Monday, January 27, 2020
Sunday, January 26, 2020
TRAGEDY: NBA star Kobe Bryant tragically dies in California helicopter crash aged 41
Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash in California aged 41. The NBA legend was travelling with four people in his private helicopter when it crashed in Calabasas, 40 miles north-west of Los Angeles, on Sunday morning, according to multiple reports.
Five people are reported to have died in the accident. Vanessa Bryant, his wife, was not thought to be onboard. They have four children together – Gianna, Natalia and Bianca and six-month-old Capri.
A call for a downed helicopter went out at 10.01am, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. Firefighters attended the scene and put out the flames.
Los Angeles County Fire could not confirm who was on board or who the helicopter belonged to. Bryant has long been known to travel around California by his personal helicopter.
“We received a call just before 10am this morning of an aircraft down in the Malibu area, right off of Las Vergenes, essentially Calabasas,” fire captain Tony Imbrenda told reporters at the scene. “Some folks were out here mountain biking this morning, they saw an aircraft in distress, they went down into the hillside. This was a helicopter, it’s been confirmed it was an S-76 Sikorsky helicopter and unfortunately there were no survivors.”
The cause of the crash is being investigated, officials confirmed.
Bryant is considered one of greatest basketball players of all time. He became a legend at Los Angeles Lakers, spending his entire 20-year career with the team, becoming a five-time NBA champion and twice being named finals MVP.
In 2018 he won an Oscar for best short animated film for Dear Basketball, a five-minute film based on a love letter to basketball which Bryant wrote in 2015.
SOURCE: Independent Premium Uk
UNICEF AND INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION: Nigerian Pupils challenge Northern Governors on out-of-school children
A cross-section of pupils in Nigerian public schools in the 19 Northern states have expressed dissatisfaction with their governors over what they said is the near nonchalant attitude towards reducing the worrisome number of out-of-school children in the region.
The school children brought together by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, used self-created pictures to describe several factors that have continued to militate against educational development especially in Northern Nigeria.
It was not a fine arts class, but an exercise put together by the UNICEF under the Girls Education Programme, GEP 3, to mark the 2020 International Day of Education.
Thousands of children have been out of school in Nigeria’s North-East and 12-year old Primary 6 pupil, Hawawu Hussain, filled with emotions, passionately presents her worries in a drawing.
The passion for girls education exhibited by 10-year old Tearth Glovaru, a Nigerian born Indian, caught the attention of everybody at the exercise.
Tearth, an only child is unhappy why girls should remain at home to hawk and do house chores, while boys are allowed to attend school.
Tearth shared his desires with UNICEF on how India and Nigeria can help save the girl from the forces militating against her education.
Away from Tearth, a pupil from the Yakassai Model Primary School in Kano Municipal, 12-year old Muhammed Salisu in Primary 6, did not hide his feelings about the dirty
Climate change and its devastation is disturbing to 12-year old Primary 6 pupil, Mhadija Yakub, who told AIT she is worried that girls like her are unable to attend school and get the best of life due to the negative effect of using firewood to cook
As UNICEF continues to create more visibility on the importance of education in Nigeria, it seeks increased commitment from government, religious, and traditional rulers in making sure there is continuity of initiatives aimed at keeping children in school, to complete at least basic education
Source: AIT NEWS
Thursday, January 23, 2020
MINIMUM WAGE: Spain's new government raises minimum wage
Spain's new Socialist government under Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday brokered an accord with unions and bosses lifting the minimum wage 5.5 percent or €59.8 euros to €1,108 ($1,230) gross a month.
STUDENT KILLING: PLATEAU RESIDENTS REACT TO EXECUTION OF UNIMAID UNDERGRATUATE, ROPVIL DACIYA :
THE EXECUTION OF ROPVIL DACIYA A TWO HUNDRED LEVEL STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI BY BOKO HARAM ON TUESDAY HAS CONTINUED TO ATTRACT WIDE CONDEMNATION FROM RESIDENTS OF PLATEAU STATE.
FATHER OF THE SLAIN STUDENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS CALL FOR URGENT MEASURES TO STOP THE KILLINGS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE .
THE MOOD AT THE FAMILY RESIDENCE OF ROPVIL A NATIVE OF PANKSHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE WHO WAS ABDUCTED WHILE RETURNING BACK TO SCHOOL IS THAT OF GLOOM AND GRIEF.
FATHER OF THE DECEASE SAYS THE FAMILY HAS ACCEPTED THE SITUATION BUT WANTS GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE RISING CASES OF INSECURITY TO SAVE THE LIVES OF MANY OTHERS.
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS LAMENT THE DASTARDLY ACT AND ONLY HOPES GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE OF REASSURING NIGERIANS OF THIER SAFETY.
YUSUF GAGDI REPRESENTING PANKSHIN KANAM IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMISERATES WITH THE FAMILY AND SAYS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST RISE BEYOND LIP SERVICE TO GUARANTEE THE SAFETY OF NIGERIANS.
ALL NIGERIANS ARE ASKING FOR IS A SAFE HAVEN WERE PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL FAR AND NEAR WITHOUT FEAR OF THE UKNOWN.
JAMB Stops 11 Computer Based Centres from 2020 UTME registration
The centres were found to be charging candidates above the amount pegged by the board for the sales of examination instruments.
JAMB had fixed the cost of e-PIN for registration for N3,500 and the cost of materials for N500 while N700 for the computer-based test (CBT) centres – totalling N4,700.
JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who disclosed this during an interactive session with stakeholders at the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC in Abuja on Tuesday, said the board discovered that some of the centres were selling the e-PIN for as high as N8, 000.
Oloyede said charging above the stipulated N4,700 for the 2020 UTME registration was illegitimate and would only destroy the nation; as it was an act of fraud and corruption.
Some of the centres whose licences were withdrawn for selling forms at N5,000 are; Federal Polytechnics, Mubi; Adamawa; and Adazi-Nnukwu ICT/CBT.
Others are New Kings and Queens Bayelsa, for selling at N5,500; Brightfield Secondary School Delta, for selling between N6,000 and N8,000; A-Pagen Consolidated Port Harcourt, for selling at N5,000 and Influencial School Port Harcourt, for selling at N6,000.
Also included are Emkenlyn Computers, and Nneameka Secondary School Anambra.
He said: “Many people make illegitimate money from the examination and we will be destroying the nation, if we don’t get things right.
“Prior to 2018, we sell form for N5,000; but the Federal Government considers so many things and felt the money was much and in 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari decided that the cost should be slashed; which brought the cost to N3,500.
“Also, prior to this time, there were unscrupulous people selling as high as N10,000. We now democratised the sale of the forms, to make it available so that it will not be possible for those selling to hoard the forms.
“We felt the banks are overcrowded so we decided to expand the sale outlet, to bring in mobile money operators to cover all the registered banks.
“The effects of the expansion is that some people are still penetrating the banks, thereby increasing the cost of the sale of form."
The registrar said the proliferation of tutorial centres was a major concern as most of the centres engaged in fraud and corruption during registrations and examinations.
In his remarks, the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Muhammadu, urged the board to limit the tutorial centres in the country.
Muhammadu urged the board to make sure that lists of certified tutorial centres were revealed to reduce infractions as it relates to examinations.
He called on commandants in the various states to make integrity their watchword in order not to betray the confidence the board has in them as well as Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the NSCDC on Tuesday paraded two suspects arrested by the agency in Agbor, Delta State, for extorting candidates.
The principal suspect, Ambrose, 65, with his accomplice, were charged for selling the JAMB document at N5,500 at a business Centre owned by Ambrose.
Commandant of NSCDC, Delta State, Dr Benito Eze, said the suspects were arrested when on a tip off, the Corps' undercover operatives were sent to buy the forms in company of JAMB officials.
Ambrose, when interrogated said he was acting as an agent to a CBT centre, explaining that out of the N5,500 collected from candidates, N4,000 is paid to JAMB while N700 is remitted to the CBT centre and N500 for transportation.
The NSCDC CG vowed to prosecute the culprit to serve as deterrent to others.
He said the suspects would be arraigned in court to face charges of criminal conspiracy and extortion of money from candidates.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
MINIMUM WAGE: Plateau Govt., Labour Disagree
Organised Labour and the Plateau State Government are yet to reach an agreement on payment of the N30, 000 new national minimum wage.
Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council, James Diwa told AIT that a meeting held between the State Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in the State ended in a stalemate.
Since the turn of the New Year 2020, civil servants across the country have had high hopes that the much talked about N30, 000 minimum wage issue will be laid to rest following assurances by the federal and state governments.
While approval has been given for the payment in some states, the case in Plateau State is different as the State Government and Organised Labour are yet to reach an agreement.
Diwa said the only headway made on the discussion, is the N30, 000 minimum wage as it affects Grade Level 1 to 6.
The situation no doubt leaves a lot to be desired with strike as the only option left for the Labour unions if their demands are not met by the January 31 deadline given to state governments by the national secretariats of the Labour movement to conclude negotiations and begin payment across all grade levels.
Source: AITNEWS
MAIGIDA FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTES EXERCISE BOOKS TO LESS PRIVILEGED PUPILS IN KEFFI
The nasarawa state government in collaboration with maigida foundation give out books to less privileged school children in selected schools at the start of each academic term and session
Monday, January 20, 2020
Professor of Surgery dies due to absence of N200 cannula to resuscitate him in Jigawa State
A Consultant Urologist and an Associate Professor of Surgery has allegedly died due to the lack of cannula or IVF in a General hospital in Jigawa.
According to a Dr. Henry Njeakor, the Associate professor of surgery was involved in a road traffic accident and was rushed to the nearest General Hospital in Gumel, Jigawa but could not be resuscitated becaue the hospital had no cannula or IVF to do that.
He took to his social media page to share his disappointment, he wrote;
This is difficult.Just lost a mentor,trainer,Consultant Urologist and an Asso Prof of Surgery who had an RTA and there was not a cannula or IVF to resuscitate him in the nearest Gen Hosp.He cried and shouted for help till he bled out.I am so gutted right now.He was a good man.
RTA= Road Traffic Accident
IVF= Intravenous fluid/Drip
Cannula is 200naira, 3L of N/Saline not more than 1500naira. This could have kept him alive till he will be transferred to a Teaching Hosp
It has been a while I cried. Today,I couldnt hold it. What struck me most was that,that could have been me.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
U.S. grants asylum to Nigerian journalist Ohimai Amaize
A former presenter, AIT, Ohimai Amaize, who fled Nigeria last year, has been granted asylum in the United States, PREMIUM TIMES reports.
The journalist confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES in an e-mail Sunday. “I have just received notice of my asylum approval,” he said.
Mr Amaize, 35, departed Abuja in June 2019 following claims he was being trailed by Nigerian security agents with intention to arrest and charge him for treason and incitement. The alleged plots stemmed from a confrontation between the government and AIT and its flagship morning show, ‘Kakaaki Social’, a user-generated programme which Mr Amaize was anchoring at the time.
The Nigerian broadcast stations regulator, NBC, shut down the station for about 24 hours, alleging multiple infractions on federal guidelines for broadcasters. Although the station was reopened following a court order, its headquarters in Abuja was besieged by armed officers from the State Security Service, SSS.
Mr Amaize criticised the guidelines as arbitrary and repressive and subsequently fled to New York on June 23, citing threats to his safety by the SSS, police and other state agents and supporters. His wife, an Abuja-based fashion designer, also left Nigeria a few weeks later to join him.
American government grants asylum to individuals who have been able to substantiate claims of persecution in their home country, especially where such attacks are linked to their political opinion, religious beliefs and other fundamental rights.
“My forced exit from Nigeria last year has been a very traumatising experience for me and my family,” Mr Amaize told PREMIUM TIMES. “I am very happy and I thank God for this development.”
Before joining AIT in 2018, Mr Amaize was amongst top opposition voices highly critical of the Buhari administration. He worked previously as a media consultant for the Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria’s erstwhile ruling party which Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress defeated during the 2015 elections.
Although Mr Amaize was never arrested, he alleged regular threats to his life. He also frequently cited several other critics and journalists who were arrested and charged under repressive laws.
“I can now live and carry on with my life without the fear of being persecuted by the Muhammadu Buhari regime for the opinions that I express or the work that I do as a journalist,” Mr Amaize said. “Of course, I miss Nigeria so much because there is no place like home.”
Media rights advocates quickly saw Mr Amaize’s asylum breakthrough as a positive development for press freedom.
“This is a victory for press freedom, one that rekindles the hope of all defenders of civil liberties across the world,” Martin Obono, an Abuja-based rights activist, told PREMIUM TIMES. “We congratulate Mr Amaize and his family.”
Mr Obono said the expeditious manner Mr Amaize received asylum from the U.S. should put the Nigerian government on the notice that America and other nations of the free world would not tolerate any acts that stifle freedom.
The Buhari administration has continued to deny allegations of repression, saying the country’s civic space has flourished since 2015. The government said only those guilty of subversive plots were arrested, a claim that failed to hold up against mounting evidence of attacks against citizens’ fundamental rights.
“Asylum is usually a long and cumbersome process that could take years for an average seeker,” Mr Obono said. “That Mr Ohimai was able to receive it within a short period should evoke introspection of a government that is capable of reading signs from the international community.”
While wishing Nigeria a prosperous future, Mr Amaize appreciated those who supported him, especially AIT, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights First and his American attorneys Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP.
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