Socioscope News Agency

OAU : Health centre changes its mode of operations Obafemi Awolowo University health centre have been in the news for some weeks ago over the release which says, stale students who are yet to register will be responsible for their medical Bill, this release generated a lot of debate among the rank and file of Awo Varsity students ,the tide of the debate later stemmed by the Union officers who condemned the directive in its entirety. Based on what's known to the stakeholders in the university in regards to how patients are being attended to,the normal clinic hours is between 8am - 2pm, registered students who need medical attention do visit the health centre within this hours,where by such student is expected to put down the names and other things on the card, so that the officers in charge will be able to locate the medical file, and then take it to the doctors on duty. This step favors the registered students. The unregistered students(also registered students) usually visit th...

OAU : Health centre changes its mode of operations Obafemi Awolowo University health centre have been in the news for some weeks ago over the release which says, stale students who are yet to register will be responsible for their medical Bill, this release generated a lot of debate among the rank and file of Awo Varsity students ,the tide of the debate later stemmed by the Union officers who condemned the directive in its entirety. Based on what's known to the stakeholders in the university in regards to how patients are being attended to,the normal clinic hours is between 8am - 2pm, registered students who need medical attention do visit the health centre within this hours,where by such student is expected to put down the names and other things on the card, so that the officers in charge will be able to locate the medical file, and then take it to the doctors on duty. This step favors the registered students. The unregistered students(also registered students) usually visit...

Irregularities marred Csc 221 CBT, as students expressed  their displeasures By Almukhtaar Some two hundred level students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife have expressed their displeasures over the way their computer based test was conducted in the early hours of Saturday. For the first time, the Coordinator of CSs 221 introduces computer based test for the sophomore students of the school, though not all students in their second year are mandated to take the course, but a large percentage of them. Following the time table released by the  host department, the computer based test was tailored to be done in batches at the school computer centre, between 7am - 2:30pm. According to an eye witness who happened to be part of the students billed to do the test, he said, 'truth be told, those that were billed to write their test at 7am-8:30pm and the second batch didn't pass through the hell we are passing through, the problem started when those billed to do their te...

#OpenCon2017Ife ```Time to Discuss Open Access, Open Education, and Open Data``` Many will agree with me that the eighth wonder of world has done more good to students in tertiary institutions than harm. We live in a world where everything has gone digital, this paradigm shift has moved humans to the virtual world, which brought us to the epoch of virtual library. Internet aids easy access to information and data that are relevant to myriads of discipline we offer in varsities, but this access are limited due to some restrictions placed by authors of such piece. Open access, open education, and open data affords researchers, students opportunity to access scholarly journals that are available online without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet it self. *_Open access concept is still not widely known among researchers from different geographical localities and research disciplines_*. According to Christian (...

Oyo and Osun States have constituted a seven-man Governing Council for the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) with a view to ultimately resolve the crisis that has led to the closure of the institution for about two years. The new council will be headed by a retired Head of Service of the Federation, Professor Oladapo Afolabi. Members of the board are; Professor Lai Olurode, Professor Olaide Adedokun, Mr. Abiodun AbdulJelil Owonikoko SAN, Mr. Isiaka Olagoke, Mr. Tise Adenipekun and Bade Adesina. A statement released by the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli said that the tenure of the Governing Council, as mandated by the University Law, shall be for four years from the date of its inauguration, except determined otherwise by the two governors. “The two governors are confident that with the development, the crisis in the institution will be resolved soon,’’ Mr Alli said. He enjoined all stakeholders to cooperate with the newly constitut...

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF has graduated 1,928 recruits, who have successfully completed the Basic Military Training Course, BMTC at the NAF’s Military Training Centre, Kaduna. The Chief of the Air Staff, CAS Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who was the Reviewing Officer and Guest of Honour during the Passing Out Parade, POP ceremony, stated that it was the first time in the history of the NAF that such a huge number of recruits would be graduating at the same time. According to him, “the feat was made possible by the recent expansion of the training facilities at the MTC to train up to 2,500 recruits at a time as against the initial capacity of 500 recruits”. As a result, the NAF had successfully trained, 4,163 recruits for the Nigerian Air Force, between July 2015 till date, thereby reducing unemployment in the country. He, therefore, expressed profound gratitude to Mr President Muhammdu Buhari  who, in spite of harsh economic realities, continues to support the NAF to en...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Anthony Scaramucci, President Donald Trump's new communications director, said on Sunday that one of his first tasks will be to halt leaks and that staff on his team would be fired if the leaks do not stop. "If we don't get the leaks stopped, I am a businessperson, and so I will take dramatic action to stop those leaks," Scaramucci said on Fox News Sunday. Scaramucci told CBS's Face the Nation that leakers are "actually un-American," and that he would lead a team meeting on Monday. The hiring of Scaramucci, a Wall Street financier and Republican fundraiser, brings a combative style to the White House press office as President Donald Trump lashes out at probes into whether his campaign colluded with Russians during the 2016 campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into any relationships or contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russia during the election, but Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing by ...

CARACAS (Reuters) - Defying pressure from abroad and at home, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday that a controversial election would go ahead next weekend for a new congress his foes fear will institutionalize dictatorship. "The imperial right wing believes it can give orders to Venezuela, the only ones who give orders here are the people," Maduro said in reference to a threat from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose economic sanctions if the vote is not aborted. "This time next week Venezuelans will vote for a Constituent Assembly," the leftist leader added in his weekly TV program. Venezuela's opposition has been protesting in the streets since April against the unpopular Maduro whom they accuse of wrecking the OPEC nation's economy and crushing democracy. Opponents are boycotting the Constituent Assembly vote, which they see as a farce designed to ensure a majority for a government with minority popular support, and demandin...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump was open to signing legislation toughening sanctions on Russia after Senate and House leaders reached agreement on a bill late last week. Congressional Democrats said on Saturday they had agreed with Republicans on a deal allowing new sanctions targeting Russia, Iran and North Korea in a bill that would limit any potential effort by Trump to try to lift sanctions against Moscow. "We support where the legislation is now and will continue working with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved and it certainly isn't right now," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" program. A White House official said the administration's view of the legislation evolved after changes were made, including the addition of sanctions on North Korea. The off...

DUBAI (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on Sunday, the Gulf states' official news agencies reported, as part of a diplomatic tour aimed at healing an Arab rift with Ankara's ally Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties and imposed sanctions on Qatar last month, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the charges. Slideshow (5 Images) The boycotting countries want Qatar to close down a Turkish base, curb relations with their arch-foe Iran and shutter the Al Jazeera TV channel. Kuwait is seeking to mediate in the crisis. Saudi King Salman and Erdogan discussed "efforts to combat terrorism and its sources of funding", the Saudi press agency reported, without elaborating. Erdogan arrived in Kuwait in the evening and is scheduled to visit Qatar to conclude the two-day trip. Under a 2014 agreement, Ankara maintains a military base in Qatar which is set to eventually host ...

In a bid to mitigate the incidence of flooding, the Lagos State Government on Sunday ordered owners of properties erected on drainage channels and impeding the free-flow of water to immediately vacate or risk being removed. The government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, expressed dismay that the lawless activities of some people was constantly putting the lives and property of residents at risk. He listed some of the areas where properties were erected on drainage channels to include Illubirin, Dolphin Estate, Osborne Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi, Osapa London, Ikota, Ogombo, Lekki, among others, noting that the massive investment of public fund into drainage clearing and de-silting had been compromised by structures hindering the free-flow of water. The Commissioner said the state government was seriously concerned that man-made causes, particularly impediment of free-flow of storm water through indiscriminate erection of buildin...

The Lagos State Government on Sunday attributed the building collapse which occurred at 7 Saidu Okeleji Street, Meiran in Agbado Oke -Odo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the State on Saturday to heavy loads placed on the building and substandard materials used for the construction work. Reacting to the collapse, the State’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowoshe commiserated with the families of those who lost their loved ones to the unfortunate incident but appealed to property owners and developers to henceforth adhere strictly to Planning and Building laws and regulations to forestall re-occurrence of incidents of building collapse in the State. He said the call became imperative in view of the need for property owners and developers to be mindful of the fact that people would reside in these structures and that their lives were valuable. According to the commissioner, the state government was deeply concerned about the attitude of ...

A Nobel Laureate, Prof. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, says efforts are ongoing to develop a universal cure for HIV and cancer through collaboration. Barre-Sinoussi, a co-discoverer of the HIV, said this in Paris while conducting some select journalists on a tour of the sophisticated laboratories at Institut Pasteur. Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier co-discovered the HIV in 1983. She also stated that the HIV Cure and Cancer Forum would on Saturday be inaugurated at the Institut Curie in Paris. “Efforts are now underway to determine if these cancer therapies can be used to build up the immune system of patients with HIV. “This will be in such a way that HIV patients can achieve a durable and perhaps life-long treatment–free state of remission,’’ she said. The former IAS President said that many of the key immune pathways now being therapeutically manipulated to cure cancer were first discovered in studies of chronic viral infections, particularly HIV. “We know that controlling...

Chelsea have issued an apology to the people of China, over Kenedy’s “offensive social media posts” during the club’s visit to the country. Kenedy was booed during their 3-0 victory over Arsenal in Beijing on Saturday, after posting disrespectful messages about the country on his Instagram account. In response, Chelsea issued a bilingual statement on their official website on Sunday titled “Chelsea Football Club apology to Chinese people for player’s offensive social media posts” in which the club said the 21-year-old winger had been “strongly reprimanded and disciplined.” The statement read: “On July 22nd, Chelsea Football Club experienced the warmth and friendliness of Chinese fans at the National Stadium. However, we were surprised and disappointed that one day prior to the match, one of our young players, Kenedy, posted messages on his social media account that caused great offence and hurt the feelings of the people of China. “Unfortunately, even though he quickly deleted ...

The Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila on Sunday shed more light on why the house was opposed to the merging of Christian Religious Knowledge and Islamic Religious Studies in school curriculum. Gbajabiamila (APC-Surulere I) told principals of public schools and parents in his constituency in Lagos that such a merger lacked basis in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He said at a Town Hall meeting with the principals and parents that merging the two subjects infringed on the student’s’ right to choice. Gbajabiamila also on the occasion distributed 500 free West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) forms to indigent students across the 23 schools in the area. He said the Constitution guaranteed the right of all citizens to freedom of religion and choice, adding that merging the two religious subjects and making it compulsory for students was unfair. According to him, religion is a very sensitive issue in the country which needs to be handled car...

The British Government has said that it is ready to invest in pipeline infrastructure, renewable energy, gas and power in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright, said this while receiving the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja on Sunday. Arkwright said that the government of Britain had genuine investment interest in the downstream, midstream and upstream sectors of the nation’s oil and gas sector. He said that the British Department for International Trade was ready to liaise with the Federal Government to invest in the country. The High Commissioner also urged the Federal Government and the NNPC to organise a roadshow in London to create awareness on the possible investment opportunities available in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. According to him, so many British investors have funds which they are willing to invest in the cou...

Former Governor of Lagos State and Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola did not vote on Saturday at Lagos’ Local Government election held across the state. The former governor was conspicuously missing at Ward G3, Unit 002, State Senior Grammer School, Itolo, where he normally vote. People are worried that the former governor did not show up to mobilise his constituency to vote massively for the All Progressives Congress, APC, as he normally did when he was in power. Some APC stalwarts feel that the former governor ought to have led by example by showing up in Lagos to cast his vote as other top leadership of the party did. Even the National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was believed to have travelled out came back to cast his vote at his Polling Unit 047, Sunday Adigun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, while Governor Akinwunmi Ambode also voted at his polling unit in Epe. Octogenarian and first Civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande des...

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has advised children currently on holidays to learn something new outside academics. Speaking in Lagos on the sideline of the 60th birthday thanksgiving service of Salami Ololade, a pastor, Osinbajo said he wished he learnt carpentry while growing up. Osinbajo said it is important for children to learn something that could have an impact on their lives and their communities in new fields of technology. “It is a long holiday, it is a great time to do something new,” he said. “Those who like to learn a skill, whatever skill that may be, should learn it. I wished that when I was growing up I learned even carpentry.” He told reporters that there were efforts in place to secure the release of the six students kidnapped from Lagos State Model College, Igbo Nla, Epe. Osinbajo said the federal government is collaborating with the state’s authorities to ensure their safe return. Gunmen abducted the students on May 25. In the same school, six staff me...

OKOROCHA In a telephone conversation following the meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and leaders with President Muhammadu Buhari in London Sunday, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, said the President was very cheerful and has not lost any bit of his sense of humour. The governor said the party delegation spent more than an hour with President Buhari over lunch, and it was very clear from the discussions that he followed developments at home very closely. He said the President was delighted to receive the delegation and asked each governor about affairs in his state. He also asked the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, about the state of the railways. When asked to react to all the negative things being said about him, the President just laughed, describing such negative reports as lies. Governor Okorocha said President Buhari was completely unperturbed by the cocktail of lies. He, instead, sent his best wishes to Nigerians. According to the go...

Sixty per cent of the proceeds realised from the Tuface charity concert would be channelled toward providing protection and empowerment of the Internally Displaced Persons in the North-East. Mr Jose-Antonio Canhandula, Country Representative, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), has said this at a charity concert on Saturday in Abuja. The concert was organised by the Tuface foundation to support UNHCR in its interventions in the North-East. He said that the humanitarian challenges in the North-East, due to Boko Haram insurgency, were enormous, adding that it had brought the inadequate protection of women and girls and their empowerment as a major challenge. ‘’The crisis in North-East Nigeria actually affects women and children more than anybody else. “We intend to see how this proceed can be used to alleviate the plight of women, widows and heads of families. “We would also see how we can use the proceed to resolve the issues of youths not employed, by training th...

A former US State Department Nigeria specialist, Mathew Page,  has suggested that a US civil forfeiture case to seize $144 million of assets from two cronies of Diezani Alison-Madueke, may just be the start of her legal troubles with America. US Justice Department last week filed an asset recovery case in Houston against Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko,  seeking the seizure of luxury property, including a New York apartment and super-yacht, bought by one of the businessmen. The two businessmen, at the detriment of Nigerian treasury,  were heavily favoured by Diezani, during her tenure as Nigeria’s oil minister. “Although this is the first attempt by US law enforcement to go after assets allegedly stolen by Diezani and her henchmen, it almost certainly will not be the last,” the  AFP reported Mathew Page  as saying. At present, Diezani faces charges only at home but her name crops up in a growing number of international cases that lift the lid on the scale of a...

Manchester City have signed defender Danilo from Spanish champions Real Madrid on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Sunday. The 26-year-old joined Madrid in 2015 and played 24 matches for Zinedine Zidane's side last season as they won the Spanish league title, sealed their second consecutive Champions Legaue trophy and won the Club World Cup. "I am very, very happy to be joining Manchester City," Danilo told City's website (mancity.com). "There has been strong interest from other clubs, but it has always been my ambition to play for Pep Guardiola. As soon as I heard of his interest, I knew immediately I wanted to be a City player. “I can’t wait to get started and I’m looking forward to getting to know my new teammates over the coming weeks.” City’s Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, says he is delighted to have landed the Brazilian. “Danilo is a fine player who offers great versatility to our squad,” he s...

CARSON CITY, Nev. (Reuters) - O.J. Simpson was granted parole on Thursday and will be released from a Nevada prison in October, following an emotional hearing that centered on the botched armed robbery of his own mementos at a Las Vegas hotel that landed him behind bars for nine years. A four-member panel of the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners voted unanimously to release the 70-year-old former National Football League star turned TV pitchman and actor, now best remembered as the defendant in a sensational double-murder trial that gripped America two decades ago. Simpson participated by video feed from Lovelock Correctional Center, about 100 miles (160 km) from the parole board's offices in Carson City, sitting at a wooden table next to his attorney dressed in a prison-issue denim shirt and dark pants. A smiling Simpson, with close-cropped gray hair and looking thinner than at his last parole hearing in 2013, testified along with his daughter and one of the two robbery v...

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi King Salman on Thursday decreed the consolidation of counter-terrorism and domestic intelligence under a new body, in a major overhaul of the security apparatus weeks after the interior minister was ousted from the royal succession. The string of late night royal decrees also ordered a shakeup of senior personnel, replacing the head of the elite royal guard and elevating the head of the newly created Presidency of State Security, Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al-Howairini, and his deputy to the rank of ministers. The moves inside the world's biggest oil exporting nation centralizes authority in security matters to the king and his young son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has made a rapid rise to the pinnacle of power at the expense of his cousin, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. The decrees published by the state news agency said the changes were made in order "to face all security challenges with a high degree of flexibility and readiness and the abi...

CARACAS (Reuters) - Many Venezuelan streets were barricaded and deserted on Thursday for a strike called by foes of President Nicolas Maduro to demand elections and the scrapping of plans for a new congress they fear will consolidate dictatorship in the OPEC country. From the Andes to the Amazon, millions joined the 24-hour shutdown, staying at home, closing businesses or manning roadblocks in a civil disobedience campaign the opposition hopes will end nearly two decades of socialist rule. "We must all do our best to get rid of this tyrant," said Miguel Lopez, 17, holding a homemade shield emblazoned with "No To Dictatorship!" at a barrier on a Caracas street devoid of traffic. Many private transportation groups heeded the strike call, while students, neighbors and activists hauled rubbish and furniture into streets to erect makeshift barriers. In some places, however, such as the poor Catia and January 23rd neighborhoods of Caracas, streets and shops were s...

Education Zaria students win science award Two students of Therbow Secondary School, Sabon Gari, Zaria, have won the Sani Mohammed Sha’aban Foundation awards of best in academics, morals and science subjects. A statement from the Sha’aban Media Office said Taiwo Bamidele and Aisha Ibrahim Dabo won the maiden Sani Mohammed Sha’aban Foundation Awards. Bamidele and Aisha were adjudged best in academics, morals and science subjects. The foundation had earlier instituted yearly awards for best graduating students. The principal of the school, Alhaji Mustapha Jibril, said the award ceremony was suspended for fear of attacks, saying, “we were afraid of the incessant attacks in the country at that time, but now there is improvement in security and we have held the award successfully.” He said the sponsor of the awards,  a former member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Sani Mohammed Sha’aban, had also agreed to pay school fees of some native students in the school. “When ...

Professor Shehu Abdullahi Zuru is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Petroleum, Effurun, Delta State. In this interview, he bemoans the absence of critical infrastructure necessary for learning in the institution. Excerpts:             Professor Shehu Abdullahi Zuru You recently resumed duties in the university, what is your assessment of the situation on ground? The institution, with all sense of responsibility, represents a tell-tale of disappointment. Yes, because it is unimaginable that the first specialised university of petroleum resources in Africa will suffer the gravity of neglect that I saw on resumption of duty at the university. It is incredible that this specialised university has existed for over a decade now. Those critical stakeholders that should have been catalyst to the growth and development of the university have consistently ignored their responsibilities. That is the reason wh...

Linda Ikeji’s sister, Laura and her husband Ogbonna Nwankwo on Wednesday, July 19, welcomed their first baby, a bouncing baby boy, in the United States of America (USA). It was earlier rumoured that the couple allegedly welcomed their baby boy but Laura came out to thank everyone for the wishes and told them she was only launching a new clothing line. Confirming the report of her newborn baby was her sister, Linda Ikeji, who posted the picture of the baby boy with the caption: Laura Ikeji-Kanu welcomes baby boy. Source: Instagram, Laura Ikeji “My adorable sister @lauraikeji just had her baby…a son named Ryan. Big congrats to her and her husband and to us, happy aunt. Can’t keep calm.” See her post below: It could be recalled that some few months ago, Laura Ikeji and her husband, Ogbonna got married traditionally in Imo state and on January 19, they had their court wedding at the Ikoyi registry, Lagos. Congratulations!

Osaji Charles, a student of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNIZIK, has been reportedly killed by suspected cult members! Charles, who took to Facebook on July 15th to announce that he would soon be a graduate and was to write his final departmental exams on Friday, July 21st, was killed close to a popular hangout called Ota Queen yesterday July 19th. Tributes are pouring in for the young chap whose demise have left his friends in an emotional state! Some of his friends are alleging he was killed by some members of the cult group, Black Axe.

Ex – BBA star turned media personality, Uti Nwachukwu who got lots of backlash while defending TBoss during the Big Brother Naija 2017 show has finally met her and they are both excited. TBoss bagged another endorsement deal today and Uti took to his Instagram to gush about her and how far she has come since after the house.

Legal luminary, and governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, (SAN) has commended the Oyo state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi for initiating a new master plan for Ibadan. Ibadan Chief Akintola described the idea of the new master plan as; ‘’a thoughtful concept that will re-position the ancient city of Ibadan back to its place as a centre of excellence and architectural wonders in Nigeria and continent of Africa.” Reacting to the presentation of the final draft of a 20-year master plan to the state government at the State House Agodi Ibadan. Chief Akintola in a statement disclosed that the new master plan would end the ugly incidence of flooding and create a new sustainable environment for economic and industrial development in the state.

The Police in Lagos has warned public office holders; be they at the national or state level , to desist from taking their security aides close to the polling centres during Saturday’s Local Government election in Lagos, threatening to arrest any erring security personnel. Lagos CP, Fatai Owoseni He also charged members of staff of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC to resist any temptation from politicians that could mitigate a hitch free election, saying anyone caught would be made to face the full wrath of the law. Commissioner of Police , Lagos state Police command, Fatai Owoseni , handed down the warning during a meeting with LASIEC adhoc and non adhoc staff , party chairmen, members of transport unions among other stakeholders. The meeting according to Owoseni , was part of preparation towards ensuring that Saturday’s election was devoid of violence. As first step towards ensuring this, he disclosed that LASIEC’s officials would be profiled , with a vie...

Nigeria loses “as much as 30 percent” of its oil to theft despite halt in militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta, according to Bloomberg. In a report detailing the implications of reported cases of pipeline vandalism on the nation’s economy, the global medium beamed searchlight on the petroleum sector and the danger oil theft portends both in the short and long run. It noted that to help to keep off oil thieves, companies now employ the use of surveillance helicopters equipped with infrared cameras as well as “all sorts of things” – in addition to security measures put in place by the federal government. “They’re also experimenting with drones and cages on wellheads rigged with alarms,” the report noted, “but nothing seems to fix the problem.” Quoting Wood Mackenzie, a consultant company based in the UK, the report said with the help of a “fragile” peace accord with militants, Nigeria’s output has risen “more than 20 per cent since August to almost 1.8 million barrels a day” – but t...

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has led Angola since 1979, has returned to the country from Spain, where he has been receiving medical treatment in 2017. The state-run news agency Agencia Angola Press reported Thursday that dos Santos and his wife, Ana Paula dos Santos, arrived at a military base in Luanda, the capital. The 74-year-old Dos Santos had traveled to Barcelona on July 3 following an earlier trip to Spain amid reports of health problems. The government did not comment on the purpose of the president’s latest trip. According to ABC News, Dos Santos, who has been in power in the southern African nation since 1979, has said he will not run in the presidential election scheduled for August 23. He is, however, expected to remain leader of the ruling party, after leading the country for 37 years. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has also been on a medical vacation for 74 days, on a second medical vacation in 2017, handing power over to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo....

A military special court martial on Thursday demoted Ibrahim Sani, a major-general, to a brigadier-general. James Gbum, president of the court, demoted Sani after he convicted him on a five-count charge bordering on cheating. Sani had been standing trial in the court since 2015 when he was accused of dividing and allocating part of army land to himself. The court sat at the Mogadishu cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja. Gbum also ordered the convict to return N23 million being the money he got after he sold the part of the army land to himself. The court held that the convict fraudulently allocated to himself part of the land – 436 hectares, in Abuja and sold it. The court president also held that Sani went beyond the mandate given to him by the army authorities which was “only to collect the certificate of occupancy (C of O)” from relevant FCT agency. He said the convict divided the land into two and allocated one part to himself, using pseudo company in which he was the sole signatory...

Mohammed Abubakar, governor of Bauchi state, has dissolved his cabinet. Abubakar also appointed Mohammed Umar, one time governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as new secretary to the state government (SSG). This was contained in a statement signed by Abubakar Al-Sadique, chief press secretary to the governor. The statement said the appointment of Umar Nadada, who was SSG to Adamu Muazu, former governor of the state ,from 1999 to 2007, takes immediate effect. The new SSG was born in Dambam town of the State on December 31, 1954. He attended Government Secondary School Azare, and studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and thereafter proceeded Nigerian Law School in 1980. “He was also at the New Africa Merchant Bank Limited as secretary, and later general manager/Bank secretary,” the statement read. “He was at the cotton and agricultural processors between 1996 and 1999 when he was appointed secretary to the government of Bauchi state from 1999 to...

The senate has asked the federal government to give dollar to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) at an exchange rate of N200 to a dollar. This recommendation was made by the committee on foreign affairs. The committee said the concession will bring pilgrimage cost to a bearable level for interested parties. In a motion moved on June 7, the senate had urged the federal government to review the 2017 Hajj fee. Monsurat Sunmonu, a lawmaker, advised the federal government to hold discussions with the Saudi government to review the 50-50 carriage of pilgrims between Nigeria and Saudi Arabian airlines. “This is with a view to providing opportunities for more indigenous Nigerian airlines to participate in the hajj operations. This will give Nigeria varieties in choosing the air carrier,” she said. “The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria should expedite action on the establishment of Hajj Savings Schemes in compliance with sec...

Farmers restarted cultivation as a result of the support they received from the FADAMA III programme and North-East Food Security and Livelihood Project amid improved security conditions. Farmers in the liberated communities of Bumsa, Kukuwa, Buni Yadi and Gujba could now go to distant farms, following an improvement in security. Malam Wakili Kaigama, a farmer in Bumsa, said: “When the communities were reclaimed by the troops, we still had some difficulties in going to the farms due to the fear of the unknown. “But the situation has improved a lot and the FADAMA III programme has also supported us to cultivate the farms. “Each of the 20 FADAMA III beneficiaries in this village received a water pumping machine, seeds, sprayers, herbicides and pesticides. “I re-engaged in rice and banana cultivation with support from FADAMA III programme, four years after I abandoned the farm because of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents,” Wakili said. Alhaji Musa Garba, Project Coordinator of...

A total of six students from Burundi have gone missing after they arrived in the United States for the FIRST Global Challenge robotics competition. The team of six teenagers representing East African Countries have been reported missing according to police. Local police in Washington D.C. stated that the Burundi team were reported to have gone missing at around 5:00p.m. on Tuesday. They were said to have disappeared at about the same time the competition was expected to round up. Speaking on the disappearance, the team’s mentor revealed that his team disappeared at the completion of the competition adding that he does not know where they went. Police investigators tried contacting an uncle of one of the missing team members but he failed to respond. The missing teenagers’ details was given to include two females and four males all within the age range of 16 to 18. Local Police identified the missing team members on its Twitter page as; Audrey Mwamikazi, 17; Aristide Irambona, 18...

The Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development is to spend about N12.9 billion for capital expenditures in 2017, against N7.3 billion appropriated for similar projects in 2016. This is part of its fiscal allocations approved by the Federal Government in the year’s budget. According to the 2017 Appropriation Act concerning the ministry, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, there is a significant difference of N5.6 billion between the appropriations in the years to the ministry. A source in the ministry, however, told NAN that one billion naira was appropriated as capital budget to the sector in 2015 and only N419 million was released to the sector from the amount. “The ministry was given N4.3 billion from the N7.3 billion appropriated to the sector as capital budget in 2016; the amount appropriated to the ministry this year is encouraging to address some projects. “This is a clear vision that government is committed to achieve its diversific...

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in June and July, the Confederation of African Football has confirmed. The tournament is usually held in January and February, causing disputes with European clubs who had to release players in the middle of the season. The 2019 event in Cameroon will be contested by 24 teams, instead of 16. The changes were rubber-stamped by the CAF executive committee in a meeting in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Africa's flagship sporting event has featured 16 teams since 1996. The expansion of the tournament could create problems for Cameroon, which will host the next finals, with the Central African nation's sports minister having to deny reports that preparations were behind schedule. The competition will continue to be held every two years, in Africa and only with African countries. Caf was considering whether to allow countries from other continents to compete - or even host the tournament. The announcements follow a two-day symposium o...

'BEWARE LADIES' by Smallz A girl once wrote this on facebook  : Ladies listen!! A man who does not know 3 bible verses offhand but knows 20 names of football players and almost all the lyrics of every hiphop songs is not a husband material! Beware, every woman needs spiritual security...... My response : the fact that he knows them does not guarantee you spiritual security o, aimoye cramming. Some guys only need to know that's what you want and they would cram even 100 chapters for you. I'm of course going to leave the part of sports and music for another day, because this in other words is something else. hmm guys,some guys can go to any extent to get what they want..... If that's what you are looking for Aunt Sandra,  you might be surprised o. The world we are in now is a funny but complex one,  there are people who doesn't know a shit about what Christianity or Christ is but knows verses,  and chapters of the Bible either by accident, or just for knowing...

Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello has announced the proscription of the Kogi State Chapter of the Academic staff union of Universities with immediate effect. The governor announced the proscription today after an emergency state Executive committee meeting. Alhaji Yahaya Bello said the decision became necessary as all efforts to make members of the institution see reasons for the calling off their over six months old strike action has failed. He said, “Throughout last week, I undertook a tour of the tertiary institutions in Kogi State with a view to having first-hand information about the problems in the schools, but while others have since resumed, ASUU-KSU have refused to call off their strike action. According to him, “as a government, we have fulfilled over 90 percent of their demand and have even gone a step further to pay all outstanding salaries of both cleared and uncleared staff including those that have committed one crime or the other”. This he said was in spite of the fact ...