NECO, DSS Collaborate to tackle examination malpractices

The National Exakination council, NECO is seeking collaboration of the department of state security services, DSS to tackle examination malpractices in Niheria.

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NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL (NECO)

PRESS STATEMENT

NECO SEEKS COLLABORATION WITH DSS TO CHECK EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has sought for collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) to check malpractice in the conduct of the Council’s examination.

 

Chairman, Governing Board of NECO, Dr. Abubakar Saddique who led the Acting Registrar and other management team on a courtesy visit to the Director-General of DSS in Abuja, said such collaboration would ensure the credibility of the Council’s examination.

Dr. Saddique explained that the Council has put in place measures aimed at checking examination malpractice, but noted that without adequate security architecture, such measures would not yield the desired results.

He stated that among the measures introduced is the biometric capturing of candidates to check impersonation at examination centres.

The chairman therefore appealed to the personnel of DSS to strengthen their collaboration with NECO to prevent any form of malpractice before, during and after the conduct of the Council examination.

The Acting Registrar/Chief Executive, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Gana, in his remarks, enumerated some reforms introduced under his leadership in the Council to include the development of an intractable, robust, secure and user-friendly corporate website, introduction of full-scale biometric capturing of candidates at examination centres, procurement of additional 20 pick-up Hilux Vans for examination logistics and full payment of Duty Tour Allowance to staff among others. 

Gana noted that NECO has enjoyed the full support and co-operation of DSS through the provision of covert operations which had helped in reducing incidence of examination malpractice.

He opined that “the world is experiencing rapid changes resulting from rapid development, these changes revolve around two major phenomena of emerging Technology and Globalization”. According to him, while these two phenomena have their advantages, they also come with disadvantages, especially when abused resulting in the scourge of examination malpractice assuming a global dimension.   

The Acting Registrar also sought for the collaboration of DSS in building an intractable open and secure filing system for the Council to prevent possible incidence of tempering with staff records, especially in the face of the on-going Staff Certificate verification exercise.

Gana appealed to the Director-General to ensure that fraudsters who attempt to compromise NECO examinations are not only arrested and investigated, but prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others. 

The Director-General, Mr. Yusuf Bichi, in his address, pledged the continued support of his Department in ensuring the credibility of NECO examinations. 

AZEEZ SANI,

HEAD, INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION.

JAMB SHUTS 38 CBT CENTRES, PARADES SUSPECTSED FRAUDSTERS AS COURT CONVICTS 4 TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON

 

The joint admissions and matriculation board JAMB, has shutdown 38 computer-based test centres, across the country, which are currently involved in the registration of candidates for the 2020 unified tertiary matriculation examinations, UTME over allegation of fraud in sales of e-pin.

JAMB registrar, professor ishaq Oloyede while parading the masterminds of the fraud before officials of the Nigeria Security and civil defence corps, NSCDC and the Nigeria police, at the board's  headquaters in Abuja, also confirmed that four persons involved in extortion and other crimes have been convicted by the court 

The Registrar said centres affected centres are mostly in states like Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Oyo and Rivers. 

Other states with minor cases and technical challenges, which have only been asked to suspend registration for the moment are located in Adamawa, Enugu, Zamfara, Gonbe, Niger and Osun states

JAMB had accused some commercial banks of conniving with Computer-based Test centre operators to defraud unsuspecting candidates by charging them above the specified registration fees of N4,700

JAMB reminded CBT Centre operators that alleged irregularities by officials of the National Identity Management Commission that led to the suspension of the use of the National Identity Number, NIN, which it had declared as mandatory for registration by all intending  candidates in the 2020 UTME

Meanwhile, the Head of JAMB's  Public Affairs , Fabian Benjamin has confirmed the conviction to three years imprison of four persons in Nasarawa state, north central Nigeria.

Benjamin said the accused were convicted on the January 27, 2020, by a Magistrate Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where they pleaded guilty to the offence.

He said the four convicted are Ujaku Emem Samuel, who claimed to be a pastor and his wife, Peace Emem Samuel. Others are Opulani Joseph Sunupe and Umar Musa Sa’adu

SOURCE: Ait.live

ASUP disgruntled over unpaid salaries, sack of 200 Abia Poly staff and IPPIS Implementation delay

The academic staff union of Polytechnics, ASUP has described as barbaric the action of the Abia state government for disengaging two hundred staff, despite owing them between thirteen and seventeen months salaries

while threatening to proceed on nationwide strike should nothing is done on the matter and in other institutions where teachers have been sacked, also described the current constitution polytechnics governing boards as an error and irregularity as it runs contrary to the new polytechnic act

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, newly elected ASUP president  Anderson Ezeibo said the anxiety among poly teachers have been uncomfortable due to governments non-chalant attitude towards the renegotiation of 2010 FG/ASUP Agreement

On the contentious integrated payroll and personnel information system, IPPIS, ASUP said it is unfortunate that the sector specific framework agreement reached which  encouraged poly teachers enroll on the platform is yet to be implemented

On the crisis rocking federal polytechnic, Bida, ASUP president said the issues are been resolved and the ongoing strike by workers will be suspended before the end of next week

SOURCE:Ait

BENUE STRANGE SICKNESS: Igede Youths raise alarm, could it be coronavirus or lassa fever

Youths in gode, Benue state are raising alarm over a disease out break. Could it be CORONAVIRUS or LASSA FEVER? Read their statement

EPIDEMIC ALERT

IGEDE NATIONAL YOUTHS COUNCIL is hereby drawing the attention of government at all levels to a strange sickness ravaging a boundary settlement of Oye-Obi, Obi LGA of Benue State.

The sickness has so far killed four persons in two weeks. The four victims namely Happiness Ogbu, Onah Ogbedu, Andy Edu and Wisdom Agwo developed the same symptoms of Headache, Internal heat, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Stomach ache, Weakness of the body and swollen stomach and died alike. 

Our investigation revealed the health authorities in Oju have been briefed. Igede National Youths Council is calling on the Benue State government to as a matter of urgency do all within it's powers to arrest the situation. We are not resting on our part in the area of mass mobilization and awareness campaign on how to prevent it's spread. Our investigation reveals that about six more persons as at today, Wednesday, 29 January, 2020 are already down developing the same symptoms, some of them have already been moved to General Hospital, Oju. 

All members of the state assembly, national assembly, government appointees from Igede kingdom either with Benue State or Federal government as a matter of urgency are hereby called by the Youths Wing to rise up promptly and let's fight this dreaded sickness whose name we are yet to get from medical experts.

God bless Igede land.

Signed

Com. Andyson Iji Egbodo

President Elect,

Igede National Youths Council.

Group blast transperancy international, Nigeria over corruption perception index

Anti-graft agencies in Nigeria have been told not to be dettered and discouraged by the transparency international's corruption index, but to redouble their efforts in the fight against corruption in the country

 the call is coming from anti-corruption network, the initiative for leadership and economic watch in Nigeria whose convener  Convener of the group, Agbonkpolor Slendor also called on Nigerian citizens to see the transparency international's  corruption index report as a mere perception and not actual realities on ground

The group is also calling on the Nigerian government to put in place mechanisms for proper monitoring of the activities of certain National and international Non-governmental organisations in the country, some which appear to be inciting the people against constituted Authority

Transparency international Nigeria had release its perception index which reports that Nigeria is not doing well in the fight against corruption

KOBE BRYANT: Didier Drogba, Others Pay Tribute

TRAGEDY: NBA star Kobe Bryant tragically dies in California helicopter crash aged 41

It is reported five people died in the tragic incident in Calabasa

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

environment around him and how it breeds mosquitoes which cause Malaria that makes children sick and unable to attend school.

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

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.

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 euros ($1,230) gross a month.

"We have reached agreement to lift the minimum wage this year," said labour minister Yolanda Diaz, hailing a "very happy day for democracy in this country and for all workers."

The cabinet is due to approve the measure within days upon which the rise will take immediate effect and be backdated to the start of January 2020.

Sanchez' new administration, which has the support of radical leftist party Podemos, has also announced a 0.9 percent increase in pensions and a 2.0 percent increase in wages of civil servants.   

While unions saluted the minimum wage rise the president of the Confederation of Employers' Organizations, Antonio Garamendi, admitted that "we would have liked (the rise) to be a little lower," even if the figure agreed was below an initially mooted €1,167.   

The agreement was that the minimum wage would be set at €950 a month, payable in 14 installments to allow for the double monthly salary in July and December, a Spanish tradition that ensures there is enough funds to allow a holiday and celebrate Christmas. 

The latest rise comes on the back of Sanchez's pushing through of an unparalleled 22 percent hike last year.

The government has pledged over the coming four years to lift the level to 60 percent of the current average salary of €1,970  -- which would be currently €1,182.

Speaking at the Davos forum earlier, Sanchez said his government would still pursue "fiscal rigour" in targeting cutting the national deficit and public debt.

Spain's move comes weeks after Britain's conservative government pledged to increase the minimum wage by more than four times the rate of UK inflation from next year despite a warning by the British Chambers of Commerce that above-inflation pay increases could hit business amid economic uncertainty with Brexit days away.

SOURCE: The Local/AFP

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STUDENT KILLING: PLATEAU RESIDENTS REACT TO EXECUTION OF UNIMAID UNDERGRATUATE, ROPVIL DACIYA :

SOURCE: AITNews

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.