Saturday, November 09, 2019

Hotel Cleaner Inserted Millionaires Sperm From A Used Condom, Conceived A Boy

Hotel cleaner who stole sperm from a  used condom won child support battle By Nistrator - November 9, 2019  A 40-year-old Las Vegas hotel cleaner won a child support battle against a 28-year-old millionaire who she never slept with.  Jane was 36 when she stole a used condom from a then 24-year-old tech millionaire’s hotel garbage can.  She inserted the semen inside her vagina and became pregnant with a baby boy who is now 4-years-old. 

 During the child support hearing, Jane confessed that she never slept with the young millionaire and that she impregnated herself with his sperm while she was cleaning his room.  “He left his bank statement on the nightstand in his hotel room and I saw it when I was cleaning, at the time I wanted a baby so bad and I thought it would be better if I had a baby with a rich man”  The paternity test where conducted and the young millionaire is the father. The court ordered him to pay the mother of the child $2 million for the 3 years of his son’s life he missed.

Ending Learning Poverty: A Target to Galvanize Action on Literacy

At a school in Malawi, students are enjoying play time at recess. Unfortunately, sometimes recess lasts all day because the teacher doesn’t come to work.

In a classroom in Armenia, students are receiving grades for their ability to repeat memorized text, with textbooks dominating the learning process rather than teacher instruction and innovation, leaving graduates unprepared for a competitive work environment.

In Bangladesh, despite improving enrollment rates, girls are still not learning as much as boys, and dropout rates are high – with lost years in schooling being attributed to child marriage, household responsibilities and other factors. 

Measuring ‘Learning Poverty’

Evidence reveals that we are in the midst of a global learning crisis that threatens countries’ efforts to build human capital – the skills and know-how needed for the jobs of the future. Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is also at risk – including the goal to end extreme poverty.

To highlight the scope of the problem, the World Bank has introduced the new concept of learning poverty, drawing on new data developed in coordination with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Learning poverty is defined as being unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10. This indicator brings together schooling and learning indicators: it starts with the share of children who haven’t achieved minimum reading proficiency (as measured in schools) and adjusts it by the proportion of children who are out of school (and are assumed not to read proficiently).

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The new data show that 53% of all children in low- and middle-income countries suffer from learning poverty. And progress in reducing learning poverty is far too slow to meet the aspirations laid out in SDG4 – to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. At the current rate of improvement, in 2030 about 43% of children will still be learning-poor. If countries reduce learning poverty at the fastest rates we have seen so far in this century, the global rate of learning poverty would drop to 28%.


This high rate of learning poverty and slow progress in low and middle-income countries is an early warning sign that all of the targets outlined in SDG4 are at risk – including the target to increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.

Learning Target Launched

To galvanize action towards meeting global education goals and tackling the global learning crisis, World Bank Group President David Malpass announced a new operational global learning target to cut the learning poverty rate by at least half by 2030. Simulations show that this target, while ambitious, is achievable if all countries manage to improve learning as well as the top performers of the 2000-2015 period did—which means on average nearly tripling the global rate of progress.

Reducing learning poverty by half is effectively an intermediate target. Countries should define their own path (and intermediate targets) in terms of financing and implementation of reforms to make sure that all their children have an opportunity in life. In many countries, reaching this development objective might take some time, but the social contract in the country must be designed so that everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic background, race or gender, has access to a good quality education.

Why Focus on Reading?

In literate societies around the world, reading has for centuries been at the core of formal education. Parents and other stakeholders everywhere share an understanding that a school’s first task is to ensure that children can read proficiently.

When a child becomes proficient in reading, it unlocks the door to the vast knowledge codified in texts of all types. Whether the child takes advantage of that ability will depend on many factors—including the quality of the school system in later grades—but failure to acquire reading proficiency would clearly hinder their ability to learn throughout their social and working life.

Reading proficiency also serves as a proxy for foundational learning in other subjects, in the same way that the absence of childhood stunting is a marker of healthy early childhood development. Systems that ensure that all children can read are likely to succeed in helping them learn other subjects as well.  The data bear this out: across countries and schools, proficiency rates in reading are highly correlated with proficiency in other subjects.

For example, a country’s reading score on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment and its math score – measured by Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) – are almost perfectly correlated. The cross-subject correlations within other assessments are strong too, as the Bank’s new report explains. Language development, which is enhanced by reading skills, is also nurtured along with the development of a child’s self-regulation, a fundamental socioemotional skill.

What Can Be Done to Ensure Children Learn to Read?

To support country efforts to improve literacy, the Bank introduced a Literacy Policy package outlining interventions that have proven successful in boosting literacy in several countries and subnational entities.  For example, in Egypt, the government is implementing a reform program to change its curriculum and assessment systems so students are evaluated throughout the year, with exams that focus on acquiring skills, and teachers receiving coaching and peer-learning credentials. A key element of the reforms has been a shift toward learning, not to get a credential. And in Brazil, in states like Ceara, Espirito Santo, Acre, and Pernambuco, the quality of delivery of the education service is steadily improving, showing that change is possible. These are just a few examples; more are described in the new paper: “Ending Learning Poverty: What will it take?

Successful countries invest in shifting the mindsets of all actors of the education system to focus relentlessly on learning. They provide teachers with support materials, like teaching guides, that can facilitate their day-to-day work; provide coaching and feedback to teachers to improve their classroom practices; assure that all children have reading material; and assure a simple and effective curriculum to guide teachers. 

In many countries, shifting to teaching in the mother tongue in the early primary years proves to be essential to improving performance. Systems with stronger institutional capacity increase their investment in quality early childhood education, implement structures that enable children to be taught at the right level, and strengthen the principals’ career stream. In all cases technology can make implementation of these interventions more cost effective – and measurement of learning is essential to monitor progress and guide system improvement. Although the type of assessment may vary, it is essential for assessment systems to have well-defined ways of feeding information on student performance back into the system to drive decisions. In school systems where 90% of children learn to read, most have explicit, concrete, and time-bound goals for early grade readers. 

To succeed and focus the whole system around student learning, countries will want to take a two-pronged approach, implementing short-term reforms today – as outlined in the Literacy Policy Package – that will improve service delivery for the students going to school now. At the same, they will want to establish systemic changes to improve how the education system functions over the long term. The Education Approach may include reforming the teaching career to attract and retain good professionals, reform preservice training, reform the management structure of the whole system, and expand infrastructure.

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Education Interventions Are Not Enough

The fight against learning poverty will require an approach supported by actions beyond the education sector. Water and sanitation, transportation, cash transfer programs, health and nutrition, and civil service reforms—all are essential to improve learning. The World Bank Group’s Human Capital Project recognizes the need for a whole-of-government approach to improve human capital. Reducing the rate of learning poverty  is also going to require renewed attention to the role that families and communities play in building the demand for education, creating the right environment for learning, and creating social demand for the right education reforms.

Join Our Movement to End Learning Poverty

Learning poverty should be zero everywhere. All children should be able to read by age 10. Reading is a basic human right and critical for anyone to participate fully in society.

As a way to engage on what it will take to end the learning crisis, our new global campaign, Literacy Makes Senseoffers ideas to key stakeholders in the education community – such as parents, teachers, principals, education officials, and employers – on what actions they can take to engage on this issue and help end learning poverty.

Join us and be part of the movement to end #LearningPoverty, because literacy makes sense! Everyone has a role to play.


BUHARI, OSINBAJO RIFT DEEPENS OVER SACK OF VP STAFF. BUT PRESIDENCY SAYS, TOGETHER, ITS A SCRIPT FOR GLORIOUS FUTURE FOR NIGERIA


 The Presidency on Friday  confirmed that there is, on-going, an unprecedented overhaul of the nation’s seat of government, arising from which a number of political appointments have either been revoked or not renewed in the Second Term.

The exercise, which has been ordered by the President, is to streamline decision-making, cut down multiple authorities and reduce the cost of administration.

In a statement issued by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity Garba Shehu , The presidency noted that the decision  is also an appropriate response to the general perception that the Presidency has an oversized and bloated workforce which acts as a drag on efficiency.

As may have been noticed by discerning members of the public, a number of political appointees among the few that served in the office of the President were not returned for the Second Term.

The office of the Vice President, His Excellency Yemi Osinbajo has, in compliance with the directive of the President, equally been shed of a number of such appointees.

In carrying out these exercises, the overriding objective is to save taxpayer money and deliver needed service to the public. As far as the President is concerned, there is no scope for an excuse for administration after getting a huge mandate to run the country for four more years.

In the light of this, the Presidency wishes to strongly deny rumours of a rift between President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The relationship between the two leaders remains excellent and trusting. Together, they will script a glorious future for the nation.

The media reports of a soured relationship are originating from the minds and mouths of mischief makers, who are desperate for entertaining stories from the Aso Rock Villa with which to titillate the public. This ulterior motive is the basis of the wrong interpretation given to the recent exercise in the Presidency.

There has been a streamlining of staff going on for a while. The President has always had fewer staff than the Vice President, and there were always plans to reduce the number of staff at the Villa.

The streamlining was not personal or targeted to undermine the Vice President's office, as the so-called insider sources quoted by the media appear to make it seem.

The President is in absolute control of his government. The media should stop attributing non-existent powers to some people. There cannot be anyone too powerful for President Buhari to control.

Labour Minister Assumes Office as PGE of ILO, Pushes for Democratization.


 The Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige today assumed office as the President Groupe Gouvernemental (PGE) – President of the Government Group of the Governing Board(GB) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) at its 337 session ongoing in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

In a statement by Deputy Director press in the Ministry of Labour and employment, Charlse Aakpan said the Minister was handed over the office, domiciled in the ILO’s Headquarters by Nigeria’s Labour Attaché in Geneva, Mr. Aniefiok Essa who has been overlooking it on behalf of the Nigeria Mission since June 2019. 

 

In his address to the Governing Board plenary, Sen. Ngige gave a remarkable push to the agitation for the democratization of the ILO Governing Board, throwing his weight behind the Africa Group position that the democratization process started since 1986 be fast forwarded to assist the Tripartite Working Group established by the 108thsession of the International Labour Conference in June this year.

 

He said that though the ratification of the democratization amendments has been yielding acceptance among members since it commenced thirty-three years ago, the organization has got unfinished business as regards the democratization of its structures to ensure fair representation of all regions and equity among member states. 

 

“We are however encouraged that the continuous promotion of this ratification is not only a permanent item on our GB agenda whose report is expected from the DG, but also an opportunity to constantly remind our members of the unfinished business of democratization of the Governing body of our organization,” he said. 

 

The Minister further asked the Director General to clarify the ambiguities surrounding the Tripartite Working Group such as the status and source of the powers of the group, its size, who and what qualifies the membership, composition, duration of assignment as well as the terms of reference. 

 

Based on the strength of these questions which obviously threw up new issues, the Director General had to adjourn the session while adjusting its timetable to enable his office to critically examine and provide adequate answers. 


Nasarawa Deputy Governor Attacked, four killed

Gunmen attack Nasarawa deputy governor convoy, kill four.

By Donatus Nadi, Lafia   August 20, 2019

Three policemen were reportedly killed by suspected gunmen when the convoy of the Nasarawa state deputy governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe ran into the assailants around Gako hill in Nasarawa Eggon local government.

The incident which also claimed the life of a civilian driver was said to have happened around 8pm as the deputy governor was heading to Abuja for the swearing-in of ministers scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

The Nation reliably gathered that when the escort commander was informed that there were suspected gunmen on the road, he stopped the convoy and took two other mobile police officers with him alongside the civilian driver to fend off the gunmen and open the road.

Our source said upon hearing gunshots from an oncoming Hilux van the gunmen took cover and ambushed the police officers and the driver killing all four.

The rifles of the officers were also said to be taken away leaving behind only a magazine.

As at the time of filing this report, the corpses of the slain policemen and their driver were deposited at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia.

When contacted, the Police spokesman in the state, Othman Ismaeel said the state police commissioner and other senior officers were at the scene of the incidence as he was yet to be fully briefed.

Source: The Nation Newspaper.

Abuja Noodles factory explosion

Explosion rocks Royal Noodle Company. Destroys three houses. Information on casualty still scatchy

ASUU, OTHERS SPIT FIRE over IPPIS IMPLEMENTATION


 After a nationwide strike by organised labour was averted, following conclusion o
in talks over minimum wage implementation delay, crisis seems to be brewing in Nigeria's tertiary institutions with government's directive to withhold workers october salary, if they fail to enrol  into the integrated payroll and personnel information system,  IPPIS

The latest threats are coming from both the academic and non academic staff of colleges of education as well as the academic staff union of universities, ASUU.

 ASUU argues the move is aimed at distorting the hard-fought autonomy for universities

A meeting between the Academic staff union of polytechnics, ASUP and a representative of  the office of the accountant general of the federation has just ended

The aim of the talks here is to persuade the lecturers to enrol in the Intergrated payroll personnel information system, IPPIS and at the same time prevent another round of industrial unrest in the polytechnics.

ASUP had issued a 21 day strike notice, which expires this week

Meetings have also been held with other workers groups in the universities and colleges of Education over similar issues

Government is threating to stop october salaries of workers who fail to enrol in IPPIS.

While the senior staff association of Nigerian universities, SSANU sees nothing wrong with IPPIS, the Senior staff of colleges of education, its academic staff and ASUU hold different opinions

ASUU, is particular saying that the move threatens university autonomy

According to government, The IPPIS is used to check ghost workers and block leakages in salary payment

As October ends, it remains to be seen what government's  next step will be or will Nigerians see yet another round of closure of lecture halls and empty staff rooms






AREMU CARPETS NIGERIA FOR JOINING OTHER AFRICANS INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES FOR ECONOMIC SUMMIT

Hours after president Muhammadu Buhari departed Nigeria for the Saudi Arabia economic forum, the General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, Issa Aremu has taken a swipe on the Nigerian government for attending and taking part in all sorts of Africa and individual countries summits

Aremu, speaking at the unions 31st Natioanl Education conference in Abuja on tuesday, listed a few of the fora as the Russia-Africa summit, the China-Africa summit, The Japan-Africa summit, the Turkey-Africa Summit among others

The labour leader regretted how Nigeria will continue to join other african countries to allow themselves to remain underdeveloped by the intrigues of the developed counties 

While calling on the Nigerian government sustain the closure of its land borders to boost internal production of goods, He said the country must unearth those behind the over nine billion dollars deallings with the P&ID company

President Buhari has mandated the Central Bank of Nigeria and industrial Training fund to provide special funds to facilitate training of textile and garment workers across Nigeria 

The president said this is to sustain the memorandum of understanding signed between the CBN and all uniform services with textile industry for production and use of local fabrics 

The president representatives at the conference, professor Segun Ajiboye also emphasised the importance of the current border closure.


AGITATIONS FOR NATIONAL MINIMUM PENSION OF 30,000 NAIRA

Senior citizens under the auspices of the Nigeria union of pensioners have taken a protest to the National salaries, incomes and wages commission's office in Abuja to demand for review of minimum pensions

This demand is coming few Weeks after the federal government and organised labour concluded talks on adjustment of percentage increase on the new thirty thousand naira minimum wage.

These  are some of the obvious  reasons necessitating the demand for minimum pension just like the the newly signed minimum wage for the working class

Octogenarian, Abel Afolayan and president of the Nigeria union of pensioners hold strong convictions that retirees will have their wish

This group of retirees belong to the mandatory pensioners who left service before the 2004 pension Review act which introduced the contributory pension scheme.

Those own contributory scheme have their pensions automatically adjusted with the minimum wage increase.

Blame The Military, Police, Hoodlums On Highways for food, beef hike


The amalgamated union of food stuffs and cattle dealers of Nigeria, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour congress is blaming 33 military and 107 police check points across highways for the hike in food stuff and beef in the market

The labour union executive at a media briefing in Abuja said despite their resistance, over the years, the ugly situation persists unabated especially in the southern part of the country

Not many Nigerians know about the existence of the Amalgamated union of foodstuff and cattle dealers, but many especially frequent road travellers are aware of the activities of uniform men on the countries highways.

No doubt they maintain sanity and  security, but the decision by some of them to indulge in extortion of unsuspecting motorists is beginning to raise serious concerns among some road users

Another concern of the foodstuff and cattle dealers workers is the multiple taxation imposed on the transportation of cattle, tomatoes among other produce by some states governments , particularly those states on transit routes

The Amalgamated union of food stuff and cattle dealers of Nigeria is among the newly registered union with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC

Governors Get December 31, 2019 To Conclude minimum wage Consequential Adjustment


In what appears to be an unending debate over the thirty thousand naira new minimum wage, the organised labour has again given governors of the 36 states up to December 31, 2019 to conclude consequential adjustment on salaries

this latest threat is coming is coming at a meeting of federal and states joint public service Negotiating council in abuja, one month,  after the federal government and workers in federal employment concluded talks on september 18 for percentage increase on salaries

Although some states like kaduna state have stated implementation of the new wage for levels seven to 14 without waiting for a proper consequential adjustment, and organised labour said the development

This meeting is worried that the issue of the new national minimum wage signed into since april 18, 2019 has dragged for too long, creating huge backlog of arrears. 

NSCDC arrest man, his 5 wives for selling son for N5million

The Nasarawa State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has arrested one John Ayuba of Gidiye village, in Obi local government area, for attempting to sell his three year old son, Solomon for N5million.

Parading the suspect at the command headquarters, the State Commandant of the Corps, Dr. Mahmmud Feri says, the arrest was made possible through intelligence, gathered by the officers and men of the command.

Commandant Mahmoud Feri told news men that the man Ayuba, steals children in Lafia, and sells them to people outside the state. 

Ayuba, a farmer with five  wives and 23 children, confessed to committing the crime. 

He attributes the perpetuation of the crime to the present day economic hardship. 

The Nasarawa state commandant of the Nscdc says, investigations have revealed that the culprit, had earlier sold one of his daughters to ritualist.

He assures that his command has swung into action to unravel further details of the crime.

The command calls on the citizens to report suspected acts of child trafficking and ritual inclinations to security agents. 

The Commandant also calls on parents and guardian to be more vigilant in their neighborhood and communities.