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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Another mass failure as NECO releases results

1:48 AM , No Comments

Minna — Another mass  failure has been recorded in the National Examination Council (NECO) results released in Minna, Niger State, Wednesday.
Registrar/Chief Executive of the Council, Professor Promise Okpala, while releasing the results said 110,724 candidates registered for the 2011 November/December Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) of which 104,187 actually sat for the examinations while 22,680 malpractice cases were recorded nationwide.
A breakdown of the result showed that 110,724 candidates registered for English Language while 104,187 eventually sat for it. 15,669 or 14.15 per cent of them recorded pass while 75,355 or 68.06per cent failed.
In Mathematics, of the 110,590 that registered, 101,792 sat for the paper with 45,547 or 41.19 per cent having credit and above and 10,328 or 9.34 per cent with ordinary pass.
Further breakdown also showed that the results in science core subjects including Chemistry, Biology, Further Mathematics and Agricultural Science are nothing to write home about.
In Physics, 43,504 or 90. 05 per cent failed, 24 candidates or 0.05 per cent had credit and above, 101 or 2.21 per cent failed; Biology, of the 97,595 that sat for the paper, 8,109 or 7.57 per cent had pass while 75,486 or 70.48 per cent failed.
In Chemistry, of the 44,950 that sat for the paper, 2,577 or 5.32 per cent had credit and above, 3,432 or 7.09 per cent had pass while 37,973 or 78.39 per cent failed. In Further Mathematics, of the 3,271 that sat for it, 48 or 1.05 per cent had credit and above, 101 or 2.21 per cent with pass while 3,085 or 67.64 per cent failed.
The statistics further showed that Oyo State which had the highest number of candidates for the examination also topped the list of states with the highest cases of malpractice of 6,579 or 3.29 per cent while Adamawa State had the least of only 36 cases or 1.33 per cent
Okpala said the council would not lower the standard of the marking skills because of the continuous mass failure but instead make it higher.
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Edo govt orders closure of two orphanage homes

1:46 AM 1 Comment

BENIN – The Edo State government on Wednesday ordered the temporary closure of two orphanages in the state over non compliance with the standing rules and regulations governing child care institutions.
A statement by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief (Dr) Inumidun Idehen gave the names of the orphanages as Compassion Orphanages Home, No. 8, Nosakhare Street, Off Upper Mission Road, and Omosefe Orphanage Home at No. 4, Edo Osagie Street, Off Akpakpava Road, Benin City.
She disclosed that the Orphanages were closed down temporarily to enable the Ministry carryout detailed investigation of their operation.
“We expect that the operators of the two orphanage homes will cooperate with the Ministry and other relevant authorities in the case of our investigation. The welfare of our vulnerable children is uppermost in our minds”, she said.
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Yong Kim promises scientist’s approach at World Bank

1:46 AM , No Comments

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Jim Yong Kim, the Korean-American physician nominated by Washington to lead the World Bank, said Wednesday his science training will help him make the Bank more responsive to the needs of developing countries.
In a written commentary released by the US Treasury as he embarked on a global tour to sell his candidacy, Kim said the Bank needs to be “more inclusive” and listen more to poor countries’ own ideas about how to solve their problems.
“A more open World Bank must recognize it does not have all the answers and listen closely to its clients and stakeholders,” he said.
“I have worked in villages where fewer than one in 10 adults could read or write, where preventable diseases cut lives short and where lack of infrastructure and capital held back entrepreneurs.”
“In all those villages, the local people knew where improvement was needed.”
As president of the Bank, he said, “My focus will be to ensure that it provides a rapid, effective response to their needs.
“I will come with an open mind and apply my medical and social-science training to take an evidence-based approach.”
Kim, the president of Dartmouth College and best known for his AIDS treatment program at the World Health Organization, was proposed last week by US President Barack Obama to be the next president of the World Bank.
While the US pick has always gotten the powerful position in the past, Kim faces an unprecedented challenge from other candidates, respected economists Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Jose Antonio Ocampo of Colombia.
Kim was to begin a trip this week to woo support around the world, with stops planned in Addis Ababa, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi, Brasilia and Mexico City — all important players in the Bank.
“My message is simple: an era of extraordinary opportunity requires an extraordinary global institution,” he wrote.
“I want to hear from developing countries, as well as those that provide a big share of the resources to development, about how we can together build a more inclusive, responsive and open World Bank.”
The Bank’s executive directors plan to interview the three candidates over April 9-11, according to Ocampo, with an eye toward a decision by the Bank’s April 20-22 Spring Meeting in Washington.
The new president will succeed outgoing US diplomat Robert Zoellick, who will leave at the end of June as his five-year term expires.
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Gunmen kill Boko Haram’s kingpin’s father

1:44 AM No Comments

MAIDUGURI- Unknown gunmen, Monday, in Maiduguri, Borno State, killed a retired Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Abdullahi Bello, said to be father of former spokesman  of  Boko Haram, Abu Dardaa, who was arrested by security agents on February 1, this year.
Bello, aka DC, was said to be performing ablusion  for the evening prayers when he was killed along with his friend whose identity was yet to be known at the Railway (Bayan) Quarters, Maiduguri, capital of Borno State about 6. 15pm.
His assailants later fled the scene.
It was learnt that Bello had fled to Abuja following earlier threats to his life by members,  but returned to Maiduguri few days before his death.
Sources alleged that  Dardaa had been providing information on the modus operandi of the sect members which had led to the arrests of some members of the group since his arrest and detention.
Also, two suspected Boko Haram members were reportedly killed yesterday morning during a gun duel with men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the metropolis.
An eye-witness, who preferred anonymity, said  the yet-to-be-identified gunmen trailed Dardaa’s father to the Railway Quarters and killed him.
He said: “We were about to perform our Magrib prayers when we heard gunshots and because of the 6 am to 7pm curfew imposed on Maiduguri and its environs, we could not come out to see what was happening. It was only this morning that we learnt it was the former Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Abdullahi Bello.’’
When contacted, JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa and the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sameul Tizhe, claimed ignorance of the incident, but a top security official in the state, who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident.
He said: “I am not JTF or Police spokesman, but from information at my disposal, the father of Abu Dardaa, Mr. Abdullahi Bello, was killed by gunmen in Maiduguri Monday evening.”
Relatedly,  two gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram were also yesterday killed by JTF in Farm centre area of Maiduguri.
‘’The incident,’’ according to investigation,  ‘’took place when some gunmen launched an attack in the area, but were repelled by JTF which led to the killing of the two suspects during the exchange of gun battle that lasted for 20 minutes.’’
However later, JTF spokesman, Lt-Col. Musa, in a statement, said that following the renewed killings and attacks on the security agencies in Maiduguri, his men yesterday embarked on a house-to-house search, particularly in some selected “flash-points” area of Abbaganram, Railway Quarters, Budum, and Jajeri wards in the metropolis.
Sagir said the Operation search every house was conducted to fish out those who have turned their residences and warehouses to haven for hiding arms and ammunition belonging to the sect members. He stated that the exercise  would be continuous, and urged members of the public not to panic, but to go about their normal activities.
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Boko Haram menace ‘ll end in June – Jonathan

1:40 AM No Comments

LAGOS— President Goodluck Jonathan assured yesterday that his government will end the menace of Islamic sect, Boko Haram in some areas of the north by the middle of the year. He said the nation’s security forces will take total control of the situation.
Jonathan who spoke in an interview with the South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency while attending a two-day summit on peaceful use of nuclear energy, with about 51 other world leaders in Seoul, also gave an insight into the problems faced by the Federal Government in 2010 when his predecessor, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was ill in far away Saudi Arabia without formally handing over the reigns of government to him as the then Vice President.

Speaking on the current security challenges  facing the country following the Boko Haram Islamic sect’s bombing canpaign in some parts of Nigeria, President Jonathan said, the problem was limited to certain areas in the country, assuring the international community that the problem would be seriously curtailed as the nation’s security forces would take total control of the situation by the middle of this year.
“In terms of security challenges, we have some parts of the country where we have terrorist attacks, but it does not affect the whole country. We are in reasonable control. We have the belief that in the middle of this year; in terms of security of individuals, we will have full control. The danger is limited to some parts of the country. It does not extend to other parts of country,” he further said.
President Jonathan also said during the interview that there were fears of military coup when late President Yar’Adua fell ill and did not formally hand over power to him, (Jonathan) as the then vice president. He said there were fears of a poosible coup as the country wobbled during the uncertainty surrounding the health condition of his predecessor.
He however said that military coup could not have occured because the country was politically stable.
“I was the President during the transition (period). Before I took over, I was vice president. The President (Yar’Adua) was very ill and people thought there would be military intervention. Today, we conducted election. Politically, we are stable,” he said.
Assuring potential investors of a conducive environment to do business in Nigeria, President Jonathan appealed to South Korean companies to invest in Nigeria because of her huge economic potentials.
According to Jonathan, “other areas and the public sector have been opened up. Agriculture, in terms of  production of  raw materials; and other sectors have been opened up. Not just in private airlines but airports, terminal buildings and other sectors.
“Oil sector had been opened up from the beginning. We have very few chemical companies. It is an area these (Korean) companies can invest. Before 2002, telecommunication was a monopoly. Telecommunication has been opened up to other countries. More Korean companies can invest in all aspects of telecommunication.
“There is one key area that I want to emphasize. Nigeria is a very green area for investors. Before this time, during the military rule, you do not know who would be the next president. When a new government came, there were new policies and those policies were not attractive to investors.
“Basically from 1999 to date, we have established democratic government. For investors, Nigeria has strong laws and media. No president can just change laws that can affect investors  especially. We encourage investors”. He pointed out that he specifically preferred the Korean investors to focus attention on the power sector.
“I want investment in power sector. For now, we are quite low. We want South Korean investors.”
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Nigeria must surpass 1996 feat – Jonathan

1:39 AM No Comments

President Goodluck Jonathan says Nigeria must surpass its 1996 performance in the forth coming London Olympic Games.
Nigeria had its best Olympics outing in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games hosted by the US.
Jonathan gave the charge in Abuja at the Grand Patron’s Dinner organised in his honour by the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC).
Represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the President charged the participants to step up their preparations to enable them perform well at the games.
He said the government had ensured that the National Sports Commission and the NOC secured first-class pre-games training facilities in Surrey, UK for their final preparation for the games.
According to him, Nigeria has the potential to achieve more in sports; given the nation’s human resources  and
sports talents.
He further stated that the government would continue to play statutory role in developing sports in Nigeria, within the limits of its resources.
Jonathan, however, noted that without the support of Nigerians and corporate organisations, it would be difficult for the country to achieve its full potential in sports.
“We have to rally round the NOC to enable it contribute significantly in upholding the ideals of Olympism of higher, stronger, faster games devoid of all forms of doping,” he said.
In his remark, the Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, assured that Nigeria’s contingent at the games would do the nation proud.
The President of the NOC, Mr Sani Ndanusa, had earlier thanked the Federal Government, official partners and supporters for their efforts to boost chances of Nigeria winning medals at the global fiesta.
The President was decorated as the Grand Patron of NOC at the occasion, while the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin, bagged the “Nigeria’s Icon of Sports Development” honour.
Solidarity messages were delivered by corporate organisations which pledged to assist and support the Nigeria’s contingent to the games.
The Niger government announced a donation of N2 million to NOC at the occasion.
Nigeria Olympic Committee was established in 1951 and the country debuted in the Olympics a year after.
Nigeria won her first Olympic medal in 1964 and the country has so far won a total of 23 medals in the global sports events.
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Referee dishes out five red cards in dressing room

1:37 AM No Comments

A referee sent off five players in the dressing rooms after a post-match brawl at an English League Two (fourth tier) game between Bradford City and promotion-chasing Crawley Town.
“I can’t believe this has happened,” Bradford manager Phil Parkinson, who had three players shown red cards after the 2-1 home defeat on Tuesday night, told the BBC.
“I have never been in a situation before where a ref has come into the dressing room, pulled players on one side and sent them off. He wouldn’t allow me in there.”
Six Crawley players and one from Bradford were booked during the match with Bradford’s Andrew Davies, who was sent off, now set for a five-match ban after being shown red cards twice previously this season. NAN
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NFF appoints Saintfeit as Technical Director, to earn $20,000 monthly

1:34 AM No Comments

Belgian coach Tom Saintfeit has been given a four-year contract as Nigeria’s technical director, officials announced Wednesday.
According to a communiqué signed by executive committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Emeka Inyama, Saintfeit will earn a monthly salary of $20,000.  The 38-year-old Saintfeit has previously worked in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
Tom Saintfeit

As part of his brief, he will oversee all the country’s teams.  A Nigerian assistant for Saintfeit will subsequently be appointed, officials said.
The NFF also confirmed John Obuh as coach of the country’s U20 team, the Flying Eagles.
He will keep his post along with his technical crew who led Nigeria to win the African Youth Championship in South Africa last year.
Kadiri Ikhana has also been appointed the coach of the country’s women’s team, the Super Falcons.
Former Kano Pillars and Kwara United coach Ikhana has replaced Eucharia Uche, whose contract was not renewed after last year’s FIFA’s Women’s World Cup in Germany.
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