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Distance learning, virile alternative to limited spaces in varsities – Don
NAN-H-19
Education
By Ajibola Olaniyi
Osogbo, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) An educationist, Prof. Amos Adewole, has described distance learning education as a virile alternative to the limited spaces in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Adewole, who lectures at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo.
He noted that distance learning education was the only way to curb the desperation for admission into the public universities amongst school leavers, which paved way for corruption.
‘’You will agree with me that there is no way the government can solve the problem of influx of university applicants through the establishment of more universities like they did recently.
‘’Obviously, the government lacks the resources to cater for millions of candidates that are applying to public universities yearly, which is heating up the system.
‘’Of course, government has to look inward to create a robust alternative for these young chaps who are the future of our dear nation, because no country can develop without education,’’ Adewole said.

The don cited the example of some prominent Nigerians who did not have the opportunity of university education through the classrooms but became educated via distance learning.
According to the educationist, prominent legal luminaries like Chief Afe Babalola as well as the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, bagged their law degree though correspondence.
‘’Did that form of education make them inferior to their contemporaries who went to regular universities? No, they were even better than many of those people in all ramifications,’’ Adewole said.
Among the salient factors that made distance learning education imperative and inevitable were the poor state of the economy and the menace of unemployment, the university teacher said.
“Many of our youths really desire university education but they cannot afford it on the regular basis without doing something to support themselves, hence the need for alternative.
“These individuals deserve to be considered and the only way this can be done is by making it possible for them to work and learn at the same time,” Adewole said.

On the quality of distance learning education, Adewole said: ‘’if distance learning education is arranged in line with global best practice, it will be the best form of education so far.
‘’And the only way we can achieved that is through the introduction of e-learning that will make students in their thousands to study at their own pace without stress.
‘’I visited Open University of United Kingdom recently, where over 150, 000 students receive lectures without seeing any of them on campus. About 7,000 of them are here in Nigeria.
‘’I enjoin the government of the day to take a clue and make it possible for many of our teeming youths to be educated,” Adewole said. (NAN)
DOO/ORO/WOJ
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(Editing by Razak Owolabi / Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-HG-5
Weight
By Chineye Ofor
Abuja, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) Dr Okezie Emenike, an Abuja based medical doctor, has advised patients who lost significant and persistent weight within a period without being on diet to seek urgent medical help.

Emenike gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, saying that such weight loss could be due to underlying chronic disease.

He described unexplained weight loss as when an individual decreased in body weight without any form of diet or exercise.

According to him, medical evaluation is necessary if a patient loses more than five per cent of body weight within six months or one year.

He added that unexplained weight loss had many causes which include medical and non medical reasons, stressing that a combination of things could result in general decline in wellness, thereby causing weights loss.

Emenike, however, attributed changes in diet or appetite, cancer, dementia, dental problems, diabetes, heart failure, hyperglycemia, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism as causative factors to unexplained weight loss.

He also mentioned peptic ulcer, tuberculosis, alcohol and cocaine abuse, HIV/AIDS, depression, celiac disease, changes in smell and taste and certain medications as other factors that could predispose an individual to weight loss.

He said that addressing issues of weight loss should start from identifying the underlying cause.

He suggested change of diet if the cause of the condition was due to consumption of the same amount of calories and food in order to treat the condition.

He, however, urged those with health problems such as diabetes, peptic ulcer, among others, to consume foods that would improve their health as recommended by nutritionist.

He also advised older adults who lost quality amount of weight and were frail to seek urgent medical help. (NAN)
CSO/EEM/HA
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(Edited by Emmanuel Mogbede/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu)

NAN-DS-4
Crude
By Desmond Ejibas
Elem Kalabari (Rivers), Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) The Nigerian Navy has intercepted a large metallic barge transporting about 120,000 litres of crude oil suspected to be stolen from pipelines in Rivers.

The Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. James Oluwole, announced the seizure on Thursday while inspecting the barge at Elem Kalabari, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers.

Oluwole said the barge was intercepted in the early hours of Wednesday by troops manning its house boat in the area.

“Naval troops manning our maritime security stations (house boat) on Wednesday around 2a.m. intercepted and impounded a metallic barge laden with about 120,000 litres of crude oil suspected to be stolen.

“Troops were unable to arrest crew members on board the barge as they fled the scene on sighting advancing naval gunboats.

“This interception is a testament to success of our choke point strategy which involves positioning of troops on flash points for quick response to situations.

“This strategy and other security measures recently put in place curtailed spate of attacks on oil and gas installations, piracy and other criminality on our maritime environment,” he said.

Oluwole said that more house boats and other military hardware would be deployed to ensure drastic reduction of oil theft, especially on the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) area of responsibility.

He said four house boats had already been deployed with three positioned under the Central Naval Command Headquarters in Bayelsa.

Oluwole said that a total of five house boats had so far been deployed within the command’s domain.

He said one of the house boats had been deployed to the ENC which enabled troops to identify routes used by illegal oil thieves to transport stolen petroleum products from the creeks.

Also speaking, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder Port Harcourt, Commodore Kennedy Egbuchulam, said that troops were specially trained to reduce rising spate of attacks on oil and gas installations.

Egbuchulam, whose troops intercepted the barge, said that advanced surveillance and tracking systems had been positioned to ensure effective coverage of the creeks and waterways.

“Aside the house boats, gunboats in their numbers patrol the areas day and night using sophisticated surveillance system to spot illegalities on our maritime environment.

“Without the surveillance system, it would have been near impossible to spot the barge as it was highly disguised due to the darkness of the night,” he said. (NAN)
DES/DOE/OJO
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)

By Ayodeji Alabi
NAN-H-38
Bail
Akure, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) an Akure Magistrates’ Court on Thursday slammed a bail of N500, 000 each on two Union Bank staff, Tunde Daramola and Samuel Babatunde, for alleged assault and theft of N420,000.

Daramola, 30, a driver, Babatunde. 38, a cash officer, and others now at large, were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, assault, stealing and threat to life.

The Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Bob-Manuel, said the sureties must reside within the magisterial district and one them must be a religious leader or community leader in the residential area of the accused.

Bob-Manuel adjourned the case till Nov. 21 for trial.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Martins Olowofeso, told the court that they committed the offences on Sept.30 at about 11:15 p.m along Oba-Ile Airport Road.

Olowofeso said that the accused persons assaulted Sunday Obafaye by punching the left side of his face and eye and dragged him from his Toyota Highlander Jeep, KJA 50 DY, which caused bruises on his face.

“They also unlawfully ransacked and stole from the safe of the jeep one blackberry handset worth N75,000, one Nokia handset worth N12,000.

“The other items stolen, include one power bank worth N6,000, medicated eye glass worth N35,000 and cash of N420,000,” he said.

Olowofeso further said Babatunde also threatened to kill the accused by calling his wife on phone to come to the scene of the accident on time or she would meet the corpse of her husband.

He explained that the offences were contravened sections 516, 517, 252, 355, 517, 390(9) and 86(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.I Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor applied for an adjournment to enable him assemble his three witnesses in court.

Their Counsel, Mrs Grace Obanigba, applied for their bail in liberal terms, and assured of credible sureties if granted. (NAN)
AYO/OFN
Edited by Felix Nwadioha

NAN-ELS-4
Talent
By Collins Yakubu-hammer
Abuja, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) A promising artiste, John Anzaku, also known as “Jay-Nelly’’, has called on accomplished musicians and other business moguls to invest in young talents to boost the entertainment industry.

Anzaku made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

He said it was regrettable that some artistes, who had made their marks in the country’s music industry, were not disposed to assisting younger artistes.

“The truth about life is that you cannot live forever; an artiste will grow old and eventually pass on.

“That is the reason why they should help the upcoming ones; so that at their old age, they can sit back, relax and be proud to say ‘that is my boy or that is my girl.

“I call on all successful artistes in the Nigerian music industry to put aside jealousy, envy and the fear of being outmatched to assist upcoming artistes in the game,”he said.

Jay-Nelly, whose hit single: “Victory’’ has been rocking the airwaves in the country, said entrepreneurs and kind-hearted Nigerians should also invest in young talents.

According to him, if the young ones are not mentored and assisted, the future of the industry will be in danger and the Nigerian music scene may not make any sense.

He added that it was in recognition of the gap between the accomplished and upcoming musicians, that made corporate organisations to step into bridging it to enable budding musicians to thrive.

“Example of some of these talents are: Nyanya, Chidinma, Praiz, Timi Dakolo, Omawunmi and others, too numerous to mention.

“If you can recall some years ago, ‘Wiz Kid’, ‘Davido’ and ‘Skales’ were nowhere in the Nigerian music industry.

“Also, Kiss Daniel, Dija and so many of them, who are making the hits today were not there before but now they are stars in the entertainment industry.

“The reason was because some people believed in their talents and gave them the opportunity and the platform to excel and they gave their best to the world,” he said.

According to him, people love and appreciate the Nigerian music everywhere in the world today; our artistes are respected in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

“That is what ‘am talking about; the need to invest in the young talents and transform them into entertainment stars for the whole world,” Anzaku said. (NAN)
CMY/ERO/YEMI
Controlled by Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-HG-4
Sight
Dutse, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) The Jigawa Command of the FRSC has urged drivers to go for periodic eye tests.

Mr Angus Ibezim, the FRSC Sector Commander in the state, made the call at the free eye test  initiative the commission organised in collaboration with the state chapter of  the Nigerian Optometric Association.

Ibezim said that drivers of commercial and private vehicles should have their eyes examined at least twice a year.

“I want to emphasise that drivers, commercial and private, must have a periodic eye tests because without the eyes you can’t drive well.

“ That is why we are partnering with the optometric association to offer free eye test to drivers and other people in the state.

“So people, particularly drivers, should have their eyes updated periodically for proper sight while driving,” he said.

He explained that the commission attaches serious importance to the eyes of drivers, adding that no licence would be issued to any driver without undergoing eye test.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Optometric Association in the state, Dr Isah Uche, said the exercise was organised to mark the 2016 World Sight Day.

Uche said the day was set aside to sensitise people on the need to take care of the eyes.

He commended the residents of the state for the turn out for the exercise.

“I believe that at the end of this programme, people will have their result and know their status.

“After the exercise, the participants will be given glasses for free if there is need.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the National Association of Road Transport Owners and National Union of Road Transport Workers were in attendance.

Other participants also came from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria. (NAN)
MNB/HS/OJO
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(Edited by Halima Sheji and controlled by Mufutau Ojo)

NAN-H-16
Pretences
By Teniola Ibitola
Lagos, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) A man, who allegedly outsmarted a woman in the queue in the banking hall on the pretext of helping her to pay N80, 000 into her account and bolted with it, is facing trial at an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The accused, 45-year-old Olushola Adebayo, is arraigned on a two-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

He, however, denied the charge.

But Police Prosecutor Hafsat Ajibode insisted that the accused committed the offences on Oct. 11 at about 1. 12 p.m. at UBA Oyingbo branch.

Ajibode alleged that the complainant, seeing that the queue in the banking hall was long, gave the accused the sum of N80,000 to help her to deposit into her account.

“When the accused received the money, he pretended to have paid in the money. But after observing that the complainant was not paying attention, he escaped through the back door with the money.”

The offences contravened Sections 285 and 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, according to the prosecution.

Ruling on the bail application of the accused, Magistrate K.A. Ariyo granted him a bail of N30,000 with two sureties in like sum.

She adjourned the case to Nov. 14 for trial. (NAN)
OAT/ORO/DA
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Controlled by Dele Akinsola & edited by Razak Owolabi

NAN-S-8
Stadium
Jos, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) The firm handling the construction of N11.6 billion new Jos Stadium on Zaria Road, has raised an alarm over the rot arising from the project’s abandonment by the government.

A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos revealed that the Contractor, BCC Tropical Nig. Ltd., has intimated the government about the decay of the installed facilities.

NAN reports that in a letter dated Sept. 15, the contractors informed Gov. Simon Lalong on the bad state of the completed football pitch and other equipment left to rainfalls, humidity and sun.

A reliable source from the state’s Ministry of Sports, who spoke to NAN anonymously, expressed worry over the “attitude and un-seriousness of the government’’ to the completion of the six-year-old project.

The source noted that the increasing cost of materials due to the country’s economic recession had added to the amount to be used in completing the edifice.

“The contractor also wrote to us in the sports ministry, specifically to the commissioner, alerting him of the non-maintenance of the Artificial Turf and its consequences,’’ the source said.

The  letter, signed by the firm’s Managing Director, Mr Plamen Iliev, said: “Your Excellency, the main reasons for raising this alarm are several, including the serious deterioration of the already installed artificial turf football pitch due to lack of maintenance.

“If immediate overhaul is not done, the cost implication for the client to restore the pitch at a later time to its previous quality will be enormous ’’.

According to the contractor, since Nov. 2014, two imported scoreboards worth N1.3 billion, awaiting installation, are left at the mercy of harsh weather.

Also, lying waste are the imported steel profiles for roofing the structure which are now exposed to humidity and rust, thereby affecting their structural strength.

The firm argued that because the main building had not been roofed, its interior was opened to rain water which affects the steel frames, doors, floor finishing and Plaster of Paris (POP).

The rest are the suspended ceilings, pipings, fittings, appliances and electrical wires among others.

“The continuous exposure to such conditions inevitably will damage most of the equipment, creating uncertainty about the successful completion of the project without more unnecessary expenditure, ’’ the letter said.

Mr Emmanuel Nanle, Director of Press to the Governor, told NAN that even though he was unaware of the contractor’s letter, the government was keen on completing the project.

“This administration is keen at completing the stadium as soon as possible.

“We are thinking that before the end of this year it will be completed but when we were told of what is expected to be done, we only released funds toward the roofing.

“We are just waiting for funds to be available and then we shall complete it without further delay; I’m assuring you that Gov. Lalong is interested in completing the stadium without further delay,’’ Nanle said.

He added that “there is no way the two scoreboard can be installed when the stadium is not roofed; but by God’s grace, very soon that will be taken care of’’. (NAN)
TYC/PDE
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(Edited and Controlled by Peter Ejiofor)

NAN-H-22
Generators
By Deborah Akpede
Lagos, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) For unlawfully entering a compound to steal three generators, a 23-year-old barber, Opeyemi Mayford, was on Thursday docked at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
Mayford, a resident of Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, is being tried for unlawful possession and stealing.
The prosecutor, Insp. George Nwosu, said that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 18, at No. 22, Sokoya St., Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos.
He said that the accused unlawfully stole three generators belonging to one Mr Segun Akanmu, one Mr Omotola Sanusi and one Mrs Oluwatoyin Ige.
“The accused stole generators of Akanmu valued at N15,000, Sanusi worth N27,000 and Ige valued at N58,000; in total worth N100,000,” Nwosu said.
He said that the accused came at night to steal the generators.
“The accused came and took away Akanmu’s generator to hide in his house; he came back and carried Ige’s also to his house.
“He was caught by the street security guard when he came to carry Sanusi’s generator.
“The security guard blew a whistle consistently to alert the residents of the house.
“Some residents rushed out and saw the accused with the generator on his head.
“The other complainants discovered that their generators were missing from where they were placed; when they questioned the accused, he denied it.
“But when a search was conducted in his house, the generators were found in his room and another generator was also found which the accused could not give account of,” he said.
According to the prosecutor, the accused confessed to the police that he stole the generators to sell in order to raise money to rent a shop.
The offences contravene Sections 285 and 327 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 285 prescribes a three-year jail term as penalty for offenders.
The accused pleaded innocence of the offences and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.
The Magistrate, Mr A.A Adesanya, adjourned the case to Oct. 20 for mention. (NAN)
DOA/SOA

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Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

NAN-H-20
Adjournment
Lagos, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) The absence of a prosecution witness on Thursday stalled the trial before a Federal High Court Lagos, of a former FCMB branch manager, Rosemary Usifo, charged with N30 million fraud.
The accused was arraigned by the Special Fraud Unit of the police on a charge of fraud.
She had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N10 million, with two sureties in like sum, one of who must be a blood relation with landed properties.
The accused was, however, remanded at the Kirikiri prisons as she was unable to perfect her bail conditions.
On Thursday, the trial of the accused could not go on due to the absence of a prosecution witness.
When the case was called, the prosecutor, Mr Effiong Asuquo, apologised to the court that he could not proceed with trial as his witness was absent.
He said that he had called the witness to remind him of the day’s proceedings, and to ensure his attendance, but was informed by the witness that he was bed-ridden.
Asuquo therefore, prayed the court for an adjournment to enable his witness attend court to give evidence.
The trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu, consequently, adjourned the case to Dec. 8 for trial.
In the charge, the accused was said to have committed the offence in 2011.
The prosecutor alleged that the accused defrauded a bank customer, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr Archibong Nkanga, of N30 million.
The money was alleged to have been obtained from the fixed deposit account of the customer.
The offence is said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 1(2) (a), (c), and 3 (1) (2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.(NAN)
UNS/BOS
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