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Oshiomhole has changed Edo narrative, says Odigie-Oyegun

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Change

Benin, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), on Sunday said Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo has changed the narrative of the state.

Oyegun said this at the sent-off party organised by the South South zone of the APC in honour of Oshiomhole who exit as governor on Nov.12, following completion of his two terms of eight-year tenure.

Oyegun said before Oshiomhole assumed office as governor, the state was considered as a civil service state and as such not viable.

He stressed that through desire to effect positive change in the state, Oshiomhole embarked upon ambitious infrastructural transformation of the state through massive construction of roads, schools, hospital and others.

He said through these projects, Oshiomhole had placed the state on a new pedestal.

According to him, Oshiomhole has proved that Edo is the heart beat of the nation.

“Oshiomhole has done well. We are proud of him.

“People of South South see him as a beacon of hope for that we need to be proud of.

“He (Oshiomhole) has laid a solid foundation that Obaseki, the in-coming government needs to build on. It is my prayer that he and his deputy do better than he (Oshiomhole) has done. If that happens, Edo will be better for it,” said Odigie-Oyegun.

Similarly, the National Vice Chairman, South South, APC, Mr Hilliard Eta, said unlike some governors, Oshiomhole did not turn himself into an “emperor” while in office.

Describing Oshiomhole’s infrastructural development as unparallel, Odigie-Oyegun said Oshiomhole was able to achieve that through prudent management of the state resources.

“Oshiomhole has changed the story of Edo. He has brought dynamism into the polity of the state.

“He should be commended because he has done well. For his achievement, I am recommending him for higher responsibility,” Eta said.  (NAN)
ESI/ADA/MST

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Osun Govt. reiterates commitment to quality education

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Education

By Victor Adeoti

Osogbo, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun says his administration’s huge investment in education aims at producing intellectual men and women who will be useful to the society.

Aregbesola said this in a statement issued by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, his media aide, on Sunday in Osogbo.

“The need to produce the total man who will be useful to the society remains the rationale behind my administration’s huge investment in education in the state.’’

The governor said whatever was invested in education was for the future.

He added that his administration had embarked on massive construction of classrooms, reforms of the schools system, provision of other modern learning tools for the good of the state.

According to him, if a man is given education, he has been given a weapon against poverty.

He said that was why his administration invested heavily in education.

“I must state that this is the major reason functional education remains our biggest investment. A man that is knowledgeable is a man that is wealthy.

“In a knowledge-based society and economy that we are advocating, functional education is the only way to be relevant and be in position to play a role,’’ the governor said.

Aregbesola assured of his administration resolve to provide quality education in the state. (NAN)

VE/ADA/MST

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Kidnapping: Security expert canvasses adequate legislation, enforcement

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Security

By AbdulFatai Beki

Ilorin, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) A security expert and Senior Special Assistant, Security and Intelligence to Kwara governor, Dr Abdulsalam Suleiman, has advocated adequate legislation to deal with kidnapping crime.

He made the suggestion on Sunday in llorin while fielding questions from newsmen.

The security expert observed that states across the country have various penalties for kidnapping crime which he said failed to tackle the problem.

He noted that a legislation passed by the National Assembly would ensure uniformity in the penalty and drastically reduce that aspect of criminality.

The aide described kidnapping as a global crime which initially started in Nigeria with liberation struggle in the Niger Delta before it graduated to kidnapping.

The security expert stressed the need for security operatives to be well equipped with modern arms and equipment to eliminate the menace in the country.

However, Abdulsalam observed that crime cannot be eliminated completely all over the world, but can be prevented.

He praised the foresight of the Kwara House of Assembly for its efforts to promulgate a law to eradicate the wave of crime in the state.

According to him, since the state legislature promulgated the law against cultism, there has been relief in tertiary institutions in the state.

He appealed to Nigerians to always be pro-active by providing security operatives with timely and accurate information to neutralise emerging crimes.

The security expert said that lack of employment should not be an excuse for anyone to engage in crime, lamenting that moral values that was in voque in the past is no longer in practice.

Besides, the security aide stated that the Kwara government had made tremendous efforts to checkmate all forms of crimes in the state.

According to him, security management is one of the greatest concerns of Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed. (NAN)

BEKI/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Spain, Nigeria share common cultural relationship – Envoy
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Culture
By Maureen Okon
Abuja, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) Alfonso Barnuevo Sebastian de Erice, the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, says both countries shares common cultural relationship through dance performance, economy and politics.

De Erice said in his speech at the flamenco performance dance event tagged, `Secreto a Voces’ that Spain and Nigeria are strong through their diversity.
“What defined Nigeria and Spain is the culture and we are both countries that have diversity in common, diversity of language, culture, of religion and diversity of tradition.

“The essence of this is the rich culture and what the two countries has in common, which is an asset that that can be explored.

“Also we wanted to bring the peace of Spain and peace of our heart to Nigeria, and we have a lot of things in common in term of economic relationship and political relationship.

“Is good to see we can relate through our culture relationship and also to bring it here to Abuja, and that was our mine objective, bring the peace of Spain to Nigeria.

“So bringing this professional to Nigeria was a good concept because it help to synchronise our relationship,’’ the envoy said.

He added that Spain was the first European destination and was ranked the second in term of generating revenue through tourism and the third visit country in the world.

“Spain is the first European destination; Spain is ranked the second in terms of generating revenue through tourism and it is the third visited country in the world.

“As a whole tourism represents 11 per cent of the country’s GDP and 82 per cent of the tourists to Spain come back, because they want to visit again.

“To see our cities and our villages’ and also to eat our excellent food we have in the best restaurants.

“Amongst our cultural assets we have the Flamingo which is one of the most demanded by tourists; this is why we are appearing tonight to express ourselves through.

“The dance performance that we collaborated with some of Nigerians finest theatre performances to strengthen our relationship.

“I thank the support of the National Universities Commission and our other contributors,’’ the envoy said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Secreto a voces was performed by Compania Anabel Veloso dance group at the National Universities Commission’s Auditorium, Abuja. (NAN)
ETIM/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-S-5

Appointment

Kano, Nov. 6,2016 (NAN) ‎The management of Kano Pillars Football Club has appointed Mr Kadiri Ikhana as its new Technical Adviser following the departure of Muhammad Babaganaru.‎

‎The club’s Media Officer, Idris Malikawa, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Sunday that Ikhana would fill the vacuum created by the resignation of Babaganaru Muhammad last season.
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“‎Ikhana is our new coach and he is expected to use his wealth of experience to regain the league title for us.
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“He will be presented to the media and public on Tuesday in Kano,”‎ Malikawa said.

Former Nigeria international defender Ikhana is staging a return to Pillars after he led them to win the Nigeria championship in 2008.‎

Ikhana’s last job was at Shooting Stars last season.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State dissolved the management of the club last month due to poor performance and internal squabble.‎

‎Kano Pillars finished seventh last season which led coach Babaganaru Muhammad to resign as head coach of the team after the last match‎ of the season. (NAN)‎

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

NAN-S

Tennis

Paris, Nov. 6, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) Britain’s Andy Murray celebrated his rise to world number one by beating American John Isner 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 to win his first Paris Masters title.

After double-faulting on the first point of the game, Murray soon clicked into gear, breaking for a 4-2 lead.

He showed watertight defence to close the door on Isner when the American created two break points of his own in the next game.

Murray managed only six points on his opponent’s serve in the set, but that was enough to take it in 35 minutes.

The unseeded Isner continued to put pressure on Murray in the second, showing an increasing deftness at the net to take the second set to a tie-break.

The 6ft 8inch 31-year-old had too much for the Scot in the decider, serving imperiously to take the breaker 7-4.

Twice in Isner’s first two service games of the third set Murray saw break points snatched away by his opponent’s huge serve.

But Murray was not to be denied, and he finally forced a break at 5-4, firing in a rapid backhand that Isner could only slug into the net, to take the third set and the match.

The victory was Murray’s sixth ATP title of a memorable 2016.

The Scot, 29, also added his second Olympic and Wimbledon titles on his way to the top of the rankings.

He will be officially confirmed on Monday as Britain’s first singles number one since computerised rankings were introduced in 1973.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Murray’s ascent to the top of world tennis was made easy by Milos Raonic’s withdrawal from Saturday’s semi-final with a leg injury.

Former world number one, Novak Djokovic had lost the position after he was beaten by Marin Cilic in the quarter finals.

Murray now heads to the season-ending World Tour Finals as top seed for the first time.

However, if Djokovic wins every match at the Finals he will reclaim the top ranking he held for an overall 203 weeks.

The draw for that competition takes place tomorrow at 15:00 GMT. (Reuters/NAN)

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NiMet predicts hazy, cloudy weather for Monday

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Weather
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted dusty, hazy weather conditions with horizontal visibility within the range of three to five kilometres over the central states of the country on Monday.

NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office on Sunday in Abuja, predicted that the region wound experience maximum temperatures of 33 to 35 degrees Celsius.

The agency predicted that the southern states would experience cloudy to partly cloudy conditions over inland and coastal cities in the morning with maximum temperatures of 29 to 34 degrees Celsius.

It also predicted prospects of localised thunderstorms over inland cities of the southeast and coastal cities of Calabar, Port-Harcourt, Ijebu-ode, Warri, Yenegoa, Ikom and Obudu during afternoon and evening hours.

According to NiMet, northern states will experience dust haze over Kano, Yelwa , Sokoto, Katsina, Gusau, Dutse, Maiduguri and Nguru and maximum temperatures of 34 to 38 degrees Celsius.

“Dust haze already in suspension in the atmosphere is expected to persist over the Northern region, the central cities will also witness dust haze.

“The southern cities are anticipated to be partly cloudy with prospects of localised thunderstorms in the next 24 hours,’’ NiMet predicted. (NAN)
OYS/MST/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Oyo Govt releases White Paper on Education, establishes SGB for schools

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Schools

By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) The Oyo State Government on Sunday in Ibadan released the white paper on the report of a Committee on Participatory Management of Schools and announced the creation of School’s Governing Board (SGB).

A statement signed by Mr Toye Arulogun, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said in Ibadan that government released the white paper after weeks of careful and in-depth analysis of the report according to international best practices on government policies.

Arulogun added that the recommendations therein will serve as the much needed strategic framework to improve quality and performance in the state’s education sector.

He said that the newly created SGB would provide management functions for each secondary school in the state and meet performance targets.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the action is coming at the heels of the 31-member education committee headed by Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, the Vice-Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, presented its report.

The committee, which was vested with the functions of examining the state of education in the state, review memoranda submitted to government and come up with quality recommendation.

NAN also reports that the committee had on Sept. 14 submitted its findings and recommendations to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, who commended them and assured of implementation aimed at reforming the state’s educational standard.

The commissioner had revealed that the state government adopted most of the recommendations of the Committee but with variations either in nomenclature or scope.

He said that the major highlight of the white paper included the introduction of a new model of schools management called School’s Governing Board (SGB).

“The SGB model will be in two categories with membership drawn from accredited representative of Parent-Teacher Association, accredited representative of Old Students’ Association, accredited non-partisan Community leader.

“Also included is the Head Boy/Head Girl of the school, the School Principal to serve as Secretary, the Local Inspector of Education (LIE), representative of Local Government.

“Others are Council/LCDA and identified philanthropists.

“With the SGB, various units, organs and departments in the management of education will need to be re-aligned to avoid ambiguity, overlapping functions and inefficiency,” he said.

Arulogun stressed that the SGB membership/leadership and scope shall be suitably determined by the Government and they shall not be entitled to any form of remuneration from Government.

He said that government would be responsible for payment of salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff, curriculum development and quality control.

He said that each SGB was mandated to meet once a month to properly discharge their functions.

According to the white paper, “the functions of the SGB shall include improving the Quality of school programmes and efficiency of teachers.

“Thereby raising students’ achievement level, provision of adequate teaching and learning resources, full participation of stakeholders in management and effective management of schools among others’’.

The commissioner stated that government has resolved to expedite action on the implementation of the Education Trust Fund recently signed into Law in order to boost the state’s revenue base.

He said that such would support the development of the education sector, saying government also agreed that the committee should be open to support from other sources, both local and international.

Arulogun said that such support would allow for total or partial adoption of schools to support the development of education in the State and must be in line with the educational policy, which has details spelt out.

He said that the white paper revealed the new categorisation of schools, highlighting lower and upper limits in terms of student’s enrolment, teachers posting, and other resources.

“Schools will be categorised as Urban Schools with a population of 1000 and above, Semi-Urban Schools with between 250 to 999 students’ population and Rural Schools with a population of 60 to 249.

“This will be in consideration of the Universal Basic Education Commission standard, probable infrastructure, current enrolment and availability of teachers,” he said.

The commissioner stated that government has directed that all agencies in the sector must be restructured in a manner that would ensure effective communication.

Also in a way that interaction between them and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology can be effective.

He said that government has emphasised the need for periodic verification exercise of personnel, students and infrastructure by the various agencies.

Arulogun said that government has directed that each agency should gather, store and provide dependable data.

“The government said that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology must be the repository and sole issuing authority of such.

“While agreeing on the continued payment of N1,000 levies by each parent per student and per term, the government directed that each school’s SGB retains the levy collected for infrastructural development.

“Government recommended the structuring of Science and Technical Education in the state in such a way that there will be linkage between the existing Technical Colleges, the Polytechnics and the Universities of Technology.

“It concurred that efforts should be put in place to introduce short-term in-service training for all Artisans to develop their 21st Century skills at well-equipped Technical and Vocational Colleges,” he said.

He said that government has recommended that the SGB should make efforts at resuscitating school sports and games and improve Information and Communication Technology (lCT) education in Oyo State.

Arulogun said such should meet up with the global revolution in lCT and enforcement of the registration of all Private Schools in accordance with the policy for establishing such schools. (NAN)

TAA/OYE/MST

Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-44
Leave
By Victor Adeoti
Osogbo, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has directed all the officers in the rank of Director in the State Public Service to proceed on compulsory annual leave .

The directive was made in a circular dated Nov. 2, signed by Mr Samuel Aina, the Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Office and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Osogbo.

The governor said all officers occupying the position of Director, either in acting capacity or substantive who had not proceeded on annual leave since 2014 and 2016, should do so immediately.

Aregbesola said the compulsory leave was in the interest of their health and well being.

According to the governor, ” It has been observed that many officers in the state’s public service have not taken their annual vacation leave in recent time.

“Its a development that is having deleterious psychological effects on their state of health and mental stability.

” It is the burden of the duty of government to address this anomaly in the overall public interest”.

Aregbesola said the directive was in tandem with rule 100107 of the state public service rule 2011, which made annual vacation compulsory.

Aregbesola said all the affected officers should hand over to the next ranking person to them, adding that the affected officer should be on standby as they could be called for sensitive official assignment. (NAN)
VE/IA
Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Nigerian scientist upgrades website to aid socio-economic transactions (See pics attached below)

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Website
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Nov. 6, 2016 (NAN) Mr Emmanuel Gabriel, a young Nigerian scientist, has upgraded a social network platform, known as OpenBinacle, which he developed, to promote smooth business and social transactions across the world.
Gabriel made the disclosure in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Gabriel, in his 30s, who currently lives in Germany, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OpenBinacle and also a Java and Robotic programmer.
He listed the six new features released as “WHEEL ADS’’, “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’’, “PUBLISHER’’, “CROWDFUNDING’’, “e-UNIVERSITY APP’’ and “e-CHURCH APP’’.
“Our Wheel Ads is with a great difference, a very powerful app built to empower people in Africa to become financially powerful. Users get paid whenever they spin our wheels and interact with Ads.
“This is completely different from Google Adsense because you are not required to own a website or blogs with a lot of viewers before you can earn money from us.
“Just spin the wheel and users can earn as much they can when they interact with Ads in their networks,’’ he explained.
On artificial intelligence, the scientist said the OpenBinacle new facial recognition artificial intelligence algorithm could now detect voice and facial expressions/moods (sad, happy, disgust and angry) of the users.
He added that the application would use the detected information to provide suggestive health tips and other relevant information to its users.
According to him, the publisher allows people to build their own websites, blogs and publish their content and as well host their websites by themselves on OpenBinacle for free.
He said the publisher also allowed computer programmers to build their own projects and webapps as well as host for free on the programme.
Gabriel futher disclosed that OpenBinacle would also enable people to build their own crowdfunding pages, crowdfund projects and entrepreneurs within that geographical location to apply for funding.
He added that he has also built open-source university faculty departmental result and transcript management portal called “e-UNIVERSITY APP”.
This according to him will also allow university management to process student’s entire session results and transcript and many more.
“Besides, Gabriel explained that the e-CHURCH APP would help standardise social church solution work processes, boost work efficiency and enable knowledge accumulation.
“This will increase the competitiveness and efficiency of the church administrative systems and supporting the development of a modern church research.
“It is a conceptually advanced tool, thus creating transparencies, saving days of hectic work of thousands, millions of church financial transactions. It is developed for church scientific and religious research and development.
“Also we are currently testing our video call and video conferencing apps, which will be available on our upcoming Android and IOS apps soon,“ he said.
According to the scientist, OpenBinacle is a “next generation of social media and artificial intelligence portal’’ that captures all sectors of human endeavour and provide free advertisements, he added.
He said the platform is currently competing favourably with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and other global digital platforms.
NAN recalls that the platform was launched in July 2015 to offer free digital broadcast streaming services through locally produced chips and sensors to enable people across the world to interact uninterruptedly.
Gabriel had said during the launch of platform that several applications were introduced to harness, promote and exploit social, economic, health, education, science and technology as well as other fields of human endeavours.
He listed some of the benefits of the upgraded system to include getting better jobs or contracts, new businesses and getting more clients to businesses.
Others are gaining influence, becoming an expert in one’s field of endeavour as well as getting immediate feedback from business partners.
“Having a blog is the single most important thing a business or person can do to advance online.
“Even though blogging has hit it big, most people do not get what makes blogging so powerful, helpful and beneficial. Static websites do not attract many new clients or customers.
“But a regularly updated blog can produce a constant stream of good leads from all around the world,’’ he said.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government has called on Nigerian inventors in Diaspora to return home and contribute to national development.

The Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, made the appeal while reacting to the success story of Gabriel.
Ibrahim told NAN in Abuja that the exposure of Nigerian inventors to the Diaspora would help fast track the country’s socio-economic development.
However, he said that the country lacked the framework to harness some of the innovations and develop them in commercial quantity.
Ibrahim said such inventors needed to sojourn the Diaspora, to exchange ideas and experiences with other experts and broaden their scope.
“There is no structure in the country that can help them move their research to the next level; if that structure doesn’t exist I don’t think it’s wise to say they should not go outside.
“If the inventor can get a partner outside that can help him or her to translate that research and development effort into products and services, then the knowledge is broadened and can be better harnessed,” the director-general said.
According to him, most of the ancient inventors used the same methodology.
“We need that exposure; our inventors need to see other opportunities so that when they come back to Nigeria, they may be able to solve some of the problems we are facing,’’ he said.
Ibrahim said it was “important for Nigerian inventors to get that international exposure” adding that, historically, the most striking innovations could be traced back to external interactions.
He noted that most Nigerians in the Diaspora were patriotic and always willing to come back home to contribute to national development.
“They are itching to come home to see how they can contribute to the development of the country; what they need is the encouragement, sincerity of purpose and qualitative leadership.
“They are our strength and we just need to encourage them; I am happy that we have a Special Adviser on Diaspora who is working tirelessly to harness these strengths for national good.”
However, the director-general said that government had seen the need to close the gap between inventors and commercialisation of research findings by setting up an innovation body.
“I am also happy about the coming of this administration particularly the Minster of Science and Technology; he is now vigorously pursuing the establishment of a National Research and Innovation Council.
“The bill, I learnt, has passed second reading in the Senate; the bill when passed into law, will establish the council and allow it to have a dedicated fund that can take all the innovations to the next level which is the commercial level.
“So, we are making progress although it is at a very slow pace; this is not uncommon in developing countries; there will problems, but we will get over them,” Ibrahim said. (NAN)
OYS/MST/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola