Socioscope News Agency

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kebbi state has extended the service year of seven corps members to four months for breaching rules of the scheme. Lawal Turawa, the NYSC Kebbi coordinator, made the disclosure on Thursday in Birinin Kebbi at the passing out ceremony of the 2016 batch B stream 2 held in the state. “Seven corps members are to repeat service between two and four months while three males and one female corps members absconded and their next of kins have been contacted,” he said. He said discharge certificates were issued to 1,014 corps members who successfully concluded their service in the state. The coordinator congratulated the outgoing corps members while charging them to be good ambassadors of the country wherever they might found themselves. He said the skills acquisition and vocational trainings they received during their orientation were enough to make them excel in the labour market. He said: “Try to be good ambassadors of Kebbi st...

The Lagos State University (LASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the school management of increasing the acceptance fee for its personal gains. The university had announced the increment of its acceptance fee from N10,000 to N20,000. In a statement by Olusiji Sowande, coordinator, ASUU Lagos zone, the union rejected the claim that the institution needed the money to provide more infrastructure. “Comrades and compatriots, recall that one of the reasons adduced for the political onslaught on our Union in our September 13, 2017 press interaction was the intention of LASU Administration led by Prof. Lanre Fagbohun to increase fees payable by students at LASU,” the statement read. “It is pertinent to ask the university administration for the logic behind the recent increase in acceptance fee by 100%! Whereas, LASU gets steady monthly subvention of N450 million compared with Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and Tai Solarin Un...

2016 BATCH B’ STREAM II TO PASS- OUT THURSDAY The Management of the National Youth Service Corps has fixed Thursday, 21st December, 2017 for the Winding up/Passing out activities of the 2016 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Corps Members Nationwide. The Winding up/Passing-out activities will be low-keyed with the distribution of Certificate of National Service to deserving Corps Members at the Zonal Office Level. Management wishes to commend and thank all Corps Members for their Selfless Service, Dedication, Resilience, Patriotism to the nation and patience while awaiting the official passing out date. However, we also wish to admonish Corps Members on their comments and posts in the social media on issues relating to the scheme and advice that, being abusive and deployment of wrong use of words does not reflect responsible attitude and behaviour. It is worthwhile to reflect our collective attribute of role models for the youths being responsible graduates who had been found ...

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Olayanju has reiterated the commitment of the University to becoming an incubation centre for Agripreneurs and agricultural practitioners as catalysts for national economic development. Speaking during the launch of Landmark University Rice on the 23rd November, 2017 at the Landmark Commercial Farm Sales Centre, the Vice-Chancellor said the University’s blueprint for the agro-enterprise accommodates a full-fledged rice processing mill for a large-scale rice production. “Production of rice is a value addition to our context. We did not stop at just planting and harvesting but have gone into packaging for the local and national market. It is a confirmation of the reality of continuous rice production and the increased capacity for teaching and research in cereal production,” he stated.  landmark, oyedepo, Rice

The 2017 Convocation Ceremonies has been postponed, a new date will be announced shortly. All Students that have paid are assured that their payments have been captured. They are aso advised to print their ON-LINE receipt. Other graduating students are encouraged to also make their payment pending when a new date will be announced. Payment for appropriate fees can be made at http://eportal.oauife.edu.ng/gradLogin.php

Like its counterparts everywhere, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, is primed to be the last bastion of merit, accountability and other values that nurture social progress. However, after wide-ranging investigations that started four years ago, Assistant Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF reports that the 42-year-old university seems to have lost its soul to practices that are anathema to the ivory tower of academia FOR University of Ilorin, Kwara State, the facts really speak for themselves. Every year, its undergraduate admission slots go like hotcakes. Besides the fact that its admission space sells fast, the 42-year-old university has evolved to be the sweetheart choice for most prospective undergraduates in the country. This rating, which can be gleaned from annual records of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), a federal outfit overseeing entrance examination into tertiary-level institutions, has thus cemented the university’s standing as the institution of first choic...

INTERNSHIPS The Marshall Project offers a limited number of paid summer internships for student journalists. Interns work in our New York City offices alongside our staff of award-winning reporters and editors, pitch and write their own stories and data and visualization projects and contribute to longer investigative work. Internships generally last eight weeks. We also offer training sessions in topics such as FOIAs, investigative techniques, data analysis and more. This program is primarily intended for young journalists: rising college juniors or seniors, graduate students and people who have just graduated. You don't have to be a journalism major to apply, but most interns have had some prior experience at a student or professional publication. Preference is given to applicants who demonstrate a deep familiarity with U.S. criminal justice issues. If you are interested in applying for summer 2018, please send a cover letter, resume and clips or other examples of your work to...

Adekunle Yusuf of The Nation Newspaper has emerged the Investigative Journalist of the year at the 12th edition of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting just as Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, Edetaen Ojo, the Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda,as well as nine other outstanding journalists were honoured. The event which was held on Saturday, 9 December 2017, at the NECA House, Alausa, Lagos had several dignitaries including Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature and grand patron of the centre; Femi Falana, lawyer and human rights activist; Michel Deelen, Deputy Ambassador to the Kingdom of Netherlands; Abdulazeez Musa, Head, Influencing and Public Engagement, Oxfam in Nigeria; and Nneka Ijeoma, Manager Policy Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria, among others in attendance. Held first in October 2005, to develop investigative tradition among journalists, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting has pro...

Dignataries storm Ile-ife, as OAU don gives his daughter in marriage By Olaiya Lateef (OLK) Prof. M. O Opeloye of the department of Religious studies(OAU) on the 2nd of December gives his daughter, Barr. Hameedah a ground breaking Nikkah which was graced by dignataries. The prof. Of Arabic and islamic studies, who is the immediate past chairman of OAU investment, and also served as commissioner for local government and chieftancy matters under former governor of the state of Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola . The Nikkah which took place at Gitty event center, ife-ibadan road, ile -ife Osun state Nigeria is between Abdur-Ra'fih Martins, a graduate of University of Lagos, and Barr. Hameedah Opeloye ,a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, ile Ife, Osun. The jamb Registrar who was spotted at OAU central mosque last week Friday where he observed his Jum'ah prayer. It's later revealed that, the jamb boss was purposely around because of the Nikkah. A retinue of dignitaries als...

OAU: Management can't suspend us, the worst they can do is to.... NASU Gen. Sec. By Emmanuel Arua The General secretary of NASU, OAU chapter Comr Ajagbe O. shed more light on the proposed "total strike" of NASU which is billed to start on Monday, 4th of December, 2017. Mr Ajagbe was spotted on his way out of Awolowo hall of residence, after he honored the invitation of Democratic Social Movement (DSM) . While Feeding answers to the questions about the management "threat" in regards to the looming national strike, because OAU management are not happy with the way NASU OAU are solidarising with the national body owning to the way the solidarity partially paralyzed the academic activities on campus, he said " Management can't suspend our union, what they can do is to report us to the headquarter.  We and the headquarter or national body were once at loggerhead in 2016,but now the issues have been resolved". When asked, if there is going to be pow...

By Olaiya Abdullateef (OLK) The incumbent jamb Registrar, Prof. Is'haq oloyode surprises the Muslim community of Obafemi Awolowo University, ile-ife as he joined the community in the weekly prayer (jumuah) The visitation which caught some members of the community unaware, because whenever there is any dignitary in the mosque, the Imam uses to announce before the prayer. The imam of the Muslim community, Prof. Sanusi Abefe who spotted the jamb boss while he was delivering sermon, but was unable to announce his presence in the course of the sermon later 'raise alarm" after the prayer. The immam jokingly said "I could see Prof. Oloyede while on Khutbah (sermon)" and the congregation were looking everywhere to affirm immam's statement, because the jamb boss observed his prayer at a spot where he could not be easily spotted. The jamb boss was later seen where he was exchanging pleasantries with some members of the Muslim community, he later moves closer to the...

United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) is searching for Campus Ambassadors in Nigeria. The Programme UBA Campus Ambassador programme offers a unique opportunity for students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and across Africa to be part of a dynamic and forward thinking Pan-African bank by representing the brand on campus. The initiative is part of the bank’s commitment in developing creativity and leadership abilities amongst young people in the continent of Africa. The programme is designed to be a learning experience and a highly rewarding one for selected students while providing them a platform to build their leadership capabilities and showcase their diverse talents. Responsibilities for the UBA Campus Ambassador Role Represent the UBA brand on campus Provide insights that will help UBA better understand campus requirements unique to each region Learn about UBA products/ services and promote their adoption within the campus Plan and host fun events on campus to amplify ...

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has suspended its nationwide strike Usman Duste, national president of ASUP, announced this on Wednesday during the union’s 14th national delegates conference holding in Bauchi state. ASUP embarked on the industrial action on November 13 over the failure of the federal government to implement its agreements with the union reached since 2016. Dutse said the union was prompted to suspend the strike after the series of meetings it held with the federal government. “The union considered the suspension to give an opportunity for implementation of the content of Memorandum of Settlement and Action, and shall be reviewed according to the timelines outlined in the MoS,” Duste said.

Cuba is holding municipal elections, the first step toward the end of the Castro era. The Communist Party-supervised process comes a day after the first anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s death. Though no opposition candidates were competing in Sunday's elections for more than 12,500 council seats, voters could still choose among 30,000 candidates named by acclamation in neighborhood assemblies. The municipal vote, Cuba’s only direct election, is the beginning of a strictly controlled process to eventually choose leaders in higher government positions. A February election for provincial and national assembly deputies is expected to decide who will succeed Raul Castro as president. Campaigning in Cuba is prohibited. Candidates for ward post are chosen based on merits; not on policy agendas. They are nominated at neighborhood meetings. February’s election will be the first change in leadership since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel. Current first Vice Pres...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has announced the award of a full postgraduate scholarship to the 2016/17 best graduating student of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. The Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, announced the scholarship in a statement by NNPC spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu. Baru said the recipient, Al-Amin Bugaje, would b sponsored to further his education up to Ph.D level in any institution in the world. Bugaje, 23, bagged a First Class degree in Electrical Engineering with the highest Cumulativ Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.93 to emerge the university’s overall best graduating student. ”This gesture is in line with NNPC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of championing educational excellence nationwide. ”We equally want to encourage other students who are still in school to aspire towards achieving excellence in their academic pursuits,” Baru, himself a First-Class degree ho...

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N164.7 million for the payment of second semester school fess of the freed 106 Chibok girls at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa. The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday. The presidential aide said that the President had expressed satisfaction over the progress so far made in the rehabilitation of the freed Chibok schoolgirls. According to him, Buhari expressed his feelings while reviewing progress report on the affected girls. He said that the report was submitted to the President in line with his commitment to personally monitor the rehabilitation and reintegration into society of the freed Chibok girls. Shehu said the President also assured that the Federal Government would continue to provide full support for their education. “The President has approved payment of the sum of N164,763,759 million (one hund...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is set to conclude on the choice of a core investor for the proposed Bio-fuel plant in Agasha Guma area of Benue State. Speaking at the end of a follow-up meeting with a Benue State delegation led by Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu, the Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said that arrangements have been finalized to name the prospective investor in the weeks ahead after a painstaking due diligence exercise. The GMD who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer in Charge of Ventures Directorate, Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, explained that the core investor would provide 70 per cent of the required funding for the project, while Benue State government and the NNPC would take up the balance equity contribution. The NNPC said upon completion, the plant was projected to generate about one million direct and indirect jobs for the populace noting that the project would help link the energy sector with the ...

Ile-Ife, the ancestral home of Yoruba descendants, is set to be transformed into a world heritage city, according to the promoters of a project in that regard. The promoters led by Adeyeye Ogunwusi, ooni of Ife, and and Almajdal Limited, an international business conglomerate, said the project involves the transformation of the ancient city into “the biggest tourist destination in Africa”. In a statement on Sunday, Wali Kutrub, executive director of Almajadal Limited, said when completed, the project would also stir “immense wealth and job creation and an economic bang.” He also quoted the ooni of Ife, as saying the project involves “re-construction and beautification of ancient sites, greenery of the city centers, redesign of the city main boulevard, outskirts and other legacy projects in line with the idea to create the necessary impetus for Ile-Ife and Yoruba cultural renaissance”. He added that the project would also enhance research-based and...

Buhari gave an assurance to Nigerians that his administration would put an end to the bombings. He also maintained that Boko Haram had been massively degraded and its surviving members put on the run. “Instead of being hunters, they are now the hunted. In their desperation to stay relevant, they have resorted to the wicked and dastardly act of using innocent under-aged children to carry out suicide bomb attacks,” said Buhari who was represented Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture. ”But what we are witnessing now are the last kicks of a dying horse. Yes, these kicks may be dangerous, but they don’t last long. Progressively, they become weaker and weaker until the horse finally dies.” Buhari said the war against Boko Haram has moved to the next phase, which is intelligence-driven, with a view to ending the suicide bombings. ”That is why I approved the establishment of an intelligence fusion centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capita...

Red palm is highly nutritious and naturally stacked with high amounts of saturated fat, vitamins, and antioxidants. This vegetable oil, mainly used for cooking, is obtained from the pulp of the of the fruit of oil palms. It gets its reddish colour from beta-carotene and lycopene, the same nutrients that give colour to carrots and tomatoes. Its carotene level is 15 times higher than carrots and 300 times higher than tomatoes. Below are 6 healthy reasons to use palm oil in your meals. Prevents heart diseases Palm oil contains tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E with strong antioxidant properties that relieves the heart of stress. It also improves blood circulation, regulates cholesterol levels, and lowers blood pressure. Palm oil has a balanced content of HDL and LDL cholesterol, thereby making is safe for the heart. Protects from brain damage The tocotrienols found in palm oil also support brain health. Palm oil’s antioxidant supply helps to prevent neurological degeneration...

Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe, 93, was reportedly offered a $10 million lump sum payment, full monthly salary, medical cover, security as well as protection of his private properties, as part of a deal that led to his resignation, The Independent reports. This came as reports indicated this week that the nonagenarian was also granted immunity from prosecution after his resignation as the leader of Zimbabwe on Tuesday. According to The Independent, negotiators managed to strike a deal with the country’s army generals to enable Mugabe not to go into exile but rather enjoy his retirement in Zimbabwe with all his benefits. “Government will give him $5 million lump-sum and then the remainder to be paid out in instalments,” the report quoted a source as saying. “Mugabe will also enjoy full medical cover as well as his full monthly salary. In the event of his death, his wife will be given half salary per month.” Zimbabweans witnessed the ina...

VICE Chancellor, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Professor Sulyman Abdulkareem Age, has advised secondary school students to use cell phones for knowledge acquisition rather than pay attention to social media platforms. Speaking at the 12th Mosobalaje Oyawoye Faculty of Science lecture, entitled: Science and Technology: Tools for Improving Values for a Better Nation,� in Ilorin last week Thursday, the vice chancellor urged the youths to dedicate themselves to science and technology. The programme was sponsored by the Professor Monmodu Jamiu Mosobalaje Oyawoye Foundation. "I urge you to dedicate your time and energy to science and technology as you can access the latest innovation, experiment and inventions anywhere in the world via that miniaturised device," the vice chancellor said. In his remark, Professor Oyawoye represented by his son, Abdulganiyu, said that the foundation had invested about N10 million on this year's programme, but government policies had disall...

Four suspects were on Thursday arraigned before an Anambra State Magistrate Court sitting at Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area over their alleged involvement in the killings at St Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu, on August 6. It would be recalled that no fewer than 13 persons were killed and another 22 wounded in the early morning mayhem on worshippers. The suspects arraigned were Chinedu Akpunonu (44), Vincent Ike (57), Chukwudi Ugwu (30) and Onyebuchi Mbanefo (46), while three other suspects are still at large, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. The suspects were arraigned on 37-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder. A South African -based businessman, Aloysius Ikegwuonu, whose father was killed in the attack, the Parish Priest of St Philip’s Catholic Church, Rev Fr Jude Onwuaso and six others were listed as witnesses in the matter. Charges against them read in part, “That you Great Chinedu Akpunonu, .M. Vincent Ike .M. Chukwudi Ugw...

CAF @CAF_Online Former Black Stars of Ghana player, Anthony Baffoe is the new the deputy general secretary for football and development while Morocco’s Essadik Alaoui is the deputy general secretary for administration and finance. Amr Fahmy is the third generation of the Fahmy’s to be appointed CAF general secretary. Mourad Fahmy was CAF’s general secretary from 1961 to 1982 while his father Mustapha Fahmy inherited the position from 1982 till 2010.

Reno Omokri, former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has hit back at Bola Tinubu for alleging that there was grand corruption in the administration of his then principal. Omokri said contrary to Tinubu’s claim that there was unprecedented graft during Jonathan’s time in office, the country got its best rating in anti-graft war under the former president. While speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, had said : “The prior government used the public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves. “So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.” But Omokri described the allegations as baseless and lacking in facts. In a statement, he said Nigeria moved from 144 to 136 in Transparency International‘s annual Corruption Perce...

There was drama at the headqaurters of Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja as civil society organisations clashed with police over an attempt to reopen the premises. Last week, a federal high court in Abuja ordered the police to unseal the premises which had been cordoned off since February. After the court ruling, Dickson Akoh, Peace Corps commandant, had said he will resume work at the organisation’s headquarters this week. The CSOs, under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Justice and Equity (CCSOJE ), arrived the Peace Corps headquarters on Thursday in solidarity with the organisation’s workers as they had come to re-open the place. On arrival at the premises, they opened the main gate of the two-storey building but were refused entrance by officers of the Nigeria police who said they are yet to get a directive to leave the premises. Danlami Taura, a chief superintendent of police, who led the policemen, said the operation department of the fo...

GAZA CITY: Hamas on Thursday alleged that Israeli spies used Bosnian passports to enter Tunisia and assassinate one of its drone experts as the Palestinian movement announced details of its probe into the December incident. Tunisian engineer Mohamed Zaouari was shot dead in his car in December 2016 by unknown gunmen, with Hamas accusing Israel of responsibility at the time. Senior Hamas figure Mohammed Nazzal made the allegations on Thursday in a statement and at a press conference in Beirut. He said an investigation concluded that a number of agents from Israeli intelligence agency Mossad had operated in Tunisia over several months, including pretending to be foreign journalists in order to get close to Zaouari. The main two assassins who entered the country before the killing were using Bosnian passports, Nazzal said. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon declined comment. Israel also had not previously commented on the killing. Israel has previously faced criticis...

Share CAIRO — An international aid group says an estimated 130 children or more die every day in war-torn Yemen from extreme hunger and disease. Save the Children said late on Wednesday a continuing blockade by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels is likely to further increase the death rate. It says over 50,000 children are believed to have died in 2017. Saudi Arabia blocked Yemen's ports after a rebel missile attack near Riyadh earlier in November. It said Monday the coalition would lift the blockade after widespread international criticism. On Thursday, the leaders of the World Health Organization, the U.N. children's agency and the World Food Program issued a joint appeal for the easing of the blockade. "While the Saudi-led military coalition has partially lifted the recent blockade of Yemen, closure of much of the country's air, sea and land ports is making an already catastrophic situation far worse," they said. "The space an...

Share IRBIL, IRAQ — Iraq's Kurdish lawmakers are returning to Baghdad this week in an apparent end to their boycott of the national parliament, a senior Kurdish official said Thursday. The move is a concession to Baghdad after a military and political standoff that followed the controversial Kurdish independence vote in September. Kurdish lawmakers had announced they would return to parliament, but an Iraqi lawmaker, Josef Slewa, told The Associated Press that Kurdish legislators from Masoud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party did not attend Thursday's session. The KDP members had boycotted the parliament since it declared the Kurdish referendum unconstitutional just before the Sept. 25 independence vote. Renas Jano, a KDP lawmaker, said the lawmakers are returning to Baghdad in hopes that their presence in the Iraqi capital will bring the prime minister to the negotiating table. "We want to start dialogue with the central government," he said, adding that att...

Share BARCELONA, SPAIN — The jailed leader of the main grassroots group pushing for Catalonia to secede from Spain resigned his post Thursday to run as a candidate in the election the Spanish government called for next month to stop the region's push toward independence. The Catalan National Assembly said Jordi Sanchez would be a candidate on the slate headed by Catalonia's former president, Carles Puigdemont, who is in Belgium facing extradition back to Spain along with four members of his ousted cabinet. Sanchez and another separatist activist were jailed on Oct. 16 while being investigated for sedition for their alleged roles in a secession-related protest that trashed police vehicles in September. Under Spanish law, he and any other pro-independence Catalan officials or activists can run in the Dec. 21 election unless they are convicted. Puigdemont plans to be his party's top candidate while campaigning as a fugitive in Belgium. Another eight former members of Cata...