Paradise News

Category: Education

  • Change in Nigeria and Africa, what we must know

    By Aliyu Nuhu


    If there is anything the new APC government used in fighting its way into the psyche of Nigerians, it is the political slogan (change). APC has made it clear that it was not PDP and did not want to do things the PDP way. Never mind that it was the same people in PDP that dropped their umbrellas and carried brooms to form the APC for their political convenience. Halfway into APC’s first term in power, change remains more of a political tool than a vehicle for progress . Nigeria and Nigerians essentially remain the same, just as before. 
    The ordinary Nigerian has not changed in his ways of doing things. He is the same dishonest, ruthless, corrupt, violent,unpatriotic,lawless and ungodly human being. He worships the same Nigerian god. It doesn’t matter the faith, Nigerian god wants to be involved and consulted while inflating contracts, rigging election or planning to cheat in exams. 
    The Nigerian man puts god in prayers while planning evil. Nothing has changed in the persona of the Nigerian man. The same goes with Nigerian leadership. Muhammadu Buhari remains a good man. But Nigerians never gave him the second chance to lead the country when he still had his dynamism,chauvinism and exuberance as a younger person until he reached the ripe age of 72. The Buhari of 80s and 90s is not the same Buhari of 2000s. It was like we had a Ferrari parked in the garage for decades and only decided to use it after it was overtaken by age and modernity. That is the Nigerian tragedy. Today Buhari is easier to bend. Old men are more agreeable and malleable. We never wanted a soft and nice leader. Nigeria is too inordinate lawless for that kind of man.

    Back to the core subject, Change. From the president down to local government workers,change is only there by name. The Nigerian leader still lives outside his reality. As an emperor he lives in luxury,owns 11 luxury planes,rides in motorcade made up of 13- 25 luxury and expensive cars and changes clothes like a butterfly. While cocooned behind high walls of Aso Rock surrounded by luxury, the Nigerian leader has all the insulation he needs to forget the kind of heat outside where his subjects reside. These days the president hoped into chopper from Aso Villa to the airport. He ignores the fact that there is poverty, unemployment and hunger everywhere. The leader is detached from reality. Nothing has changed.

    The economy

    One irrefutable fact about Nigeria is that it ran a commodity economy since it’s birth in 1914. After independence in 1960,oil took the center stage as the sustainer of all Nigerian governments. Nothing has changed. The nation had gone through a vicious circle of oil boom and bursts all through its history. Those having fears about Nigeria’s economic recession should know that commodities bursts are not always there to stay. Very soon prices of oil will go up and the country will be back on track. But that does not mean the present leadership should not explore ways of changing the structure of the economy. No one wants a wait- and -see economy dependent on the vagaries of volatile commodities markets. Talking about change,the Nigerian government should ideally start with the economy. The country should be a net exporter of manufactured goods and services,growing enough food to feed itself as well as having surplus to export abroad. This has not changed.

    Change at federal level ,the good,bad and ugly

    The new government has restored peace in the Northern part of the country that was ravaged and colonized by Boko Haram. The government has also proven to be a better and wiser spender than the previous government. For instance so much has been spent on capital projects than in the past 6 years. The government has blocked most financial leakages through introduction of TSA and elimination of ghost workers in the civil service. It is also fighting corruption with some measure of sincerity if not success. Stealing in MDAs has been reduced since the coming of the government. The government is also trying to reduce inflation,fight corruption and trim down the civil service. 

    To move Nigeria forward the government must adjust the nation’s unfavorable term of trade and allow the national currency to fall. I commended the government’s handling of the currency crisis. While It did not officially devalue the Naira ,it wisely allowed market forces to force it’s value down. The government has broadened it’s revenue base and is getting more serious with tax collection . In the past taxes are just about 3% of GDP. The government is targeting 5-7 %, but should also be mindful of avoiding multiple taxation that will emasculate the SMEs out of existence. It is bad enough for business not to get any loans from banks. 
    The government must make loans available and accessible to the real sector. It is one area the banks are failing woefully in stimulating the economy to provide employment to the youth. Out of 56 million Nigerian youth,98% are unemployed. The government has made so much noise about agriculture while in reality it did nothing to assist the sector. It changed nothing. Production is basically subsistence out of the sheer effort and determination of individual farmers. It did not make tractors available, it did not make fertilizers available nor build new dams,canals or irrigation infrastructure. Again the government must improve the basics by building roads,railways,electricity.

    Change at state and local governments level

    The APC states never made pretense to be part of the change train. State governments are changing gear for the worse. The mindless,unchecked looting of treasury is everywhere even with so little resources for development. The governors are not adjusting their appetite for sleaze. Contracts have remained the same conduit pipe for stealing. In every state, everywhere, governments are competing to build drainage, roads,bridges at 100 times the actual contract price. The governors are not pretending to adjust their ostentatious lifestyles. They charter planes, ride the same if not more expensive cars,dress like Kings and travel frequently on shopping spree abroad. Nothing has changed in terms of revenue generation and service delivery to the people.

    Africa and change: the bitter truth

    Africa has been a poor, perhaps the poorest continent throughout history. Nothing has changed and nothing will change with the kind of African leadership in place. The present economic crisis is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Angola is far worse off than Nigeria as oil contributed near 96% of its GDP and 99% of its foreign earning. By contrast, oil accounts for 64% of Nigeria’s GDP and 90% of its foreign earning. At continental and regional levels, Africa has not changed,not that other African Nations ever pretended to want change. 

    Nigeria is the symbol of African failure and is dragging the continent to perdition. The truth is that if Nigeria does not succeed, the African continent will never make any headway. The country has been lucky with its population,manufacturing,agriculture and services industry. Nigeria should give thanks for the relative ease it finds itself with the current global recession. Things could have been worse. With regards to Africa, there are about 14 nations that are making change and progress as a result of cheaper energy presented by falling oil price, amongst them Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Some states are virtually in a state of war, the South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and Central African Republic. Lesotho and Swaziland are the two African states that made it to the top ten most violent nations on earth. Meanwhile we still have more countries that are a disgrace to Africa and black-man. Even at the ripe age of 93,Robert Mugabe wants to stand election for another 8 years term, after being in power since 1976 in Zimbabwe. Other leaders are amending constitution to remain in power after exhausting their constitutional term limit.
    DRC,Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Cameroon are bad examples to the continent. South Africa has become a one party state and is keeping a corrupt president in power. Only in Africa you will see a serving president appointing his wife as deputy and successor. The blackman is the problem of the world and his continent, Africa, remains the sore point of global progress. No African,black nation has made any meaningful progress in terms of development. Africa is hugely endowed continent in terms of resources and manpower. With over 1.5 billion people and GDP of $2.7 trillion and growth average at 7%,Africa should lead the way in economic rebirth and development and should by 2050 have a nominal GDP of $30 Trillion. But that will never be. The economy of Africa is just the size of the economy of Argentina. 
    The typical blackman will always ensure that Africa stays in war,poverty,disease and backwardness. Africans need change more than Nigerians. When the blackman wants to copy white,he copies his lifestyle of excessive freedom and vanity. Today black male couples are fighting for freedom to get married as husband and wife of the same sex. When African man wants to copy Arab, he copies his religious extremism and violence. 
    Today Somalia is a carbon copy of Yemen. Boko Haram is a copy cat of ISIS and is sitting down in Borno to be appointed viceroy of one twisted ideology to destroy it’s own land. Blackman is treated with disdain everywhere because of the way he treats himself. In US police kill blacks because blacks among all races in America is the one that commits more crimes,is the one that will resist arrest,is the one that can kill a police without provocation. Statistics showed that more police in US die in the hands of blacks than vice versa. It is very much the same in Europe,Australia and Asia. Blacks are rejected everywhere. When people are facing firing squad in far east Asia,blacks will make up 90% of the list.

    Back to Nigeria

    I wrote before on the fight against corruption. Nothing has changed so far because the government is using same approach used in the past to prosecute individuals but essentially leaving the structure of corruption intact. Judicial and legal reforms are still not rooted to make the fight against corruption sustainable. Now we are in bigger trouble. The new APC government has shown it’s willingness to side with corruption and is abusing state apparatus of power to subvert the course of justice. The DSS has been used to harass opposition and those against APC. 

    The case of Zamfara is truly a sad episode. The presidency has also rubbished efforts by the House of Representatives to clean itself of corruption. The presidency took side with Yakubu Dogara by exonerating him of any wrongdoing in budget padding. Today the hunter is becoming the hunted. Abdulmumini Jibrin is becoming a sacrificial lamb for coming out to expose corruption in the House of Representatives. We always know there is massive looting in the chambers of National Assembly and that one day someone will be cheated into exposing the whole scheme. 
    Now that we have opportunity to get to the bottom of the matter, the president of all people is the one to take side with thieves. Looking at the previous government, there is no change at all. Jonathan has stood firmly to defend thieves, from Diezeni to Stella, Jonathan stood firmly as defender of corruption. It is the same thing we are seeing today. I have strong feelings that things will get much worse as this government settles down a bit. The worse is yet to come.

  • The forgotten rots of Society for the wrong choices they made; the Prisoners in Nigeria?

    By Friday Aruku Odey

    THE FORGOTTEN ROTS OF SOCIETY FOR THE WRONG CHOICES THEY MADE. THE PRISONERS IN NIGERIA ?

    A prison was set up by government/authority in centuries across the globe as deterrent to hold citizens who terrorise society by committing crimes : killing, rubbing, mugging and making life miserable to fellow humans etc.

    Governments had to come up with the prison system to put offenders behind bars to protect society and make offenders realise law and order exist.

    Having said all these, the judiciary system must rise to the occasion and make the prison a truly rehabilitation institution like that of other nations and set to do what the prison was made for.

    Often Nigeria over take things for granted. We as a nation must emulate and copy what other nation do right or best. Rebuilding nation comes with price. When governance or government is setup, apparatus that make up the government and those in authority must drive their areas to make the system works. This is where division of labour comes to play. Without division of labour, government/organisation fails. Government/organisations gathers all division of labour in place, monitor and make sure the system works. These system forms governance. That’s why you have various ministries, departments, states and local governments etc. All this constitute the framework of governmental body for things to work and know what areas fail to drive their end to make good governance and represent their citizens well with good projects to benefit all.

    People in charge of their areas comes up with projects and programmes to improve on citizens needs by presenting these to the authority for approval.

    The judiciary and prison officials are responsible for developing and running the system effectively eliminating short comings. This comes with programmes.

    Prison is made to correct and rehab inmate who faulted in society depending on the offence.

    Prison population is categorised by offences:

    • Minor offenders.
    • Capital crime offenders.

    These categories are broken down further. You can reference that for further clarity.

    I am only writing on this issue for the fact that most people in our prison are still waiting trials. Some have been in detention for more than time allowed for their trial.

    The government/judiciary has done nothing for speedy trial. Innocent souls are left to suffer for crime they have not been proven guilty. Those inmate who can not afford a lawyer, the government must provide a lawyer for them. Awaiting trial detainees must be given a speedy trial timely.

    The second aspect will be on those convicted. What programmes do the prison department have in place to rehab the prisoners and make them productive part of society before releasing them to the streets ?

    What do our prisons look like ?

    1. This discussion is very pertinent because we can not keep innocent souls in custody with out trial.
    2. Programmes must be in place to rehabilitate inmate and made them productive members of society and return them to coexist and live a normal live.
    3. Those condemn for capital crime, after all appeals have failed, must serve their time. Those condemned to death must face justice and done with timely.
    4. Adequate care i.e,m feeding, health and hygiene must be made available for immate while serving.

  • Photos from the 3-day Entrepreneurial and Skill Acquisition Workshop in ITM Ugep

    Days back, the Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), Ugep hosted a 3-day Entrepreneurial and skills acquisition workshop where students acquired skills such as:

    • Cake baking,
    • Cobbling of shoes,
    • Making of ankara bags and accessories,
    • Making of hair/hair dressing,
    • Barbecue making,
    • Laptops and Phone repairs, etc.

    The environment created by the programme went a long way as students from the institution just in three days were able to do a lot even at the little expense of time.

    Meanwhile, there’s also a Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Programme which will be coming up soonest for all youths in Cross River State, and it’s free of charge. Stay focus and don’t miss this precious opportunity to acquire a skill.

    Check out photos from the ITM skill acquisition programme below….

  • CRS Youths storms Governor’s Office as they protest over the arrest of Efiong Ewa in Calabar

    Not quite long when an unemployed graduate from Cross River State was arrested and detained at the state CID by Governor Ayade’s aide over approaching the Governor with placard that reads ‘I Need A Job’. Ever since then, no information or follow up regarding his release have been heard.

    With that enigma, some group of youths, preferably students/graduates of Cross River State was on Monday 29th August, 2016 at around 10am matched to the Governor’s office to solidarized on behalf of the arrested unemployed graduate whose name is Charles Efiong Ewa.

    Read Also | Governor Ayade’s Aide arrest unemployed graduate carrying placard tagged ‘I Need A Job’

    If you can recalled, on the 29th of May, 2016, during the swearing-in of political leaders from the National Assembly, Presidency and the Governors throughout the Federation, the Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade made known to all that no Cross River born graduate will remain unemployed or roam the streets with files and jackets looking for jobs. Ayade who made a renowned promise, stated that, in his first year in office, he will make sure he creates thousands of jobs to accommodate both old and fresh graduates in the state. But with graduates carrying placards seeking for jobs on the streets is still the question of the day.

    However, since a man cannot survive without bread, this young man had to approach the Governor’s convoy, struggling to show Governor Ayade a placard that he needs a job. But instead, he was arrested and detained at the state CID in Diamond Hill, Calabar.

    This however, rot the minds of the youths as they all gathered themselves, carrying placards too to solidarize on behalf of Efiong Ewa. The placards were carrying messages like ‘He only needed a job, He meant no harm’, and many more.

    One of the youths (name witheld) who who spoke with Calabar Reporters said, “we are here for a peaceful demonstration to solidarize on behalf of a youth whose right is misjudged because of their greed, and we demand the release of our fellow youth.

    “For if we do not intervene, who knows who is going to be next, he added”.

    Although, the youths were stopped by the security men at the gates of the Governor’s Office. This is howfar Calabar Reporters can report.

    By the time of filing this report, Efiong Ewa is still at the state CID in Calabar. Any further information concerning his release or otherwise will be published on Calabar Reporters website, please stay connected.

  • Leadership Thought for the Day: There is a Hand in the Affairs of Men

    By Anthony Ubani

    Twelve years ago, a Harvard student invited 5 people to his room to discuss a business opportunity. Only 2 of the 5 people showed up. Today, those 2 people are billionaires: Dustin Moskovitz $9.9 Billion and Eduardo Saverin $6.3 Billion.

    The guy they met that night? Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has a net worth of $35.7 Billion.

    Now consider for a moment what it must be like to be the other 3 people who were invited, but chose not to attend that life changing meeting. They probably laughed when they were invited and said, “who is this small boy to be inviting us for a meeting.” Today they probably live with the perennial thought of what could have been and the torture of life-long regret.

    Some people will quickly attribute it all to luck. But there is no such thing as luck and even if there is, luck only favours the bold and prepared. Two quick leadership lessons here.

    First is that those who must excel, succeed and make impact in life must go beyond being intelligent and hardworking. They must equally hone their instincts and develop their sixth sense that much like an antennae discerns opportunities where lesser mortals look and see emptiness.

    In the race up the ladder of success, our physical bodies has the least role to play. our soul, the arena of reason and emotion has a much higher role to play.But our spirit, which is responsible for much of what we refer to as intuition,  instincts, gut feeling or hunch, is the chief referee of our success or failure in life. Those who will  impact their generation must therefore essay to cultivate their spirit being.

    That leads to the second point. It is important to understand and appreciate that our greatest success does” not usually come from or rely solely on our greatest efforts. The most beautiful things in life are typically found in the most unlikely of places. And the best things in life are free – like an invitation to attend a meeting with a pimple faced teenage boy.

    It is yet another indication that there is a sublime, and I dare say, a supreme power that has a hand in the affairs of men. That power is God Almighty and he shows mercy and compassion on whom it pleases him to show mercy and compassion upon.

    Brutus in the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar correctly philosophized that “there is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” But the reality of life proves clearly that far above and beyond a tide, there is also a divine hand in the affairs of men which leads the flood of fortune to them that believe.

    Do you believe?

    Anthony Ubani, August 2016

  • NANS Convention: Gombe was a litmus test

    They say ‘as the going gets tough, only the tough gets going’. The National Association of Nigerian students (NANS) under the leadership of Comrade Prince Miaphen has slated 1st – 4th of September, 2016 as the date of completion of the aborted Gombe National Convention. SUG Presidents from all the tertiary institutions across the country are expected to gather at the Old Parade Ground Abuja to elect who’ll take the mantle of the leadership of Nigerian students – a process they started at Pantami Stadium Gombe.

    The ‘who is who’ of those eyeing the top seat is what this piece will look into.

    The aborted Gombe Convention was but a flash, a preamble to the expectation.

    When at Gombe, there were four main contenders;

    1. Sheriff E. E. Zadok of Unizik
    2. Aruna Kadiri of UniBen
    3. Igwe Ude-Umanta of EBSU
    4. Chinonso Obasi AKA IBB of EBSU

    Of all these four, each of them has what it takes to be president of NANS and believe that he’ll clinch the top position.

    1. Sheriff believed to be very young, handsome, intelligent, genuine student and above all somebody who campaigned thoroughly and penetrated especially the North East. He hails from the core East Anambra, Nnamdi Azikwe University.

    2. Igwe Ude – Umanta is a prince. Also young and intelligent somebody. He was once the SUG President at UniAbuja. He then, relied solely on the power of the incumbent in which he was alleged to have been the anointed candidate of the immediate past President of the NANS, Mr. Tijjani Usman.

    3. Aruna Kadiri is from Edo state. He’s the only Muslim candidate among the top contenders. I learnt that Aruna competed for the post almost 10 years back, when somebody like me was only a student of may be junior secondary school. Religion influence may add flavour to his soup.

    4. IBB who hails from the same university with Igwe, i.e. Ebonyi State University was said to have believed that he’s the youngest contender. He believes in the power of thugs and was said to be sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party.

    On whatever note, these four were the main contenders of Gombe Convention.

    NANS has a process which must be followed. First of all, the Convention chairman will be elected by the senators (SUG Presidents), and then the elected Convention chairman will come up and dissolve the cabinet, dissolve the Convention Planning Committee (CPC) and announce his own members of the committee and then conduct the election. It is a tradition of the NANS that candidates sponsor their allies to contest for the position of Convention chairman. The act will serve as a litmus test and it’ll also ease their aspiration, should their candidate win.

    At Gombe, the office of the Convention chairman was contested by four as a reflection of these four top contenders;
    1. Prince Miaphen who was before his election the Director General of Campaign of Aruna Kadiri Campaign Organization.
    2. Yemi Likedat also the DG of Sheriff Campaign Team
    3. Ahmed Jibrin who was sponsored by TeamIBB
    4. Ibrahim Yusuf who was sent by Igwe Ude-Umanta.

    The expectation was that all those going to vote for a particular candidate will start by voting for his anointed convention chairman. Therefore, whoever wins is strongly expected to win the race due to the fact that he has the majority and the that his boy becomes the convention chairman who’s responsible for conducting the election.

    The Gombe Convention chairman was won by Prince Miaphen who was/is a boy to Aruna Kadiri. He won with 71 votes. Followed by Yemi Likedat; boy of Sheriff, with 63 votes. Followed by IBB and Igwe boys, Ahmed Jibrin with 56 and Ibrahim Yusuf with 51 votes respectively.

    That election of the Convention Chairman if anything, showed clearly that should election be conducted properly, Aruna Kadiri will definitely win. This incited the other candidates having clearly saw a defeat, to disrupted the process under the leadership of Chinonso Obasi AKA IBB. I was inside the venue waiting to vote for my choice when the entrance was broken by the Chinonso IBB and got inside. He threatened that everybody should take his leave. A situation that forced the senators to run for their lives which resulted to accidents – fractures and injuries. Soon after the thug and his thugs chased the senators away, everybody left the stadium because it became clear that something was amiss. We from Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara left early morning the following day, only to browse on facebook, and other media outlets to saw Chinonso AKA IBB declaring himself the President of NANS. We wondered how, why and when? But as a friend say, IBB may be the President of National Association of Nigerian Thugs (NANT) instead. IBB created a faction which was uncalled of him.

    Since that very day, many things happened in NANS. IBB declared faction, with Egalitarian as his Senate President. Tijjani Usman tried to maintain a faction as well, claiming that he wasn’t dissolved. Ochai Roys, the Senate President also tried claiming to be the only somebody in NANS because nobody is empowered to dissolve him by the virtue of the constitution. One George Tom AKA Aluta Twin also declared himself the President. Prince Miaphen, the elected Convention Chairman also declared himself Acting President. Though some accused him of trying to hijack the Association by declaring himself, but some still believe that he has NO option but to declare himself acting, since NO association can stand without president. But the fact remains that with the title of Acting President attaching to Convention Chairman or without, the senators only know Prince Miaphen because they solely elected him as a whole.

    And Abuja Convention?

    I’ll start by commending the good effort of Prince Miaphen who kept to his words of conducting election six weeks from the aborted Gombe Convention. I’ll also commend the three main contenders, Igwe Ude-Umanta, Sheriff E. E. Zadok, and Aruna Kadiri who stood by the Convention Chairman up till this moment. The senators that shunned away the NANT President, IBB must also be commended for shunning away falsehood, most especially the senators from Ebonyi and Ondo Axis where the self acclaimed President and Senate President hail.

    Now, the direction has changed in favour of another candidate instead of another. It was believed that Igwe Ude-Umanta was popular, but what affected him during the aborted Convention was his romance with the incumbent which some people see to be the most unpopular NANS President ever.
    Aruna Kadiri is still powerful because of his close relationship with the Convention Chairman, Prince Miaphen. But again, Prince tendered his resignation letter from the office of the DG campaign of Aruna the moment he emerged the Convention chairman and promised to be just and never partial.

    Chinonso Obasi declared faction and therefore is out of the race. But where are the 56 senators that voted for his anointed Convention chairman, Jibrin Ahmad? Have they sided with him or with the NANS? The reality is obvious that 90% of the senators that voted for him opted from his camp and sided with NANS since when he declared himself the president.

    Now; the questions that are glaring are as follows:

    1. Who will get the support of the over 50 senators that voted for IBB the last time? Kadiri, Igwe, or Sheriff.
    2. Igwe is likely to have some, since he and IBB represent same constituency, i.e. Ebonyi State University, therefore have equal support in their zone.
    3. Sheriff is also very likely to have the majority of IBB senators because he is said to be courageous based on the outcome of the Convention where his candidate popular Yemi Likedat emerged 2nd. He therefore penetrated through the senators supporting IBB before, and got his vast share.
    4. The influence of ethnic and religion is forever in Nigerians. Aruna Kadiri, being the only Muslim contender from the Southeast, may gain the sympathy of some religious influenced senators, though NOT all those who support Aruna are influenced by religion. I still wonder if religion play a (vital) role in NANS. It is confirmed that religion has little or NO influence in the NANS politics.

    However, the question of ‘who is who’ of the Abuja Convention can only be answered on the 4th of September, 2016.

    What I advise the senators is to vote for the best. Whoever your consciousness tells you that he’s the best, go for him. Don’t be influenced by money or material gains, they fade and go away. Remember, you’re representing the thousands of the students in your school that posed their confidence in you.

    I pray and hope that the 2016 NANS Abuja Convention will be the reason of restructuring of NANS. We really need sanity in NANS and that sanity can only be achieved by voting the best among the contenders.

    Anass Muhammad Sani is the senator representing Sokoto State University, Sokoto – Nigeria.
    +234 (0) 806 067 63

  • Cross River Born Bright Eworo Graduates with 1st Class in Russian University, Best in African

    Cross River State will always represent wherever we find ourselves in the world. And yet another bright Bright has made us proud to be African Best Graduating Student in a Russian University.

    NAME: Bright Eworo

    LGA: Abi

    STATE: Cross River State

    UNIVERSITY: Kazan National Research Technology University, Russia

    COURSE: Technology, Designing, Printing, & Packaging Processing.

    GRADE ON GRADUATION: First Class with CGPA of 4.78.

    RESEARCH: Development of Polypropylene Composition With Dehydrated Materials For 3-D Printing.

    AWARDS: Best African Graduating Student in KNRTU.

    TRAINING ATTENDED: Italian Trade Agency Under the Italian Technology Award.

    PAPERS: Technological Innovation & Uses of Polymers Materials for Ornament & Construction.

    Like many Africans from poor beginning, Bright Eworo is not celebrated because he has nobody to publish him in Newspapers & Mazagines.

    According to him, he was asked to pay a certain amount for him to be introduced to the commissioner of education and the governor by the Special Adviser on Students Affairs, Prince Michael Nku Abuo.



    Courtesy of Ifere Paul 

  • 3INVEST PRESENTS AFRICA’S BIGGEST REAL ESTATE EVENT

    Returning to the city of Lagos with its Fifth edition, 3 Invest Limited has announced the commencement of Real Estate Unite 2016, the real estate event that unites leading stakeholders and Global investors in Africa’s property market.

    Themed ‘filling the G.A.P.S’, the two day event which is scheduled to hold on the 6th and 7th of October 2016 at the prestigious Eko Convention Center Lagos, will host some of world’s biggest brands in the property market across Africa. The annual conference, exhibition and recognition dinner, aims to create a viable platform to harness potentials in the real estate sector.

    The event will offer attendees networking opportunities with over 40 global Investors and full participation in its world conference where the future of real estate in Nigeria, Africa and the world will be viewed from a localized perspective. Participants can also showcase on-going or developed projects and capitalize on global industry
    innovation, technologies and trends.

    Some of the highlights of the event this year is the Exhibition set to attract representatives from real estate related vendors and resources; Education sessions and panel discussions with industry thought leaders and key influencers; Special programs for Women in Real Estate; Networking Events and for the first time ever a Recognition Awards for outstanding talent in the industry. Real Estate Unite has a strong reputation for bringing together top experts from leadership and management thinkers to industry specialist in various sectors such as development, banking, marketing, manufacturing, law, interior design, hospitality, Foreign and Institutional Investors and more. To satisfy the investment market and Real Estate appetite, some Key note speakers expected at the event are Executive Director, Corporate Strategy & Planning, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Dr Chii Akporji, Minister, Power, Works & Housing Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Chief
    Executive Officer, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) Prof. Charles Inyangete and more.
    According to Babatunde Fashola (SAN) – “3invest and its leadership requires good commendation for uniting the real estate industry”.

    Speaking on its fifth edition, Spokesperson for the summit Ruth Obih has stated that the summit is geared towards offering direct access to the most active local and international Africa-focused real estate and infrastructure development participants in the world.

    In 2016, Real Estate Unite seeks to explore how the Government and Private sector could each play vital roles in further boosting Africa’s real estate sector, thus offering affordable and competitive housing to citizens and enterprises at all levels. This event will provide a rare opportunity to meet the who’s who of the
    industry.


    ABOUT REAL ESTATE UNITE
    Real estate unite is an annual real estate summit whose primary objective to unite players in the real estate sectors whilst opening up the immeasurable potentials in Sub-Sahara’s real estate sector for
    sustainable growth. The Real Estate Unite advisory board is an independent body made up of professionals from different sectors chaired by Peter Bankole, Jumoke Akinwunmi, Akin Olawore, Sonnie Ayere, Kunle Omotola and Ruth Obih. 


    For more information on Real Estate Unite please visit 
    www.realestateunite.com

    Join the conversations on our social media handles by following
    Twitter: @3Invest
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/3investGroup/
    Instagram: @3Invest

    For all Press Related Matters please contact Mrs. Precious Idaewor at precious.idaewor@invicta-africa.com
    For Sponsorship or Speaking Opportunities please contact Kelechi on 08099991803 

    Links:
    ——
    www.realestateunite.com 

  • Attend Pan Niger Delta Students Conference and Peace Talk 2016

    The Niger Delta Student Union Government (NIDSUG) which is the umbrella body of all Niger Delta Students, in Collaboration with other ethnic nationality student Unions in the region is organizing a Pan NIGER DELTA STUDENTS CONFERENCE (PNSC)


    Theme: RESOURCE JUSTICE & SECURITY: EXPLORING WAYS TO PEACE IN THE NIGER DELTA


    DATE: Wednesday, 31st August 2016. 


    TIME: 10:00am to 3pm


    VENUE: Ijaw House, Sani Abacha Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The PNSC is aimed at the following among others:

    1. To examine the current socioeconomic, political and environmental conditions of the Niger Delta in view of the Nigerian state.

    2. It will serve as another framework for sharing of views and development of pro-people and pan-communal analysis on the crisis of the Niger Delta in the Nigeria State.

    3. The PNSC will also be an open medium for participants to re-articulate our demands and examine the potentials of the Federal Government Peace Dialogue as a framework for the resolution of the contradictions between Niger Delta people and the Nigeria State.

    4. The meeting will develop a set of recommendations for the Niger Delta people and the Nigerian Government with respect to the need for true federalism, resource control, environmental justice, roles/operations of international oil companies (I.O.C), passage of the petroleum industry bill (P.I.B) and good governance.

    The guest lecturers are: Senator Ben Murray – Bruce; Prof. Nnimo Bassey; Alhaji Mujahid  Asari – Dokubo; Lady Gesiere Brisibe Dorgu, Comr. Legborsi Pyagbara, Comrade Ken Henshaw, Prof. Ambily Etepke, Comrade Mark Olise, Prof. Andrew Efemini, Hon. Tonye Isenah amongst others.

    THE PROGRAMME WILL BE ATTENDED BY A HOST OF DIGNITARIES

    Don’t miss out!
    For inquiries call 08064452213…

  • UNICAL Staffs burst into Celebrations over the suspension of Bursar, Mr. Agi

    Staffers of the University of Calabar today broke into wild jubilation to celebrate the suspension of the erstwhile Bursar of the institution, Mr. Peter Agi. 

    A cross section of those interviewed by Campus WATCH expressed relief at the news of the former Bursar’s removal. They claimed that Mr. Agi had constituted himself into a cog in the wheel of smooth administration of the University.

    They listed refusal to pay staff legitimate entitlements, selective pay-rolling of newly recruited staff, refusal to remit deductions of Unical Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society which has stalled the payment of dividends by the organization, refusal to release fellowship funds duly approved by Tetfund for academic staff causing them to be repatriated from foreign universities prematurely as well as frequently humiliating senior academic and admin staff in his office each time they make appeals for him to pay their entitlements, as many of his ‘sins’.

    Meanwhile, the suspended Bursar in a swift reaction claims that he is still the Bursar having not received any letter of suspension yet adding that he is currently on sick leave.

    However, when contacted on the former Bursar’s claims, the office of the Registrar denied any knowledge that Mr. Agi was granted any sick leave.

    On the claim of the former Bursar that he has not been served any letter of suspension, our source stated that every effort to deliver mail to Mr. Peter Agi had failed as he has instructed his domestic staff not to receive any mail from the university.

    Our source also confirmed that this was the reason why the query letter issued two weeks ago on Mr. Peter Agi could not be delivered.


    ~Campus Watch