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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The House of Representatives on Thursday condemned the ultimatum by Coalition of Arewa Youths to Igbos to leave the Northern region of the country. Consequently, the house urged security agencies to be on the alert to forestall any breakdown of law and order that may arise as a result of the threat. The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion under matter of urgent public importance by Rep. Oghene Egoh (Lagos-PDP). Moving the motion, Egoh condemned the relocation threat issued by the 16 Northern youth groups and the stand of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on the matter. The lawmaker stressed the need for the Federal Government to urgently intervene in order to avert a national crisis. “As part of the campaign by the IPOB for the actualisation of Biafra Republic, Biafra agitators shut down major towns in the South-East on May 30, 2017. “It is disturbing that 16 Northern youth groups on June 6, 2017 gave Igbos residing in their states up to O...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Mrs Getrude Kalu, an ICT expert has called on the Federal Government to make Information Communication Technology a compulsory subject and course in schools. Kalu made the call in Abuja in an interview with the Newsmen on Thursday. “The world today has gone far in ICT so much so that in developed countries children are developing robots that can perform simple tasks.’’ She said that for Nigeria to join the global train in ICT, government should invest in the provision of ICT tools for schools to equip them. “When this is done even the primary school pupils will be able to operate a computer system and use it to solve simple problems. “When we start at that age to teach them technology, we will  get their interest stimulated and they will also be fascinated by what they make  happen, so ICT infrastructure at the primary school level is very key. “We should develop what we call smart schools, smart cities and villages so that from primary five, a chil...

http://ift.tt/2ryWgZV Nadhir al-Majid A seven-year jail term handed down to a Saudi writer over his work and contacts with international media was confirmed on appeal, the Gulf Center for Human Rights reported Sunday. Nadhir al-Majid, 40, “was told by the penal authorities three weeks ago” that an appeals court in Riyadh had confirmed the sentence passed in January, the GCHR said. It said Majid was also banned from leaving the country after his release and fined 100,000 riyals ($26,650, 23,630 euros). “He faced many charges including failing to obey the ruler, participating in demonstrations, writing articles supporting protests (dating back to 2007), in addition to having contact with correspondents of foreign news agencies,” the GCHR said. In 2011, the New York-based Human Rights Watch placed Majid on a list of more than 160 people arrested in the mainly Sunni Gulf kingdom, mostly in the east among the Shiite minority. “GCHR believes that the arrest, detention, trial an...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Fifteen children died in South Sudan after receiving contaminated measles vaccines that had not been properly refrigerated, and were mixed using the same syringe for four days. In addition to the blunders handling the vaccine, Health Minister Riek Gai Kok said that two children, aged 12 and 13, had been recruited to administer it. An investigation showed that local officials failed to follow immunisation guidelines during a four-day campaign to vaccinate around 300 people in the southeastern state of Kapoeta in May, Kok said. “The team that vaccinated the children in this tragic event were neither qualified not trained for the immunisation,” he added. The campaign came amid a measles outbreak that has killed 70 children this year, the latest tragedy to strike the world’s youngest nation, which has been gripped by civil war for over three years — affecting its ability to deliver decent healthcare. The country has also been affected by repeated bouts of ch...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Federal Government on Thursday urged Directors of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country to promote transparency in their service delivery. Mrs Habiba Lawal, Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the call in Abuja at the workshop for MDAs. The workshop was on the operationalisation of the Executive Order on promotion of Transparency and Efficiency in the Business Environment in the country. Lawal, who was represented by Amb. Olakunle Bamgbose, Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, OSGF, urged the participants to ensure a public service that was devoid of corruption. She said that they should ensure openness in the conduct of their functions, contracting procedures and publishing contracts in order to achieve the objectives of the Executive Order. She said that promoting transparency would create an enabling environment for business to thrive and boost economic activities in the country. She st...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Basking in the euphoria of successful hosting the 6 th  edition of the Delta State Sports Festival, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa today inaugurated a 17-man Local Organising Committee [LOC] for the 2018  African Senior Athletics Competition with Chief Solomon Ogba as Chairman. Other members of the committee are Chief Tonobok Okowa; Mrs Hauwa Akinyemi; Chief Clement Ofuani; Commodore Omatseye Neisama; Mr Kayode Thomas; Mrs Nneka Anibeze; Mr Chris Anazieh; Mr Victor Onogagmue; Mr Olumibe Bamiduro; and Prof Ken Anugweje. Others are Mrs Queen Uboh; Mr. Yusf Alli; Mr. Seigha Porbeni; Chief Falilat Ogunkoya; Representative of Nilayo Sports Marketing Company and Mr. Akawo Amechi who will serve as Secretary to the committee. Inaugurating the committee in Asaba, the Governor described sports as a unifying factor especially, among the youths as it engages their energy, ensure peace among them and boosts tourism. At the sports festival which the 25 local governmen...

http://ift.tt/2paRksk More than 1,000 people have died in an outbreak of meningitis in Nigeria, the Centre for Disease Control said Thursday, but added that the spread of the disease is slowing. The outbreak has mostly affected children in Africa’s most populous country. As of May 9, a total of 13,420 suspected cases had been reported in 23 states with 1,069 deaths, giving a fatality ratio of eight per cent, the CDC said in a statement. The northern states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi, which were the worst affected, have all seen a drop in the number of cases. Two others which were also badly hit — Kebbi and Niger — recorded no deaths, the CDC said. A new strain of meningitis C was first reported in Zamfara last November and spread to 22 other states in northern Nigeria. A mass vaccination programme was started to limit its spread. The CDC said a new batch of vaccines was expected to arrive in the next few days. Meningitis is caused by different types of bacteria,...