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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Increase carrying capacity in varsities — Stakeholders By Dayo Adesulu THIS Saturday, the more than 1.8 million candidates who registered for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) will jostle for about 850,000 admission spaces. At the end of the admission process, about 950,000 admission seekers will be left out. Sadly, while the number of UTME candidates increases eyear on year, the Federal Ministry of Education is virtually doing nothing in terms of  upgrading the carrying capacity of the existing universities or building more universities to absorb the backlog of admission applicants. This would have made it impossible for candidates who applied for admission and scored 250, to be denied admission. Disqualificationof many applicants As it stands, even if all the candidates score 300 and above, because of the limited spaces, JAMB and various institutions will still have to devise a means to disqualify many applicants. Statistics r...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Johnbosco Agbakwuru THE Federal Government has warned the newly inaugurated Governing Councils of 23 Federal Universities not to interfere in the day to day administration of the universities. Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who gave the warning while inaugurating members of the governing councils said government will not fail to sanction any member that derails from the mandate given to them. The minister noted that funding has become a great challenge in the smooth operation of the universities but advised members to look inwards and explore the opportunity of engaging the alumni of the universities as it is done in other countries. He also warned against reckless employment of staff without compliance with the approved budgetary ratio for personnel cost. Aminu said, “At this point, it is necessary to point out some areas of potential conflicts and pitfalls encountered by governing councils which in some instances had necessitated government in...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The sinner-saint, Rasputin   B ARRING some minor spiritual and temporal dissimilarities, Jonathan is almost our own version of Russia’s Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin -the 18th century semi-literate ‘peasant-divine’ -or should we say the ‘sinner-saint’- with a mystic  of outward ‘spirituality’ concealing a lecherous, influence-peddling personality that was to put Russia on the brink of disaster. Rasputin was the self-proclaimed ‘holy man’ from one of the coldest Siberian outskirts with an inexplicable ‘spiritual sleight of hand’ that earned him the friendship of ‘Russia’s last imperial family — the Romanovs — a relationship that was to wreck the dynasty’s prestige and inevitably set the stage for the Russian Revolutions of 1917. Reputed for his ‘alleged’ healing powers but also notorious for his ‘scandalous sexual exploits’, Rasputin came from a little-known Pokrovskoye village to Saint Petersburg in 1903 as a ‘humble pilgrim by rail’, and they said in no...

http://ift.tt/2j1Fopo APOLOGY In the Vanguard on-line of Thursday edition of May 4, 2017 we published a news item, titled ‘illegal oil deals: Clear yourself of corruption allegations, Group tells Sahara Energy Group” i.e. http://ift.tt/2pAwzGm +A+Clear+yourself+of+corruption+allegations2c+Group+tells+sahara+Group. In which some unpleasant statements and insinuations were made concerning the person of Sahara Energy Group. We have since discovered the said report to be false and hereby retract the publication. We apologize to Sahara Energy Group and its management and regret the inconvenience the said publication may have caused. Once again accept our apology. Editor The post Retraction appeared first on Vanguard News . Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2q4radt

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Washington, D.C. – The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) announced today the launch of the Ag-Incentives Consortium website, a user-friendly online database facilitated by IFPRI, that aggregates agricultural policy data into an interactive tool for guiding more informed policy. The Ag-Incentives Consortium brings together data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank. “Historically, global information and data on incentives for agricultural production have been widely scattered and not comparable,” said David Laborde, senior research fellow at IFPRI. “Ag-Incentives harmonizes fact-based analysis from several international organizations to provide policy makers a better understanding of the effects of their domestic policies on prices.” The interagency collaboration of the Consortium reduces duplication of...

http://ift.tt/2ddAXnG By Babajide Komolafe The naira was stable at N388 per dollar at the parallel market Wednesday. Vanguard survey revealed that while the parallel market exchange rates ranged from N383 per dollar to N389 per dollar, the average closing rate is N388 per dollar at the close of business Wednesday. Meanwhile the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is expected to sell $20,000 to each of the over 3000 bureaux de change, hence boosting dollar supply and hopes of further naira appreciation before the end of the week. Also the apex bank yesterday however indicated intention to sell undisclosed amount dollars to banks to settle a backlog of demand for airlines, fuel and raw material imports. The post Naira stable at N388 to US$ appeared first on Vanguard News . Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2q4ozjr

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the promoters of Bakrad International Limited and the children of former Women Affairs Minister, Mrs Zainab Maina, to pay N61 million to the National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND). The said money was an outstanding principal loan and accrued 13.50 per cent interest of a loan granted them to finance a business. NERFUND filed a suit against Bakrad International Limited before the court and‎ joined Maina’s children, Umar and Rahinatu Maina as the first and second defendants respectively. Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, directed the defendants to pay NERFUND N61 million as agreed upon by both parties during the transaction. According to Justice Mohammed, the defendants failed to put forward any defence to the plaintiff’s action hence the plaintiff was entitled to judgment of the court. “Since I earlier held that the defendants have not given any defence to the plaintiff’s claim ...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Ander Herrera wants Manchester United’s supporters to turn Old Trafford into a cauldron when his side look to complete victory over Celta Vigo in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final return leg. Marcus Rashford’s sweet second-half free-kick brought United a 1-0 win in last week’s first leg, putting Jose Mourinho’s side within touching distance of the final in Stockholm on May 24. But although United have gone 17 European home games without defeat, Celta have scored in all six of their Europa League away matches this season and Herrera says everyone in United red will have to be on their game. “They have scored away in every game they’ve played in the competition so we have to be aware of that,” the Spanish midfielder said. “They are a very good team, very dangerous when they play away and we will need our fans at home. “I tell them we really need them to create a good atmosphere, a difficult atmosphere for the opponents, who can push us to be in the final. It’...

http://ift.tt/2q3RbtE Real Madrid players celebrate their qualification for the final match after the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. CESAR MANSO / AFP Real Madrid inflicted a fourth Champions League elimination on Atletico Madrid in as many years on Wednesday, losing their semi-final second leg 2-1 but progressing to the final 4-2 on aggregate. Atletico had threatened an incredible comeback, Saul Niguez’s powerful header and Antoine Griezmann’s penalty inside 16 minutes cutting Real’s aggregate lead to a solitary goal. The hosts fed off a ferocious atmosphere for their final Champions League match at the Vicente Calderon before moving to the Wanda Metropolitano next season. However, Isco’s away goal just before half-time settled Real’s nerves and left Atletico with too much to do to progress. Cristiano Ronaldo’s first leg hat-trick ultimately pro...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Leading Champions League goalscorers following Wednesday’s match: 11: Messi (Barcelona) 10: Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 8: Cavani (Paris SG), Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) 7: Aubameyang (Dortmund) 6: Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappé (Monaco) 5: Agüero (Manchester City), Benzema (Real Madrid), Falcao (Monaco), Higuain (Juventus), Mertens (Napoli) The post Champions League leading goalscorers appeared first on Vanguard News . Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2qUkxvw

http://ift.tt/2r1ajG2 Mrs Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday reassured her support to resettle the recently rescued Chibok school girls. The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday reassured her support to resettle the recently rescued Chibok school girls. Buahri also advised them to forget the past and engage in skill acquisition to be self-reliant. She made these remarks during her meeting with the 82 freed Chibok school girls in Abuja. The wife of the president was accompanied at the occasion by Ministers of Information and Women Affairs, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Sen. Jummai Alhassan, respectively. Also in attendance at the meeting were the wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr Hajo Sani, and some wives of state governors. She urged the girls to also focus on their education as soon as they were reintegrated into the society. “When you are away, we cried and prayed with your parents for your safe return,” s...