Blog

NAN-H-24
Sultan
Ilorin, Nov 15, 2016 (NAN) The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWGN) on Tuesday described the demise of the 18th Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji lbrhim Dasuki, as sad and shocking.

The National Coordinator of the group, Alhaji lbrahim Abdullahi, made the observation in Ilorin in a condolence message.

“The group received with sadness the news of the passing-on of the 18th Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki”, the statement said.

It described the late Sultan as a selfless and kind leader who was removed from office by the Abacha regime

“The MMWG commends the late Sultan for his numerous contributions to the progress of Islam; I recall with nostalgia his contribution to the success of erection of the Abuja National Mosque,” the statement said.

The group said that the National Mosque in Abuja, with its architectural masterpiece, remained as one of the best achievements of the late monarch.

The statement prayed to Allah to forgive the late Sultan his sins and make Al-Jannatul-Firdaous his place of abode,

The late Sultan was deposed by the late General Sanni Abacha in 1996 and banished to Kaduna in Kaduna State.

The 18th Sultan of Sokoto died on Monday at the age of 93.(NAN)
BEKI/TA
Edited by Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-68

Projects
Kano, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Kano State Government has expressed satisfaction with the level of work on the ongoing re-construction of Panshekara road and underpass projects at Kwanar Madobi in Kano metropolis.

Alhaji Shehu Haruna, Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, disclosed this when he led a delegation of the ministry to inspect the two projects in Kano on Tuesday.

He said the projects which were initiated by the State government were 90 per cent completed.

Haruna commended the contractors for their dedication, calling on traders operating at the underpass site to vacate the area to avoid unforeseen dangers.

The commissioner said the completion of the underpass would ease all the traffic flows in the area. (NAN)
BO/JPE/IS

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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-HE-18
Promo

By AbdulFatai Beki

Ilorin, Nov 15, 2016 (NAN) A student of Metallurgical Engineering  Department of Institute of Technology, Kwara Polythecnic, Mr. Seteolu Olakunle, has won N500,000 under Fidelity Bank Entrepreneur Saving Scheme.

Presenting the winner to the polytechnic’s principal officers on Tuesday, the Branch Manager of the bank, Mr. Funmi Jimoh, said the scheme was aimed at supporting students’ academic career.

He added that the scheme was to enhance and motivate savings culture.

The manager said the student’s victory was the beginning of good working relationship between the polytechnic and Fidelity Bank.

Jimoh said the winner qualified due to a sufficient amount saved.

The Rector of the polythecnic, Alhaji Mas`ud Elelu, advised the winner to use the fund towards establishing himself, stating that it was enough to start a business.

Elelu stressed that the essence of the draw was for the winner to become self-reliant, to create more jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the State.

Olakunle expressed satisfaction with the bank’s process, stressing that savings had never been a problem since he started banking with Fidelity in the last three years.

Olakunle explained that the saving scheme was not meant for only millionaires but for all masses who could afford to save beyond N5,000. (NAN)

BEKI/IA

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

NAN-S-9
Prix
Sao Paulo, Nov.15, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) Formula One served up plenty of excitement in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, but some were counting their lucky stars that nobody was hurt.

On a rain soaked afternoon that saw the race twice stopped, there were also those who felt the sport had erred too far on the side of caution.

But if there were some mocking comments on social media about the world’s top drivers being unable to cope with rain, others breathed a sigh of relief.

The crash that halted the race for the first time, Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari spinning on the pit straight on lap 20 to face cars hammering along in a wall of spray.

It was indeed an incident of particular focus.

“Esteban (Ocon) so very, very nearly had a head-on with Kimi and if that had happened we’d all be talking a different story,” said Manor racing director Dave Ryan of his French rookie driver.

Manor were previously Marussia, the team that suffered the sport’s most recent tragedy when Ocon’s compatriot, Jules Bianchi suffered ultimately fatal head injuries in a crash in the rain at Suzuka in 2014.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz, another rising talent who has had some big crashes already in his fledgling career with Toro Rosso, also felt he had been fortunate.

“It’s very easy from home to say ‘Oh, these guys — why aren’t they racing? This isn’t F1 anymore’,” he told reporters. (Reuters/NAN)

ERO/AMY

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Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-H-65
Road
Kano, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Kano State Government has re-affirmed its commitment to completing the Janguza- Karaye road project initiated  by the  Shekarau administration.

The Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Alhaji Shehu Haruna, gave the assurance when he met with the District Head of Karaye in his office.

A statement issued on Tuesday in Kano by Alhaji Mohammed Sani, the Public Relations Officer in the state’s Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, quoted Haruna as saying completion efforts were on already on.

These, he said, included the construction of the last bridge on the road.

The state government, he said, had also awarded contracts for construction of Katsina road underpass and flyover as well as rehabilitation of Karfi – Kibiya road.

He said this was   to boost  the socio-economic development of  the state inspite  of  the downturn in  the economy

The  commissioner further said  government  had gone far in  completing some inherited projects such as the Sabon-Gari Flyover and the Independant Power Project at Tiga.

Earlier, the District Head of Karaye, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar,  had thanked  the government for embarking on the completion of projects in some local government areas. (NAN)
BO/OSA/OJO
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(Edited by Shittu Obassa/Mufutau Ojo)

NAN-H-66
Dialogue
Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, a former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, has called on Niger Delta activists to embrace dialogue with government.

Ita-Giwa made this known in a statement in Lagos on Friday.

“I am not unaware of the untold sufferings the people are experiencing over the years, but there is no substitute for dialogue and peace,’’she said.

She pleaded with the activists to consider the effects of their actions on the vulnerable.

“As a mother and leader from the Niger Delta, I am appealing to my people to embrace dialogue as a way of ending the restiveness in the region.

“The increasing number of mortality rate is alarming as we are losing pregnant women and children on daily basis due to environmental pollution compounded by environmental degradation from burst pipelines.

“ The vandalism of pipelines in the region is increasing, the threat of climate change and of course, women, children and the elderly ones are particularly the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.’’

According to her, the Niger Delta region is fundamentally disadvantaged because of the impact of global warming on many fronts due to its geography, climate, oil exploration and gas flaring among others.

She said the adaptive capacity of the rural majority to climate change was low and as such it was good for the region to come together and resolve the crisis of the Niger Delta.

Ita-Giwa , therefore, called on government to ensure the protection of the lives of the people who were already suffering from untold hardships. (NAN)

LED/AOS/MO
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Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Morayo Omolade

NAN-H-22
Matriculation
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Malete (Ilorin), Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, the Vice Chancellor, Kwara State University, on Wednesday, said that the institution admitted only 3,500 out of 14, 000 candidates that applied this year.

Na’Allah said this at the institution’s 8th Matriculation Ceremony at Malete, Kwara State.

He advised the new intakes to take full advantage of the academic programmes being offered by the university.

“Indeed, you are fortunate to have secured places in the university for the 2016/2017 Academic Session.

“I wish to state that those of you matriculating today earned your admission on merit, considering the strict and rigorous processes the institution engaged in choosing the best from the lot,” he said.

“Kwara State University was established as an institution with core values of academic excellence, institutional integrity, justice, equity and diversity.

“And such ideals are impetus for fostering intellectual growth and personal development of its students.

“With its mantra; `The University for Community Development’, the university aims not only to create a conducive environment for intellectual growth and personal development of its students, but also to facilitate a selfless, visible and sustainable cooperation, growth, development and transformation of its host communities,” he said.

The vice chancellor said that the institution offered unique programmes like Undergraduate Research, Entrepreneurship, Study Abroad, and Certificate in Community Development to make its graduates worthy citizens.

Na’Allah said that the newly admitted students would also achieve leadership, ICT, entrepreneurial excellence and transformation through outstanding training in those areas, regardless of their specialisation.

“Your ability to achieve these kind of transformations will hinge on the quality of your education, the foundation of which you will continue to lay, brick-by-brick, over the next four years,” he said.

While urging the matriculating students to be committed to outstanding and purposeful academic pursuits to avoid expulsion, the vice chancellor warned that KWASU would not tolerate any act of indiscipline.

He said the university had been enjoying stable academic calendar since its inception and that due to its commitment to academic excellence, the institution was recently ranked 15th in the country by the National Universities Commission

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students took the oath of matriculation at the University Mini-Convocation Arena. (NAN)
BAY/AOS/TA

Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-64
Dasuki
By Muhammad Nasir Bello
Sokoto, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Sokoto State House of Assembly on Tuesday adjourned it sitting for one week to mourn the death of late Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this followed a motion moved by the Assembly leader, Alhaji Garba Bello (APC-Yabo), and seconded by Alhaji Mode Sanyinna (APC- Tambuwal East).

Briefing Newsmen after the sitting, the leader said that the Assembly had adjourned to mourn the loss.

“We have to adjourn in order to attend the condolences and receive people that come to condole for the demise of our great personality.

“The personality lost is a person of international repute. His reputation did not end at being a Sultan of Sokoto alone;  but beyond, as his contributions to the success of Sokoto, Nigeria and Muslim World cannot be under estimated.

“In fact, he did a lot during his tenure as Sultan, as we all witnessed how generous such a person was and how much efforts he made especially in building bridges among Muslim and non-Muslim faithful,’’ he said.

On the issue of the Assembly calendar, the legislature said that the House would make adjustment to ensure no breach in the constitutional numbers of sittings.

NAN reports that Dasuki, the 18 Sultan of Sokoto died on Monday night after a protracted illness at the age of 93 years.

He left behind many children and grand children among whom is the former National Security Advisor, Rtd. Col. Sambo Dasuki. (NAN)
MNB/BRM/FAT/IS

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Edited by Fatima Sule/Ismail Abdulaziz

NAN-H-59
Diploma
By Okeoghene Oghenekaro
Abuja, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says it has begun discussion with the National Universities Commission (NUC) on implementation of a Post-Doctoral Diploma in Education for dons.

The Registrar of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Cue in audio
“On the issue of post-doctoral diploma in education we are working in conjunction with the national universities commission.

“We have just had discussion with the NUC Executive Sectary because we discovered there will be some problems in terms of implementation because we discovered that there are long standing professors who have been teaching in the system for several years, there are those who are middle cadre academic staff and there are those who are just joining the system.

“Whereas you could quickly target those, who are just joining the system, it may be difficult for you to ask old professors to come and begin to write exams and do some other diploma again.

“So we discovered there is a need for us to work on the grey areas with regard to the introduction of the post-doctoral diploma in education.

“Presently, we are still in discussion with the NUC executive secretary and as soon as that discussion is concluded we will inform Nigerians on the next step.’’

Cue out audio

Ajiboye said the implementation of the programme was stalled by some issues that needed to be jointly addressed by TRCN and the NUC.

He, however, said that any university wishing to start the programme could carry on as the board of TRCN had already approved the programme.

The registrar said the managements of University of Benin and Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, had written to TRCN indicating interest in implementing the programme.

“As I said, we are working on the grey areas to make it a nation-wide thing so we can deploy the programme in all the universities.’’ (NAN)

OKE/OSA/YEE

Edited by Shittu Obassa/Emmanuel Yashim

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Ajiboye’s audio

NAN-H-27
Barrenness
By Usman Aliyu
Ilorin, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) An Ilorin Area Court on Tuesday dissolved a 20-year-old marriage between one Rukayat Abdullahi and Abdullahi Mohammed for lack of children.
Rukayat, a resident of Okinni in Osogbo, had sought for dissolution of the union to enable her try her luck elsewhere.
The petitioner said her husband had, after their wedding, married two wives, who she said bore children for him.
She told the court that she had wanted to seek the divorce some time ago, but that her husband opposed the move.
The respondent was, however, absent in court.
In his judgment, the Presiding Judge, Mr AbdulQuadir Ibrahim, pronounced the marriage dissolved.
He, however, ordered the petitioner to observe three months Iddah (Islamic period of waiting before re-marrying). (NAN)
AUO/MOL/BOS
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/dele bodunde.
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