Socioscope News Agency

The Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, on Monday disclosed plans to build an airport within the campus of the institution soon. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Eyitope, dropped the hint at the 2019 Faculty of Technology International Conference, held at OAU ICT Park recently, saying that the airport would serve as training ground for the planned aeronautic programme of the university. The vice-chancellor said, “We believe that the future of travel globally is in the air.  It is in view of this that we are starting an aeronautic programme.  As part of this, we will be having our own airport. "We have over 11,000 hectares of land, with which we hope to achieve our objective and we have developed a proposal for the airport. We will be taking it up with the authorities to ensure that we do not only have the aeronautic programme here, but also build an airport that will serve that purpose. “We want to make OAU the hub of aeronautic studies i...

A  graduate of  the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State,  Irale Obas, was on Sunday killed along with four others allegedly during a  cult clash  in Iyakpi, Auchi. An eyewitness said Obas recently passed out of  the National Youth Service Corps. Obas’ killing  came  less than 24  hours after the killing of a popular disc jockey, Sekiru Jeliu, also a former student of the  polytechnic,  in the same community. An eyewitness said the killings came  after the murder of  the  brother  of a leader of one of the confraternities. The cult war, it was learnt, had created tension in the team. The state  Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Mohammed who confirmed the incident, said 58 persons had been arrested in connection with the clash, with arms and ammunition recovered. “No fewer  than 58 persons have been arrested and arms and ammunition have also been recovered but  we  are  inv...

FULL LIST OF FIFA BEST 2019 AWARD WINNERS Men’s player – Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina) Women’s player – Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC and United States) Men’s coach – Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) Women’s coach – Jill Ellis (United States) Men’s goalkeeper – Alisson Becker (Liverpool and Brazil) Women’s goalkeeper – Sari Van Veenendaal (Atletico Madrid and Holland) Puskas award – Daniel Zsori (Debrecen/Fehervar) Fan award – Silvia Grecco (Palmeiras) Fair play award – Marcelo Bielsa and the Leeds squad FIFPro men’s world XI – Alisson; Matthijs De Ligt, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Virgil Van Dijk; Frenkie De Jong, Eden Hazard, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi FIFPro women’s world XI – Sari Van Veenendaal; Lucy Bronze, Nilla Fischer, Kelley O’Hara, Wendie Renard; Julie Ertz, Amandine Henry, Rose Lavelle; Marta, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe.

  The Schwab Foundation, a sister organisation of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari’s National Social Investment Programmes(N-SIPs). Justice Bibiye, Communications Manager, National Social Investment Office (NSIO), in a statement on Monday, in Abuja, said the foundation conferred the prestigious Public Social Intrapreneur award on Mrs Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to President on Social Investments. Bibiye said that efforts by the  Buhari administration to reduce poverty in Nigeria through its various SIPs had continued to receive thumbs up from well-meaning individuals and organisations within and outside the country. He said Uwais and 40 other individuals selected from different countries received the award on Monday in New York in recognition of their innovative approach and potential for global impact. “The list includes start-up founders and chief executive officers, multinational and regional ...

The incident recorded at Ijare town, Ifedore Local Government area of Ondo state on Saturday night created social media buzz.  The lightning bolt incident also enjoyed special mention and prominence on the pages of newspapers. It centered on the  thirty six cows  that got struck dead by lightning bolt at the dreadful and sacred hill known as ‘Oke Owa’ which is located on the outskirts of the sleepy community. Was it mere coincidence? Was it a natural phenomenon? It was however what many would have readily described as anachronistic beliefs of the past if nothing had happened to those considered as trespassers by members of the community they must have reasoned. Many questions must have also exercised the minds of the people.    ‘There had been occasions like that but not as massive  as this .Talking about  some individuals who desecrated the land in the past we did witness such attack, when you desecrate any part of Ijare particularly the sacred places...

• Mineral resources give 64 per cent of funds • ‘Revenue alone doesn’t make nation wealthy’ Stakeholders in the economy yesterday expressed worry about the disparity between huge government earnings and growing poverty in the country. This followed the report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) showing that N28.58 trillion was remitted to the Federation Account between 2012 and 2016. NEITI’s latest Fiscal Allocation and Statutory Disbursement (FASD) Audit report for the period shows that of the N28.58 trillion, mineral sources contributed the highest sum of N18.15 trillion (after deductions for joint venture cash calls and subsidy claims), representing 64 per cent of the total earnings. This was followed by non-mineral source (N6.68 trillion), representing 23 per cent, while Value Added Tax (VAT) was N3.73 trillion, representing 13 per cent. A year-by-year breakdown of the total remittances showed that N4.19 tril...

Anti-corruption advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has urged the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), to enter a nolle prosequi to terminate the charges filed against the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare, alias Mandate. In an open letter on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, SERAP said the charges which centre on insulting President Muhammadu Buhari would only make a mockery of the Nigerian criminal justice system. SERAP advised Malami to activate his power of nolle prosequi under Section 174 of the constitution to terminate the charges against Sowore and Mandate “and several other similar trumped-up cases going on in several states.” SERAP said, “Sowore’s case and several similar cases instigated/brought by state governors make a hideous mockery of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, rule of law, freedom of expression and media freedom. “These cases are persecut...

The University of Ibadan on Saturday released the cut-off marks for candidates who chose the institution in the 2019/2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The cut-off marks for all departments in various faculties in the institution were fixed by the faculty admissions committee The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, announced the cut-off marks in a statement issued on Saturday. Olayinka said the committee agreed to the respective cut-off marks in the spirit of openness and transparency for which the institution is known for. He said, “They agreed to the respective cut-off marks which we are publishing in the spirit of openness and transparency for which our institution is reputed. “Good luck to all the candidates as you seek to join this citadel of learning,” Olayinka added. Some of the  cut-off marks are; Agricultural Economics 55.25,   English Language 65.5,   Medicine  and Surgery 78.87,   Nursing 70...

The Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to remove all obstacles for the smooth passage of the 2020 budget. A statement on Sunday said the governor spoke in Kano during Gbajabiamila’s condolence visit to a member of the House, Sha’aban Sharada, over the demise of his father, Alhaji Ibrahim Sharada. The governor said, “We were just discussing about the budget. The Federal Government will soon send the budget and I heard your comments on how soon that budget will be ready. I think that is a progressive stand that you have taken. I am sure that with that in your mind, you will do everything possible to see that all unnecessary obstacles are removed for a smooth passage of our national budget.”  Ganduje thanked the Speaker for having a progressive relationship with the executive arm, saying that would take Nigeria to the next level. The Speaker, according to the statement, was received in the state ...