Socioscope News Agency

Contrary to popular belief that drinking too much coffee is bad, a recent study revealed that drinking more than three up to eight cups a day makes you live longer. It even improves your skin, social skills and alertness and helps you maintain a positive outlook. According to a recent study published in the Journal of American Medical Association , constantly drinking coffee can be a part of a healthy diet which improves your mortality. Coffee drinkers aged 38 to 73 were tested in the UK to determine how the body absorbs caffeine and whether it does improve mortality rate. The results showed that those who drank one to eight cups of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were less likely to die earlier than non-coffee drinkers. Researchers claimed that coffee increases lifespan and also improves skin health. Those who also drank a coffee per day were at a lower risk for developing rosacea which is a common skin condition. It was found that caffeine suppresses the effects of skin d...

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, led a delegation to China to inspect the level of work at the Chinese Railway Rolling-stock Corporation (CRRC) Tangshan Co., Ltd in China. Mr Mohammed Idris, Director, Press of the Ministry of Transportation disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Amaechi said that Nigeria is expected to take delivery of the first batch of 10 coaches in June towards reducing the congestion at the Abuja-Kaduna rail line. According to him, “We need coaches by June latest. We need coaches that can carry men from one point to another and we need a minimum of 10 coaches now out of the 64. “I requested for 10 coaches now because we need to improve on Kaduna-Abuja line. If the 10 doesn’t come there is nothing I can do but it has to come because they have to manufacture for us to use in Kaduna-Abuja. “Lagos-Ibadan will soon be ready, we also have to ensure that we get coaches that we can be using, pending when they finish construction of the 64 coa...

The first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and pioneer staff of Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), Chief Folake Solanke, on Monday stated that the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo is the best president Nigeria never had, adding that people for reasons best known to them do not accept superiority nor recognize talent. Chief Solanke made the assertion when she led the alumni of WNTV/WNBS under the aegis of First in Africa Television Alumni Association to the Tribune House in Ibadan to honour the memory of Chief Awolowo for his unquantifiable contribution to the development of Nigeria, especially the Western region and to solicit support for the upcoming 60th anniversary of television in Nigeria “Baba Awolowo is the best president Nigeria did not have and his contribution to Nigeria is unquantifiable. There are professors now who were sent to school because of the free education programme of the Action Group. It is a pity that in Nigeria and elsewhere, talent is sometimes not recogniz...

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has called for the elongation of appointment of the Minister of Works and critical directors in the ministry, saying a four-year term is too short to design roads, undertake procurement and building the roads. Fashola made the call yesterday in Abuja while unveiling a compendium on “Proof of Infrastructural Delivery across Nigeria,” a three-year special report of the ministry. He stated: “Government cycles in the last 20 years have been fixed tenures of four years at a time, subject to how the electorate vote. Personnel changes are effected by retirement, deployment, opportunities and cabinet reshuffles. As a result, critical directors, permanent secretaries and ministers are turned over in a quest for efficiency. “In all, since 1952 to date, Nigeria has had 34 ministers of works and I am number 34 in a period of 67 years. This amounts to an average of a minister every 1.9 years. “A further interrogation of the data o...

Exports of Nigerian crude oil have suffered a significant disruption as two international oil companies operating in the country declared force majeure on two crude grades . Force majeure is a legal clause that allows companies to cancel or delay deliveries due to unforeseen circumstances . Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, in a statement on Monday , said it declared force majeure on Bonny Light effective 12 noon ( Nigerian time ) on April 25 , 2019 . The oil major said the declaration of force majeure followed the shutdown of the Nembe Creek Trunk Line on April 21 , 2019 , and declaration of force majeure by the operator of the NCTL , Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited. The NCTL, a major crude oil transportation channel used for export, evacuates crude to the Bonny Crude Oil Terminal . It is one of the two main pipelines taking Bonny Light grade to the export terminal . Last week , Aiteo declared force majeure on the NCTL following a fi...

Muhammed Mahmood, Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway. Mahmood was abducted alongside his daughter while travelling from Kaduna to Abuja on Monday afternoon. His driver was not that lucky, as he was shot dead in the operation, which took place around Katari, a village few kilometres from Zuba, an Abuja suburb. (Sahara Reporters)

All is not well among Nigerian politicians and their political parties as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moves to enforce the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 on campaign spending. Investigations conducted by LEADERSHIP showed that INEC has received reports from its state offices on politicians and political parties that breached the law during their campaign for the 2019 general elections. The presidential and National Assembly polls were held on February 23 while the governorship and state legislatures’ elections followed suit on March 9 across the country. Credible INEC sources revealed that the commission has begun the compilation of the list of offenders from 10 state offices which have so far submitted their reports on the violation of the campaign spending limit. Before the conduct of the 2019 general elections, INEC had pegged the maximum expenditure of presidential candidates at N1 billion while governorship candidates were to restrict their spendi...

The Director General, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye has described the news of about 70 percent substandard drugs in Nigeria as fake. The DG made this known to newsmen yesterday at a briefing tagged: The sad and unfortunate press release about 70 percent of drugs in Nigeria being fake, in Lagos. “It is fake news because it is not true. NAFDAC does a lot of work in terms of monitoring substandard falsified medicines. “As you are all aware that we had a conference in 2017, the keynote speaker categorically mentioned that 17 percent of our drugs in circulation are fake particularly anti-malaria drugs. “He quoted the former DG NAFDAC, who also was lamenting that drugs in Nigeria from 15 to 17 percent are fake. This is not true. So many are quoting unreliable data. “Instead of mentioning the 17 percent, one online newspapers quoted 70 percent and immediately we debunked it, saying the Speaker never said 70 percent and ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has tasked specialised universities, particularly the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, to rise up to the challenges of establishment of modular refineries and sustainable power generation in the country. The president said this at the weekend, during the second convocation ceremony of FUPRE in Delta State. He said the federal government was not oblivious of the fact that the oil and gas industry was highly technical and capital intensive in its operations and promised to create the enabling environment to encourage innovation and ingenious solutions to the nation’s critical challenges in that sector. “Government will provide the necessary stimulant for the development of ideas, by making available research grants and other facilities that will encourage research and development,” he assured. President Buhari, who was represented by Professor Anthony Anka, noted that FUPRE, as a specialised university in petroleum education becam...

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 21-year-old man, who allegedly killed one Oshin Aderibigbe, a spokesman of the Joint Campus Committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students. In a statement on Sunday, the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP. Bala Elkana, said the deceased was attacked by three hoodlums, who also dispossessed him of some valuables. “On April 26 at about 11.30 a.m., Aderigbigbe reported at Okokomaiko Police Station with blood gushing out of his body and stated that he was attacked by three young men, who stabbed him with a knife, dispossessed him of his handset and laptop. “He was rushed to the hospital but he died eventually. The leader of the hoodlums that attacked him, Bashiru Ahmed a.k.a Kawu (21) of Okoko was arrested. “He confessed to have committed the crime along with two of his friends who are now at large. “The said Bashiru Ahmed, who is the son of a popular traditional ruler in Okoko, is a notorious crimina...

As part of efforts to boost financial inclusion in the country, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has said it will be refurbishing over 2000 of its outlets across the country for the proposed NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB). According to the Postmaster General of the country, Adebisi Adegbuyi, 106 NIPOST outlets have already been selected for the first phase of the rollout of the NMFB across the country. He said this at a two-day seminar organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for financial journalists, that took place in Gombe. Adegbuyi, who was represented by NIPOST Director, Finance and Investment, Usman Shaba, noted that the move was in line with the drive for financial inclusion. He said: “The investments made by the government in postal outlets all over the federation in time past would now be put to use to reach the unbanked. “A lot of Nigerians are unbanked and these unbanked people are mostly in the rural communities and these postal outlets will be leveraged ...

Shareholders of Fidelity Bank Plc have approved the payment of a total dividend of N3.19 billion declared by the board of directors for the financial year ended December 31, 2018. The dividend, which translates to 11 kobo per shares was approved by shareholders at the bank’s 31st annual general meeting (AGM) held in Lagos at the weekend. Speaking at the meeting, National Chairman, New Dimension Shareholders Association, Mr. Patrick Ajudua, commended the board and management for maintaining a good dividend policy. He also advised the board to adopt strategies that would lead to the sustenance of the growth and profitability of the bank. Also speaking, President of the Nigerian Shareholders’ Solidarity Association, Chief Timothy Adesiyan, said the bank had maintained steady growth in spite of challenging environment. He commended the bank’s effort in ensuring aggressive loans recovery which impacted positively on its non-performing loan. “We have a solid bank handled by professio...

A LARGE proportion of the N7.9 trillion pieces of naira notes in circulation are dirty, mutilated, unfit for Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and over-the-counter payments, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said. A statement by CBN’s Deputy Governor, Operations Folashodun Shonubi and Director, Currency Operations Department Mrs. Pricilla Eleje spoke of plans to withdraw such notes from circulation. The officials said the bank had the obligation of providing adequate supply of clean banknotes to facilitate seamless payment and settlement of transactions by the public, government and banks. CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele is “due in Lagos tomorrow to launch “The clean note policy and banknote fitness guidelines”. The CBN described the measure as the first step in its bid to address the sorry state of the notes in circulation and create a new culture for better handling of the currency. The clean note policy provides a uniform standard for the circulation of only clean and fit...

Promoting gender equality has become a globally recognised and an acceptable reality. Indeed, gender issues have been identified as critical to the achievement of national development goals and the attainment of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself but also as a catalyst for the achievement of sustainable development. In Nigeria, some laudable efforts have been made to put in place the necessary mechanisms required for the elimination of gender discrimination so as to ensure gender parity and human dignity. It is not a surprise therefore, that the president/chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has been in the forefront of canvassing for gender equality. As a matter of fact, it has been seen as a practice in his organisations. To underscore the need for gender equality, the Dangote Group has been championing the implementation of programmes and policies that help strengthen the collective resolve to boost equality in the workplace. Only ...

A 56 - year -old man , Clinton Kanu , has said he will demand a N 20 bn compensation for spending 27 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit . Kanu , who was sentenced to death in 1992 for murder , was freed by the Supreme Court on April 5 , 2019 . The Okigwe , Imo State -born consultant criminologist explained that though he made efforts to absolve himself from a gang -up that led to his incarceration, nobody was ready to listen to him until he was jailed. While in prison , Kanu lost his mother ; coupled with the fact that he was not married , he said he fought loneliness . Kanu , who recounted the incident that led to his travail , said , “About 27 years ago , some people were accused of stealing a generator and fluorescent tubes ; they were my in -laws . “After a court decided the case , we suddenly heard that somebody was killed in the compound where my sister married . I was arrested because those behind my ordeal thought I was trying to resolve a land dispute in ...

The Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE), a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has attested to the stability and safety of the Third Mainland Bridge, which is currently undergoing routine repair works on its weak expansion joints. Recently, there were fears over the bridge following a Facebook video clip showing the expansion joint in the bridge. But in a report after its technical visit to the bridge signed by NSE Chairman, Apapa Branch, Sunny Ejeje, the body stressed that the expansion joints are not the structural parts of the bridge and do not have structural bearing on the stability of the bridge. The technical visit made on April 22, 2019 by NICE Lagos Chapter under the leadership of the Lola Adetona, was attended by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Adedamola Kuti, and other national and state officials . In allaying the fears of motorists, the engineers said the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing did an underwater integrity ...

There are strong indications that the state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress will as from May 1 begin talks with their state governments on the implementation of the N 30 ,000 minimum wage recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari . Investigations on Sunday showed that while some state chapters of the NLC would begin meeting with the state governments on May 1 ( May Day ) , others insisted that they would wait for a circular from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission before they could start negotiation . The unionists said that they would not tolerate any reduction in the N 30 ,000 minimum wage by any state government . Ekiti NLC to meet state govt For instance , the Ekiti State Chairman of the NLC , Olatunde Kolapo, in an interview with The PUNCH on Saturday , said labour would meet with the state government on May 1. Kolapo, who was inaugurated as the NLC state chairman on Thursday, said , “We just came on board . The meeting with the state government...

The Lagos State Government has warned residents of the state against buying ponmo ( cow skin ) , being sold in some markets in the state . A statement by the Director of Public Affairs , Lagos State Ministry of Health , Adeola Salako , said three persons involved in the sale of the “poisonous ponmo ” in the Ojo and Iba local government areas of the state had been arrested . The statement said the ponmo was seized in large quantities , adding that samples of the confiscated ponmo had been sent to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to test their suitability for consumption . “The Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris , who disclosed this in his office today ( Sunday ) while reviewing report of preliminary investigation and enforcement carried out on the sale of the toxic ponmo in the areas , stated that the three persons involved had been charged to court , while samples of the confiscated ponmo had been sent to the NAFDAC laboratory for suitability ...

Africa ’s richest man and Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has donated a fully equipped 2 ,160 - bed capacity hostel complex to the Ahmadu Bello University , Zaria . According to a statement on Sunday, the student hall of residence, comprising 10 blocks of 360 rooms , was built at a cost of N 1 .2bn . It said the new student hall of residence was inaugurated to commemorate the university’s 41 st convocation , during which the university authorities reciprocated Dangote’s act of philanthropy by conferring on him a honorary doctorate degree . The President of Dangote Group explained that he was moved to build the structure having realised that the student population had increased without a corresponding growth in terms of infrastructure . He lamented that the situation had remained a major challenge as Nigerian public universities continued to grapple with underfunding . “Thus , I would like to use this opportunity to enjoin the Federal Government to ...

  Mr Kolapo Olowoporoku    Barely  two years that one Mercy Afolaranmi who was a first year student of microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo allegedly committed suicide due to poor academic performance, another sad news just filled the air about a final year Student of the same institution. One Mr Kolapo Olowoporoku who was an extra year student of Computer science in Obafemi A wolowo University, Ile - Ife was reportedly  to have committed suicide after failing his carry over courses (CVE and CSC 517) repeatedly. The deceased, who  was the class representative of Computer science with Economics  supposed to have been serving  with his course mates who had their convocation last year. The deceased took his outstanding courses in the last academic session 2017/2018 but it's reported that, he didn't get the minimum mark to bid the said courses farewell. He was said to have resorted to taking poison on Monday, but the poison didn't kill him unt...

Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) has been appointed as Africa Centre of Excellence in Future Energies and Electrochemical Systems (ACE-FUELS). This is also as 43 students who bagged First Class Honours Degree for the 2017/2018 academic session would be conferred with the honours during the University’s 31st convocation ceremony. Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Francis Chukwuemeka Eze, said that the university was one of 17 universities in the country approved as Africa Centre of Excellence in various specific research areas. According to him, FUTO ACE-FUELS was sponsored by the World Bank in collaboration with the Association of African Universities (AAU) with the aim of improving quality and quantity of higher degree programmes on the continent. Eze, a Professor of Physics and the 7th substantive Vice Chancellor of the university disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the activities fixed for the 31st convocation ceremony of the institution comi...

United States oil super major, Exxon Mobil, has heightened its planned pull-out from Nigeria as it considers its oil and gas assets worth $3 billion for sale. The company, which is Nigeria’s second biggest international oil company in terms of production volume and assets, recently held talks on the sale of a suite of oil and gas fields in Nigeria. The company currently focuses on new developments in United States Shale and Guyana. The potential disposal, according to Reuters which quoted industry and banking sources, is expected to include stakes in onshore and offshore fields where 225,000 barrels are produced per day (bpd) and could raise up to $3 billion. “Exxon is actively divesting in Nigeria,” one source, who was briefed on the di vestment plans, said. Exxon declined to comment. The Irving, Texas-based company is one of the largest oil and gas producers in Nigeria, with 106 operated platforms. Its oil output in the country reached 225,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2017, ...