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http://ift.tt/2sSv2NT Babatunde Raji Fashola. PHOTO: Bellanaija At its inception on May 29, 2015, the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC), otherwise the government of President Muhammadu Buhari listed three major areas in which it hoped to make immediate and lasting impact. These are power, security and the economy. Anyone conversant with the state of the nation at the time would appreciate the reason for the choice. Power had remained a pounding Nigerian headache for decades, its inadequacy ensuring chronic economic underperformance nationwide, not to mention the distress it caused most of the citizens. You couldn’t fix Nigeria without fixing power. As for security, the Boko Haram menace concentrated in the northeast but occasionally spilling into Abuja, the federal capital, and as further south as Kogi, had created a climate of fear. This also impaired economic activities by the citizens and, like the problems of power, undermined the faith of foreign investors in...

http://ift.tt/2o4OR62 INEC • Preaches peaceful national co existence A new political association, The Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) has assured its members that it is hopeful that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would register it. The association’s National Coordinator, who is a Harvard-trained medical doctor, Dr. Jay Osi Samuels disclosed this in an interview with newsmen. He said there was no basis to worry, saying ANN, which is made up of professionals and technocrats, was on the verge of meeting the requirements for registration as a political party. The coordinator said the assurance became necessary to inform its teeming members, who expressed worry that the ANN was not part of the recently registered five political parties. He explained that the five newly registered five political parties had been on their registration process since last year, hence they were the first batch to be announced by INEC. “Our members have nothing to worry about. ...

http://ift.tt/2sSz3BR Vía Nigeria News, Headlines and Opinions – The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper http://ift.tt/2sStgMP

http://ift.tt/2sj1lZy PHOTO: today.ng Ever since my essay with the same title as above appeared in The Guardian of Thursday June 1, I have been asked how my longsuffering name ‘Hope’ functions outside my home country and continent. I have gladly replied that it is a name easily assessed, easily recalled by people of the Western world. Not so with my middle name, ‘Oghenerukevbe’ or my cousin’s ‘Obukowho’ or my surname ‘Eghagha’. I will not add my wife’s paternal surname ‘Ukostovbera’ or where she hails from ‘Eruemukowharien’ in Delta State to the discussion lest they think I am being mischievous and consider withdrawing my spouse of over 30 years from me! As you know, an insult to one’s spouse could be tolerated; but when you extend it to their family it becomes a communal matter – the type of insult Achebe says we feel in the bones! So whereas at home my name became a password to different levels of social experience by situating me within an ethnic framework, abroad, the middle a...

http://ift.tt/2sksuHb The land of the rising sun…Biafrans, Igbos, the South, Federating units, restructuring…revenue formula and now are some of the words that are trending. There are hate speeches from all sides, the Jewish Rabbi Nnamdi Kanu has also been in the mix. And if I say that all this is the usual noise I may only be naïve. And if I say that it is a serious matter, I would still need to be proved right or else I would be seen as naive. But the divide, the hatred, angst, the “we versus them, they and us” are signs that are in the air. Arguments and debates surrounding the Yoruba are ready, or we will not allow them go, and some say let them go radiate the horizon. However, let me thread this path to reinforce an earlier thought pattern, and my belief that really very little has changed. A year or thereabout ago, the Indigenous People of Biafra retained lawyer, Prof. Dr. Göran Sluiter to file a complaint against Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari before the International Cr...

http://ift.tt/2q9FvG5 Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State • Edo to unveil technical education for graduates Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki yesterday suspended the Head of Service of Egor Local Council Area, Mrs Rachael Iriefo and other heads of department.The governor suspended the officials for resuming duties at 8.20 am when he paid an unscheduled visit to the council headquarters in Uselu, near Benin City. He ordered that routine checks be conducted every day by 8:00am and 4:00pm to ascertain the workers’ resumption time.At the time of the governor’s visit, only 36 out of the 599 staff of the council had reported for duties. He said: “The workers do not come to work, but at the end of the month their salaries would be almost N50million, beside the teachers’emolument. How can they manage the council if the head of service or any senior person is not at work?” Obaseki also lamented that despite the fact that the council received N47million, their union leaders had pr...

http://ift.tt/2rDmdZQ Prof. Ifeoma Okoye With less than three percent clinical trials in the continent, the Association for Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria (AGCPN) in collaboration with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called for the sustainable increase participation in global clinical trials, to build capacity for African indigenous scientists to creatively harness natural products with medicinal potentials for global consumption. AGCPN under the guidance of Prof Ifeoma Okoye, Consultant Radiologist University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) on Tuesday kicked off the first all Africa Clinical Trial Summit, which would be concluded today, June 8,2017. Okoye at the summit, with the theme: “Next Frontier for Growth and Revolution in Clinical Trials: Africa is ready” said it is necessary to collaboratively partner with stakeholders to potentiate its next phase of activities and foster a mutually beneficial collaborative partnership tha...

http://ift.tt/2s5h6zI Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu In its effort to lift civil servants on or before retirement, the Kebbi State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Credit Direct Limited, to enable state workers to access soft loans. Singing the agreement the state Head of Service, Abubakar Udu Idris said the state government approved the scheme for civil servants to build their own houses and create small businesses that would help them become self-employed after service. “We reached the agreement after series of meetings and engagements with Labour unions, office of the Head of Service, the ministries of justice, finance and representatives of the firm,” he said. Idris explained that the loanable amount would not exceed 1/3 of the beneficiary’s monthly net salary, adding that the repayment period would be within the maximum of 12 months, which attracts a 4 per cent interest rate. “The Ministry of Finance would carry out all deducti...

http://ift.tt/2osl6s1 Chairman of Euroway Business Development Limited, Oye Akinsemoyin said the scheme being anchored by the Lagos State Government Trust Fund Empowerment Scheme, in collaboration with Euroway would empower of 10,000 youths with between 200 and 500 persons per LCDA. The Lagos State government has started giving out loans to boost small-scale businesses and start-ups in all 57 local councils. Addressing youths, market women and stakeholders on the scheme floated by the state government at the Ibeju -Lekki local government development area (LCDA) secretariat, Chairman of Euroway Business Development Limited, Oye Akinsemoyin said the scheme being anchored by the Lagos State Government Trust Fund Empowerment Scheme, in collaboration with Euroway would empower of 10,000 youths with between 200 and 500 persons per LCDA. He said the empowerment programme the first of its kind and would be replicated in all government councils in the state. He maintained that Governor Aki...

http://ift.tt/2rjDYOY The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Plc management has absolved itself of allegations of short-changing its customers, especially those on estimated billing. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Plc management has absolved itself of allegations of short-changing its customers, especially those on estimated billing. In recent times and following the introduction of prepaid meters, there have been widespread allegations by those yet to receive the meters, that electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) are skewing the estimated billing methodology to defraud customers yet to have meters. But spokesman for AEDC, Ahmed Shekarau, denied it, while responding to questions from The Guardian on the allegations. He noted that although the AEDC is compelled to bill some of its customers through estimation because majority of them had no meters at takeover in November 2013, the estimated billing is done through a methodology designed and appr...

http://ift.tt/2s2cPAl <br />The singer, who wishes to be known, simply as Ms. Bodega, both on and off stage, opened up on her mission to break barriers with her songs. Nigerian music has continued to attract listeners, both home and abroad. Now, other nationals are embracing it, as an Israeli-American born musician, Bodega, has crossed over to be part of the music revolution. The singer, who wishes to be known, simply as Ms. Bodega, both on and off stage, opened up on her mission to break barriers with her songs. She said it has been her desire so long to penetrate the industry with her Afro-pop music, a genre not popular where she is coming from. Since her arrival in Nigeria, the entrepreneur has worked with artistes on a number of projects, just as music lovers have lauded her works. Bodega’s new music video and campaign is Live Your Life, designed to inspire people to live their lives to the fullest. It featured six international music artistes, including Jamaic...

http://ift.tt/2sBRAlQ As put by the author, “Where you see yourself is already guaranteed if you can imagine and think yourself there.” Dolamu Badejo’s The Journey to Your Personal Transformation (Gihon Spring, Lagos; 2016) will aid readers in experiencing substantial improvements in the area of personal growth. Badejo adopts a workbook style format, which keeps readers actively engaged while reading the book. In only seven distinct steps, the author takes readers through a life-changing journey of personal transformation. In the first step, ‘A clean slate,’ the author reveals that the primary assets needed are the quality of thinking and richness of one’s imagination. As put by the author, “Where you see yourself is already guaranteed if you can imagine and think yourself there.” The first task in this session is for readers to write out all their expectations after reading through the book and the positive changes they would like to observe in themselves. Step two, ‘Desire and ...

http://ift.tt/2p9wRGm The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, also corroborated the need for protection from cyber-attacks when he urged banks, companies and other establishments to employ experts to protect their data from cyber-attacks. • Country loses 0.08% of GDP to menace To curb the increasing threat posed by cyber attacks to businesses, especially in Nigeria, organisations have been advised to explore managed security services. This is coming on the heels of the recent ransomware attack, WannaCry, which has been described as the world’s biggest cyber-attack till date, and has wrecked the Internet and computer systems in over 100 countries including Spain, Russia, and China. The UK Guardian informed that patient files at the U.K. National Health Services were locked and patients could not be treated as a result. Experts have warned the virus is not done yet, saying that more attacks are being expected, thus highlighting the urgent need for reinforced cyber ...

http://ift.tt/2sBNeeJ The Computer Village, which is adjudged as the largest ICT market in West Africa, has been in the news for some time now, following rumours that the Government planned to move it to the Kotangora Market, a suburb of the state. Although, the Lagos State Government has not come out categorical about when and how it planned to move the Computer Village market from its current location in Ikeja to another area, in this regard, the Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), has called for a long term approach. The Computer Village, which is adjudged as the largest ICT market in West Africa, has been in the news for some time now, following rumours that the Government planned to move it to the Kotangora Market, a suburb of the state. But the state has denied any immediate relocation of the market, while CAPDAN said it will welcome any government’s decision that would further improve the market and enhance its contributions to the economy....

http://ift.tt/2s2tzYl Managing Director of SystemSpecs, Mr. John Obaro Founder of ePayment provider, System Specs, John Obaro, has tasked developers to see problems in the country as viable opportunities that require technological solutions. Obaro stated this at the “Leapfrogging social impact through technology,” event, held in Lagos. The event, which was a collaboration of Bridge International Academy and Lagos State Ministry of Education in partnership with SystemSpecs, aimed at using technology to provide quality education in schools. Speaking on the alliance, Obaro said: “An educated mind is a powerful mind. Technology is a tool that can help people to get educated. These days when you are familiar with computers, you can self learn a lot of things. “We see leveraging on technology in the educational sector as enlightening the self-interest. Working with the government and Bridge Academy to create a pool of people that will be productive when they leave school, is actu...

http://ift.tt/2q7FmTd The Local Content Body, through its President, Managing Director of Veda Computers, Bode Pedro, said CCMON is happy that contractors and suppliers would also be required to declare the local content of their products and services during contract bidding. The Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON) has called for faster implementation of the Federal Government’s executive order on local content.  While appreciating the Government’s effort, the CCMON seeks compliance from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), so as to give preference to made in Nigeria goods. Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, recently signed an executive order in support of government’s Local Content Initiative. Recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure had mandated government agencies to patronise made in Nigeria IT solutions. But the mandate did not yield the expected results as a result of preference for foreign products and services. The o...

http://ift.tt/2s2BlS5 As school directors, my wife and I have had to have this conversation with parents of children who are under-performing at their school work a number of times. Some of the parents get quite emotional about the possibility that their children will have to stay back in their class. Interestingly, considering that it is ‘private education’, you will think the parents will be most concerned about the ‘economics’ of the decision – having to pay school fees all over again, but they are not – they are more concerned about ‘how it will look’. My final response to them on this is a question: how will it look to whom? Do people really care about “how many years it took to get an education” or about “how well educated you are and how you have applied your education to adding value to yourself and society?” The truth as I know it is that nobody ever goes for an interview for a job or for a business loan to expand his business and is asked “how long did you spend in primary...