framed by the enforcement agencies go through the rigors of court trials, even if prolonged; only after such trials can the charges be publicly substantiated, and their veracity and objectivity thoroughly determined.

In the final analysis, therefore, what some see as drawbacks and hurdles are in effect a deliberate aspect of the accusatorial/adversarial criminal justice system, designed to ensure fairness and protection of the accused, lest people be wrongly convicted; freedom is paramount and any reasons for taking it away must be compelling and apparent even in the face of unmitigated advocacy for the accused.

The adversarial processes are intentionally built into many of the world’s justice systems, precisely to give every bit of benefit of the doubt to any person or persons accused but not yet convicted; should the state fail to sustain its charge in the face of an adversarius vigorously defending the accused, then the accused should be set free.

Where the state has a good charge and in each case vigorously deploys its prosecution machinery to overcome these procedural stumbling blocks and successfully prove the guilt of the accused person, it would be seen that neither prolonged trials nor the tactical devices usually employed by the accused and his lawyers to delay trials can alter the necessary upshots.

In this way, we can be sure that only the guilty is punished. Justice, though due to the accuser and the society, is due the accused also. The concept of fairness cannot be strained till it is narrowed down to a filament; we are to keep our balance true (per Justice Benjamin Cardoso in Snyder v. Massachusetts, 291 U.S. 97, 122 (1934)). Also, as Justice William Orville Douglas rightly stated, the function of the prosecutor under the Constitution is not to tack as many skins of victims as possible against the wall; his function is to vindicate the rights of the people as expressed in the laws and to give those accused of crime a fair trial.

Sokoto — The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saád Abubakar III, has appealed to the Federal Governmnet and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to urgently resolve their differences to enable the universities to re-open for normal academic activities.

In his Eid-el-Fitr message yesterday to the Nigerian Muslim faithful, he said the three-month-old ASUU strike was a serious source of concern for parents and other stakeholders.The Sultan urged the two parties to go back to the negotiation table and reach a compromise in the interest of the country.He said all stakeholders, including traditional rulers as leaders of the people, were ready to give necessary support and cooperation toward resolving the impasse.Abubakar also commended the three tiers of government for their untiring efforts to better the lots of Nigerians.
He commended the Sokoto State Government for its youth skills acquisition programme, and urged other state governments to emulate it.The Sultan decried the recent Boko Haram crises in some parts of the country, saying it was important for the Muslim faithful to acquire both Western and Islamic education.He appealed to the Ulamas in the country to always preach with the highest sense of caution and the fear of God.

“Clerics are very important in uniting the Muslim Ummah as well as promoting the peace and unity of the country,” he added.

ABUJA — PIONEER Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, told a three-member panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, that the Government of President Umaru Yar’Adua is plotting his assassination for exposing corruption allegedly involving former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori.

He said but for God, the assistance of well-wishers and good Nigerians, he would have been a dead man by now for daring to come to Nigeria after leaking how Ibori allegedly attempted to bribe him with $15 million to keep sealed lips on how he purportedly looted the treasury of his state during his eight-year rule.
tribunal yesterday that he escaped death by whiskers.
Ribadu spoke through his counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, at the resumed hearing of the quasi-criminal allegation of failing to declare his assets while holding public office.

The proceedings held at the corporate headquarters of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Jabi, Abuja.

According to him, he came to Nigeria about two weeks ago for two reasons including mourning his role model and ‘father’, late Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN) and to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal as ordered.

He said moments after he arrived the shores of the country, the Federal Government organised a man-hunt for him and declared that he had committed treason. He fingered the Attorney-General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) as one of the architects of the alleged plot to exterminate him.

Ribadu maintained that he was fingered as the mastermind of the renewed decision by the United Kingdom to prosecute two former governors of Delta and Akwa Ibom states, Chief James Ibori and Obong Victor Attah in the London court and was also accused of plotting to bring down the government of President Yar’Adua by painting it black abroad.

According to him, his well wishers, including his counsel, Falana, assisted him out of the country because they said they needed him alive.

Ribadu pleaded that he had no disrespect for the order of the tribunal but that it is only the living that could stand trial including the alleged spurious allegation against him. He regretted that he would not be able to appear before the tribunal until an order was issued guaranteeing his safety in the country.
FG dismisses Ribadu’s claim

But the Federal Government yesterday dismissed his explanation as nothing but a ploy to ridicule the court by making sure that its order validly made was done in vain.

According to the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr Kyari Ahmed, Ribadu had no respect for the tribunal and that the only way to make him stand trial was to order his arrest.

He said the charge against him had a long history of adjournments over one sole reason of his absence in court. The prosecuting counsel said no one was after his life and that he was in the habit of making spurious allegations.

“All I am applying for is a warrant of arrest. I just want him arrested and nothing more,” he said.

But Mr Femi Falana was on his feet to take the tribunal memory lane.
He said that before Ribadu travelled out of the country, two attempts were made on his life; the first one was in Jos while he was a participant at the National Institute of Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru and another one in Abuja before he fled the country.

Falana said even when he was to graduate at the Kuru Institute, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Mike Aondoakaa (SAN) personally ordered that he be disgraced out of the graduation hall.

Ribadu’s counsel said that because the incident attracted negative comments against the government, President Yar’Adua ordered that his certificate be given to him even as he ordered a full scale investigation into what happened.

He however lamented that up till yesterday morning, nothing had been done about it.

Falana said his client was willing and ready to attend his trial but that the tribunal must first guarantee his safety first. He also said that the matter of Ribadu’s appearance before the tribunal was not even an issue now following the developments in the case.

He told the tribunal that Ribadu had already appealed against the ruling of the tribunal which maintained that it had jurisdiction to prosecute him, saying he had filed an application before the Court of Appeal seeking to stay proceedings before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The Court of Appeal, according to him, being a superior court of record, must enter its verdict in the case submitted before it before the tribunal would have jurisdiction to entertain same.

He cited the case law of Mohammed vs Olawuni decided by the Supreme Court and reported in 2003 to buttress his argument.

He said that but for the absence in court of lawyers from the chambers of the Attorney-General of the Federation at the Court of Appeal yesterday, the panel of Appeal Court justices was poised to hear the case.

The development in the matter made the tribunal Chairman, Justice Constance Momoh, to ask for the response of the Federal Government to which its counsel said there was none for now until he perused the applications filed by Ribadu before the Court of Appeal.

Efforts by the tribunal to stampede the Federal Government to come back this morning on the issue so that it could decide on whether or not to issue a bench warrant against Ribadu were fruitless as counsel to the Federal Government said he wanted to take his time.

Further hearing in the case particularly on the application to issue a bench warrant against Ribadu was adjourned till October 2.
By Ise-Oluwa Ige & Ikechukwu Nnochiri

Diff btw hausa muslim nd yoruba muslim? Dspite muslims r same, they stil ave differences

I doubt it bt it dpends on d skool.

Dt's wat nigeria wants. Lets give it 2 dem oh. I tire. Evrytin na money oh

Txt it 2 08035442578, i gues he shud b able 2 hlp out

Hello Manchester United fans, good thing Man United won the match through a controversial late goal, 3 minutes added but the match was extended more than the time given. We know how things are being done in Old Traffosh.

Thank God for you Oh,

SUrfing the net, and spent time on focussing on the way out of the mess we are in Nigeria now.

I am really for him. I guess the man spent most of his time watching all the episodes of "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE". He deserved to be recognize.

My advice for you is to look for a registered and competent company that deals with FOREX. Invest there you will earn 60% or 40% of your money every month depending on the agreement between you and them.