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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Federal Government has declared Monday, May 29 as Public Holiday to celebrate the 2017 Democracy Day. The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), made the ‎ declaration in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. The minister‎ congratulated Nigerians for witnessing yet another Democracy Day, marking the second year anniversary of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government. Dambazau assured Nigerians of government’s continued efforts at achieving its three main targets of guaranteeing security, revitalising the economy and tackling corruption. “While a lot has been achieved in the areas of security, particularly in the North-East, and in tackling corruption, recent statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics have shown tremendous improvement of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “‎No doubt, the nation is closer to getting out of recession, particularly with the recently inaugurated Economic Recovery and Growth Plan...

http://ift.tt/2rAs8zq A picture taken on February 2, 2016 shows Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a meeting of the National Liberation Front (FLN) in Algeria. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on May 24, 2017 appointed Abdelmadjid Tebboune as the country's new prime minister, replacing his confidant Abdelmalek Sellal in the wake of parliamentary elections. / AFP PHOTO / RYAD KRAMDI Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika appointed a new prime minister Wednesday, replacing his ally Abdelmalek Sellal in the wake of parliamentary elections. The president’s office, quoted by national news agency APS, said Sellal and his government had resigned and the premier would be replaced by housing minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Sellal had been expected to keep the post of premier after Bouteflika’s National Liberation Front (FLN) and its coalition ally won a clear majority in the May 4 poll. The election was marred by low turnout amid voter disillusionment over what many see as broke...

http://ift.tt/2qPV8Ck (FILES) This file photo taken on February 06, 2016 at Mairi village outskirts of Maiduguri capital of northeast Borno State. / AFP / STRINGER Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, on Wednesday, said Boko Haram insurgents destroyed 156,453 houses in the state. The governor made this known in Maiduguri when he received a donation of building materials and food items by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. The commission donated bundles of roofing sheets, wheelbarrows, cartons of nails, cement, planks, shovels, head pan, among others, to the Borno Government. The governor said “Boko Haram insurgents destroyed 156,453 houses in Borno. “The houses represent about 30 percent of the housing stock in the state. “They also destroyed 5,344 classrooms in 21 primary schools, destroyed 38 secondary schools and two tertiary institutions in the state. “The insurgents also destroyed 665 municipal buildings, including local g...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J About 14 years after his installation, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Monday appeared in an Ikeja High Court in a suit challenging his emergence as the paramount ruler of Lagos, saying he is the bona fide monarch. “I am here to justify my appointment, you cannot build something on nothing, it will be broken. “By native law and customs and by law, I am the bona fide Oba of Lagos,” said Akiolu, who was accompanied to the court by 10 white cap chiefs. Newsmen report that Akiolu’s installation as the Oba of Lagos is being challenged by Prince Adedoyin Adebiyi and Prince Rasheed Modile, two members of the Lagos royal family. Joined as respondents in the suit are the state governor, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Prince Babatunde Akitoye and Chief Junaid Eko. Both Adebiyi and Modile are claiming that Akiolu is not entitled to the throne because he is not a member of a ruling royal family by not being a direct descendant of Oba Ado, the first Oba of Lagos...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has urged police officers in the country to always respect human rights in discharging their duties. He made the call in Owerri on Monday during his three-day official duty to interact with officers of the command and eminent personalities in the state. Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in Charge of South-East Zone, DIG Valentine Ntomchukwu, Idris also enjoined officers to maintain discipline and shun corrupt practices to build public trust. He said “we must maintain zero tolerance to corruption and indiscipline. “Police officers must be guided and maintain discipline when dealing with the public. “Everybody has right to his or her dignity and police must be mindful of that, if not, we will lose public confidence and trust.” The police boss also urged the police command in Imo to strengthen community policing and collaborate with other security agencies in fighting crime. He urged the co...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, says Local Governments are too weak to handle basic education. Abdullahi made the observation on the sideline of a lecture on basic education in Nigeria, organised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ilorin, Kwara. He observed that the basic education, which he described as a foundation to other stages of education, should not be left in the hands of lowest of the three tiers of government. The former minister, therefore, charged stakeholders in the education sector to think about better ways to fund the basic education. Abdullah, who is the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), called for prioritisation of the funding of education to bring about the desired development in the country. He said that basic education was the only way to measure standard of education. According to him, once the basic education is faulty, all other steps can be wrong. “Nigeria...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has approved the college of Education in Akamkpa Local Government Area as a `temporary camp’ for the 2017 `Batch A’ National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation course. Mr Abdullahi Yuguda, Public Relations Officer of the state NYSC , said in Calabar on Sunday that the relocation of the camp was as a result of the ongoing renovation work at the permanent orientation camp in Obubra local Government Area of the state. “The State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs Ambekemo Eniola, appreciates Ayade’s administration for paying attention to the deplorable facilities at the permanent camp. “We wish to inform prospective corps members posted to the state to locate the College of Education in Akamkpa local government area for their orientation course. “With the speed of the ongoing work, there is hope for the NYSC to host the next batch of corps members at the Obubra camp. “Critical inspection have been carried out in the new venue ,which is ve...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted localised thunderstorms over the Central States of Minna, Bida, Mambilla Plateau, Makurdi, Jalingo, Ibi and Abuja on Wednesday morning. NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office on Tuesday in Abuja, predicted that Ilorin and Lokoja would experience localised thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening hours. It added that the region would have day and night temperature of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius and 18 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively. The agency predicted that the Southern States would experience localised thunderstorms over Saki, Iseyin, Port Harcourt, Yenago, Benin, Calabar and Warri in the morning. It also predicted localised thunderstorms over Lagos, Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Umuahia, Owerri, Awka, Warri, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Eket and Uyo in the afternoon and evening hours. NiMet added that the southern region would also have day and night temperatures of 30 to ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Mr Adeyemi Abidemi, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment, on Tuesday, said the State Government would soon make flooding a thing of the past in the state. Abidemi made this disclosure in Lagos at a two-day stakeholders’ summit, organised by the ministry, with the theme, the Negative Impact of Flooding of Ogun River on adjoining towns and villages in Lagos State. In a paper entitled: ‘The General Overview of Flooding Issues in Lagos State’, Abidemi identified human activities, as one of the major factors that could be responsible for incessant flooding in the state. According to him, human activities are often not friendly to the environment and may block drainages. “Some of the human activities include; challenge of solid waste management, physical development issues, damage to drainage facilities, deforestation (search for fossil fuel) and urbanisation,” he said. The Permanent Secretary, however, said that these activities could be co...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Kogi chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has advised its members to disregard threats by the state government to sack doctors over the ongoing strike. The doctors have been on strike over the non-payment of their salaries. The Acting Head of Service, Mrs. Kehinde Lawal, has directed the Chief Medical Directors of hospitals to open duty registers from Monday, May 8, vowing to sack doctors not at work from the said date. But Dr. Tijani Godwin, Chairman of the Kogi chapter of the NMA, said in a statement on Saturday in Lokoja, that the strike would continue until the doctors’ demands were met. Urging the striking doctors to be resolute and never be intimidated, he said that no doctor should sign any register at any hospital. “Any member, who disobeys the decision of the congress, will be sanctioned. The congress decision is binding on all members,” he declared. Godwin urged the doctors to disregard threats meant to distract them from pursuing ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Emeka Aginam The introduction of a set of Microsoft educational products and services, is empowering students, teachers of today to create tomorrow’s world, Terry Myerson , the Executive Vice President, Windows and Devices Group of Microsoft has said. The new educational tools he said include Windows experience called Windows 10 S; new experiences in Microsoft Teams for modern classroom collaboration; new features in Minecraft and mixed reality to spark creativity; a range of Windows 10 S PCs for K-12 classrooms; and the perfect Windows 10 S device for college students Surface Laptop. “We believe technology can inspire creativity in today’s classrooms, where the makers of tomorrow reside. This next generation of creators embrace technology as their first language; learn by collaborating and communicating with anyone in the world; and create with touch, command with voice, and conceptualize in 3D”, Myerson said. Preparing each of these creators for the jobs ...